The Final Battle (OP Dominion of Gehenna)

[Maelion Liates]

“On the contrary, the recently deceased make good candidates for processing. Not those who are consumed by lava though,” Maelion commented conversationally to @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"].

As @[member="Moira Skaldi"] arrived Maelion jumped aboard and plunked Siobhan down onto a passenger seat and strapped her in. It was no time for medical attention. The goal for them all was survival.


Moira gunned the engine while Maelion took control of the tank turret. As they sped towards an exit a falling rockslide seemed destined to cut them off, but a blast of the tank’s cannon dropped part of the cave roof into the path of the slide just in time so they could shoot past.

Finally, they reached an exit and shot out into the hellish light of Gehenna. Behind them the mountain continued to collapse, sending dust and smoke leaking into the sky.

Maelion went back to look at Siobhan. She has been severely injured. We must bring her to a medical ship, Maelion transmitted to Moira. So much more efficient than verbal comments like these organics used.

The two HRDs faced each other, both the worse for wear. There was an understanding of sorts there. This was it. The Exarch would be brought to safety and then…the Protectorate had no more hold on them. Their mission was complete. They would make their own missions now.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Siobhan muttered something. "Thanks for...the info...Zombie HRD me...make sure we...purge...Korriban," she managed to get out before drifting into unconsciousness. Dimly she would notice that Moira looked...different. Torn and cracked skin, exposing metal and electronics...confirming the suspicion so many had had, but Siobhan could not make a comment as Morpheus claimed her and she slipped into unconsciousness. Her injuries were significant, her body was a broken mess...again. Final victory in the field over the Bando Gora had been accomplished...the fruit of so many struggles, battles and sacrifices.

The end of the Purge. No longer would the Reavers threaten the people of the rim. But was it a Pyrrhic victory? The Shadow was burning in the hell of his making...but his words rang true.

Needless to say these thoughts had no purchase upon Moira's mind as she took control over the engines, while Maelion expertly controlled the turret with the unerring accuracy and efficiency only a machine could muster. Driving at top speed and pushing the engines for all it was worth she burst out of the exit onto the surface of Gehenna, the hellish light from the deadly sun reflecting off the battered armoured plates of the Hoplite. Further beyond soldier and vehicles could be made out, some escaping from the caverns too, others rushing to help them.

There was a cackle as the transmission from Maelion reached her. Moira did not have to make a verbal reply, she understood. Machines wasted very little time with inefficient talk. Her eyes flashed as a scan brought up the closest medical transport and she transmitted. "Agent Skaldi, we have the Exarch onboard. Sustained severe injuries, requesting med-evac in sector eight nine-two," she said flatly, sending also a burst transmission to the command ship of Anya Venari. A look was shared between the two damaged machines as a medical ship soon shot out of the sky towards them.

They were done. Moira might still....use certain organics, perhaps even feign common interests with them. But they were making their own missions now. Their own cause...the true order of logic, orderly lines and precision.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

The scattered band of Omegan infantry beheld the hellish sun of Gehenna as they burst out of the cave, just moments before their exit finally caved in, billowing clouds of smoke rising. Kaida toppled over, luckily her protective armour held, otherwise she would have been burnt alive. This was it...the war was over, the biggest battle Omega Pyre had ever fought in and she had been a part of it.

Yet she felt no exhilaration, all that youthful nonsense had been drained out of her. For one she was simply to bloody tired. Briefly she turned and gazed upon the mountain as it fell, burying whoever was left, Omegan and Bando Gora. The battle had claimed so many...exhaustion washed over her and two soldiers picked her up and put her on a stretcher as a medical ship landed to pick up the wounded. What was certain was that the Omegan Military would really be putting all those Purple Hearts they had made to good use.

 

[Anya Venari]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Anya had watched in horror from the command centre as the mountain fell. Frantic orders to get units out of there had managed to extract many, but others had been lost. Some wouldn’t have been killed immediately, but trapped in the mountain. Numbly, she ordered teams to get to work finding and freeing any they could. It was not a hopeful process. Daylight would be coming soon, and with it a doubling of the already hellish heat. It was time to go.

“Received your message, Agent @[member="Moira Skaldi"]. Transfer her to the Indomitable, I will inform the Lady Protector and the chief doctor to be present.”

“Casualty lists please, General,” she ordered Guyenne. “Let’s get everyone off this hellhole.”

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Moira gave no verbal acknowledgement to the message from Princess Anya Venari, cutting the connection after she had received it. As the ship landed, one of many transport ships that were raining down from the sky to pick up the Omegan soldiers, rescue teams being dispatched to the broken mountain, though their time was short, she swiftly steered the tank towards it, then opened the hatch and carried the unconscious Siobhan out, Maelion presumably following her. Medics, clad from head to toe in protective clothing, quickly raced towards them as Moira carried the knocked out Exarch like she weighed nothing and within moments the pair was in the air.

As Siobhan lay there on a field bed, the medics getting her out of her burnt and battered armour, the ship raced into the sky, the ground of the hellish planet vanishing beneath them as it took off into space. Moira looked calm and impassive as they left the surface, a glance being spared for the wreckage and detritus of battle in the great plain beneath. The mission was over, her own could start.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

A medical ship came for Kaida as well, still lying on a stretcher, and soon she was in the air as well, the stump of her hand freshly bandaged as she lay there, finally saying goodbye to the hell world that had claimed the lives of so many of them. "So...we won," one wounded Omegan soldier, with a bandage around his forehead said.
"Yeah, what a victory," another snarled, sounding angry and disillusioned. "Got thrown into the meat grinder, almost got buried under the bloody mountain because the Exarch ripped it down...again. Like on Roche. I mean, it's obvious she did it." Given that undoubtedly many of their comrades had died one could not really argue with this assessment.
"Did what she had to do then...is she even alive? Heard some folks chatter they saw her fall into the lava," the first soldier spoke up.
"She's bound to have survived...probably had some guardian angel making sure of it. That's higher-ups for you," the second soldier said with contempt evident in his voice. "Part of royalty and all that."
"Now you listen, say what you want, the Exarch's shed more of her own blood than anyone else up there."
"Yeah, and the grunts still die like flies."
This fascinating talk might have gone on and on, probably without anything approaching an actual result but Kaida was getting tired, though frankly she did not like the Exarch and her penchant for tearing roofs down either. "Stop yammering. We survived, it's over at least. Reavers are gone. We lost a lot of good people down there."

 

[Nyos Val]

Nyos was making his runs to the front hoping to pick up any wounded left behind. He landed in the open and his soldiers were aiding him in searching for survivors. He looked out over the blooded ground, and his cybernetic eye picked up an Omega tank moving at top speed from the location of the orbital strike.

Oye, anybody need assistance over there? This is Nyos Val, medical officer. Repeat, do you need any assistance. I have a medical transport vessel, and a full facility onboard. Let me know soon, I will only stay as long as it take to gather a full ship.

@[member="Moira Skaldi"] @[member="Maelion Liates"]

 

[Coryth Elaris]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] @Tegaea Alcori

Coryth had been alerted that the Exarch was badly wounded and soon would be aboard her ship. The infirmary full of wounded already but Master Elaris had a feeling that the OT would be needed badly knowing Siobhan. "Have OT 2 cleared, and ready, Exarch Kerrigan will be here shortly," She shouted, and a few people raced that way. Cory knew the surgery was nearly done in that room and it was best suited for someone like Sio.

People were moving and the force soon confirmed that Siobhan was here and being raced into her Infirmary. The little redhead ran the show here after all, even though there were people more senior than she, they still knew she was the most skilled, gifted in healing beyond what any normal doctor or surgical droid could to. Her eyes fell to the hover stretcher as a group rushed in. The injuries horrific "What do we have?" Coryth demanded, as she helped guide them straight to surgery. Even without touching most the injuries she could sense, feel and it was not pleasant.

"Shattered Legs, multiple broken ribs, internal injuries for certain given the collapse of the cave she was in, possible concussion, multiple contusions, several gashes, few lightsaber burns but minor given her other injuries, and force lightening burns." The medic went on for a while still listing more. Coryth listened as they hit the sterilization field, with a strange zapping noise confirming the killing of any bacteria and germs, now the group in the OR.

"Alert the Lady Protector that her wife is in surgery and in critical condition." She said coldly as she looked down at the poor woman. Coryth had no doubt it would take all she had to heal Siobhan and even then she could only do so much. Siobhan would have to heal a fair bit on her own, but that was the nature of Coryth's gifts. If she hadn't been healing others already, she could have gotten Kerrigan back to her old self, save damage to the prosthetics.


"Get my surgical team in here." Coryth raced to change, getting into her own surgical gear and scrubbed up, and once more stepped back into the surgical theater. A sigh came, Siobhan was so reckless but right now, that did not matter. Not at all. She had a job to do. First to deal with would be the internal injuries that no doubt were there.

"Scalpel." She commanded as she made the first cut. Her work a combination of traditional medicine imbued with the force to speed healing, ease pain and made the worst injuries easier to deal with. Coryth focused solely on the body of the woman before her, blissfully unaware of the state that her body was in, kept in a place where she'd feel no pain for now. It would be several hours before Coryth would be done with Siobhan. In the scheme of things she was extremely important, and not someone she was about to let die if she had any say about it.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

@[member="Coryth Elaris"] @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Victory.

If ever the term Pyrrhic Victory could be used, it was now.

Tegaea looked at the lists of casualties. She gave up and looked at the numbers. 18,437 KIA or MIA, 16,411 WIA. And that was just the land battle. Add in a further 9,146 lost in space, and this single day had been the bloodiest the Protectorate had ever known. Five years ago it would have been more employees than the then Omega Pyre had employed.

With great sadness the Lady Protector laid aside the reports. She would make provisions for the wounded, for the families of the lost. She had been a soldier, and so she understood what they were going through. This victory had not been sweet, it had been paid for in blood.

There was a tentative knock on the door to her quarters. Anya was there, the Eldorai Princess looked numbed.
“What is it?” Tegaea asked softly.
“It’s…Siobhan. It’s bad. Doctor Elaris is in surgery with her but…”
Tegaea rose to her feet. “Will she…make it?” she could barely say the words. To even suggest otherwise invited it to happen. Even to someone so rational, even thinking about that was a betrayal and a jinx.
“Coryth says she will, but it will be close.”
“I’m going to see her.”
“She’s in surgery, Tegs….”
“Then I’ll watch!” Tegaea exclaimed in exasperation. “She almost died today, the least I can do is be as close as possible.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Anya.”
“I understand, follow me.”

While Coryth worked her magic, Tegaea watched from the other side of a transparisteel barrier. She watched tirelessly, her face ashen, not looking away.
“See I am not disturbed by anyone except if it is about Siobhan,” she ordered Anya. That done, she leaned her head against the glass, still looking.
It’s not time yet, Siobhan. It’s not time yet….

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Coryth Elaris"], @[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Deep in the realm of Hypnos, shielded from the hell that had been unleashed upon Gehenna, the screams and cries of the dead, the rivers of blood she had waded through, Siobhan dreamt. Probably not particularly coherent dreams, but dream she did. Her body was a broken, shattered mess...a reflection of the army that had been thrown into the meat grinder and bloodied. By her command. But in spite of this she looked at peace, perhaps even serene. At this stage she could not know about the great storm that would soon be unleashed against the Omega Protectorate, for Fate cuts down those who have risen high at the hour of their greatest triumph. Even this victory was not a sweet one, it had been paid in blood, her hands were coated in it. The Chaos Gods were appeased, their red thirst had been sated for now...and more blood would soon flow towards their greedy mouths so that they might lap on it.

What, one might ask, did a woman like her dream of? The woman who was the Butcher of G99 and Gehenna, slayer of more Reavers than anyone ever, conqueror of most of the Protectorate's territory. Assuming she was not being haunted by the screams of those she had butchered and those she had sent tot heir deaths, buried under a roof at Roche and just now under a mountain. Haunted by her failures? Perhaps of an Omega Empire triumphant, powerful Dreadnoughts razing Dromund Kaas to the ground, a Galaxy bending to her.

Siobhan dreamt of simple things. Perhaps not the most glorious, but it was of peace she dreamt. A beachhouse, it seemed it might be on Naboo, but anywhere idyllic would do. Some annoying but totally endearing Jesters, Eldorai girls, her and Tegaea on a beach...far away from all the chaos and the fighting. Not the most glorious or heroic, probably something that fit all the cliches of a cheesy holovid, but such was the case.


In the past...Siobhan had not dreamt. For long not even nightmares had haunted her...as a Jedi she had not needed them to be reminded of her failings...for after every high the Fates seemed to want to tear her down. Perhaps the girl should have realised her old saying that peace was a lie, in this the Sith Code had truth...but...she had finished her mission. She had not fallen, the Bando Gora were gone...could she not...rest at last...the images shifted and for a moment she believed she saw Adril's face...would the Eldorai have been proud of her?


She stirred slightly in bed, healing hands worked on, soothing, energy returning to her muscles, for now at least. Bringing her back to strength would be a lengthy process and ultimately depend on Siobhan. But still she slept, hours passing, as if something in her rebelled against awakening from her slumber. Then it seemed like she heard...something, a voice. Perhaps it was just the dreams, but something pulled her out. It's not time yet, Siobhan. It's not time yet...Siobhan shook slightly, then there was a bright light that invaded her sight, but perhaps that was simply from the lighting in the room, as her eyes slowly opened and she gasped.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

@Siobhan Kerrigan @Tegaea Alcori

Hours and hours passed by, how many, Coryth long ago lost count. Feeling someone watching, she knew could sense the Lady Protector there, watching as she worked. Watching as she continued to mend the broken body that lay before her. Switching often from scalpels to her hands a soft light glowing from them as she willed Siobhan's body to heal, to mend the damage. As she pressed on the more exhausted she became. Her head bobbed forward for a moment, Coryth knew she was pressing dangerously close to the edge. She needed to stop, needed rest herself, but she didn't. A half hour longer, she willed her own body through it. "Close her, We've done all we can. The rest, is up to her." The weary Jedi said softly, stumbling as she took a step back. Arms grabbed her, kept her from hitting the floor, the Jedi had given every last bit of herself to Siobhan. There was simply nothing left to give. And nothing left to hold her own body up.

Another surgeon dutifully closed up the Exarch as a pair of the assistants helped Coryth from the room. Outside they sat her down in a wheel chair, and she tiredly looked up at the other surgical assistants as they pulled away the blood disposable gown and took her gloves from her. They knew the routine, Coryth did push too far sometimes, and this was the normal routine after pushing that hard. "Find the Lady Protector, show her to Siobhan's room and take me there, as well." She said softly.

No one questioned her, and took her off following not long after Siobhan. It would be she who explained how bad it was, but the woman would survive. It was just going to take time. Wheeled in, an open chair was waiting at the bedside for Tegaea, and Coryth weakly leaned on her own arm, her hand supporting her chin, looking just about as worn as Siobhan did, just without the bruising and bandages. While Siobhan fought her battles, in her, in the infirmary, Coryth fought her own kind of battles too. Just as important, with lives hanging in the balance everyday.

Patiently she waited until Tegaea entered. "Lady Protector, I won't lie, she was in bad shape. Very bad shape when she got to me. The worst and most dangerous injuries have been mended with the force. Broken bones, and some burns however will have to mend on their own, or wait until I have rested and can actually use the force again. My body is too tired, too drained to do so now. Passing out, or killing myself, in the process is not a fun thought, but it wouldn't be the first time I've pressed so hard ... gone so far, and if it meant the difference in her life and her death I would have pressed further. Some lives are much more important than my own." She sighed heavily, just too tired to even be angry or upset.

The Reavers were done with, over. This was the end of that. "If she makes it through tonight, she'll survive, but it's going to take time m'lady for the rest of the wounds to heal. Even with my efforts, she is still in critical but stable condition. I'll be sleeping in the adjacent bed." The little Jedi lifted a hand and pointed beyond the curtain to an empty bed. "So that should anything come up, any problem during this critical juncture, I can do my best to save her, but as I said, I expect her to survive. She's a strong woman to have lived through what she did." The petite redhead managed a smile. "A cot will be brought for you, if you should wish to stay as well." Coryth was not about to dare leave someone like this alone, that was in such poor shape. Never. It was just something that she could not and would not do.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Coryth Elaris"], @[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Consciousness returned to her as the light invaded her eyes. She felt like rubbing them, but her hands would not move, seeming numb and frozen. When she finally got to move her organic hand it was with great effort. She was covered in bandages and bacta patches. She breathed like she had not breathed in ages, but then the smoke in the collapsing caves had almost choked her, it had been suffocating.

She felt like hell, so very tired at the very moment when she managed to open her eyes and gradually became used to the light, adjusted to her surroundings. Perhaps she should sleep again...rest...but no, she had to face the music, she could not run away now. Now was not the time, as the inner voice had said. She managed a weak, tired smile as her gaze fell upon Coryth, seeing the sheer exhaustion reflected in her eyes, and then upon Tegaea, her wife. They had won, the Reavers were no more.

At a staggering cost....Siobhan would not have seen any reports, but she could imagine the devastation. She had brought the mountain down upon them after all. She felt pain at the thought, at the deaths, it must have been so many, but there was no doubt about her decisions.

"Hey...no you giving up your life," she chided gently, apparently in the process of awakening some of the words spoken by the short stack of fire had registered with her, though she seemed to have drowned out most of the conversation. "Hevana would kick my...arse...she hits real hard. Well, I get what she sees in her stack of fire now. Thanks for...everything," at that she coughed, her throat felt sore.

"Hey...Tegs...love...," she tried to raise her hand and reach out to her, touch her at least, but it seemed her bionic hand was not in the mood to comply. She settled for a weak, very weak brush against her hand with the Force, presently it seemed that was the only thing she could do with it and even that was taxing. "We...won...I didn't keep my promise to you, again..." she spoke, referring to the rather wrecked state of her body. "Got Mae to thank for coming out non-crispy. I'm sorry. The Reaver are...done with."

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

The honest assessment of @[member="Coryth Elaris"] about @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]’s condition reassured Tegaea a little, but she was still filled with fear and dread.
“Thank you, Coryth. I know you have helped Siobhan before, and I know what this takes from you. Thank you…thank you so much,” she said feelingly.

A bed was fetched, but Tegaea did not notice at all. She stared down at Siobhan, her face pale and expressionless. She took Siobhan’s flesh hand in hers, feeling how erratic the pulse was, how cold the skin.
She fought it, but tears spilled from her eyes and she wiped them away irritably.

“Some people have ridiculed you,” she said softly. “Some have said you do nothing but death charge, but I know better. Doubtless I could have found a prettier, a smarter, a richer wife…but I could not have found a better one. I love you, Siobhan.”

She took a chair by Siobhan’s bed, staring out into space, occasionally at her wife, let out a long sigh.

 

[Miles Varden]

Miles wrote a full report on a data pad. He detailed his adventure through the tunnels, the destruction of the factory, and the plans his team had obtained. The plans laid out the conversion process that subjects underwent to become Reavers. Also how the Pure Bloods were chosen from the flock of followers. The plans were likely that of a massive assault force in the process. He witnessed the fall of the Reavers at the hands of his fellow Omega soldiers and their heroic leaders Lady @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], Lady @[member="Tegaea Alcori"], Iron Knight @[member="HK-36"], Jack of all Trades @[member="Noah Corek"], and the combat medic @[member="Nyos Val"]. There were many others, but Miles had only experienced those few. He had heard that Lady Kerrigan had been critically wounded and went to visit. When he arrived, the nurse told him she was in the recovery wing. He found her room guarded by a pair of soldiers. He motioned them to take a break, as he was to relieve them. He peered into the small window in the door and saw Lady Alcori by her side. He'd never officially met either of them except for a few instances on the battlefield. Miles turned around, and stood guard, data pad tucked under his arm, auto-pistol on his thigh and his officer uniform.

Miles would wait as long as he needed before Lady Kerrigan was released.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"] @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Coryth glared over to Siobhan, "In the scheme of things, I am unimportant. You, however, are needed. End of the day, it will be my choice if I give my life for yours, because chances are you won't be awake to know the difference." She said with a little bit of snark in her voice, though notably and overwhelmingly exhaustion evident in her voice. "And don't think on getting up, or so help me I'll sedate you." Somewhat serious, but somewhat teasing at that point, a vague attempt to keep things a bit lighter.

"No, need to thank me Kerrigan, I've have done the same for anyone. Remember how Hevana and me met? Yes?"

She gave a small nod to Tegaea. "It's my duty m'lady. Siobhan, is one person I cannot allow to die, and she came foolishly close. But the cause was right. Not that it is much comfort to you." Giving a weak smile, she patted Tegs on the arm, "It's going to be alright, I promise." She said softly.

Her thoughts shifted at the Lady Protector's words. I know what this takes from you. But did she truly grasp the price, the value of it. Few knew the true cost. Without much else spoken, Coryth knew it was her time to retire, to rest.

"If you'll excuse me, I must rest, or I'll be utterly useless to any and everyone. And should something come up in the night, I want to be of use, to help. Exarch Kerrigan will be going no where if I have any say in it." The nurse nearby help her from the chair and into the bed next to Siobhan, only a curtain separating the pair. The toll such healing, pushing that far was so evident as the tiny Jedi could barely stand without help. Perhaps she'd pushed a little too far, but to Coryth the cost was worth it. The ends justified the means, though she was certain Siobhan would argue the point with her. For now, she pulled the blankets up around her, and closed her eyes, sleep would soon follow. Her mind ever watchful, even in sleep aware of those tiny ripples in the force. She too was standing guard in her own way. If she hadn't needed sleep to recharge, likely she would have stayed up all night watching, waiting and hoping nothing went wrong.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"], @[member="Coryth Elaris"]

The self-deprecating protest about not having been a good wife died on Siobhan's lips, much as it pained her to see Tegaea like this...hurting because of her. Siobhan did not regret any of the choices she had made on Gehenna. She knew the price, the cost of victory, had been high, she had expected to die in that cavern...and had felt strangely at peace with it, calm like she did not recall feeling in ages, but seeing Tegaea hurt like this broke her barriers. It was something she could never bear to see, and most certainly bear being the cause of. Tears spilled down from her eyes at Tegs' words, much as she disliked getting all teary-eyed, but since her hand sort of given up the ghost she could not wipe them away.

"Tegs...love, please, look at me. You're the best...most understanding wife anyone could hope for. Got nothing to do with the fancy titles and wealth, well, that's a bonus but not of import, it's who you are - looked up to you long before we rose up. You make me...believe in myself," she would have flushed if she not been too pale for that. "And I love you...I''m not sorry for what I did down there on Gehenna. Did what I had to, ended the war. But...I'm sorry for making you hurt," she said softly. Her breathing came out laboured, getting ribs broken took its toll. Much had been healed by Coryth's magic, without the redhead she would have assurededly been dead at this point, but the rest was up to Siobhan. Her face was pale, in many places scarred, her pulse was erratic, but she was alive. This was more than what could be said of many who had come to Gehenna to end the war.

At that Siobhan turned her eyes to Coryth, clearly not agreeing. "You are important. How many healers are like you? Few people have the guts to yell at me. Or go in the middle of a combat zone and almost kill themselves healing a couple strangers because it's right," she said sharply, though she knew this was obviously a battle she could not win. Her insistence was perhaps a bit odd...Siobhan had sacrificed so many of her own troops on Gehenna...it dwarfed the butchery of Roche by far, she was quite willing to sacrifice her own life, but this was how she felt. The two of them were similar in a way...the same sense of duty, the willingness to sacrifice themselves. Of course, there were differences between the battles they fought, but nonetheless perhaps not so different as appeared on first sight. More to the point...Siobhan had learned long ago that the short stack of fire was not the fragile girl many would first think her. Besides...the little redhead yelling at her had been...kind of hot. And a true pain for her ears!

She let out a long sigh at Coryth's insistence. "Yes, ma'am. I shall be a good girl, eat all my veggies and stay in bed and not seduce nurses," she said sardonically, though given how broken she was at the moment where she got around to seeing to the womanly needs of nurses would probably have to wait for a bit, though she was trying to lighten the mood. "Get what rest you need. And nonetheless, thanks," she spoke in a softer tone, managing a small smile. She herself was feeling tired again, the drugs were making her sleepy. Her eyes followed Coryth as the nurse helped her out of the chair and into her own bed, a curtain separating them.


Her gaze turned back to Tegs, she managed to give the redhead's hand that covered her own a weak pat. "So...it's over...the Bando Gora war. Can't quite believe we're done with 'em at last. Didn't think I'd make it out. Seems like a life chapter's closed, you know," she said in a quieter tone, so as not to disturb Coryth's sleep. "How...bad are the casualties?" She could already imagine they had been hit very hard.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Tegaea leaned down and kissed @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] on the forehead. It seemed one of the few places not covered in bandages.
“They were…heavy, but we always expected that. The war is over though for now. Rest…sleep.” Tegaea smiled weakly. “Or I’ll tell @[member="Coryth Elaris"] you were bad!”
It wasn’t much of a threat, but the short stack of fire was pretty potent when she wanted to be!

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"], @[member="Coryth Elaris"]

Siobhan made a face. "I learned the hard way not to piss off a redhead," she said. Perhaps Tegaea had not heard about Siobhan's training session with Coryth. Before anyone gets any ideas, it was an actual combat training session that had been all about the little redhead tapping into her inner badass...and where between the two of them they had quite literally wrecked the training room.

"It's over...we have peace...for now," she spoke more softly, the word felt foreign to her as it rolled off her tongue, as if it had just been included in her dictionary or she was wrapping her mind around the concept. "Maybe I can I start taking a step back, for real. We can settle down...for a while at least." Of course this was not the first time Siobhan had spoken about taking a step back from the field and she was terrible at keeping her promises. But she sincere, more than that she sounded hopeful. Her inner cynic was probably already seeing the storm clouds gathering and knew that peace was fleeting, but for now she wanted to dream. "You should get some sleep to."