We Have Some Catching Up To Do [Siobhan]

[Fabula Caromed]

Taris, Caromed complex, Lynn's private house
From her bed rest on the Caromed estate, Fabula could see little more than a disgustingly fluffy couch. The medical droid waddled about, checking and testing and cross-referencing results, but for now Fabula didn't have to worry about that. She wasn't doing any therapy, she'd already done her hour or two with the weight set today, and there was a whole lot of nothing on the holonet. Facing the invincible enemy of her own boredom, she could but call in reinforcements.

When last Fabula received word from Siobhan, the Hell-worn lass was bedridden at a hospital on Axxila, under the orders of a couple of doctors who refused to let her move for any reason. Simply looking at that little text message she'd been sent maybe two weeks prior was enough to make her frown in disappointment at herself. She really should've been there, helping her friend with a dangerous situation. Instead she had been laying on a soft bed with a holonet terminal turned to some crappy game show.

Now, however, she was available, and who nelly were there some things to talk about. Fabula's fingers danced across her datapad, sending out a short but succinct little line to Sio, who might well have been on a list of friends that could be counted on one hand. <Sorry I couldn't make it earlier. I'm on Taris. We've got some catching up to do.>
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Fabula Caromed"]


Hell. Siobhan had not been among the many who had been so cruelly pulled into the abyss by the whims of a mad, demented goddess who seriously needed a a good beating. However, wife and daughter had been taken and so Siobhan, without giving thought to anything or anyone else, had charged after them. Fighting her way through hordes of Vong and their monstrosities on Alderaan, she had found a portal that took her straight into the underworld, following the guidance of the ghost of Adril Tythorin.



But the reunion with Tegaea and Galina had not come without a price. Seized by an overpowering rage after emerging on the other side, Siobhan had brutally murdered one of her own maidens, Shari. She had been unable to control herself...but was no excuse, for she had known that the price would be a life...and that it could be an innocent. Blood that could not be washed off her hands. Now she had returned to Kaeshana, only to find out that they were living on borrowed time, though there was a ray of hope...albeit a dim one.


Ironically Fabula had just caught the right moment to send Siobhan a message, for the hell-worn Countess had just returned to her villa. Or rather she was limping through the door. Just half an hour ago she had attended a memorial of sorts for those who had died during the brief period of domestic unrest on Kaeshana and those who were still lost. Her flesh leg had been beaten up very badly during her antics on Alderaan, likewise her back was still a bit of a mess, so she was leaning rather heavily on her cane when she stepped in. At least it was a nice cane with elaborate Eldorai sigils engraved upon it!


It was then that she was greeted by Harmony, a dark skinned maiden who did not at all look like Samantha Traynor from Mass Age! "Mistress, do you need help? There's a new message for you on your private terminal. Would you like some tea?"


Siobhan, still proud despite her weakness, shook her head. "No, thanks. I can manage. Some tea would be nice," she responded and limped into her study, managing to make it there without falling over. Then she sat down and activated the computer terminal, browsing through the messages she had received. Some of it was business related, a good deal was just spam that for some reason often related to products that were of no use to her as a woman anyway, but then she finally stumbled on Fabula's message. Despite the grim mood she was, in she smiled slightly as she read its brief contents. Needless to say Siobhan could not know that Fabula had recently experienced her own hell journey. Or about what other changes had taken place in her life, though she had been concerned when she had not heard from her. Perhaps for just a few moments, she could take off her mind from doom and gloom. < Fabula, it's ok. How are you? Things have been a bit crazy on my end. We do have catching up to do. I'm on Kaeshana. What are you doing on Taris? Would be glad to see you again. >

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Fabs was just about to lazily reach for the herbal tea she'd been drinking for about three days straight when she heard the beep. Oh right. Text messages took up no real bandwidth, so they could be sent instantly. Back to the datapad she went. At least she had someone to talk to while Lynn was off doing...whatever it was Lynn did during the day.

Her yellowed eyes scanned over the screen and a little pout formed on her lips. Of course Sio had been doing things. Unlike the Wanderer, she actually had a life and responsibilities therein. She couldn't simply subsist for months or (apparently) years without leaving so much as a footprint in the galaxy. Fabula allowed herself a moment of jealousy. It would have been so much easier to sift and sort through the conflicting and overlapping memories in her beleaguered skull if she had a couple of mile markers to point to in this or any universe. Still, you play the hand you're dealt. It could have been worse; she could have come back crazy or something.

<Laid up with a bad leg. May take me a few minutes to get moving, but I can meet you wherever it is you're staying within an hour, if I can just get to my ship.> Provided the droid didn't do that insufferable nanny thing, as it was wont to do. Maybe she'd just pull that crutch and send Lynn a message on the way to the spaceport... <How hectic?> She had to give Sio at least something to respond to, after all.

Idly, she wondered if Siobhan would react anything like Lynn did. She had been assumed to be a clone impostor or some manner of doppelganger until proven otherwise. And now she was going to see Siobhan, a woman with much more individual power than Lynn, who could likely obliterate a room or two with her mind. Hopefully she wasn't a dangerously paranoid schizophrenic with multiple personality disorder and a shitload of explosives...

Holding her hand out, Fabula called the crutch to it, floating it rather steadily through the air to make sure she had a grip. She'd barely been practicing telekinesis for two weeks since she took a six hundred year pause, so it was still coming back to her. Precise control was the tricky part. She could likely have just thrown the damn thing across the room like a bullet if she wanted to, but gently delivering it to her hand was a feat worthy of concentration.

Now, to get to the speeder bike, because hell if she was going to walk the whole way there one one and a half legs.
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Fabula Caromed"]


Siobhan frowned slightly when she read the message. < I'm sorry. How bad is your leg? We've got healers and doctors here on Kaeshana who can have a look and help. We can meet on the Tirathana Skyport. I'll make sure you have clearance. As for me, my wife and daughter got sucked into hell, I went after them. It was nasty. Got beaten up pretty bad, but doing better. Sorry for not asking before, where you abducted too? >


For probably understandable reasons she had left out the part that within a year Kaeshana would be hit by a massive disaster and that Firemane along with the Eldorai was scrambling to find a lost elf planet to evacuate to. For one it was supposed to be super secret since only four people knew about it and she did not want to worry Fabula. As for getting beaten up pretty bad, well, during her race to the portal Siobhan had ended up being surrounded by Fire Breathers. In classic Siobhan fashion, she had summoned a tornado to get rid of the problem. Unfortunately the malicious universe had decided that the tornado should work a little too well. So as a consequence she had been caught in it and after being tossed around a lot a building had dropped on her.


Even more annoying was the fact that a pillar had pinned her down by collapsing on her arm, so she had been forced to cut said arm off since the Force refused to toss the pillar away. At least it had been her bionic arm, so it was just a matter of building a new one. Oh, and she had lost an eye because her writer was a cruel queen. Sighing slightly and after having sent the message to Fabula, Siobhan sent one to the Skyport authorities, making sure that the battle goddess would be able to land without encountering any problems from Customs and so on. The Eldorai authorities were sometimes a bit overzealous when it came to dealing with foreigners and their paranoia had been heightened given the recent disruptions.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Fabula had barely managed to struggle to the garage and stradddle one of the speeders by the time she heard the beep of a reply. Fortunately, clone!Fabula's reflex to immediately stop everything and pay attention to everyone around her at the expense of herself had become much more sedated after being thrashed into submission by seven hundred years of pain and rage. After her finely toned ass was properly situated, the Dathomiri woman pulled out her datapad and sent a quick reply. <It's complicated. I'll see you there. We can talk more then.> Send, holster her tablet...prepare for freedom.

Apparently the Wanderer had never really picked up on the unadulterated joy that her ancient Witch forebear had discovered to be biking. Swoops, speeders, whatever else, there was nothing better for her than the chance to pull hair-raising turns around obstacles that would likely hurt even her if she missed by an inch. The speed and danger of it, the exhilaration...that was living. A pity she'd wasted eight years not doing that recently, but that just meant she'd have to make up for lost time.

The speeder gave a quiet woof as its engine kicked in, and within seconds Fabula was blazing towards her ship fast enough that everything around her became a blur. Nowhere near the top speed the vehicle could reach, it was still infinitely preferable to sitting still on a couch for another few minutes. Or hours. Or days. Ugh, she was so sick of her soft, cottony prison. The sooner she could get back to punching tanks into component materials, the better.

The Pilgrim came up fast at the edge of her view, and Fabula reached back behind her to pull out her datapad. She sent the code for the cargo ramp rather than the boarding hatch, as there was no reason to leave a perfectly good speeder behind. Oh, and she should probably have sent some measure of notice to Lynn... <Got a message from a friend. Off to Kaeshana. And before you start worrying, cyar'ika, don't. I took the crutches, and she has medical staff on retainer.>

Alright, there we go! All that's left is...getting to the blasted cockpit. Huhboy.
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@Fabula Cavataio


Having read Fabula's last message, Siobhan switched off the computer terminal, then took a sip from the tea Harmony had brought her. "An old friend, Mistress?" the maiden asked curiously. She had not been spying at all! Nor was she was looking for new materiel for Crimson Chronicles!


"You could say that. I'll be going to the Skyport. Have the pilot ready my shuttle for takeoff in five yours," Siobhan said, taking a deep sip from the Atrisian tea. She blamed her Force bond with [member="Mirien Valdier"] for her suddenly liking tea.


"Of course, Mistress. Is there...something else I could do for you?" Harmony asked. "Such as...a backrub?" she added, her hands already stroking over Siobhan's shoulders, gently stroking and soothing, getting rid of all the knots she was wound up so tight in.


Siobhan wanted to decline but then sighed softly as she allowed herself to give in. "Yes, thank you. I'd like that." And so, after limping out of the study, she lay down on a couch and removed her shirt. Obviously only so far that no kiddies would be harmed! Then she allowed herself to be pampered and worshipped by Harmony's very nimble fingers as they applied beautifully smelling, soothing oils and worked their magic upon her badly abused, heavily scarred back.


"Relax, Lady. What happened here is not your fault. Nor what happened to Tegaea and Galina. And I know we'll rebuild and pull through," the maiden spoke gently. Oh, if only she knew the truth and Siobhan sort of hated herself for having to keep it secret, though she understood its necessity, but for now at least she wanted to relax and forget the troubles that plagued her. And suffice to say that during the course of the massage the maiden was very good at making Siobhan forget.


A couple hours later, for Siobhan had not been able to entirely avoid going through tedious paperwork, she boarded her shuttle and set sail for the Tirathana Skyport, passing through above the city of Santaissa as she flew towards it. Much of the destruction caused during the mass disappearances had been rebuilt, piles of debris removed, dead bodies cremated as per the Eldorai rites, as slowly but surely normalcy seemed to be returning to the planet. As they say, ignorance is bliss. Eventually her shuttle would dock at the Skyport in the private hangar bay that belonged to Firemane.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Fabula probably spent half of the hyperspace trip to Kaeshana moping over the fact that she had to use crutches to get herself to her ship's cockpit. Flying a ship didn't take any movement of the feet or legs, but getting herself into her seat did, and that was a sad state of affairs all on its own. Her tendon had been not only sliced cleanly in two, but the pieces had been burned by contact with a lightsaber. It was only through constantly venting her rage towards her own mutilated Achilles, mending her wound with nothing but concentrated loathing and disgust, that she was even able to stand up and move about on her own a mere three weeks after the blasted thing had first been cut. One of her unofficial superpowers might well have been pigheaded, stubborn refusal to give up.

Fortunately, she had plenty of time to mope about how helpless she had become on the way to Kaeshana. The Bloody Pilgrim sailed itself through hyperspace lanes without much exertion on Fabula's part, and no matter what she did to affect it, it wouldn't change how much time she'd be spending doing nothing in her pilot's seat one way or another. Fortunately, it also allowed her to spend her entire time concentrating, meditating in peace in order to repair her body a bit more quickly. She would've gladly killed a small village for the luxury of being able to meditate in lotus position again.

Eventually, her ship gave her little warning beep to wake her from her slumber, just as it dropped back into realspace. The stars streaked back into tiny white dots on her cockpit window, and Fabula gave a quiet sigh of familiarity. This was where she longed to be. Not in that cushy house, or the dusty death-planet she'd come to know as home for centuries, or even her new homeworld of Taris. Here, among the stars...this was her real home. An infinity laid out before her, and half again as many possible adventures. No expectations or obstacles beyond finding fuel and food for the journey. It was no wonder the Wanderer hadn't done anything in the eight years of independence she'd had. Infinite possibility was addictive.

The descent to a planet she'd never been to before was also pretty exciting, because adventure. When the Pilgrim lurched to a stop on the skypad Siobhan had indicated, the ages-old former Nightsister struggled her way to her feet, split her crutches for proper bracing, and started making her slow, depressing way to the boarding hatch. Don't use your left leg and it won't hurt like freaking crazy. Don't hit your body on anything and the vibrations won't renew a pain you've only managed to keep down by way of intense self-hatred and impotent rage with no other outlet. It might be days more before she could walk again, but it rarely occurred to Fabula that it might have taken a normal human months to move after an injury like that, barring cybernetics

The door to the Bloody Pilgrim hissed open, and Fabula struggled down the ramp. Hopefully this trip would be at least a little bit of a relief.
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Fabula Caromed"]


Siobhan would be waiting when Fabula the Wanderer arrived on the Skyport. Despite the cane she was clinging to, the Countess put as much effort as possible into appearing as weathered and indomitable as ever. It would not do to show or admit anything close to weakness, her leather coat billowing behind her. Face deeply scarred, but still very attractive.


What Siobhan first noticed about the battle goddess was the way with which she struggled to walk without losing her footing and falling. She had clearly not been kidding about having a bad leg. What she noticed next was...how else she had changed from the last time she had seen her. Fabula's flesh was sickly pallid, whilst her eyes gleamed yellow, the signs of Dark Side corruption evident. Likewise her veins were prominent beneath her skin, much to Siobhan's shock. Instantly her danger senses flared up as she took in the sight, jaw tightening a bit. The more suspicious part of her wondered whether this was a setup..but, as she gave the matter more thought, she dismissed that. If Fabula had ill intentions towards her, the battle goddess would simply show up and punch her through the wall rather than use subterfuge.


Moreover...it was not like Siobhan could judge people for use of the Dark Side. What with being a Dark Jedi Master, who was extremely close to a certain Ms. Valdier. Chances are that if Siobhan's eyes had not been both artificial, they would have shown the signs of corruption by now. Unless you were a Sith, Bando Gora, slaver or generic darksider who murdered innocents and ate babies for the hell of it, Siobhan generally did not care about your Force alignment. Still, last she had heard Fabula had been extremely against darksiders, though she and Siobhan had still gotten on well.


Siobhan still wore a lightsabre on her belt, though it was extremely unlikely that she would be able to use it effectively, even without her disabilities. "Hi, Fabs. It's good to see you. Goddess, what happened to you?" she spoke softly as she approached the woman. Her words did not carry condemnation, rather surprise and concern.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Fabula Caromed"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

(Here on invitation from Sio.)

“Tirathana Command, this is Tempest 1, requesting docking bay. Transmitting codes now.”
“Understood, Tempest 1, you are cleared for docking, proceed to Bay 4.”
“Thank you.”
Tempest brought her ship in towards the designated docking bay, and was just touching down when a new voice came over the line.
“Lieutenant Tempest, ma’am? Countess Kerrigan has just arrived on the station. Did you want me to forward her location?”
“Please. It seems she’s come to me for once!” Tempest said.
Though, to be fair, Siobhan wouldn’t have been expecting her. It was only because of some engine troubles and issues in Levantine space which had brought her here. Still, here she was.

Stepping down the ramp she wore a vaguely uniform like outfit. She had her lightsabre and bolt pistol with her, but left her Beskar on her ship. If she needed it here, with Siobhan around, things really would be bad!

 

[Fabula Caromed]

The first thing Fabula saw when she made her way into the air of Kaeshana was a familiar face...at least, relatively familiar. The Wanderer remembered her, which seemed to be where she'd get all of her memories now. Yadda yadda weep for the past blah blah. Even so, this wasn't the Siobhan that Fabula remembered. If anything, she looked to be in worse shape than Fabs was. No small part of her was suddenly overjoyed that Fable had emerged relatively unharmed.

She addressed you. Speak. "Way too much to discuss standing out here," she started with a sigh, not changing her approach in the least when she saw Siobhan's mixed reaction. No doubt she'd probably be just as hostile as Lynn was before she properly got to explain. She couldn't very well leave her with nothing, though. As she limped closer, Fabula looked up at Sio with one of her...looks. The half-resigned, half-sad look of a woman whose soul had known nothing but pain since its inception. "Trust me, it'll be a long story."

Considering Siobhan was walking with a cane and had some severe bodily damage from the looks of things, her story would likely be just as long. If she hadn't built up decent trust with Siobhan before being subjected to a feral mind tearing at the edges of her conscience and the unadulterated agony of walking on a sliced tendon through boiling rain for miles while carrying a woman of roughly her own weight without the Force- ...Actually, now that she thought about it, that was pretty badass.

Truly an aberrant day. Fabula felt a moment of genuine pride for herself.
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Tempest"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Fabula Caromed"]


A frown creased Siobhan's features. "I imagine. The new look isn't because you paid too much attention to me shooting Force Lightning at folks, right? Because...I'm a lousy role model," she said dryly, apparently trying to make the conversation a bit less awkward through lame jokes. Then Siobhan did something that was probably not the sort of reaction Fabula expected. Stepping forward, even though she felt a stab of pain at the motion, she gave Fabula a gentle, loose hug. Only with one arm since she sort of needed to hold on to her cane, but still.


Then she planted a soft kiss on her. "Come on, dear. Let's go. Got a lounge where we can sit down and talk." Said lounge would be quite comfortable with nice couches and stuff. There would also be well-stocked minibar and, all in all, they would have plenty of privacy. [member="Tempest"] would probably be informed she could find the Countess there.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Physical contact wasn't something Fabs had been good with in her second life, but now that she had a hundred and thirty years of hedonistic revelry pushing that out of the way, she had no problem whatsoever falling into Siobhan's hug. There was a pause lingering in the air, like the planet itself was holding its breath around them until Fabula broke the silence with...well, a sniffle. A quiet, pathetic little sniffle. Why had she made so many friends like this? Was it the galaxy that was wrong when she as alive? Or was it her?

"Thank you," she managed to whimper out between subtle little sobs. "I have no idea what I did to earn so many people in my life who've been willing to just...accept me." Standing back up, Fabula brought one of her hands off her crutches to wipe her face briefly. "Maybe next time I should take notes, so I know how to do it again." Quick! Make jokes at your own expense! That's the perfect way to make the friends you don't deserve stay around longer!

Ugh. Pessimism. Shut up, Fabs.

A kiss was probably the only thing the little Witchknight expected less than a hug, but she did her absolute best not to let it throw her off her game. Back to the crutches we go. We're off to a parlor, goddammit, and your stupid moodiness isn't going to screw that up now. "I hope you've got a speeder or something to get there, because I don't trust myself to walk much more until this blasted thing heals."
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Fabula Caromed"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

The ‘Asur Lounge’ was an exclusive place for the wealthy to come sit, drink, and watch beautiful Kaeshana below. Due to complex rotational machinery it was able to always face the planet, with a nice vista of stars as a backdrop.

As Tempest entered the lounge, she knew this was the place Siobhan would go, she hung back. She didn’t want to interrupt Siobhan if she was in a meeting, so she took a seat at the bar, but also didn’t contain her Force signature so Siobhan would know she was there.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Fabula Caromed"]


"By being yourself?" Siobhan asked or rather stated. "I just happen to like you, Fabs." Even if she did not really like the veiny look, but she was giving Fabula the benefit of doubt for now. She gave the Witchknight a nod, looking sympathetically at the crutches. Sympathetic, not pitiful, for there was a difference. "No speeder, but there's a tram. I'm not exactly mobile either."



And so she limped out of the hangar bay, guiding the battle goddess to the aforementioned tram. Suffice to say they would eventually end up in the beautiful Asur Lounge. Because she was sort of important on Kaeshana, Siobhan could obviously get them a rather private place there, far away from the other patrons, which was a relief because she did not think Fabula would be one for crowds, a sentiment Siobhan shared at present. With her leg already feeling rather tired she sat down upon one of the leather armchairs, indicating Fabula to sit down as well.


"Please make yourself comfortable. We can talk here," she said softly. However, though she had not seen Tempest she picked up on her Force signature. Come. Here with Fabula. The Dahomeyan Amazon would feel a brush of the Force against her mind, an application of telepathic communication. Saying something in more detail was not possible for Siobhan at present.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Fabula Caromed"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Siobhan’s little lapdog, that’s what some called her. The mental command made her smile though. If only they knew what we got up to between 4 and 7 on weekends….

Of course, it was strictly wholesome educational things, oh omnipotent censors.

And so she got up from the bar and wandered over. She’d met Fabula before, so this wouldn’t be an introduction to a total stranger at least!

“Hi, I’m Tempest,” she said, offering a hand to Fabula. “Hi Sio,” she said with a smile.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

A comfy speeder ride seemed to be just what Fabula needed, but when that ride ended in a VIP lounge with comfy couches and booze, she had to revise her previous quality judgement. The thoroughly tainted woman flopped down a bit more relaxed than might have been characteristic of her on the sofa presented to her, a long, beleaguered sigh escaping her lips. "I've spent the last two weeks on a couch. I had no idea I'd be glad to see another one."

What she really wanted to do was get back out into the galaxy, fight something, kill something. Maybe choke it to death with her bare hands, or punch its skull into juicy pieces, or just cut it into burning dog kibble with her lightsaber. She couldn't do any of that until her leg healed, and that might take days more at this point, considering she had decided today was a good day to deviate from therapy and instead go on a field trip. Blast it all. And perhaps worse than that was the fact that there was a wet bar right there, and she couldn't partake because apparently this body hadn't acclimated itself to alcohol!

UGH

There was a woman there that Fabula almost remembered. Wanderer memory, as before...and probably forever more. This woman was...one of only three people in her mind to ever have been referred to by a very specific, intimate title. She seemed to share company only with Lynn and Kristin, which made Fabs immediately question how close the two of them were. Considering she just decided to introduce herself, though, it might all have been a delusion.

Don't begin with that, though. Don't start on that foot. That is not the way to make an impression. "Hello," she started. "I think you know me, but I can't be sure." Clarify. Don't let imaginations take over. "If the two of you could please sit down, I'd like to only go over this once more." Break the tension. "But Lynn was threatening me with physical harm by this point, so apparently I've learned my lesson somewhere along the way."
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Fabula Caromed"], [member="Tempest"]


Siobhan gave her minion, ahem, apprentice a smile when she stepped in. In all honesty, Siobhan liked Tempest a lot and was rather proud with how she had proved herself on Gehenna and many other battlefields. Without the young woman's help, Siobhan would have died after being spaced following the destruction of Shadow's space station. As for all the talk of her just being a lapdog, Siobhan ignored that. After all, not so long ago people had said she was just Tegaea's pet.



"Hey, Tempest, please join us," she said softly, giving the Storm Mistress in training a quick kiss on the lips as she settled down herself. Fabula's words left her a bit...puzzled and she briefly looked at Tempest, but she did not enquire further. The Witchknight seemed already awkward enough, so Siobhan did not want to add to it. The name Lynn did not ring any bells, though it sounded like a lover. "Alright, we're listening. Take your time, dear."

 

[Tempest]

[member="Fabula Caromed"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest took a seat opposite Fabula. The first reaction she had was unease. The other woman's face was darkened, the eyes yellow. It was how the Dark Side looked.
Though, having said that, both Mirien and Sio indulged there, but that also made her uncomfortable. Regardless, she knew them, she knew Fabula only a little.

"Yes, please do tell," she said. Perhaps this would explain matters somewhat.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Closing her eyes, Fabula laid her head back to stare up at the ceiling. This was going to be one of those delicate things that she had to approach just right. Doubly so, because neither of these two really knew the full story to begin with, unlike Lynn. "Alright," the little Dathomiri finally said. "I should probably start by saying that this body is cloned. My original body, the one that my mother pushed from her womb, was killed by Petra Cavataio six hundred years ago. The numbers are a bit fuzzy."

Sitting up properly, Fabs leveled her eyes at Siobhan. "Every interaction you've had up until this point was with a clone of Fabula Cavataio. And, if I might be so bold, not a very good clone, either." She shook her head and stretched her leg out a bit, wincing slightly at the pain but not stopping her story. "I was born over seven centuries ago on a planet called Songnoterra, the capital of what was at that point a manner of Witch empire led by the 'divine clan mother' Petra Cavataio."

The faintest hint of a smile dared to cross her face. Dark hair, almond skin, an omnipresent smile...the voice of an angel... "My mom, Anna Sachae, was Petra's bonded mate. My twin sister and I were to be trained in the ways of Petra's 'Book of Dathomir' and serve as commanders in her galaxy-spanning army. I didn't really take to the whole magic thing, so I was trained as a warrior instead. Everything went just fine." There was a telling pause, and Fabula's smile faded. "Then Petra went insane, murdered my sister before my eyes, and killed me as a reward for failing to protect her."

Her gaze fell on Siobhan's injuries, a sympathetic frown replacing anything that remained of her peaceful, nostalgic grin from mere moments ago. Fabula knew exactly where those came from. "Because I had lived my life in hate, fear, and anger, my soul was trapped in Chaos. My spirit spent six hundred years trapped in a loathesome place called the Field of Blades, where I had no choice but to kill constantly until I died, then rose to kill again." Pausing, Fabs sighed, resting her forehead on her hands. "Six hundred years...I still can't believe it."
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Fabula Caromed"]


Tempest would feel a brief brush of mentalism against her mind, as Siobhan picked up on her unease. Concerned as well. But let's give her benefit of doubt. After all, they had done the same for Mirien, Eyrecae...and, when you were honest about it, Siobhan. Nonetheless, there was a reason Siobhan had asked Tempest to train her daughter instead of doing it herself.


However, she was quiet as Fabula spoke, no matter how disturbing her tale. As the battle goddess narrated what she had gone through, Siobhan could not shake off the feeling that her story was so much like that of Eyrecae. Created as a supersoldier to serve the whims of a megalomaniac and her empire? Check. Even their powers were the same, though Eyrecae was no force-user. Both intended to serve as battering rams not intended to have a will of their own. The main difference being that the Rakatan Empire had gone under before Raik'aro could unleash Eyrecae.


Fabula had not been so lucky. She had quite literally gone to hell. It's like Eyrecae if Raik'karo had had his way. "That sounds crazy, but I believe you. Fabula, I'm sorry. I had no idea you went through something so horrible. I can't even begin to imagine how bad it must have been...or the strength you required to even still function, but I know what it's like to have no control, a slave to rage and killing," Siobhan finally said, instinctively reaching out to touch one of the battle goddess' hand. Her words and expression conveyed sympathy, though not pity. That would be misplaced. Frankly Fabula had to be a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for to be even functioning after having endured such a life. Let alone be capable of having a civilised conversation.


"So...the, uh, real you is back now? Your clone was abducted into the netherworld along with the other and your soul was reunited with its body?" A difficult concept for her to wrap her mind around, but then so many crazy things happened in this Galaxy that it made sense enough to her.