What's a Zoo, Mommy? (Siobhan)

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Basic, The Language of the Galaxy, it was the title of the book that Galina was engrossed in. There was nothing else that was more important to her than being able to communicate in basic with her new parents. They'd rescued her from that dreaded island and now, she wanted at the very least to be able to speak with them without the need for a translator between them.

While she may have been eighteen, a part of her was very much still a ten year old child trapped somewhere between being a kid, a cave woman, and a young woman who was just starting to learn what this galaxy was truly about. A sigh came as she looked over the basic words before her. "W-where a-are we going?" She spoke aloud, thinking no one was around to hear her. Galina was just testing out the question, to see how it felt to speak it.

Her eyes skimmed over the Aurebesh symbols, at least she could read it well enough, and her handwriting was improving greatly. It was simply things that would take her time. She knew that. And for all her efforts of survival, Galina on some level had to be quite intelligent. Your average ten year old wouldn't have survived more than a day or two in such a strange and foreign environment, but somehow this little girl survived for years against all odds.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Daughter. The word did not roll easily off the tongue, at least for Siobhan. But Galina was her daughter now...not biologically, but family did not end with blood. Siobhan was her new mother now. This was a concept that still took some getting used to. Truth be told, she had never wanted children and as a matter of fact had felt no desire to adopt....until the very moment she had found the wild girl on the arctic island.



Things had taken a profound change since then, even though part of Siobhan found herself strongly questioning whether she was in any way capable of raising her child. Of course, simply calling Galina a child would be a mistake. She had survived for almost a decade alone in the wilderness, with no friends or family and every day a struggle for survival, against all odds. Yet she still had some very childlike qualities about her...a certain innocence. One Siobhan found herself yearning to preserve for as long as possible, even though in her heart of hearts she knew that to be naive. But she could not bear the thought of Galina suffering more than she already had. It had been one of the reasons for her decision to retire from a frontline role.


"You know we're going somewhere? I wanted that to be a surprise," she said softly, with a touch of amusement in her voice, as she entered Galina's room. The door was open, otherwise Siobhan would have knocked. Something she usually did not do. Her words were spoken slowly, for, as she often reminded herself of, her little girl was still learning Basic. There were soft footsteps of the carpet as she crossed the distance and from behind wrapped her arms around her girl.


Galina Kerrigan-Alcori. Somehow that name made her feel all sorts of mushy feelings. "How are you doing, sweetie? Hitting the books again? Guess you'll be the smart one, taking after Tegs."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina jumped slightly, a little startled as Siobhan spoke. A bright smile spread across her lips as she looked up at her new mother. Slowly she shook her head, "No. Did n-not know-w." She said quietly, struggling a little to form the words, but for the most part, easily understandable despite the redhead's stutter.

For all the misery the young girl had been through, she remarkably seemed rather happy and content in her new environment in the Villa of Siobhan and Tegaea. But she'd seen little outside of it. Which was probably a good thing. Too much too soon, might have been a bit overwhelming for her. After all, it'd been nearly a decade since she'd seen any real technology beyond the simple datapad she'd managed to keep with her the entire time.

As Sio wrapped her arms around her, Galina reached up and placed her hands upon her arms, and gave her a light squeeze. "I ... am ..." She paused, thinking of the word. "G-good." Her voice grew into a more cheerful tone, "Good. I am good." She repeated with a bit more clarity and sureness in her voice. Delighted to have a better grasp on things. "Yes, b-books. Want speak bet-ter, f-for you, f-for Tegaea." Galina grinned as she turned to face Siobhan.

"W-where a-are we going?" She asked, recalling that Siobhan had mentioned something like that when she came in the room, and now it had her a little curious as to what the plan was.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]



"Good, my little girl. I'm proud of you. You're a lot better at this studying thing than me when I was your age," Siobhan said softly, a broad smile across her face. She reached out with one of her hands to gently stroke Galina's hair. Somehow she could not help feeling terribly mushy and sappy when she was with the girl.


Her daughter. Yes, it was so big that it had to be repeated and emphasised again. "There's no rush, but I'd like to show you a bit of Santaissa. The city we live in. I thought it would be fun if we went to the...zoo," she emphasised the word and paused for a moment to see if there was any recognition in Galina's face before speaking up again. "Did they have that on Sigma? It's a place where people go and see animals...many from other planets from across the Galaxy. The animals are confined, so there's no risk. You can see those big cats Auntie Tempest told you about. Cylixes. And lizards like Auntie Cory's."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

"Thank ... you, Siobhan." Galina was still grinning brightly, "Like b-books. Like read." A nod following. The girl certainly seemed to be taking to learning rather eagerly. It certainly helped that she was eager to please those that had already done so much for her. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around Sio and drew her into a quick hug.

"B-books, can wait-t." Smiling, "Want see S-san-ta-issa." Trying to mimic what Sio had just spoken.

"Z-ooo?" Galina's brow knitted together as she tried to recall if she knew the word and it's relation to what it meant in her language. Slowly she shook her head, "No Z-oo...on Sigma." There had been nothing quite like what what Siobhan was describing to her. "Ooooh, the c-cats!" That seemed to draw some recognition in her. "When we go? Go, n-now?" Sio's little girl was getting more excited with the idea by the second. "I get d-dressed?" She had to ask, as she was still sitting there in her pajamas.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Siobhan had to suppress a chuckle, for she did not want to the run the risk of Galina thinking she was laughing at her, for that was not the case. The girl was just adorable. She was also clearly getting better at Basic. Still stuttering a good deal, but doing far better than when Siobhan and Tempest had found her on that dreaded island. Her sweet little girl.


"My daughter the smart bookworm. You really need to meet Phylis some day," Siobhan said fondly, gently returning the embrace before she pulled away a bit. Perhaps she should go order Galina some books from Wisdom Tree Knowledge Store. Siobhan could still not be considered an academic and her literary tastes tended to be rather philistine, but she wanted to help her daughter adapt and Galina seemed to be taking to learning rather well. Her mothers had come from abject poverty, though Tegaea had caught up rather fast by necessity when she took on bureaucratic and management positions in Omega Pyre and then the Protectorate.


"Yes, the cats, dear," Siobhan smiled, feeling a stab of happiness. "And lots of other animals. They also have a store where you can buy toys and have snacks. There's still time, no worries. Get dressed and we'll have breakfast, then we'll go."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina just beamed up at Siobhan, quite pleased with herself. By all means, she was doing well with her studies, and getting a decent grasp at the language. She still read better than she could speak. Only time was bound to change that. Eventually she would catch up to the proper pronunciations of Basic. Eventually.

"Cann-ot waait." Speaking so happily, "Moor ani-mals?" That caught her attention, far too eager to see what there was beyond the villa and what this place called a zoo was really like. "Aa-nd toys?" Of course, toys would get a young girls attention. The child side of Galina, oh so clear in those two words with her excitement!

"We go n-now?" She asked again, trying to convey her eagerness.

"Kay," She finally nodded, seeming to get the need to breakfast, and proper attire. "I g-get dr-essed. Seee you down-sta-irs for food." She said as she headed over to select an outfit from the clothes Chesna had been so kind to get for her. Though, Galina did wonder how that woman seemed to know her exact size, when even she didn't have that knowledge. Scooping up a comfortable shirt, and a pair of jeans, she then headed for the bathroom to get changed and ready for the day!

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Galina's eagerness was contagious and so Siobhan could not help grinning like a fool. "It'll be fun, dear. Promise. There'll be ice cream." Maybe she could get her daughter a stuffed animal. Hopefully Galina would not freak too badly about the fact that they would be using a speeder for transport, though they would be flying at slower speed than Siobhan usually did in order to avoid scaring the girl too much. Given the hell she had went through, it was more than understandable that Galina had a fear of flying.



"I'll see you at breakfast, dear," Siobhan said warmly then likewise got up. Unlike her daughter she was already dressed, namely in a comfortable blouse and a nice pencil skirt. As for Galina, it was very fortunate that Chesna was so good at...instinctively knowing a woman's measurements, among other things. Some day Siobhan had to take her wildling shopping. Nothing could possibly go wrong! Anyhow, once Galina came to the dining room breakfast would be ready and would await her in all its goodness.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

"Kay Siobhan, be d-down soooon." Galina quickly took a shower, and managed to actually dry her hair on her own, just like Auntie Chesna taught her. She even managed to get it brushed out and looking halfway decent on her own. Though she hadn't quite mastered the many methods to styling her hair, and putting it up neatly. That probably just took time and practice. After all, she still was getting used to mirrors and how strange they were. It had been eight years since she'd really used or seen one.

Finally she slipped on a lovely light pink, long sleeve shirt and stepped into her jeans. She gave one last glance to the mirror, barely recognizing herself. After a moment of staring, she shook her head and left the bathroom behind. By now she'd learned the path down to the dinning room, and so there would be no mistakes of where she was heading.

At last she entered into the dinning room, and took a seat next to Siobhan, as she started to make her selections from the many offerings of breakfast foods. Namely she started with waffles, an item that seemed to be one of her favorite items. That and fruits, the girl seemed to just adore. At least she seemed over her food hoarding habit that she had from the first day she'd gotten there. After all, she wasn't entirely a cave woman. Galina had a few manners left over from her parents stern teaching.

"So w-we just go Z-ooo?" The girl asked, curious if that was the only place they were going to be visiting today.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Siobhan gave her daughter an approving look and smiled at her, pleased with her choice of attire and her efforts at fixing up her hair. In many ways Galina was still a wild girl, but Siobhan did not mind. While it was true that Siobhan was a big fashionista, she was not one of those celebrities who were hellbent on making their children be so styled they ended up looking like dolls. Yes, this writer is in mockery mood. Besides, when one considered that Galina was adapting to civilisation after eight years in the wilderness, the wild beauty was doing well.



"We'll see a bit of the town on the way and afterwards I'd like to show you a bit of Santaissa. It's a beautiful city and we can shop some things for you, dear," Siobhan said warmly before she likewise dug into her food. Coincidentally, she happened to share her little girl's love for waffles. It was probably good that over the years since Adril had saved her on Nar Shaddaa and brought her to the Jedi, Siobhan's table manners had improved to the point that while she was a big eater, she consumed her food in a graceful manner. After all, she had to set a good example for her kid!


"We'll be using the speeder. That vehicle Tegs and I use to go to work. I promise it'll be safe and we won't be flying fast," she added, reaching out to give Galina's shoulder a squeeze. Siobhan's cane, which she still needed much to her annoyance, was leaning against her chair at the side. These days Siobhan was flying less, as fun as lifting off into the sky by the power of the Force alone was.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

For a moment Galina paused to take in the words, working out their meaning. "Kay." She said with a nod, but pulled a datapad from her pocket and set it beside her plate. She quickly typed in a few things in Aurebesh symbols.

Shop, for clothes? Things like that? She shifted the datapad for Siobhan to see what she'd written. Galina did have an interest in getting some things for herself, or at the very least discovering what shopping really was like on this world.

There was a second line of Aurebesh, that the redhead had typed in.

Speeder, we will be flying? Reaching over she tapped the second line of text with a nervous expression upon her face to emphasize her point. Flying still made her quite nervous, but that was understandable given what she'd been through.

She pulled the pad back to type one more thing, before she showed it to Siobhan. Writing was far easier for her than speaking was. And she did understand far more than she could speak. Which generally meant she would be carrying around a datapad to help her communicate for a while to come.

You promise safe, I trust you. Galina truly did trust Siobhan. But the nerves couldn't be helped.

After that she returned to eating, though her skill with utensils left something to be desired, the young woman was still improving and learning what was required.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


You promise safe, I trust you.


No, these words did not make Siobhan's heart turn to jellie. They did make her feel terribly mushy and sappy though. The nagging inner voice was quick to chastise her by pointing out that she had broken her promises so often...but she could not allow herself to break this one. Her little girl would be safe and protected with her. She would do her utmost to ensure that. If only they could communicate better...but she knew that Galina needed time. Frankly, given what she had went through and the fact that she had only been at the villa for a while, the wild girl was doing very well, all things considered. So she took the datapad and quickly typed in a short response.


Yes, flying with speeder. Not very fast or high. Promise you'll be safe. Besides, I have superpowers.


'Superpowers' was as good a description as any for the fact that she had the Force. Obviously that had not been something she'd talked about with Galina because frankly there were far more imporant things for the girl to concern herself with and for Siobhan to show her. Not to mention the fact that the Force defied logical explanation and it was hard enough for an adult to understand it! To be honest, this one does not understand it either. On the dreaded island Galina had seen Siobhan fly as if by magic and kill a predatory cat without touching it or using weapons, so superpowers it was. Even though Siobhan was the sort of 'superhero' who most assuredly did not abide by rules such as 'don't kill the bad guys' and 'guns are bad'. Presumably if she had her way the Joker would get his spine ripped out rather than being tossed into Arkham Asylum, the most poorly guarded prison in the world from which he and other super criminals kept escaping. Now this writer really wants a noncanon thread where the Firemane ladies get teleported to Gotham!



She pulled he datapad back for a moment to type one more thing. I'd never let you get hurt. You're my little girl.


So mushy....and with that she returned back to eating and sipping her tea, occasionally sparing Galina a glance. Yes, totally mushy.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Galina pulled the datapad back to her, reading the words. Recognition lit up in her eyes, a bit of joy spread across her face. Such a simple thing, understanding her new mother, brought the girl so much happiness.

Her mind drifted back to the forest on the island, the attack of the wild felines. Siobhan had killed them with ease and without touching them. She'd often wondered about that, but never asked. It was a rather strange thing to Galina, but little did she know that she held those same powers, just untapped and unaware. Only time would tell if and when they would manifest into something more tangible.

She quickly finished with her meal while she waited on Siobhan to return the datapad back to her. Pushing the plate away, to signal such, she eagerly took the pad back to read it. Inquisitive eyes studied the Aurebesh symbols before a most bright grin formed upon her lips. Something about being called Sio's little girl, brought much warmth into Galina's heart.

Slowly she typed this time, making sure she could convey the meaning she wanted to without the need for a translator between them.

You do. I remember on the island. I remember. I am glad it you, you and Tempest came and saved me.

At least she seemed convinced of her safety now.

You so good to me. You and Tegaea, so good to me. I love you.

The little rose to her feet after she had passed the datapad over to Siobhan to read, and came around to hug Sio tightly. The young woman was truly taking to Sio, and this new home, new family environment. Even in this short time, she'd already become more than just attached to the family of Kerrigan-Alcori, she truly did love them.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


I love you.


The three magical words from her daughter turned Siobhan into jellie. Well, obviously not literally because that would be tremendously messy and make the plotline rather awkward, but you get the picture. She felt a massive surge of happiness course through her body, unwilling and unable to keep a lid on the feelings that these words engendered.


No, she would not cry, for tears of joy would be terribly mortifying and Chesna would never let her live it down. But when Galina hugged her Siobhan well and truly melted into the embrace, getting up to pull the girl against her body and into her loving warmth. "I love you too, sweetie. We love you. So much. It's...so great to have you as my daughter," she said and meant every word. If Chesna were to suddenly walk in and troll her, she did not care.


For the moment at least all doubts were banished from her mind and so she just held Galina for a short while longer before pulling away, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. "My little sweeheart. C'mon, let's get outside and board the speeder. The zoo's waiting for you," she flashed her daughter a smile.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Galina happily let Siobhan draw her in tighter. Hearing the words from Sio just made it even better. There was a difference in seeing them written and hearing them aloud. "T-thank you, Siobhan." She whispered quietly, clinging on to the brunette still.

The redhead gave a small nod, and reached out, taking Siobhan's free hand. "O-Kay, we go now." Galina said as she gave an all too eager tug on her mother, excited for the day. Reaching back, she grabbed the datapad and tucked it into her pocket, knowing it would be needed at some point. It made communication simpler between them.

"Cann-ot wait. Lea-d me?" She asked, a bit unsure where exactly the speeder would be.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


"Sure, sweetie," and so Siobhan took Galina's hand and led her out of the dining room. What food rests they might have left from their breakfast would not go to waste, for the maids would eat them. Unless Grrbyrr beat them to the punch. Speaking of the Jester, he liked the new redheaded member of the Kerrigan-Alcori clan a lot!



Anyhow, Siobhan would lead Galina out of the villa and past the beautifully manicured and maintained garden to the garage. An airspeeder was already waiting for them, with Harmony serving as chauffeur. The attractive, dark skinned young woman, whom this writer imagines looking like a bit like Samantha Traynor, gave Galina a smile and opened the door for her. The girl would be guided into the speeder and the seatbelt would be fastened, then Siobhan would climb in, taking Galina's hand and holding it.


Then the speeder would start and lift into the sky. In deference to the fact that Galina had...bad experiences with flying - understatement of the decade - the craft would be flying a good deal slower and at less high altitudes than Siobhan normally did. Still, there'd be a beautiful view of Santaissa and its white stone buildings. As it happened the villa was built at the edge of cliffs that overlooked the city. As for how long the trip would take, well, by the time they arrived the zoo would still be open, so no worries and no need to drive like a speed junkie.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Galina offered a nervous smile in return. The matter of flying and the speeder had not been forgotten, but there was the zoo at the end of this trip to look forward to. She squeezed gently against her mother's hand and followed her through the house and gardens most eagerly.

Once in the garage, a bit of her nerves kicked in seeing the speeder, but there was hardly time to complain about such as she was helped into the vehicle by Harmony and her seatbelt soon fastened. There was no smile as Siobhan climbed in beside her. This something that Galina clearly did not like. There wasn't a soul in the Universe could blame her for such.

A slight whimper came as they lifted into the sky, at a speed far too fast for the wildling. Her grip on Sio's hand tightened, threatening to crush it as she did her best to keep calm. The redhead's eyes were glued to the floor for the time being, a little too afraid to look up, and over the edge to see the city below.

Siobhan's right beside you.. It's safe. She promised safe. You're safe. Galina tried to convince herself of such. Reminding her of the words her adopted mummy had spoken, written to her. It was safe. She just wasn't quite brave enough to face this particular fear, and see the beauty of Kaeshana around her.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


"We won't be in the sky long. You're a brave girl," Siobhan said softly. She would have really liked to point out the various sites in Santaissa to her daughter, but Galina's fears were all too evident. Seeing the beauty of the city from high above as they flew past it would have to wait. Truth be told, the girl was already being brave by consenting to riding in the speeder in the first place. Most annoyingly, there was a good deal of traffic in the sky above Santaissa, for modernity had come to Kaeshana.


However, they still arrived in good time and soon the zoo would come into view as the speeder began its descent. Siobhan gave Galina a smile that was hopefully encouraging and squeezed her hand slightly. Her daughter's grip had been so tight to be painful, but Siobhan had not said a word amount or tried to disentangle herself. "We're there, dear," she spoke as the airspeeder swept past the entrance of the zoo and swooped down to land at the designated landing area. Proving once again that class barriers were still strong on Kaeshana, aristocrats got the best parking spaces.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina nodded to Siobhan, keeping her eyes on the floor, not daring to look over. "Sscared." The redhead whispered softly, stating the obvious.

As the descent started, she finally started getting braver and lifted her head to look about. Her eyes flitted between a few of the sights below, but always returned to Siobhan for reassurance that all would be well. For Sio being calm in a situation that frightened Galina, helped alleviate the young girl's fears.

"O-kay." She said quietly, trembling a little still but a lot less than she had been. Perhaps in time, she'd become more comfortable with traditional forms of travel. Her grip on Sio loosened as she finally seemed to calm down completely now that they were on the ground once more.

Reaching down, she looked curiously at the seatbelt, and fiddled with it for a moment trying to figure out exactly how it worked. It took a minute, but she finally managed to undo it on her own, drawing a smile out of the redhead. Simple joys in discovering how things worked.

"W-we go now?" She asked seeming a bit happier now, with her fears already forgotten as she thought ahead to what the Zoo might hold in store for her.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]


"Yes. It' ok, dear. I was afraid the first time I went flying. There are dangers outside in the world. Just don't let it rule you," Siobhan said, giving her daughter a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Now let's go and have fun," she spoke in a brighter, more upbeat tone and took Galina's hand, leading her away from the landing area towards the entrance of the zoo.


As they would see, a sizeable queue had already assembled in front of it, for the Firefarm zoo was apparently becoming something of an attraction. Doubtless the assistants sitting behind the counter and passing out tickets would be at work for a long time! A massive placard built above the entrance gate promised fun and plenty of exotic animals to see, displaying a Cylix, a Maalraas and a Reek. Likewise there were advertisements for a shop inside the zoo where visitors could buy toys and pets such as Jesters. Hopefully anyone who bought one of the cute little furballs kept an eye on their kitchen larder, for otherwise they might wake up and find themselves deprived of food!


Being at the top of the pecking order had its advantages - along with having bought tickets in advance - and so the mother and daughter pair did not have to stand in the queue and wait, but were simply waved through right to the first line and after receiving their tickets could enter the zoo. Presumably some visitors still waiting were not happy about that, but they were smart enough to keep their mouth shut. After all, Firefarm was a Firemane subsidiary and you did not want to piss off the supposedly volatile Vice President. That said, they did get their share of looks as they passed through, especially Galina.