When You Wish Upon A Dark Star (Siobhan)

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

This writer had actually planned for the logs to go on to 10, in order to cover the whole project, and so Siobhan will just have to stew in her dislike of the mad scientist a little longer!

"Entry 6; 17:01:00:18:33.
The nanites are a success! To think that in the smallest test tube the tiny drop of grey is enough to keep an entire body revitalised! The process was not easy of course, and I had one outbreak of a virulent strain which killed all the servitors before I could neutron purge the room. They were loyal even in death as they protected the research notes I needed. The loss of Researcher Callidora was unfortunate as she was good at calming the test subjects and persuading their cooperation.
However, I have isolated a colony of nanites which can be injected into the subject and will sympathetically attach to their nervous and other systems and sustain them. I estimate they will be able to keep the subject functioning for several centuries longer than a regular Eldorai.
Of course, I have inputted a function into them which allows me to control the subjects through the nanites. By using the correct signal I can freeze or destroy the subject depending on the need. If used to destroy they will eat the subject out from the inside and leave no proof of their existence or evidence that can be used to recreate my great work.

The gloating was back again.

Meanwhile Tempest managed to get a syllable in. “Sio-“

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

A cold shiver ran over Siobhan as she heard elaborate on what amounted to a killswitch, to be soon followed by seething anger. She had been...possessed by Shadow and turned into his meat puppet - one day she would find and crush him for that, beat him so hard that whatever Sith sorcery he wielded would be insufficient to bring him back from the dead - then almost taken over by a Mad God who had twisted the minds of an entire city.

There was no difference between Raik'aro and Shadow. Actually...Shadow might be more honest since she doubted he would bother cloaking his actions with a veil of righteousness to make himself look better in his own logs. After all, he was a true Sith and the Galaxy was his playground. It filled her with some grim satisfaction that the Rakatan had fallen from their pedestal and degenerated into tribes of primitives nobody cared about.


"I'm fine, Tempest. It's a bit like a holocron. Beaming the logs into my mind. From the sick bastard who designed her," she said distractedly, temporarily pulled out of her musings when she heard her apprentice's voice before pressing the button again.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest nodded, finally understanding. "I was wondering why you were pushing the button so often. Thought you were getting impatient!" Not an unrealistic assumption!

"Entry 7; 17:01:02:38:18.
The pieces of the puzzle come together at last! By interfacing the first two of the pieces I find the third. Increased bone resilience combined with cellular regeneration grants increased strength. A simple application of growth and muscle bulk increaser will finish the job. And then it will be ready...my Dark Star...my finest creation. Tomorrow we will begin the procedure which will make her mine.
Of course, I have considered the downsides of this project. I have found no viable way to increase skin strength or to dampen the pain receptors. In fact, these may be useful for me if she proves difficult to...direct. The other downside is one which I must also consider as a strength. The nanites and the other modifications will ensure she requires vast amounts of sustenance every day to keep her going. Thus it may be wise to keep her in stasis in between missions. If and when I develop more Dark Stars I will devote attention to this problem. For now, I am about to make history...."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

"I'd just cheer myself up by looking at your cute arse," Siobhan responded. Presumably beskar armour was not designed to be particularly form-fitting, but who cared. However, what levity her apprentice's injection might have created vanished from her as she listened to the next entry where the Rakata gloated about creating an army of super-empowered drones beholden to his will, who only existed to kill in his name and would have no life, no identity beyond that. Stripped of anything that made them sentient, existing only as toys.

Every word of his, dripping with arrogance and self-entitlement, made her blood boil. It was probably for the best that Raik'aro was long dead because otherwise she would crush him completely and utterly. Probably she would not let him die immediately, but make him suffer first. Siobhan was not a Picasso with a razor blade like Kaelin, the sexual sadist and artist of torture,, and was too given to furies to have the timeless patience of Moira or Maelion, but she could be...very scary and brutal. She would crush his bones and smash flesh, in all likelihood lose herself in a fury and literally tear her victim to pieces.

Let him feel some of the pain he had inflicted, make him realise just what it meant to be a toy at the mercy of someone else, unable to affect any change, forced to be helpless as his body was torn to shreds. That was why the surviving Bando Gora had decided to acclaim her as their new Blood Queen after all.

She who fights monsters should see to it that she herself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for too long in the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." Perhaps a saying worth quoting. Or maybe this writer just has a liking for meta. Or as Yoda is supposed to have said. "When you look at the dark side, careful you must be...for the dark side looks back."

For a moment her one organic eye seemed to glow and turn a venomous yellow before she managed to calm down somewhat and brought up the next entry. "This guy's just frakking sick. Created her to be his remote-controlled, perfect warrior drone. Treated the elves like toys for his personal glory and got off on it. And the scum yammers about how noble he's being," pure hatred emanated from her aura.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest’s lip twisted in dislike. “Oh yes, my Masters liked to claim they were doing it all for our good, and that it was what we needed…at the same time as he stole children from their parents, whipped pregnant women or raped their daughters.”
The bitterness and anger was still there, and with a visible effort Tempest controlled herself and took position with Siobhan so she could see the next part of the show….

"Entry 8; 17:01:04:02:22.
The procedure is about to begin. I have confirmed to myself that the innumerable microbes and small lifeforms that live within sentients will not be affected by the nanites. This has required considerable planning, but finally the great work shall begin!
It occurs to me that although long and complex the first time, this process should be quicker for subsequent subjects. It is my belief that unlike the Eldorai we must keep their numbers small and controlled, and not have their genetics watered down by mere random breeding. Therefore I have made one small adjustment which will prevent Eyrecae or any subsequent subjects able to reproduce. The motherhood instinct is detrimental for what I am looking for, and would probably be destructive to the body anyway.
Eyrecae has been rendered unconscious and prepared for the procedure. I hope she appreciates the role she is playing in my advancement.

Tempest looked at Siobhan, sparks literally crackling off her, so angry was she. “It’s good he died years ago, or I’d kill him right now,” she growled.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

"I'd make him suffer...for a long time. By the time I'd be done with him he'd be in pieces," Siobhan said very quietly, almost in a whisper. Her voice was as cold as an ice storm on Hoth, all humanity drained from her. The voice of Butcher Kerrigan. Scum like Raik'aro did not deserve a quick, clean death. No, they deserved to suffer.

To be broken again and again and again, brought to the brink of death only to be denied that mercy until they had been torn to shreds. For just a moment the ground in the lab seemed to shake as if it was being overtaken by quakes before Siobhan managed to regain some measure of control.

Siobhan shared the anger her apprentice felt, it was with a visible effort that she controlled herself, but she had to think of her student as well. She had not been a slave lik her, but she understood what it was like to be treated like a toy, a possession without rights. "Tempest, calm down. For your own sake. The bastard's dead...probably had a more merciful death than he deserved, but we can't touch him anymore. Anger doesn't serve anyone now. Any monsters like that we encounter...they'll get what they deserve...without mercy. Right now we got to focus on helping her. That monster robbed her of her life, made her his plaything...we can give her better."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"Entry 9; 17:01:07:09:00.
The procedure was a success! His is a most glorious day for myself and the Rakata. Eyrecae awoke after the procedure and though she had to be sedated again for her own good she was able to move and was not in too much pain. I have placed her back into stasis, and will awake her tomorrow to begin the process of bending her to my will. If I judge her a success I can begin to create others, if no she will be liquidated.
During the operation there were some moments of concern such as when she started to spasm, but we were able to relax the muscles as the growth formula took over and calm her without waking her. The incisions have healed nicely, and I believe that she will be able to pass for a normal Eldorai with the exception of her white hair. I am not certain if the nanite regeneration applies to hair and fingernails, but I will experiment on this tomorrow. Perhaps I will shave her head and see how long it takes to regrow. Eldorai and humans have too much of it anyway.

There was only one more entry left. Tempest was still glaring at the box, unsurprisingly unhappy with talk of liquidation and head shaving.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

"Rakatan break very easily. These days they're just a bunch of primitives reduced to savagery and cannibalism. Guess they didn't amount to much without their slaves and force-empowered toys. Serves them right." Siobhan said scathingly. Well...that was a bit unfair and perhaps somewhat racist. After all, there had been a good tribe of Rakatan in Knights of the Old Republic who wanted to repent!

Still, with monstrous masters such as these one might consider it karmic justice that they had been reduced to a state of insignificance. She was obviously likewise unhappy about the talk of liquidations, head shavings and the general attitude of Eyrecae's master, but that should be clear by now. However, he had been dead for ages, they were in the now and there was only one last entry left.

Then...they would have to awaken Eyrecae. How the Eldorai would respond to her presence Siobhan could only speculate. What was certain was that the girl would not be someone's toy again. So she pressed the button of the box that would bring up the last entry.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

The last entry was a bit different from the others. For a start Raik’aro looked noticeably more harried, and the activity behind him was frantic rather than ordered.
"Entry 10; 17:01:10:01:01.
I have been betrayed! Somehow the Council has found out about the Dark Star project and are moving against me! I will defend this island against them all. But first, I must seal Eyrecae away for when I return. Provided the entire island is not destroyed, it should run for as long as necessary for me to defeat these fools and return! I have added a final piece to my masterpiece whilst she sleeps; an activation code for the nanites. No one will be able to control her except me!
Eyrecae, my Dark Star, one day you shall rise and you shall be the instrument for bringing the galaxy to order! I shall have my revenge yet! You! Ready the droids!

The image faded and they were left alone again in the dim room.
“I guess this is what the Eldorai call the ‘War in Heaven’,” Tempest said. “And I guess he lost. Good riddance. It’s a shame he didn’t leave what the activation code was. Not that I’d want to control her, but so we can stop her if she goes crazy,” Tempest said piously.
“So, do you speak ancient Eldarai…does the droid? Maybe we should see if there’s someone available who can come out here and help us?”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

Siobhan shook her head. "I speak modern Eldarai passably well, some mangling of words here and there and with accent. But no ancient. You're right. Should relay a call to the palace. Anya's special frequency. I'll make the call." She and Tegaea were...rather close to the Queen. Well, less 'close' than they had been in the past, but still very!

So they would have her special number. It was probably for the best to avoid something leaking out just now. As for the activation code, at least it being lost meant that no Eldorai aristo could get her hands on it and abuse it, though Siobhan saw the logic in Tempest's point. Would comms work down here and reach the palace? Presumably, given all the awesome stuff tech could do, so they might as well not have to deal with a bad connection.

 

[Anya Venari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

So whilst our intrepid battering rams were investigating ancient ruins, Star Queen Tirathana VII was just finishing a meeting.
“By the Will of the Goddess, all shall be,” she said, rising to her feet. The elaborate red and gold robe she was wearing flowed about her. She hated it, but it did look impressive.
“We will meet again tomorrow. Go in peace.”

As she returned to her room her commlink started beeping, a very special tone. Frowning, she dismissed her guards and courtiers and activated it.
“Siobhan? Is everything alright at the island? Is anyone hurt?” she asked worriedly.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Anya Venari"]

"Don't worry, my Queen. I haven't killed any elder horrors. The Goddess Tyth has not been angered," Siobhan joked lamely, but then turned serious. "We found the remains of the investigators, killed by droids. Then...you better sit down. Is this line safe? Need someone down here who can speak ancient Eldarai. Protocol droid preferrably." Once the safety of the line had been confirmed, though it was stating the obvious she'd continue.

"We found an ancient Eldorai woman kept in stasis. Daughter of Ashira. A mad Rakatan scientist with god complex who'd deserve every Eldorai punishment modified her to be the perfect supersoldier, super strength, unbreakable. Was supposed to be the first in his legion of drones." Siobhan would provide a brief summation of what they had found out, which shall not be repeated in detail because it's been written anyway.

 

[Anya Venari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

And there it was.

The final nail in the coffin. The final stake through the heart of everything her people believed, everything she had once held dear. She didn’t even remember what she’d said before, or remember sitting on the couch. Siobhan’s words echoed through her.

She couldn’t say anything. The super soldier was interesting, fascinating, and it had clearly interested Siobhan. The three words in the middle, so casual, burned her like fire. ‘Daughter of Ashira’.

For all this time she had obscurely hoped she and Siobhan and all the others had been wrong, that this Rakata thing was just a myth. Her head had known better, but now even her heart had to admit the truth.

“Siobhan…I will come myself. This needs to be something I do. Don’t do anything until I arrive.” Her words were cracked, broken. As it happened Anya was extremely good at the ancient language, though admittedly only in reading and saying it aloud. She’d never had a conversation with anyone 25,000 years old.

She wanted to ask Siobhan if she understood what this meant for Kaeshana, for her…for everything, but Siobhan wasn’t an Eldorai. She couldn’t understand that whilst ancient records and holocrons could be swept under the rug, a living daughter of their patron ‘goddess’, especially a supersoldier, could not be so easily ignored.
Were Anya blessed with anything other than a rigid Neutral Good morality she might have considered leaving this woman there, or even removing the problem. But no, it was her duty and it was the right thing to do.

“I hate being the good one,” she said after hanging up. “Taldir! Get my shuttle!” she ordered. At least Kaida Taldir could be trusted not to have a fit of religious fervour.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Anya Venari"]

And so Kaida got a cameo! Her writer had decided to make her a Host Leader. After all, she was good at freezing people, though her writer does not like her much.

Regardless, once Anya got to the hangar Kaida would be there, with the shuttle prepared for takeoff. She had received some training while serving with the Pyre, so she would be able to pilot it. "Your shuttle is ready, Majesty. What is our destination?" she asked, tone professional and businesslike. One of the things you learned as an Angelii was when...to keep your mouth shut and not to ask too many awkward questions.

Admittedly Kaida's inability to heed this lesson had resulted in her looking at a data crystal she should not have, finding out that everything she had been taught about her race was a lie and then being forced to go into exile with her sister Lavina, blowing up stuff with the Pyre and getting injured a lot, then returning to fight in two civil wars. But...sometimes she remembered it. Like now.

After all, Anya was the only noble she actually respected due to having been an exile as well. The others she sort of felt like icing. As for religious fervour, Kaida obviously still participated in the religious rites as expected of an Angelii, especially one who wanted to be an officer, but she knew the truth of her race's origins. As much as the revelation had hurt, like the stab of a knife in the gut.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Anya handed her the coordinates and soon they were away. It was well that Kaida did not ask any questions because Anya was not much in the mood for answers.

Meanwhile, at the island Tempest and Siobhan were left to wait, watching the lady in the water.

There was a small cavity built into the status container. The whole contraption was made of the same black stone as the memory device and the doors and seemed unaffected by the ages.
There was a black stone box inside the cavity. Tempest held it up. “Look at this, Sio!” she said.

They’d been told not to touch anything, but Tempest and Siobhan were very impatient ladies.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

At the very least they had something nice to look at! Perhaps those nanites had been for more than just awesome combat skills. Unfortunately, Tempest had to play around with the equipment and keep Siobhan from...watching over Eyrecae. "Tempest, dear, put that down. You don't know what it'll do. Don't want to...prematurely wake and confuse the ancient elf woman who can punch through durasteel," Siobhan ordered, probably the closest thing she had ever come to using a lecturing tone.

Wait, was Siobhan urging caution? Had she been replaced by a replicant? Next thing you knew she would be voluntarily wearing a pink floral dress and three inch high heels!

 

[Anya Venari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Rather sulkily, Tempest complied, clearly getting bored with waiting. Eventually she got so bored she went to prod the destroyed guardian robots and scavenge them for parts.

Eventually the Queen and Kaida arrived and were ushered into the chamber.

There Anya stood, just staring at the white haired woman, an unreadable expression on her face. Finally she looked at Siobhan, and her expression had gone hard.
“So…here it is, the final pillar. I had doubts when I was growing up, and of course I came to know those doubts were true during my exile. However, that evidence was indirect, it could be ignored or at least kept hidden. Today, right now, there are billions of my people who believe, to a greater or lesser degree, that Ashira created Kaeshana, that we are her chosen people, that we have a goddess-given destiny to rule Kaeshana and the galaxy. They believe it, and I have to propagate that myth because I am the Star Queen, descended from Ashira, chosen by her to be her ruler on Kaeshana.”
“And now this.” She gestured to the stasis bed.

“This cannot be kept quiet. This woman is the proof people have been searching for, the answer to all the questions. She is the end of the old order, Siobhan, and nothing will ever be the same again.”

She started to pace restlessly, her fists clenched, her cheeks colouring. Unusually, her fists were surrounded by a haze of heat, like Adril had once been so well known to do.

“Were I my mother or even my sister I would simply make this all disappear. I would bury her again, or simply turn off her life support. For thousands of years my people, my family, have gone to such trouble to cover up anything related to our origins. They would murder an innocent girl to prevent trouble in the future. And I should…being a leader is about doing the thing which is right for everyone, not for me…but I can’t. That might make me weak, but I saw a lot of things in my exile. I saw evil rise from expedients, from the quick and easy choice.”

She raised her hand, and fire appeared in her palm. She aimed at the helpless woman, then lowered her hand, the fire fading.

“I hate being the good one sometimes,” she said bitterly. “This will destroy Kaeshana, just for once I wish my curiosity had not gotten the better of me. I should have let this island be. But it’s done now. Wake her, and be ready to hold her back while I try to calm her down.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Anya Venari"]

"If you wanted...I'd do it for you. Kill her for you," Siobhan said quietly, though audible enough for Anya to hear. Unlike her friend she could not be considered Neutral Good by any stretch of the imagination. Or even particularly good. She felt a strong sympathy with Eyrecae, a bond even, though she knew her not. How Raik'aro had treated her and the Eldorai outraged her.

And, yet, Anya was her friend. Her dearest after Tegaea. Kaeshana was her home and did not wish to see it thrown into chaos. True, the foundation of Eldorai society was built on an illusion, perhaps in many ways the belief that they were descended from a Goddess and had a manifest destiny ordained by her to rule the Galaxy had held the Eldorai back. Change when it came was always painful, but it was what held their nation together. Saying that the truth was important and people had a right to know it was all well and good, but being practical was more important to her. If the truth caused destruction and misery then it was was best kept in a steel vault under lock and key, sometimes ignorance was bliss.

When it came down to it Siobhan was a cynical, jaded and fairly ruthless woman. She had already caused the deaths of thousands, time and again sacrificed her own people in the pursuit of victory, chosen what she considered to be the quickiest and most expedient solution to a problem. Of course...Eyrecae was an innocent, more than that she had never been given the chance to live her life. Yet if asked Siobhan would have been ready to do it - and be able to deal with it after, feeling little real remose for her actions. Butcher Kerrigan was not known for possessing a capacity for mercy.

She took a breath when Anya voiced her intent, to wake up the ancient Eldorai and face the consequences. Was Siobhan relieved? Her features showed as much expression as a stone, thus whatever feelings she might have had on this matter remained elusive. "I'm sorry, Anya. You know whatever happens, I'll be there, for you and Kaeshana." There was nothing else that could be said and so she walked over to press the controls that would awaken Eyrecae from her 25, 000 years long slumber. One could only hope that it would be worth it.

 

[Anya Venari]

When [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] had made her offer Anya had stared at her with disbelief and disgust.
“I don’t want you to kill her. If there is to be cold blooded murder, I will do it, but there will not be. Not now, not ever.”
She looked genuinely angry that Siobhan would even make the offer, but then subsided as Siobhan went to press the buttons.

At first nothing happened, and Anya suspected the controls might be jammed. But then, suddenly, Eyrecae began to move. Unfortunately the liquid was not draining quickly enough, and she had nowhere to breathe!
“Quickly Siobhan, smash the casing!” Anya ordered.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Anya Venari"]

For just a moment Siobhan looked upset at Anya's vehemence. It was not like she had not committed cold blooded murder before! Otherwise she would not be called the Butcher. Besides, from her perspective it had been a well-intentioned offer. After all, Anya was...not her. This mind set probably said a lot about Siobhan.

Regardless, she complied and then Eyrecae arose, but devoid of air to breath in. Without a further word Siobhan did as ordered. Power rippled through her and a telekinetic blast smashed into the casing, tearing it apart and leaving Eyrecae free.