Ask Dance the Dance of Blood

[Katherine Stargazer]

The terrain grew in danger as they flew through the homogenous blade's edge mountains to Barterus. The pilots took circuitous routes at times, expertly avoiding any obviously fixed gun emplacements. It was impossible to predict where an enemy force could hide in this terrain, but the mercenary pilots had the experience needed to weave around the most obvious dangers.

They suddenly came away from the mountains within an hour or two after launch. Barterus sat, a squat little city around an oasis of life. A forest spread on two sides of a sizeable coursing river running through the settlement, adjacent to their approach. The dominant structures of the city chugged smoke into the air through giant stacks. If, above all else, there was a place sacred to the Rattataki, Barterus' weapons factories are it. They act as a quasi-religious company, neutral to all planetary affairs so long as they are free to sell and produce their highly experimental, and most likely highly illegal on the broader galaxy, weaponry.

Do not screw with those factories.

It would be a tremendous tactical success to cripple them, Kat thought. Denying your enemy their production is a thing that wins wars, and she would plant the bombs herself if she weren't painfully aware of how that would instantly turn all of Rattatak against her.

So, they must rely on symbols. To her eyes, the 'palace' of Barterus is a meager thing. She was sure she could build a better building in her sleep, and she would when this was all over. Still, it was a millennia-old building that has been maintained reverently, repaired after uncountable assaults, and the thousands of times it has changed hands.

Now would be no different. The defenders who remained in Barterus would fall back there, as it doubled as a fortress should the need arise. Kat fully anticipated the defenders, having been told they were coming and for them to have prepared a defense after they flew directly over the enemy army.

As they flew over the city, flashes of blaster canons lit the air. They made up for their relative sparsity with the extreme precision of expert gunnery crews. The ships jerk, and one to the starboard caught flame and fell hard into the city, ramming their way through buildings. "We need to set down!" The pilot yelled, twitching his control stick to evade incoming fire.

"Do it!" Kat barked before punching the command communications. "Everyone set down; we make the rest of the fight on foot!" She ordered, and the ships descended. She could only hope they could gain control of the city before the enemy returned and hold it until their own greater army crossed the mountains.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste was carefully watching the pilot as she was neither completely sure of his loyalty nor of his skills. If needed, she was prepared to step in and pilot the ship herself, but until then the flight was going seemingly smooth and they encountered less resistance than expected.

However, after some time they were leaving the mountainous terrains and flew straight at the city and that was when the fun began. After they could spy the palace, the first blaster canons were already at them and soon the first ship was down. "Brace yourselves for impact if necessary!", Celeste added towards Kat's command before she was starting to reach out with the Force to cloak their ship as soon as possible. It wouldn't be a long-lasting protection, but it could definitely be of some help if a few shots at them could be deflected.

The ships were soon descending and fortunately, they didn't get hit. The circutries were still in tact, nothing was fried and so they could still rely on them if things would get too heated in Barterus. Celeste didn't expect defeat or severe losses, no she was really confident, because they had arrived surprisingly fast and now it was up to them to use that advantage. She readied her lightsaber before she approached the ramp to descend onto the ground, briefly observing the scenery. "All right, let's get going! Mind the big guns. They seem to have a lot of them" Celeste advised the group through the communications before she shifted her attention back to Kat. Just like in the fighting pit back at the Cauldron, she wouldn't let any harm come to her. Her highest priority was protecting the tall, yet younger woman who had grown so close to her that she felt like a sister, funnily enough.

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

The ships dropped us off as close as possible, blasting away at any seemingly hostile defender. It was poor form to kill the average man, but it was hard to tell who was a civilian and who wasn't when everyone had a weapon and liked fighting. If anyone ran at her trying to kill her, Kat was resigned to killing them back.

She sprinted into cover the moment her feet hit the ground, quickly followed by the bellowing Rattataki and her friend the Warlock. "Through the buildings!" Kat barked, firing her beam tube down the street at an enemy combatant. She didn't wait to see if they were vaporized, instead ducking her head back around the corner to follow her men through the buildings.

The structures of Barterus were functional but tightly packed. Space is a premium commodity on Rattatak, after all. Thankfully for the assault, that meant the alleys were narrow, and there were plenty of doors or other more creative entrances to use. The assault force made good time, nearing the palace exceptionally quickly. Kat did not think too hard about whatever she found during their blitz, but she was happy her threat to anyone getting too enthusiastic with the populace was being listened to. She was more than willing to disintegrate people, after all.

Kat didn't need to shout orders, leaving that up to the individual officers of her new army. They were untested but much more organized than their opponents, relatively. It wasn't long before the palace was in view, meager as it was. Still, it would be tough to crack unless the men sent out to destroy the canon's keeping their ships pinned down succeeded.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

The chaotic assault force moved forward and Celeste was surprised of how comparatively well it all went. In the short period of time in which they have already ruled the Cauldron, Celeste had tried her best to train their people, but in the end the Rattataki had always proved to be extremely stubborn and hard to shape. However, now that there had finally arrived in Barterus, they did outstandingly well in relation to their circumstances.

Celeste held the ignited crimson bladed lightsaber in her left hand while she had her blaster in her right, firing at the enemies ahead of them. There was indeed some resistance, but they had soon made their way over to the palace. During their whole march she had stayed close to Kat and used her lightsaber to deflect a blaster bolt here and there, so that she could start her counterattack. Celeste never had any siblings, but she had grown so oddly close to the tall young blonde that she was protecting her like a younger sister.

Now that they were hiding behind cover near the palace, they were a little stuck. The canon's had to be taken care of, or else they wouldn't come any further. "I've got an idea", Celeste shouted over the noise of the battle ahead, but without waiting for an answer, she sprinted forward, gathering the Force to use it as a speed boost and additional protection. If the ship's didn't manage to take them out, then she would do it

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat watched wide-eyed as Celeste sped out into the street, almost faster than Kat could track. "Damn it, cover her!" Kat yelled and popped out of cover for a moment to blast down the street. She wasn't the best shot, but the beam tube made up for that by its very nature. The weapon's beam raked like a string across the street, forcing the opposition into cover for but a moment.

Return fire peppered the area around her, but she didn't flinch. The level of violence was nowhere near the desperation of her final days on her homeworld. Still, it was shocking to see one of her men get shot by a peculiarly colored beam of light, making the man atomize from the skin inwards. He should have worn armor.

She raked her weapon across the battlefield once more before crouching back down against the crumbled remains of a wall. Wordlessly she gestured for a few squads to follow after Celeste, using hand signs to tell them to support her in any way they had to.

She spun to look at a pair of squads who had hung back a few steps. They were waiting in cover, itching to join the fight but kept in line by the handpicked officers who led them. Kat tapped the barrel of her weapon twice against a stone to grab their attention and made more hand signs telling them to circle and get on with their part of the plan.

They would be headed around the houses and hopefully find a good path through the battleground. They were all carrying heavy explosives, which would be used to breach the gate. They nodded and stealthily made their way out the side of the building. Now it was up to Kat to grab their attention.

She stood up again and started walking across the street, casually raking fire across the enemy positions to keep them suppressed. Her gall paid off, and frantic blasts peppered the ground around her. She took one hand off her cannon and flipped off the enemy, and clumsily fired again with one hand before finally finding cover on the other side of the street. Her men roared, laughing.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Her idea was definitely risky, but she also assumed that no one was expecting a Force user here, so chances were actually higher than expected that she would get through with it. Celeste sprinted sprinted the streets, evading blaster shots with ease while she deflected the rest with her lightsaber.

The crimson blade was illuminated and she skillfully directed blaster bolts back at their causers who collapsed lifelessly, their expressions full with terror. Yup, they hadn't expected that, which was a little satisfying even. However, she couldn't remain triumphant for long, as the closer she got, the more intense the fire directed at her grew.

One of the bigger canons was positioned on top of the building right in front of her and this particular weapon was a huge pain in the ass for their endeavor. She collected the Force around her and directed it into the direction of her legs to make her leap up on the roof with ease. "There you are" she then exclaimed, almost a little mischievous while she was already engaging the three men in front of her. She didn't leave them any time to draw their weapons, so that the first was dismembered before he could even say a single word. The second had already reached for his sword, but it was no match for the lightsaber and so she slayed him instantly, before there was just one left: The one at the canon. This one was apparently more prepared, as he was clad in heavy armour which would make it more difficult for her to strike him down just like his companions, but after a short, but still intense combat, he was down and the canon unmanned with that, which was a huge success. Celeste immediately leaped to the edge of the roof, glancing down at her own men, trying to spot Kat, but it took a little time until she found her. So they were almost at the gate. That was clearly a huge success.

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

A peculiar whistle pierced through the air. Three shrill notes emulate a Rattataki bird of prey. Kat grinned savagely; the canons were offline! Rattatak might be feral, but Katherine at least was still in possession of, at the very least, radio technology. "The canons are down; bring the ships over the palace and start firing on these cowards!" She barked into her communicator. She fired her blaster once again before shucking off the power pack and dropping the weapon to the ground.

She was out of shots, and it wouldn't matter soon anyway. The melee will begin quickly. The Palace was not big enough, but their reckoning for a comfortable firefight, the last moments of this battle would be fought hand to hand. Kat waited patiently, letting her men pepper the enemy to keep their attention until the sudden screams of ships roared through the air.

Her meager fleet wasn't imposing, but their foes had no response after the canons were brought down. They might have man-portable weapons, but they were too slow to bring them to bear in their arrogance or foolishness. The blasters of the ships fired on the battlements, forcing the enemy to retreat inside the palace walls. Soon, the enemy fire dwindled to nothing, and taking their chance, her bomb squads dashed towards the gate, setting their charges.

She gave the command to regroup, and her army took new positions facing the fortifications, waiting impatiently for the bomb squads to do their work. Soon they retreated from the gate, dashing to cover before, with a shouted warning from one of the officers; the gates disintegrated under the directed explosives.

A part of her wanted to worry for Celeste, as Kat hadn't seen her since she ran off. But she both didn't have the time and was fully confident in her survival. "Take the palace!" Kat yelled, and her men ran in, full of excitement yet tempered by caution. Kat was right behind them.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Once the situation seemed all clear, Celeste jumped down again, landing weightlessly behind their whole assault corpse. The enemies had retreated from the newly established battleground and they were all hiding in the palace as they had probably realized that they didn't stand a chance now that the canons were dealt with.

Celeste was genuinely interested in how this would go on. Since the fighting pit, she hadn't grown exactly fond of fights in small, confined spaces and since the palace was rather meager, the different rooms and corridors would offer much space. However, they've made it this far already and they had reached a point of no return. Why would they want to quit after all? They had finally reached Banterus and now it was time to overthrow him.

Celeste caught up with the group, but she had to sprint after them to reach Kat at the tail of the assault corpse. Kat seemed ready and determined as always and so she couldn't held back a little warm smile. "I'm glad you're fine. I lost sight of you, but the canons are dealt with now. They can't have great numbers hiding inside so this should be a piece of cake" she explained hastily as they were already on it again.

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat slammed her back against a crumbling wall taking cover just in case the enemy had a response to their charge. She'd let her men bear the brunt of it if needed, but she wouldn't like it. Still, the trap needed to be sprung; they couldn't afford to take their time with this.

In a happier turn of events, Celeste reappeared! "You as well; thanks for dealing the canons but don't run off without telling me again," Kat warned, speaking with her Warlords voice. She didn't want to berate her friend, but she had to be at least seen reprimanding acting without orders.

Kat reached behind her and pulled out her telescopic shovel. No fire came from the main palace as her men crept ever further in. She was both dreading and excited about the coming brawl, it would be bloody and brutal, no doubt, but at least it would be done.

Still, she hadn't expected a white sheet to appear from a broken window, swinging back and forth. Kat blinked and looked to her men, who were seemingly elated at their good fortune. "They can do that?" Kat muttered, confused that the Rattataki understood the concept of surrender. Though, looking back, it shouldn't be so surprising. You couldn't be a slave unless you were captured after all, and you couldn't take slaves if you just killed everyone you fought.

She stepped out boldly, brandishing her shovel like a scepter. "Throw down your arms and exit the palace! I claim this city, these forests, this river, and all the mountains as the Warlord of the Cauldron!" Kat yelled, and her men roared in support.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste raised an eyebrow at her friend who didn't seem fully delighted to see her again. No, Kat was indeed a little authoritarian by telling her that she shouldn't run off without a word again. That wasn't the real Kat though. Celeste could see it in her eyes. That was the fierce warlord Kat speaking and Celeste immediately understood why she said it. " Right. I'm sorry", she then replied with a rather obedient nod, pretty aware of the fact that the assault corpse was still close in enough to hear them and since Kat was in command, she wanted to demonstrate the right amount of respect.

As they pressed on, Celeste tried to regain her focus for the upcoming battle ahead, but suddenly a symbol of surrender was held into the air and waved soon after. "You've got to me kidding me", she mubled completely confused, throwing Kat a puzzled look. She squinted, critically assessing the white flag while the first mean roared in agreement. This couldn't be true, she thought, not for the Rattataki and especially not for Barterus. She was suspicious and completely misstrusting, while Kat commanded them to lay down their arms at once. Celeste kept her lightsaber illuminated, her grip even tightening around the hilt while she was still staring at the flag in disbelief. Her muscles were still tensed, but she directed her gaze back at the gates. Were they really trying to surrender or where they just plotting an ambush. This was not the time to feel triumphant yet, she assumed. 'Stay cautious' she warned Kat without saying a word, using telepathy again.


@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

When Celeste's foreign thoughts invaded her mind, Kat barely flinched this time. She was growing used to the invasion, though she was still confused by its mechanics. She didn't nod either way, but she did give discreet thumbs up with her offhand while she brandished her shovel.

There were a few moments of silence inside the palace, shouting, three blaster shots, and more silence. Finally, a rifle was tossed from one of the upper windows, landing with a clatter against the cobblestone ground. More weaponry followed, to Kat's unabated shock, as her enemy seemingly disarmed themselves instead of facing down her forces once again.

She swallowed and cleared her throat, "Open the front door and leave in a single file line?" She yelled out, just barely sounding like a question. She was not prepared for this! None of her advisors had ever mentioned the possibility of surrender, false or not! What was she supposed to do? Would it be uncool if she just had them all shot once they left the palace? Probably! But she also didn't want to deal with dissident prisoners at her back when forming the proverbial anvil for her greater armies hammer!

Still, against her best wishes, the enemy did just as she commanded. They filed out with their hands at the back of their heads. Some shambled or were assisted by their comrades, clearly injured in the fighting. A man stepped forward, and Kat thought he must be Vingt Tor's Stetti!

"We surrender as you command, Warlord." He said in a rumbly voice. His visage wasn't one of fear, merely acceptance as he casually studied Kat, Celeste, and the rest of her forces. Kat nodded and waved for her men to secure the palace as she looked consideringly at her new burden.

She waved Celeste forward; she would need her friend's advice. After, Kat spoke up grandly, "And what should be done with you and your men?" She asked.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste remained suspicious, critically glancing up and back to the gates again. She stood right next to Kat and that was exactly why it wasn't difficult to hear that she was just as confused as herself. The people of Barterus were surrending? It didn't make sense...but as long as they continued throwing her weapons onto the streets, Celeste was willing to remain observant.

The people followed Kat's order, but the look on the man's face was everything but trustworthy. Normally, Celeste would have assumed they were ashamed and crestfallen if they were dominated like that, but the man was suspiciously calm. She eyed him critically before she started to observe the whole crowd of surrendering Rattataki, still very startled and not at all convinced.

When Kat called her, she immediately went over, trying to keep her visage neutral in order not to influence Kat's opinion. " I don't trust them. Not at all. We need to stay on our guard", she began, her voice low while she looked back at the line of surrendering Rattataki. The actually had a few possibilities now...but Celeste had already made up her mind. "I say we don't necessarily need to execute them all...let's lock them up for now and find out whether they can still prove themselves either useful or loyal" she then added. Merci...not actually the Siths' way. Not even the tiniest bit of what she had been taught. But lucky for them, it was Celeste's way.

But where would they lock them up? "I say let's turn this palace around first though" she suggested, but they had to be very careful and attentive...

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat considered her friend's words. She glanced at the position of the sun and grimaced. They had left in the morning with the sun at their back, and while it might not have felt like it, hours must have passed between then and now. The sun slowly descended towards the mountains, a star field leaving the fiery orange sky in its wake. The moons were visible, almost aligned with the sun as it started dipping ever further.

After all, they couldn't afford to waste time; they had traps to plant. Kat turned to Celeste and nodded at her words. "I'll leave the cleanup to you then. I need to take some men into the mountains for the rest of the plan, so I'm leaving you in charge of the rest of our forces. Deal with the prisoners as you see fit, but if they get too uppity, hang them from the walls. I trust you will keep the situation well in hand?" Kat asked rhetorically.

She waited for her friend to respond before smiling grimly and clapping the smaller woman on the shoulder in solidarity. She turned to a few select squads, the bomb squad in particular, and barked, "No rest for us! We've still got business to attend to, so let's move out!" The squads were quick to follow; they knew the plan's next step; even if they might have wanted to rest, they knew what was at stake.

Kat called down an appropriate number of ships to carry them back into the mountains, setting down again in the path Vingt Tor's army was most likely to take. From there, they got to work preparing the ground for their works, doing the preliminary scouting for all that they needed to complete.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

While it had already gotten a little late, they would still have lots of work ahead of them, so Kat's plan of splitting up was actually a good idea. "Yes, warlord Stargazer. I'll see to the matters at once. I'll send a transmission as soon as I'm done, so that we can quickly exchange short reports" she replied with a reassuring smile, even though she was teasing her a little, before Kat was already on the run anyway.

There were still enough men left behind, so that Celeste could easily assign different tasks. While the first groups were instructed to plant the first traps, others were dealing with possible remains of the resistance. She herself went into the palace, turning this whole place upside down and inspecting the prison cells in the basement once she was done with the ground level.

Interestingly, those pigs had actually plotted something themselves and Celeste was far from being pleased when she discovered the hidden weapons in the cells. She immediately sent for the apparent man in charge and confronted him with her findings and that was when the man finally showed some real fright. She'd deal with him later though, right now she was just escorting the Rattataki of Barterus into the cells down below, now safely locked away and with zero chances of grabbing some arms again.

When she was finally done with everything, she quickly sat down with Everett, discussing further plans while setting up the comlink to contact Kat. She was hoping that Kat didn't encounter any troubles on their way as they would all need every lasts bits of strength the next day...


@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat and her team raced out into the mountains, quickly finding the best paths through the crags and canyons. Upon which they built their works, traps of all shapes and sizes. The first was humble mines, buried and camouflaged before being marked down on a scout map for quick recovery.

Second were pitfall traps covered just enough that a careless creature would fall through and tumble the hundreds of feet down the mountains. They rigged several jagged peaks and spikes with explosives, positioned to fall down slopes after pressure triggers or tripwire traps were activated, hopefully crushing any who followed the fool up the mountain. Perhaps it would even start an avalanche.

Many more followed. Traditional Rattataki traps and baits for large creatures to hamper the enemy. A ship circled the mountain range, keeping an eye out for any advancing force. Kat and her men worked through the night, slowing only to not set off their own traps and keep sure footing against the suddenly precarious ground below them.

Finally, they evacuated back to the palace just before dawn, exhausted from their hard labor. "Put scouts out on the fields ready to trigger any remote traps on my command. We've left a message demanding their surrender before the trapped zones, but it's unlikely to work. Once the explosives start going off, use your best judgment on the rest of the preparations." Kat said tiredly to the officers under her command. None of the enemies had been spotted, so Kat felt confident catching some sleep before the coming fight.

The worst-case scenario would be the enemy continuing on their assault, which they wouldn't hear about for a while despite radio contact with the greater army. Absently she also commanded a ship to fly circuitously back towards the Cauldron and see what they could see before conferring their success here in Barterus. If the enemy continued forward, Kat and her group would have to scramble to get towards the two armies clashing and assault the enemy's rear, but it shouldn't get that drastic if things go according to plan.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

After all the work, Celeste had indeed gotten a little exhausted in the evening. A lot had happened today, there had been much work to do, but in the end it all seemed rather fine. The prisoners were safely locked away in their cells and she had positioned enough men to guard them for now, so all she still had to do was to check on the traps set around the city.

She let herself be escorted to the places where her men had set the traps and she made sure that they were all correctly in place and operational. When she saw the weapon factory in the distance she was reminded that this was also something they had to deal with soon, but the most pressing matter was the huge battle ahead.

"Okay, we are all done for today. We should all get some sleep. Right before the sun rises, we'll fly back to attack the army from behind. They weren't expecting us to fly here today, and they'll most certainly not expect us to fly back tomorrow" she was addressing the men outside the palace and they all answered with cheering roars.

She then advised them to look for some comfortable places to sleep while she made her way back into the palace. She left it open whether they should follow her inside and choose one of the several bedrooms the palace was supplying, but she figured that the majority would stay in the small, established camp in front of the city anyway.

Everett went back inside with her and they were talking for quite a while until she finally passed out from the exhaustion, barely even laying on the bed of the rather vast master's bedroom while her legs had still dangled from the edge. However when she woke up the next morning, she found herself in the middle of the bed, her body wrapped in some light linen sheets and Everett was fast asleep in the armchair across from the bed, which immediately made her smile. It was interesting that the broad shouldered man was still by her side, loyal from day one in the fighting pit. It was truly amazing that she had not only found one, but two loyal friends on this feral planet. But this was not the time to become sentimental since they had a huge battle to win, so she softly nudged him to wake him, before the duo was already headed towards the rest of their forces here in Barterus. They would immediately gather and collect them to take the ships to the battleground, where the final fight was about to begin soon.


@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat's dreams were nightmares. They tormented her with visions of failure and malevolence, but she paid them no heed. Its often said that dreams are visions from the future or memories of past lives, and regardless of either possibility, Kat would put no stock in prophecy. She is on the course she had set for herself, and she would not deviate because of the chance that something bad might happen.

Something so pithy as mystic power and knowledge would not sway her from her decisions, for they were hers alone, and she would kill any who tried to tell her otherwise.

Still, she woke with a scream and a cold sweat. She panted on her cot for a few moments before growling and punching her meager pillow. She sighed and got ready for the day. There were funerals that she should attend before the coming battle, for they might not have time to bury the dead come tomorrow.

The services were short, and those who could be collected were buried, and those who couldn't be were honored with their names engraved on the spots they died. Kat observed as the tribal shamans did their prayers, brandishing their weapons like totems of worship. She would have to conduct funerals herself for essential figures, so says the future.

Eventually, she finally got around to gathering Celeste and the rest of her officers. "Alright, everybody, the final fight is upon us," Kat said grandiosely, performing a dual role as Warlord and orator. "We'll be deploying to the edge of the mountains behind our traps; our job is to act as bait to lure the enemy right where we want them by any means necessary. Once our traps are depleted, and our position starts to become overrun, we'll retreat to the ships and make a fighting retreat back to Barterus, where we need to make our stand until our comrades relieve us. Any questions?" Kat asked as scouts handed out maps copied by hand, marking where each trap is placed and where good positions are.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste was not at all tired this morning, but she was very eager to finally get it over with. If everything went well, they would be done by nightfall, or at least that was what she was estimating while she was gathering the officers. However, if she was being honest to herself, she knew that there were basically a thousand factors and parameters that would affect today's outcome and so she had to admit that Barterus' fate was not yet decided. It was upon them to change this matter though. They had it in their hands, and she was more than ambitious to change things for the good.

As long a she still had a little time left, she quickly communicated with her uncle on Kalist IV, making sure that everything was running smoothly at home, because she had been neglecting the company for quite a while now, but luckily everything seemed to be fine. Once she was done, she was looking for Kat just to check on her again, but she was soon informed that Kat was attending funerals. Right, the funerals. They had required Kat's presence, but they didn't necessarily need Celeste and so she used the time to check on the cells and on the closest traps again.

When she was done with all that, the sun was about to rise and Kat was already outside and apparently done with the funerals, ready to give her final orders before the battle would begin. Celeste listened to her with a slight smirk on her lips, because she was once again realizing that the young woman had undergone huge changes. The naive, tall blonde had grown into a real, respectful leader and the people followed her eagerly and this made Celeste genuinely happy since she had grown oddly fond of the woman. "No more questions. May the Force be with us", Celeste finally answered almost a little solemnly, well aware of the fact that neither Kat nor most of the Rattataki would understand her phrase, but she was indeed hoping that luck was on their side today.

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat nodded, answering a few questions about the plan's details from individual officers. Most merely wanted clarification on their positions and what to do if they were overrun. Thankfully, Kat didn't need them to hold a fixed position; she just needed to delay the enemy, so they could retreat if their position became untenable.

Kat wasn't totally aware of what the Force was, but she had heard it invoked before. "And with you," Kat replied, nodding to her best friend, "Good luck, all of us." She said to the rest of the room. "We leave in half an hour; get your men ready." She finally commanded, and the group scrambled to do their jobs.

"Celeste," Kat said before she could run off. "I... appreciate your help." She muttered, looking anywhere but at her friend. There was a whole wash of emotions Kat wasn't ready to process, she didn't know what she wanted to say, but even still, she knew what she had just said didn't cover even half of it. "We are going to stick near each other in the engagement zone; it will make it easier if either of us needs support." Her words were rushed out, and she quickly looked for something to escape the conversation, finding it in a pair of squabbling soldiers.

She separated, scolded, and sent them on their way before heading to her designated ship. Her men were already waiting for her, and they all started loading without a word, leaving a seat open for her. The flight was quick, and her soldiers entrenched as best as they could. It would be several hours still before the forward scouts would manage to spot the enemy, assuming they didn't find some clever path around Kat's forces.

So, she settled in to wait with a full power pack for her beam tube.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Luckily, the plan seemed to be clear enough for the majority and their determination still seemed promising. The officers were ready and it was good that they would also have a plan B in case they had to retreat. After all, they had invested quite some time in planing their strategic acquisition of Barterus and so it was about time that they could finally get it done.

After Kat's final order, Celeste was already headed for the door while Kat suddenly addressed her personally. She turned around to face her friend just to see that this was everything but easy for her. A broad, warm smile immediately crossed her face while her friend was still struggling to find the right words for hiding her emotions, and her little diversionary tactic finally made her chuckle softly. Without a word, she wrapped her tall friend into a tight embracing, this time purposely squeezing as hard as she could because Kat was usually the one being a little too rough. Unlike her friend, Celeste was used to facing all sorts of emotions and so it was absolutely unproblematic for her to show some of her sisterly affection. "I'll have your back... as always" she replied softly to the younger woman, giving her a last reassuring nod before it was time for them to leave. They had been alone in this room, otherwise Celeste wouldn't have chosen to put down her fassade, but now they both had to stay professional again. "And yes. I'll stay in reach" she then assured her with a little wink.

@Shax