Ask [Rattatak] Sanguine Coronation

[Celeste Stythani]

149 ABY

A few weeks later...

They had made it. They had finally made it. They had won the big battle of Barterus and they had overtaken the capital. The rest of the enemies had bowed to them and so the meaningless bloodshed had come to and end.

It had taken some time to bury the dead (and yes, Celeste had insisted on burying the bodies despite the Rattataki's lack of understanding) and it had taken even longer to tidy up the rest of the mess that was left behind, but it finally looked lime the efforts hadn't been in vain. Barterus was still slightly in pieces in certain areas and the rebuilding would definitely take some more time, but that was okay.

Today, Celeste left all the worries behind and even though she had a thousand visions in mind, she tried to swallow them down today, as this day special. They put aside their work and had something else to focus on. Today should be the day of Kat's coronation, as crazy as this might have sounded. Rattatak a monarchy? Well not completely, but the people loved Kat already and they had as much respect for her as prior warlords. But Kat was not here to continue the tyranny. Yet she would be recognized as the leader of Rattatak and Celeste couldn't have been any happier for her. She had come so far, she had fought so bravely and she had earned their respect. And Celeste would not leave the tall, young woman's side.

It was still quite early in the morning, yet the first rays of sunshine tickled her face. Celeste had gotten up soon and started her morning exercise program while she basically waited for the rest to wake up. They would have breakfast soon, and afterwards they would probably discuss for details of the ceremony. Celeste could already hear some slight turmoil coming from the streets as many inhabitants had made their way towards the capital for that special event. Today was a good day still...she somehow felt it.

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Today was supposed to be a good day, but for some reason, it was hard for Kat to muster a smile. She stared at herself in the mirror, gazing at her hard-earned scars and trying to remember every wound as it happened. With an involuntary shiver, her eyes finally lingered along the hair-thin lines all along her body, invisible to everyone but her enhanced eyes.

Her body had been acting erratically since the final fight at Barterus. Flinching, spasms, and a complete loss of function one terrifying time. It had lasted for the longest ten seconds of Kat's life, in which she lay in total stillness, save for the autonomic functions of her breath and heart.

Her cybernetics were... not failing. She would immediately know if that were the case, but they needed something she dreaded.

Maintenance.

Whatever arcane technology the chop-docs back home had put in her was practically indestructible. And yet, it needed to be constantly adjusted as her body grew. As a young girl, there were few months where she wasn't dragged into those freaky labs kicking and screaming.

Still, a full-body shutdown is inevitable if she doesn't get the problem fixed soon. She had gained two inches in the months since landing on Rattatak and several pounds of muscle on top of that. She could feel the strain on her metal bones. Who could she trust to cut her open and solve the issue without an ulterior motive? No one. Kat couldn't even bring herself to trust Celeste with that kind of responsibility.

Still, today was supposed to be a good day, so she forced a tight smirk and mastered her sore muscles. She was dressed and ready for the day, no matter what it took. She wandered over towards Celeste's end of Barterus' palace, her stride a little slower than usual. It was getting to the point that she could no longer blame post-battle injuries, and people were curious.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

After Celeste had gotten ready and dressed she had taken a few minutes to converse with her uncle on Kalist. She had informed him of the newest developments and had additionally discussed the company's progress. However once someone announced that Kat was on her way too meet her, she had immediately switched off her holopad and had left her room to meet the 'Queen-To-Be' in the halls.

Celeste was positively excited, not just for what was about to come, but also to meet her friend this fine morning. With a big smile on her face she hurried through the halls, the remaining injuries of the battle of Barterus almost completely forgotten. A few bruises and scars were visible, yet she paid no attention to the occasional pain that were an unpleasant reminder every now and then.

What mattered most was that it was all over now and so she was indeed in a very good mood, however once Kat appeared on the other side of the hall her own smile slowly faded. It wasn't hard to tell that Kat wasn't feeling too well. The smirk was fake and her stride not as powerful and exuberant as usual.

There were a few guards and servants nearby, so Celeste held back her remarks right here and decided to wait until they would find themselves in more private surroundings, yet the happy look on her face was replaced by an inconspicuously analytical, attentive glare that was worriedly assessing her friend's wellbeing. "Did you sleep well?" she greeted her friendly, so as if she wasn't even noticing a change in her friend's demeanor.

@Shax