Ask [Rattatak] The Right Hand

[Celeste Stythani]

1300 hours...
Rattatak...
Spaceport of Barterus...
​

Everything on Rattatak was so...different. The merciless sun was the same, the hostile, dry, rocky desert was the same, the fierce Rattataki warriors were more or less the same, but after subduing the planet for a second time, her tasks had simply changed just like her daily routine.

The Empire had brought back stability, yet it was a whole different kind of stability. The war hadn't reached the West, yet the intergalactic tension was perceivable, even here, so far off in the Outer Rim. Also, the way both, Imperial and Rattataki soldiers, approached her now told a lot about how she had progressed from her senator status years ago. She was now not representing the world, but ruling it, as she should have done back then. She wasn't exactly bothered by how her reputation had changed. What had been pure respect, was now inclining towards nothing but awe, but it didn't matter as long as they were loyal.

The war had kept her busy, yet whenever she had found a little time, she had studied and meditated, strengthening her connection towards the dark side further, however with each and every day that had passed, she had felt yet another piece of her die. All in all, she had drastically changed. It was her demeanor, the way she carried herself and it was even in her gaze.

.....

As she was exiting the shuttle, the rows of soldiers respectfully inclined their head and stopped whatever they were doing for now to greet her, yet she paid them not much attention. She was on her way to pick Max up from the spaceport and her gaze was already directed at the shuttle while Asha walked alongside her.

The presence of soldiers was obviously increased - a result of the intergalactic tensions and nothing more than a preventive measure. Imperial space was under lockdown anyway, so the only shuttles they usually received where the ones that brought foodstuffs from Endor.

They had a little work ahead of them and Celeste wasn't sure whether this would all go as smoothly as intended, however she had forged a little plan that would probably assure that the Rattataki would quickly be satisfied. She was waiting for the soldier to alight while she briefly flicked through the latest news on her holopad.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max's shuttle swept low over rocky outcroppings and barren earth. His hazel eyes glinted in the beating sun reflecting through the viewing port, surveying the land Celeste called her own.

Rattatak looked a harsh world at first glance, but the Adumarian didn't find that off-putting. Quite the reverse. Max had grown up on a world similarly forged by struggle and bloodshed, where strength and force of arms had made men into kings and dreams into destiny. Rattatak had a similar feel, even through plated glass.

The ship landed at the spaceport, hatch opening for the Lieutenant and his men to disembark. Max led them down the ramp, breathing in the arid air. He was clad in his black plate armour, but helmetless for now. The Rattataki would see he was a warrior, which would hopefully lay the ground for whatever Celeste had planned.

He hoped he could be a help to her here, as he had been elsewhere, but part of him wanted to get to know this world in a different way. A personal way. If he and Celeste were to build something together, someone must start to see it. Rattatak was under her sole rule; that gave them latitude they didn't have anywhere else. Max intended to use it.

Rows of soldiers stood to attention at the dock and he soon spied Celeste in front of them, standing regally while Asha fidgeted at her side.

"My lady" he said, actually falling to one knee in greeting. He had done his research; Celeste ranked as a queen here. It seemed fitting to pay her due courtesy. "Your world has a harsh beauty I have seldom seen since I left home".

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

As Max was descending the ramp, she could feel how Asha's curiosity was piqued for a moment. As soon as she recognized the man in the armor and got his scent, her ears perched and nudged Celeste from the side, as if asking for confirmation, which she gave her through the Force. She then took a more relaxed posture, but dutifully waited at her side as he approached.

He hadn't changed much, at least not as much as her, yet she knew he had been busy with the war as well. "Lieutenant Dram" she curtly greeted him, however no smirk tugging at her lips this time as her rather chilly gaze followed him down as he kneeled. "Rise", she instructed him then, allowing Asha to go sniff and greet him too by offering the permission via their connected spirits.

Despite valuing plenty of traditions, the Rattataki didn't give too many damns about pleasantries, as it was simply the strongest and most capable that ruled. When the Empire had breached the atmosphere, they had quickly made it rather clear that that there were only two options: Obey or die. The Rattataki had already called her the dark sorceress back then, yet when she was the senator of the planet, they had never truly gotten to see what she was truly capable off. It was all different now with her stronger than ever...

Yet it was still a nice gesture..."I hope you don't find the air too hostile. The Rattataki climate is not known for being very hospitable". She replied as she gestured for him to follow her. Sure, one could find beauty in the barren, harsh deserts, yet the majority usually agreed on not staying in the desert sun for too long. She would lead him to the shuttle that was already waiting for them and his men. "I take it you'd want to get settled first? I would have to give you an instruction first anyway, but I can tell you that the warriors are quite curious already". They'd make their way back to the Palace one way or another, but it was up to him whether he still wanted to get a little tour. They were in no particular hurry, yet the Rattataki were already curious about the new arrival.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max was glad she didn't fuss over the kneel, accepting it like she should. A lesser Sith would have told him it was unnecessary, hurriedly motioning for him to get up, even if only as a show for others. He had no respect for those who didn't value themselves, who didn't recognise their own power. Celeste knew her own strength and seemed to grow into even more with every passing day. She also knew he knelt because he chose to, not because she made him. For an alpha soldier like Max Dram, the world turned on that distinction.

"Hostile and inhospitable don't worry me" he replied, shadowing Celeste as they walked on to the shuttle "i've been called similar myself". He smiled at her playfully, a shark-like appetite in his grin for whatever was coming. "The approach terrain tells me a lot" he answered "but I'd like to see as much as you can show me. This is your land; show me the bits you think I need to see to know its soul".

He motioned to his second to organise the men. They would follow on, though he was not sure how much use they would be here. Celeste had much greater forces at her command and from what he knew most of the planet was under her heel. With everything going off in the galaxy, it was refreshing to be somewhere where law and order had prevailed.

He would do whatever he could to entrench it.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Once inside the shuttle, they'd found themselves in a separate compartment than his soliders and her own little entourage of guards that usually followed her around. It had the simple purpose of giving them more privacy and to already start discussing matters.

His remark slightly made her scoff, her lips now slightly curling into a smirk as she took a seat. "Good. You're not afraid..." she gestured for the driver to switch on the engine before she turned back to him. "Eager even..." she had met him as an ambitious man, yet it intrigued her how there didn't seem to be one doubt in him.

He was neither afraid of her nor her powers which must have still been rather unpredictable for him, but he was also not deterred by the rather unpredictable nature of the tasks at hand. The Rattataki would value it, as they didn't appreciate hesitation, so she was satisfied for now and it seemed like she had chosen the right man.

"We'll stop at the Palace in the capital first. What you'll see are ruins as well, as we had to bombard Barterus during the take-over. Most wings of it had stayed intact, the rest is being rebuild" she started to explain as the outline of the Palace was already visible on the horizon.

"You'll meet most of the influential warriors in the fighting pit which would actually be our second stop" she then continued, waiting for his reactions upon the rather direct news.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

"Afraid?" Truthfully he was in a way, for he knew she could likely snap his neck if she chose before he could react. But a realist did not fear reality. Besides, he was on the same side as that kind of power. "There are things to fear" he said, shrugging his armoured shoulders "and things to embrace".

The shuttle's engine hummed, sending them streaking across the sky as Celeste explained her plans. The Palace and the fighting pits were better pitstops than Max could hope for, though he wished he bore more than a Lieutenant's pin on his collar. Celeste was virtually a queen here, but he remained just a junior officer. Still, maybe he could be more on Rattatak if nowhere else.

"Tell me about the situation - really" he said, looking at her directly "are you safe? Do you have control here after your invasion?". Max didn't underestimate her but this world was renowned for its resilience and her conquest was new. He had to know how solid her grip was and what threats, if any, might be lurking on the horizon.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

There it was. There was indeed something within him that wasn't fully certain, but he trusted her and well, she gave him no reason not to and vice versa. She sensed such things anyway and his intentions were absolutely honest, but it seemed the Lieutenant was also driven by an own interest.

He was here to gain influence, something that would serve him and his career well, too, so obviously he wasn't acting altruistically. To an acceptable extent though. Personal motives were strong drives, yet it were the Empire's interests above all else, especially in such difficult times were stability had gotten frail.

He seemed curious about the situation, but also a little worried about her safety, which was interesting."I conquered this planet for the second time, although I used less force the first time. They still stayed in line back when I was chosen as the senator, but now they've seen what the Empire is truly capable of" Back then, there had still been a few uprisings and unrests in some parts...yet they had even gotten to accept an elected senator. Now, this had been nothing short of slaughter and a rather violent annexation, the approval had thus been rather strong. Ruling with fear worked, even if loyalty was different, but the Rattataki were interested in self-preservation and never shied away from a war.

"So yes, I'm safe. The troublemakers had been exterminated and Imperial presence obviously helps as well. We've assumed full control and I don't expect this to change" she continued. Obviously, they were still down South enough that the ISC could potentially be watching them too, but so far they were mobilizing their forces just in case while fortifying production as long as they still had resources.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

"Good" Max replied, pondering her words.

He had not expected that Celeste's control would be so total, even after a second conquest. The warlords of Rattatak were famous for spending their lifetimes fighting each other and war, however successful, usually created a hotbed of chaos for such grievances to thrive and coalesce. If she had really eliminated the major opposition and subdued the rest, then that was impressive.

A glance through the shuttle window told him they were coming into land. "What use can I be here then" he asked "if there is no internal dissent?" He had a sense she had called him here for more than just a tour of her world, though he was highly interested in that too. "Do you have some other task in mind?"

He was keen to prove himself to her court and people, in any way he could. Their mutual respect was essential for uniting what forces he did or might yet command with those of Rattatak. Together, they could ensure the planet never fell to the hollow Consortium or any external forces.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

The further they drove, the larger the remains of the city grew in the viewport. The capital of Barterus laid in ruins as the rebels had entrenched themselves inside, but the reconstruction of the most important structures was in full swing. The city was busy as there was still a lot to do, but she'd quickly show him the Palace before they'd start to get going.

A slight smirk landed on her lips as he started growing more cruious about his task, her gaze fixed on city ahead. "There is always work to do. Conflicts erupt rather quickly as the Natives are a little hot-headed and territorial quarrels are common. I could use your help with ensuring everyone stays in line and maintaining order". Even if they obeyed the Imperial rules, they were still feisty and were used to solving conflicts with sheer violence. This often led to further escalation levels if the process wasn't getting intercepted quickly and Celeste knew Max was rather capable when it came to asserting himself.

"I'll still tend to the main businesses, trade relations, the factories and the administration of territories, but I could use some help in the sector of enforcement of rules" she glanced back at him after clarifying while the driver was already approaching the parking area. "If you prove yourself to me and the people, I could see you taking this exact spot" it was obvious more than a simple offer as there were simply not many people whom she trusted anymore. It would serve him too as he would profit from the powerbase and swapping from here to Endor would be easier. "You remember how I told you about the fighting pits?", she asked him, her smirk a little mischievous. She knew he would never say no to a challenge, and he would probably even be excited about getting the chance to fight in there, yet obviously it bore its risks. Meanwhile their shuttle had reached its destination and they were ready to alight. Asha was the first at the door and she immediately dashed out as it opened.

@Alhon