Ask Whetstone

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat sat, lounging on a dusty folding chair on top of the ridge of the Cauldron's caldera, in which, far below, lava bubbled and the air steamed with toxic gas. She sipped at a glass of water, staring out over the craggy, mountainous face of Rattatak. Much had changed for the former slave, and she couldn't ignore the problems staring her in the face.

The 'army' of Rattatak was, in a word, not that. What counts for a fighting force on this planet is a loose collection of savage fighters divided on tribal lines. Kat wasn't a general; she had no education and no experience with command. She didn't know what was needed to bring the slow trickle of killers into an effective fighting force, so she had to ask for a favor.

Kotii Solus is a friend! But he was also the friend you didn't want to have to ask for help because you wanted to impress them. Lives and victory are on the line, however, and she wasn't confident any tribal leaders had even been off-world. She couldn't give anyone local the power needed to mold the tribesmen into a single clan because that would unbalance power to one tribe or the other. She didn't know anyone else who could do the job. So, she had swallowed her meager pride and sent a message, asking for his help. She had said what she needed him to do, but she was sparse with the details.

What she needed from Kotii was monumental. She needed a disciplined army that remained effective in the killing terrain of savage Rattatak.

She watched his ship descend from the clouds, growing from a tiny speck in the blueish red sky to a more discernable shape. Landing on Rattatak was hard. Even what few flatland locations were treacherous, the rock would often crumble beneath the ship, dropping them into old, sometimes active lava tubes. This was what made the Cauldron so important, it was stable, as much as an active volcano could be stable, and there were landing pads cut into the rock. It was one of Rattatak's only viable spaceports.

She sighed and nervously drank the rest of her water before heading down to the landing pad to wait for Kotii to find his way down. She stood with her hands on her hips and forced all thought of failure from her mind, summoning a big grin in greeting!

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

A simple request for help had been sent to Kotii Solus. The Mandalorian had met Katherine on Tatooine for the first time not long ago but they were still somewhat strangers. It had been a one way message, recorded and not responded to. But the badger in exile was still willing to travel to Rattatak to see what was going on.

This was far from an easy task. Kotii had a great many questions and Katherine had some explaining to do in turn. The Mandalorian was traveling in his personal starfighter, the Werda Kom'rk. Its engines flared and then calmed as it came in for a landing. The rotating blades of the mandalorian ship design pointed skyward as the main body remained parallel with the stable landing pad.

Both Aden and Atin were along for the ride. Kotii's two friends would provide adequate backup and help with 'training'. But that would come with time and only after the Alor in Exile had made an adequate assessment of Rattatak and its indigenous people.

Kotii marched down the debarkation ramp, flanked by his comrades. Each of them took in their surroundings the same way they had on the countless worlds they have visited. The casual approach of Kathrine would be met by the trio of armor clad warriors. Kotii would be the first to speak up. "If I didn't know better I'd say you have a preferred landscape."

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat laughed, happy that she didn't have to force it. Kotii couldn't be too angry at her if he was cracking jokes! It was also fun to watch his big starsailor change its shape; it was like a giant bug! Kat looked around with an exaggeratedly wounded look on her face. "What's wrong with deserts? Or the desert mountains? Or are you just jealous I live in a big cool volcano lair, and you don't?" She finally ribbed.

She sobered quickly and absently scratched at her cheek. "Thanks for coming, Kotii; I'd have understood if you couldn't have. This job's sketchy; I get it." She muttered self-deprecatingly. "Still! I think you are up to the task, so why don't you and your boyfriends," Kat winked with both eyes, "Follow me, and I'll get you set up in your rooms, and then we can see what we are working with."

Kat tried not to make a habit of antagonizing newly met heavily armed and armored men, but she was justifiably nervous! She really didn't know what she would do if Kotii couldn't pull this off or if he left, and that anxiety tended to remove the filter between her brain and mouth. "S-so uh... what do you know about what I need you to do?" She asked, turning around to lead them to their apartments, thoroughly convinced there was no way she could salvage her introduction.

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

A soft chuckle came from the man that matched his smile. Kotii for now was living humbling on Tatooine. That was where Mysha and Hauron were at the moment. But there were numerous Coverts that resided across the galaxy. Some of them were comfortable while others were necessary. "I'll admit, it is pretty cool." He added while giving another look around.

The Mandalorian put his hands on his hips and slightly leaned on one leg more than the other. Sketchy, that's an understatement. But the man retained his sass to only his body language for now. Still, she had yet to explain and continued to act like the details would come later rather than sooner.

Katherine began to walk away but Kotii did not budge. If for nothing else, than out of principle he would not take another step without a reason and details for what she wanted from him. "Did you tell me and forget?" He replied to her question with a question. He had not agreed to do anything for her yet. "I have only come because of the LACK of detail, Katherine. If you want me to take another step...explain. Here. Now." The sternness in his voice leaked out. The Solus would not be ordered and led around blindly. Nor did he have time for childish games.

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat's skin prickled, and whatever nervousness she might have possessed fled like a thunderbolt. Her back straightened, and she broadened herself into her full hulking frame. She turned slowly, eyes wide but not afraid. She assessed the Mandalorians quickly, running her gaze up and down, taking in all threats.

She marched back over to Kotii, staring right into his T-visor, uncaring of where his eyes actually were. She didn't act aggressive, but if he wanted to play the authority game, she wouldn't let herself be cowed any longer. She didn't like thinking of her friends in the same light as her old masters, but what Kotii had done, in her own home nonetheless, was not polite.

She was close, close enough to punch his shiny helmet if she wanted, though she refrained even if it would have been satisfying. She couldn't back down; this was Rattatak. "I asked you here, Kotii Solus because I need to build a working army out of warring hateful tribes." She started with a warning tone. "I had judged you a friend, Kotii Solus," She repeated his name, "I had judged the Mandalorians, friends." She flicked her index finger against his breastplate, letting it ring out into the mountains, daring him to stop her.

At first glance, there were none other than them on the landing pad, but there were always people watching. Snakes in the rock. She couldn't show weakness; she was the Warlord. "I offered you food, water, and safe harbor. Do not presume to command me in my own home." For Kat, at least, any offer of shelter meant proper safety, as best as she could manage. It did not feel good to have that offer thrown back in her face.

She knew the Mandalorians could kill her. They had the weapons and training to do it. Still, it was the principle of the matter; whatever his position with the Mandalorians, Kotii is a peer while on Rattatak.

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

He could see by her body language her mood had changed. His stance would not change as she drew closer. But despite her frustration towards him she did not swing. Instead she finally answered. It became what kind of relationship she believed they had with one another. "Friends tell each other what is going on." He retorted. So far she had only asked for help and only after putting his foot down had she finally answered. "You want to be my friend Katherine? Tell me the truth and don't hide things from me." He would let that sink in, not even replying to the naivety of the girl assuming all Mandalorians were friends.

She went on the defensive and felt like he had insulted her. Kotii had better things to do with his time than to tred on eggshells when he was the one she was asking for do work for her. "No. I thought I was the one being asked to help you out is all. If that's not the case then maybe call me when you're willing to listen to me. Otherwise, I can't help you." He took a step back from Katherine and turned away. The man did not have the patience to listen to teenage girls getting triggered because someone told them something they did not want to hear.

When it came to dealing with problems the Solus did them in the most effective way possible. Confronting issues head on should be no surprise for anyone dealing with Mandalorian and Kotii could be as stubborn as they came. The two warriors on either side of him joined him and they began heading back to their ship. If all she wanted was a power trip then she could find some other low rate mercenary to train her army.

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

When Kotii turned his back to her, she didn't quite reel back, but she did slump. She was suddenly exhausted as the last weeks all seemed to rush to meet her all at once. <"I do not understand?"> She said, pausing every word in stilted Mando'a. <"I made space for you. I would make food for you. Is this not right?"> She was confused, <"Is this not how I am supposed to greet you?">

She had been trying to study Mandalorian traditions when she could, though her illiteracy meant she only learned through the memory of Mysha and Kotii himself teaching her. <"I thought..."> She started, trailing off in frustration at the language. The words just wouldn't come to her tongue. "I thought talking inside was better than out here?" She said in basic. <"I wanted to talk.">

Still, she wasn't angry before, merely setting boundaries, but now her heartbeat was red hot. "Rattatak's been at war for countless millennia, and I'm in a position to stop it! I can build a home here for everyone, but I don't know where to start!" She said in basic, spitting out her words as tears pricked at her eyes. "I thought that you would be a good role model!" Kotii and the Mandalorians both. For her and the Rattataki.

<"Leave then. Maybe I do not want to be a Mandalorian anyway!"> She called after him, angrily scrubbing the tears away from her cheeks. Kotii was one of the two people she first met in the greater galaxy, he taught her quite a bit, and she looked up to him. To be so easily dismissed by the first man and the people she admired, the first to make her feel welcome in all of her life, hurt deeply. The worst part was that she still didn't understand why? She wouldn't come to his home and tell him what to do. The Cauldron is her home! She is making Rattatak her home!

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

Hearing her speak in Mando'a made him slow to a stop. His body turned partially to look at her from behind his visor. Kotii wondered if he may have been to harsh at first. The trickery his people had been set against time again had put the man on edge. But Katherine was ignorant of these things. She did not know the Night of a Thousand Tears, she was unaware of how ruthless and duplicitous people could be. This wasn't about a host's welcome or being rude. It was about his mindset and the need to live day to day or be hunted to extinction. He had come thinking she was perhaps under attack or in dire need of help so perhaps he internalized his frustration at the lack of emergency.

Katherine got to the bottom of why she had requested aid. She said what she wanted and now they were getting somewhere. The ex Solus'alor cocked his head to the side at hearing her call him a role model. <"This isn't some game Katherine."> He said calmly in mando'a before switching to basic. "What you're asking for is a lot, both for yourself and for anyone." Just from this interaction, Kotii was getting the feeling that the young woman was not entirely aware of what difficulties were ahead. If she did as best as she could, there could still be some assassin in the weeks or months, perhaps some organization that targets her and makes her suffer. Some part of the man just did not want her to be hurt. But leaving Katherine to fend for herself may lead to a worse fate for the teenager.

To be a Mandalorian meant a great many things and for her to throw that in his face was taken and stored by the man for later. He wore the armor, spoke the language, raised his son as a Mandalorian and defended himself and his own. The call to fight alongside Fenyang had been a false rally in the badger's eyes but he was still disgraced among his own people. There was no point in explaining all that in this moment.

"You want to know what advice I have? It is a dangerous thing to be in power, to lead. You'll have to make tough calls and take responsibility when things don't work out. People will trick you and try to use you. It will probably be the hardest thing you've ever done and nobody will thank you for it. Do you still want to lead Rattatak?" He waited to see if he was dealing with some aimless teenager, or someone who wanted to be a queen. There needed to be conviction, and furthermore, if she was a monarch or equivalent, than that meant their relationship may change as well.

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat wiped her eyes with her wrist, sniffed once, and resumed her glare on the Mandalorians. She was still angry, yet she knew in her heart that Kotii didn't mean her pain. However, his words merely revealed how poorly he regarded her. He didn't look at her as someone worth respecting, instead seeing her as nothing more than a girl.

This is despite the candid retelling of her life, her scars, and her viciousness. She might put up a sunny front, but she had expected him to look past it, though perhaps she expected too much out of their few weeks and months together on Tatooine.

"I fought and killed my way from slavery, here and at my homeworld. The Rattataki have invested their faith and lives in me and my strength, and I chose it because being the Warlord was a path that was mine to choose. I won't abandon this life because of something so petty as it being difficult." Kat proclaimed the simple truth.

She wanted the power, she wanted the respect, and she wanted to have the chance to build what she wanted. Nothing temporal could keep her from that goal, she knew in her heart. There was so much she had overcome already to be here now that she was prepared to go all the way, hell or high water.

The problem, of course, was that she didn't know how to do everything herself. "I need you to teach the Rattataki how to be more than just killers and raiders because I don't know how to do it. The Rattataki have never been given a chance to learn and live as the galaxy does, and there are none their equals except the Mandalorians in matters of war. You will help me build peers and friends, or you will abandon them - and me - like all the rest." Kat explained with conviction.

She had felt welcome with Mysha and Kotii when they taught her about being a Mandalorian. She had felt wanted when she fought her way to freedom from the previous Warlord. She had felt respected when the Rattataki trusted her to lead them; even though she was an outsider, they didn't care. If she had to choose, she would choose Rattatak.

@Darasuum