The Cathar Collision; Ft. No Collisions, Just Said It For Alliteration

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Carlyle Rausgber grumbled a little upon realising what the weather would be like during his respite on Panatha. The Commodore sighed, and walked down the chrome docking ramp of the shuttle, and into the cold rain that welcomed him. "Welcome to Panatha commodore!" A landing pad officer called through the drizzle.

Carlyle acknowledged the man, "Is it always like this?" He asked, rain falling onto his head, and soaking his white cape and uniform.

"Not always, but it's been like this for the last week." The officer said, beckoning the Commodore to a sheltered part of the landing pad. "It's apparently going to be like this for another week." Behind the naval officer were Colonel Heinz Derarst, the highest ranking army officer aboard Carlyle's fleet and Captain Erwin Cauter, the second most senior officer of the fleet.

"Good," Carlyle said, rolling his eyes, "Are we going to be caught out here in the rain, or-?"

"Don't worry sir, a landspeeder from Hasi' Sulemi has been dispatched for your arrival." The landing officer reported, "Should be on the way now."

"Very good." Carlyle said a little more cheerfully. Perhaps some Panathan hospitality would raise the Commodore's spirits.

[member="Artemis Lux"]

 

[Artemis Lux]

"Colonel Derarst. Captain Cauter."

The voice of a woman sliced through the thin sheet of rain that fell cold onto the landing pad. Artemis Lux, newly-named advisor to the Arch-Prince of Panatha and, despite her small size, a formidable woman, emerged from the landspeeder in an elegant billow of scarlet robes. It was the seventh evening in what seemed to be an endless series of stormy weather. Artemis had neither lived on Panatha nor served in her advisory role for very long; she was beginning to wonder what the planet looked like illuminated by the sun.

Not that she minded storms.

For a moment, Artemis simply blinked up through the rain, allowing the droplets to christen her face, before pulling her hood over the crowning glory of her dark curls to shield her head from the drizzle. It was quite cold, but there was business to tend to. That business stood before her now under the shelter of the landing pad: three dripping wet officers, scheduled for repairs on their fleet.

As Artemis approached the trio of men, her emerald eyes were intelligent and feline, somehow sharp and welcoming all at once. One thing was certain: the woman was a diplomat, and she knew what she was doing.

"Commodore Rausgeber."

​Artemis paused, offering him a smile, then returned her gaze to his seniors.

"Welcome to Panatha. My name is Artemis Lux, advisor to my Lord and Prince, His Majesty Braxus Zambrano. I understand you will be with us until your fleet is repaired. I assure you we have our best men on the job."

In the distance, and seemingly out of nowhere, thunder sounded. As the rain began to thicken, Artemis raised the smooth arch of her brow. She was the type of woman who would command the sky if she could.

"In the meantime, I imagine you would prefer to be out of this dreadful weather."

Artemis smiled once more and gestured toward the landspeeder.

"Follow me."

[member="Carlyle Rausgeber"]

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

The colonel and captain turned at their names being mentioned, and immediately saluted. Carlyle nodded, and listened to what the woman said. "Well Madam Lux, it's a pleasure to meet you." Carlyle said with a warm smile, "After you gentlemen." Carlyle said.

Colonel Derarst lead the way, crossing the distance between the speeder. His pace was brisk, almost a parade march. "Come on lads, move forward!" The officer barked in a playful tone.

The naval captain rolled his eyes, and followed behind the colonel, jogging right across. Carlyle turned to Artemis, and raised his cape over her. "It would be a shame if the rain ruined your hair." he said. Although the cape was drenched through, and the occasional drops of water hit her hair, it was at least some protection offered.

"Let's go!" He said, before running through the gap between the shelter and the landspeeder, letting the diplomat climb in before he did. Already the other officers were reclined on their seats, drying their coats off.

[member="Artemis Lux"]

 

[Artemis Lux]

The Commodore's eye-roll was not lost on Artemis. She was a singularly discerning woman who appreciated wit. Where the colonel and captain were grand and foppish--cookie-cutter soldiers and old men, really--Carlyle was distinct. At first blush, he was warm, a little eccentric, but ingratiating. As he raised his cape over the crown of her dark hair, Artemis gifted him with a rare smile.

"I'm not a wilting violet, Commodore. I won't melt," She murmured, fierce and independent as ever, blinking away the stray droplets of rainwater that managed to sneak their way onto her eyelashes. A glimmer of subdued amusement pulled at the dimple in her cheek as she flashed her emerald eyes up toward the man, belying her gratitude. "Thank you."

Off they went.

Artemis kept close under Carlyle's gentlemanly wing, a small thing in his shadow. It was almost exhilarating, rushing like children through the quickening downpour to the landspeeder, but the Lioness maintained her composure. She carefully gathered her crimson skirts in one hand and ascended to claim her seat, settling into it with such command that it might have been a throne.

Once inside, they were Hasi' Sulemi-bound.

Silence fell over them, with the notable exception of the colonel and the captain. They gabbed dryly about the weather, about the fleet, about mundane matters that, to Artemis, fell on deaf ears. For a sharp mind, it was all very dull. She turned the force of her attention to Carlyle, addressing him directly, her voice low and wry.

"I trust you had smooth travels, Commodore. Tell me--do you always keep such fascinating company?"

[member="Carlyle Rausgeber"]

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

"As pleasant as several months aboard a star destroyer can be. Patrolling the same stretch of space." Carlyle mused, a smile tugging at his cheeks. "Yes, yes I do." The Commodore said, he caught the sarcastic tone, but was as loyal as ever to his junior officer. Foppish and pompous sure they were, but all good friends had a few poor character traits. "The good colonel fought in the One Sith civil wars," he gestured to the colonel, "And Captain Cauter is one of the finest captains I've seen rise through our ranks."

The colonel and captain nodded their appreciations of their seniors appraisal before returning to their work, talking tactics and war. "Although they are tied to their work." The Commodore offered with a small smile. "You're not what I expected from Darth Carnifex's welcoming committee." Carlyle said, eyeing her over, "I mean, don't mistake this for insult, I did anticipate that the Panthan king himself would arrive, I just expected something, well... a little different."

Carlyle paused, training his thoughts to articulate what he meant. He watched the landspeeder pass platoons of stormtroopers patrolling the streets in the rain, and worshippers of Panathan's tyrant returning from their prayers. He turned back to Artemis, "What I anticipated Miss Lux, was some form of acolyte or, Epicthanrix. Not a true blooded human woman." He said, "Panatha is a special case in our Empire. And I had assumed that Darth Carnifex would somewhat, flaunt that in the face of visiting military personnel. I did not even consider your superiors hired humans, with how subservient the peoples of this planet are."

[member="Artemis Lux"]