::Planning::

Disclaimer: Not mine...

A/N: OK, so for those who never really paid attention to details, I am going to list down EVERY (important) hare's rank who is/was in this/the last story, and all relevant characters. Starting from the top:

Lady Consellariel :: Badger Lady of Salamandastron, relatively close friend of Daleria's, but not as close as some others.

Colonel Rapieratce :: Current colonel, ex-captain who took over after Galde's death. One of the closest friends of Daleria. Strict about rules but laxes up quite a bit at times. (Nickname is 'Atce, for those who haven't caught on by now). Has a rather collected temperament, very calm, at least on the exterior. In charge of nearly everything that needs to be done on the mountain. Life is rather hard on him. Is the best at fencing, though he has yet to prove himself against Dale. Uses a rapier.

Brigadier Remora :: Replacement for 'Atce when he is unavailable, rather cheery at times. Brigadier at current. Uses short swords, or a sabre.

Major Clandestine :: Was a major. Murdered in a plan by Seppak's forces, sister to Daleria. Only living link that Daleria actually could remember well. Was Daleria's best friend, left at Salamandastron at birth. Was the only major. Dead. Used a rapier.

Captain Joseph :: Captain that is in charge of all incoming hares, head of the sentry guard. He's the captain that is in charge of all envoys, incoming hares etc. Prefers the lance to a blade, but prefers the sabre to the rapier.

Captain Paragon :: Ex captain, died in the battle against Vaxial. Was in charge of Weapons, but was taken over by another unnamed captain. Rapier user.

Captain Daleria :: Heh heh heh. *Snickers* Hoo boy. Main character, a regular spark plug. Fiery tempered, short tempered at most times. Not too good with her emotions, and rather tormented by her past. And her present. Must as well hack in her future. Seen a lot, been through a lot, but is not the most experienced nor the most foresighted of the lot. Tends to follow her heart rather than her head, and herself instead of the badger lady. Is the centre of the entire problem, having being wanted by Seppak. Close friend to the colonel and the sergeant (Longrunn). Probably the best on the mountain at the sabre (fencing, not curved), save for probably the colonel.

Sergeant Longrunn :: Sergeant in Daleria's patrol, second in command there. Is the one to keep order, since the captain is usually... Temperamental and... Youthfully fiery tempered and hot headed. Usually leads the patrol when Daleria is out (Which is usually forever). The senior of Dale's patrol, the most experienced, and the one with the calmest demeanour (save 'Atce over there). Close friend and adviser to Dale. The second best at swordmanship on the mountain, having only being bested by Dale. Sabre.

Drill Sergeant Mianent :: Drill sergeant, looks after the recruits and such. Nothing much to say about him. Rapier.

Corporal Bueatrill :: Corporal, nothing much about him either, helps out Mianent. The two are good friends. Lance.

Lieutenant Dallaw :: Has to be the MOST mischievous officer of all the above. Cannot behave at all, and is a wonder that he is even a lieutenant. But he isn't bad, he can be serious when the situation needs him to, and is not to be underestimated on the battle field. His serious moments are rare, though. Is in Dale's patrol. Sabre.

Supporting characters:

Willow, Cosenet, Tehora, Mealiney, Silecy :: Captives of Seppak, ranking in this order respectively : Galloper, Galloper, Captain, Sergeant, Sergeant.

Taremin: The mountain's main medic. Friend to Daleria.

Will be adding more in future chapters.

*

Rapieratce's plan had to be the most complicated Daleria had ever seen. Not that she did not approve of it, not that she did not like the prospect of a challenge, not that plans weren't her way of working, just that she was downright tired. Apparently, Rapieratce had concocted some major plan on going past the hills in the east, then rounding past the larger sand dunes, before stopping behind Seppak's force, at the large rocks, which would provide shelter and a hiding place until Consellariel showed up with the masses. They were to take position and wait until the main part of the foxes were out of the way. There would be a small backup force, made up mostly of officers and the most experienced of the Patrol behind them all the way.

The whole thing involved taking out some lookouts positioned in the hill area, a small number of sentries they would no doubt be encountering, a small group of roving vermin, not related to Seppak's force but still a threat, and any and every vermin that were spotted.

Which meant trajectory weapons.

Remora was handling that, being the best at the bow, while Daleria was going to lug along her delightful array of throwing daggers, useful, evidently for a variety of purposes up to date. Rapieratce and Longrunn would be doing the cover ups of most of the near attacks, and they had a healthy supply of emergency medication that Taremin had forced them to take along, not that force was really needed at the amount of anxiety over the health of the captain.

Daleria was not interested though. Rapieratce had been looking at them with an annoyed glance for the past ten minutes of "discussion", which had turned out to be simply a one sided conversation with colonel to three veritable walls. Longrunn still had his forehead buried in one paw, which was still resting on the chair, and had it not been for his "Yes, sah"'s and constant nods, Daleria would have long considered him asleep. Remora could be compared with a wooden log and no differences would have been obvious save for the fur. Her head was thrown back over the chair's, her head resting on the wooden support, and it looked for the world that she was out and asleep.

Daleria leaned on the table, looking uninterested and tired, while the colonel looked irritated at the two.

'If you two are not listening and so tired, go throw yourself into the blinkin sea. That should wake you up.'

Groaning, Longrunn looked up, pretending to adjust his sheath as he replied,

'Sah, did we really have to get up this early?'

Remora had "woken" up at the colonel's comment and piped in.

'Are we leaving yet, then, sah?'

Annoyed and tired at the intrusion, Daleria decided to answer for him,

'You two can go ahead and get yourselves killed, if you are not listening.'

Protesting, the sergeant complained,

'Dale, I think I've heard him repeat the plan at least five times already. I think we all already get the blinkin idea.'

Sighing, Rapieratce simply said,

'This is a tricky operation. I know you all are tired and annoyed, but if we don't get this bally think over with the first time, I doubt there is going to be a second try.'

Daleria had finally given up on them, and had stalked off to her window to catch her breath. Sighing as she leaned on the frame, she realized there and then that it was now or never. Everything came down to this. The ever helpful conscience popped up in the back of her mind again.

You know you want to run, Dale...

I cannot...

You want to, to spare everybeast...

Maybe a little bit...

Maybe with all your heart.

It all comes down to me. Why?

Because you were chosen for this, from the very beginning.

Why? I never wanted this.

Nobeast wants a life like yours, but you must be satisfied with what you already have.

What I have amounts to just about nothing.

That is not true, Dale.

Take a look. I don't amount to very much...

Lost in the swarm of her thoughts, she barely noticed the colonel come up behind her. She was looking blankly out the window, lost and confused as she ever was. Contemplation had made reality sink in rather hard for the young captain, life was hard for her more than it had ever been.

'Calm down, captain. We'll all get through this one way or another.'

Softly, she replied,

'What if we don't? What if the rest of the mountain is put into peril? It all comes down to me, doesn't it?'

'No it doesn't. A whole blinkin horde of filthy vermin is everybeast's problem.'

'But it all rolls back down to me. I am sick of that. Everything, back down to me, everything on me. Why am I always centred around this?'

'It is a hard fate, but one must live it out, wot?'

'Live? The only seeming option here for me seems to die.'

'Don't say that, m'gel. When there is life, there is always hope.'

'Hope is faint...'

'But it is still there. It has always been. You've been through that much, and you've come this far, you're still alive.'

'Come what may, m'gel. Let's just get on with the mission, shall we?'

Pulling her away from the window sill, the captain nodded, albeit gloomily, and ransacked a nearby drawer, withdrawing a canvas pocketed sheet that contained her entire dagger collection, a very big one at that. Shoving it into her pack, her nodded and walked out, leaving the three behind in her room to come down whenever they wished. Nobeast was in a rush to follow her. All those there knew she would not be going anywhere alone, not in the condition that she was in. Sighing deeply, the colonel shook his head as he watched her retreating figure.

'Too much, too fast, too young and too inexperienced. Life is passing to fast for her at any rate.'

Nodding, now fully awake, the brigadier agreed fullly. Shaking herself awake and standing up as she streched.

'She's too young to be facing all of this. It has not been fair for her. Not at all.'

The sergeant stood up, and Longrunn shook his head sadly at her,

'It's amazing she's survived this bally long. All this happening in seven seasons, loosing everything that she had.'

Grimly, the colonel marched out after her, muttering.

'But she's not going to loose what she has now.'