A strong foundation to build on.

"I think the way it's set up is good for her, too, in an odd way... She's less stressed than I'd have expected from war."

"That is one good thing."

"And she's given us a decent amount to work with." Small smile. "Still... There's a lot more to be done."

"Always. Shall we bring the trainers over?"

"Sure."

Then when they return to the command center, they can coordinate returning to their own galaxy to pick up the military volunteers and begin integrating them into Wyld's training structure.

This goes a bit bumpier - people don't really trust the new volunteers yet, and the volunteers are mostly selected for being people Vader knew would jump at this opportunity - but Wyld's lieutenants work to make it smoother and to recruit more potential soldiers, especially from among the ex-slaves. Right now they majority of the quick increases are happening in their reserves; while Leia's sent some food aid and some more agriculture aid, they won't be able to pull every interested in fighting away from the farms right away. (Still, anyone invading or raiding's going to get a nasty surprise, and after harvest they'll be able to do a push, and soldier-farmers are perfectly capable of holding territory.)

Some of their neighbors try to push them, in fact, two separate city-states having apparently allied to raid what they're perceiving as weak spots.

This is a good opportunity to test the military unaided. Occlus will offer advice and will step in herself if necessary, but they should be able to handle something like this themselves.

They do, in fact - the assorted issues are usually handled fairly low in the chain of command.

Good, good. Then she can focus on matters of grand strategy and organization.

Something Ani seems to settle into - though she makes a point of getting to know Wyld's people, and takes some time to practice battle meditation with them. It's - a skill she'd long set aside, for one, and for another it's easier with people she's familiar with. And it might be needed eventually, here.

Not something Occlus can, for all her power, help directly with. Still, she supports her pet as she is able.

And then, one clear night when the moon is about a week from full...

There's a strange ladder in a clearing. It's made of some sort of odd, silvery rope, and stretches down from the sky. The top isn't visible.

That is strange. And possibly dangerous. She will not be climbing it.

The ladder lingers for a while and then vanishes when the moon passes out of sight.

And a week later, on the first night of the full moon, a silver mist, glowing in the moonlight, swirls around Occlus and Ani.

"Stay close to me."

She steps close enough to Occlus that they're nearly touching, as visibility drops to zero.

Occlus grabs her hand and pulls her tight.

And their sense of distance in the Force goes briefly really weird. Near and far invert and then tie into each other. Landscape slides around in ways it shouldn't.

And then the disorientation fades, and they're elsewhere. They're standing on a white stone terrace, looking down at Creation far below. Silver grasses with glowing flowers ripple in an unfelt wind, and silver trees dot the landscape. There's white buildings scattered here and there, strange creatures - and some humans - moving around between them.

"What... is this?"

"The Silver Chair of Night," says a rather cheerful voice from behind them. "One of the nicer parts of it."

Occlus turns. "And you are?"

A woman, or something that currently wishes to appear as a woman, with hair as black as the night sky, speckled with stars, and faintly silvery skin, dressed in swirling moonsilver armor with a bow on her back. She's currently floating, and behind her is an open air plaza with ringed by white columns and large jade rabbits, an elegant throne on the other end.

"I am Luna, Second Most High, protector of this world. I apologize for the rudeness of dragging you here like this, but you didn't climb my ladder."

"Perhaps you ought to have left a note."