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Description
As Beatha cleared the doorway Meri slammed her fist into the door control and threw herself backwards into the corridor. A deafening explosion from the mess hall rocked the hallway and the blast door buckled outward under the pressure. Dense smoke leaked through fractures in the ruined door as well as light and heat from the fires yet raging behind it. She forced herself to take careful breaths and looked over at her friend.

Beatha looked uninjured, save for a few scrapes. But she had that vacant expression Meri remembered from Laraido. She was sitting against the wall, head hanging low, her opponent’s rifle discarded at her side. Shallow breaths escaped her, and Meri could see her fighting to hold back weeping.

“They’re all gone, aren’t they?” She managed, looking down the hallway towards the showers, and bunks. Smoke obscured much of the passageway, but even in the murky light the bodies could clearly be seen. Her unit, all gone.

“Hey, sweetie, this isn’t on you.” Meri crouched in front of her friend and leaned in to face Beatha. Their foreheads touched and she stared into her eyes, hollowed by pain. “Whoever this was, whatever their plan, they were prepared. They hit us where we could never have expected it.”

“There were just too many of them.” A lonely tear leaked from her eye and she finally met Meri’s gaze. “I was sleeping, heard gunfire. One hell of a way to wake up.”

“It was a coordinated attack on multiple fronts.” Meri could not erase the images of the carnage in the showers from her mind and was not able to keep the anger from her voice. “They must have had intel. They knew exactly where to strike.”

They held a knowing look for a long moment, a shared resolve hardening in their hearts. “We’ll make them pay, whoever they are.”

“We will,” Meri replied, sadly. Revenge would not bring back the dead, but it would still taste sweet. “Eibhan has gone to check on my father. We need to get going honey.”

Beatha nodded, the motion carrying through their shared touch.

“Are you all right to move? We need to find you something to wear.” Meri braved a small smile, “Unless your plan is to distract the enemy.”

A short laugh escaped Beatha’s lips and she wiped away the tears. “Could be worse, princess. I could be in an evening gown.”

Meri planted a kiss on Beatha’s forehead and stood up, offering a hand to help her up. “I didn’t even get to dance,” she said wistfully.

Beatha pulled herself up with Meri’s support and collected her borrowed rifle. “I see you brought your shoes though. Are they for later?”

Meri looked up at her friend and let out a sigh. “I don’t know, I just didn’t want to leave them behind, the damned uncomfortable things.” She motioned for the pair of guards flanking the doorway. “We’ll make our way to the Royal docks, and setup a relay post. It isn’t safe here.” Looking back at Beatha she added, “We’ll pick up any stragglers along the way, and try to find some equipment.”

Reaching down, Meri collected her rifle and after a moment, her heels. She would get that dance.

**

This takes place just after Barracks Escape . I struggle at times with lighting figures correctly, but have more and more come to rely on HDRI’s or emissive lit objects, rather than spotlights. Something about spotlights feels much more artificial. I’m certain there is an art to using supporting spot/fill lights, but I have yet to master it. Part of that comes from having little to no training in film or photography. I am learning, albeit slowly.

If you are interested in following along, I have prepared a timeline for the storyboards here: Storyboard Timeline .

Description
As Beatha cleared the doorway Meri slammed her fist into the door control and threw herself backwards into the corridor. A deafening explosion from the mess hall rocked the hallway and the blast door buckled outward under the pressure. Dense smoke leaked through fractures in the ruined door as well as light and heat from the fires yet raging behind it. She forced herself to take careful breaths and looked over at her friend.

Beatha looked uninjured, save for a few scrapes. But she had that vacant expression Meri remembered from Laraido. She was sitting against the wall, head hanging low, her opponent’s rifle discarded at her side. Shallow breaths escaped her, and Meri could see her fighting to hold back weeping.

“They’re all gone, aren’t they?” She managed, looking down the hallway towards the showers, and bunks. Smoke obscured much of the passageway, but even in the murky light the bodies could clearly be seen. Her unit, all gone.

“Hey, sweetie, this isn’t on you.” Meri crouched in front of her friend and leaned in to face Beatha. Their foreheads touched and she stared into her eyes, hollowed by pain. “Whoever this was, whatever their plan, they were prepared. They hit us where we could never have expected it.”

“There were just too many of them.” A lonely tear leaked from her eye and she finally met Meri’s gaze. “I was sleeping, heard gunfire. One hell of a way to wake up.”

“It was a coordinated attack on multiple fronts.” Meri could not erase the images of the carnage in the showers from her mind and was not able to keep the anger from her voice. “They must have had intel. They knew exactly where to strike.”

They held a knowing look for a long moment, a shared resolve hardening in their hearts. “We’ll make them pay, whoever they are.”

“We will,” Meri replied, sadly. Revenge would not bring back the dead, but it would still taste sweet. “Eibhan has gone to check on my father. We need to get going honey.”

Beatha nodded, the motion carrying through their shared touch.

“Are you all right to move? We need to find you something to wear.” Meri braved a small smile, “Unless your plan is to distract the enemy.”

A short laugh escaped Beatha’s lips and she wiped away the tears. “Could be worse, princess. I could be in an evening gown.”

Meri planted a kiss on Beatha’s forehead and stood up, offering a hand to help her up. “I didn’t even get to dance,” she said wistfully.

Beatha pulled herself up with Meri’s support and collected her borrowed rifle. “I see you brought your shoes though. Are they for later?”

Meri looked up at her friend and let out a sigh. “I don’t know, I just didn’t want to leave them behind, the damned uncomfortable things.” She motioned for the pair of guards flanking the doorway. “We’ll make our way to the Royal docks, and setup a relay post. It isn’t safe here.” Looking back at Beatha she added, “We’ll pick up any stragglers along the way, and try to find some equipment.”

Reaching down, Meri collected her rifle and after a moment, her heels. She would get that dance.

**

This takes place just after Barracks Escape . I struggle at times with lighting figures correctly, but have more and more come to rely on HDRI’s or emissive lit objects, rather than spotlights. Something about spotlights feels much more artificial. I’m certain there is an art to using supporting spot/fill lights, but I have yet to master it. Part of that comes from having little to no training in film or photography. I am learning, albeit slowly.

If you are interested in following along, I have prepared a timeline for the storyboards here: Storyboard Timeline .