To Strike the Stars

To Strike the Stars, there's our title.

On that note there's an interesting story about Ceres:

The mysterious bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres may be changing, according to a new study published Monday.

A group of scientists using the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory found some preliminary evidence revealing that, as Ceres rotates, its reflective areas seem to brighten and then dim depending on sunlight.

They're late to the game, so to speak. In TSTS the 1st Gurkha Space Rifles are already on scene. A wee snippet:

 Rao was following Mukherjee’s firing plot when Lt. Peri said, ‘Colonel Rai is getting ready to attack Pyramid again. Would you like to listen in?”            ‘Yes, on my flat-screen only please. The bridge will concentrate on the task at hand.’            Rao followed along closely. The 2^nd Gurkha Battalion landed several kilometers away from Pyramid and approached the tunnel in two lines. Before the infantry two tanks advanced each alternating fire into the tunnel, sending a stream of high explosive shells which flashed inside the tunnel upon impact.            ‘We are approaching the entrance cone of fire.’            ‘Still no activity.’            ‘Wait…there, enemy is firing.’            For another minute as the battalion pushed on Rao heard a lot of cross-talk.            ‘Firing light. Ineffective.’            Rai must have destroyed most of their defenses, thought Rao.            ‘Advance elements inside the cone of fire.’            ‘Copy.’            ‘We are deploying lasers now. If the Jai fire another earth penetrator missile, we can intercept it.’            Rao nodded. Good, he thought.            The lead tanks stopped firing. Engineers cautiously approached the tunnel and surveyed. Rao viewed the image the beamed back. The tunnel was filled with wreckage, steel girders, concrete slabs, but with some work it looked passable.            ‘We will keep Pyramid under fire.’            ‘Yes, sir.’            ‘Engineers I want…’
            Rao heard shouting, and the static. A few seconds later the signal returned but all Rao could make out was shouting and cross-talk. He heard the word ‘gone’ and then ‘vapor cloud’ and finally, ‘Mine! they detonated a mine!’            ‘Damn it,’ said Rao.