Completely agreed. It's weird to think that RDM & Co. wrote the female Starbuck role as someone in her mid-30's; I think Katee's relatively young age paired with, as you said, her authority in the role really gave it some fabulous and maybe unexpected intensity.

Kara was definitely not wiser at this point... She learned, but she didn't always take in her lessons, especially as they pertained to matters of the heart.

Also, I'd *love* to read tattoo fic if you write it! There's a great book about writers & tattoos called Dorothy Parker's Elbow. Good stuff!