I'd thought Katarina would act as the tactician character, sort of like Mark/Seth/Soren etc. in previous games, and then she up and does this. Also, I forgot to mention before, but I said yes to wearing the Headband at the end of chapter 7.
Prologue 8 - Assassination: Finished.
Base: Did the two talks, first relating to Katarina's betrayal and then with the 7th Platoon psyching up for the battle. Not much inventory prep that can be done at this point, so I simply add Draug and Wrys to the lineup, and hope this is enough fighters to fend off these enemies.
Party: Held their position at the top of the throne room until the enemy's main assault forces stopped coming in. Ryan and Gordin covered the eastern side, while Lyra and Draug covered the east, fending off the enemy (with some initial help from Marth as well) until the reinforcements were dealt with. Afterwards, the archers advanced on their own, Wrys trailing behind in case someone was wounded, and slowly but surely, the enemies were all dealt with, leaving only their leader, Katarina.
Katarina: Lyra stepped into her range, drawing her out. She ate a painful Elfire blast, but retaliated with two shots that took Katarina down.
Afterwards: Everyone's sad and such, and I decide to remove the headband. Most people who were available now return to wherever they had come from.
Up Next: The Grustian Expedition, where some rather uneasy events take place under the banner of "quelling a rebellion"...