EliteCommander

The Depths of Deception

Rareth heard Telmek approaching behind her, and did not stop him from wrapping his arms around her. She turned her head, rubbing her muzzle against the end of his just slightly. “I can handle ten minutes apart from you, don’t go worrying your tail off. I rather like your tail.” She said with a slight chuckle before pulling away from him and taking her seat in the back of the shuttle. Apparently, their superiors in the Assembly had already received their report, so they likely had already made their decisions on what would become of their team. This time, Rareth knew no more about what was happening than the rest of the team, so she was just as curious as they about the upcoming meeting. Hopefully, the others would arrive shortly so they could get moving.

Looking to Shuo, Rareth could see he was packing light as well. Of course, if they weren’t returning to the Boundless Light, it would be easy enough to have someone deliver their belongings to them. “Your guess is as good as mine. I think we did quite well, but you never know with bureaucrats. They might restructure us just for the fun of it. “

Telmeck was still standing nearby, with his tail resting on the seat next to her. Out of curiosity, Rareth subtly reached out, then suddenly gave it a sharp pinch to see if he was still blocking out his pain.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Well then, as long as I am not bothering you, I'll be happy to join." Tarentek commented, going back and forth between eating and disassembling his rifle as Onyx collected her pistols. Once his rifle was fully in pieces, Tarentek got up to look around for what he needed. Since Onyx did not use firearms, he did not expect to find proper supplies for weapon maintenance, but he knew enough to know some alternatives. It was not too difficult to find something that would work for basic cleaning, but it took some more searching to find something that would work as a lubricant. Luckily, Onyx's collection of cooking ingredients delivered what he needed, as grease worked as a fine lubricant.

Tarentek started first on maintaining his own weapon as he ate. It was a task he had performed countless times, so it did not take long for him to clean and reassemble the rifle, after which he began work on the pistols. They were a common model, and he had maintained others like them before. Of course, there was no guarantee that he could repair even one of them. It did not matter how talented he was with the old technology if the parts to repair them simply were not there. He finished his meal, then cleared out the table in front of him to disassemble the pair of firearms, making sure to keep the parts for each separated. For one of them, it did not take long at all to determine the problem, as the trigger mechanism was busted. The other required that he take it apart fully, but the problem itself was actually something he had seen before, as it was a common point of failure for this type of pistol. It was not something he could repair without spare parts, but fortunately, there just happened to be an identical pistol right next to it. After about half an hour of examination total, Tarentek smiled once he saw that the parts he needed were still intact.

"Ah, I think I have it." Tarentek said excitedly. "On this one, the trigger mechanism is busted; it won't so much as move the hammer. On the other, it looks like the recoil spring is worn down, which in turn put stress on the firing pin and caused it to fail. It just so happens, though, that the recoil spring and firing pin on the other pistol are in perfectly fine condition. I just need to swap over the parts, and it should work fine. Though, I suppose if you haven't used relics before, you'll need some practice if you want to start using it." He explained.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"To say that I am absolutely certain would imply that I have knowledge far greater than I possess, but all of the evidence I have gathered point to that moment." Meesei answered to Darahil. "The poison in Jerrick's waterskin, we still have a sample, and we have tested it. The poison does not seem to be of this world, or at the very least, may have ingredients from Oblivion itself. It has properties that neither my pack's alchemist, nor your alchemist has seen before. It our test, it did nothing for hours on end, but after a certain length of time, it suddenly and violently took effect. Based on our test, he must have consumed the poison sometime between the start of the meeting and a few hours later, in the afternoon. Several of you agree that Jerrick was separated from his waterskin after the meeting, but I did take into account that there might have been a point afterwards where he separated from it that only the traitor saw. Obviously, the traitor would not reveal this, so simple questioning would leave me unaware. This is why I asked several of you questions that may not have made sense. Over the last few hours, I have been questioning several members of each of your packs, but in such a way that I did not imply that I suspected you of anything. The intent of this being to prevent any of them from lying to protect their leaders. Finally, the testimony of my pack, as well as Darahil's testimony, show that Vera left the meeting room before Harriet. Before I even mentioned to Harriet that the meeting was the likely timing of the poisoning, she lied about being left alone in it. This means she attempted to protect herself before she knew that I suspected her, or why. All of this together is why I suspect Harriet to be the traitor. Although, if you can think of a way I might obtain more evidence, I would be glad to hear it. If there is another point after the beginning of the meeting that Jerrick could have been poisoned, then Harriet could be innocent."

Meesei paused, then directed her attention to Oswall. "As for potential plotting on Harriet's behalf, I promise that I will do all I can to prevent her from being able to do anything malicious before her trial. She will be under constant guard, and I will not allow her to speak to anyone from her packs without me being present. If I hear her attempting to plan violence, I will be forced to stop her from speaking to her pack members face-to-face and require that she speak to them through an intermediary. I will make sure she understands this. As well, I will not allow her to in the presence of too many members of her packs at once, so she does not outnumber her guards. After the announcement tomorrow, if each of you could request a few members of your packs help myself and Lorag serve as guards, I would be appreciative. Now, during the trial itself...how likely do you think it is that Harriet will be able to motivate a violent response from her packs? Considering that, at that time, all of your packs will be present as well. With all of your packs united against hers, it would be suicidal for them to attack. There would be casualties on both sides, certainly, but they would not have no hope of victory. How many of them, after seeing the trial and hearing the evidence against her, do you believe would be willing to lay down their lives in that manner?" Meesei asked. It did seem to her that even Harriet's loyalists would hesitate to raise up arms after the trail, but there was still genuine concern in her voice.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Hmm, well, we probably don't need to collab the IC discussion of how to approach it, though it might be more efficient to talk about it beforehand. How are things with Ryo? Do you think he will be able to join us?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei's expression was firm, though not aggressive, and had remained unchanged through Harriet's outburst. Especially now of all times, she had to maintain her composure. "If you have evidence that exonerates you, I would be glad to see it. Remember, I am not on some crusade against you. I am not looking to shape evidence to my perceptions, I am looking to find truth. I am looking for justice for Jerrick. My judgment follows the evidence, which all currently points to you. For your trial, you will have access to all of the evidence I have gathered to build your defense, just as I will know all that you find. So yes, I will allow you the opportunity to build your defense. For this, I will personally accompany you and Lorag. But first, Fendros, Janius, Lorag, I would like you to step out into the hall with Harriet for a moment. I need to speak with the others."

Upon Meesei's command, the three escorted Harriet out into the hall. Harriet was the chief suspect in Jerrick's murder, and she would be under guard at all times, but Meesei would not have her chained or bound in a cell, at least not yet. Although the chance seemed small, Meesei was willing to admit the possibility she had made a mistake, so she intended to remain fair until the very end. As soon as Harriet was out of earshot, Meesei closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "If it is no trouble, I would like to still leave members of my pack with you, this time with much more of a focus on protecting you instead of watching you. Harriet has said openly that she is willing to incite violence against you, and there is always the possibility that even those close to you could be untrustworthy I would not want any of you to come to harm. Now...I would like your input. I am confident in my accusation, or else I would not have made it. However, I do not claim to be infallible. You have heard the evidence I have gathered, so what do you make of it?"

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

There are eight of them there now, right? If five leave, plus the leader, all that would be left would be two. Though, I don't know that I would want to take the risk of trying to get the carriage through before they get back. I suppose all of us involved need to make a plan.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

I'm here. I don't know who else is, but even if it ended up being only you and me, I would stay.

The Depths of Deception

Hailfire, now that I am thinking about it, it would not really be awkward at all for you to jump back in now. We are just finishing up that mission, and all of the team, including Ashley and the others who left, are heading back down to Concord. Currently, we are all boarding a shuttle in the Boundless Light's hanger bay, if you want to jump in.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Here, I will show you the name." Meesei answered, before pulling her journal from her pouch. Though, she quickly realized that neither of the two were capable of reading Jel, so she simply translated the name to them. It was one of Oswall's pack members, which both Vera and Oswall had mentioned. After they had the name, Gorlak took Meesei to their designated meeting location, while Caldris went to retrieve the final person.

As quickly and calmly as she could, Meesei went through questioning each of the people they had collected. She carefully explained to each of them that the reason she was questioning each of them was to investigate something relating to Clavicus Vile, though she of course did not say specifically what happened. When it came to actually asking about the lieutenants' alibis, she did not simply ask if they were present at the times and places they claimed. Instead, she asked the questions in a way that made it seem as if she had a different goal in mind. For Oswall, she asked about one of the specific creatures they had skinned, suggesting that somewhere along the way someone might have attempted to poison the meat for an unknown purpose, and she asked in such a way that confirmed Oswall was indeed present. For Darahil, she asked about the specific research he was performing, and in doing so, confirmed his alibi. The purpose for questioning strategies such as these at this point was not so much to ward off suspicion as it was to ensure that their answers were honest. Through the entire questioning process, Meesei was very careful not to suggest that she suspected their lieutenants of any wrongdoing in order to prevent them from withholding information, or outright lying.

Through each interview, the lieutenants' alibis after the meeting were confirmed, which meant the last of the loose ends Meesei needed to address had been resolved. Now, all that was left was to make her accusation. Before she left, she informed the group she had collected about the announcement tomorrow at breakfast and told them the same reason as she had given to Gallus for why she did not want to tell them at that moment.

While Meesei had been in her interviews, Ahnasha had returned, having failed at locating Caleb. This was something that concerned Meesei, but it would have to wait until after she made her accusation. Meesei dismissed Gorlak and Caldris with the task of locating the source of the rumors about Jerrick, while she and Ahnasha returned to their room, where the lieutenants and the rest of her pack were waiting. Since Ahnasha still had Rhazii, Meesei instructed her to wait outside in the hall. While Meesei did not believe Harriet would turn violent while outnumbered to such a degree, she did not want to take any chances.

As soon as Meesei stepped through the door into her room, all eyes were on her. For a few moments, there was silence as Meesei took in a deep breath, then proceeded to get straight to business. "Oswall, Darahil, after considerable investigation, I find no reasonable way that either of you could be the traitor. After testing the poison itself, we have determined that he must have consumed the poison sometime during or shortly after the meeting yesterday. Therefore, it could not have been poisoned in the early morning. During Jerrick's training session in the morning, Oswall would have had the opportunity to poison his waterskin; however, Darahil witnessed Jerrick drinking from his waterskin before the meeting, as one would expect after such a physically strenuous activity. Therefore, the poison could not have been added to the waterskin before the meeting. Immediately after the meeting ended, everyone here agrees that Oswall left the room first to head to the dining hall, so he would not have had the opportunity to poison it at that point. I have also confirmed his alibi after the meeting, so he could not have poisoned it afterwards either. In fact, I have confirmed all of your alibis after the meeting, so all that is left is the meeting itself. Darahil, Harriet, and Vera all agree that Darahil stepped out with Jerrick onto the mezzanine. Several of you agree that Jerrick forgot his waterskin in the meeting room as well, which leaves that moment as the perfect opportunity for the poisoning to occur."

Meesei paused a moment and shifted her focus to Harriet and Vera. "I will note now that the traitor is going to have a public trial that all in the clan may witness. You will have the opportunity to offer a defense, or admit guilt, as the case may be. Vera, Harriet, both of you claimed that you left the meeting room before the other, leaving the other alone with the waterskin. From my investigation, this is the only time during the day that any of you could have poisoned Jerrick. Multiple witnesses which I have interviewed say that they saw Vera leave the meeting room, then walk away with Jerrick. Only after Darahil moved on did anyone mention Harriet leaving the room."

By this point, Meesei's attention was squarely on Harriet. Her posture was not aggressive, but she was ready to take action on a moment's notice if necessary. "Harriet, all evidence points to you as Jerrick's murderer. You have been caught in a lie about being left alone with Jerrick's waterskin, the vector through which he was poisoned. Is this a crime to which you will confess?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Before Gallus left, Meesei gave one final comment. "Thank you. I just ask that you try not to spread any rumors. The reason we do not wish to explain everything to you right now, is so that we give the same information to everyone, at the same time. Otherwise, that information could change in meaning as it moves from person to person. I am sure you know how rumors can proliferate."

Once Grolak and Caldris arrived, Meesei directed Fendros and Janius to return to their room, then proceeded to walk with Grolak and Caldris to a more quiet section of the hall. "Yes, I did. I know that the clan is starting to talk, but hopefully, there will be no need to keep any secrets after tonight. We are close to identifying the traitor. Although, I would like you to can find out the source of these rumors. I will admit that the lieutenants have been acting somewhat strange from what is normal, but it has only been a single day. One would not think that they would jump to such conclusions on their own from only one day of odd behavior. I have an idea of where the rumors came from, but I would like to confirm it. However, that can wait. For the moment, there are people we need to find that I must speak to. I am sure Ahnasha showed you the list of names, correct? I have only one name to add to that list. I cannot go around and collect these people without attracting too much attention, so I would like you to do so for me. Where did you and Ahnasha agree to bring these people? I shall wait there."