EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Mostly for Rhazii's safety, Ahnasha still did not step any closer to Fendros, but neither did she retreat. Despite their relationship, and the time Fendros had been with them, Ahnasha still held higher rank within the pack, and his beast knew it. If she backed down now, then it would embolden his beast spirit against her.

"If you don't want to look at me, then don't, but you will listen to me. You need to back down, right now! I'm not going to let you rampage through this place. You've improved, but I can still stop you if I have to." Ahnasha threatened, though her words were not directed at Fendros himself, but rather the beast taking hold of him. She knew well that their beasts did not respond to reason or persuasion. They were primal, respecting only force. Fendros, as much as he had improved, was still not experienced enough to wrestle control away from his beast, not during a forced transformation. Therefore, she had to use the arguments that the beast would respect. Her voice did not carry as much authority as Meesei, but she still had rank. Hopefully, his beast did not have any ambitious ideas.

Just in case, Ahnasha took a step back and looked down the hall towards the room they had came from. "Lorag, come here!" She shouted.

---

"Honestly, I did not know the nature of your betrayal during our fight. I suppose it was implied that it was a fight to the death, but I do not believe we said those words aloud." Meesei answered. She stepped close to Harriet, as there was little she could do from her position. "I always intended to treat you fairly, to give you a just trial and judgment. I am sure you heard the rumor that your mind was influenced by Vile? Certainly, it was a possibility, and I suppose I should still examine it, as I promised to the clan. If your mind was magically influenced, it would have been unjust to kill you. Right now, I want...closure. I do wonder, even after Galsek manipulated you, even after your betrayal, do you still hold to the honor for which your people respected you? Are you still the true warrior that you have prided yourself to be? I may not have killed you, but I did defeat you. On that, there is no question. Had I not restarted your breathing, you would have perished on that training room floor. Is there any honor between skilled warriors such as ourselves, that you might respect me for my victory? Despite your crimes, I can say that I respect your willingness to challenge me in the tradition of our kind. I respect that you allowed the strength of our resolve be tested, to be measured by fair combat. Do you respect the results?"

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Honestly, that makes a lot of sense. Sound is vibrations through the air (or any medium, really). Although, lightning can also create thunder so by disturbing the air so...it seems like both would be able to manipulate sound in different ways.

Mass Effect: The Face of Injustice

Yeah, you need to finish those edits. Also, I'm thinking I would be more comfortable with a weapon more similar to a Typhoon. An LMG, rather than a minigun.

Mass Effect: The Face of Injustice

In the time available before the hostiles breached the doors, Avatar did what it could to prepare for the attack. There were two doors leading into the same hallway, each on opposite ends of the same wall. Since the fighting would remain close quarters, Avatar switched to its shotgun to improve its effectiveness. There were no fixed or loose objects in the room which would provide viable cover, but Avatar was able to move furniture such as chairs, and even a table, closer to the door to act as obstacles for those attempting to file into the room. It would only be a minor hindrance, but it improved their chances of success by a greater degree than any other actions it could have taken during the same time.

The whole time, the Turian woman was crying out in pain. She was not in a position to prevent Solares from stopping her bleeding, but that did not cure her injury. She largely ignored Solares’ words and instead curled up on the floor, clutching her head, screaming. “My…head…” She said weakly while sobbing.

After five separate, unsuccessful attempts to open the doors conventionally, Avatar heard more movement outside, heading away from each door. Retreat was improbable, so Avatar expected the use of explosives to gain entry, and after only seven seconds, its expectation was proven correct. Two detonations, 1.21 seconds apart, struck both doors. Neither of the metal doors were completely opened, as it appeared as if the hostiles had used fragmentation grenades as improvised breaching charges. However, they were both damaged enough that biotics among the enemy were able to use their abilities to clear the doorways, first on the right door, then the left. Unlike a normal, properly executed breaching maneuver, the enemy was not able to file in immediately to take advantage of the disorienting effects of the explosions, which allowed Avatar’s allies to recover and prepare. On the left door, two enemies took cover on each side of the door way and leaned into the room to fire, while on the right, where Avatar was aiming, a hostile threw a fragmentation grenade into the room. Given that they were in an enclosed space, the ricochets from the grenade could potentially threaten anyone in the room, even outside of the lethal blast radius.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Considering the stress of the mission before, the past few days had been mercifully uneventful around the college as a whole. Though, for Ssarak, it felt like the beginning of a new part of his life. Spending time with Meirin as a couple, outside of the dangers of a mission, was surprisingly a whole new experience for him. In his home village, he had been told from a young age who he was going to marry. It was a sensible practice for small villages which needed to avoid inbreeding, but he could not have imagined what it would be like to be with someone with which he had a true, personal connection. His former wife was certainly not a bad person, and had they not been arranged to marry, they likely would have still been friends, but his relationship with her seemed nothing like this. Granted, Ssarak had to try and avoid getting ahead of himself. It had only really been a few days, and anything could still happen. His impression so far made it seem like it was meant to be, but he had to keep in mind some possibility for failure. He was Esyire, while she was Human, and one with a unique upbringing. As they spent more time together, they were going to run into ways they were different beyond the obvious ones, in terms of their behaviors and expectations; he just hoped they were not so different as to be incompatible.

As for the current day, it was the day of the opening feast for this year's new arrivals. As such, classes were cancelled for the day as the teachers prepared for their presentations. Hopefully, Khan had learned from last year's debacle and would keep a tighter hold over the staff's behavior. From what he had gathered, student retention from the previous year had been exceptionally poor between the scarring opening ceremony, and the demon attack. For Ssarak, though, his day began the same as any other: with his morning exercises. He met with Meirin in the gym, which was notably less populated than usual, and started as normal with stretches. Last time, Meirin had mentioned showing him some of the exercises she performed, to which he had agreed, so he expected his routine would be somewhat different today.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha certainly did not get any closer to Fendros, but she could not just leave. Others in the clan could react violently to an uncontrolled lycan, and would be justified in doing so. It was dangerous, but Ahnasha could see no way that Fendros, even when overtaken by his beast spirit, could harm his own son. This was the first time in quite a while he had been through an unintentional transformation, but nevertheless, they had been through them. She just needed to get his mind away from the emotions that caused it in the first place.

Rhazii was of course used to seeing them in their werewolf forms, as he had been around them since birth, but Fendros' aggression frightened him. He went from slightly whining, to outright crying as he turned his head away from his father and tightly held onto his mother for comfort. "You're not going to hurt me, Fendros. I know you, and I know that beast inside you."

---

Meesei's search of the belongings on Galsek's person did not produce much of note. Sabine did identify a poison he was carrying as a sedative, but Meesei could not think of a point in which he had used it. Nevertheless, she kept anything remotely interesting before taking her leave, allowing Lorag to remain guarding him for the moment with specific instructions to keep anyone from harming him. She did intend to rotate in other guards later. For the moment, she went to seek out the lieutenants, starting with Vera. Despite what Galsek said regarding Caleb's birth mother, she wanted to be certain that Vera was in no danger. As such, after informing her about Galsek, she examined her for any trace for poison, fortunately finding nothing. Darahil did not give Meesei any trouble when she informed him, but Oswall, as she might have expected, responded with anger. He tried to get up, intent on killing the snake, only to be held back by the healers. Luckily, he still was not in a condition to move around, so he did calm eventually, albeit begrudgingly. Meesei did make sure to tell him that she had plans for Galsek, and that she would explain in greater detail when she had more time.

Meesei had to give the healers assigned to Harriet some time to make sure she was stable, as well as give the guards the chance to set her up in a cell with appropriately strong shackles. With her guilt now virtually certain, there would be no more courteous treatment for Harriet. In the brief break her time allowed her, Meesei went down to the canal to wash away the blood that was starting to dry on her scales, as well as repair her clothing. There was much she still needed to do, so she would likely be busy for a few more days, or weeks depending on how difficult Jerrick's succession proved to be, but it was a relief to get at least a moment to herself. Given all that had transpired only an hour or so prior, the canal was notably empty.

Eventually, the healers sent a messenger to inform Meesei that Harriet had awakened, and was secure in her cell. With all she had learned from Galsek, she was far more confident going into the interrogation than she would have been otherwise. Harriet was defeated, completely and utterly. Her plan had been uncovered and dismantled with no hope of repair, and in their fight, she had lost even with the odds supposedly stacked in her favor. However, unlike with Galsek, she did not expect to have a reason to intimidate or threaten Harriet. If she was not currently aware that it was over, it would not take long for her to find out.

Stepping into the cell, Meesei acknowledged the guards on either side of Harriet, then motioned for them to wait outside of the cell. Harriet was shackled to the wall with irons on her wrists and ankles, along with multiple chains tied around her limbs with varying degrees of tightness or slack. Even if she transformed, there would always be something holding her in place. She wore nothing, apart from a bandage over the eye Meesei had destroyed. Her wounds had been closed, but the scars and dried blood remained, staining her green skin.

"I know everything, Harriet. Galsek, his offer, everything. It did not take much to get the snake to talk, once he knew he could not fool me. I think it is time for you to fill in the details." Meesei said calmly.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Regardless of what the others did, Meesei gave Galsek no reaction. "The death would have come by burning. The sheer heat would make any other factor immaterial. In fact, she would have died fairly quickly, at least compared to other forms of torture. It is a visually horrendous torture, but in choosing spectacle, they gave her an unintentional mercy."

Meesei finally dispelled her blade, then pulled Galsek back up to his knees by his throat. As she was doing so, she leaned in close to his ear and whispered such that only he could hear. "It is not a mistake I would make." Overall, Meesei's present behavior was entirely different from her normal self. Of course, that was to be expected from an interrogation with the enemy. She needed to appear intimidating, especially if he was to be released after this was over. However, what Meesei would not admit to her pack was that she was not entirely bluffing. If it was necessary to protect her family, Meesei was willing to do anything.

"I could ask how you came to know that story, but right now, I am more concerned with the task at hand. I am going to search you, then speak to the lieutenants and allow them to interrogate you as well. I am also going to have your room searched thoroughly, which could take some time. I would expect to be released sometime tomorrow. If you wish to be released sooner, I would suggest pointing me to any material evidence or items of interest you may have hidden." Meesei requested. Though, before he could give any answer, she pushed him face-first to the ground, much more gently than before, then started the process of searching him. Instead of bothering to go through his clothing properly, she simply ripped it from his body, along with any pouches or satchels he had on him. Each item she handed off to one of her pack around her to search, as well as searching through a few herself.

Ahnasha followed Fendros out of the room. She might have been a lycan for longer and had greater control, but it wasn't her beast spirit she was necessarily worried about. She was livid, and if Meesei had not been there, she would have shown that lizard how much of an idiot he was to taunt them in such a way. But, Meesei's presence always made her more...cautious. Though, she could not understand how Meesei could possibly consider letting him go. It wasn't as if Vile's servants would ever learn about it if she executed him. Vile wasn't omniscient, so he could not see what they were doing. She hoped that Meesei was just lying to get him to talk.

Instead of giving Galsek what he most definitely deserved, Ahnasha followed Fendros to the empty room he had eventually stopped in. Though, she did little more than stand in the doorway, clutching a whining Rhazii tightly in her arms.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I suggest you tell it before I cut it out. Remember that you are not the one with the power here, Galsek. You do not like me, and I sure as Oblivion do not like you. What we have right now is an exchange; your answers, for your freedom. You should be accustomed to such deals, I would imagine. The fact that I am agreeing to release an admitted enemy of my people is a blessing for you, and one you should not continue to test. I expect your full cooperation; I demand your full cooperation. Now answer this question, fully and honestly, and every other after it, or you may consider my very generous deal to be void." Meesei threatened, though she did move the blade back somewhat and released the pressure on his throat.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei shook her head. "Even if our enemies would not, I am not going to break my word. You deserve an execution, Galsek. You deserve to have a blade run through that neck, and your soul put to the mercy of the Huntsman. You are a snake, and a fool besides. No matter what Vile has told you, your lycanthropy is not going to be so easily cured. Vampires, werewolves, many have asked for cures from Vile, but it always ends the same way. Or have you not heard the tales? Regardless, I am still going to release you. Of course, I am obviously not going to let you go without searching you and your belongings, but after all of that is done, you will have your supplies, and you will leave this place. I would recommend that you find somewhere quiet to live out the rest of your days, because if I find you again, you will not receive the same mercy a second time. Of course, our deal did rely on you answering all of my questions, and there is one more question I have for you..."

Suddenly, Meesei kicked Galsek square in the chest, knocking him onto his back. She then stepped forward and pressed her foot against his throat, just hard enough so he could still speak, and conjured a bound blade, placing the point barely a hair's width from his eye. "What do you mean by both parents?"

Mass Effect: The Face of Injustice

The Turian cried out in pain as she hit the ground, so much so that it was uncertain if she had even heard Donny's demands. She did let go of the weapon after a few moments, but it seemed only so she could press her hands up against the side of her head. The floor underneath her head was starting to turn blue with her blood, and she was screaming loud enough to be easily heard down the hall. "No, please no! Please don't kill me!" She cried out, her eyes glossed over with tears.

Avatar noticed the woman's bleeding, and given the nature of the injury, acknowledged that she could potentially have a concussion. However, it had to prioritize the safety of allied forces, so it instead moved directly to the security terminal to attempt to gain access to the system. As well, they were finally able to move the rest of the non-combatants into the room and lock down the door behind them.

The security terminal itself had not been locked or disabled, so accessing it was simple, but when Avatar attempted to access its functions, it found that they had been locked by the primary control center for the station. This was an expected scenario, so it had already been prepared to attempt to bypass the security measure. It had manufactured the base of a virus intended to cut off the local console from the primary control center. From there, it could reboot the console with itself mimicking the master controller, thereby gaining access to the console's functions. All it had to do first was to modify the virus to be compatible with this specific system.

Within thirty seconds, however, the sounds of footsteps could be heard in the hallway outside, followed by an attempt to unlock the doors. Avatar had placed the doors into an emergency lockdown state, but they would not remain shut indefinitely. It was highly probable that the hostiles could open them, if not by hacking, by a breaching charge. It drew the rifle from its back, then looked to Creator Raa'Kina. She appeared to be experiencing emotional stress due to the incident with the Turian civilian, but it estimated that RK could perform the task within an acceptable timeframe. "Hostile forces have arrived. My platform will improve the probability of a successful defense, so I recommend Raa and RK attempt to hack the console." Avatar advised as it sent a request for direct digital communication to RK so it could upload the virus for RK's use. Even in the middle of combat, Avatar could also dedicate processing power to aiding RK, which could prove necessary since RK was likely unfamiliar with the architecture of Geth programming.