EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei shook her head slowly. "No. Perhaps more than others, but not most of the time. As I said, it becomes...inconvenient. Dexterity can only make up for these hands to a certain degree when it comes to holding small objects. It becomes tiring to have to crouch through most doorways, and chairs, well, there is no point in trying. But if I lived in a world that was made for this body? I might never be an Argonian again."

Meesei made a sound that was a bit more recognizable as a laugh. "I suppose it is fortunate, then, that the pain of transformation hardly bothers me anymore. It never stops hurting, but it eventually becomes...forgettable, almost. It makes it easier for me to transform at will. Most lycans can only do so once roughly every day, depending on their strength and energy. I have no such limits." She explained, saying no more before initiating her own transformation. Meesei did not know if Marod had seen many lycan transformations up close, but it could be a disturbing sight for those not accustomed to it. The sounds of breaking and reforming bones by themselves were somewhat grotesque. Regardless, if Marod and Lunise were to stay for any length of time, it would be something they would not be able to avoid. For Meesei, at least, she showed not a single sign of any of the pain she described. She did not even have trouble remaining standing for the process. Despite losing significant stature, she retained her confident posture in her Argonian form. Meesei's unclothed form was a sight that Lunise was more than accustomed to, though naturally, she could not let on to that fact. For Marod, it would be yet another novel experience. For their more formal encounters outside the clans, she tended to wear dresses and other garments that did not display her physique.

"I showed you around some of the more interesting parts of the city when you first came here, but if you are staying here, then there is some more mundane knowledge you should have. Meal times, locations, how we allocate resources. And of course, the location of your quarters." Meesei mentioned.

---

Ri'vashi sat herself up straight in her chair, cultivating a posture that could not be seen as anything except professional. She took care not to show any signs of anger, or any other real emotion. Although Sabine had not specified her business, Ri'vashi was under no other pretenses of what she could be referring to. There was only one real topic worth discussing right now that was not mundane small talk. "We have already spoke of this, Sabine. Ri'vashi spoke her words, you spoke yours. We deliberated, and the council came to a decision. Ri'vashi respects the council. What more is there to speak about?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Your timezone is indeed going to be a lot closer to mine now. Roughly 9:30 PM there, right?

Also, for gaming purposes, ping between central and west coast is much, much better than the opposite side of the planet.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei grunted, or perhaps it was a chuckle. It was measurably more difficult for non-lycans to recognize such nuances for Meesei's current form. "Is that so? Well, I do assume that an experienced diplomat such as yourself understands the value that favor can bring. A favorable attitude can unconsciously push one's decision making to the advantage of another. And since there would be no detriment for you to do so, I think you would benefit from my advice."

Even Marod and Lunise would be able to recognize Meesei's voice taking on a more serious tone. "Besides, we are all on the same side here. If we are to have any chance of reforming the Thalmor after this is all over, then we need to make sure that everyone beyond just the three of us understand that. It will be a task just as important as our current one, and if we fail in that, then defeating Vile will merely delay Tamriel's destruction. Or, at the very least, it will be devastated by another pointless war."

Not wanting to dwell on that note, Meesei shifted her gaze to Marod. "But to answer your question, no, it is not why I transformed." She replied, looking down at her hand as she rubbed two of her claws slowly together. "But it may be why I never bothered to revert. In truth, I do quite enjoy this form. For me in particular, it is nothing but liberating. You may or may not be aware, but in addition to being a symbol of my station, my ring serves to give me complete and perfect control over my beast spirit. My mind is no different no matter the form I take. I retain my judgment, all of my normal dexterity. For me, to transform is to give myself a body immensely more capable than my mortal form without any significant sacrifice. I do wish I could describe the feeling. I think the only reason I do not remain in this form most of the time is because it is somewhat...inconveniently large." She explained, opening up a hand that was exceptionally larger than Marod's.

---

Although he could not help but to give a wary look across the table, Do'rhajul did not appear uncertain as he answered. "No, I believe I shall be fine. I have seen nothing to make me believe that your people would be so bold as to defy their leaders openly, in public. At least not without one of your traditional challenges for authority. I will avoid accepting any honor duels to the death without your permission, so you can feel free to do what you need."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei stood up straight in front of the pair, hear head tilted very slightly to the side as she looked down on Marod. Though, she did give a few glances to Lunise to make sure that it did not seem like she was focusing solely on him. "An admirable stance, though even as you try to hide it, I can still smell your discomfort. It is understandable, and I doubt any lycan would judge you harshly for it. In most circumstances that we have interacted before, I have been more than happy to show you the courtesy of making you comfortable. We are allies, after all, and it only seems respectful to do so. However, this is a bit different. Myself, our clans, we want to make peace, and so we are willing to make concessions in how we act, the forms we take, when we come to you."

Turning her head, Meesei motioned her hand towards the buildings around them. "But this is our home. It is one of the few places in Tamriel that we can feel safe, and that we can call our own. It is the one place we have where we do not have to feel like monsters to the people around us, no matter what form we take. It is the place where outsiders have to adapt to us, instead of the other way around. That is why many of the people are not going to act like the diplomats and representatives you are accustomed to meeting. They will not hesitate to remain transformed around you, and it is certainly not uncommon to have transformed lycans in public. We have no rules or customs against it; only those who have not yet mastered an acceptable level of control have any restrictions on where they can go or when they can transform. In this clan in particular, those are mostly children."

Meesei took a few steps closer to Marod and Lunise. It brought her into a normal conversational distance, but her stature meant that even Lunise had to crane her head somewhat to make eye contact. "So as you said, you will have to get used to this. And it may be more important to do so than you might think. No lycan is going to get outright angry or hostile with you if you accidentally give us that look that we always see from outsiders, but I can say that being able to interact with us comfortably, even when transformed, would go a long way to helping them see you more favorably."

---

Do'rhajul jerked his head around in a brief moment of surprise before he saw that it was Sabine behind him. He relaxed quickly, and answered her quietly. "I am yet to be stabbed by anyone, so I am well-enough at the moment. Though, I believe there is quite a lot among the people at this table which is being left unsaid."

When asked about Yerig, however, Do'rhajul looked more uncertain. "I saw Yerig for a few minutes as the feast was starting, but it appears he left early on. I do not know exactly where or why he left, but I believe it was back in the direction of the city."

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

High above Vontor, the Believer strike craft were closing in on the shipyards. The Bothan leader of Vornskr Squadron gave his orders quickly and concisely. “Lock S-foils in attack position, screen formation around the bombers.”

Immediately, the X-wings began to weave around the bomber formation in a seemingly random fashion, though they did not appear disorganized in the slightest. It made them more difficult to target as they protected their charges. Other Believer interceptors flew in formation farther out, but the Vornskr squadron was at the core of their attack.

One of the X-wing pilots was a young Human woman who gave a chuckle as she looked out of the window of her cockpit. “Never would have thought I’d see the day we’d be escorting TIEs.” She said through her squadron’s comms.

”Tell me about it.” A Rodian voice answered back in Huttese, coming from one of the X-wings at the back of their formation.

The Bothan’s voice came in quickly, and firmly. “Clear this channel. Turrets ahead, bearing 324. Let’s thin them out.”

The squadron sprang into action, boosting ahead of the bombers while keeping up their weaving movements. Though, they had no issue coordinating volleys of laser fire onto the point-defense systems in their path. Even with a well-executed attack, they could not destroy them all, but they could reduce the pressure the bombers would face. They kept moving enough to make it difficult for the shipyard defenses to focus down one target, and the shots that did hit were not immediately fatal. For this mission in particular, the X-wings had been refitted to replace their hyperdrives with stronger deflector shields to allow them to be more aggressive in their attack.

Even with the best plan they could execute, the Believers could not make their approach without losses. The bombers were armored, but the station turrets still took out two, and damaged one enough that it was forced to pull out of the attack run. The other interceptor squadrons took a few losses, but they were not the focus of the Cartel forces at the moment.

The Bothan’s voice was loud and commanding over their radios. “Get the heat off those bombers! We won’t be able to punch through the station’s armor without them. We can’t afford to lose too many.”

“And, you know, the people inside them.” The Human woman added.

“Vornskr 3, clear the channel.” He replied tersely.

The X-wings, along with the other interceptors, continued to clear the way ahead of the bombers as best as they could, but were soon surprised with one of the bombers near the rear suddenly exploding. As they had flown past one of the hangers towards their target, a Cartel fighter squadron that had not previously launched with the rest of the fleet flew out behind them and immediately began to target their most vital ships.

“Behind us! Peel back, now!” The Bothan ordered, and in impressively short order, the entirety of Vornskr squadron was pulling sharp turns to meet the fighters head-on. Their ability to focus fire was almost second nature. Three of the X-wings concentrated fire on the closest fighter tailing the bombers, and two targeted the one just behind it. The Cartel squadron were slow, but tough Rihkxyrk class fighters, but the concentrated fire from multiple X-wings tore them apart all the same. The remaining three fighters in the Cartel squadron had only a few seconds to react as the X-wings flew past them, and the decision they made was to keep their focus on the bombers. Despite the armor on the TIE bombers, the heavily armed Cartel fighters had more than enough firepower to take down two more before the X-wings could turn back and get on their tail. However, once in that position, they were in trouble. They attempted to break off and fly around the shipyards to cover their retreat, but the X-wings could easily out-turn them, and Vornskr squadron’s pilots were easily skilled enough to take advantage of the opportunity. The remainder of the Cartel squadron were either severely damaged, or destroyed outright.

The surviving bombers came up on their target in short order, and any remaining point-defense turrets were not enough to stop them from releasing their payload. As they flew over, a veritable rain of proton torpedoes bombarded their target: the fuel storage. For obvious reasons, it was one of the more armored parts of the shipyards, but that was why they were using dedicated bombers to punch through the hardpoint. There was a light show of fiery explosions, melting through the hull and sending pieces flying off into space. All of the Believer ships had pulled away from the station as fast as their engines would take them, but despite everything they had hit the station with, there was no grand explosion chasing them. They had punched through most of the hull and started more than a few fires, but there was no chain reaction with the fuel itself.

As he looked back out of his cockpit, there was a grimace across the Bothan’s face. “Damn, no detonation. We lost too many bombers, we’ll have to pull out.”

The Rodian’s green skin seemed to almost glow orange as he looked out at the fires. ”Are you sure? Look at that damage, the fires. It wouldn’t take much to finish it off.”

Before the Bothan could even say a word, the Human woman’s X-wing was already diving down towards the station. “On it.” She said before promptly lowering the volume of her own headset.

“Vornskr 3, break off! It’s too dangerous!” The Bothan ordered, which was wholly ignored. Though, he did not expect her to listen, in truth. “Sithspit, just…give her cover.”

Some of the faster moving interceptors from the Cartel’s main defense fleet were beginning to reach the station again, but the rest of Vornskr squadron, and the other Believer interceptors, were quick to run interference as Vornskr 3 skimmed along just a few meters above the shipyard’s hull towards the breach, evading blaster turrets and obstacles alike. She kept evasive as her targeting computer made the calculations to lock the target, then, just as she skimmed through the flames above the breach, the craft released two proton torpedoes and pulled up with the tightest turn that an X-wing could manage.

The chain reaction was immediate, and its explosion far larger than the initial bombing run. A large chunk of the shipyards broke off from the detonation itself, and the explosions continued on down the fuel lines for a time before they could finally be contained. There were enough safety features built into the station to at least prevent it from being destroyed entirely by such an attack, but it still caused severe damage.

For Vornskr 3, her X-wing was engulfed by the flames of the explosion as the rest of the squadron watched on, the seconds passing like hours. After a few, tense moments, her X-wing emerged from the cloud, charred, but intact.

“Vornskr 3, you are an insubordinate fool and you’re going to get yourself killed.” The Bothan stated in an almost matter-of-fact tone. “But we have a mission to complete. One more objective. Have you taken any damage, or do we need to get you back to the carrier?”

The Human woman took a look down at the blinking warning lights on her display panels, then muted herself as she gave a glance backwards. “R4, you can get those deflectors back up again soon, right?” The astromech, already dealing with putting out fires and rerouting electronics, let out a few loud beeps that conveyed something close to “absolutely not.”

The Human let out a hum, then flipped back on her radio. “I’m good, we can see it through.” She replied, prompting immediate, angered beeps from her astromech. “Ah, don’t worry bud, I have faith in you.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I can only imagine the annoyance of US customs, and all the other bureaucracy. Good luck, though.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei stood to her feet before approaching Marod and Lunise, showing her true stature. Although, her appearance and demeanor were in start contrast to one another. It was unavoidable for a lycan to look threatening to some degree. She practically had more strength in one arm than Marod did in his entire body, and it certainly showed. Her fiercely sharp teeth and claws could not be hidden, and yet, she could still move without any of the aggression that would make those tools truly threatening. She sauntered up to Marod and Lunise, standing tall, but with relaxed shoulders and loose movements. Where as a lycan that was ready to fight would be more hunched over and tensed up so that they could spring into action at a moment's notice, Meesei's walk was more like that of her Argonian form. For Marod, the part of her that would likely be the most revealing would be her eyes, as they could show the most emotion to a non-lycan. Even if he could not read most of her body language, there was no hint of aggression within her eyes.

"Quite. It is rare to get so many of our clan alphas together, though that is probably for the best. It is easier for some of them to get along when they do not have to...interact with each other regularly. But for now, I believe we have the task of making sure you two shall be able to get along well as long-term guests. You two have worked with us for quite a long time, but, by your own estimations, how...comfortable would you say you are around lycanthropes?" Meesei asked.

---

Ri'kalesh gave a long, silent look back towards the feast. Again, his gaze was harsh, but his words were at least calm in tone, if terse. "Nothing polite." With a sigh, Ri'kalesh focused back on Sabine. "We should probably get back."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei simply laughed at the both of them. "You know, I do not think you will have too much trouble getting along here. There are simply a few things you do need to learn. Our society is not as different from yours as you may have once thought, but there are still some important differences, if you truly want to fit in. Luckily for you, our people are not impatient with outsiders. We have had a few of them over the years."

Meesei gave a look back towards the tables. "Feasts like these usually just end when enough people feel like leaving, so there is nothing compelling us to remain. I have had enough...socializing to accomplish what I wanted today. I can show you around the clan and point out what I can. I just need to speak for a few moments to one or two others back at the feast. I will let you do the same, then we can meet back in the town square in the Silent City. It should not be crowded, especially now."

---

After returning to the feast, Meesei did not remain for much longer. She spoke to a few of the clan leaders that she had not yet addressed directly, then quietly pulled Rhazii aside for a few moments to inform him that she wanted to have a few words with him later. Her tone was not exactly angry, but it was enough to perhaps make him worried.

Once she was finished at the feast, Meesei headed back to the Silent City square, just as she had told Marod and Lunise. Although, they would not find her in quite the way they might have been expecting. She was sitting down, leaning back against a stone wall, and looking up towards the orb above the city. Most notably, she was in her lycan form. Even sitting, her size and strength were more imposing than most lycanthropes. Lunise had seen Meesei transformed before, but it would be the first time that Marod had seen her as a werewolf. Still, he was familiar enough with werewolves that it was doubtful he would mistake her for anyone else, at least not once she stood up.

---

Ri'kalesh's gaze went back towards the tables, though they were far enough away that he could only barely make out part of Do'rhajul's head through the crowd. "It's not about debts, it's about what is fair. It's about what you have earned. Saving Ri'kalesh and his entire clan proves that you are acting in what you believe is our best interest. You might still be wrong, but you have proved yourself capable, and that is why Ri'kalesh is giving you this chance."

Finally, Do'rhajul turned his head in a way that Ri'kalesh could get a good look at his face, though he did not give a definite outward reaction to it. "If this is the path we are taking, then Khajiit will say that he would want the hold that Vile has over Do'rhajul's soul to be removed. Our lord Hircine should be the one to judge his final fate."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave a nod towards Marod and Lunise in turn. "Excellent. I am glad for any diplomatic assistance I can get. The Emperor's terms may not sit well with some clan leaders. Though, there are only a few clans we shall need to worry about. Clans in Hammerfell, Morrowind, and Black Marsh will not be an issue, since they will not be affected by any agreements. For Dominion clans, well, I suppose we will have to see what terms the Dominion has in mind. I already took the liberty of ensuring that we have some more long-term quarters available for you, just in case."

There was some comfort for Meesei in receiving some positive news for a change. She did not expect that their agreements with the Empire and Dominion would be as widely controversial as the matter with Do'rhajul, at least. That resistance would be more locally concentrated in specific clans. She guessed that there would actually be many members of many clans who would be excited about the prospect of being able to return to the Empire in some official capacity, particularly those who did not follow Hircine as strongly. There were many members of Imperial clans that were loyal, or at least content, citizens of the Empire prior to their turning. They joined the clans out of necessity, but what they were proposing would open up new options for them.

After a few moments, a light smile crossed Meesei's face. "Although, if you are to be long term guests, I will need to teach the both of you how to live among us."

---

Ri'kalesh's silence, even after Sabine finished her explanation, was likely to do little to calm her. When he finally did speak, his voice still did not carry any obvious sympathy, nor signs of forgiveness. However, when he finally did speak, his words were calm and clear. "Ri'kalesh does believe you, Sabine. He knows you, your kindness, your peaceful nature. He believes the words you speak. But you can still be wrong." He said, his eyes narrowing. "You never even knew all of the people that his actions killed. It wasn't just Do'ajee, and it wasn't just torture. You never knew all of the people in Senchal. Friends, family, elders, children. Do those crimes get erased because he thought he was doing it for good reasons? Do you think you would have spared him if he had killed members of your pack?"

Ri'kalesh shut his eyes, breathing out slowly. "But every man, woman, and child in Ri'kalesh's clan also lives because of you. Were it anyone else, this one would not stand for it. Even if it meant blood, Khajiit would have justice. But, he would not even be here to have this anger were it not for you. Even when he thinks you a fool...Ri'kalesh cannot deny you in any good conscious. The debt we owe you is greater than the demand for justice."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The gravity of the letter's contents made Meesei's visage stoic and severe almost on reflex. Even without the Emperor right in front of her to see her read it, she was not keen on giving away any of her thoughts as she processed it. In many ways, the letter was good news, even with its caveats. Certainly, there was nothing present within that would make a deal unfavorable, if it meant being able to stop Vile. Indeed, Meesei would have been willing to accept much worse terms to ensure Vile's defeat. The greatest issue for her, of course, would be convincing Imperial clans of the need. Not all would be opposed, but she foresaw some arguments ahead of her. Fortunately, it would not be until after the war that the more serious issues would likely arise.

Meesei was still looking at the letter when she finally spoke. "You are certainly a persuasive one, Marod, I shall grant you that." She commented as she neatly folded up the letter again. She would not be the only one that needed to read it. "And I suppose I can give you an answer, Lunise. It seems that the Empire will be willing to engage in dialogue with your people. As I will need to as soon as I can. There is much for me to think about in this, but...the important part is that we have half of our army. Now we just need the rest."

Meesei focused more directly on Marod. "I have a point-of-contact in the form of an Imperial Legate, but something tells me that he shall not be staying in my clan. Do you think that Saras was correct, and that you will be a more...long-term guest here? Having had time to think about it, I do think that it would be beneficial to have you here." She said, giving a glance to Lunise as well. "Both of you. You are capable diplomats, and familiar faces to many of those who may require persuasion."

---

Ri'kalesh was nothing if not patient, though he was far from being forgiving based only on what he had heard so far. There was one sign of success, at least, in the fact that he was not dismissing what she said outright. His expression was critical, but he was listening to her, quite closely. "So your mission was not even focused on the General, you say? Ri'kalesh has not heard of this 'Yerig', but he sounds to be an honorable man. He is also not this one's concern."

"Ri'kalesh knows what happens to Vile's captives. You do not need to describe it for him to know what happened to you. What he does not know is why this has happened. What has made Do'rhajul worthy of his continued life? Ri'kalesh knows you, Sabine. He knows who you are, and he knows you are not going to act without reason. What is that reason?" Ri'kalesh asked.