EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"And you enjoyed it as such, yes?" Meesei commented, giving Marod a curious look. If you think about them closely, what difference is there really between a chaurus and a mudcrab? Two hard-shelled creatures with soft meat. A mudcrab is like an insect of the water. The only reason it seems normal to you is because they are more common. Besides, it is not as if it is unheard of to eat chaurus. I believe there is a commonly-circulated book in Skyrim that gives an excellent recipe for chaurus pie."

With how enthused it seemed to be with Meesei, it perhaps should not have been a surprise when the chaurus crawled completely over the fence and began to walk tightly around her. While it was a reasonably tall fence, Ma'rasi was able to bypass it with little effort. It was doubtful that the fences posed any real barrier to the creatures if they had a mind to escape. Again, Meesei laughed. "You know, I do see the irony in the fact that our fierce military commander has among the friendliest of chaurus. We do use them for livestock, particularly with how useful their chitin is. For those who do not wear heavy armor, chaurus chitin is a good alternative to Dwemer metal. But, it is not all we use them for. Their senses rival our own, especially for finding prey in low-light, and they are excellent climbers. Chaurus hunters can even fly. They work well with scouts, and their tough shells and acid make them useful in combat. For a while, the Falmer were quite confused to see them fighting for us, once we started training them."

Meesei took a step back from the chaurus, then started to shift into her werewolf form, to which the chaurus was entirely undeterred. Once in her werewolf form again, Meesei let out a quick grunt. "And once you come to terms with their looks, they are loyal companions." She explained as she reached down underneath the chaurus, grabbing it around the center of its body. While she did show some effort in doing so, she proceeded to hoist up Ma'rasi over her own head, causing her legs to flail out reflexively in search of some ground to latch onto. Ma'rasi while not at the absolute largest stage of her development, was much more massive than any Human or Elf, so the fact that Meesei was able to pick her up and set her back down on the other side of the fence spoke to her strength. "Now, stay Ma'rasi. I have other things to do right now."

---

Ri'vashi closed her eyes, breathing out a long sigh. "Sabine, you cannot just demand friendship. You know that as well as I. You knew what you were doing in accepting Do'rhajul as you have, and you knew what it might mean to others. If that is the path you choose, then you have to be willing to accept any sacrifices that go along with it. That being said...Ri'vashi did not say anything about our friendship. There is a lot of history between us, Sabine, even though you are making her...very angry right now."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei could not help but to grin. She seemed to have no fear of the acid, given that she leaned over the fence to rub the chaurus' neck, specifically the points where the shell's plates met. "As much as I would like for my clan to be able to take all of the credit, the Falmer did most of the work for us. These chaurus are quite a bit different from those you might find up in Hjaalmarch. The Falmer trained the chaurus, use them for everything. They have been breeding them as their loyal servants for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. For these chaurus, it is already in their nature to serve their masters. We merely needed to take some eggs and raise them as the Falmer do. We were skeptical and cautious at first, but their behavior has proven to be as malleable as any dog, horse, or livestock.

The chaurus, Ma'rasi, put two of its legs up on the fence to allow it to raise itself up over the fence, then lowered its head down closer to Meesei. It clicked a few more times, then rubbed its head up against her, all while Meesei smiled. "This is Ma'rasi. She is Ri'vashi's chaurus. She is one of the older ones that we have. Her trainer was going to gift her to me, but my pack already have our hands full enough with Leaps. Most of the time, chaurus go through a metamorphosis to turn in to a flying form, called a chaurus hunter. There are some, though, that just end up growing much larger: chaurus reapers. We are not completely sure why; perhaps because they are the chaurus that lay the majority of the eggs. Ma'rasi may be one of those, though we really do not know how to say for sure. What I can say, though, is that they are perfectly safe to be around. No trained chaurus has ever hurt one of us. Well...no more than any other domestic creature. They do not use their acid unless they are threatened. Or on our command. Their appearance is unsettling, I admit, but our clan has slowly grown used to them over the years."

---

Ri'vashi crossed her arms, already appearing impatient before they even began. "The council came to a decision that made...plausible strategic sense. They believe that the General can be of sufficient benefit to us alive. That is a position that is defensible, and Ri'vashi cannot prove it wrong. It was not Khajiit's choice, but it is what we are doing. The only thing Ri'vashi wants now is for you to make sure it is worth it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Just as she promised, Meesei took the time to show Marod and Lunise some of the more important part of the city for one's day-to-day life. They had already been shown around what was essentially their governing building, so she focused on places like the kitchens, blacksmiths, and tailors, as well as more arcane specialists like enchanters and alchemists if they needed any magical supplies. Due to the feast, none of them were actually available at the moment, but they all worked in the same places every day. Any member of the clan was given their basic necessities, but their clan was still large enough to have a market and trade much like an "actual" city. It was only trusted, designated traders who were allowed to exchange goods with the outside word, but thanks to their propylon network, they were able to trade freely with most of Tamriel's clans.

Through the entire tour, Meesei ended up transforming back and forth between her Argonian and werewolf forms seemingly on a whim. She did not give a reason for doing so, but she made it clear in practice as well as her words that she was equally comfortable in either form. As time passed, more people began to trickle in from the feast, but the city was still far from crowded. Eventually, they came back around close to the gates, to some additions they had made outside one of the original Dwemer structures. They were clearly stables, and they did indeed have horses as one might expect, but on the other side of a tall, wooden wall separating the horses, Marod and Lunise would be able to hear a distinctive clicking sound.

Meesei, in her Argonian form, glanced back towards the pair as she walked along the fence. "I am not sure if you will have need of mounts, but if you do, our stables are here. You will have to bring in your own horses, I am afraid. All of these here are owned." She explained as they started to move past the dividing wall, which revealed clearly the source of the clicking. There were multiple pens, all containing chaurus of various sizes.

"We also keep our chaurus here, whenever their owners are unable to watch them. The fences do not do much to keep in the chaurus hunters, given their wings, but we have never really had a problem with them flying away. They are well-trained." Meesei commented. After a moment, one of the larger chaurus seemed to notice Meesei and walked up to the fence. It was an adult, though it had not yet gone through its metamorphosis into a chaurus hunter. The only defining feature it had compared to the other chaurus was a light-colored scratch across the right side of its head. The creature clicked its mandibles together and extended its head out through the fence towards Meesei, who chuckled in response. She reached out her hand and scratched at the joint just under its mandibles. "Hello there, Ma'rasi. Good to see you too."

---

Ri'vashi remained just as harsh in her expression, even though her tone still did not reflect it. "We already spoke of this as well. Ri'vashi does not think there is anything more to accomplish talking about any of this."

Letting out a sigh, Ri'vashi, nevertheless, stood up to her feet. "But if it gives you some peace of mind, then we can speak of the same things again. She will go where you wish."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I'm a bit surprised they would take you across the globe without giving you something more solid. It is quite a bit of trouble to do so. You did get compensated for travel, didn't you?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

So, once you get settled in, what are your hours going to be like?

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.”