EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I only would want to challenge them to show them that I am an opponent worthy to lose to." Meesei replied, showing at least somewhat less irritation. "I would find it hard to understand how they could blame Teroiah for a defeat if it seemed clear to them that there was no one in their ranks who could have bested me. I am assuming they are putting their best forward for this. Of course, they do not know what I can do. Even you have never seen my limits."

Meesei hummed to herself, weighing her options in her mind. "Perhaps...I should demonstrate them? Perhaps I should go out of my way to show them the full depth of my ability, the power that I am able to bring to bear. I could leave them no room to question if it was luck, or if Teroiah made a mistake that led to her defeat. If I really let loose everything I have, hold nothing back, then maybe they will have to realize that I am not an inferior opponent to any of them. It would take an incredible amount of stubbornness to deny what is right in front of their eyes."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei shook her head immediately upon the suggestion of infecting Teroiah. "I would not wish to infect her. I suppose it would force her out of any position of relevance where she could be a threat to us, but I have no desire to wield Hircine's blessing as a weapon. My clans have strict rules against involuntary infections. I would only consider it if our very existence was severely threatened, but the threat of Teroiah alone is far from sufficient." She remarked.

"As for what else the Thalmor would want to obtain...they did demand investigations into the clans for any hidden criminals they might be harboring. No doubt inspired by my mention of a former Justiciar that trained many of our warriors in the Dominion. Though, it is a moot point, since the man in question died years ago. There are no serious 'criminals' of importance in the Dominion clans that I know of. Perhaps common thieves and such, but that is just a guess. We do not tend to pry into the histories of our members, as long as they stay in the past." Meesei explained, letting out a short sigh. "Perhaps I could insist upon working with her during the invasion itself after I win the duel? You referred to her as 'the commander'. Does she command troops? I am sure she will be involved, at any rate. Having success against Vile might help her standing. Or perhaps I should just challenge more of your superiors if they try to remove her from her position. After all, if losing to me is truly deserving of such shame, then surely they will be more than willing to prove how inferior I am. Certainly it would be easy for them."

Meesei's expression had shifted somewhat into a scowl, matching the hints of venom in her tone towards Lunise's Thalmor superiors.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It will help her to have an open mind, though she will still need to have the tools at her disposal to counter my abilities. Perhaps I can just end it quickly, as I did with Neesa. I knew that I could not win a match of endurance against the vampire, though I will have to judge based on the situation. It could be that endurance may work in my favor against her. I have become rather difficult to wear down, I would say." Meesei replied.

Meesei lightly tapped a claw against her chin in thought. "Although...I wonder if I could help Teroiah in any way? After defeating her, that is. If her superiors would look down on her so for a defeat as you say, I wonder if there is anything I could do to help her retain her standing? I would rather gain her favor than to have to defeat her again as an enemy. At the very least, acting to her benefit may give her something to think about."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei leaned her head to one side, resting it against Lunise's arm, while reaching up one hand and laying it atop Lunise's on her shoulder. Her description of Teroiah did not break far from Meesei's expectations, though it could make the fight more interesting than it would have been otherwise. "I was not speaking just from pride. She does not know me, meaning, she has no way of knowing my capabilities. She will obviously be going into the fight underestimating me, like all of your superiors, and she will not be expecting me to be using magic even older than herself. One of the greatest strengths I can levy in a fight is not raw magical power, but esoteric magic. Even you have not seen the full variety of abilities I have picked up, and of course, there are the techniques I invented myself. I have more options than just holding up a ward, so if her specialty is breaking wards, then it shall not be enough."

Meesei leaned her head back to look up at Lunise right above her. With a slight grin, she reached up and took a hold of either side of Lunise's head, then pulled her down for a quick kiss. "But do not worry, I shall not be going into this expecting an easy victory. I know full well the capabilities of centuries' old mages, but age is not everything. If it was, I would not have beaten a mage several thousand years my senior. No, as long as I respect her abilities and approach with a good plan, then I will like my chances. Although, if I am successful, and I do best the Thalmor's most capable champion, then I may have to concern myself with how it could affect our future relations with the Dominion, beyond this invasion. It could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the looks on your superiors' faces in the event of my victory will be immensely satisfying, and we will have gained everything we were needing out of this alliance for the invasion. But, we will go from being something of an annoyance within their borders, to a legitimate threat. If they are faced with the reality that someone like me can attain power greater than their own people, then it could put the clans in a tense position. Obviously, the clans could never best the full military might of the Dominion, but they would finally realize that we could tip the scales of power in favor of the Empire. If the Thalmor sees that possibility, then they might decide to act against us and remove that potential threat. The last thing I want is to lose our neutrality and be wrapped up in a war for either side. I may need all of the advice you can give to keep everything peaceful between us."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei did not show the same signs of worry as Lunise, though she certainly understood why she would be concerned. Meesei highly doubted that the Thalmor would have anyone who was not exceptionally capable participate in the duel, regardless of what they assumed about Meesei's abilities. Particularly with Imperial witnesses present, it would be just as much about making a statement as getting their way. Regardless, it was nothing that Meesei had not been expecting from the beginning.

"Specifically? I cannot say I knew anything at all about her beforehand, though I did pick up some details from the conversation. She is likely one of the most powerful mages in the Dominion. One of the best they have to offer. She is a veteran of the Oblivion Crisis, at minimum, and likely many more conflicts. As I said, I expect they are quite confident in her, but...well, she does not know me." Meesei answered.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei had mostly completed the preparations for the portal by the time Lunise arrived, having already established a connection with the destination. She needed only to put forth the magicka required to open the portal itself. Meesei had improved her efficiency at creating them, though it still required more magicka than either of the guards could likely produce, and they could certainly feel it. Though, it still did not demonstrate the full limits of what she was capable of doing: a fact with which Meesei was perfectly content. She intended for her upcoming duel to demonstrate the scope of her abilities to her allies, and she preferred for it to be a surprise.

Meesei kept the portal open only for the few seconds required for herself and Lunise to step through. For convenience, Meesei had brought them straight to Lunise's chambers, if only to save them some walking. Almost immediately upon closing the portal, Meesei's entire demeanor relaxed. She no longer needed to keep up appearances or show strength in every movement or word, so she was able to sit down, relax her muscles, and rest for a moment. "You know, if there is one thing I would like to learn from Neesa while she is here, it would be her method of teleportation. Her technique seemed much easier."

Leaning back in her chair, Meesei let out a long breath. "But, at least that is one more goal accomplished. It could not have gone much better, short of the Thalmor just agreeing to my request outright. I am scheduled to duel against Teroiah in two days time. By our agreement, if I win, then the Dominion will aid in the invasion while I carry the axe into battle. I suspect they are confident in the champion they have chosen."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei kept her eyes on Teroiah as she and the others left, all the while maintaining an almost friendly grin. Meesei would not discount the strengths of the Thalmor, but their pride was certainly a weakness that had gone to Meesei's favor today. She only had to defeat one opponent to secure the last of what was needed for their invasion, and after facing down Hal-Neesa successfully, she believed the odds to be in her favor. To Teroiah's threat, Meesei gave a polite nod in acknowledgement. "I am sure it will be a good fight."

Naturally, Meesei was not left entirely alone as she waited for Lunise. The two guards were still present, though she was equally as disinterested in speaking with them as they were to her. Now that Meesei had what she wanted, she just needed to leave as soon as possible. She did not expect that it would be long before Lunise would arrive, so Meesei went ahead and picked a clear space to create a portal. She concentrated and began to prepare it, expecting that Lunise would arrive by the time she was ready. If the guards were at all magically attuned, they would recognize the energy from when she arrived.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The harsh words of a Dominion commander were generally something to be legitimately feared. Intimidation was a common tactic for the Thalmor, and particularly for their citizens, it was one which was generally successful. At the very least, the Thalmor were accustomed to being treated with the strict respect afforded to them by their positions, but of course, Meesei showed no such reaction. Those present might internally dismiss it as their own inability to read Argonian expressions, but Meesei's expression was simply one of calm satisfaction. She had successfully managed to convince the Thalmor to agree to her terms, and made them think it was their idea. Meesei had not planned on any other repercussions in the event of a defeat, but considering that a loss to the Dominion's champion would likely result in their eventual failure against Vile, being inconvenienced by the Dominion would be the least of their worries.

"I find those terms quite agreeable." Meesei answered almost immediately. "I shall abide by the results of the duel, and I do trust the Dominion to do the same. I should say that, in one of my previous meetings with Imperial representatives, they agreed to allow me to wield the axe should the Dominion agree to this, and I emerge the victor. So, I will need to bring witnesses from the Empire, and my own clan, if that is quite alright. If there is nothing more beyond that, I will return to this spot in two days time. Would you like for me to take your representative to the clans back to Skyrim with me?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Given that Siloune's companions were obviously her subordinates, Meesei did not pay much attention to their reactions. Siloune herself, though characteristically arrogant for a Thalmor, was also reasonable enough as a diplomat by their standards. She was at least willing to have a dialogue about the issue instead of dismissing Meesei outright. "I am well aware of the experience found within the Dominion military structure; a former Thalmor justiciar orchestrated the training of most of the lycans in Alinor. However, I am not here to suggest any sort of exceptions to your military doctrine or command structure. Quite the opposite, what I am suggesting for this invasion is a cooperative military action on the part of multiple seperate entities: The Empire, the Dominion, and the lycan clans. We can operate independently and pursue separate objectives during the invasion. Regardless of who was or was not in charge, mixing our command structures would only needlessly complicate this invasion. Your commanders would not be even-ranking to any Imperial or lycan, since our command structures would remain distinct. We merely need to coordinate our overarching strategy at the highest levels among our respective military leadership."

Meesei expected her next point to be the most contentious, as it pertained to the linchpin of their entire invasion plan. "I only see one...potential complication in regards to independent armies, as there is only one Rueful Axe. It has been empowered successfully and will be capable of weakening Vile, but of course, we cannot all share it. I am sure that Justiciar Lunise has informed you of my intentions to carry the weapon into battle myself. I expect that you object to this, and I fully understand why you do, which is why I am fully prepared to prove myself a worthy axe-bearer. Since the most important trait for the bearer of the axe is combat proficiency, a duel with your own champion, or champions, would be an appropriate test."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Regardless of the predictable attitude of the Thalmor, Meesei did not hesitate in the slightest with her response. Again, she had no intention of outright disrespecting her hosts, but she needed to remain firm in her negotiations. Showing too much in the way of weakness would do nothing but confirm the notions that the Thalmor already had about her. "I am glad that you and your companions are experienced, of course, but you can rest assured that I am quite familiar with the events of the Oblivion crisis. I have been personally advised by multiple veterans of that war among my people. I count lycans of all Tamrielic races among my clans, Elves included."

Meesei clasped her hands together on the table in front of her. Her words had challenged Siloune's, so she was quick to continue so that it did not descend into an argument so soon. "But, I have of course not come here expecting to command the Thalmor either. I and my allies do value the experience you can bring. As you said, the Daedra are a threat to all of Tamriel. We should plan our attack cooperatively, bringing all of the experience we collectively have to bear against Clavicus Vile. I am sure you can agree that it would be unwise to squander any potential advantage we might have against an army of immortals."