EliteCommander

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

Kresst quickly broke his usual calm, though not out of emotion in this case. This was a situation that could escalate horribly, and quickly, if something was not done right away. "Stop. Both of you need to stop and listen to yourselves. You two know each other better than I ever could, and there are some questions you both need to ask yourselves. You have fought together for years, placed your lives in each other's hands. You have come to know each other as family, closer even, with what you have undoubtedly been through together. If you think back on all of that, all of the battles, and the bonding in between, then answer me this: Mach, if your superiors accused Mevenn of being a traitor, then ordered you to execute her immediately and without trial, would you do it? And Mevenn, with all you know of all of the others in your squad, of all their personalities, traits, flaws, and loyalties, do you honestly believe they would as well?"

Kresst let out a long breath, his eyes shifting slowly between the two of them. "I do not know what, but I believe there is something else sinister afoot. This...darkness I feel, it is everywhere."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan was growling softly, glaring through one eye at Vaarkai. His insults and overall rudeness had been agitating Julan, but being directly attacked, and with another cheap shot at that, had him feeling an almost instinctual desire for payback. His beast wanted blood, but his more reasonable mind could compromise just for some pain.

Since they all had first started talking to him, Julan had mostly been passive towards insults, and somewhat awkward overall. He was still holding his hand over the spot where he had been hit and had backed a few steps away, so Vaarkai was outwardly confident. Despite Julan's appearance of strength, he had not yet given Vaarkai a solid reason to be afraid of him. He marched forward at Julan with his hands clenched into fists, but without them raised into any proper defensive posture. "What, aren't you going to fight me? It was your own father's idea. Or maybe you're just as weak and useless as your mother. Yeah, my parents told me about her. Kaleeth-Rei. They said she was the most worthless hunter they'd ever seen, and I-"

Vaarkai's words only helped to further encourage Julan to retaliate, and he was, as Vaarkai soon discovered, far quicker and stronger than expected. Julan's free hand shot up and struck a clean hit straight to the side of Vaarkai's head harder than Julan honestly felt he should have hit him. There was not as much of a question of if Julan had broke something, as what he had broken. Vaarkai stumbled back, wide-eyed and dizzy, and only avoided falling entirely because he backed into one of the onlookers, who helped steady him. His eyes could not seem to focus, and each step he tried to take forward was less coordinated than an intoxicated beggar. "I'll kick your..." Were the only slurred words he managed to utter before falling forward flat on his face. He had been knocked out cold, and the best that could be said about him at the moment was that he was clearly still breathing.

About half of the onlookers were speechless, while the other half could not stop talking or laughing at Vaarkai's expense. All of them had obviously expected a fight that would last longer than one blow, and honestly, so had Julan. He stood still, speechless and confused, with a sore hand and a blank stare.

---

"I...understand what you are saying, Rhazii. I understand why you feel that way, but you shouldn't worry about me." Ahnasha replied. She looked away for a brief moment, but made herself return eye contact with him to avoid seeming like she was trying to hide her feelings. "I do think I need that kind of a reminder, honestly. I should never forget the stakes of what it is I do. The past can't be changed, but this whole little outing we're having right now is because I know I can still influence the future. I can make sure you are prepared to face your own challenges, and make sure I don't make the same mistakes I did before. Pain and regret can be debilitating to some, yes, but they can also become valuable lessons. You drive me to be stronger in many more ways than one, Rhazii. I want to make the world a better place for lycans, so that it can be a better place for you. I want to give you the chance to become as strong, or stronger, than me, but without the danger of having your soul enslaved by a power-hungry Daedra. I know some of the others say they want their children to be able to live their lives in peace, but...I mostly just want you to be able to live like you want to."

There was another pause from Ahnasha, and this time, she actually looked noticeably nervous before continuing hesitantly. "And, speaking of your life...I have been wondering something. How, um, long do you think you want to live, Rhazii?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth held out a hand to Janius' shoulder, lightly holding him back and speaking softly to him in Cyrodilic. "You probably shouldn't get involved. Hunter apprentices have to fight their own battles, and I think she's one of them. I think most of these children are, actually. They look strong enough for it."

The girl, Leeus, quickly scrambled up to her feet, apparently unscathed. Their scales were good at protecting against minor scrapes, which could easily become infected in the swamps. While their bodies were usually good at dealing with infections regardless, it was just another defense they had against their environment. "Hmph, cheap shot Vaarkai. Still doesn't make you look any less afraid."

Vaarkai stood up along with Leeus, and Julan was not sure what he should be doing at this point. He did not feel like he had done anything to cause a fight, yet this all was clearly about him. He was not sure if he should get involved, or how to calm everyone down if he did. Unfortunately, Julan's lack of a plan did not stop him from speaking before giving himself time to think. He stood up along with them and held up his hands in front of himself. "Hey, there's no need to fight each other. I don't mind sparring, if you want. I mean, if you don't want, that's fine too. I just really..."

Vaarkai may or may not have listened to everything Julan was trying to say, but he was getting upset, and Julan was the most recent person to speak to him. He growled between his teeth between his words. "Fine! If everyone wants me to fight so bad, then I'll fight!"

Quickly, Vaarkai lashed out, delivering a surprise punch straight to Julan's snout. He stumbled back holding his hand over his nose, though more out of surprise than the actual force of the blow. The other children started to gather around them in a circle, clearing out space between them and cheering on one combatant or the other in their impromptu sparring match. Julan was still looking down at the ground with one hand over his head, but the other was clenched tightly into a fist. If Janius looked closely enough, he could see Julan's teeth, and the intensity in his eyes. It was a familiar sort of rage for one who had spent well over a decade living closely with a werecrocodile. Even when they were in control, they could be quite volatile with the right provocation.

---

Ahnasha looked ahead, silently contemplating for a few seconds. "It's been a long war, and I've killed a lot of people, but I can't think back on any kills that I regret making. If I don't think someone deserves to die, then I don't kill them. It's really as simple as that. If you're asking if I've ever killed anyone in battle and learned something about them later, well..."

Ahnasha gave another look out into the forest, though her mind was looking back into her past. "I saw the aftermath of one of our enemy's gas attacks. You were still pretty young when Ariel came up with the antidote, so you might not remember what it was like: the fear. We lost whole clans to an enemy we couldn't even fight. We just had to run, hide, and hope not to be found. We moved to try and help some refugees who were fleeing from one of the clans that got hit, but we didn't get there in time. They gassed them too, took anything valuable, then just left the bodies. Men, women, everyone from the elderly to little infants. They weren't just dead, they were like husks; they had their very souls stolen from their bodies. If that's the enemy that I'm fighting: an enemy that is working to steal the souls of myself and everyone that I love, then I can't go worrying if the random soldier I'm fighting may or may not have any 'redeeming qualities'. Some of our enemies may have just made mistakes, but if those mistakes end up with a mass grave full of souless husks that used to be children, then there is still a price to pay for that."

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

While Mevenn had already mentioned the betrayal before, hearing her describe it again was no less impactful. Kresst had hoped he had misunderstood Mevenn in her initial, panicked state, but the implications of what had transpired were just as troubling as he had initially feared. There was the possibility that Mevenn's squad had somehow went rogue, or that the enemy had somehow found a way to control the minds of their cloned bodies, but Kresst had already begun to piece together the few details he knew to make those possibilities seem less likely. The most disturbing scenario, that it was the Republic that turned against them, was seeming more likely.

The Mon Calamari's already large eyes widened out of shock from Mevenn's description of what happened. Although, it did not take her long to piece together Mevenn's recollection with her own perspective. "Wait, the clones turned on you? That's...I knew they were acting strange, but this is...well, 'bad' is an understatement." She said, pulling out her datapad as she continued. "I got nervous when the Separatists showed up, but I had the clones guarding the ship, and the droids weren't really getting close to us. Then, we picked up a transmission from Coruscant. It had military encryption, and definitely wasn't for me, but the clones got it. Then they just...the way they started acting had me more nervous than the Seps. I know clones are professional soldiers and everything, but I've been around them a lot, and I know they don't usually act like the Human versions of droids. They would hardly even acknowledge me, wouldn't give me a rendezvous point in case I had to take off, they just left me and the ship alone. All without any input from their Jedi commander. Now, C2 saved that transmission. It's encrypted, but you have that clone armor, and the comms the message was meant for. We could probably play it if I send it to you." She offered to Mevenn.

Kresst held up his hand abruptly. "Wait!" He interrupted. His 'shouting' voice was coarse, somewhat high-pitched, and could be hard to take seriously at times, but it could certainly grab one's attention. "This isn't the first I am hearing of that message. Just as we were about to head down into the Sith temple, Mach mentioned that we had received a priority order from Coruscant. But, then we headed underground before he could listen to it. Our communications were cut off while we were down there." He explained as he shifted his gaze towards the clone on the far side of the table. "Mach never heard that order."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan gave a nervous look around at the others. He did not actually want to fight a stranger in a foreign village, mostly out of fear of accidentally hurting someone, or doing something else to get himself in trouble. Keeping to himself seemed like a good way to be safe, though he was at least glad that they had quickly moved on from the topic of marriage. "I, um, don't know if I should be fighting anyone." Julan replied, looking away.

Almost on cue, the boy chimed in quickly with his unwanted remarks. "Like I said, softskin-raised like you wouldn't stand a chance anyway."

The violet-scaled girl finally broke her attention away from Janius and Julan to look at the tan boy. "Well, Vaarkai, if you really think that, then why don't you spar with him?"

Finally, the boy had nothing to say, at least for a few moments. Although he was slightly taller than Julan, it was plainly obvious to anyone who could just look at the two of them that Julan was much stronger. In fact, it was obvious that none of the other young Argonians present could match him. The boy, Vaarkai, had evidently not thought far enough ahead to avoid having to back up his goading in any convincing fashion. "I...well there's no point in me fighting him. It would be a waste of my time. It would just be too easy."

The girl stood up and approached Vaarkai, leaning in with a grin. "Oh really? Well I think you're just afraid of losing to an outsider."

"I...just...shut up, Leeus!" Vaarkai shouted, shooting up from the log he was sitting on and shoving the girl, knocking her flat on her tail.

---

Ahnasha held firm with the confidence in her voice. "Rhazii, I selected our targets well, you don't have to worry. You can trust me, those specific people we just killed did deserve it. They were bandits, and I am certain of it. Hunting someone down was the only way to give you the experience you needed, but it is not as if that is something we do normally. We don't hunt people just because we can; we're not ferals. The only people we hunt are the servants of Vile, and you don't have a problem killing them, do you?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan's gaze snapped up to Janius, wide-eyed. He was caught off-guard, and stammered for a few seconds as he spoke. "What? I don't...I...that's not funny!"

Several of the others laughed, though not all may have been doing so in good fun. There were two or three that looked more judgmental, perhaps mistrusting, than the rest. Must like the rest of the village as a whole, there were some who did not necessarily take kindly to outsiders. Julan's anxiety might have been at least partially justified. Still, the violet-scaled girl was content ignoring any and all of the others to continue her questioning. "Humans also have marriage? I didn't think you'd have that without the Hist to keep you together. Did you really come here to find your son a wife? I thought he said he was here for his rite?"

The boy sitting on the log in the back huffed dismissively. "No chance a softskin-raised like him is going to beat a real hunter. Should have just picked the rite of endurance and hope that the Hist take it easy on you. Or maybe you're afraid the Hist will punish you for being softskin-raised."

---

"Well, in a war, that is usually a much easier question to answer. Anyone who associates themselves with Vile deserves what they get. Outside of a war, you rarely would have a reason to hunt down someone to kill them. For the most part, you would only be defending yourself against an attacker. If someone is trying to kill you, then it should not be a moral question for you to kill them." Ahnasha answered. She did not usually think as much about her targets as Rhazii was, but she wanted to give him reasonable ways of avoiding guilt. "We don't usually make mistaking selecting our targets in this war, and if we do, then it won't be your fault."

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

Kresst finally slowed down once the loading ramp was closed behind them. He was keeping an eye on Mach, but still did not sense any sort of threat from him. "I'm afraid I don't have those answers yet. Once we are somewhere safe, hopefully we will be able to figure all of this out." He replied, just before their pilot came rushing to them from across the ship. She was a Mon Calamari woman in a red flight uniform, almost the same shade as her skin. Kresst had guessed early on that she was a member of the Jedi Service Corps, due to her force-sensitivity. While not quite panicked, she was certainly alarmed, confused, and looking for answers.

"Okay, what is going on here...master?" She asked between breaths, only barely remembering to use some formality. "This planet has turned into a warzone, and I haven't been able to get a hold of anyone. Too much longer, and I'd have had to have taken off."

"I'm not sure I understand all of this myself, but we need to get off-world right away." Kresst answered.

The pilot looked visibly relieved. "Good. I'll have us back to Coruscant as fast as possible."

Kresst held up a hand just as the pilot was about to turn back towards the cockpit. "Wait. I'm not sure that is a good idea. Something...horrible is happening, and I'm not sure Coruscant is safe anymore. Just...take us away from the planet, into space. Far from anything. In the short-term, that is probably the safest place we can be."

"I...okay, Master Jedi, I'll do as you say. What about the rest of the soldiers? The clones, I mean; should we wait on them?" She questioned, to which Kresst slowly shook his head. Understanding his meaning, the pilot rushed back up to the cockpit with her astromech to get them off of the planet. She already had the engines primed and ready, so there was no further delay for them to take off.

Kresst understood the probable trauma that was fresh on Mevenn's mind, so he managed to overcome his own questions and worries enough to keep a calm exterior. He gently encouraged Mevenn to sit down in the ship's common room to calm her mind and collect herself, while keeping Mach close to himself. Given what Mevenn had claimed happened between herself and her squad, Kresst did not think it wise to leave them together alone.

Since their fates were in the hands of their pilot at this point, Kresst simply took the time to meditate and gather his thoughts while they were leaving the planet. In the Sith temple, he had sensed betrayal, but now it seemed that it was far worse than he could have imagined. He had first felt the darkness encroaching on his senses back when they were approaching the Sith temple, but now, out of the planet's atmosphere, it was hardly any weaker. It was a wave of darkness permeating the whole of the galaxy, for those with the senses to feel it.

Eventually, the atmosphere in the ship settled into an uneasy calm, shortly before the pilot joined them once more in the common room. She stepped into see Mevenn and Mach on opposite sides of the table from one another, with Kresst meditating at a seat in the middle. She was finally the one to break the silence. "I think we're out of any immediate danger, at least. C2 has us on a course towards...nothing, and it doesn't seem like we're being followed. So..." She began, letting out a long, deep breath. "...what the hell is going on?"

Kresst slowly opened his eyes and straightened up in his seat. "Yes, I think we all need to catch each other up on what we've missed. I went down into the Sith temple with that local commander, and Mach. Eventually, after I dug up whatever answers the commander was looking for, he turned on us. He knocked Mach out, and attempted to kill me. He was an acolyte of the Dark Side. Perhaps self-taught, given his meager skills, but I had no choice but to kill him. I managed to wake Mach up, we headed back up to the surface, then back to you as fast as possible, Mevenn. I felt the betrayal from within the temple, but had thought it was the locals."

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

Though Mevenn was undoubtedly turning to Kresst for wisdom, he was equally as surprised as Mach. At the very least, unlike Mach, he did have a few moments to think and collect his thoughts without Mevenn holding him down with the Force. "What? No, it wasn't your clone that betrayed me, it was that Captain. I assumed you were fighting the locals up here. This is..." His voice trailed off as he shifted to focus on Mach.

Despite Kresst's surprise, he was at least in more of a position to think clearly than Mevenn. He focused on the clone's mind, but did not find what he was expecting to sense. Kresst believed Mevenn when she said the clones had turned on her, yet all that Kresst could sense within Mach was a mix of fear and confusion. It was possible that he was skilled at masking his emotions, but Kresst's instincts were telling him otherwise. And regardless of the truth, they still needed to move quickly.

"What we should do is get on the ship and get into deep space as soon as physically possible. We can try to figure this out once we're not in the middle of this warzone. Our pilot isn't a clone; she's directly employed by the Jedi Order. Hopefully she won't betray us too." Kresst recommended before giving a calm, but firm gaze towards the clone. "Mach, we will figure this out, but please give your weapons to Mevenn. It is for the best."

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

Kresst, as he was rushing towards the ship, was drastically different from his normal, relaxed state. Where as he was usually slow to the point of being frustrating, he was now springing forward with each force-assisted leap. Even then, it was clear that he was holding back so that Mach would even be able to keep up at all. More than Kresst, the clone's armor hinted at the ordeal they had been through, being covered in dust with a cracked helmet held under his arm.

For Kresst, the explosions and blaster fire he heard and felt on his approach plainly showed that the conflict had not been restricted to the Sith temple, which made it even more imperative that they get off of the planet quickly. As much as he wanted to obtain the Sith artifact, he did not feel it worthwhile enough to risk throwing his life away over it.

"We've been betrayed!" Kresst shouted as he neared Mevenn. "We need to get off of this planet right now! Are your men already aboard?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan started to rub the back of his neck. "I, um, we're not really friends. I mean, not that we can't be friends, but we all just...met." He said, looking as awkward as he was sounding. The boy on the log looked too surprised about Janius actually speaking Jel to pay much attention to Julan, but the girl who had been questioning Julan looked up at him with an almost ravenous sort of curiosity. She had dark, somewhat violet scales, and looked to be somewhere within a year of Julan's age.

"You're his father? Is that really true, though? I mean, how can a Human be the father of a Saxhleel?" The girl asked.

---

"It's alright." Ahnasha said without hesitation. "That was the whole point of this: to deal with those feelings now, with me, so that you aren't really in any danger."

Ahnasha sat herself down in front of Rhazii. She seemed mostly relaxed, but her twitching ears and occasional glances into the forest showed that she was still reasonably alert. "If you want to talk, we can take as much time as you need. There is still plenty of time before we need to be back in the city."