EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth leaned in, resting her head on Janius' shoulder. "Not right now. I've spent all day visiting people. I just want to be with you right now. Let's go see if we can find where we're going to be sleeping."

---

It was two days before Julan's rite was set to take place. On the day in between, Julan selected his opponent for the fight, but since he had no real way of knowing how skilled each of the volunteers were, he did not put much thought into the choice. For the most part, he just focused on mentally preparing himself to perform as well as he could. Although, he did not spend the entire day training. Rather, he was feeling confident enough to try and get to better know some of the other hunter apprentices he had met the day before. Those who did not like Julan had identified themselves rather plainly when they met, so it was not hard for him to avoid them.

Despite being Argonian, Julan still felt like an outsider, and indeed, most of his conversations with the others were about that fact. He spent a lot of time either describing his life back home as best as he could without giving away anything sensitive, or asking them about their lives in the village. He had not been expecting it to be as difficult as it was for him to fit in with others of his own kind. They would often say words he did not understand, make jokes that made no sense to him, or play games with rules he did not know. He had not expected to feel like he would fit in better with bunch of Nord children. But, he could not say that he did not enjoy the experience, for as long as he was able to avoid the more resentful elements of the village.

On the morning of the rite, Julan was outside early, after obviously rushing through his breakfast. The rite was being held later in the day, so for the morning, he was free to do as he pleased. In this case, he was excited to join some of the other apprentices in playing some games after their early-morning training.

When Janius did eventually head outside and spotted Julan near the edge of the village, however, he would find him in seemingly lower spirits than he might have anticipated. As would be expected for an amphibious race of swamp-dwellers, Argonians tended to spend a lot of time in the water, and the children were no different. They were divided into teams, and looked to be fighting over a leather-wrapped ball while swimming at speeds that would leave a Human lost and confused. However, Julan was not involved. Rather, he was sitting alone in the river near its edge, keeping his head down and giving periodic glances towards the others.

---

Ahnasha kept holding on to Rhazii in silence for a short while. She allowed herself time for her tears to subside before she answered him. "I'm...not sure. You can ask them; I'm not going to try and stop you, or anything like that. But, I don't know if they will be able to help you. Their situations are different. My father, I'm sure he has come to terms with my mother's aging, but he has never had the choice I am giving you. Not to mention, he is a devout follower of the Eight. Any application of necromancy is taboo to them, and he would associate life extension with that kind of magic right away. He would be against it right way, just because of that. As for your grandmother on your father's side..."

Ahnasha looked off into the forest, somewhat uncomfortably. "If I am being entirely honest, I'm still not sure how she feels about me and Fendros. She became friendly during our last visit. Sociable, nice even, but I do still wonder if it is just an act. She might not have been expecting me to be with her son for a full, Elven lifetime. She doesn't yet know I have stopped aging for now. I could be wrong; I don't want to assume the worst about her. But, it could influence how she might answer you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth let out a sigh. "Let's hope so. Most of them seem friendly enough to Julan for now, but our visit isn't over yet. And, well, it's our first day here, and Julan has already got into a fight."

Kaleeth did feel that she had plenty of reasons to worry about how this all was going to turn out, but despite those worries, she did finally bring herself to smile. "If you could call that a fight. Maybe we should just leave him to try his hand at making friends, and try to avoid embarrassing him?"

---

"Hmm, but that is something that all Elves end up having to deal with, isn't it?" Ahnasha pointed out. "Entire races of people who have to deal with the fact that they will far outlive most not of their kind. And yet, they all find a way to make peace with it. Of course, they usually do not outlive their own families, which is why I am sure you are having these reservations about it. Believe me, I understand the way you feel about your friends, about Julan, or this hypothetical future wife. If you think about how you would feel about them, well...that's how I feel about you."

Ahnasha had been looking down at the ground as she spoke, and by this point, her voice was starting to get choked up noticeably. When she finally returned eye contact, there were tears in her eyes. "I don't want to lose you, Rhazii." She continued, throwing her arms around him. "I don't want to choose between losing my son to old age, or forcing the love of my life to go through the very same thing with me. And you, for that matter. It doesn't have to be just you. I can do it for others too. Not too many at once; that would not be practical to maintain, but...I could handle keeping a few people alive far past their natural lifespans."

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

Although Kresst was hesitant to agree, he did not feel there would be much success in trying to argue with Mevenn, and it was true that someone would need to listen to this message. After a moment of thought, he slowly nodded. "Very well, Mevenn."

Kresst shifted his attention back towards Mach, who was still silent after Kresst's intervention. "Although, I do feel that I should reiterate: this message, for whatever reason and by whatever unknown means, almost certainly caused your squad to take up arms against one of their closest friends. You should not hear it until we better understand what is happening, and perhaps how to protect you from falling victim to it. Eeruna, please relay the message."

The Mon Calamari nodded and, after a nervous glance towards the clone, brought up the encrypted message on her datapad and transmitted it to Mevenn's helmet. It would take a few moments for her comms to run through the decryption, but after that, it would play for her immediately.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth did not look as upbeat as Janius, but she did eventually return a grin. "Maybe. I guess it depends on how stubborn they are. If nothing else, the second or third time might be enough to make that point." She said, though she soon looked away with a soft sigh. "It also seems that people do remember me. Even if it isn't fondly."

Nearby, Janius' acute hearing would also be able to listen some of the children talking, away from Julan, but certainly about him. Even after the short fight, some of their opinions were still rather mixed. Julan being an outsider, and the son of a Human, were not details that were going to be easily forgotten. But, it did seem that more were open to outsiders than not. Some described him as strange, but obviously skilled, while others were skeptical that he would fare as well during his rite. Janius would have a hard time hearing everything they were saying, especially outside of his native tongue, but of the words he could hear, the insults were outweighed by words like "strong, nice," and even a few variants of "handsome." Unfortunately, those few with an already-negative opinion did not appear to be easily swayed.

---

"You can take as long as you like, Rhazii. But, I do want to reassure you that it is not nearly as complicated as you probably think it is." Ahnasha explained. Now that she had moved past the barrier of bringing up the topic, she was more relaxed about discussing it. "It takes some preparation, some...materials, but once you have those, it is just a ritual with a few spells. And it is not a permanent change either. One ritual is not suddenly going to make you live for a thousand years. I do wish it were that simple. No, you do have to maintain the magic every decade or so. If you were ever to change your mind, you would not have to take your own life to avoid living hundreds of years longer than you want."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan appeared lost for a few more seconds, looking down at his hand. "Um, yeah, I guess. I didn't mean to..."

Julan was not able to say any more before he found himself crowded by their onlookers, or at least some of them. Those who had already been curious about Julan, or at least uncertain about him, were now all smiling and congratulating his quick victory. one boy gave him a playful punch to his shoulder, followed by an encouraging pat on the back. "Well, that was about as clear as it could be. I guess everyone really should be afraid to talk bad about you, or your mother."

"Oh, well, I don't really want to make people afraid..." Julan began, though he stopped mid-sentence once the girl, Leeus, caught his attention. She approached him, smiling in a way that made him just want to smile back.

"One punch. Guess that's all you needed. I would apologize for dragging you into all that, but I guess you had it all under control. You were so fast, and...those muscles aren't just for show." Leeus grinned.

Meanwhile, those who were already suspicious about Julan were not dissuaded by the fight, but were preoccupied with Vaarkai. Two of them, likely friends of Varrkai since they had been sitting together, rushed over to him after they got over their shock from watching the fight. "Hey! Get away from him, softskin. Stop touching him!" The girl growled as she ran over to check his breathing, then pointed to her other friend. "We should get him to the healer; get his legs, I've got his shoulders."

---

Ahnasha nodded. She did not generally find the subject uncomfortable to talk about with friends, but speaking about it with Rhazii, in this context, did have her slightly nervous. "Yes. By now, it is something of an...open secret that I no longer age. Or at least, not very quickly. It was something I pursued because I want to follow your father into old age together, which would be hard when he could outlive me by over nine hundred years. I worked hard, trained, and eventually learned what I needed. But, if I am being honest, the thought of me living on in youth while you slowly grow old in front of me is...frightening, I guess would be a way to put it. I don't want to have to leave you behind...but it doesn't have to be that way. Extending a life isn't too difficult, once you have the knowledge you need. It would not be hard for me to help you."

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?"