EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan rubbed his arm, then looked over his shoulder a moment as if checking to see if they were being spied on. Though, they were being discrete in any case, he supposed. "I...maybe in a few days. I don't feel that bad right now. I just have some stress about all of this, I guess."

"You don't need to worry, son, it's not going to hurt. They have potions for that to numb you. I barely even felt sore when I was getting mine." Kaleeth said, though it had little effect on Julan. As much as Kaleeth continued to wish it were something so simple, Julan was not worried about the pain. Nevertheless, Julan finally dropped the bone he had been picking at for the last few minutes and stood up. "I should probably get over to the Treeminder now. He wants to start early in the day."

---

Part of Ahnasha wanted Rossarm to lash out. She would have loved for him to try it, if only so they could have a good excuse to show him, definitively, exactly how outmatched he really was. But she also knew she could not antagonize him. With everyone who was present, Llarasa, Calia, Monderyn, and her own parents, she had to give a genuine effort to talk him down. She did not want to lose their support, and not to mention, her parents were starting to look terrified.

Regardless, Ahnasha still refused to back down, simply crossing her arms as Fendros held out his hand beside her. There was still no fear in her eyes, as she knew she had little reason to be afraid. Fendros had been training his wards to resist Meesei's attacks; no matter what Rossarm might try, he could not so much as scratch them. She simply returned his gaze, as defiant and confident as ever. "You should listen to your son. We didn't come here for violence. We came out here today for a picnic, had some excellent food, laughed, told stories, and even had a bit of an archery competition. Monderyn is a better shot than I thought he would be. And then, we come to you. Rossarm, I will say it plainly: I do not fear you. I have never had a reason to fear you, and I suspect that my husband is done with being afraid of you. I just want to get along, Rossarm, both of us do. But, you cannot hurt us."

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

Kresst had not known the clones, or even so much as their names, but that did not mean he could not feel the depth of what their loss meant to Mevenn and, of course, Mach. He could feel in himself a burning anger towards whatever faceless entity was responsible for the crime, though he had to hide that feeling from being sensed. "The people responsible for stealing their minds and commanding their bodies to violence, those are the ones who killed your friends. And the ones who deserve justice for it." Kresst said; although, he took care not to say too much more too quickly, so as not to intrude upon their reconciliation. He waited patiently until enough time had passed that he felt it was appropriate for him to speak again.

"There is still much we do not know about the situation, and I do not want to assume to know the truth until we do." Kresst began, taking a few slow steps closer to Mevenn and Mach. "But, I do want to say that I know I can trust you two. No matter what happened, or will happen, we will be stronger to face it together. If this event was not isolated...if something forced nearly every clone to turn against every Jedi, then I am sure you can both imagine what kind of repercussions that could have on a galaxy-wide scale. We do not know what the state of the Jedi Order, or the Republic army, is going to be when we return. We just have to be ready to help and protect each other, no matter what it might be."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, I...suppose I really should." Kaleeth answered. She looked away, still holding one of the trodh by its tail, which was wriggling in her hand. "I guess I just haven't wanted to bother Thorantilth about it, since he's so busy."

The whole reason that Kaleeth had wanted to commune with the Hist was to seek closure with her mother, so it was hard to tell if she was being truthful, or if she was just afraid of what she might experience. Julan, at least, did not have any reason to doubt his mother, so he did not pick up on any uncertainty. "Are you going to come watch? I don't know if the Treeminder is going to want many people to be in there for too long while he is working, but I didn't really ask."

---

If Rossarm's family was anything to go by, Ahnasha supposed he was used to being able to inspire fear in them, and likely any others who crossed him. To the average person, he did have an intimidating presence, but Ahnasha did not show that fear. She had resolved not to budge, and so had not given an inch. When he glared into her eyes, she simply stared back with equal intensity. She hoped Fendros could overcome his natural fear of his father as well, but if nothing else, she would help serve as an example for him.

"You are right about one thing, Rossarm. I do have a place I am more used to, but it is one grander than you imagine. Just like Fendros has done far more good for your name than you would want to admit. Do you have any idea how much respect the Avarul name has back in our home because of Fendros, and myself? You might be able to start feeling some pride, if you would just allow yourself to realize how much of an exceptional and capable son you really do have. Your ancestors' legacy is in good hands. But we didn't come here to fight and argue with you, Rossarm. I am here because I wanted to see my family; all of my family. That could include you too, Rossarm, but only if you can get your head out of the past enough to see the truth right in front of you. I can forgive." Ahnasha's speech maintained a blend of defiance and a diplomatic tone. She was not going to bend to him, but neither was she going to be an aggressor. Particularly since it was not just her and Rossarm present.

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

Kresst paused for just a few seconds as he glanced over Mevenn's lightsaber, which was rather large in his hands. He took another step forward, craning his head up to make eye contact with her. "Those are all very easy words to say right here, in this ship, far from any danger. How many hours have you been here in this room thinking about it? How long have you been imagining all the other ways you could have reacted, all the incapacitating attacks you might have used at different parts in the fight? Now, compare that to how much time you actually had to think in the moment. Seconds? Less? Can you honestly say to yourself that these plans you are coming up with after hours of thought would have been just as reasonable to carry out in the heat of the moment? The clones were professional soldiers too: deadly and efficient. And they were trying to kill you. Just one blaster bolt to the wrong spot is all it would have taken, and they would have known how to punish any mistake you made."

Extending his hands upwards, Kresst offered Mevenn's lightsaber back to her, if for no other reason than to bring her closer to him for a moment. He did not often take any issue with his own height, but if there was one annoyance it caused him, it was that it made him seem more distant, literally and figuratively, during these sorts of conversations. Some of the emotion he might want to convey could be lost. "I haven't seen the recording, but I have to imagine you tried to convince them to stop. And I have to imagine they refused. The men you considered your brothers, who you fought with for years, were not the men who tried to kill you. They would not have done that to you of their own will. Whatever twisted their mind destroyed who they were, and there is no guarantee it was even reversible to begin with. Just take a moment and exchange your roles; pretend that it was you who had lost your rational mind and suddenly tried to kill them without cause. Would you have expected them to take such great risks to incapacitate you, even if it meant their own deaths?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan, compared to most Argonians, had little experience with the Hist, but that was still more than Janius had ever been exposed to directly. He scratched his head and hummed a moment to himself. "Ummm, I don't think the Hist really...converse. I remember from my naming day, they don't really talk in words. I think it's more like a...feeling? Or no, it isn't really like that either. You just kind of, um, understand it, I guess? It's really hard to say it in words, it's like getting a new memory or something. Or like how you can think a thought in your own head without words and still understand it."

At this point, Julan felt that he was more likely to confuse himself than to actually say anything else useful, so he gave up on the subject. "What are you and mother going to be doing?"

---

If there was one thing Ahnasha regretted in regards to Fendros' family, it was how she handled her encounter with Rossarm last time. Out of respect for Fendros' wishes, she had played right into Rossarm's expectations for his son's Khajiit wife. To him, she had been silent, meek, and simply accepting of any insult he could cast. But, Ahnasha had dealt with Rossarm's kind before, and she realized how much of a mistake it was. There was, of course, no guarantee that anything could sway him, but she could certainly not do it by conforming to his bigotry. Someone had to actually be brave enough to challenge him, and the more people who did it, the better. Ahnasha had hoped that her family would not be around for this, as her parents would certainly have something to say after getting over their shock, but there was no getting around it now.

Despite Fendros' tight grip, Ahnasha wriggled her hand free of him. She did not step back when Rossarm approached, and indeed, was even standing just a bit closer than Fendros. Her expression did not show her anger, but instead her resolve. "That sword belongs to Fendros Avarul." Ahnasha stated firmly. "He is your son, and I am no animal. I am your daughter-in-law, and will be for however many centuries to come. We can still have a good relationship, Rossarm; it doesn't have to be this way. We could just take a few minutes to talk and be civilized with each other. There are plenty of leftovers you could have."

Regardless of how unlikely she felt it was to work, Ahnasha felt compelled to make at least some offer of peace towards Rossarm.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan shook his head slowly. "I don't think so. The apprentices are all pretty busy most of the day. They train for hours, and especially now that they're going to move the village, they're going on hunts almost every day to stock up on meat. I'll probably be done for the day before most of them are. Leeus would only have been able to stay for a few minutes anyway."

The hackwing leg Julan was holding was mostly bare of meat by this point, but he was still picking at the scraps regardless. "I wish there was a potion or something that could just put me to sleep. I'm just wanting to get this over with."

---

Ahnasha's family, of course, did not recognize Rossarm on his approach, but it did not take much thought for them to piece together who he was. Even without being lycans, S'nashi, Vasiq, and Shevari all had strong enough noses to smell the wine, as Rossarm had apparently cared little to hide it. Gwindir's senses were not as precise, but he could still adopt the discomfort of most of those around him.

Ahnasha herself was almost as nervous about her family and what they might do as she was about Rossarm, but at least for the moment, they were keeping silent. They lacked most of the context about Rossarm that everyone else understood; for all they knew, Fendros could have stolen his father's sword when he ran away from home.

It was up to Fendros to respond first, but what he might easily notice was Ahnasha's demeanor beside him. Last time they had spoken to Rossarm, Ahnasha had held herself back, allowing Fendros to take the lead. However, she was now standing side-by-side with him, not budging an inch even as Rossarm approached them. If her words ended up matching her actions, then she was not going to be backing down this time.

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

As much as he tried, Kresst could not quite maintain the sense of calm he was hoping for, so his meditation had been largely unsuccessful. Though, he expected that they would be dropping out of hyperspace sometime soon regardless in order to check what information they could glean about this supposed end of the war, if his reckoning of time was still correct.

Kresst uncrossed his legs and laid back on his bed that was made far too large for himself. He did not feel as much from the rest of the galaxy, but if there was one thing he was able to sense during his meditation, it was the turmoil within his own ship. There was no living being aboard the ship that was not filled with some degree of worry or fear. He would not have been surprised if even the droid was "worried". He had to admit that the prospect of returning home after this whole affair carried a certain optimistic appeal to it, but Kresst still could not shake his doubts. Why would he have felt such intense darkness and despair come over him if the galaxy had finally came to peace. He supposed that Mevenn's theory that the clones had been somehow manipulated by the Separatists, coupled with the dark side presence on the planet, could have explained it, but Kresst still could not shake a persistent sense of dread. Was the source of it his own mind, or perhaps the minds of the others with which he was sharing the ship, or was he still feeling it from the Force itself?

Regardless of what the truth might be, Kresst realized that he would be finding no answers on his own. Once they dropped out of hyperspace, they would be able to get a better sense of the situation. The only things he could influence right now were on the ship, and there was one person whose turmoil he could feel more clearly than anyone else's.

---

The light sound of small claws tapping against the hard floor could be heard after the door to the room opened once more. Even so, Kresst was not even sure that Mevenn had yet noticed him. He politely stepped to the side to make way for one of the alarmed astromechs rolling around in the room, then stepped up close in front of Mevenn. With the way she was sitting curled up on the floor, he was actually close to head height to her for once.

Kresst started right away, skipping any greetings or questioning of her feelings. She was showing them quite clearly. "I know that you are a soldier, as they were. As a soldier and a Jedi, I know you certainly prepared your mind for the possibility that you might lose some of them. Perhaps you already lost some friends in this war, but this? You could not prepare your mind for this. No one, could prepare their mind for this. Whatever...caused it to happen, it was not because of you. And there was nothing better you could be expected to have done."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan started to look nervous, if not somewhat embarrassed. "Yeah, I know, but..." He began, pausing and picking at the roasted hackwing leg he had been eating. "...well, she's just so boring! At first we asked each other a lot about where we're from, but after that, there's just nothing else. We don't even like hardly any of the same things, but she just keeps wanting to talk to me. I don't even know why."

---

Ahnasha did see that her family was giving the horses a few odd looks due to their behavior. They did not have any particular expertise with horses, but it was easy enough to tell that something was wrong with them. Still, no one was questioning it at least for the moment, since they were able to get moving with only slight delay.

Gwindir smiled back at Fendros, with S'nashi nodding along with him. "Well, I can think of no better way to make friends than over a good meal, with a good view."

Shevari, meanwhile, turned her attention to Rhazii. "You know, Rhazii, I could try sending you back with a few recipes. Though, I suppose I would need to know what kinds of ingredients you usually have available."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan pried his eyes away from the squirming fish long enough to acknowledge his father. "I, um, yeah. I guess." He answered, having been distracted enough to not entirely register Janius' sarcasm. "It will be nice to get it over with, but...it's just going to take so long! He said I'm going to have to be still for hours today, and do it every day for most of the week. It just sounds so dull. Leeus did say she would try to stop by when she's done with training and everything, but..."

Julan looked away, letting out a sigh. "I, um, just told her not to worry about it."

---

S'nashi and Gwindir were not quite sure what to make of Calia's worries, but it certainly did not serve to allay their own natural fears. All of the talk of powerful mages, life extension, and other sorcery about which they were ill-informed was just enough to plant a vague sense of uncertainty in their minds. However, it did not amount to anything for at least the rest of the picnic. If it was not their archery competition distracting them, it was Shevari strongly urging them to enjoy their meals before they got cold that kept their conversations more mundane and lighthearted.

Eventually, everyone had their fill, though Vasiq had to hold his wife back from trying to convince everyone to try more of her desert. She volunteered herself and Vasiq to clean everything up while everyone else headed back, but Gwindir and S'nashi both insisted on helping as well, so most everyone ended up helping, which did not take terribly long with so many hands to assist.

Ahnasha began to walk back down the path with everyone else, holding one hand in Fendros', and the other over her stomach. She felt that she may have fallen victim to some amount of nervous eating, as she realized that she likely had a bit too much of her fill. She was on the edge of being sick, but as long as she could relax and not eat anything else, she supposed she would be fine.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright, I'll just put them going on their way back.