EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Thorantilth said nothing to Tunxeek as he left, though it did not seem unexpected. He has the same unfocused look in his eyes as Julan did, though he was still evidently concentrating enough to start his work. The ink-dipped reed pierced ever so slightly into the scales on Julan's arm, then he waved his other hand over the arm, using his magic to push the ink from the reed and disperse it perfectly evenly beneath his scales.

Kaleeth watched for a time, but after giving a long sigh, she stood to her feet and placed a hand on Janius' shoulder. "I...guess I should go to the Hist tree. I wouldn't want to make him wait too long."

---

"Aaand, that is why I said it here. We can talk about it when we're back in the town; give you a few minutes to calm down about it." Ahnasha whispered back. It did not take too long to get back to Cheydinhal. They headed straight to the inn where Ahnasha's parents were staying, though Ahnasha did take a few minutes to hug her mother and further console both her and her father. She encouraged her parents and brother to try and relax and continue to get to know Fendros' family while she went upstairs to have a talk with her husband.

The moment Ahnasha shut the door behind her in their room, Ahnasha got straight to the point. "Okay, so I know how this sounds, but hear me out. Your father is, apparently, an exceptionally powerful mage. Which, just as a little aside, seems like a pretty damned important detail to just...leave out before all of this." Ahnasha glared at Fendros, though did not allow the silence to hang long enough for him to speak up. "Anyways, I could feel his power. He's someone exceptional. Like us, or Teroiah, or Meesei. On a battlefield, people like us are worth far more than even what we can kill with our own abilities. How was it that Ri'vashi put it? We can multiply the force of a formation, if we apply our skills in the right place, at the right time. As distasteful as your father is, we need more people like us. Like him. He could be worth another half of a legion by himself. Or more, if he's as smart as he assumes he is. And it's not like our fight isn't going to affect him. If we fail, it will only be a matter of time before Vile's own inevitable invasion reaches Cheydinhal."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Although Tunxeek would be ready soon, Kaleeth was in no hurry. Thoranthilth was already mostly prepared, so Julan laid himself down on the bed that the Treeminder had prepared. Though, Thorantilth did motion for him to sit up for a moment, as there was still the first step of the process to complete.

Pulling himself away from working on the ink for a moment, Tunxeek brought over two small wooden bowls. Even before seeing inside them, the familiar aroma of Hist sap gave away their contents. "We will drink together, and it will be by the guiding hand of the Hist that you receive the marks that signal your entry into our village." Thorantilth explained, switching to Jel.

Julan was silent, but nevertheless complied without argument. He took his bowl at the same time as Thorantilth and drank along with him. From Janius and Kaleeth's perspectives, little happened, as they did not say a word afterwards. Julan laid back down, unprompted, while Thorantilth cast a spell over him, then dipped one of the sharpened reeds in the ink.

---

Ahnasha quickly joined Calia in comforting her parents. S'nashi's sobbing had ceased, but she was still watching him with fear as he disappeared down the trail ahead of them. "Mother, father...I'm sorry we couldn't keep him from finding us. I know you two wanted to meet him with the best of intentions, but...he isn't like the others. Not our old neighbor, not Shevari's parents. It's really best just to keep us apart from him for now."

S'nashi's gaze turned towards the ground, while her hands were still shaking. Neither Calia nor Ahnasha seemed to be able to do much to quell her fear at first. "I've never seen anyone grow so...violent over so little. But..." Her eyes finally met Ahnasha's. "...is it really worth the danger? Fighting over a sword?"

Ahnasha paused, looking between Fendros, Llarasa, and Monderyn. Even after it was all over, there was still some palpable fear among some of them. "It wasn't about the sword."

Ahnasha stopped and took in another long breath, composing herself before continuing. "But Fendros is right. We should get back to the city as soon as we can. It's safer there, and we can all just...relax."

On the way back, Ahnasha walked alongside Fendros far at the head of the group, ostensibly so that they would be the first to run into Rossarm if he decided to turn around, but it also allowed Ahnasha to put enough distance between the two of them and the others that she could whisper to him out of earshot. "Okay, so...I know you aren't going to like what I have to say. It will probably seem like it's coming out of nowhere, and you're going to think I have gone mad, so...I think I'll just say it now while you don't have the option of yelling at me. I want to recruit your father to join in the invasion. That's what we need to talk about privately."

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

"Agreed." Kresst remarked. Mevenn's distinctly emotional reaction was quite unlike a Jedi, and the fact that Kresst showed no objections was a detail that she might notice. Though, for the moment, Kresst was ready to head back to his quarters and rest. "I simply hope that the news we find upon our arrival is not as grim as I fear." He added before taking his leave.

---

Given how far into the Outer Rim they had been, it took some time for the ship to even get close to Republic space once more, and they all had a chance to sleep and clear their minds as much as possible. For Kresst, he was able to keep himself content by acknowledging that the answers they needed, whatever they might be, would become available to them soon enough. Until then, no amount of worry or thought would improve the situation.

The ship was uncomfortably silent the next morning, unlike their journey from the core. Kresst remembered being irritated by the noise a few of the clones had been making when they were given a chance at free time, but now that silence he had desired was now just a harsh reminder of what had transpired. He knew that if he was thinking about it, then it was certainly magnitudes worse of a reminder for Mevenn and Mach.

It was easy to tell when the ship had dropped from hyperspace, but Kresst did not move with any particular haste until he heard Eeruna's voice over the ship's comms. "Master Jedis...or, well, everyone, you need to get up here and see this. Right away."

Kresst had already been somewhat close to the cockpit, so with some force-assistance, it did not take him long to rush up to the cockpit. Eeruna was waiting, looking at a small hologram from a paused message her droid was projecting in front of them. Kresst recognized the man to be Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, but he was not sure if he should believe it to be an encouraging sight, especially given Eeruna's grim expression.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It was clear that Kaleeth would not have actually said anything had Janius not pushed her to, but when placed on the spot, she relented. "Um, yes, well, I wanted to ask about...maybe arranging to commune with the Hist. I understand if you can't, since you might not have enough sap on hand. But...it's just that I was never able to say goodbye to my mother..."

Thorantilth gave a solemn nod. "I understand, Kaleeth. You do not need to say any more. There is enough sap. In fact, the Hist was...strangely generous with the amount they gave us recently. My son can help you, after we get started here. I promise, he is just as much of a Treeminder as I am."

---

Ahnasha's reaction to Rossarm's show of power might have seemed a surprise to most who did not know her well, but for those more familiar, it was not too much of a stretch. Rossarm's ability was evidently greater than she had guessed for an old man living in a vineyard, but rather than slinking away, she was still every bit as ready at willing to meet his challenge head-on. To Fendros, she might have seemed almost eager for it. To reach the greatest heights of strength possible and to become the strongest out of any challenger was one of the foundations of Hircine's worship, and ultimately, Ahnasha was still a fervent follower of Hircine. If it was to be necessary, she was ready to meet him blow-for-blow. Before Calia's intervention, her hands, and most of her arms, were glowing and swirling with violet tendrils of magicka, ready to be formed into who-knows how many portals from Oblivion that Ahnasha was prepared to bring forth. When it was all over and both of them had stood down, much to the benefit of the forest around them that might have been burned down by a clash between them, Fendros might have noticed a tinge of short-lived disappointment in her expression.

While Ahnasha perhaps caught up in the moment, the confrontation did have its impact on some of the others. S'nashi was sobbing and being consoled by Gwindir, who was himself in fear. Vasiq had backed up ten paces from the group, and only Shevari looked strangely calm out of the group. Ahnasha, however, was just focused on watching Rossarm walk away, and making sure he did not suddenly turn around. "You have my thanks, Calia. It is best for everyone that did not come to violence. He is a powerful mage, almost as much as..." Ahnasha's words trailed off as her thoughts caught up to them, and several possibilities passed through her mind. "Fendros, I need to speak with you in private. Soon. And likely with you as well afterwards, Calia. I cannot say more other than to stress that it is more important than you could likely imagine."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan, Kaleeth, and Janius arrived at Thorantilth's hut early, though the Treeminder was already prepared. He had laid out a mat made from leather on the ground on top of layers of grasses and leaves packed together, essentially making for a decently soft bed for Julan to lie on while he worked. Thorantilth was readying the sharpened reeds he would be using to apply the ink, while his son was at his alchemy bench preparing another small bowl of the ink. "Welcome, Kaj-Julan. I see your parents have come to join us as well. Feel free to sit down and relax. Have some tea if you like; it is warming over the fire. We can begin whenever you are ready."

Thorantilth looked specifically to Janius and Kaleeth. "Have the two of you come to observe, or keep him company? Parents usually do; I take it you are both quite proud. All I ask is that you avoid being too loud while I am working, as it does require some firm concentration on my part."

---

Seeing Fendros' ward was all Ahnasha needed to dismiss whatever threat Rossarm might make. His spell impacted his ward without so much as a flinch from Ahnasha. Even if Fendros himself did not seem to be quite as confident as she was. Regardless, she was unharmed, though could not help but to feel some anger at the attempt. Rossarm may not have been strictly irredeemable, but he would have to be forced to confront the error in his beliefs, and she was not sure if that was possible or wise at the moment. Ahnasha had grown to exceptional heights in specialties through the course of the war. She was a disciplined soldier, well-trained agent, and powerful conjurer, and she did not have the slightest doubt that the full extent of her abilities would come as a surprise to Rossarm. However, that still did not mean she was wanting to initiate any violence between them, regardless of how much he might deserve it.

Fendros still was not giving up the sword, and Ahnasha fully supported him. There was nothing particularly special about the blade, from a practical standpoint. The clan's swordsmiths could forge new ones of even better materials, but the blade meant something to Fendros. And denying his father, standing up to him...she reasoned that meant something greater still. Ahnasha's parents, though, were terrified, and the fact that Rossarm was using rather dangerous spells was not something that she could afford to tolerate for much longer. She did not want to attack him, but she might need to force him to understand why he needed to back down.

"There is really no getting through to you, is there, Rossarm? I can tolerate quite a lot. Your insults against me? They are meaningless. Your attacks against your son's ward? They are pointless. But right now, my parents are here, my son is here, and your children are here. I am not going to tolerate you throwing around dangerous spells while they are here, so do not cast another. Just leave; we do not want any more violence." Ahnasha said, offering him yet another chance at a peaceful resolution. Given Ahnasha's usual demeanor, she was being exceptionally patient with Rossarm, but she did not leave it at just words. For those properly attuned, they might be able to feel the presence of magicka swelling up within Ahnasha, and quite a lot of it. Ahnasha did not have the wide-reaching magical prowess of Meesei or Sabine, but a master conjurer still required quite a deep pool of magicka to draw from.

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.