EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth did take some time to consider Tunxeek's suggestion, but she evidently decided against the patient approach. His words had been just enough to push past the barrier of fear, and coax her into drinking. She downed it all at once, as there was not too much in the bowl, and it did not require a great deal of the sap to have the desired result.

What went on within Kaleeth's mind lasted several minutes, and was completely hidden from the outside world. The words which the Hist had for her came in the form of thoughts and feelings, though her outward expression did not paint a consistent picture of how they were affecting her. There was confusion, and even a light smile at some points, but after her experience was over, what she eventually settled on was to sit with her legs pulled up to her chest, sobbing into her hands.

---

"Well, being dangerous is why I want him with us." Ahnasha replied, lightly shrugging. "As long as he is dangerous towards the enemy. Perhaps if we just frame it as an offer, he won't feel as threatened. Marod is a diplomat, he knows how to talk to people. We could even offer to pay him, so it doesn't seem like we're just trying to demand favors from him. Of course, before we can tell him anything specific, he'll need to agree to be sworn to secrecy, but again, Marod might be able to help with that."

Ahnasha paced around for a few seconds in thought, then eventually lowered her arms and gestured towards the door. "Look, we can go back and forth arguing and speculating about it all day, or we could just go out there, get your mother, and have a private talk with her. We can see if she'll agree to be sworn to secrecy, and get her take on it. She knows your father better than you do, and she'll know what might work on him, or if he'll even be useful at all. I don't think I am, but I suppose I could be overestimating him."

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

As soon as the danger was made clear, Eeruna leapt into action without a hint of hesitation or uncertainty. She took the pilot's seat and took over the controls, showing fierce determination in every centimeter of her large eyes. "C2, divert all nonessential power to engines and rear deflector shields, and get that hyperdrive powered up. Destination, give me a destination." She said in an almost demanding tone towards Mevenn and Kresst.

"Are we...sure we want to go to Separatist space? If the war is over, then surely the, um, Empire will want to re-occupy the formerly dissenting worlds quickly." Kresst pointed out, bringing up a galaxy map on the display. "Muunilinst is the closest Separatist world along this hyperspace route, but the Empire may want to occupy it soon. Perhaps just somewhere remote? Let's see...this planet, Dantooine, may be an option. Remote, agrarian, far from anything important."

"Then we're going there. C2, get those coordinates into the hyperdrive." Eeruna abruptly interrupted, not giving any time for debate. Up to this point, she had not shown anywhere near this sort of abrasiveness, or apparent disregard for the authority the Jedi were supposed to hold. In this moment, with a Venator Star Destroyer on their tail and fighters gaining on them, she was making quick and decisive judgements.

What might have seemed strange to anyone paying close enough attention was the fact that Eeruna was not taking the ship directly away from the Venator. Rather, she was moving the ship down somewhat lower into the planet's orbit. The world at which they had stopped was the site of a space battle between the Republic and Separatists earlier in the war, and Eeruna was pointing them straight at a debris field still orbiting the planet. It would be difficult to navigate, and seemingly advantageous to the fighters pursuing them.

Last of the Jedi (EliteCommander and Sep)

Kresst's emotions were somewhat harder to judge from the outside than Mevenn's, but he was certainly not happy to have his fears manifest into reality, and in even worse ways than he had imagined. He had feared there would be turmoil if the clones had turned against the Jedi on a galactic scale, but for the Republic to have fallen...

"Eeruna, please take us out of Republic, or...Imperial territory." Kresst said, not bringing his eyes up to meet hers. In their current situation, he was not expecting any objections to taking that step right away. "We do what Master Kenobi told us to do. We trust in the Force. In each other. The war is over, and now we have to survive the galaxy it has created. The Republic defeated the Separatists, but it seems it was the enemy who was truly victorious."

As Kresst finished, the droid chimed in with slow, sad, and hesitant beeps. It informed them of other information it had been gathering from the holonet as they had watched Master Kenobi's message. The Galactic Republic had been officially restructured into the first Galactic Empire by now-Emperor Palpatine. The Jedi had been declared traitors after a supposed coup attempt, and after an impassioned speech by Palpatine, there appeared to be public support for the measure.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It was not precisely accurate to describe Julan as confused, though an observer could easily make that mistake. He was aware of his surroundings, and aware of everything that Janius had been doing and saying. He knew that Thorantilth was working on his marks, though he could not feel anything in his numbed body. The Hist sap had simply given him another focus within his own mind that had his full attention. After several minutes of not answering, he finally spoke, though not as a direct response to Janius. "It was all meant to be."

Kaleeth took the bowl, though did not yet drink from it. The sap was familiar, and not at all frightening in itself. There was no reason that any Argonian raised in the swamps would be afraid of the Hist, or anything relating to it. Even the thought of drinking it felt warm and inviting to her, but the worries that had been plaguing her were still quite present in her mind. "I'm not sure I'll be able to get what I was wanting. It was...three seasons ago, I think my father said. Well over a year, probably closer to two. How long do the souls stay with the Hist, Tunxeek? Has she not already been reborn?"

---

Ahnasha shrugged, seeming at least somewhat more relaxed than Fendros at the moment. "I don't know, but the Penitus Oculatus is a name that means something in the Empire. And Marod does have ways of proving his identity. If we bring in that kind of help, I'm sure we'll be able to present to him pretty convincingly what is going on. It's not like it's an unbelievable story. Your father lived through the Oblivion Crisis, and with his kind of magic, I'm willing to bet he fought in it too. I'm sure he knows how some Daedra love to set their ambitions for Tamriel. That Vile is taking a more patient, subtle approach will make perfect sense to him. And who knows? Maybe demonstrating that you have the ear of one of the Emperor's elite guard will show to your father that you've been doing more for the past decade than hiding in the woods and sleeping with a cat. It would give us undeniable credibility, without a doubt. If you don't think just knowing the truth would be enough for him, then we could probably tell your mother and ask her advice."

Fendros would be able to see a slight swirl of magicka around Ahnasha's hand. She stared at the glowing strands of magic with what was perhaps some regret, though with some uncertainty as to the reason. "I suppose with Meesei there, we will have to worry less about the threat of violence..." She began, her voice steadily showing more hints of frustration. She turned her head away from Fendros and crossed her arms. "...I mean, of course I could best your father too, but I have to admit that Meesei could do it with less...collateral damage. And I would probably want to be safe and use some more powerful spells that I would have to sacrifice some valuable soul gems to use, so...her help would be for the best. Yeah, it would just be more convenient."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

In contrast to what either Julan or Janius might have expected beforehand, Julan was quite slow to respond. He did not react much to his surroundings, except to move in whatever way Thorantilth directed him to. He seemed to still be in a sort of trance from the Hist sap, but at the very least, Janius could still see that there were yet no problems with the tattoo itself. Instead of Kaleeth's red vines, the ink the Treeminder was using at the moment was a dark blue in color. He appeared to be forming and outline first, though it was still far to early to see any definite shapes.

After a few more moments, Julan started to look around more, and eventually settled his eyes on Janius. Now, he certainly seemed to be paying attention and looking right at him, instead of staring off past him.

Kaleeth sat as Tunxeek suggested, but even his first question was more than she knew how to answer right away. Her pause lasted only a few seconds, but it was more than enough to hint at her current frame of mind. "I think...I probably wouldn't even need the ritual if I knew how to answer that. I guess I just want to get...whatever it is I might deserve."

---

"Well we won't be doing it by ourselves." Ahnasha remarked, crossing her arms to match Fendros. "No matter what we decide, Meesei will still have to approve of it. But, we can talk to her about it when she comes to check up on us tomorrow. As for convincing him, though...this is important beyond some family squabbles. I mean, Marod even gave our pack the authority to swear anyone we involve to secrecy legally, under pain of treason to the Empire. I know it's not like we represent the Empire or anything, but the fact that a pack of lycans has official Imperial cooperation at all speaks volumes by itself. We're not just fighting a war of Hircine against Vile. It's a war of Tamriel against Vile, just one that the 'powers that be' have decided should remain secret."

Ahnasha paused only long enough to give a frustrated sigh. "The point is, our war is a very real, and on Elven timespans, imminent threat to Rossarm and his own personal well-being. I don't know if he even loves his own wife and children anymore, but he has to care about something. His legacy, his property, even just himself. I don't know what he's done in his life to become as powerful as he is, but he certainly hasn't always been a simple vineyard owner and hobbyist mage. That kind of power, battle magic, comes from experience. It comes from necessity, risk, and danger. Your father may be many things, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of man who is happy to leave his own fate in the hands of someone else. I think we just have to convince him that the danger is real."

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.