EliteCommander

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Falul 'Taham, Eri 'Moram - The Immaculate Aegis

---

The relocation had provided Falul with ample time to consider every facet of Eri's report. There were some decisions he had needed to make sooner rather than later, such as providing Unggoy to serve as labor aboard this new mobile shipyard they had been given. He had also sent his Artisan-Engineer, Narak, over to examine the vessel's mechanisms and determine if it could be made compatible with their design patterns, though Falul had now recalled him back to the Aegis in preparation for the arrival of the other vessels' scientists and engineers. He had, after a few days' consideration, agreed to allow the others to aid in improving the Aegis' faster-than-light capabilities. Technically, Falul had not yet outright stated that they would join in the effort against Anubis, but considering his willingness to cooperate, it seemed obvious by this point.

Within the next few hours, Eri and her team were set to join in their first properly cooperative mission to meet with these Mandalorians, but there were a few other matters for her to tend to first. Most prominently, she had been called to meet with Falul in private. He started out as she expected, giving her orders and directives to her personally, as usual. However, even after she had her orders recorded on her datapad, she did not so much as make a motion to leave. She could tell there was something more.

"Eri, it goes without saying that this is an exceptional situation for us." Falul began. He was turned away from her, observing a view screen currently showing their mobile shipyard and the other ships gathered around it. "Our duty is to Sanghelios, to protect it from all threats we may find on our patrol of our territory. I do not trust this 'Elizabeth' being, but I cannot deny the reality in front of me. There is too much to suggest that the enemy we are being forced to face may one day become a threat to our people as great or greater than the parasite. It can not be allowed to reach Sanghelios. Not all of my decisions will be popular among our warriors, but it is our responsibility to rise to meet any threat foolish enough to dare threaten the Swords of Sanghelios."

Eri gave a slow nod to Falul as he turned to face her. "I agree, Shipmaster. I stand by every word of my report, but you are correct that our warriors may not be quick to accept it. I have already heard the murmurs of discontent. Fighting a new enemy away from our home, and allying ourselves with these strangers...I worry that dissent may grow stronger once they learn you intend to allow them to examine our technology."

"I expect it will." Falul replied. "But, I do not care if these strangers learn from us. I do not care if they come to fully understand all of our weapons and technology. They cannot threaten Sanghelios. Even should we defeat Anubis, they will be returned to their own universes, not ours. Whether they conquer their own universes with our technology, or destroy themselves with it, that is irrelevant to us. We stand to gain from understanding what they have to offer, and that is all that matters. We must stand firm, and lead our people by example, Eri 'Moram. There will be resistance, but they will come to see our resolve."

Falul took a moment to open up a datapad, connecting to the ship and its crew records. "To that end, we must both be willing and able to rise to our circumstances. As much as I resent being brought here, this ascended being chose wisely to select us. There are few who know war so intimately as the Sangheili. If we are to wage this war against Anubis, then we will be the ones to lead it, and you shall often find yourself as the tip of our spear. There too were those who doubted me when I gave you your rank, Eri, but I know your skill and your cunning. You have shown yourself as not only a capable warrior, but as a leader who can elevate those who serve beneath you. Understand that this may not last past our return to our universe, but I am granting you the rank of Special Operations Commander for the Immaculate Aegis...and for this fleet, should any others agree to recognize your authority. We cannot command the obedience of the others, so it is up to you to earn that right."

Although Eri kept her reaction contained, she could not help but to feel somewhat overwhelmed. She had been a Special Operations Officer for the last two years aboard the Aegis, but her ambitions would always take her higher. The rank of Commander would give her authority over all Special Operations forces within an entire fleet, as opposed to just the Aegis itself. Granted, there were no other ships in their fleet with a sworn loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios, but she supposed she understood why Falul was doing this now. He had no intention of having the Sangheili take a passive, subservient role in their war against Anubis, and having the proper internal authority would give Eri greater standing to earn that authority among the members of the fleet. Despite all of these thoughts, however, her response was simple. She brought her fist up to her chest, saluting Falul. "I shall not fail you, Shipmaster."

---

Thaz - The Resurgence

---

Regardless of her promotion, Eri's responsibilities, in the short term, had not changed. She and the majority of her team took a phantom to meet up with the others that were undertaking this mission to speak with the Mandalorians, with the exception of one. The sole Kig-Yar on Eri's team, Thaz, went aboard the Resurgence to seek out either Samus, Jerus, or both. Although she was a Ruuhtian, her armor bore a resemblance to a T'vaoan commando's armor, but was fully environmentally sealed and had the black coloration of Eri's team. She had a beam rifle on her back, as well as being armed and equipped with a plasma pistol and a red (currently inactive) point-defense gauntlet. As per Eri's report, Falul recognized that they would have need of the currency used in this universe, but for now, would prefer to acquire it inconspicuously. As such, she was being sent to make an offer to the two bounty hunters.

---

Falul 'Taham - The Immaculate Aegis

---

Returning to the bridge, Falul took his seat to begin with the next of the long list of matters he had to deal with. He opened up a communication channel, broadcast to every ship present in the fleet. Although, his words were first directed towards the Daedalus. "This is Shipmaster Falul 'Taham. Colonel Caldwell, the Immaculate Aegis is prepared to receive the assistance of any scientists or engineers you intend to provide. My own crew will cooperate with them willingly: an offer which also applies to any others who desire to assist us. Or learn from us."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Indeed, I understand." Meesei replied. There was a great deal that had happened in the past day, from the others' perspective, and she could spend hours explaining every part of it. "I recently discovered how to bypass the defenses of Artaeum, and so decided to pay a visit to the Psijics with a...certain individual." Meesei began, giving a glance towards the closed flap of the tent. Despite the fact that Neesa had left, she still had to keep in mind that it was only a layer of cloth separating them from the camp, so she still had to be somewhat careful with her words.

"The Psijics, of course, expected it and allowed the visit to take place. They took it as an opportunity to explain to me the nature of my soul, and offered to me their aid and the chance to join their Order. Zyausak is a Nedic man who was once a friend to Neesa. They were both born slaves to the Ayleids in the same place. He joined the Order sometime after they were liberated, and he was the one got Hal-Neesa into the Psijic Order as well, centuries later. He told me that, based on what he knew of Neesa's beliefs, that he was sure she would be willing to help me. She does seem to genuinely care for mortals in her own, twisted way, but even I did not expect it to be so easy." Meesei explained. Even that brief explanation left much for the pack, and particularly Ariel to take in. "Though, I have decided that I am not going to join the Psijics. As much of a help as they would be, I do not believe it is worth losing the life I have here, and in any case, I will still need to lead this invasion. I think your help and support will be the best I could ever want to have over these next few days."

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Eri 'Moram - The Resurgence Briefing Room

---

Eri had already opened her datapad and started to take notes on what was transpiring, which she would certainly need to modify and send to Falul shortly. Most of those present seemed fairly in agreement about the need to cooperate, and as much as Eri hated Elizabeth for dragging them away from their home universe, she could not disagree with that conclusion. If this threat of Anubis was genuine, he needed to be destroyed. She wanted to be irritated at Eggman's continued obsession with these emeralds, but she did have to concede that there was no harm in asking. Eri had not actually expected that Elizabeth would lift another finger to help them, but that assumption was proven wrong with this new vessel she offered to them.

While Eri was still naturally suspicious of Elizabeth, the capabilities of this mobile shipyard suddenly made the idea of an effective resistance against Anubis seem much more plausible. Even the strongest fleet of warships would not be able to sustain themselves without a base of operations, and this would give them the potential to create one themselves, without needing to resort to taking on potentially unreliable allies.

Eri listened silently to Caldwell as she was considering these new developments. She was somewhat frustrated that she could no longer as her questions to Elizabeth, but she supposed they had enough information to work with by this point. This time, she could find few, if any, faults with his proposed plan of action. Aside with dealing with the weaknesses of their fleet, information was the first commodity they needed to pursue. Elizabeth had explained to them, in general, the nature of their enemy, but they were still sorely lacking in detailed military intelligence.

Once Caldwell was finished, Eri soon spoke up. "I will not make final decisions on behalf of the Immaculate Aegis, but I can share the recommendations I intend to give to my shipmaster. In the short term, I agree with your plan of action. We should act cautiously, address our weaknesses, and gather information. My ship may also be able to offer the bulk of the labor needed to operate this mobile shipyard. We have many Unggoy that may be assigned as laborers. They are quick to learn, and may be suitable for the more...menial duties aboard the ship. Some may have the competence for more complex tasks, but I suspect you may need to provide crew for more complicated engineering and maintenance roles. Hmm, perhaps with the exception of one. This shipyard sounds similar in purpose and operation to our assembly forges, and we have on board an Artisan-Engineer that may be able to adapt our design patterns to this shipyard."

Eri briefly paused to put away her datapad and stand back to her feet. "I must modify my report and sent it to my Shipmaster. But, I have also noted that you seem to desire the creation of...collaborative workspaces. Particularly among your scientists. As I have mentioned, the Immaculate Aegis currently has a crew of ten thousand, but the carrier was originally built for a crew of forty thousand. We have a great deal of unused space that may be...repurposed for other needs that benefit the fleet, should you desire it and should my Shipmaster agree to offer it."

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

They certainly might be able to get upgrades that are equivalent in effectiveness, though obviously they wouldn't be exactly mark V or VI. That would require knowing what eventually goes into them.

Granted, the Aegis comes from a time when the Gen 2 MJOLNIR for the Spartan-IVs is the norm. What that means I guess depends on how much Dr. O'Connell and Narak know about MJOLNIR and the technologies that comprise it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei grinned with a nod towards Ariel. "I did indeed. Recommended to me by a respected scholar in Summerset, no less. He described it as the most complete treatise on the subject that he knew of. I have not read through it completely, but I do not need to in order to know of the extent of your expertise. You were the one to first conceive of the suppression gas, and your work provided an antidote to it when Vile's followers further refined it. I can think of no other who would know more about lycan souls than you, Ariel."

Hal-Neesa, meanwhile, did not take too long to get over her speechlessness. She had regained her composure, but there was something in her visage that just appeared...different. Meesei no longer felt that perpetual air of disdain that Neesa radiated. It was an observation that was further confirmed when she finally spoke. "I will help you. I have some reference material that may be relevant; I will go collect them." She said, simply and directly.

While Neesa did start to leave rather suddenly, the outright ease with which she had agreed to help was a surprise even to Meesei. There was no arguing, no boasting or insults, no deals that had to be made. She had simply agreed...just like that. In contrast to Meesei's expectations, it felt bizarre.

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

"No!" Taylor firmly interjected, not only verbally, but physically. It moved itself in front of William, blocking the way to the door. "Before, when I was...Human, I was a doctor. And you...are my patient. I gave up my chance of retribution to Lorne. I gave up on burning, destroying their labs once I was out of my cage for you. You were unconscious, you were helpless, so I chose you. To protect you. I dragged you out here myself, protected you, treated you, and I didn't do all that just to let you go out and kill yourself."

Taylor's stance was firm and authoritative in a way it never could have accomplished as a Human. In a way, it was cathartic to finally feel that weight of authority over a patient who was acting against their own self-interest. "You will come to the clinic, you will rest, and you will heal. Once you are well...then you stop being my responsibility."

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Eri 'Moram - The Resurgence Briefing Room

---

Provided that this was the path along which Falul chose to bring the Aegis, Eri did find Caldwell's approach somewhat encouraging. Perhaps if each universe had their own fleets at their disposal, then they would be able to get away with loose coordination as allies. However, with the limited ships they had available, they would have to be able to work together as a single battle group, which would require a more cohesive command structure.

"I do not decide for Falul, but I expect he shall agree with you, Shipmaster Caldwell. We will require strong leadership in battle, but this should not be decided without his presence. There is plenty more work to be done before this collection of ships can serve acceptably as a proper fleet, regardless. I will request that my Shipmaster allow your scientists to make their efforts to improve the speed of our slipspace travel. Under the supervision of our own artisan-engineer, and the scientist."

As far as Eri was concerned, Elizabeth had given the best answer she could have under the circumstances. Not herself, nor any among Falul's crew would have agreed to serve any being claiming to speak for, or be, a god. Eri was still far from trusting her, but she could, for the moment, accept at least some of what she was claiming as being true. Her assertions about Anubis did match what they had already learned. So, if she was accepting Elizabeth's word as true, then their goal, from a military standpoint, seemed like it should be fairly obvious. "But once our fleet is ready, we still need a firm approach to our goal. These ideas you are suggesting, gathering machines, weapons, wealth, they may become necessary, but I am confused as to why you are focusing so strongly on them. If you are all so keen on taking Elizabeth's word as truth, then you know that Anubis cannot be destroyed by conventional means. We need to decide on the primary goal of our campaign before we start discussing the secondary goals to accomplish it. We cannot kill him ourselves...but we do not have to." She said, turning her attention squarely to Elizabeth. "You said that Anubis has focused much of his power on preventing the "others" like you from crossing over to destroy him. So, these others must be able to kill him. We do not need to overwhelm Anubis ourselves; we just need to weaken his power, or otherwise prevent him from stopping the others like Elizabeth from crossing over and fighting their own battle."

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

I am rather curious to see the Unbroken Hope's input on the situation. The UNSC does have a bit of a history with foes in blind servitude to false gods. A few members of the Second Chance crew are already giving Eri some Covenant vibes.

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Eri 'Moram - The Resurgence Briefing Room

---

Erthos' reply to Eri elicited a long silence from her. She still listened as others spoke, but he had actually given her compelling points to consider. It still seemed like they were making quite a few guesses, and nothing yet had diminished her anger towards Elizabeth, but despite her hesitation, not Eri nor those she represented were beyond reason. And in this, Eri could not deny the reason behind his words.

"I acknowledge the wisdom of your counsel, Erthos." Eri eventually replied in a far calmer voice. Though, she did give something of a more hostile glare towards a few particular members of the Second Chance's delegation. "But I will be clear, we decide our own fate. The Sangheili shall never again bow to false gods. We would not be so foolish."

Eri brought up her datapad, looking back at some of the references she had been looking over earlier. "However, if we wish to do anything beyond simple scouting, then none of the plans you want to form will work until we can have a single, cohesive battle group. This planet you wish to raid, Kamino, is it? It is located far outside the galactic plane, within a satellite galaxy. The Immaculate Aegis would not be able to reach it in any reasonable time, and the same is true for many potential targets in this galaxy. And while our vessel is certainly a force to be reckoned with in battle, can the same be said of every vessel represented here? Specifically of your defenses. If the Unbroken Hope was taken here from before the end of the war, then it is unshielded and may be destroyed in its entirety by a single volley. Should my Shipmaster agree to help, then our priority should be to eliminate the most glaring weaknesses of our fleet."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For most of those present, their first reactions were naturally surprise or concern for Meesei, though Hal-Neesa's narrowed eyed told of her skepticism. "You claim to have gone to Artaeum for this? I'm not sure what-"

Meesei quickly, and rather boldly, cut Hal-Neesa off mid-sentence. "Yes, I found a way to bypass Artaeum's defenses and decided to visit. Zyausak recommended seeking you, specifically, to help."

Even Hal-Neesa's normally hardened exterior was uncharacteristically, visibly shocked by Meesei's sudden retort. For once, she had no insults or snide remarks, and instead showed just a hint of genuine worry.

Meesei did not waste another moment before continuing. "And unfortunately, no, they did not have any answers. My case is, from their experience, entirely unique. They were confident they could help and offered to allow me to join their order, but they felt it might take hundreds of years to find a solution. I...considered keeping this to myself, but this was not a secret I could hide from you all in good conscious. And, I would like your help. If I am only to have a few days before this invasion, then I do want to at least be able to say I gave it my best effort to solve this problem."