EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

While Meesei's answer too was not terribly optimistic, she could say it earnestly. "As well as they can be, for the situation. We just spent the last few hours together. We went on a hunt, then just relaxed together for a while. If I am being honest, the whole evening was just so wonderful and painful, both."

Meesei turned her head away slightly. "We spent some time talking about our plans for the future, what everyone wants to do once the war is over. I think, overall, everyone wants a break from the fighting, especially with how long it has been going on. Except Lorag, but even he seemed focused on raising his daughter in...his own way." After a few moments, Meesei began to smile and a few tears could be seen slowly rolling down her scales. "Did you know Sabine is planning on getting married? She has been discussing it with Karl. I...want nothing more than to make sure I can be there for it. I just hope I am strong enough to make the decisions I need to make to guarantee I can be there."

---

Kaleeth could certainly agree with Janius, for numerous reasons. Though, she did decide t hat she was finally done with the water and instead pulled herself up on land, laying down on her side in the grass. "I'm just glad to know I'm not alone worrying. Everyone else has always been able to put on such a confident face that I feel like I'm alone in being afraid. I know that we have to be a good example for the clans, so that they'll be confident too."

A long breath escaped Kaleeth's nostrils as she rolled over onto her back. "I've always felt like I was pretending. Not pretending to be stronger in front of the clan; we all do that. I mean, I always felt like I was pretending to be good enough for our pack. I'm not even a werewolf, so I felt like I was pretending to fit in. I was so young when I joined, so inexperienced. I've always been the least skilled fighter out of all of us, and I've always just felt like I was pretending to be good enough. But, I know that's not true. I probably am the least skilled out of all of us, but I think I am still good enough to make a real difference tomorrow. Enough of a difference to make sure Julan will be safe."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Both Ahnasha and Lorag started to laugh, though Kaleeth appeared somewhat confused as to why. She held Janius more tightly up against her side as a response to the attention. "I have not really...thought about all of that in that way. I guess I don't really try to figure out the meanings behind things, or...how it changes me as a person. I just...live. I know I am happy, and I couldn't even think about having anyone as my mate other than Janius. It just feels like the way things are supposed to be. Is it bad for me to think about it so simply?"

Ahnasha's laughter faded, and she could not help but to smile. "No, I think it means you have certainty. You just know what you want without so much as a doubt in your mind."

The pack's time relaxing together extended far longer into the evening than they had initially planned. They did not return to any of the more serious and worrisome subjects for the rest of the evening, and instead focused on just enjoying the time they had. They reminisced about the past, as well as some of their old friends and acquaintances they had been able to catch up with recently, with all of the clans having been brought together. The future was uncertain, and it was difficult to talk about without that uncertainty manifesting. However, a satisfied past and the beauty of the present made it easy for them to enjoy their evening together.

---

Surprisingly, Meesei did not feel like she dreaded it too much when it eventually came time for the pack to retire for the night. They had been granted a nice evening together, and they only started to move their separate ways once it felt natural to do so. If they tried to stay out any longer, not only would they likely end up sacrificing sleep, but trying to stay up together for too long would only call attention to those worries. While the others would need only to relax for the rest of the evening, Meesei had one last, personal task ahead of her. Although, first, she decided that she would pay a visit to Lunise.

Meesei took the time to dress herself professionally to meet with Lunise in a public setting, even though it was likely unnecessary. Lunise was not even staying in the Dominion's section of the camp. Her role now was much the same as it had been since they had formalized their alliance with the Dominion, albeit now in a more military setting. She served as a liaison between Teroiah and the lycan forces, and had been ensuring the defense of the portal and forward camp would meet the Dominion military's standards. Meesei felt fortunate that Lunise had a diplomatic skillset; her superiors often selected her for these types of roles themselves, without Meesei needing to even request her assistance.

When Meesei approached Lunise outside her tent, she did not even bother with the trouble of providing a "formal" reason to speak with her. Right away, Lunise would see all of the colors fade and the world around her freeze in place as Meesei took the two of them out of time. Simple movement was more difficult, but Meesei was able to lean in and open with a quick kiss. "Good evening. So...how are you holding up?" Meesei asked.

---

Kaleeth and Janius were the last to remain at the river, mostly because Kaleeth had never showed any desire to leave the water. She had remained in her werecrocodile form for their entire evening, as she evidently felt comfortable in it. She had certainly come far from being an uncontrollable beast who could easily be set off, even in her normal form. It was like her beast’s very nature had slowly become at least acceptably sociable.

Kaleeth’s head emerged, slowly and partially from beneath the surface of the river. At first it was just her two eyes peeking up at him from above the surface, but she eventually moved close enough to the riverbank that she let her head rest up on dry land to speak to him. “I know it is getting late and everything, but do you mind if we just…stay here a while longer?”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I feel like the pack would spend quite a long time together on their last night before the invasion, though I don't have any particular thoughts in mind for conversations they would really want to have before then. If you do, we can stick with this scene for a while longer, since it is their last chance to really talk to one another in peace.

Otherwise, there is one scene in particular I need to do with Meesei that evening, before the invasion starts the next day.

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Thaz - Nar Shaddaa

---

Thaz followed after Samus without argument or delay. She did remember the name “Alderaan”. It was one of the targets they had identified for potential allies. Her commander’s team had almost been chosen for it, but were selected for some other assignment instead. In any case, if their fleet had a vested interest in Alderaan, then there was a good chance that they would end up going there.

On the way back to Samus’ ship, Thaz ended up mumbling to herself in the series of hisses, screeching, and squawks that constituted her people’s language, but she did eventually make a few comments that would be intelligible to Samus. “Hmph, a ‘god’. Thinks he can prove himself a god just by destroying a planet. I’ve seen two or three destroyed myself, it’s nothing special. And I don’t believe for a second he’s doing it himself. Probably has some machine, or ship somewhere. We should take it, use it on his planet.”

In any case, Thaz boarded Samus’ ship and took her seat, awaiting takeoff.

---

Eri ‘Moram - Dxun

---

Eri did return to their ship to access the slipspace communications node, though the messages it had stored quickly changed her plans beyond just reporting in. Falul had not elected to recall her team to the fleet, so the messages had not been pushed directly to their personal comms. However, now that they had secured the assistance of the Mandalorians, there was the potential for them to help. She sent a quick update on their status to the Aegis, then rushed back out to the Mandalorian camp with her datapad in hand.

Just as the chief had said, the camp was in the midst of being broken down for them to move, though the chief’s quarters were still standing for the moment. Eri went straight inside, rushing to put her datapad down on the table between her and the chief. She did not so much as speak a word before allowing Anubis’ broadcast to the galaxy to play in its entirety.

“I shall give you the short explanation.” Eri began. “We are not from this galaxy, and neither is Anubis. He is a being of great power who intends to institute himself as a god, but he is not truly divine. Our overall goal is to kill Anubis, but as there are potential allies on Alderaan, our fleet is moving there to assist.”

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Falul ‘Taham - The Immaculate Aegis

---

Having recieved an answer from the Separatists, Falul had no reason to remain in the system. Whether they ended up sending ships or not, the Aegis needed to make it to Alderaan as quickly as it could. He would be returning them to their base of operations first in order to bring along the Unbroken Hope. It was only a short detour, and the size of the Hope made it worthwhile.

“Bring our engines to their full power and take us back to our shipyard. We will be bringing the UNSC vessel with us to Alderaan.” Falul ordered to his crew before settling his gaze firmly on Dr. O’Connell, and particularly Dr. McKay. “I expect our slipspace drive to work without interruption, this time.” He snarled, though he did not truly believe there was any reason to be worried about it. The circumstances had been all too convenient, and he doubted there had been any malfunction to begin with.

---

The return to the fleet’s mobile shipyard was a short trip at the Aegis’ improved FTL speed. When the Aegis exited slipspace, there might have been a few moments of concern from the fact that it was returning from a battle alone, but Falul was quick to hail the Unbroken Hope.

“Admiral Oliver. I assume you received Anubis’ broadcast as well. Our fleet is going to the planet Alderaan. The planet contains potential allies, and with Anubis planning to destroy the planet, we must move quickly. I want your ship to assist in the evacuation. I am aware that your slipspace drive has not yet been upgraded, but a ship of your size should be able to make use of a portal created by the Immaculate Aegis. ” Falul explained. “Prepare your ship. I will be opening the portal as soon as our borer is ready. Your AI and Spartan team may return to your ship, in the meantime.”

After Falul closed the transmission, he turned his attention to the holographic avatar of Isaac. There was a few moments of silence from him before he gave a reluctant few words. "Your efforts in the battle were...useful, AI. Your kind are not entirely worthless." He remarked. It might not have sounded like much of a compliment, but even those words turned a few heads from a few members of the bridge crew. It was far more of a compliment than any of them had expected their shipmaster to give to an artificial being.

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Vael ‘Virisusai - Alderaan

---

Once he had concluded his discussion with Falul, Vael marched back down from the landing pad, following after Erthos and Lord Organa. Before, Vael had kept in mind the fact that he was serving the role of a representative with the way he acted, but now that there was a clear and imminent threat to this planet, he moved back towards his more military side. When it came to saving lives from a doomed planet, politeness and formality quickly gave way to speed and efficiency. No moment could be wasted.

Vael paid no heed to anyone or anything else until he had Bail and Erthos in sight. Even without outright running, Vael could be surprisingly quick when he moved with purpose, so even Erthos might not have expected him to find them so soon. Lord Organa and Erthos were speaking, but Vael did not care if he interrupted them. Erthos had not yet spoken with the fleet, so the information Vael had was of greater, more time-sensitive importance than anything the two of them could be discussing. “Our fleet saw Anubis’ transmission. Several of our ships are already on their way to this planet. Our fleet just defeated an Imperial force above a planet called Muunilist. My shipmaster is attempting to secure additional support from them, then will join the others here. Several of our ships can carry a substantial number of your refugees, Lord Organa, but you will need to make preparations to make the most efficient use of them. You will need to have those you intend to evacuate ready and waiting to board as soon as they arrive. Our ship can operate within the atmosphere, and will be able to board more quickly from the ground through our gravity lift. We will require you to find a suitable location on your planet with enough open space to take advantage of the entire lift.”

Vael took out his datapad, which he used to project a holographic image of the Immaculate Aegis. It showed the dimensions of the gravity lift he described, though those measurements also showed the size of the ship itself. It certainly gave weight to Vael’s claim for how impactful their fleet could be to the success of the evacuation. The measurements placed it as the largest ship in the known galaxy, and that was not even considering the other ships they had available.

“I regret I cannot say with certainty how many we can evacuate at once. I know that we have empty quarters for thirty thousand more people, but the Immaculate Aegis can likely support far more than that on a temporary basis, as long as we have a nearby destination to bring them to. Unfortunately, I am no engineer, so I cannot say how many our life support systems can sustain. Space will not likely be a concern, so you may sent with them as many supplies as you feel they need.” Vael explained.

---

Eri ‘Moram - Dxun

---

Eri too looked down at the Mandalorian Chief, sizing her up as she spoke. She found the prospect of going hand to hand against her to be an amusing thought. Unless she had some hidden advantage like Jerus with the Force, then it would not matter their relative skill levels. Eri simply had too many physical advantages. Still, taking on the challenge despite the overwhelming odds was admirable, and certainly matched Jerius’ description of them as a warrior culture.

“If you truly wish to try, I shall not deny a challenge, whenever you are ready to go through with it.” Eri answered. She found the Mandalorians’ straightforward approach to diplomacy to be refreshing, and it also suggested that they had already been poised for a fight before she had even arrived. She could guess that the Mandalorians had already intended to fight the Empire in one way or another; the test simply showed that the Sangheili were worthy allies. Although, so far, Eri only had Jerius’ word that the Mandalorians would even be useful as allies to them.

For now, Eri supposed it was her turn to be the judge of their honor, though she had no arbitrary tests to present them with. She needed only to observe. “We also encountered a…what was the word you used Jerius? Dar’jetii? He escaped through some use of the ‘Force’ before we could slay him. A shame, he would have made for a more challenging kill than his pet. He may still be on this world somewhere.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei did feel some guilt about the fact that she did not feel comfortable saying more about her ideas for a solution. It was true that she did not feel she could give them any guarantees...or that they would be comfortable with some of the risks. Still, looking ahead at the future of her pack, of all the people she cared about, she was resolved that she would be there to see it. She knew what she would do, and she just hoped that she could show enough confidence that the others would not be worrying about her.

There was a grin that came across Meesei's face. "Indeed. I fully expect the bards to be irritating me with songs of our exploits within a few weeks. Or days."

Even though her fears were unlikely to subside entirely, the attitudes of her packmates did comfort Kaleeth. They were candid, they did not deny the danger, but it all helped to remind her of what they had accomplished together. There were few as capable as they were together, and even with the confidence problems that Kaleeth sometimes struggled with, she could believe that she was a part of that as well. "Oh, well, I don't think I've ever heard a song sung about me before. I mean, I've heard them about Meesei before, and Sabine more recently, but I don't think people notice me too much."

Ahnasha chuckled as she waded up alongside Kaleeth, craning her head up to look into the towering werecrocodile's eyes. She gave a few light, but distinctly audible slaps to her side. "Kaleeth, I don't see how anyone could 'not' notice you. You're really the kind of person that...makes an impression on people. Actually, I've been curious about something..." Ahnasha began, shifting her attention over towards Janius. "What's it like to have a mate who is so...powerful? Even in her normal form, Kaleeth here could throw Lorag around."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It is not that." Meesei replied to Janius, lightly shaking her head. "It is not a solution, exactly, just...precautions that I can take to help me tomorrow. I do not want to present the problem as being solved when it is not, and I cannot give guarantees. But, I do want you to be confident that you do not have to worry about me tomorrow. We will be able to just focus on what is in front of us."

Meesei looked around, her eyes lingering on each and every member of her pack for a few seconds each. "Right now, I cannot help but to focus on all of you. There is no team in our world better than us, no family closer than us. Our pack...is the greatest that has ever lived, or will ever live. No matter how strong I have become personally, I feel like I am only barely worthy to lead a pack like you. I would not be what I have become without all of you."

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Thaz - Nar Shaddaa

---

After the Weequay had left, Thaz started to look around at the rest of the bar and its patrons. She did afford another few moments to examine the droid, but it was clear that was not the aspect of their reward that she was most interested in.

“This place does seem interesting. Kind of place I’d want to explore.” Thaz commented, though she quickly vocalized something like a high-pitched growl or grunt. “But my Commander wants me back as quick as I can. She doesn’t want me…lingering. Maybe once we get back, you two can talk with my Shipmaster. Get a deal going for the tech you want.”

---

Vael ‘Virisusai - Alderaan

---

Vael had obviously not felt what some of the others had, but he certainly did not feel normal. Perhaps it was just the change in pressure, but there was a certain unease that washed over him. In only his recent past, Vael would not have put much faith into the claims of his allies, but even his own Shipmaster believed the claims about Anubis. He was a being that claimed to be a god, and had the power to make his lies convincing.

Looking up to the growing storm in the sky, Vael clenched his hand into a fist. The destruction of a planet, the frantic evacuation of far more people than could ever realistically be saved…this was all treading on old, painfully familiar ground for him. He let out a low growl. “Every second is vital. I must report to my shipmaster, and if we intend to have any impact on their survival, then we will need to coordinate with their leadership.” Vael replied, wasting no time in rushing back to their ship to access their slipspace communication node.

---

Falul ‘Taham - The Immaculate Aegis

---

It seemed that the fleet was just trading one crisis for another. They did not even have time to assess any damage to the fleet before they received Anubis’ broadcast. The galaxy’s Emperor had been executed, and now Anubis intended to destroy a planet to institute himself as a god. The message he received from Vael confirmed that great storms had suddenly manifested on the planet. This was a planet they had identified as having potential allies for their cause, so its potential destruction was of immediate concern to the goals of the fleet.

Without much hesitation, Falul opened a channel to the Separatist fleet’s commander, in addition to the rest of the ships in his own fleet. “I presume you were sent the broadcast from Coruscant as well? What ships can your planet lend to an evacuation?”

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Eri ‘Moram - Dxun

---

The Sangheili did not particularly acknowledge Jerius’ gratitude, though he also did not seem to be bothered by it. In any case, Eri directed them all to get moving quickly as soon as the Tarentatek’s head was separated from its body. Although it was not too heavy, by their standards, on its own, the head’s general bulk meant that it was most convenient for two of them to carry it by its horns. Jarraj’s leg had stopped bleeding, but he still could not walk at any reasonable speed on his own, so Sel ended up carrying him as well.

Eri remembered the way back to the camp, so the only stop they made was to pick up the crate of extra supplies they had brought with them outside the tomb. Otherwise, they made their way straight back to the Mandalorians. Zlas kept an eye on Jerius, but their trophy was slowing them down enough that Jerius would not need to strain too much to keep up.

When they arrived at Clan Ordo’s camp, Eri was at the lead of the group, just ahead of the pair of Sangheili prominently carrying their trophy for all to see. Eri did not bother searching for the chief, as she was sure that word of their return would quickly find its way to where it needed to be. Now, it was time to see if this Mandalorian chief was good to her word.