EliteCommander

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Vael ‘Virisusai - Aboard the Assimilator

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Vael gave a nod. “I agree. We should avoid disrupting the feed. Perhaps even move some communications equipment to a dropship so we can continue it while we make use of this ship. If we do not allow our enemy to know that something has gone wrong, then they will not interfere with us. We may use the broadcast for our own ends once we have completed our task.”

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Any casualties were returned to their ships as soon as possible, while the rest set to work on getting the ship ready for use. After multiple, thorough sensor sweeps from the Daedalus to ensure the rest of the ship was devoid of life, they restored life-support and gave the Assimilator a skeleton crew to make it operational as an evacuation vessel. Just as Vael had recommended, they moved enough communications equipment to a dropship to keep the broadcast going while they appropriated the Assimilator for their own use.

Within hours, the rest of the fleet had arrived, though they were far from the first. By giving his announcement of Alderaan’s impending destruction, Anubis himself had essentially given the call for aid to any who intended to help the Alderaanian people. Ships from Chandrila started arriving even before the Assimilator was completely occupied to assist in the evacuation, which had now began in earnest. Bail Organa and Queen Breha Organa led and coordinated the evacuation from the ground for hours, until the worsening storms forced them to move into orbit aboard Bail’s ship, the Tantive IV, to avoid disruptions to their communications. It was a task that was beyond monumental, but the Organa family had no shortage of willing volunteers to assist. Both the Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Master Yoda joined Bail on the Tantive IV, and the respective leaders of most of the fleet’s ships either joined themselves, or sent representatives to assist with the effort.

The scale of this disaster, the destruction of an entire planet, was staggering, but so too was the scale of the response. Planetary governments, philanthropic organizations, and even just individuals with a ship and a conscious, showed up to evacuate as many as they could. There was nearly an incident when vessels of Separatist make arrived from Muunilist, but given the desperate nature of the situation, and Falul’s assurances, Bail was convinced to allow them to help. The skies of Alderaan hosted a constant stream of ships of all classes and many allegiances, and there was hardly a moment when ships were not entering or dropping out of hyperspace in orbit above the planet. The destination for their evacuation was a planet called Mantor VII, which was only a system away. In hyperspace, it hardly took more than a few minutes to make the trip, so the process of boarding and disembarking often took longer than the trip itself. As such, most of the ships they had could make many trips in the day they had been given.

Under normal circumstances, no amount of volunteers would have been able to do much for the administrative nightmare of coordinating such an enormous multitude of ships with any reasonable amount of efficiency. However, the AI, Isaac, proved to be an invaluable asset. The UNSC AI had the capacity to track and send instructions to every single ship involved in the evacuation simultaneously, which allowed the rest of them to focus on high-level decision making, rather than micromanagement. Between the number of ships they had available and the surprising efficiency with which they were able to utilize them, they started out at a remarkable pace in getting people off-world. In fact, if they could have kept up their efforts at that same pace in the day they had, they could have likely evacuated every single soul off of the planet. Unfortunately, that was not what fate had in store for them.

The worsening state of Alderaan itself eventually became a substantial hindrance to their efforts. The storms had been harsh from the beginning, but they eventually engulfed every part of the planet’s surface, and they became strong enough to be hazardous to many of the ships that had come to help them. Only more resilient, usually military vessels could still brave the storms. The rest had no choice but to wait in orbit while the dropships that could still land brought people up from the surface. The Daedalus’ beaming technology also allowed them to fill the ships in orbit, but they could only teleport so many at once. Some ships did ignore the warnings and attempted to land regardless, and not all returned. As one day moved into the next, their pace had slowed to a crawl compared to when they started, but they carried on regardless. The arrival of Mon Calamari ships did reinvigorate their efforts for a time, as they were among the few, sizable ships remaining that could still weather the atmosphere. It was unfortunate that the sheer distance between Alderaan and Mon Cala meant that they could not have been there from the start.

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Falul ‘Taham - Aboard the Tantive IV

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The bridge of the Tantive IV was currently, and had been for most of the past day, packed with more people than it was really meant to comfortably accommodate. Every member of their ragtag fleet had sent at least one representative to assist. Falul himself had decided to leave his ship in command of his second and instead help directly with the evacuation. He could not claim to have direct experience in coordinating an evacuation, but at least some of the skills involved in coordinating an invasion were still relevant. He did, for a time, have Vael take his place so he could rest. Although some of those present had not slept at all since the start of the evacuation, most notably Bail and Queen Breha themselves.

There were others from other factions outside the fleet that Bail had allowed into their makeshift command center as well. Currently Bail was standing around a holo-map displaying the planet alongside a Human woman who had identified herself as a “senator” from Chandrila. Falul did not recognize the title, and he had been far too preoccupied with the evacuation to remember the names of most of the people he had met today.

It had been three hours since the last evacuation center had been rendered entirely unlivable. Still, there had been isolated areas on the planet that sensors determined could still potentially support Human life, so the Daedalus had spent those hours scanning them for life signs. They did find small pockets of survivors that they were easily able to beam up to the Aegis but only a handful of times, and only in small numbers. The largest of the groups numbered only about fifty. For all intents and purposes, the evacuation was over. Just slightly less than half of the planet’s population of two billion was able to make it to safety.

Falul approached the holo-map, just across from Bail. They were looking at sensor scans that had been sent from the Daedalus. It was the third scan in a row that had returned no signs of life on the planet below. “I believe it is time for us to deal with the matter we discussed before. We still have access to Anubis’ broadcast. We can give your galaxy any message we want them to hear.”

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

That is the meaning of sapient. It would be a fully-fledged AI.

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

I have seen no actual problems that would prevent it from being accepted.

If I were to point out one thing, it is that you mentioned the ship has a sapient combat computer, @ZAVAZggg. That would be a full-fledged AI. An artificial being. I wouldn't say there is a problem with having that, but are you sure that AI is consistent with the ethos of the species' society?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It went without saying that there was an air of anxiety in the camp throughout the morning, but there were few present who were not professionals. Regardless of the danger ahead, all three armies had capable warriors that were prepared to face it. Since they were not directly responsible for any more preparations, Meesei’s pack had been free to spend their morning as they saw fit, but ultimately, they did need to get outfitted at least an hour or two ahead of time.

The camp itself now felt empty, as the majority of the warriors from all armies were now taking positions out in the clearing near the great gate. Meesei’s pack, meanwhile, had gathered near the tents next to the portal back to Tamriel, being outfitted in their equipment that had just been brought in from the Silent City. The children were present as well, though after this, they would need to return back to Tamriel.

Meesei, now in her werewolf form, was the first to be equipped, and in the dragonbone plate, she was truly a sight to behold. There was something fitting about a lycanthrope being protected by bone, though it certainly helped that it was also stronger than any metal that could be forged. The plates across much of her body were large and tended to overlap with one another, and any parts that were naturally spiked were kept short for practicality’s sake. Joints and other sections between plates were covered by chainmail made from ebony, and the helmet itself was, appropriately, made from the dragon’s skull. It was open enough to still allow Meesei to use her teeth in battle. Beyond its natural durability, the armor, and all of their new equipment, was enchanted to her exact specifications. Being that Meesei could still use her magic, the enchantments primarily augmented that strength, giving her an expanded magicka pool and quicker regeneration. There were also enchantments to provide additional resistance to magical attacks, in case any were to break through her wards. They were perhaps not the most unique enchantments, but they were practical, useful, and complemented her strengths.

For the others, the Forgemaster and his assistants went around one at a time to help equip each of them in the armor they had selected, either for their beast forms or normal forms. Although he tried to hide it, one could tell he was watching each of them closely for their judgments on his craftsmanship.

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Vael ‘Virisusai - Aboard the Assimilator

Vael had not been a part of previous interactions with the crew of the Egg Carrier, and any briefing he received had only contained relevant, practical information about them. He knew that at least one of them would be difficult to work with, but beyond that, the small creature’s apologies did not have much personal meaning to him. But, some of her words did have more of an impact…like a dagger stabbing through one of his hearts. To see a planet devastated and dying, and to have the power in one’s own hands to give life…or to take it. It was not unfamiliar.

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CCS-class Battlecruiser in orbit above a Human Colony, Human-Covenant War

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The bridge of the Covenant Battlecruiser was a flurry of gunfire, plasma blasts, and grenades. The entry point for the UNSC’s soldiers had not been as close to the bridge as they could manage, but they had to pay in blood for every hall they fought through on the way there. Marines and ODSTs lay dead alongside the Grunts, Jackals, and Elites they had killed on route to the bridge, but their sacrifices had brought them to the brink of victory. Though, they were cutting it close. The Battlecruiser was in position over its target, aimed at a city that was serving as one of the few remaining evacuation centers. It needed only to fire its glassing beam.

With a squad of four Spartan-III supersoldiers as the Humans’ spearhead, the bridge was down to its final defender. The Spartans were outfitted with MJOLNIR Mark IV armor, and most of them were already showing their battle damage. The final Elite they had to face was none other than the shipmaster himself, based on his gold armor and imposing stature. One of the Spartans put a few hits into his shields with a captured plasma rifle, but he quickly forced each of the Spartans back into cover with a volley of concussion rifle blasts. “Nishum! Contemptable heathens! Your world is already doomed!”

The shipmaster kept back the Spartans with a few more concussion blasts while stepping back towards the control console for the primary energy projector. It was already aimed, he just needed to press the button to fire. It was when he was reaching his hand back that he turned his head enough to see another Human rushing towards him from his left. He was an ODST, thrusting towards his chest an energy sword taken from a fallen Elite. The shipmaster raised up his weapon quickly enough that the sword pierced through his concussion rifle, but was stopped short of his armor. The Elite quickly grabbed the Human’s wrist and broke it almost without effort, forcing him to drop the blade. Just a moment later, he activated his energy dagger and thrust it into the ODST’s chest. However, his scream of pain also hid the distinctive sound of the frag grenade in his other hand being primed. When the shipmaster did notice, it was too late to react.

The grenade’s detonation separated the two beings in both a quick and grisly fashion. The ODST was practically blown apart, though the Elite was very much still in one piece. The shield strength of such a high-ranking Elite was enough that he could survive even such a close-range blast with depleted shields and non-fatal injuries. Or at least, that would have been the case had they been alone. The Spartans were quick to finish the writhing Elite with a hail of bullets and plasma fire.

With the death of the ODST, only a single marine remained out of their boarding party, aside from the Spartans. He stepped forward with a shocked expression, unable to look for too long at what remained of the ODST’s body. “Oh, god…Owens. You didn’t have to…I should’ve…”

As the Spartans were moving forward to complete their objective, one stopped just in front of the marine, his mere presence demanding his full attention. “Owens just saved a hundred thousand souls.” He said in a decidedly neutral tone. He did not come across as particularly compassionate or sympathetic, but it was enough to focus the marine.

Even as the bridge had just been cleared, the squad leader of the Spartans had already swung his battle rifle back around towards the bridge’s entry hallways. “Get that program uploaded. Reinforcements won’t be far behind.”

Another of the Spartans approached the control console, pulling out a data drive that had been adapted to interface with the Covenant computers. However, despite how quickly they had acted, and how vigilant they had been, they soon found that they were not alone. It was uncertain at what point in the battle he had entered the bridge, or if he had been there all along, but before the data drive could be interfaced with the console, the Spartan holding it was struck by three shots from a plasma rifle: one in the upper back, and two to the back of the head. As the Spartan’s lifeless body dropped to the floor, the shots interrupted the active camouflage, revealing the massive form of an Elite clad in the dark violet armor of a Field Marshal across the room.

“Zealot!” The squad leader shouted, prompting the remains of his team to dash for cover. The Spartans were exceptionally quick to act, so the Zealot fired his shots at the lone marine as he moved into cover himself behind a support column, striking him in the chest and stomach. His armor was effective to an extent, but it was certainly not enough to keep him in the fight.

Once they had their positions, the Spartans took aim, but the Elite did not seem to make any move from behind his cover for several seconds. The room seemed completely still for those long moments, until one of the Spartans’ motion trackers picked up on their opponent’s movement. “Left!” She called through their comms as she opened fire with her plasma rifle at a shimmering that caught her eye. One shot managed to strike his shields, immediately disrupting the active camouflage and forcing him into cover behind a Covenant weapon crate. It was hardly the best cover, and not likely his intended position to take.

With just a few gestures, the squad leader ordered his team forward. The Spartan with the plasma rifle moved left, knocking over another weapon crate to crouch behind for cover, while the squad leader moved to the pillar the Elite had ran from to keep range with his battle rifle. The third Spartan, who was down to just his shotgun, started to move towards the Zealot’s cover.

As soon as he was close enough, the Spartan pushed aside the weapon crate to expose the Elite to both of the other Spartans, as well as himself. At that range, one shot from his shotgun would at least mostly deplete the shielding of the Zealot, who would certainly fall quickly to the combined fire of both of his allies. However, the Elite was quicker to react than expected. While the Spartan was moving the crate, the Zealot had already been moving to hit him with a backhanded strike that knocked him clean off of his feet. The shotgun did fire, but only part of the spread actually contacted the edge of the Elite’s shield. Both of the other Spartans still opened fire, but the squad leader only landed one burst into the Zealot’s shields before he could return fire and land a shot from his plasma rifle onto the Spartan’s shoulder, at the joint. At least part of the superheated plasma burned its way through his undersuit and into his flesh as the squad leader pulled himself back behind the pillar.

However, before he could bring his weapon to bear on the last Spartan, her plasma rifle depleted his shields, and even landed a shot on the upper part of his stomach, though his armor protected him at least to the point that he was not incapacitated. The Spartan was forced to duck down behind the weapon crate once the Zealot opened fire, but there had been enough time for the first Spartan to recover from the Elite’s blow. His weapon had been knocked far out of his reach, but he was still armed. He got up to one knee with a plasma grenade in his hand, and just as the Elite was turning to face him, he threw and stuck it straight to the Zealot’s helmet.

In almost every situation, a plasma grenade stuck to one’s armor was a death sentence. Usually, there was nothing one could do in the few seconds before detonation but come to terms with their own demise. However, with fast reactions, and even faster thinking, there was a way for the Zealot to cheat death. He yanked his helmet off of his head so quickly he almost broke a mandible that got caught between two of the mouth guards. The excess plasma emanating from the grenade burned his hand, but he ignored any and all pain as he threw the helmet away…directly towards the female Spartan. It landed behind the weapon crate she was crouched behind, and at that point, the fuse was short enough that it detonated almost immediately to envelop her entirely in superheated plasma.

As soon as the Zealot had gotten his helmet off, the first Spartan had drawn his knife. Whatever he felt upon seeing his squadmate most likely die to his grenade did not stop him from going for the kill. He lunged for the Elite’s exposed throat with his blade, but he could not have known of the Zealot’s skill as a blademaster. He could get his free hand to his energy sword, turn, and swing as he activated it in a single, deft motion. Even though the Spartan could see and react in time to know the blade was coming, he simply had no options to prevent the sword from bisecting him.

The last that remained were the squad leader and the Zealot. The squad leader had dealt with his wound enough to continue fighting, though not quickly enough to save his squad. The Spartan took aim, but the still-shieldless Elite decided not to take the risk of challenging him in a direct exchange of fire, instead diving behind the weapon crate once more for cover to recharge his shields. The Spartan still fired a burst, but without an angle on the Zealot’s head due to his dive, the three shots struck his body instead, with no way to know what effect they had.

There was only the briefest moment of hesitation from the Spartan as he made his choice. He had no grenades and did not have an angle on the Zealot, nor would he be able to get angle before his opponent’s shields recharged. So, he chose to complete his mission. He made a dash to the ramp leading up to the command platform. His motion tracker caught the Zealot moving too as soon as he hit the ramp, but he stayed focused on his goal. Only one thing mattered out of all of this.

The Spartan rushed up to the fire control console and reached down, grabbing the modified data drive out of the clutches of his dead squadmate. All of the complexities of this sabotage had been taken care of by the AI that designed the program, so all he had to do was, essentially, plug the drive into the console. He reached out towards the console in front of him, data drive in hand, when that very hand was struck by a well-aimed shot out of a short burst of plasma rifle fire. The drive was practically incinerated, and his hand heavily burned along with it.

The Spartan turned his head to see the Zealot towering over him, his sword poised to run him through. Even with all chances of completing his mission now seeming hopeless, the Spartan still did not give up. He brought his rifle around and fired a burst underarmed up at the Elite precisely enough that a shot struck the hilt of the energy sword itself, disabling it. Ultimately, though, it was only a small success. The Zealot still followed through, striking the Spartan square in the center of his head with a full-force blow from his fist. The hit knocked him to the ground with a loud thud, cracked his visor, and sent his rifle sliding far out of reach.

The Zealot tossed the useless hilt aside, reached down, and pulled off the Spartan’s helmet as he stood over him. Any lesser Human would likely have been killed by the sheer force of the blow, but the Spartan still drew breath. The Human tried to push himself up off the floor, but the Zealot grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up in the air. He struggled just to breathe under the crushing force of the Elite’s grip, but could not avoid locking eyes with the Sangheili warrior.

“Your efforts bear the mark of bravery Human, but your heresy shall always be doomed to fail against our righteous strength. Now, you may die the warrior’s death you have earned.” Vael spoke with an even tone, his voice unburdened with anger, even for the deaths of his own allies at the hands of the Humans. The Spartan could not take a breath to even speak up in response, but he still did not roll over and just accept death. He pulled his knife from its sheath, but his last act of defiance was cut short by Vael tightening his grip to its full strength, crushing his neck almost completely.

The combat knife hit the floor as the Spartan’s body went limp. Vael dropped his victim unceremoniously, then approached the fire control console that the Humans had been so desperate to reach. Even had he not observed them from stealth, their intentions would not have been difficult to determine. The battlecruiser’s glassing beam was targeted on one of the last remaining, and largest evacuation centers on the planet. There were other ships glassing other parts of the planet, but if this ship was unable to complete its task, then the Humans below would likely have enough time to escape before another could take its place. The Shipmaster had failed to protect his ship against the Humans’ attempt at sabotage, but he had at least retained some shred of his honor by dying in battle against them.

Vael’s gaze went to the view screen in front of him. Storms of fire marked the devastation that was engulfing the majority of the planet, save for the part of the continent directly underneath them. Just as the Shipmaster had attempted before, Vael’s hand went to the holographic panel and, with a simple touch, the ship’s cleansing flame extinguished any trace of every lifeform in its path.

---

Vael ‘Virisusai - Aboard the Assimilator

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Looking down upon the dying planet, Vael’s hand clenched tightly into a fist. His determined gaze remained fixated on the planet as he finally spoke. “This planet may die, but this time…my hands shall serve to deliver its people to safety.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Well, you have been doing a good job of it." Meesei replied, keeping her arms tightly around Sabine. "I will not lie, I wish I could keep you here in safety, but I do not think we can do this without you."

Meesei eventually released Sabine and gave a quick glance to the exit. They would not be able to put off starting their day forever, but at this point, Meesei was starting to feel that she was ready. "Just promise me you will keep yourself safe out there, alright? We are going to be...creating our future for our world today, and more than anything, I want you to be able to live in it."

---

Ahnasha gave a shrug. "Honestly, I don't know if I can describe all the...tricks I have now. Really, I think the best way for you to understand them would be to see them with your own eyes. If I want to give up on any illusion of humility...I would say that what I can do is just outright amazing."

Ahnasha took a few steps towards the tent's exit, though continued looking back towards Fendros with a grin and an excitedly swaying tail. "It does sound like I have a lot to show you today. Maybe we should hurry?"

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Vael 'Virisusai - Aboard the Assimilator

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There was no hesitation, nor even a moment of distraction when his opponent fell, regardless of who dealt the killing blow. He could occupy their attention in melee while his ranged allies found their shots, and that was his precise intentions. The final two opponents knew they were outmatched, but Vael did not expect them to flee nor surrender. He had heard their words upon challenging them, and he knew, perhaps better than anyone, what was going through their minds. They were zealots, completely, religiously devoted to their master, and they would carry out his will by any means necessary. The form it took, in this case, was sacrifice.

Vael was certainly ready to act, and the cyborgs gave him plenty of warning of their presumed demise for him to react. In one motion, he moved a blade to its holster and reached back to produce a small, glowing metal disk. It was a piece of equipment originally of UNSC origin, but one he found useful. Rather than just protecting himself, he threw the drop shield at the feet of the two cyborgs moments before their self-detonation, then rolled towards one of the pits next to the bridge’s central walkway.

The drop shield could not entirely contain the combined explosions and was depleted quickly, but it did dampen them to make them less dangerous to himself and his allies. His own shields flared from the heat of the blast, but he made it down into the pit in time to avoid injury.

Naturally, the first priority of many was to check for casualties, but Vael wanted to ensure that there were no more to come. “Disable the vessel’s external defenses, quickly.” Vael ordered as he climbed up onto the bridge’s central walkway. “Once they are down, have the Daedalus scan the ship for any surviving enemies, then remove them. This will have all been for nothing if we allow them to sabotage the ship.”

Vael stepped forward towards one of the large windows at the front of the bridge, looking for any signs of enemy strikecraft outside. Although, his eyes were eventually drawn towards the planet itself. He remembered what it had looked like on approach, and already the storms were engulfing its surface. It might not have been burning in fire, but it was clearly a planet in pain.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei grinned back at Sabine. "I will not deny my role in it, but it is your potential that I unlocked. You have been the best student, and the best daughter, I could have hoped for."

Pausing briefly, Meesei stepped forward and gently took Sabine's hands in her own. "There has been a lot to motivate me over the years. When I started out, it was mostly just my own pride. My desire to be the most powerful being I could be. Then, it was my devotion to Hircine. I had a master I found worthy and was loyal to him and his goals. Then, I had a pack I was responsible for. People who relied on my strength and judgment. Then, my pack became a family. People I care about and want to see living happily. I found love; someone who makes me want to fight for my survival, to come back home and see her again. Whether it was Vile or any other threat, I've been fighting through all of that, and all of those things have given me the strength to keep pressing on. They have all motivated me to see our struggle through to the end."

Meesei gripped Sabine's hands more tightly and pulled them up closer to her. "But no one has ever motivated me more than you, Sabine. The greatest reason I have to fight is to give you the life you deserve to have. You are my legacy in more ways than one. You will carry on my teachings beyond my own lifespan, which I feel is important for any mage, but even aside from that, the person you have become is someone I am unquestionably proud of. I just know that, wherever you go, and whatever you do in your life after this war, you will improve the lives of everyone around you."

---

"I know magic that even Meesei hasn't mastered. There is a lot more power in Daedric magic than just summoning thralls. More similar forms of magic than just conjuration. I used to feel like Meesei would always be more powerful, but maybe I would make a good successor to her as Champion? If I actually wanted that responsibility, that is. I will be honest, I don't envy you having that weight bearing down on your shoulders. All that work, always having everyone relying on your decisions...I don't think it's worth being considered the "strongest." Not for me." Ahnasha said with a shrug.

Ahnasha embraced Fendros more tightly, moving her hands around his back and pressing herself against him. The look in her eyes and the grin she wore started to move back towards her more suggestive attitude from before. "I think we're all lucky to have you, you know? Someone brave enough to put up with that responsibility. I don't really want to be such a...I guess you would call it a public figure. The leader everyone is always looking up to. But, you can be confident knowing you'll always have me with you to support you. You'll always have my advice, always have my power to protect you. I mean, hopefully it will be a while before you have to take up that kind of leadership, but once you do, I will be glad to be your own deadly weapon. And if anyone ever threatens you or hurts you, I will just rip our their soul and enchant it into a cheese knife." She said, albeit with something of a cheerful grin.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As difficult as parting with Lunise was, she had to let her go. While she would certainly see her again before the invasion, it would not be in this way. When serving her professional role, she may as well have been a different person. In any case, Meesei was at least happy to be able to part with her on such a positive note.

With Lunise gone, Meesei did not bother putting up the ward again, since it was not needed. There was something of an awkward silence for a few seconds with Sabine, but Meesei broke it with a chuckle. "Sorry, I just...well, it is not as if I will be able to give her a kiss for good luck at the portal, so I had to take the opportunity while I could. There are just a few last things I wanted to say to you, too. Things that...I am sure you have been expecting me to say, but I still feel it is important for you to hear them. I cannot begin to say how proud I am of you, Sabine."

---

Ahnasha gave a sigh, somewhat frustrated at her inability to hide her feelings. That, or she had just underestimated how much Fendros could see past her. "It's nothing I'm sure you can't guess." She answered.

Reaching up, Ahnasha took a hold of one of Fendros' hands. "It's not like I'm immune to fear. I just didn't want to focus on that. I can let myself be...hopeful. I'm stronger now than I have ever been, or even expected to be. Say what you like about Neesa, but she upheld her end of the bargain. I feel powerful, and I won't even need to raise the dead to feel confident on the battlefield."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei quickly and briefly smiled towards Lunise. Even if it had just been for a short while, Meesei was glad to have her support. Lunise was dressed and ready to go, and no matter how much Meesei might have wanted her to stay, she could not linger for too long. Lunise’s absence from her own tent could be easily explained on today, of all days, but not indefinitely. If she was nowhere to be seen in the camp for too long, then her peers might start to ask questions.

When it was finally time for Lunise to take her leave, Meesei joined her at the exit of the tent to lower the ward for her. At first, she simply gave Lunise a quick, simple kiss goodbye, but as she reached her hand towards the welkynd stone, she seemed to freeze in place for a moment. She was still for just long enough to allow one to wonder what she was doing, then suddenly embraced Lunise far more enthusiastically. She ended up causing Lunise to take a few steps back, nearly knocking over a chair in the process, and with a kiss that was perhaps the most passionate she had ever given, in any context. It seemed to last for ages and was enough to make one briefly wonder if Meesei was going to ask Sabine for privacy, but ultimately, she did release Lunise.

“Thank you.” Meesei said softly while they were still close, a tear or two visible in her eyes. Although she almost had to force herself to do so, she did finally disable the ward to allow Lunise to leave.

---

Ahnasha started to walk around the tent with an exaggerated sway to her hips and a grin back towards Fendros. “With how we were last night, I’m pretty sure everyone in every tent around us has already heard it, but no, I just mean that, this early in the morning, no one’s going to be around the portal.”

Eventually, Ahnasha walked back around to Fendros and almost immediately wrapped him in her embrace. She was quite forward with him, holding him tight and running her hands down his back. She pressed herself up against him almost forcefully enough to push him back down onto the bed, yet her feelings were not quite so straightforward as she seemed to want them to be. Something just felt slightly off in her attitude. Her hands shook very slightly, but perceptibly. She was doing well to keep her eyes looking almost hungry, but her tail was hardly moving at all, instead of showing her excitement as it usually would. Her sensual demeanor and provocative words were much more of a mask than a mere playful act.

“Well…I suppose we should go have a good breakfast. We will need our energy today.” Ahnasha finally added.