EliteCommander

The Cradle

Vreta tilted his head curiously. Her words had started him thinking about potential precautions they might need to take to protect from any potential dangers they might find, but her last question caught him off-guard and derailed his thoughts. “Our evolution? We have a reasonably complete fossil record. I would not say there is anything exceptional about it, at least to our knowledge. Though, I’m no paleontologist. If my memory from the last time I went through a university serves me well, I think modern Rothians evolved relatively quickly after life became established on our planet, compared to most other intelligent species out there. That is to say, our planet has been through less cycles of extinction before our people arose, compared to your world.” He answered.

Seeing as Freyr did not seem willing to go any farther out into the pool, Vreta sat himself down in the water alongside her. “Why do you ask? Is my answer helpful, or is there something more specific you want to know?”

The Cradle

Briefly, Vreta observed the nearby Human males. They wore considerably less than Humans usually did, though he did not pretend to understand their social norms for when that was or was not acceptable. Modesty was a Human concept he knew of, but it was still alien to him.

Vreta submerged himself under the water for a few moments, though he made sure his implants modulated the sound waves from Freyr’s voice so he could continue to make out her words from underwater. He emerged somewhat deeper than he had been, though he replied to her without skipping a beat. “Not at all. Our society under the Rahn’Saki have accepted such surveillance since widespread video recording became practical. It has only grown more robust ever since. I personally have never known anything different. I…suppose I might be able to imagine how one who is not accustomed to it might be unsettled, but the benefits are immense. Our safety is all but guaranteed, every transaction guaranteed. You can be assured that any contract can be enforced, even if it is just verbal. Unlike on Outremer, where you have to get everything in writing.”

Standing up straight out of the water, Vreta approached Freyr once more. “Perhaps you are worried about making mistakes accidentally while under surveillance? I seem to recall that being a common worry among visitors. You can rest assured that, especially for outsiders, automated law enforcement is programmed with that concern in mind. For minor crimes, and commonly broken rules that may not be obvious, they will give warnings at first. You can even link your implants to the city network to receive alerts if it appears that you are about to do something against the law. Tourists rarely actually get into any real trouble. Do you think that might calm some worries for your team?”

The Cradle

Vreta took a moment to lower himself deeper into the water. Being that it was already a comfortable temperature, he did not require much adjustment. “What are ‘shorts’? Sorry, you’ll have to forgive me, I’m not too familiar with your clothing customs, so I may not be of much help in that regard. As for the radiation treatment, if you are confident that your labs can perfectly reproduce the treatment, you can choose that option. However, for liability concerns, anyone who does not receive the official treatment will still have to sign a rather extensive waiver. Or…we could just give the official treatment to Human doctors to administer. That would be permissible.”

By this point, Vreta was about waist-deep in the water. His tail, by itself, was still buoyant, so it naturally wanted to float on the surface. As for the matter of discussion, he did feel that the physical concerns of the crew were the most obvious, but he was sure their leaders had already prepared to take care of their crew. It would be more important for Vreta to spend time addressing cultural and behavioral issues. “Honestly, I do think the ship’s crew will be well-prepared to ensure their physical health. If I was the captain, it would be my first priority going into this. For your team, though, you will be working much more closely with us than the soldiers will. I do want to make sure you and your people are comfortable with that. I think I want to emphasize in the pamphlet that they will be safe on Rothia. Crime, well…crime has not been erased, no matter what some Rothians might want to claim, but it is exceptionally rare. Not just in terms of violent acts, but unresolved cases of fraud, robbery, and other forms of crime against tourists are in the single digits across decades. People and transactions are simply watched too closely for it to go unnoticed. However, there are visitors to our world that take exception to that surveillance itself. There is no point, in any Rothian ship, city, or town, where you will not be watched. That is simply how we live our lives, and I do hope to convey that it will keep your people safe just as much as ours.”

The Cradle

“Well, I didn’t say I was ‘worried’, exactly.” Vreta remarked as he stepped out further into the water. He first moved up next to her, then walked out a bit farther into the water until it came up above his knees. The depth grew at an increasing rate the farther out he walked, but it did not look like it ever became deeper than his own height.

“One moment. I’ll send you the unedited pamphlet.” Vreta answered, sending the file to her with but a thought. “The first thing that your team will need to get accustomed to is the planet itself, naturally. As I mentioned before, it is a warm planet. Nothing dangerous for your species, but from my understanding of your biology, you will probably end up frequently perspiring. There is also the matter of radiation, as Rothia receives much higher doses than Outremer. Fortunately, I think your team, being scientists, will understand the need for preventative treatment. Some visitors to our world are resistant to the idea of mandatory medical treatments.”

The Cradle

Vreta canceled the simulation he had queued in the firing range once Freyr decided to move on. Target shooting was a nice diversion, but he did need to get some work done for the day, at any rate. The agent seemed like she would be staying regardless, so he bade her farewell as Freyr did, then followed her lead out of the combat simulator.

---

Vreta had come into this room the previous evening, though it had been late enough that it was even less crowded than it was now, and he had only stayed for a short time. Perhaps now, he would get to relax in the heat for a bit longer. He did not seem to have quite as much energy as Freyr, as he was slower to step out onto the sand and take in his surroundings. There was at least a thin layer of genuine sand under his feet, collecting between his toes; not enough to become disruptive or annoying, but enough to help sell the illusion. The sky was, obviously, simulated, but it was a convincing one. The heat even felt like it was coming properly from the star shining down on them from above, which was always a pleasant feeling on his scales. These aspects of the simulation were indistinguishable from reality, so for all intents and purposes, its quality was equal to what one could find on Rothia.

“The sky might look a bit different, but this pleasant heat certainly reminds me of home.” Vreta commented as Freyr left behind some of her clothing to wade out into the water. It had primarily been the heat he had wanted to enjoy, but he did not mind water as well. He just had his belt to remove, which had a few pouches and, for this outing, an integrated personal shield unit. The shield emitter was waterproof, but he did not feel that he was in enough danger to warrant wearing it at all times.

Vreta tested the water slowly at first with his feet, then waded out alongside Freyr once he felt that the water was sufficiently warm. “I am…mostly comfortable with water. My scales are waterproof, so it is comfortable as long as it is warm.” He said, though he soon gave something of an embarrassed grin and rubbed the back of his neck. “Although, I will say I, um…can’t actually swim. Not anymore. It’s the metal skeleton. I’m not, uh, buoyant, really. In fact, I sink like a rock. My lungs do allow me to hold my breath for quite a long time, though, so if I ever need to cross a lake, or something, I suppose I could just walk along the bottom.” He chuckled.

The Cradle

On Vreta’s part, the agent’s role did not particularly bother him. Despite their history, there was some advantage to keeping her close. Vreta was reasonably certain the Humans had a saying regarding just that. In any case, he took a moment to review the stats on Freyr’s performance in the simulation once the round ended. She did well-enough, considering her relative experience. With some upgrades to her implants and just some regular practice, he felt she could become comfortable enough with a weapon to reasonably defend herself. Although, it would also depend on how skilled she wanted to become.

“If you are simply wanting to become comfortable enough with a weapon to be able to defend yourself in emergencies, I would say there is no problem using every tool at your disposal. Though, if you want to become truly skilled in a fight, there is a more comprehensive form of training you could follow.” Vreta commented to Freyr. “For Rothian soldiers, we start our training without the assistance of our implants. We use just our own senses, our own reactions, our own bodies. We develop our skills from there, then add implants on top of it. That is quite a time-consuming process, though, so it is up to you whether you would find that sort of training worthwhile. Honestly, if there is one skill in particular from that training I would say is worthwhile for you to learn, it would be to keep a calm mental focus, even under stress. There are plenty of people who can aim well at the firing range, but panic when the targets are shooting back.”

Vreta went ahead and started going through the selections for simulation scenarios once Agent 595 made the suggestion. Assuming Freyr wanted to run another one, he decided to pick something that would benefit from keeping a cool head. It was a scenario that involved shooting hostile targets, while avoiding shooting innocent targets. “As I mentioned in my message, I do have a few questions to ask you, Freyr. I have a primer on Rothia meant for tourists that I would like to edit to help your people adapt to our world, and I just wanted to run a few of my ideas by you. It is nothing time-sensitive nor difficult, though. We could run a few more rounds of this, if you like, then discuss it in a more relaxed environment. Perhaps one with less gunshots. We could visit that ‘beach room’ Masgard mentioned, if you like?”

The Cradle

It was an amusing game that the agent was playing, in more ways than one. She set them up in a new, perhaps more exciting challenge. The targets could move more quickly, and in more directions. Although, it still was, at its core, target shooting. The software of Vreta’s implants could keep up with targets far faster hand his hands could ever hope to track, so his perceptions were no bottleneck. Between his predictive targeting and aim assistance, the change in scenario led to no change in his performance. He did have to keep his eyes on the targets to aim at full effectiveness, but beyond that, he could hit them firing from the hip. Still just with the simple pistol, he had no trouble keeping up.

Vreta kept his eyes forward, but spoke calmly towards Freyr behind him. “It’s good practice to shoot in chaotic environments. A shootout is not a calm experience. There will be shouting, plenty of noise. You just have to focus on what is in front of you. Your target and your aim, that is what matters.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Despite being outnumbered by their Daedric foes, the roars, shouting, and battle cries from their side echoed louder across the battlefield. Particularly after the long series of battles they had been through already, Sabine’s spell gave them all a welcome burst of energy to reinvigorate their charge. Additionally, amid the shouting of their allies, three words sounded out above the rest: ”MID VUR SHAAN!”

Once again, Yerig’s shout empowered his allies, guiding their hands with the speed of the winds of Kyne. Even the Senche cavalry on their left and right flanks felt the effects on their claws. Meesei too led with her magic. She did not have a way of enhancing all of her allies at once, but she could weaken the enemy. From her position at the front of their charge, she formed long, potent dispelling chains that she lashed across a wide swathe of the Daedra in front of them, ripping through wards and erasing any magic that their own mages might have been using to empower them.

As they neared the enemy frontline, Kaleeth overtook Meesei to become the pack’s spearhead. There were no shortage of targets in front of her, most of which were Skaafin that she could have easily crushed several ranks deep. However, the prey she took in her sights was the largest one she could see: an ogrim. It was a being of muscle and fat a bit taller than a werewolf, but heavier than a giant. It had arms like tree trunks, and when it met Kaleeth headfirst in her charge, they both stopped one another in their tracks. The ogrim pushed against her and slammed its fist against her side several times. The loud strikes impacted hard enough that one could even worry about them fracturing dragonbone, but Kaleeth was undeterred. She grabbed the ogrim by its sides, sinking her claws into its flesh, and with a deafening roar she began to lift the ogrim upwards. Between her werecrocodile form’s natural muscle and the strength enchantments enhancing them, she put her full power on display. The ogrim was lifted slowly at first, but once it was hoisted over her head, the confused Daedra just flailed its limbs fruitlessly. The statement Kaleeth made was clear, and it was punctuated by her throwing the massive Daedra forward across multiple ranks of Skaafin. Certainly, its weight would do much more damage than just knocking them off of their feet.

The fact that Meesei’s pack intended to stick close together necessitated that they all stay close to the frontline, and whether she needed it or not, Do’rhajul made himself into Sabine’s bulwark against their enemy. He stayed close in front of her with Spellbreaker at the ready to be an impenetrable wall against any attack that might come their way.

The Cradle

Vreta shrugged, looking down at the simple pistol he took in his hand once he went to his own booth. “They are fairly small in my hands, and of course your weapons don’t have the power of our own, but they are still lethal. And they are still a step up from some of the other weapons I have seen out in the galaxy. There are species out there still using metal and gunpowder for their projectiles.”

The most important detail about the pistol to Vreta was the fact that it had software that could link to his neural implant. With that, his combat assistance program could paint a reticle for him, even if the weapon itself was out of his field of view. It could also visualize recommended adjustments for him to make to put himself on target, and even display the predicted path of the projectile. The chaotic conditions of real combat could certainly muddy the waters, but his combat suite essentially made simple target shooting trivial. He did not even need to use particularly good form in order for him to land shot after shot with remarkable accuracy onto vital areas of the simulated targets.

Unlike the agent, Vreta still paid attention to what Freyr was doing after finishing his targets. He put down his weapon and leaned back out of his booth. “Do you have any implants that would help you with shooting, Freyr? I just want to get an idea of what sort of assistance you may or may not be getting.”

The Cradle

“I’m feeling fine, personally.” Vreta answered Agent 595. “I slept in a while. It was nice to get some rest after yesterday. I also got a good workout this morning, or…well, a decent one. The civilian gym on the ship isn’t really meant for my level of augmentations. I put in a request for higher grade equipment; I just hope they don’t see me as too ‘demanding’. I’m here to solve problems, not cause them.” He grinned.

Vreta maintained his friendly demeanor when he turned his attention towards Freyr. “And how are you, Freyr? I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to find you in a place like this. I didn’t take you for a soldier. Of course, I suppose I don’t look like much of one on the outside either, so…appearances can be deceiving.”

Vreta gave a quick glance downrange at the targets. He did have some work-related questions to ask Freyr, but it was hardly time-sensitive. “Are you two going to be staying at the range for any longer? I wouldn’t mind joining in, myself.”