EliteCommander

The Cradle

Vreta nodded over to Freyr. “With what everyone had to gain from this project, we’re going to get the best they have on offer. Especially if they don’t want the other side to end up getting more out of it than they do. Maybe some healthy competition will even help us be more productive; we just have to make sure that competition stays ‘healthy’. I don’t have any intel on Gazes either, though. Might be that they wanted to send someone to look after their team, though if I were them, I would have at least made up a personnel file for them.”

With a shrug, Vreta closed his files and gave one more look around the room. “I think they’ve had enough time to familiarize themselves with the layout. Time for the guided tour, I suppose? They could use a briefing to at least start getting them up to speed. I’ll send out a message to the rest of our team to get everyone here, then you can do what you do best.”

The laboratory was designed to be as convenient as possible for all parties involved, and Vreta supposed this was a decent first test of that principle. They had hologram projectors that could function in and out of water, and access to all of their equipment on both sides of that division. There was a space close to the vault that was meant to be a natural point for all parts of the team to converge. Several of the QV’s tubes were nearby, there was a relatively low, walkable ceiling for the Tindrel, and enough floor space for everyone else. It was intended to, hopefully, allow everyone to congregate without anyone feeling inherently excluded. It was not enforced that anyone must use any part of the lab for any strict purpose, except the vault itself, but that was where Vreta went to start gathering the team’s attention. He had sent out the alert to the Human and Rothian science teams that it was time to gather in the lab, and once they had all arrived, it was time to begin.

“If everyone could join me, please, we have a lot we need to start covering. You’ve all been given the dossier on this team and our goals, so I’m sure you’re all familiar with the basics, but it’s time for everyone to get up to speed on the mission here in Psi-Helios.”

The Cradle

Vreta did not interrupt either party in exploring their new workspace. If nothing else, it was a truly unique, if somewhat bizarre looking space. There was a mix of aquatic spaces right alongside dry areas, with climbing surfaces anywhere they could be reasonably placed. Computers and other lab equipment were almost exclusively Rothian tech, but they had gone through the effort of setting up multiple interfaces tailored to Humans, Tindrel, and QV. Most of their equipment could easily swap between different holographic interfaces designed for each species’ user interface preferences. And at the center of all of it was the Outreman-designed vault for their hopeful prize.

“Please take some time to familiarize yourselves with the workspace. Our goal has been to create a space that could allow you all to optimize your comfort and workflow. You should find that all of our equipment has interfaces that should be familiar to you. Everything is still set in the test environment, not production, so feel free to experiment and get comfortable with it. Now is a good time to look for any changes you might want to make.” Vreta announced to the two teams.

While the rest were fulfilling their curiosity, Vreta stayed with Freyr and simply watched as they familiarized themselves with the space. “You know, for as difficult as all this is, it does feel impressive what we’re making. This kind of a collaborative project between so many species…it’s quite a rare thing. Hopefully, all these perspectives will help you find solutions you wouldn’t have alone. Different brains think fundamentally differently, so it’s not impossible. Who knows, maybe the new environment will help our own creativity too? Can you really say you’ve ever run complex experiments while breathing underwater, surrounded by transparent aliens?” Vreta chuckled lightly.

The Cradle

“Indeed. With all the differences in our biology, it would be difficult to make a ship that would be comfortable to every species simultaneously. We do our best to adapt, though. Please follow us; we’ll show you to the workspace.” Vreta answered.

At the very least, he and Freyr had managed to bring Gazes and Chitnarit’s attention off of each other, which he supposed was a manner of resolving the situation for now. It was going to be a process to try to nudge them into getting along over time. For now, Vreta led the way towards the team’s research lab.

For the purposes of this project, one of the cargo bays had been seamlessly converted into a rather massive research lab; much larger than the sort of space that would normally be used for that purpose. It allowed them to tailor portions of the space to each species without making any one of them feel neglected. At least a quarter of the total space was entirely submerged in breathable liquid for the Qalian-Vosh, separated from the air by a tough, transparent polymer. The QV’s area alone was at least as large as an average research lab, so they would not be lacking for space in their preferred environment. In order to avoid making them seem too separated from the rest of the team, their area had not simply been shoved into one corner. Rather, there were tubes leading to tanks spread out among the rest of the lab as well to allow them to be close to the rest of the team if needed. There were doorways separating air from liquid with walkable energy shields to allow any member of the team to move between the two quickly and easily if needed, with physical barriers available as backups in the event of total power failure.

The Tindrel too would find accommodations for themselves. Walls and ceilings were made largely from a material far more malleable than it appeared on the surface. Their legs could easily pierce it to allow them to climb as much as they desired, and it could even repair itself afterwards to cut down on maintenance. Some parts of the ceiling were closer to the floor to allow them to be in proximity to their ground-based peers, while others were higher up to allow them more space if needed. Floating platforms would allow them to move much of their equipment to different heights with relative ease.

The Cradle

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The Cradle

Gazes Fondly had not directly answered Vreta’s question, though this sort of greeting would be as strange as he might have expected from the Qalian-Vosh. Rahn’Masser agents were sometimes trained to be able to integrate into alien cultures, as he had been for Outremer. From his knowledge, integrating with the QV had one of the longest training programs. Gazes was not being hostile or disrespectful towards him; quite the opposite. Still, it was easy to see how they might have trouble with diplomatic incidents. Fortunately for the QV, Rothians did not tend to shy from physical contact. He was worried more about how they would interact with the others. “I need to move on my own now. Please allow me out of the suit.” Vreta requested politely.

Once he was out of the suit, Vreta did not seem too perturbed by the experience. He was still wet for the moment, but he felt no discomfort from it. The liquid slid easily from his scales, and he simply went straight back to Freyr and took back his mug of coffee. His focus soon went straight for the Tindrel that had been a part of the altercation. One of the QV had identified them as Chitnarit, though Vreta was not yet going to assume. If he was going to help diffuse this tension, he had to avoid upsetting either side, and no doubt, it was going to take a while to make any progress. “I agree. We have done as much as we can to make both our workspace, and your living spaces as comfortable as we can for you. I understand that you are going to need to do some ‘catching up’, as it were, but make no mistake that you are both a part of this project.”

The Cradle

Vreta managed to avoid being too obviously startled. It had been quite a long time since he had dealt too directly with the Qalian-Vosh. Well over a century, in fact. Entire cultures could shift over those sorts of timescales, so even Vreta had to admit to being somewhat out of his…depth, in this. Regardless, he was a professional and he knew how to deal with such situations. He did not recoil from the QV, nor lash out. The sludge filling the suit invaded his nostrils, making for a bizarre and briefly uncomfortable sensation, though that did not last too long. It was far from the first time Vreta had been submerged in a breathable liquid. QV, at least away from their home territory, tended to make use of an adaptable liquid that could provide respiration to most oxygen-breathing species. The majority of spacefaring species were not aquatic, so such measures helped them to interact more closely with alien life.

It took a few moments for Vreta to let his body adjust. By the time he opened his eyes, the QV, Gazes Fondly, was close enough to nearly be touching him. Despite that, Vreta showed no signs of obvious discomfort. Rothians themselves generally did not mind being close to one another. At that distance, even through the sludge, Vreta could see clearly plenty of features about the alien’s form. Their translucent skin allowed most of their anatomy to be visible, from organ systems and skeletal structure, even to the web of veins and nerves that spread out across their body. Even while staying still, they always looked to be in motion. It seemed fitting that the QV were known so widely for their openness.

Vreta was going to need to deal with these two one at a time, so he may as well start with the one in front of him. “I will have to apologize for being a poor host to you both. I’m sure you know how quickly everything has had to be put together for this. I just haven’t had the time to familiarize myself with your customs as much as I would like. What would be the proper way for me to greet you, Gazes Fondly?”

The Cradle

Vreta took a slow sip of his coffee. For a moment, he cradled the mug gently in both hands and let out a soft, but long sigh. After a moment, he reached down and held it out towards Freyr. “Could you hold this for me for a minute, please?”

As early as it was, Vreta was far from being in the mood for any of this, but it was not as if he could just avoid it. Maintaining positive relations did constitute most of his job here, after all. He may not have known what sparked this particular confrontation, but by the looks of things, this was not something that was going to be diffused by simple bargaining or shouting. It would require a more personal touch.

Vreta walked straight up to the pair and reached out as if to place a hand firmly upon both of their shoulders. Of course, neither had a shoulder he could easily access, but a hand on their exoskeleton and suit respectively sufficed to demand their attention. He made sure to give them no option to simply ignore him. Regardless of how they felt about each other, they might have more hesitation about raising a talon towards their Rothian hosts. “My friends, please allow me to be the first to give you a warm welcome to this team. I’m Vreta, please, tell me your names.”

The Cradle

Vreta shrugged, taking a sip from his mug as he walked alongside Freyr. “Well, our superiors don’t want to show ‘favoritism’, so they want to bring them onboard and give them the tour at the same time. The Qalian-Vosh wanted to send someone ahead of their team to double check that the aquatic accommodations we’ve made for their people will meet all their needs. Makes sense, we’re not aquatic ourselves, so we might miss something important for them that we wouldn’t normally think about. Of course, we tell the Tindrel and they want to send someone too, but they don’t have any reason to send anyone other than the team themselves, so they decide just to go ahead and send their science team. And, of course, since their team is coming, now the QV have to send their team too. One thing leads to another, and…now they’re both here and we have to scramble to try to keep them from being alone together for too long.”

After a moment, Vreta let out a sigh, which soon turned into a light chuckle. “All this drama has been from the bureaucrats, though. Who knows, though? As scientists, maybe their teams will have more rational views towards each other than their leadership?”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It took some time for the clan to be gathered. Fendros’ pack were far from the only ones to experience a few reunions. For many, the fact that the war was finally over had not yet truly set in. With over a decade of having that threat looming over them, it was still natural to have that feeling that the threat was still out there somewhere, waiting. Strictly speaking, Vile was still out there. Nothing could kill a Daedric Prince, no matter what other gods helped achieved it, but it would be centuries before his strength could recover to a point where he would be able to threaten anyone. By then, his plans certainly would have moved on from harvesting lycan souls.

All of the clans that had been brought together for the battle were gathered in a clearing just outside the Silent City. With everything and everyone that had gone into the Hunting Grounds having been brought back, the Oblivion Gate they had constructed now stood empty nearby. It’s portal gone, their connection to the Hunting Grounds had been severed for good. At least, for as long as they lived. It was far from the first time they had gathered this crowd in this place, drawn from all of Tamriel’s clans, though one could not help but to notice how the crowd now was half the size as it had been before the battle. Not all of those had been killed; there were still plenty of wounded, and neither them nor the people treating them were going to be present for this assembly. Regardless, the casualties were still not minor. There had been a price for this peace.

Before they began, Saras came to Fendros with another report. Overall, the clan’s council had been handling most of the smaller issues to be dealt with in the wake of the battle, but this one was of more of a personal nature to the Champion’s pack. Saras himself, despite his usual stoicism, was at the point of showing the wear quite openly. Even he could not hide his exhaustion. “Champion, I have the report from the recovery teams we sent after the battle. Before the portal closed, we had them scour the area around where you emerged in the Hunting Grounds after slaying Vile. We had to be quick, before anyone else could get to it. They were able to recover Meesei’s belongings. The armor she had been wearing, everything she had been carrying…except for the Staff of Magnus. We know that neither the Imperials nor Dominion got to the area before we could, and we searched it thoroughly. We thought it possible that the Staff might have been destroyed in that great release of energy, but there was not even a trace of it.”

“I doubt the Staff can even be destroyed.” Ahnasha chimed in. “Legends do say that the Staff of Magnus has a will of its own, though. It’s said the Staff is bound to eventually abandon any mage that claims it. Maybe it just decided that it was its time to move on?”

Halo: Aegis Team

Through the glowing, translucent energy shield separating the hangar from the outside, the strike force could see the chaos start to unfold. Their Blockade Runner came in quick and low over the mountains, much to the surprise of the Keep’s defenders who saw the warship suddenly approaching over the horizon. At the speed their ship could move, they hardly had time to raise the alarm before the vessel was upon them. With a well-defined plan to follow, the ship’s crew carried it out quickly and efficiently. Immediately, the Blockade Runner fired a pair of plasma torpedoes at the city’s outer walls, blasting a sizable hole in the city’s defenses near to the planned drop zone. Anti-aircraft emplacements within the city opened fire to start pounding the ship’s shields. It was at that point when the defenders were likely marking the ship for the nearest heavy cannon to eliminate, only to find it in no condition to fire, and its garrison unresponsive. There were other, similar cannons situated in other positions around the city, but at the ship’s current altitude and position, only the one they had sabotaged would have had a shot. Even still, their shields could only handle ground fire from the city for so long, so this insertion would need to be quick.

Being that the Blockade Runner was not specialized for ground assault, it had no grav lift for quick deployment, so they would have to settle for phantom drops. Aegis team’s respective vehicles were already locked in place to the phantoms above them via their grav lifts, so once the hangar’s shield dropped, they were among the first out the door. The first wave of phantoms exited on the side of the ship opposite to the keep so the Blockade Runner’s shields could help protect them from the anti-aircraft fire. They were positioned directly above the drop zone, so it hardly took more than a few seconds for them to get to ground. Heavy armor, like scorpions, were dropped in the front, with wraiths behind. Lighter vehicles, like ghosts and warthogs, were initially dropped behind the heavy armor, though they were agile vehicles that could easily reposition as needed to support the main armor column. Shadow troop transports carried the majority of their infantry support and would move behind the armor at least until they were inside the walls. Banshees from both sides were being deployed for close air support. For now, the Blockade Runner’s point defense could help fight off opposing aircraft, but it would not be staying for too long.

The city had been caught off guard, as evidenced by the lack of defenses outside the walls. No doubt, the garrison was already deploying to meet them, but right now they had a chance to get to a better position before they faced resistance. Right now, the only incoming fire on the ground was coming from four rapid-fire plasma turrets positioned on the top of the walls. They were still at long range, so the incoming fire was mostly inaccurate, though they would become more dangerous the closer they came. They were completely in the open at the moment, so priority was to get to the breach before the enemy could respond, but it may have been wise to put some attention on the turrets along the way.