EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Though she did see how everyone was gathering at the entrance of the tent, it was naturally Janius who earned all of her attention first. Although, she could not show her joy and relief nearly as much as she might have wanted. She could not muster the strength to get up and embrace him; it felt like just being awake took effort for her. Her voice was weak almost to the point that she sounded like a different person entirely, but she could still bring her hand to his cheek and pull him in close enough to nestle her head against his. “It’s over…isn’t it? We can be done with the fighting now?”

Ahnasha kept silent, not wanting to intrude upon the pair. Though, Fendros could see her looking over to him as her grip tightened on his hand. She shed a few tears of her own. It had still not quite settled in what they had already lost, but this was a reminder that they could have lost so much more.

The Cradle

The return back to the safehouse was something of a chaotic mess, and that was being generous. The Institute seemed none to happy with Wallace for their unplanned trip. The crew of her ship ended up being detained, which was something Nirann expected he was going to have to deal with at some point, considering that they had gone with her voluntarily. Though, it was nothing that was going to be solved right away, and they did have other concerns that were more pressing at the moment.

The science team’s safehouse did not have its own medical center, so they ended up bringing Freyr back to her room. Fortunately, she would not end up lacking proper medical attention. Marae woke Vreta as soon as they returned to get into contact with Rareth, who was able to get a Rothian medical team approved within minutes to come down from the cruiser in orbit, with emergency services priority. Given the speed of Rothian craft, it would not take long at all for them to arrive.

Vreta joined Marae and Nirann in Freyr’s room, still half-asleep. With how dull their time in the safehouse had been, he had hardly expected Marae to be shaking him awake with an emergency when he laid down that evening. He had gotten into contact with Rareth right away to get help, though his conversation with her had lasted a few minutes longer after Marae had left. While they awaited the medical team, Vreta suppressed a yawn as he looked down at Freyr. She was unconscious, and still in her wet, somewhat bloody clothes. No one had yet told him anything beyond the fact that she had hit her head, so he could only imagine what events had gotten her to this point. For now, Nirann had put her down on the floor and cleared out a wide area around her to make plenty of room for the medics when they arrived.

“I don’t know what in the Void happened here, but first things first, is she badly hurt, Nirann?” Vreta asked.

“My current frame isn’t equipped with proper medical scanners, but I did see the impact. She just hit her head on a barrier, nose first. That might be broken, but overall, the forces involved shouldn’t be too serious. She’s breathing fine; pulse is normal.” Nirann answered.

Vreta sighed. “Well, one of us should still probably help her pack. I just finished talking with Rareth, and it seems like we’re going to be moving in the morning. All of us. Hopefully she’ll be up and about by then, but I don’t think she’ll be happy to start packing boxes then.

Marae gave a glance around the room. “I suppose I can do it. It will keep me busy, at least.”

Nirann approached her, resting a hand on her shoulder. “No, I’ll do it. It’s not like I need to sleep, and you need to at least try to rest while you can.”

It was not long before the medical team arrived. There was just a single Rothian among the team, with the rest consisting of medical droids. Granted, in most cases, it was the droids that performed the majority of the work. While they were not true AI like Nirann, each one possessed highly sophisticated programming tailored specifically to diagnosing and treating organic beings. Their programming contained a full compendium of medical knowledge on every sapient species in the galaxy. One of the droids did have an appearance similar to a Rothian, but the rest were floating drones equipped with a wide array of specialized equipment. The medics wasted no time, with one of the droids moving over right away to perform its scans, starting with her head.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The rest of the pack joined Janius, though they naturally made way for Janius to go in first. Ahnasha stayed close beside Fendros, while Lorag stayed in the back. It would be enough for him just to see how she was doing.

Ko’tanza guided Janius towards the tent Kaleeth had been moved to. “Kaleeth…she was very badly hurt. Very badly. She is the toughest patient this one has ever had, though. Such a strong soul. It’s just, well…we did everything we could for her, but…”

As they reached the tent, Ko’tanza pulled open one of the flaps for Janius. Just inside, Kaleeth was laying back on a cot. She was back into her Argonian form, with her body still bruised, and still scarred from wounds that were slow to heal. For a werecrocodile, all would heal in time, except for her formerly-mangled leg that had now been amputated from the knee down. She was slow to react in general, but between her shallow breaths, she turned her gaze towards Janius…and smiled.

The Cradle

There was not a moment of time wasted for Nirann. Freyr was still alive and still breathing, so she seemed to have knocked herself out in her confusion. In the moment, Nirann supposed that would just make it easier for him to get her back to safety without resistance. Somehow, he doubted that orbital strikes were a common part of Human concerts, so it would be best to get them all back to safety quickly. He was on full alert. His sensors were constantly scanning the area, and he had an array of cyberwarfare packages at the ready to deploy.

When he was motivated, it did not take Nirann long to push his way through the crowd. Most of the obstacles in his way he could deftly avoid, and anyone he could not was easy enough to push aside. As Nirann approached Wallace, he carried Freyr over his shoulder. Her clothing was soaked, she had a bloody nose, and she was unconscious, but she was at least alive and about to be safe.

“She ended up knocking herself out on a barrier. I’m assuming you have a med-bay somewhere on this ship?” Nirann messaged Wallace. He did not bother stopping, instead walking right past her up the ramp and into the ship.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Saras lowered his head. The camp might have been bustling with activity all around them, but the silence between them still felt just as empty as a still night. “I…see.” Saras finally replied. “Our officers have everything well in-hand right now. We are not in any desperate need for leadership. You may rest and recover as much as you need right now, just…be ready. After all has settled, our people will still need their Champion.”

Before taking his leave, Saras gave another look around the others in the pack. Sabine was not among them, but by the way he acted, he already knew she had returned safely. “Oh, one more thing. One of our search parties reported seeing a Nord who matched the description of the one who has been assisting Sabine’s pack, Yerig. He refused to join them, but they said he appeared unharmed, so they left him be.” Saras briefly looked down. “They said he was kneeling over the remains of a Khajiit. I…will allow you to decide how best to tell her. I do not want to unnecessarily burden her at the moment."

Ahnasha stayed silent for a time, doing little more than gripping Fendros’ hand more tightly. She hoped as much as anyone that they would be able to see Meesei again, but she was not so sure that would be possible. Her knowledge of souls was extensive, and even if Meesei’s soul had survived her death, it would likely take some time for it to manifest itself in this realm. The same would be true for any of their losses in this battle. They would likely have no choice but to return to Mundus before that happened.

It was easy to lose track of time, but eventually, there was another, familiar voice that spoke up nearby. With the general noise around them, it was hard to hear what she said at first, but she quickly grabbed the pack’s attention. It was Ma’tanza, or Ko’tanza, as she was now known. She had an empty potion bottle in her hand, and looked to be exhausted overall. She was far from looking upbeat, and she seemed to have a hard time making eye contact with Janius in particular. “You can come see her now. We’ve moved her to another tent, so you can stay with her as long as you want.”

The Cradle

Marae nodded to Wallace. She did not know precisely what was happening, but if there was trouble, she certainly did not mind heading back to the ship. She and Wallace were outside the thickest parts of the crowd, so it did not take much time to get back up the ramp into the ship. Though, given that Wallace had allowed parts of the crowd up into the ship as well, she had to wonder how she was planning on getting them out quickly.

Nirann, meanwhile, weaved between the Humans in his way with singular purpose. He was on his highest alert, so he was scanning every facet of their surroundings for potential danger, from visual scans, to monitoring communications. It was a task to which he was uniquely suited. He was an AI who normally monitored an entire city. He had protocols for identifying potentially dangerous behavior in every known sapient species and their pets, as well as the sensory capabilities of his frame. If his logic could keep vigilant over all of Threria, then just watching his immediate surroundings would be child’s play.

Fortunately, Nirann was able to maneuver between the Humans around him well enough to at least get to Freyr before she ended up somewhere he could not easily reach. Before she could get over the barrier completely, Freyr would feel the pressure of him grabbing the back of her shirt to keep her from getting any farther. “Sorry, goin’ to have to stop you there, doctor. You know I’m the last one who would want to stop a party, but we kinda got to go here. Come on, I promise I’ll make it up to you. I’ve got some good recipes for some drinks I can mix up when we get back. I’m pretty sure we’ve got the materials for the fabricator to synthesize the ingredients.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As more and more wounded were coming in, the healers triaged as best as they could by the severity of the wounds…and by who was likely to survive at all. For Kaleeth, regardless of whose pack she was in, her condition was perilous enough to receive immediate aid. The pack’s assistance was welcomed as far as moving her heavy form into place, as well as getting her out of her armor. With the hits she had taken, some parts had been damaged and bent into place, which took some effort to remove. Without it, the full and terrible extent of the injuries she had sustained throughout the battle became quite evident. Werecrocodiles in particular had powerful regenerative abilities, so there were some deep wounds that had already closed, but with how weakened she had become, that healing had slowed considerably. Her leg in particular had been horribly mangled by the frost atronach, and apart from their earlier attempts to stop the bleeding, in had hardly healed at all. Throughout it all, as the healers started to get to work, Kaleeth was still mostly unresponsive. She said nothing and barely moved, except to bring her gaze to Janius.

After Kaleeth had been moved into place, healers quickly moved in to take over. As much as they might have wanted to stay with her, though, even the Champion’s pack could not be allowed to crowd the infirmary and get in the way of the healers. Aside from Sabine, of course, the rest had no choice but to wait outside.

---

In the aftermath of the battle, the waiting felt almost like more of a torture than the pain itself, though that was far from pleasant. Adrenaline had long since worn off, and they were all feeling the consequences of every hit they had taken. They could all be thankful that they had prepared very well for this moment. They knew what would happen if Vile was defeated, so this chaos had been expected. Teams of non-combatants had been in waiting at the camp to go out in search of the lost and wounded to bring them back. Naturally, as with any battle, they had also stockpiled as many healing supplies as they could. Strong healing potions were being used in tandem with healing magic to help the badly wounded, but cheaper, weaker potions were being distributed around the camp for those who were in waiting for treatment. Since all of this planning had been done ahead of time, Fendros did not need to organize everyone personally. He, and the rest of his pack, finally had a chance to stop and rest.

Ahnasha sat close beside Fendros, still holding the empty bottle of the healing potion she had been allotted in her hand. Her Dragonscale helmet was on the ground next to her, and she occasionally tugged uncomfortably at the armor she wore. She could feel the dried blood in her fur underneath. She had been silent for a while, and occasionally looking over to Janius. As bad as the waiting was for her, she could only imagine how painful it was for him. She had found Fendros after just a few minutes, and he was right here beside her. She could hold his hand, but Janius could not even see Kaleeth until the healers were done. Lorag, by this point, had shifted back to his Orc form. He was occupying himself by cleaning and maintaining the armor scattered around him. Without any tools, it was an effort in vain, but he continued at it regardless while they waited.

For a while, the pack was actually left alone, but eventually they were approached by a familiar face. Ahnasha lifted her head up towards him first as she heard his footsteps off to her right, as soft as they were. It was Saras. At least by his appearance, he seemed no worse for wear after the battle, though he was a man who quite excelled had hiding anything he did not wish to reveal. Regardless, Ahnasha was glad to see him. In the back of her mind, she had been worrying about him, Rossarm, Ri’kalesh, and the others they had left defending the pass. The blast of magical energy Meesei had unleashed had reached far around the tower, but it seemed that it had not reached far enough to harm their allies beyond it.

“Fendros, I was told I would find you all here.” Saras began. “I have been coordinating as best as I can with our search parties. Most of our survivors seem to be making their way back to the camp, but Meesei has not yet been found. Most are just glad for the battle to be over, but there is still considerable confusion. They are going to need their Champion eventually.”

The Cradle

Nirann gave a brief shrug. “Well, strictly speaking, it could help, insofar as it could help facilitate the development and maturation of interpersonal relationships that are vital to the mental well-being of a social species like Humans…” He started, speaking quickly and flatly before shifting to a more usual tone. “…but yeah, I guess I can admit that we have some other things to worry about tonight. Maybe we can still put together a smaller party back at base?”

“We should certainly put something together. She needs friends right now.” Marae remarked.

In any case, Nirann put his focus more sharply onto Freyr as he maneuvered his way closer to her through the crowd. Between the music and the roar of the crowd, the sounds around them were overwhelming, but the closer he came, the more distractions he could filter out until he could hone in on Freyr’s voice alone. “Now, we probably shouldn’t get ourselves thrown out of the party. Come on over here, I’ve got another idea for some real fun. You’ll love it.” Nirann messaged Freyr directly. He knew better than to just try to appeal only to her sense of reason when that sense was very much compromised at the moment. Rather, he went with the approach of dangling temptation in front of her to get her to go along willingly with what they needed her to do. It did not matter if he was being vague as long as he spoke confidently enough about it.

The Cradle

Nirann tilted his head up slightly towards the sky. With his array of sensors, he could perceive the shield in ways most others couldn’t. Indeed, he could get a read on its size, dimensions, and strength from a distance. Wallace, it seemed, was being quite cautious. He wondered if there was a specific reason to think they were in danger, or if she was just leaving nothing to chance. In any case, he had no problem assisting in his own way. It was easy enough for him to have a subroutine always monitoring his sensors for anything potentially worrying.

Crossing his arms, Nirann laughed. “Are you so sure you want to leave so soon? Freyr is finally looking like she’s having a good time.”

“Well, it would be the responsible thing to do.” Marae remarked.

“Heh, like how responsible you were on our last trip to Anskaria?”

Marae rolled her eyes, then stepped a bit closer to Wallace. “We can join you. Maybe help bring her in without upsetting her.” She offered, though she could not help but to look to the crowd with a bit of temptation. The music, as strange as it was to her, had a beat she was starting to appreciate. The crowd was still as lively as ever, and even for her, it would be easy for her to want to join in. She supposed they would see once they got to Freyr.

Halo: Aegis Team

Vael 'Virisusai

---

Vael heard and considered the advice of the members of his team. They all had their own expertise, and he could benefit from making use of it. Still, though they had a few options, a decision still needed to be made, especially when there was no clear “best” choice. ”We cannot carry out our ambush and attempt stealth. An infiltrator would be in range of the explosives, if discovered. An ambush is the safer course. Most of their warriors will likely be in those structures on the east side of the platform. There are no guards underneath the platform, so Grikgar, you should be able to plant the charges on the supports underneath them.”

Pausing a moment, Vael started designating positions on the team’s collective HUDs. ”As Yalu suggests, we shall take positions on what will become the high ground. This ridgeline here will give a strong position for most of us. Aviza, Ryker, Yalu, take a position on the western ridge to create a crossfire. When the charges detonate, the Unggoy outside will most likely panic, so they will not be our priority. We will instead focus our fire on the exits to the structures to cut down the rest as they try to reach safety.”