Act 39: Decision

As Easani is wandering around, he's once again called, this time to the teleporter. This is was normal, Stic would occasionally come to visit for one reason or another. 
"Ah, Stic. Good to see you again-"
His words die in his throat as another figure makes itself known.
"Erm... who... what is that?"

"It's good to see you again too." Stic then noticed that Easani seems taken aback by something.
"Uuuuuuhh..." Mattias was not expecting this reaction, he though Pokémon that live in the base were already used to seeing things that are not pokémon.
"He's one of my advisors, he is not part of the Avali but he is here to help. He said he wanted to come here to examine your researches." The Meowstic explained. "...And he is a human."

"Oh, I see." 
He eyes the human up and down, curiously.
"Sooo that's a human. I've heard of them, of course. But I never seen one up close. Not even here. I was told they were kind of rare nowadays."
Finally, he stops eyeing the human down.
"Well, in that case allow me to introduce myself." Easani half-bows politely before continuing. "My name is Easani. Former Grove soldier, and now Avali soldier."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Easani!" The human responds enthusiastically.
"While he is here for his own reasons, I came to visit Duci again." Stic says. "If that's possible right now."

"Oh. Why of course."  Easani says. "She just got done with her rehab run an hour ago."
He turns to Mattias.
"So you said you were here to examine our research? In that case you'll probably want to chat up the eggheads in there." He points to the research building. "Be warned, they like to use big words that don't make sense. If anyone asks, just tell them you're with Stic and we'll back that up. Just knock on the door and one of them should open it up."
He turns back to Stic.
"Okay, follow me sir." He turns to lead Stic to the prison building. Stic knows where it is by now, of course, but he still needs one of the base personnel to actually open the doors. And unlike the research building, there is no one on the other side to open it up. At least, no one is not behind bars.

Then it looks like that for now Mattias must leave Stic's side. "Go on without me, I might stay here a while." With that said he goes over to the research building to knock on the door.
"Mmm-mmm." The Meowstic nods and follows Easani to the prison.

Easani gives one last look over to Mattias, just to see if they have indeed let them in. He sees the door open, and Mattias enter.
Looks like he got let in. That's good.
He opens the door for Stic, and lets the Meowstic enter first.

Stic heads right in, he knows the way so he makes it to the owl's cell easily. He can see her now. "Hello, I am not bothering you tonight, am I?" He asks. "You look like you are doing much better." 
Duci saw him the moment he came into view on the other side of the bars. "Oh, hello. Yeah, things have been getting better." She doesn't sound venomous about talking with him now. 

"Yeah, I think she's gotten a lot better since your last visit." Easani confirms. "Earlier she was out for rehab. No escape attempt whatsoever. Not that she's been doing much of that at all since she got here. And we haven't really argued at all for a long time either."

"That is good." Stic nods. "So, Duci, you have been calming these last few days pretty well I see."
"I suppose I have..." She seems just a tiny bit reluctant to speak about anything related to how she was very 'vocal' when she first arrived here.
"And dare i say, you look like you could serve alongside Easani here...so what is stopping you?"
"I..." The owl looks a bit unsure of how to say this. "I have been thinking about it, very hard. It's not 'loyalty to the Grove' that is stopping me..."
The psychic cat raises a brow. "...Then?"

Easani raises his eyebrow as well.
"I doubt it's the idea that you're too comfortable in there. Is it me? Is it your family? Is it still being unsure about the avali?" He has his theories, but nothing concrete

"I feel...insignificant." She says.
Stic blinks "I beg your pardon?"
"I feel like nothing compared to Easani and...them too." Duci sighs. "I'm just not good enough, i know it..."
Stic doesn't quite see her logic here, but he thinks she is having doubts like that because of depression.

"Duci..." He starts carefully. "I wasn't anything when I came here, either." He says.

The Meowstic steps aside to let the Leafeon speak, as at the moment it seems like the Decidueye is focused on listening to what he is going to be saying to her.

He wasn't expecting to have to actually continue, but, well, now that the spotlight is on him again, he decides to just roll with this and continue.
"When I first came here, I wasn't anything. Just some washed out once-soldier turned savage." It seems he let the slur slip. Regardless he continues. "I was a prisoner too once I confessed to what I did back on the campaign. But once I defected, they trained me a little bit. Shown me how to use some of their tech. Got me started on the right track. And now, I'm one of the family." He sighs at that last part, the memory of his mother still plaguing him. "I'm not sure if my real family would have been proud of my choice or not. But I'd like to think my mother would have at least understood had she still been alive."
He pauses for a bit.
"Besides..." He adds. "You'd still have me. And... well... I've kinda started to like you in all of this." He says with a slight blush. Not as intense as the first time he applied the cream to her crotch and had to run out just to get himself off out of sight. But still...

After hearing all he had to say, she looked down a little. "I...i see." He must have struck a chord with her here.
"So..." Stic speaks again. "What is it going to be? I can not in good conscience let you go if you get handed to me, because I don't want you putting your life in danger trying to go to the Grove. So you will be stuck behind bars until this war is over."
After moments of silence as she thinks about this harder than ever, she looks at Easani. "I don't quite know what I can do, but...alright, you two have convinced me."

Easani smiles widely, and opens the door, bidding her to come out.

So is it time she finally leaves this cell, but not to go to another cell? It sure seems like it. Duci is going to be putting more faith in Easani now. She got out of her bed and walked out of her cell, hopefully to not come back in it again. "So what happens now?"

"First... This."
 Easani gives her a great big hug. A tight hug as he lays his head on her shoulder and pats her back.

She didn't hesitate to hug him back as well. Words can not express how grateful she is for all he did for her sake.
The Meowstic watches on, happy for the both of them.

"When you first came here, I thought this day would never come." He tells her. "I'm... I'm so glad you've finally decided to do this."
He finally lets go after a while, and faces her.
"As for what happens right now... well, I'm pretty sure we have to tell the base commander this. Or rather, him and his pack. Then... well, I suppose another trip back to Sandstone is in order."
Before she can wonder if he means as a prisoner, he puts his hand up.
"No no, not as a prisoner. But... Well, just to announce it. To a few people. Besides, I have yet to go back there myself. That reminds me, I should get some of my accumulated poke and pay off my barthol tab while I'm there."
He thinks a little bit after reminding himself of that.
"And then... well... I don't know. I guess you'll have a choice of whether you want to serve here with us, or over there with Stic. And then ... well, I guess we'll see where it goes from there."

She listened to everything he had to say before speaking herself. "I would rather serve here, with you. I don't think Sandstone's citizens would like me being around."
"Yes, I think that is for the best too." The Meowstic comments.

"I somehow thought that was the case. And if I'm to be honest, and I've never not been with you, was the answer I was hoping for." Easani replies. "Still, we had to give you the choice, if nothing else. Though before that, we still have to report to the base commander."

"Should I come along for this?" Stic questions.

"Yeah, he'll probably need your pardon." Easani confirms. "I wasn't all that high profile when I went through it, so it wasn't necessary for me. Plus I never partook in the battle of sandstone. Duci on the other hand..."

So he is finally going to meet the leader of this place huh? "Alright then, lead the way please."

Easani nods and leads the way.
He leads them out of the prison door, opening it one more time, hopefully for the last time for any of them, and then leads them to a tent that Duci wasn't privy to during her previous tour of the base. A large looking white tent.
"One moment."
Easani goes first, not holding the door open for once.  They can hear some talking inside, and then Easani returns. 
"The commander will see you now." He announces, holding the door open for them.

Duci and Stic looked at each other, then at the entrance of the tent. They both step in there together.

The tent looks like something of a mix between the 'office' tent and the 'science' building, with its own flair. There's four avali in there, one is sitting in a large chair, manning one of those white metalic light-button-boxes, looking up at some sort of... something, something apparently only they can see. Another is at a similiar desk to the 'office' tenters, going through some papers. Another is watching what appears to be some sort of table, but it is lit at the top, and there is a light-projected image of what appears the maze on its surface, with various dots in various places. As to what those dots represent, is anyones guess. Some of the maze walls seem to shift and change, as the maze itself apparently does. They are all wearing black trenchcoats.
The final one, also wearing a black trenchcoat, sits at a larger desk behind the 'map table', with an expectant look on their face. They are light blue with black outlines and purple highlights. They are wearing some sort of cap, and there are metals on the trenchcoat, presumably denoting rank. It can only be assumed that this is the base commander, and the rest of the avali are his pack.
There is a small box on his desk, and one can hear a tune playing from it. It's some sort of soft orchestra song being sung in some sort of unrecognizable language, though if Mattias or one of the others were here, they might be able to identify it. Or not. Who knows.
"Please, have a seat." He speaks to both Duci and Stic, his talon extending to two chairs in front of him. He reaches over to the box, and turns a nob, the sound of the song becoming softer.

They were unsure of what to do at first until he told them to seat down, so they did.
"Greetings, you are the leader of Sandgun base I assume." Stic said to the Avali sitting in the large chair, he seems to be the highest authority here.

"That mostly is correct. My pack is the leader of this base. And I am the leader of this pack." He says. "And I presume you are governor Stic?"

He nods. "Yes, that is correct."

"And this is the prisoner we captured a week or so ago." He looks to Duci. "Very well, let us get right to business."
He clears his throat before beginning.
"Easani here tells me you wish to defect, is that not correct?" He asks Duci directly.

Well, it's time to make this official then...The owl nods to his question. "That's right, I have made the choice to defect..."

He nods slowly, folding his talons together, putting both elbows on the desk as he rests his head upon that.
"And why do you wish to defect?" He asks. "And before you ask, yes, I do in fact, have to ask. Procedure and all that."

The Meowstic looks to her, wondering her response to this is going to be.
Duci took in a breath before speaking, hoping that they would accept her. "Because I have nowhere else to go otherwise, and the closest thing I have to something right now is Easani. Your mercy has also left me touched..."

"... I see." He responds in a neutral tone.
"And who here will speak on your behalf?"
"I will speak for her, sir." Easani announces from where he's standing, "I've been dutifully caring for her ever since she's got here, and I have no reason to believe she is telling us a lie."
"Ah yes, you were a defector yourself." The base commander recalls. "Quite eager to do so, if I recall."
"Yes sir, that is correct." Easani confirms.
"And you, Governor Stic, what say you? I must remind you that the reason she is here in the first place, and prior to this, was  pending transfer over to Sandstone, was because of her role both attacks upon Sandstone. If she is to officially defect, I will require an official pardon on your behalf."
One of the other avali, the one that was by the desk, comes over, and hands him a sheet of paper. The commander looks over it, and hands it, and a writing utensil, over to Stic.
"Hinani here has already taken the liberty of printing the pardoning order, all it needs is your signature."

Duci looks to the Meowstic. "Why are you forgiving me?" It is something she has been wondering, she is thankful for it but she wants to know why he is doing it in the first place.
Stic is looking over the things written in this paper. "Because you are already beaten, and had you not defected and were still part of the Grove I would take you to Sandstone's prison because I would still have some use for you. But you were a bit helpful in the end, when you sent extra prisoners in that exchange...even if you were trying something."

Both the base commander and Easani simply listen to that conversation. This is the first time the latter has really heard of this detail, and the former, well, he knows better than to interrupt this conversation, and has nothing to add anyway.

"I can't have you serve me in Sandstone because of your reputation. If you do end up going to Sandstone, i urge you to not get too much attention to yourself. Is this understandable?"
She nods. "Yes." Duci is not sure if Stic likes her but he doesn't seem to letting his personal opinion get in the way of pardoning her.
"Alright..." Without another word, the Meowstic signs his name on the pardon and hands it back to the Avali.
"Thank you..."

The base commander takes a stamp off his desk, dips it in an inkpad, and slams the stamp onto the paper, before quickly handing it back to 'Hinani'.
"Alright, so it's officialized. Welcome to our little family." He narrows his eyes at Ducy.
"Don't screw it up."
His attention turns over to Easani. 
"Since you've done such a good job taking care of her, and have managed to get such a high profile agent, I am officially giving you a promotion." He reaches under his desk, and hands the Leafeon a badge, or a medal. One that looks unlike the badges given to citizens, this one seemingly to signify rank.
"Congratulations. Also, since Stic has declared that she is not to be under him for the time being, I am placing her under your command."
Easani gives a salute after he takes his rank medal. "Yes sir! Thank you sir!"
"Alright, that's it." He looks back to the others. "Dismissed."

Stic nodded and walked out of the tent.
Duci sticks here for now though, she has to get acquainted too with what she is going to be doing now, so if Easani has anything to tell her it's best she be close to him.

Easani smiles as he leads her out. "Well, you're one of us now." He says. "Soooo...."
Suddenly, he remembers something. 
"Oh! Looks like you'll be sleeping in the barracks now. You can take the hammock right above or below mine. But we'll get to that later tonight. For now.. welcome to the team."
"Hey Easani!"
Easani turns to the right. And sees Nazo and his pack approaching, Seph included.
"Just got back from a patrol, what's going on? And... uh... why's she out?"
"Oh, you didn't hear?" He hugs Duci with one arm, holding her close. "Our little prisoner here has officially defected!"
"No shit?" Neso says.
"Had a feeling she was going to sooner or later." Eilali says. 
"Yay! That's... Good, right?" Veers cheers, albeit a little shyly.
"Yup. Has the official pardon and everything." Easani brags. 
"Congrats!" Rali comes over and shakes her hand.
"So is she going to Sandstone or-" Seph asks.
"Na, she's staying here." Easani informs him. "She'll be under me. OH! Speaking of..."
He shows off his badge.
"Oh hey! You got promoted! Nice!" Neso cheers as well.
"Yup." Easani confirms.
"So I assume you'll be doing gun excercises tommorow?"
"Yup." Easani confirms. "Well, unless she'd rather start tonight..."

Duci wonders if these are all the people she will be working with now, is Easani under their command or is it the other way around? "Uuuhhh, i think i got time for this 'gun' exercises." Maybe she will learn more about all of them in this and other activities.

"Alright." Easani nods at Duci. 
"Well, we'll come. We have a few moments." Neso says as well. The rest of his pack also seems to agree. 
"I'll set up a range." 
"Alright, I'll meet up with you guys outside."
The pack of avali (and a synth and an eevee) leave. Once they do, Easani pats Duci's shoulder to get her attention.
"Alright, now we head to the Quartermaster. Since you're one of us now, you should be familiar with using an avali weapon. Since you're still in 'training' phase right now, you'll be using a training pistol." The leafeon explains as he walks towards the Quartermaster's building with her in tow.