A white poodle dashes to the short flight of stairs leading to Vision of Battle's main deck. A pause before ascending the stairs lets her view the confused scene before her: a swirling battle between plainly dressed marauders and Temple-garbed defenders. Her view is partially blocked by a tall Vartan, faced three-quarters away from her while his opponent, a slightly built vulpine in Rephidim colors, is trying to maneuver him to place his back to the stairs.

The snow-white poodle in Temple robes pauses at the bottom of the stairs. She takes a moment to survey the battle and notes the closest pair of combatants. Having some idea of the fox's plan, she takes a few steps up the stairs and ducks to the left against the wall. She holds her sword at the ready, preparing herself to step forward and stab the Vartan in the back if the vulpine is unable to force him to fall down the stairs – and should he succeed, deliver the finishing strike to the fallen Vartan.

While Elise waits, the Vartan uses his greater size and reach to force his opponent backwards, away from the stairs, but the nimble fox dodges to one side, and the marauder turns to follow him, placing his back to Elise as she lurks in the shadows below.

Stepping forth from where she lies hidden, Elise thrusts the tip of her rapier towards the back of the Vartan, roughly aimed to strike at the vital organs of the chest area. She is certain to be quick and decisive, not pausing to give the Vartan any more opportunity to try and slay her comrade.

The rapier sinks cleanly into the Vartan's body, and the man gives a single surprised scrawk as the blade cleaves through and blood-coated steel blossoms out of his chest. The fox offers a small, controlled smile towards Elise, but what catches the poodle's eye more is a sudden flash of chitin just beyond the vulpine's body.

The officer's eyes widen and as she steps back to draw her sword from the man's breast she moves to warn the vulpine. "Behind you!" she cries out to him.

At Elise's cry, the fox drops to a crouch, and a chitin-bladed axe whizzes past his head and slams into his shoulder. The armor he wears cracks beneath the blow, and the Temple soldier grimaces, a sharp cry escaping his muzzle, as blood wells from the cut when the Vartan behind him draws the axe away in preparation for another blow.

In the vulpine's defense, Elise steps over the body of the slain Vartan at her feet and then dashes at the double-bladed axe wielding Vartan beyond the fox, striking at him and bracing herself to bodily crash into him as well.

Her hasty strike proves clumsy, glancing off the boiled leather that protects the Vartan's torso, but she successfully crashes into him. The weight of his weapon and her body overbalances him, and, wings flailing, he lurches sideways, then tumbles to the ground. Unfortunately, Elise's own balance is shaken by his flailing fall, and the poodle topples down on top of him.

With a noise Elise tumbles down and lands on the fox's attacker, laying on her side. She inhales deeply as her predicament dawns on her and quickly she moves to push herself up enough so she can see the toppled Vartan and deliver the butt of her rapier into his forehead.

The basket-hilt of her rapier smashes into the Vartan's face with a sickening crunch, and a trickle of blood escapes from beneath the metal. The attacker blinks, his expression dazed as he rolls onto his back and aims a sluggish backhand blow towards Elise, trying to knock her away.

The lady poodle pushes off with one foot and moves to rollaway from the dazed man's backhanded swing to where she can get up. She tries to roll far enough where he'll not be able to grab her, sword carefully kept away while moving. She then tries to stand back up and bring her sword about.

The roll takes her safely out of his reach, and as she staggers to her feet and gets her blade into a ready position, the vulpine she aided earlier administers the coup de grace to her stunned opponent.

A formal nod is given to the fox after he finishes her opponent, but the thanks and the minor celebration it brings is but a fleeting moment. The battle rages on all around her and the lady poodle prepares herself for the next encounter while scanning the vicinity.

The fox does the same, and an instant later charges a Korv whose assault besets a member of the Vision's crew. Before Elise can turn to join him, she hears a thump just behind her.

Instinctively the officer poodle makes a defensive hop away from the sound, whirling around with her sword prepared to parry an incoming blow. She sets her jaw and prepares for the worst, brows narrowing as her face takes on a look of stern determination and preparedness against what well may be an imminent blow from behind.

The sound proves to be that of a Solu's body crashing to the deck, with Lt. Jaskar standing over it. The other poodle blinks in surprise, half-readying his own sword for a strike before he registers Elise's appearance. "Lieutenant Bellefeuille!" he exclaims.

Elise noticeably calms when she realizes it is not an enemy that stands ready to strike at her from behind, but a successful ally, and one who seems surprised to see her at that. "Lieutenant Jaskar, what has happened here?" she inquires, glancing from side wearily as she does so.

"Not sure," he pants in reply, looking around for his next target. "They came over the port side; no sign of an enemy vessel." Though several of the marauders have taken wing and fled the scene, Jaskar points his blade towards where a knot of fighting continues, then dashes towards them, weapon at ready.

Following the other officer's lead, Elise charges after him towards what seems to be the thick of the fighting. Blade held high and ready to strike, she looks amongst the marauders for her next opponent. "For Rephidim!" she cries out.

Outnumbered and overpowered, the few attackers remaining who are not slain or too injured to flee disappear over the side of the vessel, letting gravity take them far from the sky ship before spreading their wings to guide their flight away.

Elise slows to a walk as those few remaining opponents break off their attack and flee into the sky. She finally allows her guard to relax some, sword held at her side and blade tip resting against the deck. "Lieutenant Jaskar, we should split the uninjured into two groups. One will see to the injured and secure prisoners here, and the others should go below deck and search for any of those marauders who remain," she says, tired. Her free hand is lifted and run across her forehead and through head curly white hair. "Also … why was I in the infirmary?"

Her fellow officer nods in agreement, motioning to several of the remaining bodyguard and instructing them accordingly. "Lieutenant de Bellefeuille, remain here to see to the wounded. I will lead the search for any remaining raiders." He avoids looking at her as he rounds up his party and heads for the cabins.

The lady poodle nods her head, though she doesn't salute the man since he never does look at her. With her sword, she gestures to some of the Guard who appear unhurt. "You all will assist me in seeing to the wounded and securing the prisoners. If you are wounded, speak now, otherwise we will begin immediately," she tells them. To the injured marauders she offers another sort of command. "Those of you who were so bold as to assault a ship of Rephidim, I direct you to not resist, and you will be unharmed."

The men nod and begin the grisly task of sorting the dead from the wounded, and distinguishing those who are alive, but too badly injured to survive for long. The body of the ship's doctor is found among the dead, leaving his assistant to do his best to attend to the wounded alone. After a time, Lt. Jaskar returns to the main deck. "The hold is secure," he announces, projecting his voice to carry clearly over the deck. "The diplomat is unharmed and no further saboteurs remain." He steps towards Elise and says in a lower voice, though not a whisper, "Lieutenant de Bellefeuille, may I see you in the captain's cabin?"

Though watching the other lieutenant, Elise has been too busy monitoring and directing her troops to really focus on him. However, the quiet request gains her attention and she looks over at him with her eyebrows raised. "Yes, of course," she answers him.

The higher-ranking lieutenant says nothing until the door to the captain's cabin is closed behind them. "Captain Granistar is presently unconscious and badly wounded," he tells Elise. "Further, I found a dozen crew-hands slaughtered below decks, and perhaps seven or eight alive and unhurt, or with minor injuries. Did the ship's captain live? Have you seen him? The first mate is dead."

Elise frowns at the news, closing her eyes as she lowers her head and runs her hand through her hair again. "The ship's captain did not survive. The second mate, however, lives. Four unhurt … five injured, and … ," she opens her eyes and casts a glance at her superior officer, "six fatally wounded. The medical officer is also dead, though his assistant is alive."

Lt. Jaskar nods, his brow creased as he mentally tallies the numbers. "Eighteen dead or may as well be, five injured, and eleven or twelve still functioning. I'm not sure that'll be enough to keep the airship aloft. We'll need to find the second mate and learn her opinion." He exhales. "Of the honor guard, I count nine intact, including ourselves, five wounded, and nine dead. We may need to spend the rest of the trip maintaining the vessel."

"If that is what me must do, than so be it. We cannot allow this mission to fail, despite the fatalities," says Elise. Her tone, though strong, doesn't carry quite the strength that it does when she needs to lead her troops. She lifts her bloodied sword and looks at it for a moment before letting it rest against the deck. "Lieutenant, are you aware of why I was brought to the infirmary? I do not remember … "

After nodding along with her first words, the ranking lieutenant's eyes follow Elise's sword point to the floor at her next inquiry. Silence stretches for a moment, then he answers, "You fell asleep, and could not be wakened. The ship's doctor moved you to the infirmary to examine you, and kept you there for observation." He raises his eyes to look at the other poodle now. "Do you know why you recovered, just now?" he asks, genuine puzzlement in his voice.

Elise's muzzle parts as if to answer but she pauses, wordless, and closes it. She seems to focus somewhere in the distance appearing to consider the question. After a moment of this, she turns to regard the other officer for a moment, appearing unsure as she moves to speak. "I was dreaming … I … ," she shakes her head, "it is probably nothing."

"Do you… " He pauses, then resumes. "Do you know how long you were asleep for?"

"I have no idea, actually. I noticed the beds had been made; perhaps then, a day?" offers Elise. Her eyebrows crease in confusion. Such a long time to simply not awaken. She considers if it could it be that her dreams have begun to hold sway over her own waking life, and frowns all the more for the realization she may well be affected by a mysterious ailment of mages reported years ago.

Lt. Jaskar shakes his head. "Twenty-three days," he says softly, watching the white poodle's face. "The doctor fed you broth to keep you from dehydration or starvation."

The lady poodle's eyes widen at the news. "Twenty … three? That cannot be, I … " Wanting to say something, yet at a loss for words, she just stands there looking at the other officer with a confused and uncertain look to her. Her sword arm seems to lose strength as her grip weakens and the blade shifts for it.

Alarmed, Lt. Jaskar reaches out a hand to steady her arm. "Are you well, Lieutenant?" he asks, then looks embarrassed by his own choice of words.

"I am just surprised. I am unused to being disabled for solong, waking to find myself under attack and unaware. I am not a woman who often finds herself unaware, Lieutenant … " She tilts her head to the side for a moment before continuing. "Are you by any chance familiar with an affliction found to occur when dream mages enter states of concentration? I recall some cases of this occurring a great deal a few years ago."

Warily, the male poodle nods. "I understand it's still common – something about the nature of dreams which changed a few years ago, making it more dangerous to be a dream mage, from what I've heard." He shrugs. "I don't know the mechanics of it, just that it is much harder to find a practicing dream mage than it once was. But surely you are … not involved in dream magic?" His voice trails off hesitantly.

"I would have preferred not to mention this, but … being that it is relevant and perhaps even necessary should my unconscious state occur again, I will mention this to you." The white poodle turns and searches for a chair. Finding one, she begins walking in that direction, speaking as she goes. "I have been dreaming a great deal – dreams of a Babelite nature, of goddesses known as the Seven Sisters. This began several years ago and ended the night the Boomer device destroyed a piece of Babel. That night … " Elise pauses by the chair and takes in a breath as if recalling a painful memory, exhaling and seating herself but not continuing again just yet.

Lt. Jaskar watches Elise carefully as she speaks, a frown creasing his brow at her words, but he does not interrupt. At the pause, he nods without speaking, motioning for her to continue.

Elise nods slightly and does indeed continue. "That night I dreamed, and in my dream I felt the impact of the Boomer device. I … saw Eeee nobility writhe and die as they were drawn from Babel into the emptiness of space." She closes her eyes again, muzzle quirking in a pained expression. "The dreams did not continue until several years later. I thought it mere coincidence – along with that awakening dream mage naming myself and Mage Envoy as present in his dream, when I clearly recalled meeting him as well. But the signs have become more apparent. I have heard reports the planet Morpheus is affected, and as you well know that planet is associated with dreams. Also, perhaps due to my … death within a dream, I was unable to awaken. Could it be that I have been included in a far-reaching dream magick? I had thought these dreams merely reflections upon my life, but the signs are there, it may well be sorcery or something quite like it."

When she finishes, Lt. Jaskar finds himself groping for a chair, and, finding one, seats himself heavily upon it. "I see," he says, after a long pause to digest her speech. "This … is why you requested an assignment to Caroban, is it not?"

The poodle noble opens her eyes and looks around for the man, finding him shortly. "I would be lying if I said it were not. I must come to understand my place within these dreams and how far-reaching they might be. This could well be a concern for Rephidim, and it is certainly a concern for the College. From what I still remember, 'Morpheus' exists within my dreams though he does not seem able to meet with those there openly. The reasons elude me, as do many things regarding this problem, but I am trying to see to it that some questions are answered," she answers. Her sword is placed against her chair so that her hands are not free and she places them folded in her lap. "I believe that the heart of this matter may well be in Ashdod, given its nature. I had considered going there, though I am hardly easily hidden."

"There is another reason I chose to mention this now, Lieutenant," the poodle adds. She reaches over and picks up her sword, eyes trailing down the length of it before she turns again to regard the man with an expression of saddened seriousness, a face laden with resolve against what matter she might describe. "There has been a change within the dreams. One of us has reached the goddess Inala. And I, after having died, chose to split from assisting that one further, to walk my own path. The day of Reckoning must be very close now, and I will go to confront the death-goddess Sunala."