"PERSONAL FILES: SOCH-EENA

This material is CLASSIFIED LEVEL HOPE-BRINGER. Distribution and viewing of files to personnel below said clearance will have harsh disciplinary consequences.

File Draft #: 3

Age: 20

Sex: Female

Height: 5'0

Race: Argonian

Health Concerns: None

Psychological Concerns: Spent entirety of childhood engrossed in criminal and anti-Imperial organizations. FIDELITY TO THE EMPIRE is questionable. Transition out of underworld into legitimate career was likely highly STRESSFUL.

Bearing a name that translates most closely to "Swims-the-Shores" (though this was not her ORIGINAL NAME, which is in actuality FEEKAVA-TAKEEUS and what she is referred to in most DARK BROTHERHOOD documents). This young Argonian woman has been both a great source of CONCERN and SUCCESS for the Empire's goals. A former sister of the Dark Brotherhood, she was given to the murderous cabal after rigorous training under the ARGONIAN ROYAL COURT during her youth. While under their authority she, according to confession, assassinated IMPERIAL LEGION COMMANDER ADAMUS PHILIDA and LEYAWIIN CITY WATCH CAPTAIN CAELIA DRACONIS. However, for reasons relating to personal ethical epiphany, she DEFECTED FROM THE ORDER, killing several high ranking members including wanted criminals LUCIEN LACHANCE, and BELISARIUS ARIUS.

She was pardoned for her crimes in exchange for assisting the Empire in operations in CENTRAL BLACK MARSH, which led to the so called "OPENING OF BLACK MARSH" and SECOND SLOAD WAR.

She is currently participating in OPERATION PROTOTYPE, serving along with LONG-TAIL in the West Weald, participating in operations against 'THE GOLDEN MILITIA', 'THE NATIVES', and the so-called 'OLIN CABAL.'

She has NO OFFICIAL LEGION TRAINING but is HIGHLY SKILLED with small blades and martial arts and moderately skilled with swords and bows. She possesses highly refined SHADOW POWERS and skills operating STEALTHILY in urban, wilderness, and interior environments."

-Imperial Legion Files, Personal Files: Soch-Eena

Mid Year 18, 4E2

Chapel Undercroft, Ri'Kissa District


"Thanks," she said, looking a bit to the side with a small smile, rubbing her elbow. The girl was never a very gushy one.

"No problem." We had been a team down here, again, even if very briefly, in a different place and against a different enemy. But she had completely captivated my day, out of the blue. "What in Oblivion are you doing here? Who were those guys?" It was just dumb luck I had been able to rescue her, had caught sight of her. But I could not recall when I had last faced such a yawning chasm of bafflement and ignorance.

"We're not sure. The Cyrodiils were clearly hired blades, nothing more. The foreigners were working for an organization called 'The Natives.' You heard of it?"

A terrorist organization haunting my childhood home, yes. How poetic.

"Yeah," I responded. "Never heard what is is they're after, though." And why were they here?

Some footsteps made me turn to see the other two coming down, Reesaka supporting Jilheen-Bolineena, who had a shirt wrapped around his lacerated leg. A little blood had seeped through, but clearly the damage was not mortally threatening.

I looked back to Soch-Eena, who continued:

"They fight on behalf of elven immigrants to Skingrad." That description was a bit too sterile for my tastes, not that I really knew any better. "It seemed that a substantial number were being trained by some foreigners, mostly from Summerset Isles. They captured me during some reconessiance work. Now I'm starting to think this 'syndicate' stretches further than we imagined."

This was a bit much to wrap my head around.

"By 'syndicate' you mean the foreign elves who were providing training to 'The Natives.'"

"Yeah," she responded.

So Soch-Eena had been investigated 'The Natives' and learned that they were being trained by outsiders. And they captured her, and the same foreigners who were aiding 'The Natives' had brought her here.

I had suspected there was something big happening in Torval with all the mer sightings. Now it was looking even bigger than big, stretching from here to Colovia. But why would those two interests be tied? Just to be a thorn in Cyrodiil's side? And...

"Why did they bring you here? Did they say?"

"I think they wanted the two of us together." What did that mean?

"What, why?" It was flattering I meant that much to the enemy, whoever they were, but...

"They didn't say." She glanced around. "Probably so they could match up our information. Tell when one of us was lying."

Match up our information? What information? Maybe where I got my special, transformative powers. Where both of us had gotten them. That made sense...unfortunately. I still had not fully wrapped my head around who these people were. Did she know?

"And you really have no idea who they are?"

"We don't have any leads," she said simply. "We didn't know they were operating in Pellitine too, although we were aware of some crossborder operations launched from Riverhold."

This was darkly intriguing. And they wanted me. That part was disturbing. I shuddered inside at the thought of getting captured with the information I had. Facing the torturer's knife brought so many questions that I did not want ever answered. Had I not taken into account the secrets I was putting in danger by being here? Gods forbid that kind of information fell into the wrong hands...and all because of one rogue twenty-three year old playing paladin.

"Cyrodiil has a new enemy," I said simply.

"Yeah. When the Empire hears these belligerents are operating as far as Torval, maybe they'll ramp up the investigation into who these guys really are." Yes, but whatever they found out, they would not share with me. Soch-Eena might learn. I would remain in the dark until I found out on my own.

But so lost in this enigma, I had nearly forgotten a more immediate concern: what would we do with her? What did she intend to do? I had not really thought about that.

"Where are you going now? Head back to County Skingrad?" And then there was the possibility of her helping here, although it was a heavy request, for her to go rogue like me. "How much do you know about..." I realized this could get a little awkward and felt some shame burning in my gut, "what I've been...doing in Pellitine?"

"Not much. But I thought the Empire left Elsweyr." She said it in such a non-chalant tone. And she was right.

This was not a typical confession. It was heavy on my chest. I had needed to admit to biting my cousin at eight years old. This was far more grandiose.

"They did," I said, feeling my gut tighten. "The Empire and I aren't on...good terms right now."

"Imagine that," she said dryly. It took me a second to get where she was coming from, but I remembered her past and laughed. The former outlaw's love for the Empire probably still lacked a strong fiber, and that was sort of an odd relief. It did not dissolve all the embarrassment, but a good deal of it.

I continued more comfortably. "When Ocato recalled the troops, I refused to leave, as did most of my unit, so we're technically deserters. But we've been fighting the guerillas on our own and even had some contact with the Mane and his right-hand General."

"The Mane?" she inquired. It had not even occurred to me she might not know who that was.

"The leader here. Elsweyr's king, or the closest thing it has to one." Did she know anything about the conflict here? Were the Renrijra Krin and Ri'Kissa's Front and Rathor Gang mere names to her. Even that?

And the Black Marsh native did not have a response, and there was not a clear place for the conversation to go. She looked off to the side neutrally. Would she join us?

I realized I had not offered her to join yet, only confessed what I had done. I tensed at the thought of asking, the fear of rejection and gravity of the request. But, like the soldier I was, I exercised courage:

"We could always use more help." Though the words seemed to burn my mouth, as I was asking her to become a renegade right after her redemption. My gut tightened.

She looked down and sort of put her fingers on her forehead. The anticipation nearly froze my bones.

"Densius..." she began, almost pleadingly. Where was this going? I listened ever so closely, primed as a bow. Then she looked up. "I don't...I don't know much about the politics here."

My mood leveled a bit. Not a refusal, or compliance, and a valid point. I let out some breath.

"That's...understandable. But there are some very evil men here." Might she really come on onboard, desert like I was surprised even we had?

"I..." she started, sounding slightly pained. I listened close enough to hear the air hum in my ears. "I would need to know more than just your side of the story."

That was understandable, but the enemy's side of the story was so morally bankrupt I worried she might not believe I was telling it all. To someone new to politics it would probably be hard for her to accept anyone fought against and died against and protested what we were trying to do here. Likely she had yet to be infected with the kind of cynicism that contaminated the Arcane University, the Summerset Isles, the Fourth Era Pundit, and, more now than ever, Cyrodilic commoners.

"Look, what do you say we talk about it over lunch?" I proposed. I was already becoming enthusiastic about the prospect of adding her to the team. Sweet feelings were flowing through my veins "I can take you back to the ruin we've been taking refuge in." A well trained assassin would be a great asset! With the Hist sap, she would be an absolute terror!

"I..." she began. Suspense clenched me. "I guess I don't see why not. I'll stop by for lunch, at least."

My spirit rose. "Excellent!" My mind already started racing through the chat to come. "Let's see what we can find on these bodies and then we'll head back!"

There were three corpses in sight, and I believed the girl had killed one more out of view.

"Soch-Eena, you search the armored men," I ordered, then turned to my male compatriots. "Jilheen, search the headless merc upstairs." Fittingly easy. "Reesaka, you search the remainder of the undercroft. I'll search the...unarmored bodies."

This was a duty to get out of the way, and with fresh spirits it would be done quickly and efficiently, while Soch-Eena and I's impending conversation sang in the back of my mind.

The girl went for the Bosmer, making way for me to head to the High Elf I had impaled. I stepped over the Imperial I had stabbed to inspect the bearded mer.

The caped man was in respectable garb (although it was all soaked in blood). There was some paper in his right pocket, folded. I took it out and opened it. A map of Elsweyr...nothing unusual about it. I dropped it in the crimson pool and its edges shriveled.

He had a dagger on his hilt too (apparently he was a lefty); That was loot, so I removed it. I patted his contralateral pocket, and felt some solid material. Rubbing the fabric to get an idea of the shape, I could tell it was coins. I reached my fingers in the tight cloth and dug them out. One fell in the blood, which made it not worth retrieving, though the tokens in hand were worth thirty drakes. I pocketed them, then rather disrespectfully flipped him over to look for any pockets on the rear. None.

While the former outlaw continued with mercenaries behind me, I turned to whoever she had killed first.

It was a female, another Bosmer, but of middle age, with a pony-tail, apron, and an empty tool belt. I went over and searched for pockets. When I found nothing, I similarly flipped her over. There were pockets on her ample rear, I felt them. Nothing. I stood up and turned to check on the ex-Shadowscale, but as I did, I caught the sight of some tools on the coffin shelf: tongs, surgical knives, pliers; Instruments of torture, probably. What a good thing I had saved the Argonian!

Soch-Eena finished up.

"Nothing on them," she said simply.

"Then let's go help the others up stairs." I turned and began ascending. Meanwhile, my mind chimed of our impending lunch, of persuading her to join my side and a lot of catching up to do, once we were back at the sanctuary. And to think this was all from blind chance; If I had started today's assignment one minute later, she would be tied to the chair right now, in the depths of hell.

Topside, Jilheen-Bolineena was standing at attention. "Nothing on him, sir."

Reesaka was probably searching the other wing, down the hall way across from us. But looking around I saw there was a weapon wrack with a couple of sabers and a longbow.

I could grab the two sabers- no, Soch-Eena needed a weapon, I realized. Soch-Eena could take one of the swords. I could take one saber and the long bow (leaving me comically armed to the teeth, given I already had a meric dagger and the sword I arrived with holstered, as well as the staff on my back).

I looked to the Black Marsh native to give the order, but Jilheen had just started chatting with her.

"So you were in Skingrad, right?" he asked. His demeanor was a bit softer than usual. Maybe because of his injury, or maybe because he was flirting.

"The general area," she responded.

Taking advantage of the half second lull that followed, I commanded, "Soch-Eena, take a sword." I pointed. And we both started heading to the wrack.

She went for the saber in the middle. I went for the peripheral devices, though made sure to get the melee weapon in my right hand. Now, carrying so much junk, I was quite weighed down. If there was anything valuable upstairs, I would likely drop something.

Reesaka was ascending from the other wing. As his face and body bobbed up into view, I could see he was carrying a cloth sack and a bottle. The sack seemed to contain coin, but the bottle was not labelled. Maybe we could find an alchemist to give it a sniff test.

We seemed to have covered the entirety of the undercroft. Now was time to leave.

"Jilheen, do you need any help walking?"

"No, I'm good," he responded. He lacked his usual vigor, but I took his word. We would see how he would hold up. Although I was no fan of heading through a hot zone with one of my men radiating vulnerability, we were a large and well armed crowd.

I headed towards the same door we had entered through. Jilheen-Bolineena seemed to be limping a bit, but he was moving.

Would there be anything precious upstairs, or had we discovered all this place's treasures? There might be some intelligence, though hopefully it was not written in Aldmeris; Though come to think of it, might there be a language tutor we could hire for translation? We were able to operate openly now, after all.

We exited, back in the first theater. S'Bassa had been waiting for us, having missed all the action and looting, but knew to come along as we went up the steps.

And then there was a strange, sharp, whirling noise and fleshy splat and the ex-Shadowscale fell to her hands and knees with something in her back. Everything had changed.

I whipped around to see a blur take off. I did not know anything except, at a visceral level, what to do, running up the stairs just in time to see the hostile winding the corner. The colors of his attire did not lie: It was the elf I had spared!

I jumped mantled myself over the banister. He had mortally wounded my friend, maybe killed her! He had taken advantage of mercy! I would chop him to pieces! On my feet, dropping the bow and readying my frost spell, academia meeting feral aggression, I ran and wound the corner he had, seeing the world in tunnel vision.

The target was not ahead on the streets so again I swirved leftward, with gruesome, furious thoughts, speeding towards the chapel's graveyard.

My feet met the grass.

I looked around, but unless he was a damn good contortionist he was not hiding among the tombstones.

There were a three alleys he could have gone through. I dashed for the first one. I lept over a wine bottle, but saw nothing ahead. I came back onto the street of the propagandist, and darted my gaze around furiously. The preacher's flock was still there, as he ranted against a man who had just seen his friend mortally injured from his own mercy, obnoxiously salting my wound. But no where could my target be seen.

And there were so many backstreets, so many places to disappear. And looking at the crowd in the street hard and thoroughly he could not be hiding amongst them. I was getting the feeling this was futile, even though I quaked with rage.

Soch-Eena's medical care was a better channel for my efforts, her life was on the line. The others had to be doing something, but I began racing back, this time on the sidewalk, almost stepping on a rat. She was a friend, an asset, and a hero. She could not die if I had anything to do about it!

I whipped around the corner again, the chapel that had captured this day and so much more back in view. I wound back around to go through the staff marked doorway, and stopped myself, with ample momentum, against the banister.

The girl was on all fours, coughing and wheezing as S'Bassa's hands sandwiched her, one pressed hard on her wound (the reddened dagger had been discarded to the side) and another supporting her from beneath.

Reesaka was dashing around the main chamber madly.

"I don't see anything!" he cried. It was the first time I had heard him use such a tone.

I was priming my muscles when suddenly the girl collapsed, falling down and causing the interpreter to do some of the same.

"Soch-Eena!" I cried. Though it was more of a call to the divines than to her.