GuyYouMetOnline

[COLOR=darkslateblue][I]And... done.[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva was in an environmental suit, outside of the facility where her target was located. She'd gotten into sector 2 just fine, using the [I]Phoenix[/I]'s codes to get past patrols. Then she'd approached the target facility, which was located on a moon in an uninhabited system. The facility had basic sensor equipment, but none of it saw the [I]Catalyst[/I]. Kiva had exited hyperspace well outside of detection range and approached the moon under low power with all stealth systems online. Landing had been tricky, as she'd had to land under emergency power only, all she could use so close to the facility without being detected. This had necessitated a manual landing, which wasn't easy under such low power, but Kiva'd managed to do it. She'd landed far away from the facility, suited up, and made her way to the facility on foot, since a transport door, or at least the end at the facility, would have been detected.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva's plan relyed on the structual breach reaction policies that were standard in any facility on a moon or some other place without atmosphere. A structural breach could be disasterous with air blowing out and people dying from a lack of air. SO any breach was immediately sealed off, allowing only a very brief time for anyone in the area to get out. Anyone still in the area when it was sealed off was dead unless they got into environmental suits, as the area wouldn't be unsealed until the breach was repaired. For major structural breaches, or significant structural damage of any kind, additional measures were taken, and everyone in the facility was to move as quickly as possible to the nearest 'safety bunker', self-contained structures with sufficient provisions to last for weeks, including a suficient air supply. But it was the immediate reaction that Kiva was counting on, as the facillty had three seperate structures. Breaches occuring in all three would be suspicious, but since everyone would move immediately to the safety bunkers, nobody would see the readings from the other structures. Which would give Kiva the window she needed.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva had planted explosives on all three structures, and now she detonated them simultaniously. Then she waited. She'd estimated how long it would take for everyone to get to a bunker using the schematics she'd been provided with, and she waited for only that amount of time before making her move. She needed to move quickly, as her window was brief. Although the bunkers closes to the blasts would remain sealed for a while, all others would be open after a few minutes, and Kiva had to be in and out before then, as damage control would be all over the place and anything she was doing would undoubtedly be noticed. It wasn't enough time to get the data she needed, and only just enough time to do what she was going to do.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]What Kiva needed to do was set up a remote data transfer, but she first needed to connect transmitters to the computer systems, as they were standalone and had no broadcast capability of their own. The transmitters were fitted with small explosives, enough to destroy them without harming anything else. Kiva would detonate them when the data transfer was complete, removing the evidence of what she'd done. Somebody would still notice something, undoubtedly, but not enough to figure out what had happened. And the odds that someone would notice the transmitters while they were transmitting was extremely small, as the staff would be busy focusing on the damage to the structures. But Kiva herself would be noticed, so she needed to get in, connect the transmitters, and start the data transfer quickly. Fortunately, with nobody watching the sensors, she could use transport doors without anyone knowing.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva signaled the [I]Catalyst[/I] using her handheld. The ship responded to her remote command, opening a transport door to the room of the first facilitiy's computer system. Kiva connected a transmitter to it, then repeated the process with the other two facilities. The she transported back to the [I]Catalyst[/I] and monitered the transfer. As soon as it was complete, Kiva detonated the transmitters and began the takeoff procedure.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]The transfer had taken long enough that there were undoubtedly people monitoring the sensor equipment again, so takeoff would have to be done under emergency power, just like the landing. This was actually easier, since the rough terrain of the moon wasn't a concern once the [I]Catalyst [/I]was off the ground. Leaving the system was a lot slower, as Kiva could only use emergency power for acceleration, whereas she'd been able to accelerate before entering sensor range on her way in, but she made it out of sensor range eventually. She waited a bit longer, just to be certain, then made the jump to hyperspace.[/COLOR]

I've got something to say to dragoonreaper, too. In your most recent post, you were hinting quite strongly that the woman in the elevator with your character is my character, Aesera. I'd just like to clarify that Aesera is still in Azaela Town. She hasn't even left for Saffron yet. I just wanted to make sure you knew that so you wouldn't mention her being in Saffron when she's not, as consistency is important.

[COLOR=indigo]"...but despite your rather good performance on the written exams, your field performance was sorely lacking, expecially your performance in the group combat exercise."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera was speaking to one of her students, Ryan. Ryan had an interest in legendary Pokemon, but he positively hated the way Aesera incorporated them into field exercises. And the fact that he sucked at them didn't help things. His performance during the exam had been typical of him, especially in the group combat exercise. He hadn't truly fought at all until near then end, when only a few students were left and avoiding the opponents was no longer possible. Throughout the rest of the exercise, he'd actively avoided any sort of action, clearly hoping that he'd get points for lasting for most of the exercise. This hadn't happened, and Ryan clearly wasn't pleased with his score. Which was why he was in Aesera's office in the first place. [/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"What the hell are you talking about?" Ryan said. "I lasted almost until the end. Only three people stayed in the battle longer than I did."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"Correction: only three people stayed in the testing area longer than you did. Everyone was in battle more than you."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"What's that supposed to mean? I lasted longer than most, so why'd they all get better scores?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera sighed. "I made it perfectly clear that survival would not be a factor in the grade. It's not my fault you decided not to listen. Besides, your cowardly tactics were the only reason you weren't the first to go, and you know it. If there's one thing you've shown me in the field exercises, it's that you're no good in a fight."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"Shut the hell up! Those 'fights' of yours are complete bullshit, anyways! You're just pissed that you're stuck teaching this instead of a 'real' class. If that's how you feel, fine, but leave the rest of us out of it."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"If you don't like how I do things, you should've dropped my class. As it is, I am your instructor, and you will be graded according to my criteria."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"What damn criteria? I'm the only one who didn't pass the exercise, even though I lasted longer then all but three others. I know as well as you do that you're failing me just because you don't like me."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera rose from her chair. "That is enough, Ryan. Your score is low because you've shown that's what you deserve. Your actions in field exercises are those of a coward. You did nothing but run away, even going so far as to shove othersbehind you as distractions. In a real fight, you'd be nothing but a hinderance. That is why you failed the field exams."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"Oh, don't give me that crap. You're just looking to take me down for your own reasons. So quit your lying and-"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"Shut up." Aesera moved out from behind her disk. "Do not question my integrity. Look at yourself, instead. You're a coward and a liar, and if you don't change that, then not only will you die in battle, but you'll get your fellow soldiers killed as well. If you want to be anything but a hinderance, I suggest you get your act together, and quickly. Now get out of here."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"But-"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"Go."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Ryan wasn't happy, but he left as ordered, and Aesera sat back down. She certainly could've handled that better, but Ryan had tried her patience one too many times, and he deserved any ass-chewing he got. Aesera had no patience for people like him, and she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Ryan had been suspended on two seperate occasions following interactions with other instructors, and the only reason he hadn't been kicked out was because his father was a major financial contributor to the Academy.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera leaned back and sighed. She liked her job, but some of the students were almost more than she could handle at times. But such individuals were fortunately rare, and the job itself made up for the times when such people did show up. Not that it was perfect. [/COLOR][COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera shook her head as she looked again at her most recend orders. [I]What the hell are they thinking?[/I][/COLOR] [I][/I] [COLOR=#4b0082]She'd been given additional assignments before, tasks she was expected to do with whatever time she had after meeting her responsibilities as an instructor. But this assignment was just crazy. Sure, it seemed fine at first, even enjoyable, since legendary Pokemon were a point of interest for Aesera. She was to research legends from the Sinnoh region, specificallythose about legendary Pokemon Palkia and Dialga.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Being assigned this had seemed strange, so Aesera had asked for elaboration. More details would also be helpful to her, since it was obvious there was something specific her superiors were interested in. And she'd gotten her answer, but she'd never expected it, and she shook her head again. Her superiors were interested in the abilities of Palkia and Dialga and how to gain control of them. In other words, some idiot thought the legends were true and wanted the two Pokemon. Aesera's reply to this had been brief and polite, but she regarded the assignment as a big waste of time. But she'd still do it. And it was fortunate that the current session of classes was over, as the assignment would necessitate a trip to Saffron.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Not many outside of Sinnoh had done much research of any kind in the region. In fact, the only major research there had been done by Silph. All obtained data was stored in the massive Silph database at the company's headquarters in Saffron, and Aesera had been authorized to make use of this. Which was good, because the Silph database was the only place outside of Sinnoh where substantial information on Sinnoh's legends would be found. So Aesera found herself preparing for a trip to Saffron, leaving what minor duties she had as an instructor between sessions to her aids. Hopefully, this would be over quickly, because as much as Aesera was interested in the legends of Sinnoh, thinking of them as real was just stupid.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]Stealth was the most important consideration. Unlike the relay station in sector 4, security at the sector 2 millitary outpost was tight. There wasn't much firepower in the area, but there didn't need tobe, because the outpost's only value was what it contained. An attack wouldn't do any good, because it was only the data that mattered, and there was no way to access the data from outside the facility. If the facility was going to be taken, the data would be erased to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. And since it was on a self-contained system, accessing the data from outside was impossible. Kiva couldn't even plant a program like she'd done in sector 13.[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]So the only way to get the data was to access the system manually. Which was a problem, because the outpost maintained a permanent staff of just over a hundred personnel, and the data was spread among three different storage systems at the outpost. She could go in by force and get the data from one system, but the personnel would have plenty of time to erase the data from the other two. And even with Specialist equipment, a by-force approach would be very dangerous. No, if Kiva was going to make this work, she needed to find another way. Which would be hard, since she was hign on the Empire's most-wanted list and would be recognized by probably most of the outpost's personnel. So this was going to be tricky.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Among the data William had provided was a scematic of the target outpost. It was only a scematic of the basic model, not the actual outpost Kiva needed to infiltrate, so it didn't have all the details, but any little bit helped. And Kiva's plan needed to be as good as possible, because she would only get one shot. Fortunately, some details were on the scematic, including the locations of the computer systems she'd need to get access to. This information was crutial, since the only plan she'd been able to come up with wouldn't be possible without it.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva spent the time en route to the station forming her plan and preparing to excecute it. And her execution would have to be perfect, because there would be no second chances. If she messed up, or if something went wrong, she would lose her chance. Kiva didn't like working without a margin of error, but this time there was no choice. Either the plan worked, or the mission was a failure. So Kiva was making her plan as good as she possibly could, because this mission was too important to fail.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=indigo]"All right," Aesera said, "you've all done this exercise before, so you know how it works. There is a bit of a twist this time, though. After all, it wouldn't be much of a test if you knew exactly what was coming, now, would it?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]The current session of classes at the Academy was finishing up, meaning final exams were being administered. Some courses had strictly written exams, and some had what were referred to as field exams, where they were tested in action. This was the norm in combat-related courses, although they were often accompanied by written exams. Aesera's course was among those that usually used solely written exams, as her subject was considered entirely knowledge-based, with no real practical application. After all, legends weren't exactly of use in real life. But Aesera had her own ways of doing things.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera did use written exams, if only because knowledge of the stories about legendary Pokemon was part of the course. But Aesera used written exams solely to test knowledge of the specific stories, of people, places, and events in them. For testing knowledge of the legendary Pokemon thmselves, Aesera preferred more practical means.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]The written exams had already been completed. Today was the field exam. The exam consisted of various exercises designed to test the students' knowledge of the legendary Pokemon. This, the last exercise, was Aesera's favorite. It tested her students' knowledge of legendary Pokemon in a combat situation. Aesera obviously couldn't test anyone in battle against the actual legendary Pokemon, but she could do the next best thing; use other Pokemon to play the roles of the legendary Pokemon.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]For some of the legendaries, finding the appropriate substitute was easy; a Charizard, for instance, was the perfect choice to play the role of Moltres. A Charizard wasn't anywhere close to Moltres' power, and Moltres had a greater range of fire abilities, but a Charizard, a flying fire Pokemon, was as close as any real Pokemon came to Moltres. But other legendaries were harder. For instance, Zapdos required two Pokemon to properly imitate; a small electric Pokemon such as a Pikachu to produce the electric abilities, and a large flyer such as a Pidgeot or Fearow to carry the electric Pokemon and provide the capability of flight. Aesera almost always needed Pokemon other then the ones she had; fortunately, this was common enough that the Academy had various Pokemon available for instructors to use when needed. The history department didn't exactly make use of this often, but they were allowed to, just like every [/COLOR][COLOR=indigo]other department, and Aesera frequently took advantage of this.[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]"You all know the rules," Aesera said, "but for the record, let me go over them. Your goal is to perform as effectively as possible. Victory is not a requirement, for the reason that vitory against any of the legendary Pokemon would be almost impossible. You will be graded on the effectiveness of your strategy as shown during the battle.[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]"Since the Pokemon playing the role of the legendary Pokemon can't come close to matching the power of the legendaries, damage will be assessed by the same criteria we've used in these exercises previously. As usual, if you or any of your Pokemon fail to leave the testing area upon defeat, one of the Magemite along the side here will deliver a shock to you; a harmless one, but it will hurt.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]"This test will have two parts to it. You may have noticed that the testing area is substantially larger than the normal exercise area. That's because the first part of the test will be a group exercise. You will be expected to coordinate with your classmates as best you can to fight most effectively. Of course," Aesera smiled as she spoke, "you'll have to work that out on the fly, since you didn;t know about it until now. But like I said, it wouldn't be much of a test if you knew everything in advance, now, would it? The second portion of the test will be individual encounters, like we've done in class previously. Now, any questions?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]There were none, so Aesera moved the students into the testing area. "All right, then," she said, "the test begins right... now. Good luck."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Soon after Aesera spoke, the ground began shaking under the students' feet. Aesera, of course, knew exactly what was causing it. Before class, a Dugtrio had dug a tunnel underground, and a Rhydon had moved into it. The Rhydon was forcing its way up out of the tunnel, right into the middle of the testing area. It was much larger than the average Rhydon, which added to the effect Aesera had wanted. The Rhydon, of course, was playing the part of Groudon, which most of the students figured out almost immediately.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera watched them spring into action. She could't follow everything, of course, but she had cameras placed around the testing area and would review the recordings later. Right now, she just observed the action. 'Groudon' had emerged right beside one of the students, and it went for her immediately. She reacted quickly, releasing one of her Pokemon, a Golduck. Golduck went straight for 'Groudon', and Aesera smiled as she watched.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Trea was one of Aesera's better students, both in the classroom and on the field, and Aesera was pleased with her performance. She wasn't having Golduck try to win; a Golduck could take a Rhydon, but not a Groudon. Instead, Trea's Golduck charged Rhydon head-on, buying Trea time to get to a safer distance. Golduck kept 'Groudon' busy long enough for Trea to get away, then fell back beside its Trainer. 'Groudon' began to pursue, only to be hit by various other Pokemon, sent out by other students who'd gotten past their initial surprise. But Aesera had more than one surprise in store for them.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Most of the students were preoccupied with 'Groudon', and thus didn't notice the approach of another Pokemon. But Kene, another of Aesera's best students did notice. The approaching Pokemon was an Arcanine, the obvious choice for the role of Entei. Kene was with another student, Seth, and he immediately grabbed Seth and spun him around to face the new opponent. "Warn the others," Kene said. "I'll keep this one busy."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Kene did very well against 'Entei'. Like Trea, he didn't try to fight head on. Instead, he and his Pokemon began an excellent stragegy of confusion, meant not to fight but to keep 'Entei' busy until Seth brought backup, which he soon did. The battle neatly devided itself into two sections, the battle with 'Groudon' and the batle with 'Entei'. But Aesera wasn't planning on keeping things so simple.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera releaesed one her her own Pokemon, Gardevoir. Gardevoir was playing the role of Mew, and as Aesera watched her enter the battle, she wondered how quickly her students would figure it out. Bun no matter how quickly they figured it out, having 'Mew' enter the battle would make things very interesting. Aesera smiled in anticipation as she stood back to watch.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]"...although you could have been a little more... diplomatic about it," William said. He'd contacted Kiva soon after her return to the [I]Catalyst[/I].[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Not without risking the mission," Kiva said. "All I knew is that I was looking for someone in that building. We had to keep an eye on everyone who knew we were there."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I know," William said. "And for the record, I agree with you. But the representatives resent your methods somewhat, and I've already gotten complaints."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Yeah, that's a surprise," Kiva said. "I'd never have guessed they'd object to me holding members of their staff at gunpoint in their own office complex while I viewed secure footage before arresting one of them."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I think they're probably more pissed than you expected."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I don't," Kiva said. "I've had my fair share of complaints from polititians. Remember, I did this kind of thing a lot when I was undercover. Some of my methods were... less than appreciated by certain of my superiors. But seeing as how I did better than anyone else, my superiors were willing to offer me a bit of slack. Oh, there were complaints, but it never went further than that. It'll probably be the same thing this time."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Most likely," William agreed. "And I expect their protests to die down once you've left the sector."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Another assignment already?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]William nodded. "Yes. This one's important. I'd have sent you out sooner, but it's only now that there's a chance for success. See, I want you to hack the millitary database in sector 2 and retrieve all personell files from it."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Um. Yeah, that's going to be tricky. I take it you have something in mind, though."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I have a way in," William said. "The rest is up to you."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Getting in's half the battle. What's the plan?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"You're going to pretend to be the messenger ship [I]Phoenix[/I].I realize that the [I]Catalyst [/I]has been upgraded to the new model, but the [I]Phoenix [/I]is also the new model. Apparently, it was under construction when the new model was approved for production after your report of readiness from your experience with the [I]Transcendence[/I]. There's no reason they needed the Mars facility to make the things, so when the new model was approved, the [I]Phoenix[/I] was modified to fit it."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I see. When was construction completed?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Just a couple weeks ago, actually. The ship was close enough to completion that they had to take it apart a ways to modify it to the new model. I'm pretty sure that's why it got the name [I]Phoenix[/I]. Anyways, the [I]Phoenix [/I]is assigned to patrol, but we don't know what its assigned area is. We do know, however, that there's no other ship you can pretend to be. I know you can imitate one of the old messenger ships, but that wouldn't be enough. You'll need authentication codes, and we have [I]Phoenix[/I]'s."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"What? You got a Specialist's authentication codes?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]William nodded. "Yes, I did."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva knew that there weren't many sources the codes could come from, and after she used them, all of those sources would undoubtably be investigated. "William," she said, "I have to remind you that if I use those codes, the agent who got them to you will most likely become unable to continue in undercover operations."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I know, but we need those personnell files. Once we get them, we'll know who in our forces is actually with the Empire."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I see," Kiva said. "I doubt you'll get someone like that agent on board the [I]Liberator[/I] we've had problems with, but you're right about the importance of this assignment. All right. I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll get it done."[/COLOR] --------------------------------------------- OOC: I hope that stuff about the [I]Phoenix[/I] is okay. Don't hesitate to tell me if you want anything changed, SunfallE.

[COLOR=indigo]Name: Aesera Alkalero[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]Age: 27[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]Gender: Female[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]Description: Aesera is a rather tall woman, standing at well over 6 feet in height. She's pretty good-looking, but not someone who would usually be described as beautiful, as she keeps herself in good physical shape and many people's idea of 'beautiful' would be unhealthy. Aesera is in very good shape and looks like it. She has a couple small scars on her arms and one large one on her upper left leg that's usually under her clothing.[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]Faction: Federation[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]Commander: Bugsy[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]Biography: Aesera was born in Hoeen, in Lilycove City. She's from a family of successful trainers, and her interest was in the same area from childhood. She knew a good deal about being a trainer before she ever got started, thanks to her brother and sister. And it was because of her brother that she discovered another topic of interest to her.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera's brother is extremely interested the the Pokemon Absol, to the point of obsession. He heard many of the stories about Absol when he was young and was absolutely fascinated with that particular Pokemon, especially its tendancy to appear prior to natural disasters. He introduced Aesera to those stories, and though she likes the Pokemon, she was never that interested in her brother's research. but she went from there to the legends and stories about the various legendary Pokemon, which she found quite interesting. She's familiar with essentially every legendary Pokemon from the legends of Jhoto, Kanto, and Hoenn, although currently she's only familiar with a few from the legends of Sinnoh. During her travels as a trainer, she learned more about each regions's legends as well as experiencing each reagon, and eventually she decided to settle in Johto, in Azaela Town.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aesera's interest in the various legendary Pokemon is somewhat ironic, considering that she's a very pragmatic individual, but she knows that personal interests have their place, so she doesn't really consider it ironic. It's her pragmatic attitude that lead to her decision to support the Federation, as she believes that the best course of action to take is the one most likely to produce the desired result, with considerations such as the feelings of other people and even herself taking a backseat. She doesn't agree with all of the Federation's methods, but she finds it preferable to the Coalition's views.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]When the war began, Aesera joined the Federation army under Bugsy. Of the Federation leaders, she agrees with him the most, especially on how to proceed in battle. For one, she preferrs taking prisoners whenever possible, and Bugsy is one of the few Federation leaders who shows any kind of mercy. She also dislikes the purely brute-force approach, preferring to fight strategically whenever psosible. And she's always had something of a flair for tactics.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Despite haveing substantial skill as a trainer and being willing to fight, Aesera prefers her current assignment, despite the irony of it. Instead of being a regular soldier, Aesera is an instructor at Azaela's training academy. She enjoys the chance to train new recruits, and she takes the opportunity to present her own values to the students in hopes of decreasing the number of unnecessary deaths. But Aesera finds her assigned course to be quite ironic.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]The academy includes not just direct millitary courses, but includes other subjects as well. Aesera is in the history department, specializing in the myths and legends of legendary Pokemon, not exactly the most practical subject for soldiers in an army. But she still enjoys the job, and she's found that she can relate the subject to more immediately practical areas. She does things like have her students devise plalns for fighting legendary Pokemon based on their capabilities as described in the legends, or has them describe how specific legendary Pokemon would be best employed in a battle situation. Though the legendary Pokemon are just legends, Aesera's found that such exercises can be very useful experiences for her students. So although Aesera will fight if she has to, she's perfectly content in her current role.[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]List of Service Pokémon:[/COLOR] [COLOR=indigo]Absol[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Pidgeot[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Gardevoir[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Tyranitar[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Swampert[/COLOR] [COLOR=#4b0082]Aggron[/COLOR]

I'll be leaving on vacation tomorrow, and I wanted to make sure everyone knew. I've finished my current objective, though, so it probably won't matter. Just wanted to make sure you all knew where I was. EDIT: Okay, I'm back.

[COLOR=darkslateblue]It wasn't much of a plan, but it didn't need to be. There were more complicated methods Kiva could have used, but she preferred to keep things simple if she could. Less could go wrong with a simple plan. All the other options could fail in any number of ways; this one couldn't. The only problem was that Kiva couldn't do it alone. That was why she needed Daego.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva and Daego entered the representatives' office complex and approached the front desk. The woman at the desk looked up as they approached. "Hello," she said. "What can I do for you today?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I need access to the security recordings," Kiva said.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Um, you need to go through proper channels for something like that. I don't have the authority to give access."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I don't need you to give me access. I already have that authority. I just need you to open the room for me."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Um, please allow me to confirm your identity, then," the woman said, placing a small device on the desk. Kiva placed her hand on it and waited as it checked for a match. The womans eyes went wide when it found one. "My apologies, Ms. Salqarian. One moment, please."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"No," Kiva said. "Do not log anything or notify anyone."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I'm sorry, but I have to follow procedure."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I don't," Kiva said. She raised her hand, allowing the woman to see the well-concealed ML-SS.7 firearm she was carrying, a weapon which was currently pointed at the secretary. "Take me to the recordings now."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I- what is the meaning of this?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I'm here to identify a traitor. All I know is that it's someone here, either a representative or one of their staff. Anyone here could be the traitor, even you. So you see, I can't let you notify anyone. And to be sure of that, I need you to come with me. If you don't, I will be forced to shoot you."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"You wouldn't dare fire a weapon in this building."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva laughed. "Yes, I would. I am here on assignment from none other that William, the Resistance's leader. You know the level of clearance I have; the scanner should have listed that. So you should also know that I am acting within my own authority. Besides, my weapon's set to stun; it's not like I'd kill you. And even if I wasn't authorized to take these actions, I would, because I need to. Now, are you going to cooperate, or not?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]The secratary didn't like it, but she knew Kiva was right. "I- very well. Follow me."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Good choice," Kiva said. "Just don't try anything."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]There were two guards outside the security storage room at all times. They watched carefully as Kiva entered her authorization code into the keypad, then relaxed when the door opened. Then Daego was pointing guns at them, and they froze. "Into the room," Daego said. "And don't try anything."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]'I- what- no!"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Rethink that," Kiva said. "If you refuse to cooperate, I will have to consider you a suspected traitor. I know there's one here, either a representative or staff. I'm here to identify the traitor. My partner here," she indicated Daego, "will ensure you don't try anything while I'm going through the records. I'm sorry I have to use such brute-force methods, but I can't take any chances. Now, enter the room, please. You too," she told the secretary. All three of them reluctantly entered the room, followed by Daego and Kiva. Daego lined them up along the wall by the entrance, allowing him to cover them and the entrance all at once. Kiva had needed someone to do this; that was why she couldn't do this by herself. It was hardly a complicated situation; Kiva just couldn't do it all on her own, as she had to focus on the security recordings. So she took a seat at a console and went to work, using the information she already had in conjunction with the recordings. And a while later, she had her target.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Representative Koles looked up as the door to his office opened, then shot to his feet as Kiva and Daego entered with weapons drawn. "Don't move," Kiva said.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"What is the meaning of this?" Koles said. "And who the hell are you?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"My name is Kiva Salqarian. Representative Koles, you are under arrest for treason against the New Alliance."[/COLOR]

Okay, so Daego Kelse was in my last post. For those who weren't in the first Silver One, Daego was my second character in that RPG. Although he's making an appearance now, I currently have no plans to play him as a second character again. He's only here temporarily. Well, that's all I have to say. I just wanted to be sure that was clear.

[COLOR=#483d8b]As expected, Kiva's program had intercepted a transmission soon after she had installed it. The transmission was brief and used what were presumably codenames, so it didn't provide any information itself, but Kiva had anticipated that. She'd had her program wipe the transmission. She had to continue the day's activities to keep up the fiction of her vacation, but when she got back to her room, she immediately went to work. Although she hadn't gotten anything useful from the transmission's content, she knew when it had been sent, and from where, enough information to point her in the right direction.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]As expected, the guilty party had been very careful to cover his or her tracks, but although Kiva wasn't able to identify the person responsible, she was able to trace the person's access and determine what he or she had used the computer systems for. She was also able to confirm the system's location as being within the representatives' office complex, which essentially confirmed that the traitor was a representative or staff, as access to the offices was restricted to just those people and security was tight enough to make it virtually impossible to sneak in.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]What Kiva needed was access to stored security footage. With what she already knew, she could use the security recordings to determine who was responsible. But getting that access would be impossible without ruining the fiction of her vacation; the data was stored on a seperate system and couldn't be accessed from outside. She had the authority to access it, but she'd have to tell at least one person what she was doing, and anyone could be the traitor. But there was a solution. She'd just need a little help. And she knew just who to go to.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva didn't have to disguise this visit to maintain the fiction of her vacation; she was visiting an old friend and colleague, something she'd been planning on doing anyways. The only difference was that now she was asking for his help.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"This is the first time we've seen each other since we first arrived here," Daego Kelse said. "Can't we just catch up?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Unfortunately," Kiva said, "this is important. We can catch up some other time. I know you're not ready to fight against the Empire, but this is different."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"You're wrong about that," Daego said. "I'm fine with fighting the Empire. It's the citizens I don't want to fight. Even those in the millitary just follow their orders. And whoever this traitor is certainly isn't following orders. You're right, Kiva. This is different, and I will be glad to help. The only reason I haven't joined the fight is because I'd be fighting the ones who just follow orders. So I'm in."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Good," Kiva said. "Okay, what I need from you is simple. We're going to..."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]The data William had sent Kiva included the decision for Daniel to personally travel to sector four. Kiva didn't like having Daniel take the risk of traveling to an Imperial sector, even one that might be breaking off. But since the decision was made, Kiva was going to take advantage of it. If someone was indeed sabotaging efforts to convince the sectors to break off, Daniel's visit to sector 4 would be important to him or her. But the only people who could reasonably be behind it were the representatives and their staff, none of whom were going along with Daniel. Thus, the traitor would have to rely on someone else to get the job done. And since Daniel was already gone, anyone who would be able to do anything was not in sector 9. Transmissions would be required, and transmission control was something Kiva was quite capable of doing.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]As an undercover agent, Kiva had made a name for herself within the Empire as an expert at uncovering spies and traitors. As a result, she'd gotten such assignments frequently, and she'd developed several useful tools. One of her favorites was a rather simple program for transmission control. It was small and very hard to detect, and what it did was simple. As far as anyone else knew, the transmission would have gone out without a problem. But Kiva's program blocked the transmission from being sent and connected to her handheld, prompting her for approval. If approval was recieved, the transmission would go out as normal, and only Kiva would know that anything else had happened. If, however, she denied the transmission, its contents would be erased, and although the transmission would still be sent, it would be completely blank.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]The program did have a couple problems, of course. For one, if a lot of transmissions were denied, someone was likely to notice all the blank transmissions going out. But the main problem was that the program had to connect with Kiva's handheld, a connection that was traceable. The basic program also required almost constant attention because of routine message traffic, but Kiva solved that problem with a filter that requested approval only for transmissions meeting specified parameters and allowed all others to go out unhindered. The program was still unsuited for general transmission monitering, but Kiva knew what transmission she wanted to catch. Her program would simply tell her if it found it.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]The other difficulty with the program was getting it installed without anyone knowing, but Kiva was skilled at that sort of thing. Transmission installations weren't hard to get into, as they were meant to recieve signals. The trick was getting the program it without tripping any alarms. But Kiva knew how to do that, too. She sent a blank transmission into the installation, but did not specify a destination. She made it look like a corrupt transmission, which would be automatically deleted. But the transmission would be used to get Kiva's program into the system where it could do its job. Even this wasn't easy, but Kiva'd done harder. She was able to insert the program without any problems. Now, all she needed to do was wait. She'd pursue other methods of investigation, but getting a transmission would make her job one hell of a lot easier.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]Kiva was contacted by William shortly after arriving in sector 9. "Welcome back, Kiva," he said. "I trust all went well?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Indeed," Kiva said. "I have the equipment, and I have Darren. I also have a man named Mike, Darren's old partner."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"So he was there, too."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Yes. I also destroyed Darren's ship, the [I]Wilkey[/I]. Also, Darren does not know I have Mike. I haven't spoken with either of them since capturing them."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"All right. I've prepared a section in the city center, and I'd like you to transfer Darren and the equipment there. Put Mike there, as well."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Understood. And allow me to make a suggestion. I don't know what this data is, but it's obviously important, so I believe we should take whatever measures are necessary to ensure Darren's cooperation. I know we don't use torture, but this data is clearly important enough that I think using such techniques, if necessary, would be... advisable."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Don't worry," William said. "We'll secure Darren's cooperation, one way or another."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Good. Then allow me to recommend you make use of the equipment on board the [I]Catalyst[/I] or the [I]Transcendence[/I], which is far more efficient than anything else we have."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I'll make a note of that. Now, I have another job to you. The data I'm sending you includes all the details, but let me give you a brief overview."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Go ahead."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Basically," William said, "our attempts to convince sectors three and four to break off from the Empire continue to be unsuccessful. I believe our efforts are being sabotaged."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Any idea who's responsible?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]William nodded. "I believe it's someone here in sector 9. Specifically, one of the sector's representatives or someone on their staff."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Ah. Well, that won't make this easy. They'll know I'm asigned to investigate them, and whoever's responsible will take extra care."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Which is why your investication will not be official. Officially, you'll be taking a well-earned break planetside after your recent successes[/COLOR][COLOR=darkslateblue]. Your investigation will be completely covert."[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"I see. Well, certainly solves that problem, but this still won't be simple. Not that it's anything I haven't done before. I'm assuming that's why you chose me for this particular task."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Indeed it is," William said.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Then I'll take care of it. Kiva out."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva transferred Darren, Mike, and the equipment to the designated location, then familiarized herself with the data William had sent her. She transferred the data to her handheld, along with her various programs she used for hacking purposes, then made arrangements to transfer down to the planet. Once planetside, she found a rather nice hotel to stay at, then got set in her room and began making plans. She'd have to act like she was actually taking a vacation, so she'd need to be careful. This was going to be tricky as it was, and she didn't need the culprit catching on and making it even trickier.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]Kiva'd had just enough time to get everything ready. The equopment was aboard the [I]Catalyst[/I], and now it was time for her second objective, the capture of Darren. Kiva'd been busy over the week since she'd taken control of the relay station, and she was ready when Darren's ship, the [I]Wilkey[/I], arrived.[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]Before long, the [I]Wilkey [/I]hailed the relay station. Kiva activated a program of hers and answered the call. Kiva'd already had the basic program ready, but to work right, it required information Kiva could only get from the relay station. What the program required was recordings of a specified individual. It needed sufficient data to reconstruct the person's appearance and accurately simulate the person's voice. In effect, it was a disguise program. Although there was a visual link between the station and the [I]Wilkey[/I], nobody on the [I]Wilkey[/I] actually saw or heard Kiva. Instead, they saw and heard [/COLOR][COLOR=darkslateblue]one of the relay crew.[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"State your business, please," Kiva said. The program delivered what she'd said, but did so with the relay crewman's appearance and voice. Nobody on the [I]Wilkey[COLOR=darkslateblue][/I][/COLOR]would suspect a thing. "I'm here," Darren said, "to retrieve the equipment that you were ordered to keep offline, by my authority as Shipping Expert for the High Council." "Understood. Please transmit your authorization code, sir."[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]Darren's code came quickly. "Authorization code confirmed," Kiva said. "Did you wish to simply transport down to the staton or to use the main landing pad?" "We'll be bringing the ship down," Darren said. "Understood, I'll send you the coordinates immediately." Kiva sent the coordinates, than said, "I'll send someone to greet you there. Anything else, sir?" "No," Darren said, and Kiva ended the transmission.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva was waiting in full combat armor. She knew Darren's security would be armed and armored, so it was likely stunning them wouldn't be an option. However, despite their status, Kiva expected the security personell to be caught completely off-guard. After all, nobody was expecting trouble. Kiva suspected that the security wasn't there to protect Darren, but that Darren was essentially a prisoner aboard his own ship.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]The ship's hatch opened, and the security men stepped out, all wearing full armor. Kiva's preferred gun wasn't worth much against armored targets, so she'd made sure to grab something more appropriate. Her weapon was designed for armor penetration, and since it was Specialist issue, it would be enough to get through even the armor worn by these four.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva didn't give the men time to react. As they exited the ship, she shot all four in quick succession, hitting each right in the head and taking all of them down. Behind them was Darren, who had absolutely no idea what was going on. Kiva switched her weapon to stun and pointed it at Darren. "Well, hello there, Darren."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"What the- Kiva?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva laughed. "Indeed. And I have to say I find this rather amusing. I rescued you from the Resistance on Earth, and now I'm capturing you. Quite ironic, isn't it?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva shot Darren in the chest, and he went down, but since Kiva's weapon was on stun, he was still alive. Kiva took out her handhelt and accessed the [I]Catalyst[/I]. The ship caught Darren in a transportation door, putting him in a cell on board. Kiva then had the ship perform a scan of the [I]Wilkey[/I]. There was one life sign detected; Darren's old merchant partner, presumably. He wouldn't be as valuable a prisoner as Darren, but still, he might have his uses. Kiva stepped into the [I]Wilkey[/I].[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Mike stood up as the door to his quarters opened and found a gun pointed right at him. "Now what do you-" He cut off as he saw that it wasn't one of the security men he was looking at. "Who the hell are you?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"My name's Kiva. You may have heard of me."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Kiva? That rouge Specialist?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Everyone just assumes I turned traitor," Kiva said. "No respect at all for my undercover ability. Always dissapoints me." She shot Mike on stun, then had the [I]Catalyst[/I] transport him to a cell of his own.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]The equipment was loaded, Darren and Mike were on board, and the [I]Catalyst[/I] had taken off. But there was still one more thing to take care of. Before leaving the sector, Kiva [/COLOR][COLOR=darkslateblue]targeted missiles at the [I]Wilkey[/I] and blew Darren's old ship up. Doing so probably wasn't necessary, but Kiva didn't like taking chances. With the [I]Wilkey [/I]destroyed, Kiva set a course for sector 9, where she was to deliver Darren and the recovered equipment. Before long, the [I]Catalyst [/I]was under way.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]The trip to the relay station had taken a week, and Kiva had made use of the time. She didn't want anyone from the relay station to suspect anything, so she was preventing them from getting a clear enough reading of her ship to identify it. She wasn't using stealth, though. Instead, she was simulating substantial damage, including non-functioning communications systems. This would prevent the station's staff from contacting her, and would get most of them, if not all of them, out to meet her when she landed, just to find out what was going on. They'd have a guess, though; engine damage was among the damage Kiva was simulating, so they'd probably assume they'd been the closest instalation of any kind when the damage occured. But they'd be wrong.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]As the [I]Catalyst[/I] made its final approach to the landing platform, the landing lights blinked in an unmistakable pattern. It meant 'land here', and was used with ships that couldn't be otherwise contacted. The relay station's staff was telling her she was clear to land, and they probably didn't suspect a thing. This was critical; if they saw her coming, they could get a distress message out, and though the millitary would likely not be able to respond within the week remaining before Darren's arrival, they could easily ward Darren, resulting in the failure of Kiva's mission. So she had to take out the relay crew as quickly as possible, and she smiled when she saw all six of them on the platform waiting for her. [I]Good. This'll make things a lot easier.[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"It doesn't look damaged," Security Officer Saneth said.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"It could be purely internal damage," the station head, Kale, replied. "It almost has to be, actually. I'm no expert, but I know what damaged ships look like. But the sensor readings were unambiguous, and no sane person would fake that level of damage, not when it would involve cutting life-support to the bare minimum."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"We'll just have to ask the ship's commander, then," Saneth said, and Kale nodded. Then both of them went down.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva had suited up in full combat armor, but not the normal Specialist armor. She was in the hostile environment version, which was designed for use in environments where survival was otherwise impossible. She'd actually made use of HO armor once before, when attacking one of the resistance bases on Earth. This time, she was using it as part of her deception. Simulating the extent of life-support damage she was pretending to have was extremely dangerous, because it left no safety margin. But because Kiva was in HO armor, that didn't matter, because HO armors had their own ar supplies. It was only enough for a few hours, but since Kiva was making a landing, that was more than she needed. And even a life support failure wouldn't be too bad, because all messenger ships were equipped with backup LS systems. Manual activation was required, but that wouldn't be a problem when planetside, and faking the LS damage would convince the relay crew that the ship was truly damaged, even though it looked fine. Which meant they were totally surprised when Kiva transported outside the ship and opened fire.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Nobody had time to react. All six of them were down in just a couple seconds. Even the two security officers had been taken completely by surprise. Kiva'd shot them at full power, too; if she'd taken them alive, they would have taken up time she didn't have. She couldn't afford any distractions, because she needed to prepare for Darren's arrival. If she wasn't ready by the time Darren showed up, the mission would be a failure.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]-------------------------------------------------[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]OOC: Your turn, Rach.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]When Daniel contacted Kiva, she answered immediately. "Daniel, what the hell are you thinking, putting Kreid in charge of security? You do know he hasn't been fully cleared, right?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Daniel sighed. "Yes, Kiva, I know. But we just don't have enough cleared people to be able to put them everywhere we should."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I'm aware of that, Daniel, but your safety needs to be at the top of the list. You and Williams have to be at the top of the Empire's list of targets, and losing either of you would be very bad for the New Alliance, especially if either of you is taken alive, and I won't be there to get you out. You can't take that kind of risk, Daniel."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Look, I don't like it either," Daniel said. "The decision to use non-cleared people came from the Alliance's Representatives."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I see," Kiva said. "Well, at the very least, we should get Kreid cleared as soon as possible. Get someone investigating him as soon as you can, all right? I'd prefer to do it myself, if that's possible."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Well, Williams gave me new orders for you, but feel free to investigate whenever you have the time."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Well, have someone else investigate him, then. I don't like taking this kind of risk. But enough about that. What orders do you have for me?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I'm sending them to you now," Daniel said. "Williams didn't tell me what you'll be doing, but I'm assuming it's important."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I'll get started as soon as possible, then. Kiva out."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b][I]Well, [/I]Kiva thought, [I]this should be interesting.[/I][/COLOR] [I][/I] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva contacted the [I]Liberator[/I] and arranged for the two Council members to be transferred, then set a course for the sector 4 relay station. Williams had received information indicating that Darren Anderson had been assigned to retrieve data sent through the shipping protocalls during the attack on sector 14. The transmission had been scrambled, and made it no further than the relay station. Since the data was scrambled and mixed in with not only the current shipping protocols but the older ones, Darren, who was responsible for both sets of protocol, was being sent instead of an Elite Specialist, presumably because the war had to have them spread thin. The data was thought to be related to the third of the research projects that had been taking place in sector 14.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva had two tasks. She was to retrieve the transmission and equipment from the relay station, and she was also to capture Darren. It sounded easy enough, but it wouldn't be so simple. The station's automated security would be easy to deal with, but relay stations had a permanent staff of six, four for maintainance and two for security. Kiva knew she could hack into and disable the automated defenses without the crew knowing, since they were designed to deter civillians, not millitary ships and certainly not messenger ships. Two security men with standard armament wouldn'tbe a problem for someone in Specialist combat armor, and the four others wouldn't even be armed at all. The problem was Darren, or more specifically the security detail that would undoubtably accompany him aboard his ship.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva was to take Darren alive. The problem was getting him in the first place. He and his security would undoubtably expect to be contacted upon arrival, but Kiva would have to take out all six of them. She could contact Darren herself, but there was no doubt she;d be recognized if she did so, in which case Darren would get the hell out of there, and taking him alive would be nearly impossible. She did, however, have a solution. The first step would be taking control of the station. After that, she'd have about a week before Darren's arrival, more than enough time to get things ready.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]"Do you have clearance to be down here?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva stopped and looked at the approaching man. [I]Who the hell is this?[/I] [I]I thought security knew I have clearance.[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"I have the Commander's express permission," Kiva said. "And who might be asking?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"I am Greydon Kreid, Head of Security on board this ship. I will need you to stay here until I can be certain that Landers allowed you to be here."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b][I]The new head of security? And he doesn't know I have clearance? Either that, or more likely, he's just the bullying type. Well, I'll play his game, then.[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"Ah yes, the new Head of Security. Such a shame what happened to Alexander, wasn't it?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"Indeed," Kreid said. "Now, if you'll stay there for just a moment, I'll call through to the Commander."[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"I really don't have time for this, Mr...Kreid, was it?" Classic strategy. The bullying types got pissed off if you acted like they weren't important. Kiva started past Kreid, but he grabbed her by the wrist.[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"You will stay here until I can talk to the [/COLOR][COLOR=darkslateblue]Commander," Kreid said.[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"Fine. I shall wait, but you should know you're getting in the way of important business."[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue]"I think you'll find nothing is more important than the safety of this ship." Kreid released Kiva's arm and went for his comm. [I]Hmm... maybe I was wrong,[/I] Kiva thought. [I]No aggression, no anger, just a man doing his job. I guess someone just screwed up and he wasn'r informed of my clearance.[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"My apologies," Kreid said as he put his comm away. "It seems you do indeed have clearance."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Yes," Kiva said. "Now, let's start over, shall we? I'm Kiva Salqarian."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"That name sounds familiar."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Not surprising. I used to be undercover within the Empire. I was involved with the takeover of sector 13, and later with events leading to the current situation."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Yes, you're the one who captured that most-wanted pair, aren't you? Jason and Celestia, I believe."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva nodded. "Not one of my favorite accomphishments, but my willingness to to things like that is one reason I was so successful undercover. In fact, I'd still be undercover if I hadn't ended up capturing Daniel. He knew I was undercover, so when it was time to turn him over to Stevens and Jared, I had no choice but to make a run for it."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I see. Well, then, it's good to have someone with your skills on our side."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"So you're head of security, Kreid?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kreid nodded. "Yes, since Alexander died."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"In that case, I do have things to discuss with you. I'm not pleased with Daniel's security arrangements. First of all, I disagree with his decision to include those not fully cleared in his personal security force. I assume you're cleared, of course."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Um..."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"You've been informed you're cleared, right?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Uh, no."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"What?" Kiva said. "So you're not cleared?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I'm assuming I have been," Kreid said. "I didn't think I'be be head of security otherwise."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"If you've been cleared. you would've been told. What the hell is Daniel thinking?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"So I haven't been cleared?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Doesn't sound like it," Kiva said. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to continue this conversation some other time. I can't discuss security arrangements with someone who hasn't been cleared."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"You think I'm a spy?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"No, but another reason I was so successful undercover is because I take as few risks as possible. So although ods are you're fine, that's not a risk I'm willing to take. So, goodbye for now."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b][I]What the hell is Daniel thinking?[/I] Kiva wondered as she left the brig. [I]I know even full clearance isn't a garuntee of loyalty, but the closer we can get, the better. Daniel's got to get him fully cleared as soon as possible, and if he won't order it done, I'll just have to do the investigation myself.[/I][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue][I]This is not going to be pretty,[/I] Kiva thought. She nodded to the security guard, who opened the cell door. Kiva stepped through the door, into the cell on the [I]Liberator[/I] where Dalek was being held.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Dalek looked up as Kiva entered. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded to know.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"What do you think?" Kiva said.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I think I'm looking at the bitch I thought loved me. How the hell could you do this, Kiva?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Damn it, Dalek, I'm the only reason you're still alive! If I hadn't done that, you'd be dead, and you know it. You wouldn't have let anyone capture two Council members. You'd have blown your ship before you let them be taken alive."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Better that than be captured by a traitor!"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Oh, shut up," Kiva said. "I didn't betray anyone. I think you're smart enough to know that I didn't 'turn traitor'."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"You betrayed me, you bitch! Damn it, don't I mean anything to you?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Do you think it was easy for me to do that? I know you know me beter than that."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I thought I did," Dalek said, "but it was all an act, wasn't it?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva shook her head. "No. The only thing I faked was my loyalty."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"How the hell could you be loyal to the Resistance, anyway? Didn't they-"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Kill my father? No."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"You mean- was it the Empire that did it?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva laughed a little at that. "You know, no matter how many times I hear it, and no matter what the situation, hearing that never fails to make me laugh. My father's death was an accident, Dalek. And as amusing as it was, I found it sad when both sides used it as propaganda."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Dalek sighed. "So just why are you here?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Because I know what I did, and I know how we felt about each other. How I still feel about you, whether you believe it or not. And I hope that somewhere, you still feel that way about me."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"After you used those feelings to capture me?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I think you know how hard that was on me. Lord, Dalek, I still feel like shit about it. But my orders were to take you and especially the Councilors alive, and there was no other way to do it."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Yeah, but I still have a right to be pissed off."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva nodded. "Yeah, and a lot more pissed off than you actually are."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"That's because I do know you. At least, I knew you, and I don't think you faked everything. If you'd spoken to me immediately after capturing me, I think it would've been different, but I've had time to calm down. And I am glad you came to speak to me. It prooves that you're at least partially the Kiva I know. But I'm not ready for anything more."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"I know," Kiva said. "This isn't easy for me either."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"Yeah. And I still think you're wrong to be with the Resistance, or New Alliance, or whatever."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]"That just makes this worse, doesn't it? Well, I guess I'll leave, then. See you."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b][I]Well, that went better than I was worried it would,[/I] Kiva thought as she exited the cell and the door closed behind her. [I]Okay, time to get back to the [/I]Catalyst[I].[/I][/COLOR] ------------------------------------------------ OOC: And that's your cue, Blayze.

[COLOR=gray]It was unusual for anyone to enter the area Sinaeas claimed as his own. These days, the only ones who entered the area were those trying to kill him. Everyone else avoided the area, as it was well-known that nobody who went there came back. Which made this particular party somewhat interesting. Although two of them were armed, the third was not, so it was unlikely that Sinaeas was their objective. So what were they doing?[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]Sinaeas listened to them talking to each other. "See?" the unarmed one said. "Everything's going fine."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"That just means the demon hasn't figured out we're here yet," one of the armed men said.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"Stop being so paranoid, Branit."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"Damn it, Eneo, nobody who enters this area ever comes out."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"But when's the last time someone's simply passed through here? The only people who come here anymore are trying to kill the demon, but we're just passing through."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"It's still a stupid risk," Branit said. "Keith and I may be skilled, but we can't fight that thing. If it finds us, we're dead, which is a stupid risk when we could just go around."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"We can't go around very quickly, what with the rough terrain. Cutting through here cuts almost a day off our travel time."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"Better it take an extra day to arrive than not arrive at all."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"Don't you understand what 'urgent' means?" Eneo said. "I know you don't know what the message is, but I do, and time is important. Adding a day is just as bad as not making it at all. If we had the time, we'd go around, but we don't."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"Let's just keep moving," Keith said. "The less time we spend here, the better."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]The trio never had a chance. Sinaeas blasted both the bodyguards with dark energy. Eneo attempted to run, but Sinaeas ensnared him, and he fell to the ground, where Sinaeas grabbed him. "You're an unusual one. What is so urgent you made a decision as foolish as coming here?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"Why should I tell you?" Eneo said. "You'll kill me anyways."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"Because if you don't talk, you'll wish you were dead. It's your choice. Do you want to die quickly or slowly?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"It can't hurt anything," Eneo muttered. "It's not like it'll matter to you. Fine," he said aloud, "I'l tell you. I was charged to deliver a message from King Gale to a demon warrior by the name of [/COLOR][COLOR=gray]Amer. His is one of several such messages. He and other warriors are to meet with King Gale tomorrow. That's why we had to pass through here, so we could deliver the message in time for Amer to reach the castle by tomorrow. The meeting is in regards to an assassin in Archamanto who seeks to become immortal. Gale believes he's a threat, and I got the idea he's going to organize a mission to stop this assassin. That's all I know."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]"Very well, then," Sinaeas said. He threw Eneo to the ground with immense force, killing him on impact.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#808080]This was interesting. An assassin wished to become immortal, and a king believed him enough of a threat to do something about him. The man wouldn't be a threat unless there was some way he might actually become immortal, and anything that could make someone immortal was worth looking into. Of course, Sinaeas couldn't exactly go to the castle without attracting attention, but he didn't necessarily need to. He would wait in the surrounding area for Gale's group to depart, then follow them. He may even approach them to learn what they know, although he wouldn't kill them. Even if they told him all they knew, there was a chance they'd learn something important later on. But that was a concern for later. Right now, it was time to head towards the castle.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]Name: Sinaeas[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]Gender: Male[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]Age: 843[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]Race: Demon[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]Position: None[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]Personality: Sinaeas is somewhat bloodthirsty, and quite fond of fighting. Living in the wild, his most frequent opponents are various beasts, but he challenges almost any intelligent being he comes across. He's arrogant, but not foolish; he knows he's not invulnerable. He's solitary by nature, but he does realize that cooperation with others has a place, although he's never needed aid from anyone before. If he does need aid, he will seek it out, but if one comes to him looking for aid, that person is likely to be killed before he or she can finish the request. Sinaeas is rather self-centered, putting his own wants and needs above others'.[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]Appearance: Although Sinaeas's basic body shape is centauroid, there aren't actually any elements of either horse or man. Sinaeas is wholly demonic in appearance. His body is thick and muscular. He stands at several times the height of a human, and is proportioned accordingly. Dark, hide-like skin covers his entire body, and it offers significantly better protection than any armor. His appearance alone is enough to strike fear in the harts of weaker men.[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]Weapon: Sinaeas wields no weapons, instead relying on his immense physical strength.[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]Abilities/magic: Sinaeas is extremely strong, and also tough as hell (no pun intended). Although large creatures have a reputation for being slow, Sinaeas is able to move quite fast. His primary weakness is agility; like most large beings, Sinaeas is not very agile. He also has powers of darkness; he can use dark energy as a weapon, and can shield himself with it. He can also use dark energy to briefly ensnare targets, although those with sufficient abilities of their own can resist this, and he's less able to ensnare larger targets.[/COLOR] [COLOR=dimgray][COLOR=black]Character Snippet:[/COLOR] The humans were obviously a hunting party, and Sinaeas was clearly their target. His name was not known to many, but the humans had made several references to 'the demon'. It was obvious that their target was Sinaeas, and they weren't the first to come after him. Sinaeas's violent tendencies had angered quite a few over the years, and many wanted him dead. And although there were probably humans that could take him, the odds that one would come looking for him were virtually nonexistent. So far, all those who had come had never stood a chance, but that hadn't stopped them from coming. They tended to assume that rumors of his power and strength were exaggerated, a mistake that always prooved fatal.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]This particular party was being cautious, and it was clearly well-organized. There were eight of them, and they were obviously experienced. Their weapons varied, from swords to crossbows to guns, and they were alert as they entered the mountainside cavern where Sinaeas lived.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]"Show youself, demon!" one of the hunters shouted. "Come and face us!"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]"Very well," Sinaeas said, his voice echoing throughout the cavern. He stepped forward, into view of the hunters. "You wish to face me?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]"You will have no more victims, demon! Today, you die!"[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]Sinaeas laughed. "You think you can kill me? You pathetic humans don't stand a chance."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]"Oh, shut up. We know as well as you do how exaggerated the rumors are. If you thought you could take us, you would already have attacked."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]"Or perhaps I am simply enjoying your foolishness. If you're so certain of your victory, then come try your best."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]The first to attack was a hunter armed with a rifle. His shot hit Sinaeas in the shoulder, but the demon showed no signs of pain. The rifleman was a different story. Sinaeas enveloped him in dark energy, and he fell to the ground screaming.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]The hunters scattered, all those with ranged weapons opening fire. Two crossbowmen loosed their poison-tipped bolts, but Sinaeas blocked the bolts with a shield of dark energy. A man ran at Sinaeas with a sword, but Sinaeas trapped him in dark energy and crushed him beneath his foot. He blasted one of the crossbowmen with dark energy, but the other avoided the blast. Sinaeas ensnared him with dark energy, then grabbed him and threw him with extreme force at one armed with a gun. The force of the hit killed the crossbowman on contact and slammed the gunman into the side of the cavern hard, and he fell to the ground, dead.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]A man with a spear charged Sinaeas. The man jumped and thrust his spear at Sinaeas's leg. The spear made only a small opening before falling out, but it did draw blood. Sinaeas grabbed the man and crushed him between his hands. By this point, the rifleman had recovered, and took another shot. It hit Sinaeas in the chest, but didn't penetrate very far. Sinaeas took him out with a blast of dark energy, then turned his attention to the remaining two, who were both armed with swords.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]"Do you see how foolish you are?" Sinaeas said. "You are as weak as all of your kind. You cannot possibly even harm such as I. And as a result of your foolishness, you will lose your lives."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]Sinaeas ensnared both remaining men with dark energy, then ripped out a chunk of the cave wall and threw it at them. It crushed one, but the other had broken free and was able to avoid it. "You aren't the only one with powers," he said. He launched a blast of flame at Sinaeas, who simply stood still and took the blast.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]"Your powers are insignificant," Sinaeas said. "No human can match one such as I."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]"Maybe not, but I can at least escape. My life is one you will not claim."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]Sinaeas laughed. "If you survive, it will be because I allow it. And I do not intend to allow it."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]Sinaeas blasted dark energy at the man, who countered with a blast of flame while running backwards. Sinaeas ripped out another chunk of the wall and threw it at him. He dove out of the way, only to be hit with a blast of dark energy. Sinaeas picked up the man, who was barely alive. "Now you know how insignificant your power is. It's unfortunate for you that this knowledge has cost you your life." Sinaeas threw the man into the wall, killing him.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#696969]None of Sinaeas' injuries were serious, but they were no less real, and no less painful. Sinaeas liked to have the appearance of invulnerability, but the truth was that he could be injured or killed. True invulnerability was impossible, but with enough power, it didn't matter. Sinaeas was already rather powerful, but he wanted more. He knew of no way to do it, but if he ever found the means to increase his power, he would not hesitate to make use of it.[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]I hope that's good. If I need to tone Sinaeas down a bit, Lionheart, then tell me, but if you don't say anything, I'll assume he's fine as is (and I'd like to mention that I currently have no intention of having him find a way to increase his power)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue]The facility on Mars had been evecuated and destroyed. Kiva had proceeded outward at maximum speed, leaving the sector well before the Imperial fleet arrived. The [I]Catalyst[/I] was currently in transit to sector 14. Kiva's plan for surveying the sector was similar to what she'd done at sector 13. She'd exit hyperspace well outside of sensor range, deploy drones, and retrieve them once they'd passed through the sector.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva leaned back in her chair. Exploiting her relationship with Dalek had been painful. She knew it was the only reason she'd taken Dalek and the two High Councilors alive, but that didn't make her feel any better about doing it. She'd essentially ensured that Dalek would hate her for the rest of his life. She knew it had been necessary, so she'd done it, but she hated that necessity.[/COLOR] [COLOR=#483d8b]Kiva had made up her mind to speak to Dalek at some point after her arrival in sector 11. She knew it would be painful, but she was still going to do it. But she didn't want to think about it until then, so she focused on her work, plotting paths for the drones and calculating optimal placement as she'd done prior to her survey of sector 13. She'd deal with Dalek in sector 11; until then, he didn't matter.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]Kiva still had the two Councilors on board the [I]Catalyst[/I], but she'd gotten rid of Dalek as soon as possible. He was currently on board the [I]Liberator[/I], which had also secured the [I]Hunter[/I]. The [I]Catalyst[/I] was back in orbit around Mars. All data from the facility was being transferred to the [I]Catalyst[/I]. The data transfer was almost complete when the [I]Catalyst [/I]received a transmission from the [I]Liberator[/I], which Kiva accepted.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"Kiva, the situation just turned urgent," Daniel said. "Our Imperial agent's been using a different method to make his or her transmissions, but we know that transmissions have been made. In particular, the Empire was notified of our destination. An Imperial fleet will be here in about an hour, and against the numbers we've confirmed, we can't hold the sector. We're pulling out as fast as possible, but it's likely we'll have to fight our way out. I want you and those Council members out of here before that happens. How's the data transfer coming?"[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"It's just about finished," Kiva said.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"Good. Get the facility evacuated, then as soon as the transfer is complete, destroy it."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"Understood."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"We'll make for sector 11, but I don't want you to head directly there. I want you to enter sector 14. I need an update on the situation there. Get in, get as much information as you can without being detected, then get out."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"I can do that," Kiva said. "In the meantime, you might want to do something about this Imperial agent."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"We're trying," Daniel said, "but we're not having much success. Whoever this is is good."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"Place a tight lockdown on all transmissions sent from the [I]Liberator[/I]. And I mean tight. Have security constantly at alert, with electronic monitering systems active at all times. The electronic systems themselves should be locked, allowing no access without a code known only to you and those you're absolutely certain are on our side. It'd be nice if our agent tries to make a transmission and is caught, but the true objective of this is to force him or her to lie low. Upon your arrival in sector 11, fake a general systems failure and go to emergency power only. The security systems won't be completely inactive, but there'd be plenty of opportunity to make an unauthorized transmission. SoO keep passive monitoring systems online. Our agent seems to prefer more frequent transmissions than I did, and the lockdown will have cut him off. Presented with an opportunity, he or she will likely take it. The monitoring systems probably won't get enough to confirm the agent's identity, but it should be enough to work with. It may just be the information we need to find out who the hell the agent is."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"Do you think it'll work?" Daniel said.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"I think it's better than nothing, but if you don't think it's a good idea, or you don't think you could do it well, then you don't have to do it. Use your own judgement. Either way, I'd suggest assigning me to locate the agent when I return from sector 11."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"I'll think about that."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]"And, Daniel? Make sure Dalek's treated well, would you?"[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]Daniel nodded. "I will. Daniel out."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=darkslateblue][FONT=Tahoma]The transmission ended. Kiva checked the status of the data transfer and saw that it was finished. She then contacted the facility and issued the evacuation order. When the place was clear, she'd destroy it, then move on to sector 14.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='James'][FONT=franklin gothic medium]When Shy and I talked about this idea ages ago (I forget how many conversations we've had over the years), I didn't really imagine it playing out like this.[/FONT] [FONT=franklin gothic medium]I imagined it being more literally set in Pallet Town and being well within that universe (rather than a "real city"). However, I imagined Pallet Town being much more gritty and realistic than anything you'd see in a game.[/FONT] [FONT=franklin gothic medium]I suppose I think of it as being a bit like the Otaku City that's been referenced in a few OB-related RPGs recently. Still being quite surreal and far-out, but grounded in something we know.[/FONT] [FONT=franklin gothic medium]I imagined that people would still train Pokemon and keep them and they'd still try to catch wild Pokemon. But the wild Pokemon would sometimes attack and kill the less cautious hunters.[/FONT] [FONT=franklin gothic medium]In addition I imagined that Pokemon battles would be legitimate, but you'd also have underground battles (like dog fights) that were illegal. And this could relate to a broader underworld conspiracy.[/FONT] [FONT=franklin gothic medium]So yeah. I think I'm still sort of imagining the earlier discussions about this concept. I'm not really very interested in a Law & Order style setup.[/FONT][/quote] I [I]definitely[/I] prefer this idea.

This could be fun, but I do have a question. Would we be required to do both the investigation and courtroom portions? Because I think I might enjoy the investigation portions, but I'm not so sure about the courtroom portions. I'd suggest having things divided up, so that some characters are the investigators and others are the lawyers and all that stuff. They'd have their own seperate roles, although they would certainly interact (the lawyers do need the evidence, after all), and I imagine investigators might be called upon to testify. Anyways, how are you planning to handle that?

Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I haven't gotten an objective yet, and I'd like to have something for Kiva to do. I'm not trying to rush you or anything, though, so don't feel like you have to send out objectives right now or anything.