SunfallE

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Well isn't Legalizing Cannabis WorldWide really just a push to make marijuana legal? Because even though I've never even heard of Cannabis WorldWide it isn't that hard to find information as to how marijuana isn't a good thing to make legal. Lets see what Mike has to say before we decide. Since we are against I'm sure I could go from the stance of not legalizing it due documentation showing how detrimental marijuana is to one's health. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]William shut down the transmission with Daniel and then started going though the information he had sent him. If he was going to do what Daniel suggested it had better match what he had gotten. It didn?t take him long to select a few targets that were within immediate reach, but when he got to the information obtained from the Conqueror he changed his mind. He read through it again and then pulled up another report from a different agent to check something, if the timing was right he could do far more than a simple run. A moment later he smiled. Oh this was going to be good. What he wouldn?t give to see Fleet Admiral Stevens expression when he found out. William pulled up yet another screen to start writing up the orders. [CENTER]---------------------[/CENTER] When Jason joined Celestia in the Command Center she was already hard at work. But instead of working on improving the program for getting information though the updates she had a picture of something he had never seen before up on her screen: [CENTER][IMG]http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9268/crystaldp5.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=1]Copyright [URL=http://bakenius.deviantart.com/][COLOR=RoyalBlue][U][B]Bakenius@DeviantArt[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] [/SIZE][/CENTER] ?[B]What are you looking at?[/B]? He asked as he took his seat next to her. ?[B]This is one of the planets where the crystals are grown,[/B] ? Celestia said. ?[B]William asked me if it was possible grow them in small numbers if he could get his hands on the latest stealth shield technology.[/B]? ?[B]Why would he need a stealth shield?[/B]? ?[B]It has to do with the nature of the crystals, I?m sure you remember that they don?t completely exist in just our universe right??[/B] She continued when Jason nodded indicating that he did remember. ?[B]It?s actually fairly easy to grow them so long as you provide the proper mixture for the shards, but the problem is that since they gain their energy from existing in several dimensions at the same time the distortions are easy to pick up with even the most basic scanner. And too many together with out some form of a shield causes problems.[/B]? ?[B]Which is why transport ships have to separate them with containment fields right?[/B]? ?[B]Exactly, you get too many together and they start to break apart on their own until only so many are left, keep them separated into groups and they do just fine. Usually they are allowed to grow freely since the weakest crystals break apart and only the stronger ones remain. Which is why perfect ones are so expensive, it?s hard to grow them since it takes time to allow them to keep going though the refining process of others growing near them and breaking apart. Since the longer they are exposed to the stress of other crystals the more the imperfect ones are filtered out. It?s not done a lot because it?s expensive to allow so many crystals to go to waste when perfect ones are only needed for a small fraction of Versilan technology. They only matter for things like food replication or permanent translators since imperfections can make the food useless and in the case of the translator, since it?s right next to your brain it can cause damage.[/B]? Jason shook his head in confusion, ?[B]I don?t understand, everything we have on the base uses the crystals, why would we need the shielding to grow them? Wouldn?t the shields of the base do the trick?[/B]? Celestia turned to face him. ?[B]No they wouldn?t. The reason the shields work is because all of the crystals have some form of low level shielding already keeping the distortion down to a minimum. But in order for them to grow properly you have to allow a good number of them to be together, it changes the nature of the distortion, making it more pronounced and even the shielding of the base might not be enough. And since William and Daniel are convinced that the Catalyst is still in this sector, it?s not worth the risk since they have the best scanners and stealth system. It?s possible they would be able to detect it and by doing so find the base.[/B]? Jason thought about what she had said, ?[B]Okay, that makes sense, so why is he asking if you can even grow them?[/B]? Celestia turned back to her screen and pulled up another report, one of the conditions required for them to grow. ?[B]The problem is that I need to synthesize the mixture since most of the ingredient are not natural to Earth.[/B]? ?[B]Ah,[/B]? Jason said with a smile, ?[B]I see, but Celestia, won?t it be difficult to copy something like that? I don?t know about you, but that sort of thing is hardly our expertise.[/B]? ?[B]I know, which is why William also sent me more specific information that will tell the scanner what to look for, right now I?m writing up the program to look for what he has specified.[/B]? She replied. ?[B]Once we find the necessary matches the doctor will know how to refine it to help create the growth mixture.[/B]? ?[B]In that case I?ll help you with the program.?[/B] Jason said as he turned his terminal on so Celestia could send him the information she had so far.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='BKstyles][FONT=Tahoma']I have to say in my objective opinion as well, Aarayana is doing quite well for herself so far. [/FONT][/quote]Having just read her closing statement I agree. o_O That would have been interesting to be put in the position of arguing against abortion since I'm more pro-choice than pro-life. And though it is interesting to watch I kind of wish Sandy would have two debates going at the same time since this is taking a while. Anyway, I'm not going to say anything about topics I would have trouble with, no need to give Sandy ideas right? ^_~ And even if he gave us abortion again, I could still argue it and having read what the others have already said would just make it easier to present a different angle on the argument. ~Is rambling here~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue]?[B]Still to think that she would come up with the idea to combine disruptor technology with a basic gun to increase the destructive power, I?m just surprised by it. It may only be good for a few shots, but giving resistance members the ability to actually rip through the standard body armor worn by the troops has really helped.[/B']?[/COLOR][/quote]I thought I should clarify this. The weapon I am referring to only effects the lightweight body armor. Standard issue for most troops. Stuff worn by a more heavy assault team like the one that took out the base in Australia with Takuya's character or the more advanced stuff Kiva was wearing would not have been affected by it. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Secured within the room just off the Command Center Daniel sent out a transmission to William. Then he waited patiently for him to reply. ?[B]What is it Daniel? What was so important that you couldn?t wait?[/B]? ?[B]Jason and Celestia have figured out how to hack into the fleets system using the updates. It?s the perfect opportunity to take advantage of some of the information you have since they know we hacked the system.[/B]? William merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing. ?[B]Don?t you get it William? The Empire will think you got the information from us, instead of from some of our more secret agents. Jason and Celestia actually hacked the computer banks of the Conqueror![/B]? ?[B]I see, then I?ll look into it to see if I can set a few things in motion.[/B]? William finally replied. ?[B]If you?re going to act you had better do it quickly, the Catalyst is no longer in orbit around Earth and with the amount of trouble we are giving them I doubt they have left the system. I?m concerned that they have them looking for the relays we set up, if they take those out, it will severely limit our ability to communicate with you.[/B]? ?[B]That would make sense, the specs I gave you for setting up the relays are designed to hide from everything I know about. But the Catalyst is another story. If anyone can find the relays, it will be them.[/B]? William shook his head looking down for a moment and then back at Daniels image on the screen. ?[B]All right, unless I run into any snags I?ll initiate a run. It won?t be as much as I would like but it will create quite a stir.[/B]? Daniel nodded. ?[B]Good, I?ll keep sending you any new information we manage to get from hacking the system.[/B]? He ended the transmission. [CENTER]--------------[/CENTER] Curled up in a blanket on the sofa in his pajamas, Jason was holding his handheld computer and working on a report while Celestia finished changing into her night attire. Lately it seemed like there was nothing good to read. The base in Australia had been destroyed, they had received confirmation that the safe houses had been destroyed and that most of the members in them had been taken. And shortly after they were destroyed the Catalyst had disappeared. Something that had Daniel worried. Jason had tried hacking further into the system via the updates but he couldn?t get far enough to get any information on the Elite Specialist. He and Celestia had worked on it for days, they had managed to get pretty far, but every time they got near the systems of the Catalyst they had been met with security they couldn?t bypass. Daniel had told them that Specialists had the best equipment in the Empire but he was convinced that given time he and Celestia could hack into it. Though the last time he had tried he hadn?t even been able to find the ship. And equally as frustrating was his inability to find anything on Kim, though he suspected that was due to the information on her being kept in a handheld computer instead of in the main computer banks of the Conqueror. With a sigh he shut down his handheld computer and set it down. ?[B]What were you looking at Jason?[/B]? He looked up as Celestia came over and sat down next to him. ?[B]I was reviewing the information we got the last time we hacked the system.[/B]? He shook his head, ?[B]Every time I think we?re in I get blocked. And the last time I couldn?t even find the Catalyst.[/B]? ?[B]Maybe they?ve been called elsewhere?[/B]? ?[B]Daniel doesn?t think so and with all the trouble we?ve been giving them I agree. It just wouldn?t make sense for them to leave if they?ve got better equipment than anything else in the fleet.[/B]? Celestia chuckled. ?[B]Speaking of trouble, I certainly never expected your sister to be so innovative at causing mischief.[/B]? Jason smiled. ?[B]She?s always been like that, if one thing doesn?t work she just finds another.[/B]? ?[B]Still to think that she would come up with the idea to combine disruptor technology with a basic gun to increase the destructive power, I?m just surprised by it. It may only be good for a few shots, but giving resistance members the ability to actually rip through the standard body armor worn by the troops has really helped.[/B]? ?[B]I know, and given time she?ll come up with other ideas as well.[/B]? Jason said. ?[B]I?m sure of it.[/B]? ?[B]I know.[/B]? Celestia replied as she ran her right hand up along his chest and moved to kiss him a kiss that didn?t stay innocent for very long.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Well I must say I didn't expect people to instantly want to kill off Stevens. :therock: It may look hopeless for the resistance Mariskah, but I can't say too much or it would make the upcoming twists less fun. And believe me, the Empire will be in for a rough ride as well. It will be all more ironic since they think they have the upper hand so when I pull the rug out from under their feet so to speak it will make things more interesting for everyone. ^_~ You can chalk it up to everyone doing such a good job with their characters. I know I for one was not expecting that bit with the families Crystia. Mariskah is right, even if I created the character, you did a great job of making him ruthless. I don't plan on adding very many characters like Stevens, but having a character that is partially controlled by more than one person is something I thought would be fun and from how you wrote your latest post I got the impression that you enjoyed pulling the strings Crystia. :p [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Ironically my first real experience with surgery was to have my appendix removed. However, I was misdiagnosed for a very different reason. I forget what the name of the parasite was, but something had gotten into my system and into my appendix. I would have all the symptoms of appendicitis, but none of the tests showed that anything was wrong. I must have been taken to the hospital several times only to be sent home and I even remember one of the doctors telling my mother that I needed to see a shrink since it wall all in my head as he put it. This went on for several months until my mom, finally took me to a different family doctor who after talking with me became convinced I was not making it up. Since usually teens that did that as he put it, are trying to get out of something that stresses them. And my most recent attack was during a school day that we had no classes and had festival like activities all afternoon. Probably one of the most miserable days in my life since my teachers didn?t believe me either and wouldn?t let me call my mom so I spent hours outside sitting under a tree in tears. After hearing that the new family doctor decided it would be best to take a look as they put it to see if they could find what was wrong. And it turned out that I had some parasite that had gotten into my appendix, and that the attacks of pain I had been experiencing were due to my body attempting to get rid of them. So they took it out and even though recovering from surgery sucked, the attacks of pain were gone. The thing I remember most, besides being in the hospital for a few days was when they were taking me into be worked on. I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia, which resulted in hallucinations. One?s that I actually remember since I thought they were simply bad dreams. Apparently I tried to get off the table before I was completely under and leave. But I thought I was dreaming and in my dream I was thinking that it was bad enough that I had to have surgery in real life but there was no way in hell I was going to let them work on me in a dream. It didn?t make much sense at the time, but I remember how surprised I was when I found out later that it wasn?t a dream. I?ve since had surgery on both of my knees to fix cartilage damage caused by arthritis. I had tears that would catch when I would bend my knees and cause my knee to literally lock in place. Painful and dangerous since having that happen when you are going down a flight of stairs isn?t the best time. Before I had that fixed I?m surprised I didn?t break my neck seeing how many times I fell down a flight of stairs. But since my first surgery, medical technology has improved vastly and both of those were same day surgery and all I have is tiny little incisions on both knees. And even more important with improvements in anesthesia no wacky hallucinations for either one. I was also glad that recovery for that is so wonderful as well as without it I would not have been able to work as a truck driver. And I certainly do not miss falling down stairs.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Jason turned to Celestia and nodded to her when Daniel came out of the side conference room. Both of them got up and before Daniel realized what they were up to they guided him back into the room and shut the door. ?[B]What is it?[/B]? Daniel asked them. Jason took out a data chip and handed it to Daniel. ?[B]I hacked into the military?s network. Kim is alive, she?s being held on the Conqueror.[/B]? ?[B]You what?[/B]? Daniel started to reply angrily. Celestia stepped forward, ?[B]Don?t start father. We?ve been working on the program to extract information and yet leave no trace that we were even in the network. Jason and I agreed to help the resistance, we never once agreed to follow orders blindly.[/B]? She walked over to the screen and pulled up the latest broadcast on Earth, showing the conditions and reward being offered for any information on her, Jason and Sara. She waited a moment for Daniel to read it before continuing. ?[B]I understand that you are trying to protect us, but we can?t afford to keep playing it safe. They know that we are here father.[/B]? Daniel shut down the terminal. ?[B]Not necessarily. They could be putting that out in the hopes of getting information. The only one who has actually been seen is Sara. They don?t have physical confirmation that either one of you are here. It?s a fairly common tactic to pretend you have information even when you don?t.[/B]? ?[B]But we are here,[/B]? Jason replied. ?[B]That doesn?t matter, what does is that the two of you don?t do things that would attract attention. If I needed you two to hack into the Empire?s systems I would have already asked you.[/B]? Daniel took the data chip and tossed it back to Jason. ?[B]Knowing about Kim changes nothing. There is nothing we can do.[/B]? ?[B]Damnit Daniel![/B]? Jason said angrily as he grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards him until they were face to face. ?[B]What?s the point in even trying? We?ve been at this for what seems like forever and in less than a month it?s all going to hell![/B]? Daniel pulled free of Jason and gently shoved him back. ?[B]You don?t understand Jason, I can?t tell you, but I can promise you that things are being done. It may look hopeless but it?s far from that.[/B]? ?[B]How father? Why do you think Jason and I decided to hack their systems? We can?t help you if we don?t know what?s going on! You?ve got to stop treating us like children! We know the risk and we have the right to take it! Besides do you really think they don?t know who?s been making the improvements to the different programs? You?re forgetting that both Jason and I were subjected to a full interrogation long before William rescued us. It?s not that hard to recognize another programmer?s work. Especially when they have access to everything we?ve ever done.[/B]? Jason watched, as Daniel seemed to struggle with what Celestia had just said and then his expression changed and Daniel spoke. ?[B]Fine, I understand what you are saying and I?ll even agree to both of you having a more active role so long as you promise me one thing in return.[/B]? Jason looked to Celestia and then back to Daniel, ?[B]And that would be?[/B]? ?[B]You have to check with me first before you do anything. I may not be a programmer, but even I know that the systems are designed to detect when someone accesses them without permission. Also, there are still going to be things that I can?t tell you, I can?t and won?t risk the lives of other agents when you do not need to know what they are up to. Fair enough?[/B]? Both of them nodded. ?[B]Good then lets start with you explaining to me how you managed to hack into their systems.[/B]?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]As the Conqueror dropped out of hyperspace and slipped into orbit around Earth, the figure in the observation room stood up, the green cloak they had been wearing falling to the floor. It may have been melodramatic to be so secretive but lately the resistance had been getting their hands on top-secret information. Not a lot, but enough to tell them that someone on the inside was not who they claimed to be. Commander Daniel and Sub-Commander Kim had both turned out to be traitors, so it stood to reason that there were others as high up in the chain of command if not higher that had not been found. He smiled to himself as he left the observation room to enter the bridge and take his spot as not only the Commander of the Conqueror but as the new Fleet Admiral for the entire Versilan space forces. Stevens was not above flattery and he preened shamelessly as he walked through the bridge, noting the surprised glances from all but the most senior officer on the bridge. It was not so much the blue and silver that only a candidate for the High Council could wear as it was the cut and style to match his rank as the Fleet Admiral that drew their attention. It was common knowledge that he was a candidate and had been for years. But until now they had not known that he now their new Fleet Admiral. By the end of the day the news of his promotion would be all over the Empire as the previous Fleet Admiral had already retired but had maintained the illusion of still being in charge while working though him. It had been a bit of a pain but in the end it had been worth it. The project in sector fourteen was going well, a good number of hotspots in sector twelve had been eliminated and now even on Earth the resistance had been dealt a crushing blow with the loss of their base and the capture of Kimberly. Stevens smiled as he sat down in his seat and caught a flash of his own reflection in one of the monitors, the crisp clean look of his uniform showing off his rugged good looks with his light brown hair and silver colored eyes. He immediately sent orders to the commanders and their ships along with a request to the Elite Specialist to forward any information they had found from the destroyed resistance base. Stevens had his own ideas as to who was on Earth. They had confirmed that Jason?s sister Sara was there and Jared was positive that her reactions indicated that Jason was there as well. Stevens had read the reports regarding those two and he found it hard to believe that Celestia would be elsewhere as the resistance would be too softhearted and keep them together. He was more than willing to bet that all the new improvements they had been reporting from the way the sensor routine was set up, to the encryption programs to even the new movement aspect of the transport doors, were all done by Celestia and Jason working together. The probability of all three of them being there was very high, especially since some of the changes were recent. ?[B]Contact the Creator and inform the Commodore that he is to report to me immediately.[/B]? ?[B]At once sir.[/B]? Stevens pulled up the report on what had happened to Kim and the one from Sandra?s father and the High Council, noting their decision to strip the Commodore of his command. He would have executed the fool but this would work just fine. He made a few notations and then closed it. He looked up to see that the crew had finished contacting the Creator. ?[B]Now, contact the Tempest and inform Commander Crystal that she is to bring Kimberly here at once. Then contact the Crimson and inform both Sandra and Jared that they are to report here immediately as well. Once they have arrived other than Kimberly who is to be placed in a holding cell, the others are to be escorted to the observation room. Once all of them have arrived you are to notify me immediately.[/B]? Again the bridge crew responded, ?[B]At once sir.[/B]? Stevens smiled to himself as he pulled up yet another report. It would be quite amusing to see Sandra?s reaction when she saw him again. And even more interesting when he unveiled the project that had been right here in this sector the entire time so carefully kept secret that he was surprised that he had not been found already. The Elite Specialist certainly had the equipment to detect it, but they would have had no reason to even look there in the first place. And even if they had, they would not have been so foolish as to interfere with it. He had wondered at the High Council?s choice in choosing someone so far beneath the position but after seeing her in action he no longer did. Kiva had certainly turned out to be exceptional at her duties. He continued working through some other reports, humming to himself a bit while he waited for the others to be brought to him.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Mariskah][COLOR=Navy']I was wondering if I could add another character to the story since we're allowed to play two characters. I?ve been working on the bio for the character. I?m almost done with it. So SunfallE let me know if it?s okay. Should I post the characters information in the sign up thread?[/COLOR][/quote]Yup! You can, if I wasn't clear enough at the beginning...at any time someone can add another character. Once you have it written up, put the sign up for them here. Though it doesn't have to be as lengthy as the first sign up you can be more brief when giving the details. Just enough so that others will get some background on them. ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Aaryanna][COLOR=DarkRed'] Has me thinking you're up to something SunfallE. :p I just know it! [/COLOR][/quote]You are correct. I am up to something. And in just a short time the second half of this part of the story will begin with the arrival of the Conqueror. I do have new objectives for everyone and either tonight or tomorrow I will be sending them to everyone when I post about the arrival of the Conqueror. ^_~ I had intended to get them out sooner and for that I'm sorry, I've been distracted by following all the news in regards to the shooting up in Salt Lake City. >_< Having your computer right next to the TV is very distracting when something like that is going on. Anyway...in regards to the story itself, excellent work everyone. :catgirl: [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][QUOTE=BKstyles][font=tahoma][center][b]Matt/BKstyles Beth/SunfallE Mike/The Boss[/b][/center][/font][/QUOTE]Works for me. Even if my grammar and English is far from perfect, [hurray for Word] being able to debate a point even if I don't agree with it is something I'm pretty good at. :catgirl: [quote name='Sandy][FONT=Century Gothic']It's no secret; you and Sakura are right that I'm going to pit each team against each other in this challenge. I thought I mentioned it in the rules, but I guess I forgot...[/FONT][/quote]I would have been very much surprised if we were not required to face each team, especially after you moved someone from each team and made them captain, thus forcing us to play against our former teammates. Though when it comes down to it, I'd rather be stripped of being Captain like this then having my own teammates decide they want someone else. >_< [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='BKstyles][FONT=Tahoma]I know my automatically becoming captain like this may seem sudden and unwanted, especially since to my knowledge Beth has not done anybody wrong as the former captain. So my hope is that if any ill feelings are toward me, that they will dissipate over time and we can continue the winning ways of The Titans. I feel great about having every one of you as my teammates, and am especially looking forward to the next challenge.[/FONT][/QUOTE]Looks like Aaryanna_Mom was right when she speculated that Sandy was going to switch members on the team. LOL! Honestly I was surprised to even be nominated as Captain and it was fun while it lasted. ^_~ However?[spoiler]pulls out her whip[/spoiler] I?ll be keeping an eye on you youngling! [QUOTE=BKstyles][FONT=Tahoma]Let's make it somewhat fast though since I believe Sandy is tapping his foot on this one (but I suppose we can make Sandy wait >.>). [/FONT][/QUOTE]Let him tap his foot I say, such a switch like this takes time to get used to. ^_~[QUOTE=BKstyles][FONT=Tahoma][b]Edit:[/b'] Yes, I will be changing my avatar...i actually have Tiana working on one for me atm (though I think i need to send her another PM >.>). Just thought i'd say something bout that lest i be lynched by the members of my new team :D[/FONT][/quote]Good cause until that avatar comes down I can?t acknowledge you as the new captain. :p [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Another thing to keep in mind if you are going to read more to help your writing style, something I would highly recommend as I?m positive all the books I?ve read over the years has influenced how I write. Anyway, as I was saying, don?t be too quick to immediately jump into some of what are considered the more classic books or more well written. Now before that sounds confusing, if you are reading something like ?to kill a mocking bird? or ?1984? and you find yourself having trouble following it due to the storyline not grabbing your interest. Don?t feel like you have to read it. I?ve run into this myself, authors that their style of writing actually get on my nerves and make it feel more like homework instead of something enjoyable to read. Take J.R.R. Tolkien, I positively hate their books. The writing style drives me up the wall. I enjoyed the movies made from them but to read the books? [shudder] No offense to those of you who do like Tolkien. So even though reading is an excellent way to help you improve your writing, don?t be discouraged if you start a series and don?t like it, simply move to something else, or rather try getting things from different types like mystery, science fiction, fantasy and others until you start finding things you do enjoy reading. A few authors I would recommend are David Eddings and Mercedes Lackey, and for something that is written more simply and yet does an excellent job of telling the story, the Harry Potter series is a good one to read to get an idea how to write clearly for a very wide audience and yet still be engaging to read.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='White][COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]It's because I'm White isn't it?! [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]It's because we love you Stephen. :love:[QUOTE=Keyblade Wielder][COLOR=Navy][SIZE=1][FONT=Tahoma]But anyway, really, I haven't been doing much of late and I want to feel involved in this team more, so... I will go ahead and do it unless someone else really wants to. I mean, it can't be that bad... I mean, Sandy's doing it! XD *gets shot*[/FONT][/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote]I have no objection and if The Boss and Sakura are fine with it then it looks like you will be the [strike]victim[/strike] chosen one. ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]The Conqueror was only two days away from Earth when the figure received an incoming transmission from the Commodore of the Creator. ?[B]What is it you wish Commodore?[/B]? They asked. The Commodore bowed deeply before responding, ?[B]I have good news for you. Not only has the Elite Specialist located and destroyed one of the resistance?s bases on Earth, she captured former Sub-Commander Kimberly Spencer in the process.[/B]? The figure smiled. ?[B]Excellent, I take it you have her then?[/B]? ?[B]A shuttle has been dispatched to pick her up from the Catalyst.[/B]? The Commodore responded. ?[B]Anything else I should know about?[/B]? ?[B]No sir, everything else is on schedule.[/B]? ?[B]Good, I will be arriving in two days. You are to do nothing with Kim until I arrive. I will oversee her interrogation myself.[/B]? The figure replied. The Commodore bowed, ?[B]Understood sir.[/B]? The figure ended the transmission, pleased with the report. The capture of Kim was an unexpected bonus, one that they would be sure to take full advantage of. The resistance was well known for compartmentalizing their command structure to keep from exposing things to easily. But that didn?t mean she wouldn?t be useful. Like pieces to a puzzle what they extracted from her could be matched up to what they had gotten from others to form a picture of what was going on. And in the end, they knew that there would be valuable information they could get from Kim to make riding Earth of the resistance?s presence much easier. [CENTER]-------------[/CENTER] Once again Sara was gone into the city of Denver, and once again Jason found that he was worried as to how she was doing. Though it helped that she had already had several successful runs for gathering information. Now that the fleet was here they were relying on other means besides the sensors to obtain the information they needed. Jason stifled a yawn as he closed the program he was working on to go and get a bite to eat. Even though the day was still young, he had been restless last night and had tossed and turned instead of sleeping. At this rate he was going to have to call it a day as he just couldn?t concentrate. He and Celestia had already refined the encryption routine for transmissions. There was still more they could do, but for now it should be harder for others to hack into them. Jason did not even make it out of the Command Center when a priority distress transmission came it. Jason stopped to hear what it was when Daniel brought it up on the main viewer. Surprisingly it was from one of the field agents in Australia and not from the actual base itself. ?[B]Commander![/B]? The agent shouted, obviously upset and in a near state of panic. ?[B]They found the base![/B]? ?[B]What?[/B]? Daniel said incredulously. ?[B]I don?t know how it happened sir! The intruder alarm went off and then it changed to the priority emergency evacuation alarm. I barely made it to one of the emergency transport doors before the Empire?s assault team got to it.[/B]? ?[B]Bloody hell![/B]? Daniel growled. ?[B]What about Sub-Commander Kim?[/B]? ?[B]I don?t know if she made it or not sir.[/B]? He said with a pained expression. ?[B]So far only eighty percent of the personal are accounted for and the emergency transport doors just shut down.[/B]? Jason was already back at his terminal and he swiftly pulled up the scanner data for that area and patched it through to Daniel while he attempted to contact the base, if the base was in trouble, why wasn?t the emergency disaster alarm working? But even as he wondered he knew the answer. The empire would have jammed the transmissions in the area to prevent them from realizing what was happening until it was too late. Jason winced as Daniel slammed his fists on the console, cursing with frustration when he could not raise the base. A moment later that suspicion was confirmed as Jason watched the data feed for the base end. There was only one reason the data feed would have ended. It meant that Kim had destroyed the main computers at the base. Which also meant she had not escaped as doing so would have been a final desperate measure to keep the empire from getting the information in the computers. Jason was stunned, how could this have happened? The agent turned away for a moment and then turned back. ?[B]I?m sorry sir, Kim is not among the people that got out.[/B]? Daniel took a deep breath before speaking. ?[B]Forget about Kim, get everyone to the safe houses before the Empire realizes where you transported to. Report back to me once that?s taken care of.[/B]? ?[B]At once sir.[/B]? The agent closed the transmission. Jason started to speak but halted when Daniel put his elbows on the terminal and placed his head in his hands, pulling at his hair in frustration. For a long time no one spoke and then their worst fears were confirmed as they lost the data feed from the scanners in Australia at the same time the other ones registered a large explosion under the city of Canberra Australia. Jason had not known the precise location of the base, but there was no mistaking what had caused the explosion. They had destroyed the base. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Well it looks like any one of us can be the [strike]victim[/strike] volunteer. I haven't a clue as to what Sandy has in mind. I have all sorts of wild ideas running through my head as to what it might be. So I guess the real question is what do you guys think? However you all decide, even if you think I should be the one. I'll stand by the majority when it comes to deciding who it will be. ^_^ [strike]though we could always offer White as the sacrificial lamb[/strike] :shifty:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Just a quick note on the very last one. I wrote the name for Yuki up as Yuki/Human since she has both a human form in this series as well as a demon one. ^_~ So I didn't want it to be confusing when I make more of these later and she looks totally different. [B]New Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [IMG]http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/3163/bishu01lc7.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Bishu [IMG]http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1844/bishu02rg7.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name: [/B]Bishu [IMG]http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8889/bishu03mo3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name: [/B]Bishu [IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5280/bishu04av4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Bishu [IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/8739/kazukiokino01kr4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Kazuki Okino [IMG]http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1289/kazukiokino02vv0.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Kazuki Okino [IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5237/makotoimaizumi01jo8.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Makoto Imaizumi [IMG]http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/6236/makotoimaizumi02rm2.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Makoto Imaizumi [IMG]http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/4660/masayukikaga01cw3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Masayuki Kaga [IMG]http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/3185/masayukikaga02ui4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Masayuki Kaga [IMG]http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/5033/yukihumanform01wz4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Category:[/B] Pieces Of A Spiral [B]Name:[/B] Yuki/Human[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]A question if I may, does that include the Team Captain as well? Or does the volunteer have to be someone else? Because in light of this: [quote name='Sandy']As for the next challenge, the fourth, it'll begin soon, and boy are you in for a twist.[/quote]I am understandably nervous as to what you are up to. ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][QUOTE=Sakura][color=navy] I'm kinda afraid of what it entails. Why am I always on when a challenge/notice is posted? *shrug*[/color][/QUOTE]Same here. >_< I just know Sandy's up to something. I'm going to ask him about that as I'm assuming the Team Captain cannot be the volunteer. As for why you are on? Because usually Sandy posts them during the middle of the night when I'm asleep or at the ungodly hour of 7:30am, a time when I usually am not awake at. Well other than today that is. ^_~ [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]First of all congratulations to everyone. ^_^ And once again the presentation is simply georgous! And secondly.. :animeblus [QUOTE=Shy][center][img]http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w190/niftyfifty_2007/sunfallenifty.jpg[/img] [b]SunfallIE[/b] "From helping me with all my questions when I first joined, to her polite and friendly manner on the boards, to teaching me how to use one of the most wonderful functions on the forum. Namely the ignore feature. She is definitely one nifty lady."[/center] [right][i]- Rachmaninoff[/i][/right] [/QUOTE]Thank you so much for choosing me as well. I positively adore how you played with my title there as to what I actually moderate. :catgirl: [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][QUOTE=Rachmaninoff]And most importantly the whole reason for this thread, who else has had something happen like this, close to where they live? And what do you think about the trend of this type of walk in random shooting type of violence? Me I don?t know what to think as it just disgusts me as I can?t even fathom a reason as to why someone would kill others especially when they probably didn?t know a single one of the people they shot.[/QUOTE]Right now this incident is the closest one to where I live since like you said, its been all over the news since it started. >_< And like you I?ve been there many times, though it?s been a while since the last time I went up to Trolley Square. There was one a bit closer in one of the schools, but somehow the students were caught before anyone was actually shot fatally and only a few people were hurt instead of being killed. Honestly I wonder if it?s a growing trend, or if things like this are just getting more news coverage than they use to, though I agree with Kei, obviously we need better programs to at least try and help people who are struggling with mental issues. Though how you would go about that I haven?t a clue. I?ve had some pretty rotten things happen to me in my life time but I?ve never once thought to pick up a gun and shoot someone else, so I don?t understand why people actually do such a thing. But even more important, I'm glad none of my friends who live in Salt Lake City were involved in that horrible mess. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]In a way, I can see how people were getting the wrong impression over this topic, but then I?ve lost several close family members in my life and I have had those rude people who just have to tell you they could care less and that you need to quit being a baby and move on. But it?s not that simple, especially when it?s someone you really cared about. In time that pain does get better but at first it?s so horribly painful that for a while you think about them all the time. However, that doesn?t mean I don?t understand what you are saying here DaSilva and I do agree. It?s hard to feel loss over someone you don?t know and honestly I think it?s rather silly to expect others to feel that way over someone they don?t know. I do think that part of the problem here is semantics, saying you couldn?t care less or why should I care sounds heartless even if that?s not your intent. So I think the manner in which you were saying you don?t feel upset when someone you don?t know dies came across as abrasive and insensitive. I don?t know if you used those exact words or not, but if you did perhaps explaining to your friends that you do care when they are upset would help. And the next time the discussion is brought up, simply try to be a little more tactful in how you address the question, instead of harsh statements that sound abrasive simply explain I don?t feel any sense of loss when the person who died is someone I don?t know. It conveys the same meaning and doesn?t sound as harsh. I?m sure you care when you lose someone so another way to put it would be: it?s a pity I didn?t know them well enough to really miss them. Even if you had no intention of getting to know the person since both statements clearly explain you are not affected but sound much nicer and more diplomatic than the statements: I could care less or Why should I care? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Still wrapped in the green cloak they were so fond of, the figure was still in the observation room of the Conqueror. Only now the view was not one of orbiting the dead world where so much construction had been taking place. It was instead, one of the stars seeming to blur as the ship traveled through hyperspace towards Earth. In only a few days they too would arrive. Phase Three had been started and the preparations had already been made. No one knew what was going on in Sector Thirteen, not even the Elite Specialist had been informed. But soon that would change. Not only were humans being transported to the sectors to take care of the labor shortage, but also the new changes for Sector Thirteen would help ensure that other potential problems were taken care of. It would take quite a bit of resources to set up, but the pay off would be well worth it. The figure turned from their view through the observation windows and walked over to the desk to begin reviewing the reports they had been sent. Not too terribly exciting, though the one from Commander Crystal was amusing to read. They had known that she would be perfect in the role of a Commander and that giving her the authority to override the Commodore would not be wasted. But more importantly that she would not be intimidated by him and would actually use it. After all Crystal had absolutely no trouble what so ever telling the High Council that they were idiots. They couldn?t help but chuckle a bit at how she had yanked the rug out from under the Commodore?s feet and took action immediately. If only because it was so gratifying to see that their assessment of Crystal?s abilities had been correct. It was almost a pity that she wasn?t a regular military officer. They closed the reports once they were done and turned back to watch the blur of the stars from the comfort of their desk chair. Things were going to get interesting once they arrived at Earth. The question now would be who would be the most surprised by what was in store. The people of Earth or of the Versilan Empire? They chuckled at the thought and got up to walk over until they were right next to the window, where the view included part of the ship as well. In just a few more days the real fun would begin.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue] [quote name='Sandy][FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=Blue]The vendetta I mentioned was pretty weird, though, since you couldn?t say that Ms. Beth and the kids were super[i]heroes[/i] ? they did nothing heroic during the movie, except maybe getting rid of a criminal mastermind. Sandy as the villain was oddly evil and lacked a motive, but perhaps he just wanted to wipe out the Titans until they would become too much of a threat. You should?ve described the infiltration of Sandy?s building instead of cutting to the climax all of a sudden, and the ending should?ve had a proper moral, instead of just ?evil gets its ass kicked?[/COLOR'] [/FONT][/quote]Sadly most of us had other things that kept us from truly getting this written out, and most of the flaws you mention come from presenting parts of the story that were still in a guideline format instead of a more finished product. I was literally working with White to last night right before the deadline to get that in so we wouldn?t lose by default. I?m pleased that we actually won since I was worried that our lack of being able to finish things would do us in when we had a pretty good idea to begin with. But yeah, originally there was suppose to be more behind it. So it would have a proper moral instead of the ?evil gets its ass kicked? type of deal that we ended up with. ^_~[/COLOR]