Aaryanna_Mom

Daniel did his best to not sigh over the constant presence of security no matter where he went. Though he knew about it and even understood why it was necessary, he still hated it. In many ways he wished that his father had never been so foolish as to join the Resistance in the first place. It was easy to see why he did, but sometimes he wished that all that had happened since his father was discovered had not. And at the same time, he wondered how many other families would have had their lives destroyed if nothing had happened. It was a paradox that would remain unanswered, since he knew that if it had not been him, it would have been someone else. And seeing what had been done to Earth when it had been invaded, how Fleet Admiral Stevens had arranged for over half of the population to be shipped to the different sectors regardless of family ties, Daniel wouldn't change things even if he could. Too many lives depended on them winning, on setting things right as much as one could. It was a daunting thought though, the sheer amount of work that would be required to reunite families would take decades if not longer. And that didn't include all the other things that would need to be done. The whole structure of the Versilan Empire would have to be totally redone. The representatives from the sectors who had broken off would have their work cut out for them when the time came. Daniel pulled his thoughts back to the present, he hadn't meant to tune out both Kade Tyrell and Greydon Kreid as they headed for the bridge. Usually he had something to say, even it was nothing more than a simple inquiry as to how they were doing. But as they entered the bridge and the two took up their standard position of being close enough should trouble arise and yet far enough away that he could freely discuss plans with his Sub-Commander without being overheard. He merely offered both of them a brief nod before heading over and taking his seat, turning to talk to his Sub-Commander, Chris Spencer. "[B]Have you finished with the team assignments?[/B]" Daniel asked once he had taken his seat. "[B]Yes sir, I'll forward those to you right now.[/B]" Spencer replied. Daniel pulled up the information at the terminal built into his chair, taking a moment to briefly overview it. "[B]Good, once we've made the brief stop in sector Eleven to pick other ships that will be coming with us, we'll make the jump to hyperspace immediately.[/B]" "[B]So soon sir? What about the border defenses in sector Fourteen. Won't those be a problem?[/B]" Daniel just smiled, "[B]Leave that to me, I have something that will take care of that long enough for us to slip in. By the time they realize what's going on, it will be too late. Now, more importantly, what's your progress on tracking down the unauthorized transmissions we detected? As well as finding out what happened to the weapons that went missing?[/B]" "[B]I'm afraid I have little to tell you sir,[/B]" Spencer said apologetically. "[B]The only thing we've been able to determine is that the unauthorized transmissions came from someone's hand held computer. However, whoever did it was clever enough to modify the identification numbers of the transmission so they don't match up with the computer in question.[/B]" "[B]I see, so in other words, it doesn't match any of the known or registered computers for the network.[/B]" [I]That's going to be a problem[/I]. Daniel thought. By doing that, the person responsible was making it next to impossible for them to track them without literally catching them in the act. "[B]I'm afraid so sir, we'd have to catch them in the act.[/B]" Spencer said, unconsciously echoing Daniel's thoughts. "[B]Also, they've changed their tactics. We haven't seen any transmissions for several days so either they quit sending them, or they've found a way to do so that doesn't flag the system as being an unauthorized transmission.[/B]" "[B]Well keep looking for whoever it is just the same, they're bound to make a mistake.[/B]" "[B]Of course sir. Just as we'll keep looking for whoever is stealing the weapons. So far everyone we've suspected has come up clean, so we're going through the next bunch who are in a position to access the weapons.[/B]" Daniel just nodded. "[B]Very well, carry on then.[/B]" He turned back to his terminal and pulled the information for the planned attack in sector Fourteen back up. Taking the time to carefully go through the teams and the overall plan. It wouldn't take them long to get there once they left sector Eleven. It would be the first time he had lead a fleet in battle and Daniel wanted to make sure everything was ready.

Goodness, inside jokes are immature? Nonsense. As people become familiar with one another here, it's next to impossible to avoid such things. It certainly isn't meant to exclude members or make them feel left out. If anything its a sign of how well people get to know each other on the boards here. An indication of just how friendly members really are. It takes effort to put your opinions out there, to become a part of the discussions going on. So it seems rather silly to pick apart those who have taken the time to get to know each other well enough to joke around. As Aceburner, said.. Post! Everyone feels a little awkward at first. But once you get involved, it's lots of fun. Much more than finding reasons as to why it's not. Honestly, like I tell my own kids. On some level, you can't expect others to entertain you. You have to be willing to put in effort too! :catgirl:

If there was one thing he was certain of, once he won this game of Paraxis?s, never again would mortal souls be inflicted by having power they were not meant to wield given to them. Just seeing what had happened since one of the souls had been bestowed two cards was proof enough. Raone just shook his head sadly at the madness and carnage that had begun, at the sheer cruelty that had occurred as a result of the powers that had been given. [CENTER][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Ragnarok/ragnarok-soul-ian.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Ragnarok/ragnarok-soul-patrick.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Ragnarok/ragnarok-soul-nagi.png[/IMG] [img]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Ragnarok/ragnarok-soul-charlotte.jpg[/img][/CENTER] Once they had eaten some breakfast, and carefully washed and cleaned up everything once they were done, Ian, Patrick and Kirima left to explore the city. Ian had carefully armed himself with the best knifes he could find and then holding Kirima?s hand they wandered through the streets. There wasn?t much to be found, the market was still full of food, that seemed every bit as fresh as it had the day before and Patrick though a bit reserved at first, told them more about himself and his family. About his poor mother who was ill and how they struggled to make ends meet. Kirima thanks to the herbs that Patrick had used , could, though quietly, speak. She was following in her mother?s footsteps, training to be a shrine maiden in the service of the temple. But then after nearly burning to death had found herself all alone until Cho Hee had found her. As they continued to search, finding no one, when it came time for Ian to speak, he choked on the memory of his dearest son Joshua, killed at his own hands. As he looked at the two children he was with, he could not bear to tell them what had happened. Nor could he let anything happen to them so long as he was able to protect them. The man who had attacked Kirima was still around. It was several hours later when the rumbling began and the ground began to shake. ?[B]Quickly![/B]? Ian called out after several chunks of marble fell from the buildings. ?[B]Get to the center of the street.[/B]? But as they swiftly ran down the steps of the building they had just been in another sight caught their eyes, a wave of water coming down the street. It was not that high, but Ian recognized the danger immediately. For a little child like Kirima it would be more than enough to sweep her away. Desperately he moved to grab her as she had gotten to the center of the street before he did, patiently standing there, not realizing the danger she was in. Ian had taken no more than a few steps when Patrick, who was closer quickly picked her up and then ran towards Ian. He was almost to the safety of the higher up steps when the water hit, knocking him and Kirima over. Ian grabbed Kirima?s clothing and pulled her to safety and then turned back to Patrick who was struggling to get back up after having been washed down the street a bit. With Kirima right behind him they ran along the steps just above the water and then when they got closer Ian waded in just far enough to take Patrick?s hand and pull him to safety as well. The three of them did their best to avoid the falling debris until just as suddenly as it had started, the earthquake ended. Then with a final surge, the water also died. After waiting for several minutes, they finally moved out cautiously and started heading in the direction the water had come from. ?[B]Was that an earthquake?[/B]? Kirima asked, her eyes wide. ?[B]Yes.[/B]? Ian replied. ?[B]I?ve heard about them, from my mother.[/B]? Kirima said as they walked up the street, checking out the damage that had been done. She spotted a flash of brown under one of the columns that had fallen over. ?[B]What?s that?[/B]? She asked, pointing to it. With a start Ian realized that it was a woman who had been crushed by the falling column, swiftly he picked Kirima up, carefully shielding her view of the poor woman. A child should never see such violence. Ian struggled with what to tell the poor girl, from the color of the skin of the woman trapped, it was likely that she was not Kirima?s mother. ?[B]It?s someone who went to heaven,[/B]? Patrick explained being familiar with death. ?[B]Back where I am from, there are those who will come and take her body and lay it to rest.[/B]? ?[B]Oh![/B]? Kirima said, her eyes going wide. ?[B]Like they did with my daddy then.[/B]? Ian smiled kindly and put Kirima back down as they approached what seemed to be a massive hole in the street as well as another exotically dressed woman who was sitting in front of the building there, sobbing as if her heart was breaking. ?[B]Please wait here with Patrick, alright?[/B]? Ian waited until Kirima nodded and then cautiously he went up to the woman who was crying. But now she must have seen them, but even though she seemed like she was nothing more than an expecting mother wearing clothing fit for a noble, Ian no longer trusted this place. He couldn?t afford to trust, not with the lives of the two children at stake. A thought occurred to him and he seized upon it. Reaching for the light he had felt earlier, swiftly it responded, inquiring within his soul as to what he wished to know. Ian answered it, he needed to know if the unknown woman was dangerous. An image, one from his childhood flashed before his eyes and he knew that the light was demanding it in return. Without reservation, he accepted. As the memory faded, another one took it?s place, one of a little girl, forced into being a noble, taken for granted, left to a life of loneliness. Proud, haughty, and even cruel, and yet underneath it at her very core, a depth of kindness that she kept carefully hidden away. His question answered, Ian approached her, offering his hand. ?[B]Are you alright miss?[/B]? Startled Charlotte looked up. ?[B]No! I?m not! First poor Kenneth was murdered and then Ira ran away and was crushed by the pillar and now?[/B]? She cried even harder. ?[B]I don?t know what to do anymore. I just want to go back home![/B]? Patiently Ian got down on his knees, reaching out to take her hands. ?[B]That?s what we want as well.[/B]? He indicated Patrick and Kirima who were waiting. ?[B]Oh! You poor thing![/B]? Charlotte said to Kirima. ?[B]Where?s your mother.[/B]? She moved to get up, accepting Ian?s help. ?[B]I don?t know.[/B]? Kirima said shyly. ?[B]We?re trying to find out.[/B]? Charlotte looked at all of them and made up her mind. ?[B]I?m Charlotte, and if you don?t mind, I?d like to come with you.[/B]?

I'll admit, I don't really care for the idea that the points cancel each other out. If only because it forces a player to only be negative or only be positive in a post and thus in a small way limits the manner in which we can write. However, At the same time I haven't done this long enough to know if it's going to be a problem or not. So I guess I'll wait and see how things go.

It was always the same, Raone thought with disgust as he watched what was unfolding in the Ragnarok. The chaos from their intervention always had the same result, pain and madness among the mortal souls. If he was to win and finally put an end to the suffering it was time to make his move. "[B]So,[/B]" Paraxis observed as Raone pulled forth the power card he had prepared. "[B]You're finally going to bestow your power.[/B]" "[B]Every soul already posses a hint of the truth and light that I can grant.[/B]" Raone explained. "[B]Though they know it not.[/B]" He turned to the pool, watching the one he had chosen to wield his light. [CENTER][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Ragnarok/ragnarok-lightofaxiomcard.png[/IMG][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Ragnarok/ragnarok-soul-ian.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Ragnarok/ragnarok-soul-patrick.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Ragnarok/ragnarok-soul-nagi.png[/IMG][/CENTER] Horrified, Patrick ran to pick up Kirima, cradling her tiny little body carefully. She seemed to be okay, but deep bruises were forming on her neck where the stranger had grasped her. Confused he looked up to Ian who was securing the front door. "[B]Is she going to be alright?[/B]" He asked in a worried voice. Ian motioned for Patrick to bring her over to the lush furniture and set her down, once he did so, he looked at her, checking what little he knew. Which wasn't much really, he didn't know how to care for the sick and injured other than the most simple of stuff. "[B]She looks alright, though that mark on her neck is going to hurt quite a bit when she wakes up.[/B]" "[B]I know what to do for that.[/B]" Patrick exclaimed. Quickly he dashed off into the kitchen area, rummaging through the storage closet where he had seen herbs and spices that they had used when they made dinner the other night after Cho Hee had disappeared.[I] I wonder if she's alright? [/I] Patrick put it out of mind as he found what he was looking for, it wasn't uncommon for the hard work of farming to leave marks like the girl had and his mother had shown him what herbs would ease the pain. He grabbed the one he needed and found a small towel and covered it with the herb before closing it and then he dipped the whole thing in water. Then quickly he ran back out and gently lay the towel on her neck. "[B]What happened?[/B]" Patrick asked when he was done and Ian motioned for him to take a seat on the other padded chairs in the room. "[B]I heard her scream and came as quickly as I could.[/B]" "[B]I'm not sure,[/B]" Ian said. "[B]I had thought that Cho Hee would simply return after a brief walk so I did not secure the door, and once we got ready to sleep, I'm afraid I forgot about it. I was already partially awake when I heard her scream.[/B]" Ian had been horrified to hear it, grabbing the long knife he had found in the kitchen, since he had instinctively taken it with him. When he had seen the stranger choking the poor child, he had acted without thinking. Instantly knocking him aside and then stabbing him with the knife in the arm when the man had struggled to stop him. "[B]I managed to drive him away.[/B]" Ian sighed. "[B]What I don't understand is just what this place is or why we are even here. You've said you're from Ireland, the girl mentions her home as some place called Japan and yet even though it seems we are from such far away distant lands, here we are.[/B]" Both of them turned at the sound of Kirima moaning as she started to stir. "[B]Why don't you see what's available in the kitchen?[/B]" Ian suggested. "[B]I'll go and quickly check the market for fresh food. We may as well have breakfast and then start exploring this place. I know I won't be falling asleep after what happened.[/B]" Patrick nodded, eager to help. He knew how to make the most simple of meals, it was yet another thing he had learned since his mother had fallen ill. In no time, he gathered the necessary wood from the storage area in the kitchen and had a fire prepared for when Ian returned with food. Ian checked the little girl once more, pleased to see that whatever Patrick had put on her seemed to be helping. He was about to leave when her eyes opened. He paused for a moment to reassure her, gently holding her down when she tried to get up. "[B]It's alright, the man who attacked you is gone.[/B]" He smiled to show her that his words were the truth. Then gently he caught her hands when she tried to reach up to her neck. "[B]It's best to leave that be, it will help with the hurt done to your neck. I'm going to go and get us some food so you stay here, Patrick will watch over you alright?[/B]" He waited for her to nod before he gently patted her left shoulder. "[B]Good, I'll be right back and then Patrick and I will fix you something to eat.[/B]" Satisfied that she would stay put, he left the building, wondering if he would encounter the strange man who had attacked Kirima. But the trip was uneventful and as the first hints of dawn could be seen, he returned with fresh fruit, eggs and bacon that he had found in the still empty market place. He was opening the door to go back in the building when for but a brief moment a vision of glowing gold colored iris and a voice in the back of his mind which spoke in ringing tones. [I]The truth is yours to see if you wish it. However, doing so will require that you let go of a memory. The choice is yours.[/I] Ian shook his head. [I]What in the world?[/I] For the briefest of moments he wondered if he was going crazy, but then a powerful and warm feeling flowed through his body, as if sunlight had somehow entered his soul. Then it subsided and he could feel it hovering within, just waiting on him to call for it. With yet another shake of his head Ian closed the door behind him and then after briefly checking on Kirima he took the food into the kitchen.

[B]1 - Do you think it is appropriate for political candidates to talk about their religious beliefs as part of their political campaigns, or do you think this is not appropriate?[/B] Yes and no. Yes in that it's unavoidable that said beliefs are going to influence how they would approach certain issues. But as it's been mentioned already, attempting to gain favor or votes by virtue of being a member of a certain religion is something I do not agree with. What religion they belong to shouldn't be why one is voting for someone. [B]2 - Do you think it is appropriate for religious leaders to urge people to vote for or against a political candidate, or is that not appropriate?[/B] Most definitely not. I am very religious and yet as Lunox pointed out, it is not the place of a church leader to tell you who to vote for, its their place to guide you with the values and morals important to your religion. The problem with this type of mentality, of thinking it's acceptable for church leaders to advise you in politics is that it would encourage laziness on the side of the voters. They wouldn't need to know the candidate or what the person is like, or even what the current issues are, all they'd have to do is follow what their leader stated. And time spent by said church leader, telling you who you should vote for is time that would be better spent on educating and teaching the members of their congregation on spiritual matters not secular ones. To do otherwise defeats the whole purpose of church to begin with. [B]3 - Thinking about your vote for president next year, how important is it that a candidate SHARES your religious beliefs?[/B] Not at all. I'm more concerned with them following through on issues where in that instance our views are similar. They don't need to be in the same religion or have the same beliefs for that. [B]4 - How important is it for a candidate to have STRONG religious beliefs, regardless of whether those beliefs are the same as yours?[/B] It's not important. In some ways, I would worry that they would allow religion to influence their judgment too much so I'd rather have someone who is balanced enough to realize that with so many views and beliefs out there. Holding strictly to their own religious beliefs is not such a bright idea. You have to strike a balance instead of favoring only one viewpoint.[quote name='Aceburner']The thing is, to a certain extent, it makes sense to promote a candidate based on your beliefs. Think about it: If your pastor finds out that there is a candidate who promotes something you don't believe in (ex. abortion [don't flame me,]) it stands to reason he's gonna bring it up next service. If a candidate doesn't share your beliefs, odds are s/he's gonna make some decisions your morals don't like. After all, isn't voting for someone dependent on your beliefs anyway?[/QUOTE]Actually I don't see how that makes good sense, but rather a conflict of interest in my opinion. If a pastor knows that a certain candidate is for a view that goes against the church's teachings, by virtue of making sure those in the church are well versed on said teachings. They'll vote against that person without any need for the pastor to speak up. If a person is strongly grounded in their beliefs, they don't need someone in the church to waste their time and speak up on who they think you should vote for. And if they think people need a reminder because they wouldn't know... Then I would point out that they need to do what most pastors do. Preach instead of saying 'go vote for this person' In other words if the person they want them to not vote for is for say abortion. Then they need to be preaching about the sacredness of life instead of how [I]so and so would make abortion legal, don't vote for them[/I].

If I wasn't clear enough, the fleet is now on it's way for sector eleven, my understanding from what Beth told me is that new objectives are going to be sent to everyone soon. Including the orders I referred to in regards to your character GuyYouMetOnline and your character Blayze. And though I've got a very good guess as to where we will be striking first, I'll just wait until I'm officially told. That way... If I'm wrong, no one will know! lol Especially since I was so horrible at guessing anything right last time.

It was almost the appointed time, or rather the time to head for the first sector they would take by force. It was hard to believe that they were so close to taking another sector from the Empire. Daniel had his reservations about being the one to lead the fleet for the New Alliance, but William and the representatives in each sector had made that decision. It wasn't that he wasn't capable, he had served as a Commander for ten years before his father had been discovered as a traitor. It was more that he wondered how others took having someone who was still listed as the Empire's most wanted man as their commander. Even if most of them understood it and on some level accepted it, there were still those he ran into who though they tried to hide it, were obviously uncomfortable with him. Though it could be something else that troubled them. Daniel had his doubts on that though, he hadn't been in the military for so long without being able to pick up on that to a certain extent. Still, as he left his quarters to head for the security office, they would do their duty and that was all that mattered. Their new working arrangements may have been fairly new, but the desire to put an end to the slavery along with other things was still the same. With a shake of his head he pulled out his hand held computer and started looking through all the orders that had been issued. From the one that had sent the fleet on it's way to sector eleven to the one which would be waiting for Kiva when she returned to sector nine with Tessa. He had thought about waiting for her to arrive before leaving, but had changed his mind since the [I]Transcendence[/I] with it's faster hyperdrive system would easily be able to catch up with them before they got to their appointed destination. They could get by without her for the first stage of their plans, but the second? Having the [I]Transcendence[/I] along would be vital for the success of the next stage and incidentally would open up the means for them to be able to build more of the newest Messenger Ship. Having a ship that was solely built for offensive and defensive means and yet required no more than a crew of three to take on a battle ship and win, would mean the difference between victory or failure. And if their intelligence was correct, the main fleet in sector one would not be in a position to stop what they had in mind. Daniel looked up as he came to the doors to the office for the head of security, he entered after a brief knock and waved for Alexander Franklin to sit back down when he immediately rose to greet him. "[B]Sir! What can I do for you?[/B]" He inquired as Daniel took a seat across from him at his desk. "[B]I need you to start preparing teams for when we get to our first target,"[/B] Daniel handed Franklin a data chip. "[B]The specifics of what we will be doing is on that chip.[/B]" "[B]Are you not going to use assault teams sir?[/B]" "[B]On the contrary, as you'll see on the chip I gave you, I intend to have the security teams working with the assault teams and regular troops. Once you see the information for our target, you'll understand why we'll need the security teams as well."[/B] Daniel explained, smiling just a bit. "[B]Understood, there is one other matter I'd like to discuss with you sir.[/B]" "[B]Oh?[/B]" "[B]Your security sir, we need to assign a team to see to your security as is procedure. I've already got some candidates in mind.[/B]" Daniel winced at the thought. Not that he had forgotten, but rather that he had gotten so use to working with the Resistance who simply didn't have the man power for such procedures. "[B]Alright, I'll leave it up to you to decide who to assign to such a task.[/B]" He finally replied. "[B]Ah, there is one slight problem sir. Do you want me to avoid people who we can't check out completely? One of the men I have in mind, it's simply not possible to do a complete check on him and yet though he hides it well, he's clearly better than the others, even myself."[/B] Daniel just raised an eyebrow at that statement. "[B]How many people have we been able to completely check out Franklin?[/B]" "[B]Uh...[/B]" "[B]I'll clue you in, less than five percent. Which means other than a few like yourself, everyone is questionable. I appreciate that you are concerned for my safety, but unless you can find someone else who is better qualified, and I mean really qualified, we can't and won't be paranoid about the people we can't check out completely.[/B]" "[B]Your right sir, I was just worried that with the way he hides how good he is, that it might mean something.[/B]" Franklin said apologetically. "[B]Who are we talking about anyway?[/B]" Daniel asked, curious as to who Franklin was referring to. "[B]Greydon Kreid sir, the one who was previously on the Creator before he fled to escape being caught.[/B]" "[B]You've never served on a flagship have you Franklin?"[/B] Daniel smiled when he shook his head indicating that he had not. "[B]Getting selected to serve on a flagship is something that usually falls to those who really are better at what they do. If anything he's probably trying to avoid attracting attention and resentment from other officers. Now unless you have a real objection, I have no problems with someone who doesn't check out, remember, even if they did. That's no guarantee that they aren't an agent for the Empire."[/B] Daniel stood up to leave. "[B]Send whoever you finally decide on up to the bridge later, in the mean time, start working on the information I gave you.[/B]" "[B]Understood sir.[/B]" With a brief smile Daniel left to head for the bridge, he'd stop by the other departments later, but for now? He needed to work with his second in command since there was evidence that they had several traitors on board. He knew it was unlikely that they would manage to catch them before they got to their first target, but it wouldn't be from a lack of trying.

To be honest, I'm in the same situation as my daughter, other than the time issue. But truthfully it isn't something that I am interested in doing. I do think it would be a lot of fun once you got it going. I just have no interest in being a part of it. It has nothing to do with the idea itself, only that my tastes are different. Much like the difference between say Sci-Fi and Anime... I like Sci-Fi rpg's but have no interest in Anime ones. Just as I have no interest in being part of a mock campaign for someone to become president of OtakuBoards. I do wish you the best of luck with it though since I do think it's an idea that could be a lot of fun. If you enjoy that sort of thing that is. Also, I'm sorry that I have no suggestions, I really don't know what you could do that would garner more interest.

That's what I figured, that people were too busy because of school. No worries though. Aaryanna and I along with indifference, Rachmaninoff and SunfallE are working on a new format, or rather a simplified one where we simply do tiny snippets on interesting threads and yet it still stays open for more in depth articles to be submitted. You'll see in a little bit just what I'm talking about. :catgirl:

As always, Daniel took a moment to look at the new locket with the picture of his mother in it before heading out for the day. His day just didn't seem right if he hadn't, and if things went well, never again would someone innocent like her be executed for merely having family members who were a part of the resistance. It was what he lived for, as well as eventually freeing his daughter Celestia and Jason as well as Earth. The last message he had gotten from the Resistance members there indicated that Sara, Jason's sister was still carefully hidden from the Versilan presence on Earth. If only his father had not been so foolish as to hide the fact that he was his father, in the end, all it had done was make him look like he was a member of the resistance too. Daniel sighed a bit, it was so ironic, most did not know and simply did not care that when he was arrested and accused of treason, he had not been a member at that time. And even though the resistance did rescue him, saving him from execution, if they had not killed Anna... He probably would have simply gone into hiding and ignored the resistance altogether. But, other than William and a select few, no one knew that and in the end, he saw no reason to make an issue of it. He had since then dedicated himself to the fight, so it didn't matter. He took a moment to put the locket back in his tunic where he always kept it and headed for the transport room of the space station. Today, now that a crew had been chosen, would mark the completion of transferring all the necessary personnel and supplies over to the [I]Liberator[/I]. Most of it was already done, but the final command structure had not been completely decided on. There were a few questions remaining as to who should be placed in the various positions. Many of the background checks were not complete and some, thanks to the war, were impossible to check completely. Daniel pulled out his own hand held computer and turned it on as he went to the transport room to transfer over to the new flag ship. Among the remaining few was the one called Greydon Kreid. Even if they had not been able to completely check his background, like the others, so far, everything had checked out and matched what he had told them. It was clear that he was proficient at hand-to-hand combat as well as with a number of the various weapons the military used. Ideally, he would fit in best among the security for the Liberator, perhaps as an assistant to the head of security, even though he seemed to have superior skills. But the one chosen as the head of security had already been completely checked out, making him more ideal for the position. Decided, Daniel put a notation next to his name to assign him as the assistant to the head of security. Seeing how he reacted to being in charge of overseeing security with the one directly in charge as well as assisting with training would tell them soon enough if he was truly trust worthy or not. There were so many that were questionable, it was a shame they simply couldn't make sure that all of them were who they said they were, and in the end, if one really was an operative for the Empire, it would not have been easy to spot that even if they had full access to the necessary records to check. As he entered the transport room, Daniel absent mindedly nodded to the technician who opened up a door for him. Then with a single step he was through, the Sub-Commander waiting for him as he entered the [I]Liberator[/I]. "[B]Welcome aboard sir,[/B]" He said, falling into place along side Daniel as he immediately started for the bridge. "[B]Everything is in order, the last of the supplies are being sent up even as we speak and most of the crew is on board as well. The only thing left is your final decisions in regards to who will command what sir.[/B]" Daniel smiled a bit. "[B]I've made those decisions, once we get to the bridge I'll transfer the list to you so you can get started on informing everyone of their respective assignments.[/B]" "[B]Understood sir, anything else I need to know?[/B]" "[B]No, once those who have been selected take a moment to look over their departments, then I'll inform everyone as to what we will be doing next.[/B]" Daniel closed his hand held computer as they entered the lift to take them to the floor where the bridge was located. Once he handed the list of assignments over to his Sub-Commander he could go and set things up in his new quarters as well. After the short but quick ride in the lift, both Daniel and the Sub-Commander exited the lift to head for the doors leading to the bridge. Once inside, Daniel immediately went to the command seat and then transfered the list from his hand held computer to the terminal for the Sub-Commander. As the man pulled up the list and started issuing the orders and messages to those who had been selected to serve, Daniel wondered how they would react to their first major move against the High Council. He doubted that any of them would have guessed where they were going to move first. He suspected that Kiva might know, but then her mission was tied into it, in a roundabout fashion. Then when it was apparent that things were running smoothly, Daniel left to go and set things up in his quarters as well.

I would have liked to have seen the insults left out as well since I feel they tend to make one look less creditable instead if really making a more constructive point. In all honesty, it's sad, I was expecting more and instead got the usual nonsense that I've come to expect out of these things.

Alright it's up. Just let me know if I got any of that wrong and I'll fix it. :catgirl: I rather liked that surprise since I was not expecting the Resistance to actually have one of the more powerful flag ships on their side. Also, I know you said I could choose the names, but if you don't like it, I don't mind changing it to something else.

Had it only been six weeks since the sectors broke off and Kiva had chosen to run instead of turning him over to Fleet Admiral Stevens? In many ways, with all that had happened, to Daniel, it felt more like an eternity. And now, here he was in sector nine at the former military station orbiting the main world of that sector, working with the representatives of each sector that had allied themselves with the Resistance. Organizing the part of the fleet and the regular military that had also chosen to break off, tired of the betrayal as well as the oppression of the other races. "[B]Are you sure it's really necessary that I take your place?[/B]" Daniel asked William. "[B]I know you plan on going to check out something you say is vital to the war effort, but...[/B]" Daniel stared blankly at the screen to the terminal in his quarters, even though there was nothing to see as William was only broadcasting the audio part of his transmission. [I]Why the secrecy? [/I] William had been keeping himself out of the publics eye since the sectors had broken off. "[B]It's necessary Daniel.[/B]" William replied. "[B]It's too soon for people to know who I really am. You on the other hand have the necessary command experience to work as my liason but also to co-lead the forces that have gathered under the New Alliance.[/B]" [I]Too soon for us to know who he is? Even I don't know who William is.[/I] Daniel shook his head a bit, "[B]You do realize that we are outnumbered. No matter how confident the people may be, if they bring all five flag ships to bear, we will not be able to stop them, even with the [I]Transcendence[/I].[/B]" "[B]Ah yes, the flag ships. A visitor will be arriving soon so it's best that you go prepare to greet them. I'll talk to you later Daniel. William out.[/B]" Daniel just stared stupidly at the screen as the transmission ended. Then, resisting the urge to sigh he turned it off and left his quarters to head to the command center of the space station he was on. [I]A visitor? What is he talking about? [/I] Daniel thought as he entered the command center. He didn't have to wait long as moments after entering the officer in charge approached him quickly, a concerned look on his face. He came to a halt before Daniel, keeping his voice low as he spoke. "[B]Sir, we have an incoming ship due to arrive in a just a little bit. It's not on the list of expected arrivals though they did send the appropriate clearance codes to bypass the border security.[/B]" "[B]When did this happen?[/B]" "[B]I just got the confirmation sir, I was about to contact you.[/B]" Daniel opened up his own hand held computer and pulled up the clearance codes that the ship had broadcast to gain entry into sector nine. Everything appeared to be in order though there was a bit added on at the very end. [I]What the?[/I] "[B]I don't know what that part is sir. It looks like some sort of code, but I've never seen it before.[/B]" "[B]It is.[/B]" Daniel started to say, but he was halted by the base going into full alert when the unknown ship finally arrived, dropping out of hyper space not too far from their location. Before anyone could begin to panic and wonder how one of the flag ships had managed to get into sector nine, Daniel took over. "[B]Stand down.[/B]" He ordered. "[B]But sir![/B]" "[B]Sir![/B]" The communications officer spoke up. "[B]They're hailing us.[/B]" "[B]On screen.[/B]" Daniel said even as he took his seat. Within seconds the bridge of the [I]Eclipse[/I] appeared, but instead of the Commodore who commanded it, there was only a handful of people there. "[B]Commander Daniel,[/B]" One of them spoke up. "[B]I trust you have room in your fleet for one more?[/B]" He smiled and then laughed a bit. "[B]I'm afraid you'll have to find a crew for her though. We had to leave most of them behind.[/B]" [I]So this is what William was up to all this time![/I] Daniel just shook his head a tiny bit, wondering how he had managed to get enough personnel on the [I]Eclipse [/I] to seize control. Gaining one of the five powerful flag ships would really tip things in their favor. "[B]I think we can manage that. For now hold your position, I'll get back to you momentarily.[/B]" Daniel ordered as he terminated the transmission to open up a new one to the representatives on the planet. He couldn't help but smile at the spontaneous cheers among the crew of the space station. He felt like cheering himself. As soon as he talked to the representatives for the New Alliance, then they could begin the process of selecting the necessary crew members, it would delay their next move, but it would be well worth the wait. But at the end of the day as the excitement finally died down over the news of one of the flag ships being taken, Daniel could only shake his head in disbelief, of all things, he had not expected to be put in charge of the now newly named flag ship, the [I]Liberator[/I]. [I]Maybe we can win this after all. [/I]

[quote name='Metalcore501;791201] for those of you who dont smoke what do you think of smoking? [/QUOTE]I think it's a bad habit obviously. Though considering how addicting it can be I hardly hold it against anyone. My own brother is a smoker and has been for as long as I can remember. Even getting cancer did not stop him and now he struggles with treatments for having smoked all of his life.[QUOTE=DeathKnight'][color=crimson]Jumping off of cliffs also has been shown to have a higher rate of long-term suffering physically and psychologically. Many studies into the ramifications of jumping off of cliffs shows that it's much, much worse than smoking and can lead to death, broken bones, phobias, wounds, and pregnancy problems. I mean, really, smoking is very tame by comparison so I think most of us should get off of our high horses.[/color][/QUOTE]That's an excuse. As Morpheus already stated, you can always find something out there that is worse. Also, in my experience, other than my own home, without getting on that high horse and supporting legislation to ban smoking from public places, many smokers refused to get off that high horse themselves and not expose others who were not interested. Secondhand smoke is every bit if not more dangerous than smoking it directly. [URL="http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35422"][U]Secondhand Smoke Facts[/U][/URL] Now in general, I have nothing against it so long as I am not expected to 'tolerate' someone else's bad habit. But the moment that habit infringes into my life I can and will object. Trust me, I have the same stupid argument when my brother visits about requiring him to be outside when he thinks simply opening the windows is enough to keep the smoke from lingering.

[quote name='indifference'][COLOR="Indigo"] I'll say it again, do more research before you declare that the police did things wrong or that he was mistreated.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]Good advice really, there are a lot of things being tossed back and forth here that are completely inaccurate. Just as people are quick to defend the student from mistreatment, they should also be as quick to defend the police from false accusations of misconduct. In other words as Crystia said, find out the facts [I]before[/I] declaring that the student was in fact mistreated or assaulted. Going on what you've heard or even silly cop shows on TV is not a good or even reliable source of information when it comes to how procedures are done for arrest, reading one their rights or informing them of the charges, etc. Everything I have heard and read in regards to this has indicated that the student in question is an attention seeker and has in the past done the same thing. Deliberately escalated things to draw more attention to himself. Personally like Rach mentioned, I would much prefer to see a video of the entire proceedings instead of the incomplete clips I've been seeing. And even then, so far it sounds like the force was warranted and that people are making a big deal out of nothing.

[quote name='Lunox'][font="trebuchet ms"] But I'm guessing that adding the hate crime would probably end up complicating the legal actions and just make it a longer process. [/font][/QUOTE]My understanding of the hate laws is that if there is doubt as to whether or not it can be proven in court, most of the time, they will not attempt to try them for it and instead try them for the more provable crime. It certainly sounds provable, but then my knowledge of what is required is non-existent. In the end, so long as they are being tried and dealt with, I think the issue of tacking on the hate crime bit is really unnecessary. Anyway, there is no doubt in my mind that anyone who would do what they did to that woman is sick and needs to be locked away for good. When people sink that low... It's sad really.

I am terribly sorry for being gone for most of this month. I most certainly have not lost interest in this and I'd like to think of ways to perhaps change or make it a bit more appealing to others. So with that in mind I'd like to toss out a few ideas here. The first idea would be to limit 90% of the articles to 500 words or less. Not all of them but to make it clear that each one doesn't require a full blown written article since many threads can be covered with a few paragraphs. The second would be to change the headers for each story. Instead of the simple links, it might be fun to do something more graphically inclined, like a narrow little banner that is 550 x 20 [tall enough for text, I'm just tossing out a height here] with the title of the article that is about to be read. So I guess my question now is do the rest of you have any ideas or suggestions? Also, hopefully now that school has started, all of you have been going long enough to know what your schedules are like. And in closing, with some articles having not been written, if you've had one assigned for a while, please speak up if you are going to finish it soon, otherwise... I'm going to open it up for someone else to take it. Anyway, I'll do some looking around to get some links of interesting things to possibly write about, but if you think a thread deserves attention, please post or write a short article on it. :catgirl:

[quote name='Sandy'][font=Century Gothic]I'm still lacking votes from [B]Aaryanna_Mom[/B], [B]8bit[/B] and [B]Keyblade Wielder[/B] (who hasn't even been around lately), but I will announce the result as soon as it's clear. I have to say that at this points it's anybody's game, you two are so even.[/font][/QUOTE]I am sorry Sandy, you would think it would be a much easier choice considering things, but honestly, it's not. I've been giving it a lot of thought as to who I should vote for. So I'll add another question to the finalists to help me make up my mind. [B]Name one or two challenges that given a chance you would have changed the rules to, if changed then what would you have done differently, or removed from the game altogether and why. [/B]

[quote name='Derald'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][SIZE="1"][FONT="Trebuchet MS"]Wow. I never knew "Insert Tab A into Slot B" meant the same as "I love you, and I want to be with you forever". It's amazing! Despite how "essential" sex is made out to be, it's still only sex, and I want more out of a relationship than knowing that I'm going to knock-up a girl in the name of my love for her. I like the metaphysical aspects of love. Oh, and as for sex before marriage - do what you want. I don't care. Of course, this is only my opinion.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE]Don't be condescending, it's very unbecoming and makes those who do think sex should only be for marriage look uptight and silly. And looking down on others for seeing it differently is very, rude. I am obviously a Christian and very much for the saving it for marriage, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's not important in a relationship. All of you need to stop focusing on [I]when[/I] someone has sex, whether it's before or after marriage, but rather on [I]why[/I] and [I]who[/I] they are having it with. Even if it is not considered polite to discuss it, at least not according to how I was raised, it's absolute[I] ignorance[/I] to assume that having a healthy sexual relationship with your partner isn't important. However I will also argue that one can have a deep relationship without it as well. I'm not going to argue the morals of this since people really do see it differently. But I can and will argue that it's not our place to approve or disapprove of someone because of their sex life or rather if they have it without being married. Honestly children. Marriage is a relatively new concept or rather the idea that one marries for love is. It was often a business arrangement and sex was but a duty for carrying on the family line. So saying one should save it for marriage is hypocritical since often love had nothing to do with it.

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]And that applies to you too Kathy, if you wish to continue with William you can, if you wish to create a new character that's fine too. Or if you simply want to stick with just Daniel, that also works. The plot points do not depend on people sticking with the same characters. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]You are terrible. lol After what you told me last night about the possible things I could do... I decided to go back to only having Daniel as a character. So William is once more an NPC. And with Kim dead... I'll just stick with one character for now and hold off on having a second one. Besides with William off somewhere else as you put it... Daniel's going to be quite busy assuming the main liaison position for the Resistance.

[B]Name:[/B] Daniel Landers [B]Age:[/B] Daniel is 53 [B]Gender: [/B] Male [B]Race: [/B]Versilan. [B]Loyalty: [/B] Resistance [B]Description: [/B] Daniel is about 6?4, 200 lbs with reddish brown hair. [B]Weapons:[/B] As a former commander in the Versilan Military, Daniel is well versed in all forms of laser and disruptor weapons. When he was still an officer he was well known for being a dead mark when it came to shooting. He is also trained to use special explosives that only the military have. [B]Special Skills:[/B] Having served in the military before joining the resistance, he has both field and command experience. Daniel?s kinder nature made him a natural leader and he quickly rose in the ranks to become a commander of a small battle ship. Until he was later accused of treason and tortured by the Military since they believed he, like his father was a member of the resistance. Ironically he now uses that same charisma and leading skills to aid in recruitment and the teaching of other races to defend themselves against the Versilan Empire. [B]Personality: [/B] Daniel tends to put on a stern front when in reality he?s always been on the kinder side. Although good at understand others in terms of command, Daniel has always been on the clueless side when it comes to more regular life. [B]Short Bio: [/B] Once a Commander in the Versilan Military, Daniel was stripped of his command and considered a traitor since his father was a member of the Resistance. He would have been executed if not for being rescued by the Resistance. Daniel commanded three underground resistance bases on Earth until all three were eventually located by the Empire and destroyed. He then went with William, who was posing as the leader of the resistance, to sector one to gather intelligence to not only expose the High Council but to find a way to free his daughter Celestia and son-in-law Jason who had been captured on Earth when the final resistance base was destroyed. While searching for information he was kidnapped along with Kerstin Anderson and then later freed by Elite Specialist Kiva Salqarian. The events surrounding the kidnapping eventually led to him being exposed as a resistance member and he was caught by Kiva as he attempted to flee the sector. However, Kiva was an undercover agent for the resistance, a fact that Daniel was aware of, so instead of handing Daniel over to Fleet Admiral Stevens when requested she fled with him and her crew to sector nine to join the others who now oppose the Empire. Now he is considered the second in command for the resistance forces as William has become the new resistance leader since Erica Kendrick the previous leader was arrested. He is working in sector nine to prepare while William has headed out to gather other important information needed for the fight.

Excellent choice Rachmaninoff. :catgirl: I couldn't be more pleased to see both of you move to the Final Team Council. I look forward to being a part of the jury and seeing this come to a close. It's certainly been a lot of fun. Anyway, I know it's going to be a very difficult choice to pick only one. Especially since both of you definately deserve to win. Best wishes, both of you. :catgirl:

I'm glad to see this finally go up! :catgirl: I like how you've detailed the major events, even if I was in the first one, keeping all that straight will be much easier with it simply listed here. Also, I love the age chart you provided, that's a nice touch. Now is it a typo that you've listed Stevens as a member of the High Council instead of a candidate? Or is that a status change with the next part? And if so will that mean that Sandra will also be a full Council member? Not that you need to tell me, I'll find out soon enough I'm sure. Anyway, I only have one question before I put my sign up in. And that relates to William the current leader of the Resistance. Will I still be controlling his character? Or will he go back to being a NPC like he was before? And if he does, since Kim was executed in the first one would it be alright to create a new character? Either way is fine, I'll stick with William or create a new character to have along with Daniel if needed. Anyway, once I know that I'll get that sign up in. :catgirl: It's perfect timing with Survivor coming to a close. Oh and that new banner and avatar of yours is fantastic. indifference did a beautiful job. I love how vivid the colors are.

Congratulations Rachmaninoff! :catgirl: Both you and Aaryanna did a fantastic job. I really like that poem you did. It was well written and I enjoyed how you told the whole Survivor story from your prospective. I also love that cute video of Aaryanna's. As for Sandy's remark about you getting all the titles right, I'm going to have to ask you just what in the world he was referring to. lol Anyway, as you said Rachmaninoff, thanks for everything, it's been a lot of fun. I look forward to either being in the final or as a member of the jury. :catgirl: