RPG Silver One

[SunfallE]

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A lone figure carefully wrapped in a dark green cloak with the hood pulled up walked down a massive and yet dimly lit hallway. The tap of each footstep they took echoed eerily along the long hallway. But other than to briefly tighten their grip on the cloak and thus keep their face hidden, the figure continued moving towards a set of lights in the distance flanking an equally massive door.

As if in anticipation of their arrival the massive doors swung open, without hesitation the figure entered the room heading straight for the stand in the center of the room. Floodlights from above illuminated the figure while leaving the rest of the huge room in darkness. The doors swung shut with a loud clang and a voice from an alcove in shadow spoke.

?[B]Are you prepared?[/B]?

?[B]I am.[/B]? The figure responded.

?[B]Do you foresee any problems?[/B]? The voice countered.

?[B]None,[/B]? the figure replied. ?[B]But I do have a concern.[/B]?

?[B]Explain.[/B]? The voice demanded.

?[B]Why do you permit Sandra to wear the colors of a candidate for the High Council? Her failure in regards to both Nathan and the humans who were taken from her ship is an indication that she is far from worthy.[/B]? The figure said.

?[B]For the same reason we did not execute you for failing to realize that Nathan was a member of the resistance when he was under your command. Discarding one who is useful while they are still of use is foolhardy. You would do well to remember that.[/B]? The voice admonished.

The figure bowed in acknowledgement. ?[B]I understand, so when do you want me to start[/B]??

?[B]When Sandra, Jared and Crystal are finished, that will be your cue to begin.[/B]? The voice replied.

?[B]Very well, I trust the necessary transfers have been made?[/B]? The figure asked.

?[B]It has already been done.[/B]? The voice replied.

The figure bowed deeply towards the alcove in the shadows. ?[B]Then I will leave at once to get into position.[/B]? The figure turned and left, the doors once again opening automatically and then closing once they had left the room.

?[B]Are you sure we aren?t rushing things?[/B]? One of the voices asked.

Another replied. ?[B]Of course, do you really want to let things continue the way they have?[/B]?

?[B]Of course not![/B]? The voice replied.

?[B]Then stop questioning our decision and wait and see.[/B]?

The voices fell silent. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Sandra?s shift had ended hours ago but Jared was still up on the bridge reviewing the details she had sent him in regards to his assignment once they reached Earth. This time around it seemed that he had a time limit for completing his task. He pulled up the additional reports of the operatives that had been assigned to Earth a few months ago. Other than to confirm that Jason?s sister Sara was still there, they had been keeping their distance, so far they hadn?t detected any signs that the resistance had contacted her, but their final notes indicated that they couldn?t be positive on that.

Jared sighed at the obvious incompetence of the report. So many details were missing that it was like a child had written the report and not an agent. He pulled up a secondary file and quickly prepared a report and sent it off requesting more specific information. [I]If those fools don?t answer those questions immediately I?ll be sure to correct their stupidity.[/I] He thought to himself. Jared hated dealing with operatives he himself did not select and train.

A beeping noise sounded alerting him incoming information. He shut down his reports and looked up to see what it was. The helmsman was busy checking information that was displayed on the panel in front of him. A moment later he spoke.

?[B]Sir, long range scanners have detected another ship in hyperspace entering sector thirteen.[/B]?

Jared raised an eyebrow at that. According to Sandra?s information there shouldn?t be anyone cleared to enter this area of space.

?[B]What type of ship is it??[/B] he asked.

?[B]It?s an independent merchant sir.[/B]? He responded.

?[B]Hail them.[/B]? Jared said.

The helmsman sent out the message a moment later the main screen came to life. The commander?s seat was empty and only one person was on the bridge of the small merchant ship. Unkempt and dressed in plain clothes along with dirty blonde hair the man was obviously not a member of the merchant guild.

?[B]Ah sub-commander, what can I do for you?[/B]? The man asked.

Jared narrowed his eyes and then spoke. ?[B]Drop out of hyperspace immediately and get your commander. I expect a full explanation as to why you are in a restricted area.[/B]?

?[B]Restricted area? But..[/B]? the man started to say and then stopped. ?[B]Understood sub-commander, I?ll get Commander Darren immediately.[/B]? The transmission ended and the main viewer switched back to one of the ship traveling in hyperspace.

?[B]The ship has dropped out of hyperspace sub-commander and come to a halt.[/B]? The helmsman spoke up.

?[B]Bring us out of hyperspace and alongside their ship, in defensive posture.[/B]? Jared said.

?[B]Defensive sir?[/B]? The helmsman asked puzzled. It was just a merchant ship wasn?t it?

?[B]Don?t make me repeat myself,[/B]? Jared said icily.

The helmsman paled. ?[B]Sorry sir, at once sir![/B]? His finger faltering at first and then flying as he quickly issued the command that would bring the ship into position. Though why they were assuming a stance as if they were going to board the ship made no sense to him.

Jared ignored the helmsman once it was apparent that he was following orders and contacted Sandra. A moment later she appeared on the small screen built into the armrest of his seat.

?[B]What is it Jared?[/B]? Sandra asked the moment she realized who had contacted her.

?[B]An independent merchant ship has entered this sector.[/B]? Jared explained.

Sandra cocked her head to the side as if considering what Jared had just said. ?[B]Interesting,[/B]? she finally replied. ?[B]I?ll be there in a moment.[/B]? The screen went blank.

Jared looked back up at the main viewer and watched as their ship came along side the smaller merchant ship.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Rachmaninoff]

Darren groaned at the persistent buzzing coming from the computer terminal next to his bed. He looked briefly to see that it hadn?t quite been six hours since he initially lay down. With a snarl he threw the blankets off and sat up to answer the call, cussing under his breath. If this is another one of Mike?s pranks, he thought, I?m going to clobber him!

He opened up the channel fully prepared to give Mike an earful only to stop at his worried expression.

?[B]I was about to come and wake you myself![/B]? Mike said urgently. ?[B]We?ve got a big problem here.[/B]?

?[B]What?s the trouble?[/B]? Darren asked.

Mike scowled a bit, ?[B]It?s the damn military! The battle ship Crimson is claiming that we are in a restricted area. They?ve ordered us to stop and they?ve taken up a defensive posture, they?ve got their whole arsenal aimed right at us![/B]?

[I]What the hell?[/I] Darren thought. Why in the world would the Military attack them? And why did the name Crimson sound so familiar?

?[B]Darren?[/B]? Mike asked after a moment had passed.

?[B]Pull up the permits for this trip, then go and get cleaned up.[/B]? He ordered.

?[B]You want me to go get cleaned up? What for?[/B]? Mike asked puzzled over Darren?s order.

?[B]Just do it dammit![/B]? Darren snarled before shutting off the transmission.

There was something important about the name Crimson, something that he had heard about a while ago. But he couldn?t remember what it was. Quickly he searched the computer for information on the battle ship Crimson. A few seconds later it pulled up an official announcement by the High Council naming Sandra, the commander of the battle ship Crimson as an official candidate for a seat on the High Council.

But that wasn?t what he was thinking of, he read further looking for information on who served on the Crimson. A name popped out at him, Jared. He winced. That was what he was thinking of. The cold-hearted sick bastard named Jared. He served on the Crimson. Darren swore. Of all the ships to run into why did it have to be the one Jared served on? There wasn?t a merchant alive who didn?t know about Jared.

He turned the computer off and quickly got ready, dressing in his best clothes, which wasn?t really saying much. A type of gray tank top that was high on the neck and sleeveless along with a pair of black pants that he only wore when needed. Everything else he had was frayed and worn. Darren took a brief moment to look at himself in the mirror. Other than the company badge on the collar of his shirt he didn?t look anything like a commander of a merchant ship.[I] At least I took a shower before I went to bed,[/I] he thought.

Darren sighed as he left his quarters and headed towards the bridge. He entered to see that Mike had pulled up the information as it was displayed on the main terminal next to his seat. And just as he had said, the battleship Crimson was face to face with them the main screen also highlighted with the red tinge indicating that they had their weapons trained on them. He looked at the numbers that ran down the side of the screen, nearly everything on the Crimson was hot and ready to fire.

Darren took a deep breath and hailed the Crimson.


[CENTER]-------[/CENTER]

OCC: I hope you don't mind that I gave your ship the name Crimson Crystia. If you had something else in mind just let me know and I'll edit it. ;)

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Daniel was about to leave the apartment he shared with Kim when a beeping noise came from his long-range communicator. Surprised he opened it up to see who was attempting to contact him; he wasn?t due for another update or check in for at least another week. Cleverly disguised as a portable DVD player Daniel opened it up and inserted the disk that would bring up the prompt for him to enter the password. A minute later the screen came to life. It was William, the one who was responsible for saving him from being executed and then recruited him to work for the resistance.

?[B]Ah Daniel, I?m glad I caught you. I will be arriving at Earth in less than an hour.[/B]? William said.

?[B]What?s happened?[/B]? Daniel asked.

?[B]I have it from a reliable source that the Military is finished with the upgrade on the their encryption programs. Just the other day they placed sector 13 under a restricted status. Also, the battleship Crimson and the Tempest are both being sent to Earth even as we speak.[/B]? William explained.

?[B]I see[/B],? Daniel replied.

?[B]There?s more, the High Council has issued a bounty for Jason?s sister Sara as well.[/B]?

Daniel swore. ?[B]Damn! We have to get her out of here before the ships get here.[/B]?

?[B]Agreed, for now I?ve delayed the Crimson by hacking the approval system and giving clearance to an independent merchant ship on its way to sector twelve. At the moment it looks like they have taken the bait as they have stopped them for being in a restricted area. But it won?t take them very long to realize what?s happened.[/B]? William explained.

?[B]I?ll go and get both Kim and Sara immediately,[/B]? Daniel replied.

?[B]No, wait there for me, I?m bringing some help.[/B]? William ordered.

?[B]Help? Help for what?[/B]? Daniel asked, puzzled as to what William meant.

William smiled, ?[B]Apparently Sara?s a bit of a spitfire and is more likely to make a scene and attempt to beat the crap out of you if she doesn?t feel like coming along. So I?ve brought some people with me who will convince her to come with us. So stay put and once we arrive we?ll go and pick her up.[/B]?

The transmission shut down. Daniel removed the disk and turned the power off. Just who was the help that William was referring to?

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=Red]There was a message waiting for Crystal when she woke up. It wasn?t tagged as urgent so instead of immediately seeing what it was, she ignored it in favor of taking a quick shower to wake up. She sighed, since she had taken command of the Tempest she had quickly learned that quite a few of the messages sent her way could have easily been handled by her sub-commander. Maybe other commanders enjoyed handling all the details, but she did not. Once she was finished with her current mission she was going to make sure High Command knew exactly how much she felt her current position was a waste of her time.

Once she was finished and had gotten ready for the day, yes another boring day of sitting on the bridge instead of working in sickbay, she went over to the computer terminal by her bed to see what the message was. It was from High Command, puzzled as to why it wasn?t tagged as urgent she opened it up and began to read. Her eyes opening wide with surprise as she read it. [I]They want me to do what? [/I]She thought. [I]Are they stupid? Why her? And why Earth? Good grief![/I]

?[B]Stupid damn military idiots![/B]? She muttered under her breath as she sent off her reply indicating she had received her orders. She thought about it for a moment and then sent another reply detailing the problems with the order they had just given her.[I] If those idiots really want to do research along that nature, they need to let me pick the candidates to ensure a more broad and valid response. [/I]She thought irritably. Obviously who ever had issued those orders knew next to nothing about genetics. With a sigh she sent the second message and turned her terminal off.

Crystal left her quarters and headed for the bridge, nodding politely to the crewmembers that greeted her. She could see it in their eyes, the same doubt she herself felt, wondering why a doctor was in charge of a battleship instead of a medical one. About the only good thing was that since she was no longer working in sickbay she could devote a lot of her time spent on the bridge to reading up on medical journals and all the current changes. In addition to reading up on tactics and other aspects of command as well, she didn?t think she would need it, but she?d rather not look totally ignorant to her sub-commander.

At the last moment she remembered she needed to stop by sickbay and talk to Alex before going to the bridge. She needed to give him some specific instructions from High Command and she?d rather tell him in person instead of simply forwarding the information. If nothing else it would calm her nerves to talk to him, as he would at least understand her misgivings in regards to her new assignment. [/COLOR]

[Neptune]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=Navy]Royce was standing in the smoldering ruins of his home, mourning the loss of his beloved dog. Somehow the fire had started and spread quickly, killing not only his dog, but the many plants and birds that lived around the perimeter of his former shelter. Amazingly Royce's shed was stilll intact, and naturally Royce decided that the best thing to do right now would be the grab his shovel and give Buddy a proper sendoff to Heaven, because lord knew that that dog wasn't going to Hell.[/COLOR]

[B][COLOR=Navy]"Well Buddy, it was fun while it lasted. I loved you as if you were my own son, but thankfully your now in a better place .. better than I could have ever provided for you."[/COLOR][/B]

[COLOR=Navy]He might have burst into tears if not for the excruciating noise that filled his ears, causing him to drop down to his knees and wrench his head back and forth as if he were being possesed. Royce had forgotten that it was almost 5:00, about the time that the Versilan's normally ran their scan of the planet, checking for god knows what. He wished that they used a less lethal system, but it had been this way ever since he was little. He was used to it by now.[/COLOR]

[B][COLOR=Navy]"Ah, the benefits of living in Sector Twelve."[/COLOR][/B] [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman] [COLOR=Navy]Royce would have been out of this hell hole by now, if not for the excuse that the only race capable of space travel were the Versilans. There used to be other races that had the technology, but alas, they had all been destroyed by the mighty empire. He shook his head in shame that he had let something like this happen, and then walked off into the woods in the direction of town, hoping to find somewhere to stay for the night. If he only knew how this fire had started, then he could do something about it. If only.[/COLOR] [/FONT]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]William waited patiently as his ship slid into orbit around Earth?s moon, in a few minutes they would be in position for the transport door to be opened. Not that they needed to hide behind the moon since the very nature of their shields would render their ship invisible to the technology of Earth, but there would be a small window where for a few seconds they could be spotted manually. In the past that wouldn?t have mattered, but now, any agent of the Empire would be able to put two and two together and realize what was going on if reports of a space ship were to be reported on Earth.

He sighed and got up to head to the transport room. He hadn?t bothered to tell either Jason or Celestia yet that he wouldn?t be coming with them. He had gotten a message earlier this morning that a number of his operatives in Sector twelve had been executed. A number of them had found some good potential members of that world to join the resistance and he needed to find out if they were still alive. He already sent a message to a merchant currently at that world to pick up any stragglers if they could do so without attracting attention to themselves. After all it wouldn?t do to expose them too.

Once he dropped off both Jason and Celestia he had agreed to go and meet them, he just hoped that the investigation by the Crimson took long enough for him to get back in time to pick up the others along with Jason and Celestia. He had been against them coming along in the first place, but both of them had insisted. And unlike the Empire, William wasn?t about to force them to do things his way. Especially since they had agreed to wait as long as they did before coming back to Earth.

William entered the transport room to find both Jason and Celestia waiting for him.

?[B]Open up the door at this location.[/B]? He said giving the operator the coordinates. He turned back to Jason and Celestia. ?[B]I can?t go with you, something else has come up. I?ll be gone for at least a week before I can get back to pick everyone up. I?ve delayed the Crimson so there should be plenty of time. Get your sister Jason and then lay low and wait for my signal when I return.[/B]?

Celestia and Jason nodded, both of them knew better than to ask William for the details. He was kind to them, but never told them more than they needed to know.

?[B]I understand, we?ll see you when you get back.?[/B] Celestia said. She took a hold of Jason?s hand and together they walked through the door of light that would transport them down to the planet.

The moment they were through the door closed and William pulled out his hand held device calling the bridge, ?[B]Set a course for Sector twelve immediately, maximum speed.[/B]?

?[B]At once Commander,[/B]? the helmsman replied.

William shut the communicator off and headed back to the bridge.[I] I hope I didn?t make a mistake by leaving them there.[/I] He thought to himself. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Jared pulled up the information on the merchant ship while he waited for both Sandra and the Commander of the other ship to contact him. It only took a moment to pull up the information along with the most recent photo of the Commander. He skimmed the report catching the highlights:

[INDENT]Darren Anderson, age 60. President and founder of Anderson Shipping took over his father?s position when he retired thirty years ago and broke off to form his own company. Along with his only employee Mike he mainly deals in shipping the crystals used for most of the basic equipment in Versilan goods. Darren is also known for occasionally handling special requests for shipping and has the necessary training to package and ship arms. [/INDENT]
The rest didn?t interest Jared, what did was that he actually had clearance to handle arms. That type of permit was very difficult to get and rarely handed out to an independent merchant. He initiated a scan of the ship only to be met by distortions. But that was nothing to be concerned about. If he really were transporting the crystals essential to their technology, he would have to have a type of force field running to protect them from themselves as too many in one location would be an issue. If he really wanted to know for sure what his cargo was he?d have to actually transport over to take a look.

Jared turned to look at the sound of the bridge doors opening and closing. Sandra, complete in full uniform of the blue and silver only a candidate was allowed to wear, entered and sat down at her seat.

?[B]So what?s the deal Jared?[/B]?

?[B]I?m still waiting on the Commander of the ship to respond. Since the records indicate that there are only two crewmembers I am assuming that he was probably resting. Their current flight path would indicate that they came from sector six and are actually on their way to sector twelve. I would have chalked it up to bad timing to be passing through part of sector thirteen, but if they left immediately after getting clearance, that would mean they got clearance for their shipment at least ten hours after the restrictions were put in place.[/B]? Jared replied.

?[B]I see, then they should have been diverted around sector thirteen instead of crossing though part of it. That means they are up to something, or just stupid enough to try and save a few days by bending the rules. What else have you found out?[/B]? Sandra asked.

?[B]I sent off a request to the station in sector six that would have issued the clearance, but it will be a little while longer until they reply.[/B]? Jared paused as a beeping noise sounded indicating that the merchant ship was hailing them. He spoke again before the helmsman could indicate whom the message was from. ?[B]Put it on the main viewer.[/B]?

?[B]Yes sir.[/B]? He replied as he opened up the transmission.

A man dressed in a gray type of tank top and black pants, his only indication of rank the company badge on his collar was standing in front of the commander's seat of the bridge of the merchant ship. The picture in his profile didn?t do justice to his striking good looks, full short wavy blonde hair and silver eyes so pale they almost appeared to be a light blue. He bowed deeply towards Sandra before speaking.

?[B]Commander, how may I be of assistance?[/B]?

Sandra replied, ?[B]You can start by sending me a copy of the transmission giving you clearance to be in this sector.[/B]?

?[B]At once,[/B]? Darren relied even as he sat down in his seat and then punched in the command to send over the information.

Sandra ignored him while she glanced though the information. It was as she thought; his clearance had been issued well after the restriction had been issued. Either he had been foolish and altered it, or someone had messed up. There just wasn?t any reason why an independent merchant would have been given clearance. She looked back up at Darren to see him patiently waiting for her answer. Carefully making sure to devote his attention to her and her alone.

?[B]I?m going to send my sub-commander Jared over to your ship to check your cargo while I verify your clearance Commander Darren. You should not have been given clearance for this sector and I will be required to verify that you are indeed who you claim to be.[/B]? She informed him.

Darren paled at the thought and he controlled it well, but not enough that Sandra didn?t notice it. The question now; was it nervousness over Jared, or something else? She continued, ?[B]I trust you have no objections?[/B]?

?[B]I do not Commander, I along with my crew Mike will signal you shortly from our transport room. I?d prefer to avoid a random transport due to the nature of my cargo.[/B]? He replied.

?[B]Agreed, you have ten minutes to comply.[/B]? Sandra replied.

?[B]At once Commander.[/B]? Darren replied before shutting down the transmission.

Sandra turned to Jared, ?[B]Take some security with you, my instinct is that Commander Darren is innocent, stupid perhaps, but something doesn?t feel right. I find it hard to believe that one who is so accomplished for their age would be so foolhardy to toss it away on the chance to save a little time.[/B]?

?[B]Understood Commander, I?ll assemble a team at once.[/B]? Jared replied before getting up and leaving the bridge. He opened his handheld communicator and issued the request for a security squad of four. Then he made his way to the equipment room to pick up a portable scanner along with anything else he might need.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Rachmaninoff]

[I]You should not have been given clearance for this sector and I will be required to verify that you are indeed who you claim to be[/I]?the words still echoed in Darren?s mind as the transmission was terminated. But even more so the words [I]I?m going to send my sub-commander Jared over to your ship[/I] were foremost on his mind. Angrily he slammed his right hand down on the console, swearing under his breath ignoring the sudden pain as the edge of the console dug into the side of his right hand where he had slammed it down.

Frustrated he got up to go and collect Mike and head for the transport room, resisting the urge to smash something else. He didn?t have to go far as Mike was just outside the door to the bridge on his way to join him. With yet another startled oath Darren managed to sidestep him to avoid crashing into him, reach out and grab Mike by the left ear, ignoring his startled yelp and drag him along a few steps before letting go.

?[B]What the hell was that for?[/B]? Mike said angrily.

?[B]Mike, how many times have I told you to pay more attention to politics?[/B]? Darren countered.

?[B]Darren,[/B]? he replied with a whine in his voice, ?[B]You know I hate that stuff![/B]?

Darren turned his back on Mike and began to head towards the transport room.

?[B]Hey! Don?t be mad![/B]? He called out as he hurried to keep up with Darren. ?[B]Come on! Talk to me![/B]?

?[B]Jared Scorer.[/B]? Darren replied.

?[B]What?[/B]? Mike replied confused.

Darren sighed, ?[B]Why do you think I?ve asked you to pay attention to politics idiot? There?s only one Jared I would be referring to.[/B]?

Mike was still confused as to what Darren was referring to. Sure he knew who Jared was, what merchant didn?t? He was a cold-hearted, sick bastard that every merchant hoped they never met, at least the guys that was. Running into Jared was a death sentence if he took a fancy to you. Mike shuddered a bit at the thought. Guys like him were the reason he steered away from the military.

?[B]What has that sick bastard got to do with any of this?[/B]? He finally asked Darren.

Another sigh escaped Darren as he responded, ?[B]Jared is the sub-commander of the Crimson and he will be transporting over shortly to check our cargo.[/B]? He ignored Mike?s sudden intake of breath and continued. ?[B]Apparently someone screwed up and gave us clearance to go through part of sector thirteen when we aren?t suppose to be here.[/B]?

?[B]Damn![/B]? Mike exclaimed as they entered the transport room.

?[B]Exactly, whatever you do, no smart remarks, no goofing off, and above all, do not make any of your usual cracks about the military. This guy won?t have a sense of humor and the last thing I want to do is piss him off. Got it?[/B]? Darren said as he started up the equipment for the transport door.

?[B]I got it, but hell! Guys like that aren?t supposed to look good![/B]? Mike said with a final protest, ?[B]They?re supposed to be ugly or scruffy or smelly or something like that![/B]?

Darren couldn?t help himself; he snickered a bit at what Mike had just said. Then taking his most formal stance he sent the signal indicating they were ready. A moment later Jared along with four security buffoons armed to the teeth came through the transportation door. Darren ignored them as if he had been expecting such a display of force and instead bowed deeply to Jared.

?[B]Sub-Commander, the cargo is this way,[/B]? he said indicating the direction they needed to go.

?[B]Lead the way Commander,[/B]? Jared replied with what sounded to Darren like a hint of coldness in his voice.

[Aaryanna_Mom]

When William had said he was sending Daniel some help he would have never guessed that the help would be none other than Jason himself and Celestia. It took him a moment to recognize them since Celestia now had waist length light brown hair instead of strawberry blonde and brown eyes instead of the mixture of silver and blue eyes she had gotten when she had been genetically changed along with Jason.

Jason even had his hair changed to a light brown instead of the black hair he once had, it was a bit longer and pulled back into a ponytail. They looked more like a young not quite hippy couple instead of the sleeker professional look they had when he had first met them. He wanted to be happy to see them, especially his daughter Celestia, but damnit! William should have known better than to let them come here. It was far too dangerous!

?[B]What the hell are you two doing here?[/B]? He demanded once the transportation door had closed. ?[B]And where the hell is William?[/B]?

Celestia let go of Jason?s hand and wrinkled her nose at Daniel and then laughed. ?[B]It?s good to see you too father.[/B]? She said as walked over and reached up to give him a kiss on his left cheek.

?[B]William had to leave and didn?t tell us why. He said he would be back in about a week.[/B]? Celestia finally answered him.

?[B]That damn idiot![/B]? Daniel snapped. He pulled out his smaller communicator and contacted Kim, ignoring both Jason and Celestia for the moment.

?[B]What is it Daniel?[/B]? Kim?s voice could clearly be heard by everyone in the room.

?[B]Can you get Sara to come to our place? Both Celestia and Jason are here.[/B]? He explained.

?[B]Ah, so that was the help he told you about[/B],? Kim laughed.

?[B]I understand, it would be better if they stayed put, I haven?t spotted any agents of the Empire here, but if they are keeping their distance I wouldn?t see them. I?m about to go meet her for going to dinner with the girls, I?ll call you back to let you know if I can convince her to come to our place instead.[/B]? Kim broke the connection.

Celestia giggled, ?[B]You really are a worry wart. Besides, Jason and I decided to come and though William wasn?t happy about it he finally agreed to let us come.[/B]?

Daniel started to object yet again, but Jason interrupted him. ?[B]You don?t know my sister, she may seem harmless but she can be quite interesting if she feels threatened in any way.[/B]? He looked away, ?[B]Besides I don?t want her to experience anything that I did, being taken somewhere against your will is something I hope she never experiences, she?s already had plenty of bad things happen to her. I don?t intend to add to it even if it means sacrificing my own safety[/B].?

Daniel's protests died at the intensity of Jason's voice and he gave in. ? [B]I understand.?[/B]

A beeping noise interrupted them. It was Kim.

?[B]She?s agreed to come with me, Sara thinks she?s coming to meet a cute guy,[/B]? Kim said with a giggle.

?[B]Kim![/B]? Daniel protested.

?[B]It was her assumption, I said I had someone I wanted her to meet, it?s not my fault she assumed it was a guy! Anyway, we?ll be there in just a little bit.[/B]? Kim closed the connection.

?[B]I?m surrounded by idiots.[/B]? Daniel said to himself.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]William was on his way to sector twelve when he received an incoming transmission from the merchant who was working for him. He transferred the transmission to the small conference room just off the main bridge and after locking the doors and encrypting the message he opened it up.

?[B]What is it?[/B]? He asked the merchant.

?[B]I went through the list of people your agent was in the process of recruiting. He must have talked before they executed him because the military burned down the homes of every single one of them earlier today.[/B]? He replied.

?[B]Damn![/B]? William swore, all that work for nothing!

?[B]There might be one left if he wasn?t taken into custody already. It was the last house I checked and there wasn?t a body among the smoking ruins. It seems that someone came along and even took the time to give the guy?s poor dog a proper burial. It could have just been a friend of the guy, but it?s possible that it was the Royce Athlazar who was living there. He?s a woodcutter so there?s a good chance he wouldn?t have been at home when the military paid his home a visit.[/B]? He explained.

?[B]Is there any way you can check further without drawing attention to yourself?[/B]? William asked.

?[B]I?m staying in the town closest to where he lives since I?m picking up a shipment tomorrow. I understand he usually carries his huge axe everywhere so I?ll try to get to him before the military does. I?ve already got the papers for exporting a slave to another planet, so if I can just find him I?m all set.[/B]? He finished.

?[B]I?ll keep coming to sector twelve then, let me know if you manage to find him or not. We can?t afford to keep losing potential members like this.[/B]? William said.

?[B]Understood.[/B]? The merchant said as he signed off.

William sighed and leaned back, reaching up with his hands to massage his temples before finally getting up and going back to the bridge. Every day it just seemed to get harder and harder to stay ahead of the military, he wasn?t a quitter, but sometimes it felt like he was doomed to fail. He took a deep breath to regain his composure; the last thing he wanted was the others to see him like that.

[CENTER]-------------[/CENTER]

Once again cloaked in shadows those who oversaw the Versilan Empire were gathered in the massive room where they had addressed a figure wrapped in a cloak. This time the one facing them was not hidden but wearing openly the uniform of one of the elite military unit Commanders. Unsure as to why he had been summoned he waited patiently for them to speak.

?[B]We have a traitor among our midst.[/B]? One of them finally spoke up.

The man facing them waited patiently for them to continue.

?[B]We want you to deal with it as the necessary proof needs to be gathered.[/B]? They continued.

?[B]What do you wish me to do?[/B]? The man finally asked.

?[B]First you must test the one who will replace him. Who would you recommend?[/B]?

The man thought about it for a moment and then finally replied. ?[B]If you are looking for a replacement Kiva Salqarian would be a good choice. She excels at hand-to-hand combat and with the HM-SS.7. She?s also a skilled hacker and has a good track record of exposing would be resistance members. I have already been considering her for a promotion.[/B]?

?[B]Test her then, the suspected traitor is Ryan. Our information indicates that he is selling military goods on the black market. Tell her that someone is doing so and see if she can figure out who it is. If she succeeds have her execute Ryan, if she fails, execute her instead and find another candidate.[/B]? They finished.

?[B]Isn?t that a little harsh? And wasn?t Ryan working for Jared who serves on the Crimson?[/B]? The elite military Commander asked.

?[B]Jared is the one who informed us of Ryan?s suspected activity. If he were not already assigned elsewhere we would have had him deal with Ryan.[/B]? They answered.

?[B]I see, I?ll give Kiva Salqarian the assignment immediately. I assume that the knowledge that this is a test of her abilities remains between us?[/B]? He asked.

?[B]You assume correctly[/B].? They replied.

The commander bowed and said before leaving. ?[B]I?ll see to it at once then.[/B]?[/color]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Any other time Jared would have found watching Commander Darren?s attempts to be calm amusing, but not today. Even his good looks weren?t enough to keep Jared from feeling irritated at the delay. If they weren?t quick enough the resistance would get to Jason?s sister Sara first. He was even more irritated that he couldn?t hand over this mess to Ryan since he had turned out to be unreliable. Jared had handed the matter in regards to Ryan over to the High Council, but they had yet to resolve the issue and he had not found a replacement to take his place yet.

It pained him to admit it, but lately the military was spread a little to thin. A number of battleships along with troops had been called elsewhere leaving the rest of them picking up the slack. There literally was no one else he could hand this task over too. Commander Crystal had been called to this area, but she was a doctor and hardly qualified for this type of investigation. [I]Just what the hell is the High Council up to? [/I]Jared thought, he had suspicions, but he hoped he was wrong, because if he was right, it would be a stupid move on their part.

With a sigh he pulled his attention back to checking the cargo, they had been at it for hours since each section of the crystals had to be stored in separate containers and then separated by containment fields. Which meant he had to scan each section manually. Two of his security crew were off with Darren?s only crewmember on the bridge checking through their computer records. They were tied in with the specialist over on the Crimson making sure that the clearance data was indeed genuine.

Jared finished scanning the final container. A quick check on his handheld device showed that the information he had been given in regards to the cargo matched. He contacted Sandra, ignoring Darren altogether.

?[B]What is it Jared,[/B]? she asked.

?[B]I?ve finished checking the cargo and everything is in order. Have you gotten a response from sector six yet?[/B]? He asked her.

?[B]No but we have gotten a message for you from Earth, do you want me to forward it to you?[/B]? She asked.

?[B]Please do.[/B]? Jared replied. ?[B]What about the team checking their computer records?[/B]?

?[B]So far everything matches in that area as well, I?ll let you know when they are finished.[/B]? Sandra said before terminating the connection.

A moment later the data with the message from Earth came up on his handheld device. He could see Darren out of the corner of his eye waiting for instructions. Jared ignored him in favor of reading the report from the agents who were suppose to be keeping an eye on Sara. It included all the videos they had taken of her with various people she was acquainted with and more importantly a file with each person?s picture together with her listed in the order that they had initially take the picture. Much better than the lame summary they had sent him before. That had been completely useless.

He quickly tabbed through the different pictures only to pause a few times as if he couldn?t believe what he was seeing. He pulled up another file and then compared the pictures with one another. There were slight differences, but it was them. And if the dates were correct they had been on Earth for nearly four months.

Jared turned to address the two remaining security with him. ?[B]Take Darren to the bridge and join the others, I?ll be along in a moment.[/B]? He watched them leave and then opened up the channel with Sandra once again.

?[B]What is it Jared?[/B]? She asked.

?[B]I?m sending you something I want you to take a look at.[/B]? He said even as he entered the commands to send the pictures to her. Then he waited patiently for her response.

?[B]Interesting, Ryan was the one who put those operatives in place for you correct? [/B]" She asked.

?[B]Yes, if I hadn?t already turned the matter of his duplicity over to the High Council I would take the time to pry the information out of him myself. He should have forwarded the information to me immediately.[/B]? Jared said angrily.

?[B]We need to get to Earth before it?s too late, I don?t want those two escaping us yet again.[/B]? Sandra replied and then hesitated at the beeping sound indicating another message was coming in. ?[B]Just a moment Jared, I?ll tie you in as it seems the reply from sector six has finally arrived.[/B]?

Jared waited a moment and then read through the information once it come through to his handheld device. He clenched his hands in anger when he realized what had happened. This was far more than a simple mix up and there was no way he could ascertain whether or not Darren was innocent of any wrongdoing, at least not without a lengthy investigation.

?[B]Have you finished reading it Jared?[/B]? Sandra asked once she was done.

?[B]I have Commander,[/B]? he said still furious over the deception.

?[B]Good, I want you to round up both Commander Darren and his crew and place them under arrest, we need to get to Earth and I don?t intend to be delayed by the investigation. It?s just a little to pat for my comfort that this sort of thing happened just at the right moment to interrupt our assignment to Earth. Assign a helmsman to Commander Darren?s ship and have them bring it along, we can sort this out after we?ve picked up the criminals on Earth.[/B]? Sandra ordered.

?[B]Understood Commander,[/B]? Jared replied. He closed the handheld device and headed towards the bridge, if Darren wasn?t innocent, he would make sure he regretted getting in his way. With a snarl of irritation he kicked some empty containers that were near the door to the cargo bay, scattering them across the floor as the door opened and then closed behind him as he left to head for the bridge. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Rachmaninoff]

[I]So much for getting a bonus for delivering before the deadline[/I], Darren thought as he sighed inwardly. Even though his ship was a smaller transport ship, he had modified it and installed automated loading and unloading equipment making the need for a full crew of twenty redundant. And then to make up for the expense, he had sixteen of the twenty quarters removed and changed into another area for storing cargo. [I]No[/I] he thought with resignation, [I]this is going to take hours and hours to scan each and every section of crystals. I?ll be lucky to break even after this delay. [/I]

When they got to the point where the corridor branched in three directions, Jared sent Mike along with two of the security personal to the bridge with instructions to work with someone over at the Crimson on verifying the information in his main computer. Then showing that he had already looked at the layout of his ship, Jared took the lead with Darren and the security struggling to keep up. He went first to the modified section and then to the main hold to finish up. Ignoring Darren completely other than the occasional question or two.

The whole experience was a bit surreal. Darren was use to working with inspection personal in the military that were to be frank inept. Taking hours to do what he could do in a fraction of the time. But Jared was another matter; he had never seen anyone as quick and as though as he was. If he were anyone else, Darren would have been impressed. The last check he had been required to go through had taken nearly half a day, Jared was close to wrapping up and it hadn?t even been three hours yet.

It just didn?t add up. Usually someone with a reputation like he had was anything but efficient, depending upon their position to take advantage of others. It made him wonder if the rumors were actually true. Though the few times their eyes had met he had felt uneasy. [I]I wonder how Mike is faring?[/I] He thought. His attention was brought back to the immediate present as Jared finished and after checking his handheld computer/communicator he contacted the Crimson, but Darren could not hear what was being said.

Another few minutes reading something on his handheld and Jared ordered the others to take him to the bridge. Darren winced when their eyes met again. This time there was no mistaking it, he was annoyed. Darren didn?t get a chance to find out what had annoyed him since the security personal made it clear he was to go with them to the bridge immediately.

The eerie silence as they walked through the corridors towards the bridge along with the faint clicks and jingles from their equipment as they walked was a bit unsettling. And when they walked into the bridge it got worse. Mike was sitting at the helmsman position at the front near the main viewer with the two other security personal standing behind him. Another person on the viewer was asking Mike questions that were obviously designed to catch him in a lie. [I]They think we modified our clearance![/I] Darren winced inwardly. [I]I just hope Mike hasn?t said anything stupid. [/I]

Mike tended to get flustered a little to easily and was fond of making cracks at the military in general. Something that could all to easily be taken out of context as it had happened in the past. The others turned to see who had entered and then went back to what they were doing. Darren took that as an indication that he was not needed and sat down in the other seat next to Mike.

He didn?t have to wait long; Darren had only been on the bridge for ten minutes when Jared entered the bridge, his expression one of anger. Then without any form of explanation he ordered his men to arrest him and Mike. Darren stood up to protest only to halt at the look of fury in Jared?s eyes. But Mike didn?t even catch it, in a flash he was up and striding towards Jared.

?[B]What the Hell?[/B]? Mike exclaimed his fists clenched in anger, ?[B]We?re being arrested when it was your own damn military goons who screwed up our clearance?[/B]?

Darren moved to stop Mike only to come up short at the sound of the security officers preparing to fire their disruptors. ?[B]Mike![/B]? He said through clenched teeth. ?[B]Shut up![/B]?

Mike turned to look back at Darren. ?[B]Shut up? You?re telling ME to shut up?[/B]? Mike asked with disbelief. ?[B]If anyone needs to shut up it?s these damn stuck up pigs who think they can walk all over anyone they please![/B]?

?[B]You?re not helping things Mike![/B]? Darren barked. ?[B]That?s enough![/B]?

Mike stood there stunned at being ordered by Darren to shut up. But when the closest security guard took that as an indication of surrender and reached out to take Mike?s arm, Mike instinctively turned and slugged him in the face, knocking him down.

Reaction to Mike?s attack was swift as the other guards mowed him down before he could react; the effect of the stun blast knocked him off his feet and into Darren. Instinctively he caught him and then let go as two of the guards came forward and took Mike?s unconscious body from him.

Darren narrowed his eyes in anger; ?[B]Just what are we under arrest for sub-commander. I?ve done everything you?ve asked and complied with all the necessary rules and regulations pertaining to my cargo. You owe me an explanation.[/B]?

Jared walked over until he was standing less than a foot from Darren. Without warning he punched Darren hard in the stomach knocking the breath out of him. He started to buckle over from the pain only to be brought up short by Jared grabbing him by the neck with his right hand and his shirt with his left hand, pulling his face towards his until they were mere inches apart.

?[B]You are in a restricted area Commander,[/B]? he said icily. ?[B]The moment you crossed that line you lost any rights to an explanation.[/B]? He paused a moment as Darren gasped for air and then let go only to punch him in the stomach again, ignoring Darren?s grunt of pain as he fell to the floor.

?[B]Your clearance was obtained by someone hacking into the system and not though one of those [I]stuck up pigs [/I]as your fellow crewmember so colorfully put it. By law I could execute you right now, but instead I?m taking your sorry ass along with that fool you call Mike with us.[/B]?

Darren tried to get up only to have Jared backhand him into the console behind him. He slid to the floor on his left side half curled up into a fetal position fighting to stay conscious. He had been in a few fights in his life, but no one had ever hit him so hard before. He could see Jared?s boots as he walked towards where he was lying on the floor. He cringed and closed his eyes expecting the worst.

?[B]The next time you open that pretty mouth of yours, you would do well to remember to think first.[/B]? Jared said coldly. ?[B]I intend to get to the bottom of this and see who is truly responsible, any further outbursts from Mike or stupid demands for explanations will not be tolerated.[/B]?

Darren opened his eyes again when he heard Jared moving away from him and breathed a sigh of relief. He could taste blood in his mouth where he had accidentally bitten the side of his cheek when Jared had backhanded him. He was wondering what to do next when Jared beat him to it.

?[B]Put him in with the other one.[/B]? Jared ordered his men.

Darren offered no resistance when they came over to get him.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=darkslateblue]Kiva wasn't used to receiving orders from someone like Elite Commander Christopher Hays. Oh, she'd had orders that originated from people of his rank, but she never receieved them directly. Her current assignment marked the first time that an Elite Commander had contacted her directly, which indicated that this particular assignment was quite important. And Kiva had to agree that it was.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kiva's assignment was to discover the identity of a black-market salesman. This particular individual was selling military equipment, including weaponry, which meant that he or she was most likely a member of the military and thus a traitor. In addition, the traitor was operating in sector one. This was quite the problem, as new millitary technology appeared in sector one first. There was actually a chance, thanks to this traitor, that enemies of the Empire would have the imperial millitary's new equipment before parts of the inperial military did. So yes, Kiva's assignment was quite important.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]As an undercover Resistance agent, Kiva didn't like exposing traitors to the Empire, because they were likely on the same side. She knew that she had to, though, so she did it. The imperial operative Kiva, however, liked doing so very much. She always enjoyed such assignments, and she received quite a few of them, thanks to her exemplary record of success at such assignments.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]The fact that Kiva both liked and disliked exposing traitors to the Empire actually wasn't unusual for her. The reason that she was so skilled at the art of deceit was her talent for essentially acting in accordance with a seperate personality. Basically, at any one time Kiva would think and act like one of two different versions of herself. These two versions of herself were, of course, the imperial operative and the Resistance agent that was who she really was.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kiva had previously been stationed in sector one, which was probably one of the reasons she'd been chosen to track down the traitor who was operating within the sector. Because she was already in sector one, travel time wasn't an issue, so she could get to work right away, which she did.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]The first step in uncovering the traitor's identity was to bring up shipping records. She also brought up records of millitary shipments. That particular information was classified, but Kiva's clearance was high enough to access most of it. Some shipments were beyond her level of clearance, though, but she didn't let this stop her. It took some work, but eventually she hacked her way in and retrieved the information, then pulled out, leaving no trace that she'd ever been into those files in the first place.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kiva examined the millitary shipment data, marking the shipments that had missing items. These items would be the ones that the traitor was selling. By comparing the dates of the marked shipments with the shipping records, Kiva began narrowing down which ships were buying the missing items. When she was finished, only one ship stood out: the [i]Condor[/i], a vessel under the command of one Jennifer Beckly. The missing items weren't listed in [i]Condor[/i]'s cargo manifests, of course, but the dates marked Beckly's ship as the most likely recipient.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kiva'd identified the most likely recipient of the traitor's stolen equipment, but she wasn't done yet. She still needed to find out who the traitor was. Kiva's next step was to access millitary personnel records. She had clearance to access the information she was looking for, which was the service records. By examining them, Kiva was able to identify who'd been in sector one at the same time as Beckly. Next, Kiva examined those individuals' records more closely, identifying who was stationed where within the sector at what time. Kiva made special note of individuals whose precise whereabouts were not accounted for when the [i]Condor[/i] was in port. When she was done with this phase of her analysis, she'd managed to narrow down the field to just a few people. Of these people, only one had clearance to get to the equipment that had been taken and sold. His name was Ryan Stevens.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kiva knew that Hays would be pleased at how quickly she'd identified the traitor. She'd only been at it for about a week and a half. Although such a thing would have been done very quickly in fiction, in real life it took a lot longer. The reason for this was because such tasks usually required a lot of tedious, time-consuming work, such as Kiva's examinations of the various records she'd used. Kiva used a couple programs that she'd written herself to help speed up the process, but she still needed to do a lot of it herself, and that took time. But it was time well-spent, for Kiva'd been able to identify the likely culprit.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kiva accessed Ryan's personnel file again and began douple-checking her information in order to insure that she hadn't made a mistake. It wouldn't do to accuse him of being the traitor if, say, he'd been in a different sector when he was supposedly making a sale in sector one. So she accessed his file, and this time she wanted full access to it. She didn't have that access, though, which meant a little more hacking before she was able to view Ryan's entire file.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]By examining Ryan's file, Kiva was able to confirm her previous information. Ryan, it seemed, was indeed the traitor. And then Kiva saw something that took her completely by suprise. One of the classified portions of Ryan's file marked him as an identified traitor. And this particular entry had been added [i]before[/i] Kiva'd been assigned to identify him. The entry stated that Ryan had first been identified as a traitor by Sub-Commander Jared of the [i]Crimson[/i]. Kiva checked to see who'd made the entry, and found that it was none other than Elite Commander Christopher Hays.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Now this is unexpected," Kiva said to herself. Still, she did know of a potention reason for Hays assigning her to determine the traitor's identity. The most likely reason was that Hays had wanted confirmation of Ryan's treason from a source with no prior knowledge, thus avoiding any possible subjective influence from the confirmation. So Kiva thought that she had it figured out, but then one of her programs flagged her. This particular program was designed to detect any deletions that had been made, and it had found some. Kiva immidiatly went to work trying to reconstruct the deleted information. but she wasn't able to do much. However, she did succeed in identifying who'd made the deletions. Every alteration left a particular electronic signature that differed depending on who was making the changes. And the signature on the deleted information was the same as that on Hays' entry about Ryan's treason.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Over the next couple days, Kiva obtained as much information about Hays as she could, both legitimately and through hacking. Eventually, Kiva had eliminated all reasonable doubt; Hays was a traitor, and was working with Ryan and Jennifer. He clearly intended to sacrifice Ryan, but this was apparently because he had no choice. After all, Jared had already identified Ryan as a traitor; if Hays hadnt't followed up on that, he would have fallen under suspicion, so he'd had no choice but to sacrifice Ryan. Unfortunately for him, however, it hadn't worked. Hays had covered his tracks quite well, but he hadn't quite done a good enough job to fool Kiva. He undoubtably thought that he had, or else he wouldn't have given her the assignment of identifying Ryan, but he hadn't.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]The day after she had conclusively determined Hays' treason, Kiva arrived in person at the Council Hall, where the High Council was currently in session. Kiva had with her a data chip containing a detailed report of her findings. She approached the front desk and handed it to the secretary, along with her identification. "I need this data chip delivered to the High Council immediately," she said. "Priority Omega. Deliver it now, and hand it to the Council personally. Also, carry to the Council my request for a personal meeting regarding the contents of this data chip."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]The secretary looked suprised, which Kiva had expected. Omega was a rarely-used priority code. Odds were the secretary had never been given anything of Omega priority before. But she did know what to do in case of an Omega. After verifying Kiva's identity, she returned Kiva's identification and said, "Understood. I will do so immediately. Please wait here." And with that, the secretary hurried off towards the council chamber.[/color]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Celestia stood with Jason out on the balcony of Daniel and Kim?s apartment, watching for Kim and Sara to arrive. She had forgotten just how beautiful the mountains in Colorado were. How relaxing the smell of pine trees was, for a moment she could almost forget all that had happened in the past year. She sighed as she leaned into Jason wrapping her arm around his waist as he put his arm around her shoulders. It was both a bittersweet and painful thing to be back on Earth.

?[B]What?s on your mind?[/B]? Jason asked her.

?[B]I?m wondering if it?s wise to show her the underground base so quickly.[/B]? Celestia replied.

Jason chuckled, ?[B]Unless Sara has changed, it?s the best way to convince her.[/B]?

?[B]I know,[/B]? Celestia, replied, ?[B]I just wish we didn?t have to involve her in any of this.[/B]?

Jason started to reply and then stopped when several cars entered the parking lot. Daniel had said that the car Kim was driving was white and sure enough when one of the cars stopped and the occupants got out, there was no mistaking Sara with her long black hair and graceful movements.[I] I?m really going to see her again![/I] He thought excitedly. There had been a time when he doubted he ever would get to see her again.

Celestia let go of Jason once Kim and Sara had entered the building, she held back as he went over to the glass doors to the balcony once the door opened and Sara followed by Kim entered. She watched until Jason motioned her forward. She could see the confusion in Sara?s eyes when Jason mentioned showing her where they had been and she could understand it.

?[B]Show me?[/B]? Sara asked confused. ?[B]What do you mean by that?[/B]?

?[B]You?ll see,[/B]? Daniel, replied even as he pulled out a handheld computer/communicator and entered the command to open a transportation door.

?[B]Bloody hell![/B]? Sara exclaimed when the door opened up. ?[B]What is that?[/B]?

?[B]It?s a transportation door,[/B]? Daniel replied before stepping through.

Sara watched on in disbelief as Kim and Celestia quickly followed Daniel through the strange door of light.

?[B]Shall we?[/B]? Jason asked Sara.

?[B]You?re kidding right?[/B]? Sara asked him.

?[B]Trust me.[/B]? Jason replied.

Sara looked at Jason narrowing her eyes before responding, ?[B]Are you taking lessons from Kim?[/B]?

?[B]Lessons?[/B]? Jason asked puzzled as to what she was referring too.

Sara sighed, ?[B]Both of you are just [I]so helpful[/I] today.[/B]? With a toss of her hair she clenched her eyes shut and walked through the door. A moment later Jason followed her and then the door disappeared. Leaving the apartment empty.

Jason followed his sister though the transportation door to the underground base. It was a toss up as to who was more surprised by the place as though he had heard about it from William and Celestia while helping her and other resistance members write the shielding program for it, he had yet to actually see it.

The first room they transported into was just off of the main room where the facilities for preparing food were and then as they followed Daniel who was already walking towards the main doors leading to the next section he saw another hallway that if he remembered the plans correctly, lead to the quarters for those who were staying here.

Once they arrived at the doors, Daniel stopped and took a moment to explain where everything was, and then he went through the door and down the hallway explaining where each branch went. Finally they came to the main command center where it was clear that who ever had built it was not from Earth.

From the sleek computer consoles, to the huge viewer screen, it was very similar to the bridge of a battleship, though much smaller. And the materials for the walls were of the same substance used on the ships.

Sara stopped her eyes wide at what she was seeing, ?[b]Just what is going on here?[/b]? [/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=Red]It had been nearly a week since Crystal had voiced her concerns to High Command, but other than a brief reply along the lines that she had her orders, she had heard nothing else. Within a week she would be in sector thirteen and nearly prepared for what they wished her to do. Sometimes she wished she was back to just being a regular doctor, but ever since she had specialized in genetics she had been pretty much told she was working for the military whether she liked it or not.

She sighed. Normally she just ignored her orders, as they were stupid anyway, not that she didn?t do what she was told, she just did it how she felt like doing it. But this time High Command was firm in that it was going to be done their way. And if the person in question wasn?t the sister of the human Jason, she probably wouldn?t have cared. But on some level she kind of felt sorry for them and what they had in mind, though useful, was in her opinion cruel and inhumane.

Irritated by her train of thought she got up and with a short order to her sub-commander to take over she left the bridge. This time she was too caught up in thinking about her orders to really pay attention to the crew as they went about their duties. The still had the same questioning look of why she was in command, but she didn?t care. Ignoring them she headed straight for her quarters and then pulled up the information at her workstation. [I]Maybe I?ll get lucky and the resistance will have already picked her up[/I]. She thought with irritation. [I]Then I can do real research instead of the equivalent of pulling the wings off of an insect just to see it squirm. [/I]

Because in her opinion, having someone who didn?t understand genetics pulling the shots was a fool who shouldn?t have even been allowed to be created in the first place. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Jared resisted the urge to yawn. He had been researching what had happened in regards to how commander Darren had received clearance. His instincts told him that Darren was innocent and even if he wasn?t Jared had never been the type to just execute someone for something they had not done. One didn?t get to the rank of sub-commander by showing poor judgment. And executing someone for someone else?s mistake was just the sort of thing Jared found distasteful as it implied that he was inefficient and incapable of finding out the truth.

Besides if he were honest with himself, Darren was rather cute and if he was guilty?he could certainly use another diversion. Mike on the other hand, he would have no issue outright executing him should that turn out to be the case. That one was an idiot and Jared had no use for idiots. The few times he had spoken had grated on Jared?s nerves, enough that he had pretty much avoided both of them since he had them arrested. Leaving them to wonder what their fate would be as he wasn?t in the mood to even look at Mike let alone talk to him.

If only the High Council would find a replacement for Ryan. He had heard that they had someone working on it but apparently they weren?t finished yet. He would prefer to hand it over to someone who was skilled at hacking. Jared was good at it but not as good as true hackers were. He was better at interrogations. He sighed catching the attention of Commander Sandra.

?[B]It?s not like you to mope Jared.[/B]? She teased him.

Jared looked up from the screen on the console in front of him and over to Sandra who was watching him from her position on the bridge, her look one of amusement.

?[B]You?ve been working on that for several days now, don?t you plan on questioning Commander Darren and his crew?[/B]? She asked.

Jared looked away uncomfortably at her question only to turn back when Sandra outright giggled at him.

?[B]Jared, you?re so easy to read in regards to Mike. If you want me to handle his interrogation, all you have to do is ask. Even I can see that he irritates you. Darren on the other hand is definitely your type.[/B]? She said with a wink.

?[B]I?m sorry Sandra, I should have said something sooner. You?re right. Mike does annoy the hell out of me and I find myself even more annoyed that he even bothers me like that. He?s so stupid that it?s painful, which is part of why I just can?t see him being the one responsible for hacking the system.?[/B] Jared replied.

?[B]I agree, I get the impression that both of them are blameless. With our current assignment it?s too convenient that he was given clearance that would just happen to put him in our path. And I find it hard to believe that they would risk being executed just to make a profit. Especially when their cargo is perfectly legal.[/B]? Sandra paused for a moment, tapping her fingers on the armrest of her chair before continuing. ?[B]My hunch is that someone used them as a diversion. Especially since we now know that both former Commander Daniel and Sub-Commander Kim are on Earth with Jason?s sister.[/B]?

Jared nodded. ?[B]I know, it would explain Ryan?s duplicity in not revealing that fact. If he is indeed involved in illegal weapons trading as my information indicates, the last thing he would want is for us to pick them up and return to sector one. The fact that he was the one who located them would have garnered too much attention from the High Council towards him. He was probably hoping they would leave Earth before we got there, just to cover his own back. Whether or not they were wanted criminals wouldn?t matter. [/B]?

?[B]Forgetting Ryan, for the moment, I will handle the questioning in regards to Mike since I get the feeling he fails to grasp the seriousness of their situation. ?[/B] Sandra ordered. ?[B]Where you can handle questioning Darren. You don?t even have to deal with Mike, just have security move Darren to where we deal with those who [I]are [/I]criminals. Even if you don?t plan on using more strict methods, just being taken there will help to remind him of just how serious this situation really is. Even if he is innocent, by military law we could execute both of them for being in a restricted zone.?[/B]

?[B]I understand Commander,[/B]? Jared replied. ?[B]And I?ll take you up on the offer to deal with Mike. Especially since I?d rather just jettison him into space.[/B]?

Sandra snickered. ?[B]I agree, especially after hearing what an idiot he was from our own computer specialist who initially questioned him.[/B]?

Jared turned back to his console and closed down the information he was working on. He could finish it tomorrow after he questioned Commander Darren further. Especially since until he received more of the computer records and shipping information for sector six, he couldn?t finish verifying the rest of the information he had so far. Finding out who had hacked the system wasn?t a simple process, it took hours of tedious searching to rule out those who had accessed the system for legitimate reasons. Part of why he preferred having someone else take care of it for him.

He sighed as he got up and left the bridge to head for his quarters. At least dealing with Darren would be more entertaining. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

?[B]Just what is going on here?[/B]?

Daniel took that as his cue to take over, as he was the one who usually explained things to anyone who was being recruited to join the resistance. Though for Sara he included a short summary explaining how both Jason and Celestia had initially been imprisoned by the military and how the reports of their deaths was inaccurate as they had not been in the building when it was destroyed. He went on further to explain how they had been forced to cooperate with the Versilan Military until they were later rescued by one of the key leaders of the resistance.

It took a while as he also explained just what the Versilan Empire was and how they had been expanding their influence throughout the galaxy by literally taking over other worlds and turning the inhabitants into slaves to serve them. It took a while and to Daniel?s surprise Sara was quiet the whole time. That is until he asked her if she had any questions.

?[B]Questions? I have quite a few of them, not including the more obvious one of why I should believe this isn?t some stupid military getup instead of an alien invasion threat.[/B]? Sara narrowed her eyes, as she was still annoyed at Jason. ?[B]But what I want to know is if you were all rescued over six months ago, why wait until now to tell me?[/B]?

Darren saw the spark of anger in her eyes and having been forewarned by Jason at how stubborn and willful his sister could be he moved to nip that line of thinking immediately.

?[B]It?s because you have failed to grasp just how serious this situation really is,[/B]? he said with a hint of steel in his voice. ?[B]Both Celestia and Jason are listed as wanted criminals by the Versilan Empire and the bounty on their heads is enough to tempt any would be bounty hunter to search for them. Before you jump to conclusions over any perceived lack of consideration on our part you would do well to actually give us the time to properly explain everything that is going on. I can?t condense the history of my people and everything that has happened to your brother over the last year into a few hours so easily.[/B]?

Darren paused for a moment watching Sara to gauge her reaction to his implication that she was expecting too much to quickly.

?[B]Then how long is this explanation going to take?[/B]? Sara finally asked.

Darren pulled out a small hand held device and tossed it to Sara who deftly caught it.

?[B]Everything you need to know is listed there. I?ve even programmed it to display things as if they were files listed on the main desktop of a computer here on Earth so you won?t have any trouble accessing it. However, since that contains technology that is not of your world, it cannot leave this base. I would recommend calling in to your work and staying here for a couple of days to read through it and address any questions you might have to Celestia or Jason as they will be staying here until they leave Earth in about a week.[/B]? He told her.

Sara, who had been checking out the handheld device that Daniel had tossed her stopped to look back up at him over what he had just said. ?[B]What do you mean?[/B]? She turned to address Jason, ?[B]You?re not staying?[/B]?

He shook his head, ?[B]I can?t. Whether or not you believe me Sara, I have no choice.[/B]? He looked away before continuing. ?[B]It?s in one of the files Daniel wants you to read, but before Celestia and I were rescued, we were both genetically modified to better match the Versilan people. If Earth?s government were ever to find out, and in time they would since both Celestia and I will not age like everyone else. At that point they would be after us as well in order to do experiments to find out why we haven?t aged like everyone else.[/B]?

?[B]What do you mean when say you won?t age like everyone else?[/B]? Sara asked clearly confused.

?[B]Versilans live closer to three hundred years,[/B]? Jason replied. ?[B]Take Daniel, he may look like he?s in his early twenties, but he?s actually 53 years old.[/B]?

Sara started to reply but Jason cut her off. ?[B]Please do as Daniel asks and take the time to at least read through everything before deciding whether or not you believe us. I don?t want to leave without taking you with us[/B].?

Sara just stood there, not sure what to think of all that she had been told.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]The High Council was still in session when the secretary entered through a door that let her into the alcove where the members were seated and yet kept the rest of the people in the room from being able to see that someone had entered the chamber. No one would ever interrupt a meeting unless there was a good reason for it and the secretary waited patiently while the council put the meeting on hold until further notice. Once the people had left they motioned the secretary to come forward.

Though the secretary had never used it before, they knew the protocol for handling a Priority Omega message and without hesitation they handed over the data chip and relayed Kiva?s request for an audience. A request that was met with an order for the secretary to escort Kiva to guest quarters while they reviewed the report and that they would call for her once they were ready. The secretary bowed and left immediately to carry out the High Council?s wishes.

Once the secretary left they immediately accessed the data chip to see why Kiva had bypassed Elite Commander Christopher Hays and had come directly to them instead. There were very few reasons as to why she would have actually used the Omega Priority clearance to access them instead of Commander Hays. It didn?t take long to see why, not only had she figured out that the traitor was Ryan in spite of being given very little to go on, she had uncovered additional treachery as well. The Merchant Jennifer was of little consequence, but Elite Commander Hays was another matter altogether.

One of the members opened up a channel and contacted a special task force that answered only to the High Council; quickly he issued orders for the immediate arrest of Ryan, Jennifer and Christopher. They were to be brought before the council immediately. He turned the channel off and turned back to his colleagues.

?[B]It seems that Ryan was the least of our problems.[/B]? He said.

?[B]Agreed, though Kiva has proven she would be a suitable replacement, talent such as hers would be wasted on an elite military Unit.[/B]? One of them replied.

?[B]I concur,[/B]? another member said. ?[B]I?ve been checking into her past record and she has an excellent success rate. I?m surprised that Elite Commander Hays chose her.[/B]?

One of the other members laughed, ?[B]You wouldn?t say that if you truly knew Hays. He may have been good at his job, but he?s an arrogant SOB, which is why he probably chose her. He probably thought that since she hadn?t been put through the additional training an elite officer has that she wouldn?t be able to figure it out.[/B]?

?[B]In that case I propose we give her the new Elite Specialist position since Elite Commander Hays will no longer be able to accept it.[/B]? One of them suggested.

?[B]Very well then, unless there are no objections, Kiva will be given the assignment. We can always promote someone else in the military to replace Ryan. And I?m sure Hays?s sub-commander will have no trouble taking his place.[/B]? The first one who had spoke said.

The others nodded their agreement.

?[B]As for the traitors, once they?ve been brought here they are to be stripped of all ranks and privileges and executed immediately.[/B]? He continued.

Then he pulled up the link to the secretary?s desk and issued an order for Kiva to be brought to them immediately.[/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

It had been close to a week since Darren had been unceremoniously dumped into the cell with Mike. He had expected to be interrogated immediately, not left in the tiny cell to rot. Other than the one visit by the ward of the detention block, where he and Mike were given non-descript gray clothing to wear and their own personal possessions were taken. No one had visited them for any reason other than to give them some tasteless ration bars each day for food.

Other than the gray walls and low beds that were attached to the walls along with a small room for personal needs such as a shower, there was literally nothing to do. No workstation, no form of outside contact. Not even an option for contacting whoever was in charge of the detention area. And they couldn?t even turn off the harsh bright lights that clearly lit both rooms.

Darren sighed as he stretched lazily, he was lying on his back on the small bed while staring up at the ceiling. Something that was not his idea of fun. And Mike had been strangely quiet since he had woken up. Other than to inquire if Darren was okay since by the time Mike woke up Darren was sporting quite the bruise on his right cheek where Jared had hit him. Something that Darren had been quick to point out was due to his stupidity.

But now, thanks to being a Versilan as they healed much quicker than other races, the bruise in question had already healed. Not that it would do him much good if the military decided to execute him. Darren winced at the thought. He had forgotten that trespassing into a restricted zone was punishable by death. The last time a sector had been restricted was well over twenty years ago. And even then when he had been given his clearance, the stupid fools hadn?t told him that the area was restricted. If he had known that he would have skipped sector thirteen altogether.

The High Council, or High Command as others had been known to call them, were anything but forgiving. Whether or not he was innocent was irrelevant in their eyes and Darren knew it. He sighed again; [I]I wonder what?s happened to my ship?[/I] His train of thought was interrupted at the sound of the cell door opening. Two security personal came in and went straight over to Mike and woke him. To his credit, for once Mike kept his mouth shut and simply followed their instructions to come with him.

[I]At least the idiot kept his mouth shut this time.[/I] Daren thought as he watched them leave. [I]I just hope he keeps being smart[/I]. Though he doubted it. [I]No, I should hope that Jared or whoever questions him is the smart one. [/I]

Again the door to the cell opened as two more security personal entered the cell. Darren beat them to it by getting up.

?[B]My turn huh?[/B]? He asked.

?[B]Correct Commander Darren,[/B]? one of the replied. ?[B]This way.[/B]?

Darren did as he was told and followed the one motioning for him to come while the other one brought up the rear. Any other time he would have been thrilled to see the inside of a battleship. Most civilians never got to see it in person. And as they took him through various corridors, it was clear that the Crimson was meticulously maintained. The corridors were well lit and clean and the personal they passed were all cleanly dressed and professional. Even a technician who was replacing a panel for one of the lights was neat and organized in a manner designed to not restrict the flow of the crew. It was in short, impressive.

The further the guards took him the less busy it became. It was still maintained just as well, but Darren began to wonder just where they were taking him. He had been expecting some form of conference type room like the small one he had just off the bridge of his own ship. But now he had no idea what to expect. The further they went, the more he felt unsettled by it.

When the door to the room they were taking him too opened, he stopped at the entrance in shock. Darren had heard that the military was not above using torture and other methods to get the information they needed, but he had never seen it with his own eyes. There was no mistaking the purpose of the various straps and wires that were part of a chair that was fastened to the floor. Nor the table with chairs on the other side facing it as it was obviously for whom ever was in charge.

A gentle push from the guard behind reminded him that he needed to keep moving. He moved another few steps into the room and stopped yet again. [I]They can?t seriously be planning on actually torturing me! [/I]He thought.

?[B]Please take a seat.[/B]? One of the guards said, indicating the chair with the straps and wires.

Darren just stood there frozen in place, his heart pounding in fear.

?[B]I have no orders to secure you Commander, so please take a seat.[/B]? The guard said in response to Darren?s look of panic.

Hesitantly Darren moved to the chair and gently sat down, half expecting something to happen. But when nothing did and the guards merely took up positions on either side of him, he relaxed a tiny bit. Something that was short lived and faded when the door opened again and sub-commander Jared entered the room.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=#483d8b]As Kiva walked on board the [i]Catalyst[/i], she thought back on the events of the last few days. Things had happened quickly after she'd delivered the evidence against Hays to the High Council. After the High Council had reaqched a decision, they'd had Kiva brought to them. Kiva was expecting this to be a mere formality; a priority Omega report was required to be confirmed verbally by the person giving the report. But this meeting had turned out to be more than that. The usual formalities were present, of course, and Kiva was been informed of the Council's decision to excecute the traitors, a decision which didn't suprise Kiva, as this was standard policy. Treason was punishable by death. It was what she was told next that took her by surprise.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Kiva," one of the councilors had said, "you are aware, as you stated in your report, that we had been informed of Ryan's treason before assigning you to identify him. There were actually two reasons that we gave you the assignment anyways. You correctly identified one of them; we did indeed want independant confirmation of Ryan's treason. But that wasan't the only reason. We needed someone to replace Ryan onboard the [i]Crimson[/i], and we decided that you would be given the position if you successfully identified him."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"So it was a test of sorts," Kiva remarked.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Correct. Any needless to say, you passed. In fact, you discovered more than we expected, as we had no idea that Hays was also a traitor. Hays did a very good job covering his tracks, so your discovery of his treason is commendable. We've also reviewed your performance record, and it would seem that you are an individual of considerable ability. We have decided that assigning you to the [i]Crimson [/i][/color][color=darkslateblue]as Ryan's replacement would be a waste of your abilities, so we have found a more suitable popsition for you. [/color][color=#483d8b]We were planning to give Hays a position as an Elite Specialist, but since this is no longer possible, we have decided to give you the position instead."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]After Kiva had been informed of her new Elite Specialist position, things had moved quickly, as the Council had wanted her ready for duty as soon as possible. After all, Elite Specialists were the best of the best, so the Council didn't want thed just sitting around waiting on things. Over the space of a few days, Kiva's new position was formally announced, and the necessary preperations for her duties were made.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Elite Specialists were the Empire's best. Although they often worked with elements of the millitary, they operated independantly of the regular millitary. An Elite Specialist had his or her own ship of a class designed specifically for use by Elite Specialists. These vessels were fully automated, allowing one to be run by a single person. The vessels were very tough for their size. There were stronger ships, of course, but an Elite Specialist's ship could take any lighter millitary vessels, and anything it couldn't take, it could outrun. Elite Specialists' ships were the Empire's fastest vessels.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]All this could be crammed into an Elite Specialist's ship because of the lack of extensive crewspace. Such ships were designed for occupation by no more than three people. The Elite Specialist was one of these people, and he or she was allowed to choose up to two others to work with him or her. Elite Specialists usually chose people whose skkills complemented their own, and Kiva was no exception. She, however, only chose one person.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kiva's choice was a man named Daego Kelse. Daego was a skilled member of the imperial millitary who specialized in heavy weaponry, which nicely complimented Kiva's lighter weapon of choice, which wasn't very effective against armored targets. In addition, Daego was a very skilled pilot. a rarity in an age where this was usually automated. Kiva had known Daego for quite a while. She'd first met him during her first assignment to that instalation so long ago. Since then, the two'd found themselves in the same unit on several occasions. They both knew each other quite well, and did very good working together. So Daego was the perfect choice to serve with Kiva.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]

[color=darkslateblue]When all preperations were completed, Kiva was immediately given her first assignment as an Elite Specialist. She was now boarding her ship, the [i]Catalyst[/i], where Daego was onboard prepping it for departure, as he'd known that Kiva would have their assignment.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Kiva entered the ship's bridge, where Daego was waiting for her. She handed him a data chip, saying "This contains the precise coordinates of our destination, as well as the prober clearance codes for access to the restricted area that is sector 13. Our destination is a planet called Earth, an inhabited planet within the sector.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"This chip," Kiva continued, showing a second data chip, "contains our breifing on Earth's civilization, and we are to familiarize ourselves with its contents during the journey to sector 13. Also, among the supplies that were loaded, there are apparently some common Earth devices, including those used for transportation, as well as their primitive computers and other common devices that we need to be familiar with using so we don't appear out of place when we're on the planet.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"As for our actual assignment, well, your guess is as good as mine. We're to be briefed on arrival by Commander Sandra of the [i]Crimson[/i], so I don't know any more than you do. We're to depart for sector 13 immediately, and we'll leard what we're supposed to do when we get there. Is the ship ready to move out?"[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Daego nodded. "Of course. We can leave at anytime."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Good. Let's get moving."[/color]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

It had been close to a week since Sara had been brought to the underground base. For the most part other than to answer a few questions, both Jason and Celestia had been fielding any concerns or questions she had. Daniel, along with Kim had simply focused on finishing putting together some of the final touches on the other two bases that had been built. Especially the shielding that would keep battleships and others from the Empire being able to detect them.

Daniel leaned back in his chair in the command center, reached up with both arms to stretch a bit and then with a sigh lowered his arms. If only Sara would stop being so stubborn, he had stayed out of it but a couple of times he had overheard the heated discussions she was having with both Jason and Celestia.

?[B]Why the long face?[/B]? Kim asked from her seat next to Daniel?s.

Daniel turned to face Kim. ?[B]I?m concerned that William hasn?t checked in and I?m beginning to wonder if Sara?s ever going to get over feeling left out. I can understand how she felt betrayed by that, but we don?t have the time to discuss it. Even though Jason explained to her that there is a bounty on her head as well, she just won?t get past that idiotic stage of being mad at Jason.[/B]?

?[B]You?re being to hard on her Daniel.[/B]? Kim accused. ?[B]She?s not really angry over being left out, she?s still coming to terms with how much it hurt her that he was suppose to be dead. She missed him more that she thought she would. Do you know what fraternal twins are Daniel?[/B]?

Puzzled by the question he shook his head indicating that he did not.

?[B]Humans don?t use genetics to reproduce and as a result they occasionally end up with a case where more than one child is born at the same time. Sometimes it?s due to the egg in the woman splitting and creating two babies that look alike. And other times it?s due to the woman releasing two or more eggs and thus having more than one kid that doesn?t look alike.[/B]? Kim explained. ?[B]When that happens it?s referred to as fraternal twins like Jason and Sara. They look different, but they are often quite close due to being born at the same time and growing up together.[/B]?

?[B]I still don?t understand Kim, how does that make a difference?[/B]? Daniel asked.

?[B]Sara was born first and based on what she?s told me over the past couple of months, she was fiercely protective of Jason once their parents died even though he was capable of taking care of himself. When she thought he had died, she was cast adrift with no family to call her own. Some people never recover from that type of shock.?[/B] Kim paused wondering if she should say what she was thinking. Especially since Daniel had never spoken about his own mother since she was murdered. But she could see that Daniel was still having trouble grasping what she meant. Kim sighed inwardly, as much as she didn?t want to drag up painful memories she needed him to see what she meant.

?[B]You of all people should understand this Daniel. How long did it take you to actually respond to others after learning about your mother?s murder?[/B]? Kim said ignoring Daniel?s initial response of pulling away and going pale. ?[B]Celestia told me what happened and how you were tortured by Jared. The circumstance is not quite the same, but losing someone you care for is not easy and to find out that they were alive all along and didn?t say anything, even if they couldn?t. Well it?s just going to take time for her to sort out her emotions. She?s a good kid and given time she?ll not only sort things out but she?ll make a good ally.[/B]?

Daniel looked away, uncomfortable with how the conversation had turned. ?[B]I understand what you are saying Kim, I really do. The problem lies with my orders in regards to Sara.[/B]?

?[B]What orders?[/B]? Kim asked.

?[B]William got wind of plans by the High Council to do research on humans. Since research has already been done on Jason when he was genetically modified, they wish to do the same to Sara only they intend to withhold any pain suppressants to test the limits of human endurance.[/B]? He ignored Kim?s swift intake of breath turning back to look her straight in the eyes. ?[B]Regardless of what Sara or Jason wished my orders were to bring her along even if I have to drug her to do so. Even if William had not ordered it there is no way I?d let the High Council do that to her, I would have brought her along whether he suggested it or not.[/B]?

Kim swore, ?[B]Damn! I had no idea! That?s just sick! What possible reason could the High Council have for that type of research?[/B]?

Daniel shrugged his shoulders, ?[B]I don?t know. The only thing I?m sure on is that since Sara is Jason?s sister they wanted her because her genetic profile is similar to Jason?s. I?m not into genetics so I don?t understand how that would make a difference. Not that I approve of such experiments regardless of who the person is.[/B]?

?[B]Alright, you have my support in this. If it comes to it I?ll help you subdue her. And though I don?t think Jason or Celestia would interfere, I?ll run interference should either one of them object as well. I assume you are going to at least explain this to her?[/B]? Kim asked.

?[B]Only if necessary, I wanted her to join of her own will first. Since such information would look like a scare tactic instead of the threat it really is.[/B]? Daniel replied.

Kim reluctantly agreed, ?[B]You?re right, that would have been taken as a poor attempt to frighten her into joining. In the mean time, I?ll tell the others that the transportation door has a small glitch and that I can?t return her to our apartment or her house. And since I actually do need to finish calibrating it to shift frequencies to keep it from being traced it won?t be a lie.[/B]? She got up and left the command center to do just that.

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]When Sandra received an incoming priority one transmission she had been expecting to address the High Council and had therefore moved to the conference room just off the main bridge to accept it. And though it was indeed from the High Council, it was only one member who had contacted her, an elderly Versilan with graying hair.

?[B]What is it father?[/B]? She said coldly, still angry with him for what he had done.

The man laughed at her dismissing her anger, ?[B]Are you still pouting like a small child Sandra? Because if you are,[/B]? his said as his expression lost any semblance of friendliness and was replaced by one equally as cold as Sandra?s, ?[B]then you need to get over it. I contacted you to update you on the Elite Specialist we are sending to Earth to assist you, not to argue over your being made a candidate and betrothed to Commodore Stevens.[/B]?

?[B]Of course father, far be it from me to complain about which [I]jackass[/I] the High Council has chosen for me to marry and thus keep the power within the factions.[/B]? She glared at him, ?[B]I will honor my duty as your faithful daughter in the manner I see fit.[/B]?

?[B]Enough Sandra![/B]? Her father ordered. ?[B]Even if you are my daughter, if you continue to alienate Stevens, even I won?t be able to protect you.[/B]?

?[B]Since when did I need my [I]honorable[/I] father?s protection?[/B]? Sandra countered.

?[B]Since Stevens has been bringing up doubts about your ability to rule. And by law since he outranks you he can choose someone else to consider as a consort and thus possibly have you stripped of your position completely. Something you would do well to remember.[/B]? Her father finished.

?[B]I will do as you command,[/B]? Sandra said sarcastically.

Her father sighed. ?[B]I?m sending you the information on your new elite specialist.[/B]?

?[B]New? What happened to Commander Hays?[/B]? Sandra asked.

?[B]Hays was a traitor. The replacement he was testing to replace Ryan turned out to be smarter than he gave her credit for. All the details are in the report I?ve sent you. Once they arrive you are brief them on their mission.[/B]? He said.

?[B]I understand. What of our replacement for Ryan?[/B]? She asked.

?[B]There isn?t one for now. The elite specialist Kiva will take care of any hacking that you need and her choice of personal will take care of any need to deal with the local military on Earth. As for an expert in their shipping and how to effective disable it, you?ve already got one onboard in Darren Anderson. I suggest you use him. If it turns out he?s guilty you can execute him later.[/B]? He said.

?[B]I doubt it, the investigation is pretty much finished and all of it points to him being in the clear. Still there is the matter of being in a restricted zone, whether or not it?s his fault is irrelevant.[/B]? She ran her right hand through her hair in an unconscious gesture of thinking before continuing. ?[B]Very well, I?ll get to it immediately[/B].? At her father?s nod of approval she closed the communication. And then like a child throwing a temper tantrum she kicked the chair she had been sitting in, grumbling under her breath. Still angry over the council?s decision in matching her up with Stevens.

[CENTER]------------[/CENTER]

The first thing Jared noticed when he entered the room where Darren had been brought was that he was suitable upset and rattled. He smiled to himself as he sat down and pulled up the information on the screen in the table in front of him. Sometimes just the thought of torture was more effective than actually doing so. He had originally intended on finishing this sooner, but other things had come up. Still it had worked to his advantage and he was fairly certain that Darren and Mike were both innocent.

Sandra had briefed him on what the High Council had decided and without any small talk he immediately launched into a series of questions for Darren. Questions that were deceptively simple in that only truthful answers would do. The longer the questioning went the more relaxed Darren appeared. Jared smiled inwardly, knowing that the next part would shatter any feelings of relief.

?[B]You?ve answered all the questions to my satisfaction Commander Darren and my research has indicated that you are indeed innocent of any wrongdoing. However, there is still the matter of you being in a restricted zone. Even if it wasn?t your fault that is still a serious crime.[/B]? Jared stated.

Darren started to speak but Jared cut him off. ?[B]I propose a deal Commander, one that will wipe that incident off of your record permanently.[/B]?

?[B]And that would be?[/B]? Darren asked.

?[B]Simple, for the time being you will work for the military.[/B]? Jared watched his reaction and continued when Darren said nothing. ?[B]I need someone who understands transportation and shipping, and I hear that you are an expert in this field. The person I was going to use turned out to be unreliable.[/B]?

?[B]I see, and just how long would I be required to work for the military?[/B]? Darren finally asked.

?[B]Until the job is done, something I will brief you on once you accept. It will take at least several months if not longer, and I?ll even throw in a bonus in that Mike will be given a contract to deliver goods between sector six and sector fourteen for the military. He will run your ship while you work on the Crimson and get paid as if you were an officer. Between the two you?ll make more than you could independently.[/B]? Jared finished.

?[B]And if I were to say no?[/B]? Darren asked.

?[B]It would be bad for your health.[/B]? Jared replied.

?[B]I see, then of course I accept sub-commander.[/B]? Darren replied bitterly.

?[B]I knew you?d see it my way Commander.[/B]? Jared said mockingly. ?[B]Follow me.[/B]?

He took Darren through the various corridors of the Crimson to where he would be staying. Since Ryan was not going to be replaced immediately, his quarters could be put to better use. It was amusing to watch how Darren was taking everything in and yet trying to pretend he was not nervous or irritated. Jared did his best to not laugh at his stiff body language. He knew what his reputation among the merchants was.

Finally they came to Ryan?s former quarters. He opened the door and ignored Darren?s look of surprise since like Jared?s quarters they were spacious compared to the rest of the Crimson and even Darren?s own ship. He waited until Darren had walked in before speaking.

?[B]My quarters are right next to yours should you have any questions Darren[/B].? He tossed him a handheld computer and a data chip. ?[B]The information you will need to get started is all there. I?ll be back later to check on your progress and to answer any questions you might have.[/B]? He moved to leave and stopped when Darren spoke.

?[B]What about Mike?[/B]? Darren asked.

?[B]Commander Sandra is taking care of his briefing. If there is anything you need from your ship be prepared with a list when I return and we?ll go fetch your stuff before Mike leaves. Any other questions?[/B]? Jared asked.

?[B]No sub-commander.[/B]? Darren said through clenched teeth.

Jared smiled. ?[B]Good, now put that pretty head of yours to work,[/B]? he said as he left. Chuckling at the sound of muffled cursing that he could hear once the door closed behind his back.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

The sounds of even more arguing and temper?s flaring reached Kim?s ears even where she was in the main control room for the transport door. She sighed inwardly. Even though she had told Daniel to be more patient, she was starting to feel like they might never come to a resolution. It was annoying. She liked Sara and could even understand why she felt upset. And being told she couldn?t leave was certainly something to be annoyed over. Kim put down the tools she was using and walked over to close the door. She had left it open since the main control room would get a little stuffy, but she?d rather sweat than listen to them going at it again.

Kim continued to work on the calibrations in peaceful silence. She was nearly finished when her communicator beeped. She stopped what she was doing to answer it. It was Daniel.

?[B]I need you to come to the command center Kim. We?ve got a problem.[/B]? He said. And before she could ask what it was he closed the communication.

Kim carefully set everything down and left to see just what Daniel was talking about. She passed Celestia, Jason and Sara who were in the main eating area. The conversation died when she entered the room and as she passed Sara she paused for a moment.

Sara was leaning against one of the counters, with her arms folded across her chest, a sullen expression on her face. Where Jason and Celestia were sitting at a table facing her.

?[B]Sara,[/B]? Kim said looking at her eye to eye, ?[B]don?t you think it?s time you quit behaving like a child?[/B]? She ignored the hurt and anger in Sara?s eyes and continued before she could respond.

?[B]There?s more at stake here than whether or not your feelings were hurt and we don?t have the time to keep babying you.[/B]? Kim said angrily. ?[B]You need to decide what you want to do and do it.[/B]? And with that she left for the command center, ignoring Celestia?s and Jason?s look of surprise.

She was half-way to where Daniel was and already regretting what she had said, even if she felt it was true. [I]Was I too hard on her?[/I] She thought. The practical side of her said no where the more emotional side felt she was. She sighed. [I]Well I can?t exactly take it back.[/I]

But then as she entered the command center and saw what Daniel had up on the main viewer all thoughts of Sara were forgotten at what she saw.

[Rachmaninoff]

Darren couldn?t help himself. The moment the door closed behind Jared he went through nearly every curse and swearword he knew. And when he ran out he started inventing ones, all aimed at describing Jared as a no good back stabbing baby raping sadist. When he realized that he was still holding the handheld computer Jared had tossed him and that if he wasn?t careful his gestures of anger might result in him accidentally slamming it into something and break it. He walked over and set it down along with the data chip at the workstation in the room.

Then, still furious over what had happened he punched the nearest wall repeatedly, ignoring the pain, ignoring the blood from when the skin on his knuckles tore. Only when he was spent did he stop and sink to his knees. All those years of hard work building his company, getting the permit to transport weapons, taking losses to establish a reputation as a reliable and dependable merchant. It was gone, this one incident had shattered it.

Every merchant knew about the military and some even sought contracts to deliver goods for them. Preferring a more steady income to the uncertainty of securing contracts to deliver goods. But not Darren, he liked working independently. And he?d rather starve than work for an organization that allowed men like Jared to join. But now he had no choice, that comment from Jared on how it would be bad for his heath to refuse had been crystal clear. Do as your told or be executed. He got up with a sigh and went into the restroom just off of the main room to clean up.

He was determined to ignore any luxuries, as it was obvious Jared had placed him in officer quarters, but even he was surprised by a tub fully big enough for two to take a bath in. Just what type of quarters were these? Having such a luxury was so ridiculously expensive that he had never even seen it on a ship. Other than the huge cruise ships that took people from one world to the next, and even those were only for the very wealthy. The rest of the people traveled in ships with tiny little quarters and often shared a handful of tiny showers with the rest of the passengers.

Stubbornly he turned his back on it and started cleaning up. A short hunt located a standard medial kit and ignoring the sting of the medicine he sprayed his knuckles. Not that he really needed it as it would heal on it?s own in a day or two. But the medicine would make that even quicker.

Then he walked back out in to the main room, picked up the handheld computer, inserted the chip and sat down on the sofa. He put his feet up and began to look through the information Jared had provided.