RPG Silver One

[SunfallE]

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Still wrapped in the same green cloak that they had worn several weeks ago when they had addressed the High Council, the same figure now stood in the private observation room of the fleet?s flagship the Conqueror. Even from space the progress that had been made on the dead planet it was orbiting was easily visible. It was time to put things in motion even though there were some who questioned the move. But the figure in the cloak knew better, the resistance had become even more of a threat since a half-breed had managed to write a program capable of disabling a battleship. That single incident had taken them from an irritation to a real threat.

They had seen this and approached the High Council and after some arguing had convinced them to move things forward. At first those who opposed it had been quite vocal, until more riots and incidents of trouble on conquered worlds had begun just as they had predicted. And when they had received confirmation that the resistance was recruiting others from the lesser races. It just verified that they had been right all along.

The common Versilan believed the teachings that they were superior, but the figure in the cloak knew better. Technologically and physically they were, but provided they did not destroy themselves through needless wars, even those of other races had the potential to eventually match them in power and knowledge. And even if the initial reasoning for conquest was selfish, it was also practical. Given time, any race would fight over wealth and power, something the Versilan?s had done in the past, nearly destroying themselves. No it was better to control them, to keep them from being able to reach that point.

The figure turned at the sound of the door to the observation room opening to admit one of the officers of the Conqueror. They walked forward and bowed, waiting for permission to speak.

?[B]What is it?[/B]? They asked.

Without looking up the officer spoke. ?[B]A message from the operatives on Earth has arrived. Both former Commander Daniel and Sub-Commander Kim along with the Earthling Sara have vanished.[/B]?

?[B]I see. So Sandra and Jared did not make it in time.[/B]? They replied.

?[B]No sir, the Crimson is due to arrive tomorrow, but all three have been missing for several days, so it?s likely they are no longer on Earth.[/B]? The officer replied.

?[B]It is of no consequence. We can begin the first phase whether they are there or not.[/B]? The figure said.

?[B]Your orders sir?[/B]? The officer asked.

?[B]Contact the Crimson and the Tempest and give them this message. Phase One.[/B]? They said.

?[B]Sir?[/B]? The officer asked confused.

?[B]Just give it to them, they will know what it means.[/B]? They replied.

?[B]Yes sir.[/B]? The officer said before turning to leave.

Once they had left the figure turned back to look at the dead planet and the hustle of construction taking place. Yes it was definitely time to begin. [/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=Teal]Crystal had barely walked onto the bridge when her sub-commander informed her that there was a message for her from the Conqueror. She sat down in her chair overlooking the entire bridge and pulled up the message on the panel built into the sidearm of her chair. It was short and to the point. The words Phase One startled her, as she had not expected to get such a message. At least not until she had already delivered Sara to the Conqueror, did this mean she was no longer on Earth?

She closed the message and got up and went into the side conference room connected to the bridge. Once the door had closed Crystal sat down at the table and activated the console built into the table. She sent a request to speak to either Sandra or Jared and waited patiently for their reply. A few minutes later, Jared appeared on the screen.

?[B]How can I help you Commander Crystal?[/B]? he asked her.

?[B]You can start by confirming my guess that Jason?s sister is no longer on Earth.[/B]? Crystal replied.

?[B]I can?t confirm that. What I can verify is that it is likely she is no longer there or has gone into hiding. I can also verify that both former Commander Daniel and Sub-Commander Kim have been on Earth with her for nearly four months. And like Sara, they too have disappeared.[/B]? Jared said.

?[B]That would mean that both of them have joined the resistance.[/B]? Crystal observed.

?[B]Exactly, if those two were not on Earth I would be inclined to think something else had caused her to disappear, but since they are I would imagine that they found out we are coming and evacuated.[/B]? Jared said.

?[B]I see, then if we really are moving into Phase One have you made the arrangements for transportation of the specimens once I choose them?[/B]? Crystal asked.

?[B]Yes, the ship in question is already on its way here. They?ll arrive about a week after you do, giving you plenty of time to pick suitable specimens.[/B]? Jared replied.

?[B]I see. Then I?ll quit wasting your time and start getting ready for when I arrive at Earth in a few days.[/B]? Crystal finished.

She closed the transmission and got up and went back out to the main bridge. She?d never tell High Command of course, but she was relieved that Sara had gotten away.[I] As soon as I can[/I], she thought, [I]I?m retiring.[/I] Though the thought was of little comfort as she was easily over a hundred years away from that.

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

[SIZE=1][B]OOC:[/B] Just to be clear, the ship I'm reffering to is not Kiva's ship. It's one that has to do with my objective this time around.[/SIZE] [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Ever since they had gotten the message Phase One, Jared had been reviewing the information on the new Elite Specialist Kiva and her crew Daego. It didn?t take long to see why they had chosen her. Jared had known Hays was an arrogant fool, but it was a little surprising that he had been so blind as well. The same went for Ryan as well.

He continued to read through their information, noting how Kiva had chosen someone whose skills would fit well with her own. But then to have been promoted to an Elite Specialist she would have to have that type of judgment. It was a highly coveted position that was next to impossible to get. The High Council selected all members of that group; recommendations from any source were ignored. You were either noticed and promoted or you weren?t.

Jared smiled to himself. This was going to be perfect. Unless the High Council was wrong in their assessment, she was going to need little to no supervision whatsoever. A fact that would leave him free to focus on working with Darren on the transportation aspect of Phase One. Not that he minded diverting his attention between different projects, but it would be far more fun to spend time working with Darren instead of having to go back and forth between the two.

He closed the report from his position in the conference room just off the main bridge and then he opened up a channel to contact the Catalyst. A minute later they answered. Both of them were on the small bridge of the messenger ship they had been assigned to.

?[B]Sub-Commander Jared,[/B]? Kiva said, ?[B]How may I assist you?[/B]?

?[B]Things have changed Elite Specialist Kiva and I have been instructed to brief you on that change.[/B]? Jared replied. ?[B]The invasion of Earth is not that far away and in order to make securing that world go more smoothly, you and your crew are to neutralize any potential threats to our ground troops.[/B]?

?[B]Am I to identify the targets? Or do you have a list for me?[/B]? Kiva asked.

?[B]A little of both actually. We do have a list of facilities that are known on Earth for making weapons using a very primitive yet destructive form of nuclear power. That list should have been included in the information given to you on Earth?s culture. But the list was made well over a year ago and even then it was only from scanning the planet. So no attempt was made to verify if there was more than the initial scan pulled up. You?ll need to not only scan for such activity, but to hack Earth?s computer systems and track down others that did not appear.[/B]? Jared replied.

?[B]What methods am I approved to use in neutralizing these weapons?[/B]? Kiva asked.

?[B]If the weapon in question is nuclear anything small enough I want transported in to space close enough to their sun so it will be pulled in by it?s gravity, none of the weapons are enough to affect it and it will safely dispose of them. These weapons have a nasty side effect of producing radiation that in high enough doses can be lethal to anyone exposed. Anything else can be taken care of with standard explosives. There won?t be any need for the more lethal special explosives, though if you were to run into anything that needed it, just inform me.[/B]? He said.

?[B]I understand, anything else?[/B]? Kiva asked.

?[B]Yes, in addition to disposing of the weapons, you are to take out the facilities for making them as well, along with any defenses set up that could possibly harm ground troops. There really is no limit on what you can do. Obviously it is preferred that the biggest threats are taken out first, and then you can work on the next level and take it from there. Also, whether or not you choose to use a common tactic on Earth and call in a bomb threat and have the people evacuated before blowing up a facility is entirely up to you. The High Council would prefer it if more people are left alive to serve the Empire, but your safety and that of your crew comes first.[/B]? Jared finished.

?[B]Understood Sub-Commander.[/B]? Kiva said.

?[B]If you have any questions just address them to either myself or to Commander Sandra. I?ve left standing orders that if either you or your crew needs to talk to us that you are to be put through immediately.[/B]? Jared said in closing.

?[B]I?ll start reviewing the list then.[/B]? Kiva said.

Jared closed the communication. In just a few hours they would arrive at Earth. Shortly followed by Commander Crystal and then in only a few days the Catalyst would also arrive. He stretched as he got up as it had been a long day and it still wasn?t over yet. He needed to go to sickbay and get the necessary equipment to prepare both himself and Darren for transporting down to Earth. And once that was done he needed to take Darren over to his ship to pick up anything he needed before sending Mike off to sector fourteen. Jared stifled a yawn as he left the conference room and headed towards sickbay. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Jason watched as his sister silently turned and stalked off after being reprimanded by Kim. It was the last thing he had ever expected Kim to do. But then he knew his sister and he was fairly certain that the real problem was that she was feeling useless. Sara, for as long as he could remember had always made a point of taking care of herself. She had been fiercely independent, even refusing help from him when their parents had died.

He was sure he wasn?t mistaken as he remembered all to well her look of disbelief when he had challenged her to a spar to prove a point. She had been stunned to realize that she couldn?t beat him. Jason understood it all too well. Before he had been genetically modified, it had been the same for him when confronted by Jared. The one time he had attacked him it had been futile, he would stand a better chance now, but he still lacked the training that Jared did and six months of training with other Versilan?s didn?t even come close to someone who had severed in the military longer than he had even been alive.

?[B]Don?t you think we should talk to her?[/B]? Celestia asked worried about Sara.

?[B]No, I don?t.[/B]? Jason replied. He got up and walked around the table and reached out to take Celestia?s hand as she stood up, he pulled her close to him. ?[B]I think we should go to our room and give her some space.[/B]?

Celestia pulled away a little, ?[B]I?m serious Jason. I?ve never seen her so angry before.[/B]?

?[B]So am I Celestia, I know her and believe me she needs time to cool off. In all the time I?ve known her she?s never stayed angry for very long. Once she realizes that what we?ve told her is true and that it?s time to move on she?ll do so and arguing with her won?t make that happen any sooner.[/B]? Jason replied.

Celestia sighed. ?[B]All right, lets go to our room then. If you think giving her space is what she needs then lets give her some space.[/B]? She headed off for their quarters with Jason walking alongside her. ?[B]I do have another thing that concerns me though.[/B]?

?[B]And what would that be?[/B]? Jason asked.

?[B]William hasn?t returned yet and Daniel hasn?t said anything. I thought we were only staying here a week and yet it?s already been a little longer than that.[/B]? She said.

?[B]True,[/B]? Jason said as they entered their quarters and shut the door behind them. ?[B]But don?t you think he would have told us if there was a problem?[/B]?

Celestia turned back to face him, ?[B]Yes, but only if he feels we need to know.[/B]?

?[B]Then why bother him? He won?t tell us unless he wants to.[/B]? He moved closer and kissed her gently on the forehead. ?[B]Besides weren?t you telling me that Kim and Daniel need some time alone?[/B]?

Celestia looked at Jason and smiled mischievously. ?[B]Don?t you mean you want time alone with me?[/B]? Chuckling when Jason blushed at the unexpected turn in the conversation. ?[B]Honestly Jason, sometimes you are too proper.[/B]? She reached up and pulled him closer initiating a more intimate kiss. Smiling inwardly when he responded in turn. [/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Darren set the computer down on the small table in front of the sofa. Though he understood the concept of how Earth handled transporting goods, it was obvious that for some of it he really needed to actually see it in person. It would take a delicate balance to disrupt the flow of goods and yet not cause outright panic at the same time.

If he did what Jared?s notes indicated, it would cause riots. And though disrupting transportation would do so regardless, it needed to be done in a fashion to at least spread the effect out. Too much too quickly would backfire.[I] I need to ask him some questions. [/I]He thought. He didn?t want to, but it just wasn?t possible to do as he asked otherwise. It was obvious to him that these plans meant sector thirteen was next on the High Council?s agenda for conquest, but knowing approximately when this was going to happen was crucial.

Darren got up with a sigh.[I] I wish they would assign me to work with someone else [/I]he thought. [I]Because if I do this right, it?s going to take far more than a few months, that idiot obviously doesn?t have a clue about how shipping works.[/I] Irritated all over again Darren started exploring the quarters he had been assigned to. He had already seen the restroom. He took a closer look at the main room he was in, it was easily big enough to fit two small quarters into, with a small area for eating, something that usually was done through a common mess hall, with a table big enough for four, to the workstation with a full monitor built into the wall, to the sofa and matching chair with the end tables and one in the center. It was painfully wasteful as far as space went.

Nothing had been done to cover the stark gray of the material of the walls and floors, but the furniture was done in warm colors of brown and green and other than the smaller chairs, everything else was fastened to the floor to keep it from shifting. Hell there were even special rails on the walls for attaching personal mementos such as pictures of family or friends. [I]Are all the quarters on battleships like this?[/I] He wondered. But a moment later he realized it wasn?t possible. Even though civilians weren?t allowed on battleships, he knew the approximate size and the number of crew. There wasn?t enough space for that. [I]Why do I even care?[/I] He thought.[I] It?s because it?s so wasteful, [/I]the practical side of him answered.

That was it; he was seeing how such an extravagance would hurt a merchant?s ability to make a profit. It was a mistake those who were new to the business often made. Not realizing that if you wanted space and comfort then delivering cargo was not a good idea. An idea that he often had a hard time getting across to others.

Curious to see if they had at least had some common sense with the bedroom, he walked over and opened the door only to stop at what he saw. [I]What the hell? [/I]Though not as big as the main room the bed tucked into the far corner was easily big enough for three. It was more than even a married couple serving in the military would need. [I]Did Jared put me here because he intends to?[/I] He thrust the thought from his mind, feeling his cheeks grow hot from flushing at the implication.

Darren went back into the main room. [I]Don?t jump to conclusions idiot![/I] He thought to himself. [I]Just because he?s known for taking other men against their will doesn?t mean anything! Besides last I heard he hasn?t killed anyone in years so it?s possible he doesn?t even do that anymore.[/I] But then he stopped at the thought. [I]Yeah and the High Council is peaceful and would never turn other races in to slaves![/I] He sighed.[I] I need a drink. [/I]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]With the equipment in hand for preparing both himself and Darren for transporting down to Earth Jared headed toward Darren?s temporary quarters. He could wait until morning but the treatment for their eyes would itch quite a bit at first so it was better to do it in advance. He didn?t fully understand how it worked, but he knew from experience that it would. Though he disliked putting anything in his eyes, even if it was necessary. If what he had read was correct, humans wore something similar though far more primitive known as contacts.

The stuff they used was more advanced as it was designed to literally attach itself to the person?s eye, it was a simple thin membrane and yet it was extremely tough and resilient, requiring a special solution to get it to come off. And in the end other than a little bit irritation in the eyes when it was removed that would later heal itself, there was no negative side effects to using it. About the only good thing about it was that it required no upkeep. It was also widely popular among the wealthy as having different colored eyes was considered exotic since genetics had resulted in everyone having silver colored eyes.

He took a ride up one of the lifts to the officer?s quarters and then once he was at Darren?s door he pressed the button indicating he wished to be let in. Not that he couldn?t just let himself in, but so long as Darren answered promptly he would let him have an illusion of privacy. He didn?t have to wait long as the door opened almost immediately. He ignored Darren?s stiff greeting and walked in, the door shutting behind him. Jared set the small bag he had been carrying down by the door before speaking.

?[B]I take it you have read through the data I gave you?[/B]? Jared asked.

?[B]Yes Sub-Commander.[/B]? Darren replied eyeing Jared warily. ?[B]I need you to confirm some of the data for me as your time table for disrupting the transportation on Earth is flawed.[/B]?

?[B]Oh?[/B]? Jared said raising his right eyebrow, ?[B]How is it flawed?[/B]?

?[B]It?s too drastic, what you have in mind will cause quite a bit of chaos and riots down on Earth. It won?t work unless you plan on putting something else up in its place.[/B]? Darren said.

?[B]Exactly Darren,[/B]? Jared said dropping the title of Commander, but other than to narrow his eyes slightly Darren did not respond to the implied familiarity. ?[B]Preparations are already been made to take over Earth, in addition to disrupting their shipping, you are to study it in order to set up a replacement system. One that will work with their limited technology to run with ours.[/B]?

?[B]I see.[/B]? Darren replied.

?[B]Good.[/B]? Jared said as he moved closer to Darren. ?[B]We will be transporting down to the planet tomorrow morning and for that I will need to get you ready.[/B]? He chuckled inwardly at Darren?s look of barely concealed panic as he backed up a few steps and clutched at the chair he had been standing next to before realizing what he was doing and stopping. Jared stopped as well and quickly tossed him the container with the treatment for his eyes. Darren caught it and then looked back at Jared, uncertain as to what he should do with it.

?[B]I take it you?ve never worn those before have you?[/B]? Jared asked. Darren shook his head indicating that he had not. ?[B]Go put them on, it?s not that difficult as the instructions are quite simple.[/B]? He waited patiently in the main room while Darren went into the restroom to make use of the mirror. Jared laughed when he could hear Darren cursing while he did so. Then he watched Darren come back out into the main room, blinking as if his eyes itched and obviously resisting the urge to rub them.

?[B]Don?t worry, the itching will be gone by tomorrow. Now come here.[/B]? Jared commanded.

Darren hesitantly took a few steps forward and stopped. Jared sighed and took the initiative by moving closer and closing the gap between them.

?[B]Darren,[/B]? he said slightly irritated as he was tired and ready to call it a night. ?[B]The next time I tell you to come here, don?t hesitate, do so immediately.[/B]?

Then before Darren could react he swiftly reached up and grabbed his left ear and attached a micro translator, ignoring Darren?s instinctive reaction to pull away. He ignored Darren?s attempt to grab what he had placed on his left ear as it was already too late. Seconds later Darren doubled over with a grunt of pain as it entered his system and attached itself to the inner workings of his ear. Then just as suddenly it was over.

Jared watched as Darren straightened back up and then looked at him, fury written all over his face. He stood still when moments later Darren grabbed his tunic with both hands and yelled at him.

?[B]Damnit! Take that out immediately![/B]? Darren yelled, furious over what Jared had done.

Jared reached up and took hold of Darren?s hands in his own and then leaned forward. ?[B]You should do that more often,[/B]? he said teasing Darren. He laughed when Darren flushed and immediately let go, pulling his hands free from his grip.

Jared moved forward reveling in the look of panic and dismay on Darren?s face as he backed away. He continued until Darren was brought up short, his back against the wall. He leaned forward as if sharing a secret.

?[B]You?re very cute when you are angry.[/B]? He said, looking straight into his now blue eyes. Then he turned around and walked back to where he had left the small bag by the door. He picked up and tossed it to Darren who upon catching it opened it and took out the uniform that was inside.

?[B]Go change. While you are onboard the Crimson you are to wear that at all times. Once you are ready, we will go to your ship and get your things.[/B]? Jared said.
[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=Teal]Crystal resisted the urge to rub her eyes, knowing full well that the itching feeling would be gone by tomorrow morning. And though she thought the effect of deep blue eyes did look nice, she really preferred her natural silver color. She picked up the case one of the engineers had dropped off at her quarters and opened it up. Inside was a pair of what humans often wore called glasses. She had no need to correct her vision but if she was going to select specimens to be shipped for the research the High Council had in mind, she would need a way to actually scan them. One that was easy to do and wouldn?t arouse any suspicion, once the world had been conquered it wouldn?t matter.

She placed the glasses on and reached up with her right hand to touch the side of the glasses. Seconds later on her side both of the lenses activated provided her a very small screen for viewing. The left would be for scanning for certain genetic profiles and the right for general health and diseases. She checked her own hand to make sure that they worked before reaching up and touching the same spot again to turn it off. She took the glasses off. It had worked perfectly.

Not only were they designed so that only the side facing her face would show the transparent screens, but the person looking through them would have to be close for it to even show so no one from the side would notice anything either. And she had worked with the engineer to make the switch for turning it on so it responded to her genetics alone. So someone else wouldn?t accidentally turn them on if she were not wearing them. The tiny crystals embedded in the sides would power it for years and to an earthling it would look like nothing more than a gaudy decoration.

Crystal placed the glasses back in their case and went back to reading the work she had pulled up on her workstation in her quarters. The agents on Earth who had been keeping an eye on Jason?s sister before she vanished had already set up a clinic for her and hacked the systems on Earth to put the documentation in place for her to be working legally as a doctor there.

She had already spent hours become familiar with how things were done on Earth because she fully intended to treat people as if she were, the only thing she would have to be careful about was not exceeding what they were actually capable of treating. Which all to sadly was quite a bit, that was one good thing that would come from being taken over, even if they would be considered property of the Versilan Empire, they would be given proper medical care.

Something that often ended up with a good portion of the population accepting being taken over as like Earth, many places were guilty of putting profit before the health of their citizens. They were too blind to see that the lack of proper health care and loss of work was in the long run far more costly than the medical treatment ever was. They took better care of their animals they raised for food in that respect. But in the Versilan Empire anyone who could not afford medical treatment could go to any government sponsored facility and receive it. Crystal had been responsible for overseeing part of their construction when sector twelve had been taken over.

She turned her monitor off. It was time to get some rest as they would be arrive at Earth in less than a day. And once she did, she would have her hands full once she transported down to Earth. At least she would be doing what she preferred to do, work as a doctor instead of playing at being a commander of a battleship. Even if it was one of the smaller ones. [/COLOR]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=darkslateblue]"Well, that sounds simple enough," Kiva said to Daego after Jared closed the communications channel.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Daego nodded. "Indeed. I'm not sure why Sub-Commander Jared had to brief us. This isn't the type of thing that requires an on-location briefing, so why'd we get one?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Come on, Daego, you're smart enough to figure this out. Whatever the [i]Crimson[/i]'s mission in sector 13 is, it's somewhat complicated. It probably involves multiple simultanious tasks, and such operations are almost impossible to coordinate from afar. This operation's being run by Commander Sandra and Sub-Commander Jared, so it's just that much simpler to have everything go through them, and that includes the two of us. And it doesn't really matter anyways. We have our orders."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Daego nodded. "True, and I'm not sure why we're needed for them."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Well, probably because the Resistance is good at hiding. The [i]Crimson[/i] needs someone who can find them, and the Council chose me. You're here because you're with me, and perhaps my choosing you is part of why we were selected for this mission. I don't know of anyone better suited for the destruction end of this mission than you."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Yeahh, and I'm glad I'm the one to do it. A lot of others wouldn't give a damn about harming innocents. We're supposed to protect the inferior ones, not kill them. I mean, what's the point of a takeover for protection if we kill half the population in the process? We'd be doing more harm to the race than we'd be protecting them from. I just don't get how this concept escapes so many people."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Well, it doesn't escape you," Kiva replied, "and you're the one who's here. Now, we'll probably have to kill some innocents, but that can't be helped. And at least we're allowed to use modern explosives, so we can minimize the risk of collateral damage."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Indeed. We're lucky that our bombs don't appear too different from Earth bombs. Far more powerful and far more controlable, but the visual effect is indeed the same. Man, am I glad for that."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Yeah, you enjoy being able to use modern equipment. I'm stuck working with that crap they call computers on Earth. I've been practicing with the provided units, and I hate the things. I can use them, but don't expect me to ever like it."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Yeah, they're pretty bad," Daego agreed. "I gave them a try myself, and they're as bad as you're saying. Well, at least you'll be working mainly from here."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"I'll still have to connect and work through Earth computers, though, and believe me, I don't look forward to it. At least their security software will have to be as bad as the rest of their computer technology. I may be stuck working with the worst computers I've ever seen, but at least I won't be up against anything that's any better."[/color]


[color=#483d8b]In addition to learning how to use Earth's computers, Kiva and Daego had been familiarizing themselves with the planet's society in general, learning about what was acceptable behavior and what wasn't, learning things that people were expected to know, etc. They also spent time learning common phrases and slang terms. The translation modules would translate the Earth languages into Versilan, but this would convey only the literal meaning of the words. In order to properly undertand what people on Earth said, one would need to be familiar with common expressions and slang terms, with what the phrases actually meant. Otherwise, things could get pretty confusing.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Kiva knew that she and Daego were not likely to need to go down to Earth's surface. Kiva would be able to remotely access computers on Earth from the [i]Catalyst[/i], and Daego would be able to use the ship's weapons to take out the targeted facilities. There was the possibility that they'd need to go down to pick up any of these nuclear weapons as instructed, but even this wasn't likely to require either of them to exit the Catalyst; they's just fly the ship down close to the facility (stealthily, of course, and most likely at night, and with all stealth features online to minimize the risk of detection) and pull the weapons into the cargo hold from the ship. Still, they both wanted to be prepared just in case. Besides, they were likely to interact with Earth natives, if only because Daego would insist on getting all innocents evacuated whenever possible.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]It would still be a couple days before the [i]Catalyst[/i] arrived at her destination. Upon arrival, the ship would slide into Earth orbit with standard sensor-evasion systems active to avoid detection. Kiva would use the ship's scanning equipment to verify the list of targets, and if necessary she'd hack into computers on Earth to obtain any necessary information. After finalizing the list of targets, Kiva and Daego would determine their order of attack, weighing factors such as facility importance, which targets they could afford to have evacuated, the presence or absense of nuclear weapons, etc. After that, their only remaining task would be to hit the targets in the selected order, eliminating as much of the Resistance's presence on Earth as was possible.[/color]

------------------------------------------------------

OOC: Hope that translator part was OK (I wasn't sure how that's being handled in this RPG). If it's not, SunfallE, just tell me and I'll change it.

[Rachmaninoff]

When Jared put the translator in his ear without asking and Darren realized what he had done by the pain caused by the tiny mechanical computers entering his ear, he snapped. He knew full well how expensive such translators were; they were used only by the military and fetched a very high price on the black market. Something he knew about but avoided since there were easier ways to make money. The crystals for powering them were very difficult to create since like the replication technology they had to be perfect, impurities could damage one?s ear. Even the very wealthy could not outright purchase them when simple devices that were worn like a decorative earring could be worn that did the same thing and cost a fraction of the price to make.

By fitting him with one he was putting Darren into the military?s debt, as such a device was more than his small ship was worth. He did not want it, and he reached out without thinking, grabbing Jared?s tunic, pulling him closer to yell at him, furious over what he had done. Forgetting who he was dealing with momentarily as he glared at Jared as if he could somehow force him to remove it.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Jared merely reached up and took his hands in his own and leaned forward to tell him he should do that more often. He felt his cheeks grow hot and Darren quickly pulled his hands free. [I]Oh my God! I should not have done that![/I] He thought in dismay. He couldn?t help himself he backed away only to have Jared follow him, his expression one of amusement. Darren didn?t get far as he was brought up short by running into the wall of the main room. He resisted the urge to dart sideways when Jared leaned forward to tell him that he looked cute when he was angry.

Darren breathed a sigh of relief when Jared simply turned around and walked back to the door. He caught the bag that was tossed to him, inside was the uniform of a recruit. When Jared told him to get changed he couldn?t get out of the main room fast enough. He closed the door to the bedroom behind him and locked it before turning around and leaning against it, his heart pounding. He took a couple of deep breaths and then walked over to the bed. Quickly he changed into the plain uniform. It was a simple green with black trim and buttons and there was a tiny circle on the collar indicating he had no rank. [I]Not that I want one.[/I] He thought bitterly as he finished putting the outfit on.

?[B]All right idiot,[/B]? he said out loud to himself. ?[B]Lets keep our cool this time and not do anything stupid, because grabbing his shirt was beyond stupid.[/B]? He opened the door and walked back out to where Jared was waiting.

?[B]Follow me.[/B]? Jared told him as he turned to leave the quarters.

Darren did as he was told. As much as he would like to argue with Jared over the translator, he would save that for Commander Sandra. If he got the chance to talk with her that was. He sighed inwardly. This time he managed to keep himself calm. It didn?t take long to pick up a few things from his ship, briefly talk with Mike, as there wasn?t much they could talk about with Jared right there.

Then just as quickly Jared escorted him back to his quarters. As the door opened and he started to enter he stopped and turned back when Jared spoke again.

?[B]I?ll be back at 0700 hours Darren, I expect you to be ready. At 0630 the morning crew will be by with fresh uniforms and some breakfast for you. Any questions?[/B]? Jared asked him.

?[B]No Sub-Commander.[/B]? Darren replied. ?[B]I?ll be ready.[/B]?

?[B]One other thing Darren,[/B]? Jared said. ?[B]When we are on Earth, you are never to refer to me as Sub-Commander. You are to call me Jared at all times, understand?[/B]?

?[B]Yes.[/B]? Darren replied.

?[B]Good, I?ll see you tomorrow then.[/B]? Jared said before turning to go to his own quarters.

As the door slid shut Darren breathed yet another sigh of relief. Now if he could only find out if they would even allow him to have a drink, because he sure as hell could use one right about now.

[Aaryanna_Mom]

?[B]Is that what I think it is?[/B]? Kim asked Daniel as she entered the command center and took a seat next to Daniel. Quickly she turned on the workstation to pull up the information to verify what she was seeing.

?[B]If you are thinking that it is the Crimson, you are correct.[/B]? Daniel answered her.

?[B]Still no word from William?[/B]? Kim asked.

?[B]Just a short message. he?s been delayed; the merchant he was supposed to meet didn?t show up. Apparently the military got word of what was going on in sector twelve and executed several of our agents along with the citizens that had been recruited. Some of them escape the initial sweep and were suppose to be brought here, but they?ve vanished and he doesn?t know if they?ve gone into hiding or if the military got to them[/B].? Daniel said.

?[B]Damn,[/B]? Kim swore. ?[B]So we?re on our own for a bit while he looks into things I take it.[/B]?

?[B]Correct, there aren?t any other ships close enough to come and pick up Jason and Celestia at the moment and with the new shielding on these bases, it?s highly unlikely that any ship of the Empire could detect them. And unless the military brings in a lot of ships, William will be able to get close enough with his own ship to quickly transport them out and make a run for it. Even the messenger ships used by the Elite Specialists can?t catch our ships[/B].? Daniel sighed. ?[B]It?s a pity that speed is our only advantage.[/B]?

?[B]Should I inform the others?[/B]? Kim asked.

?[B]No, at least not until morning. If we tell them now they won?t get any sleep and stressing over the Crimson won?t do them any good.[/B]? Daniel replied.

?[B]At least we got to Sara before they arrived. If I hadn?t lied about letting her transport back she would have been an easy target for them to get to in her home.[/B]? Kim shivered at the thought. ?[B]Even though she?s quite skilled at hand-to-hand combat she would have been no match for our people?s strength let alone being stunned by a disruptor blast. I really wish she would just get over being angry, as I?d like to start on getting her modified like Jason is in addition to training her in our style of combat.[/B]?

Kim shut down the terminal in front of her and got up to leave. ?[B]I?m heading back to the transport controls. I need to finish the calibration so the doctor can come tomorrow to start on Sara if she's calmed down. And so we can get out of her as well should we need to.[/B]?

Daniel watched her leave and then turned back to the main screen, if only he could verify whether or not Jared still served on the Crimson. Now that he was no longer a Commander he didn?t have access to military records. He couldn?t think of a single reason why he would have moved elsewhere, especially since the High Council announced the promotion of Sandra to a candidate for taking a place on the Council. Jared would be a fool to move from a position of serving under her.

But that didn?t really matter to Daniel, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the old fashioned picture he had of his mother. Something he had made when they arrived at Earth, as carrying around a holographic one wouldn?t have fit the technology here.

He held it carefully as he always did and then put it back into his pocket. She had been such a kind woman and though he knew she would not approve of his desire to kill Jared for making the arrangements for her execution, arrangements that even to this day still haunted him. Daniel would gladly trade his life for the chance to put an end to Jared?s life.

He put his hand over the pocket the picture was in. ?[B]I know you don?t understand mother,[/B]? he whispered and then he got up and left the command center when the night crew came in. He explained what had happened and left instructions to contact him if needed and then he headed for his quarters to get some rest.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Jason slowly opened his eyes and then stretched lazily from his position on his back in the bed he and Celestia shared. It didn?t surprise him to realize that he was alone as Celestia often woke up before he did. She was probably already in the command center working on the program for the shielding for this base. Even if it was suppose to be finished, knowing her she would be looking for ways to refine it. Jason yawned and stretched again turning his head to the right to look at the workstation as there was a small display above it that would tell him what time it was. The numbers 3:37am were clearly visible.

[I]What?s going on?[/I] Jason wondered as he reached over to touch the panel next to the bed that would turn the lights on. He sat up and looked around. The door to the small restroom was open and the lights were out, both rooms were empty. Curious as to why she would have gotten up so early Jason moved to get out of bed and to change out of the cotton pajamas he was wearing into his regular clothes. But when he stepped on the floor and attempted to stand he fell to the floor on his hands and knees, feeling strangely light headed and heavy at the same time.

He tried to get up but his body wouldn?t respond the way he wanted it to, frustrated he turned back to the bed and used it to pull himself back up into a sitting position on the side. [I]What?s wrong with me? Am I sick?[/I] He wondered. He didn?t feel sick. So why did his arms and legs feel like lead? He tried to get up again only to have the same problem. [I]I really must be sick[/I] he thought as he climbed back onto the bed and sat on the side facing the computer workstation. Jason reached over to the panel next to the bed that turned the lights on intending to activate the communication link to the command center to ask for help when an all to familiar voice spoke.

?[B]There?s no one there to help you anymore.[/B]? The voice said.

Jason froze in place and then slowly turned to see who had spoken. Surely he was mistaken, how could Jared have gotten here? But there he was, standing at the end of the bed a look of amusement on his face.

In a panic he scrambled backwards as quickly as his unresponsive limbs would allow, banging his head painfully on the wall behind him. Jason started to speak but nothing came out, fear paralyzing him. [I]How could this have happened? Where are Celestia and the others? Why can?t I move properly?[/I] His thoughts raced in circles as he watched Jared move closer and then finally sit down on the bed next to him.

?[B]After all this time, have you nothing to say?[/B]? Jared asked him.

?[B]How did you...[/B]? Jason started to say but Jared cut him off.

?[B]Find you?[/B]? Jared laughed as he moved closer. ?[B]Did you really think I would let you go?[/B]?
[SIZE=1][RIGHT]...Jason...[/RIGHT][/SIZE]
Jason tried to pull free when Jared grabbed his right arm and pulled him close, pinning him so that they were facing each other. But his arms and legs still wouldn?t cooperate. He tried to stop him but Jared pinned his arms above his head with his left arm and used his weight to pin his legs down by sitting on him.

[CENTER]...Jason...[/CENTER]

Jason cringed when Jared leaned forward to whisper in his ear while he started to unfasten the buttons on his shirt. ?[B]You and I have some unfinished business to attend to.[/B]? Jared said. Jason struggled in vain to get free, crying inwardly when Jared moved to kiss him. He closed his eyes?[I]No![/I]

[SIZE=3][B]Jason![/B][/SIZE]

A sharp sudden pain filled Jason?s head as he opened his eyes again. He was tangled in the blanket from the bed and lying on the floor. Frantically he sat up and looked around, other than Celestia who was sitting on the bed looking concerned, there was no one there.

?[B]Jason![/B]? Celestia said from her position on the bed. ?[B]Are you all right?[/B]?

He breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a dream. He looked down at his cotton pajama shirt. It was still buttoned. Tentatively he stood up and swung his arms around. Everything worked, as it should. He walked back over to the bed and sat down.

?[B]Jason? What happened? You were thrashing madly in your sleep. I tried to wake you but you jerked sideways and fell off the bed.[/B]? Celestia reached up to touch Jason?s head, stopping when he pulled away. ?[B]You hit your head on the floor when you fell.[/B]?

Jason reached up to touch the back of his head wincing a bit when he felt the spot where he had hit his head. [I]Thank god that was just a dream.[/I] He thought with a shudder of revulsion.

?[B]Jason, please answer me, are you all right?[/B]? Celestia asked.

?[B]Yes, it was just a bad dream.[/B]? Jason finally replied. ?[B]Just a dream?[/B]?

?[B]You dreamed about Jared again didn?t you.[/B]? Celestia said as she straightened the blankets that Jason had pulled off the bed when he fell. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Jason, holding him close when he didn?t answer immediately.

?[B]It?s all right, I understand if you don?t want to talk about it.?[/B] She said.

He reached up and wrapped his arms around her in turn. Maybe later he would talk to her about it, but not now. He shivered involuntarily still shaken by the powerful emotions of the dream. Even though he knew she would understand, he did not want to cry in front of Celestia. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Jared woke up early as he always did. It didn?t take him long to get ready, the blue jeans and plain green t-shirt along with the strange shoes Earthlings wore required little to no fuss, unlike his uniform. He paused to check himself in the mirror. The small pack he wore that fastened around the waist and had a small pouch on the right fit well with the image of someone who was a worker as they often had pouches of tools that they carried with them. He only had a small disruptor and the handheld computer/communicator in his. He didn?t expect to actually need the disruptor, but it was better to be prepared, especially since Darren would have nothing to defend himself with. Other than his natural strength.

He looked closely at his eyes to make sure that the treatment was completely in place; blue eyes stared back at him from the mirror with no traces of irritation from the change. He smiled and then turned to leave his quarters. Jared bypassed Darren?s and went straight to Sandra?s quarters. It was too early to pick up Darren and he wanted to talk to Sandra before he headed down to the planet. He stopped in front of her door and then reached up to press the button indicating he was there. A moment later it opened and her voice told him to enter.

Jared entered the room to find Sandra over at the small table sipping some tea while she reviewed some reports. Her half eaten breakfast neatly shoved to the side.

?[B]Ah Jared, I was hoping you would stop by before heading down. The Tempest arrived a short while ago and Commander Crystal has already transported down to the surface.[/B]? She said.

?[B]Good, I?ll be sure to check in with Crystal before heading out into the city with Darren. But that?s not why I am here.[/B]? Jared said.

?[B]I know, you wish for me to explain why I had you brief the Elite Specialist on their mission, a mission that must to you look like something that hardly calls for an Elite Specialist.[/B]? Sandra said.

?[B]You?re right, I am curious about that. I can understand that Kiva has excellent hacking skills and that her choice of personal is perfect for taking care of the human?s weapons facilities. But Earth?s computers are primitive, enough that anyone here on the Crimson can hack them.[/B]? Jared said.

?[B]True, but Kiva will mostly be looking for resistance members here on Earth, something that others are not as skilled at. Also, the nuclear weapons Earthlings build are very dangerous. Some of them are too large to fit through a transportation door and will require actually taking a ship down to the surface to pick them up. Something the Crimson is too large for and that the Tempest is ill equipped for.[/B]? Sandra said. She closed her report and looked directly at Jared before continuing.

?[B]The messenger ships are specially designed to enter the atmosphere and do covert operations. At night they could slip in, take the weapons and leave without anyone seeing them. Something that neither the Crimson nor the Tempest can do without being noticed as our ships are just too big. And the High Council does not want the planet contaminated with radiation that will kill the population.

I would imagine that even Kiva herself is wondering why she has been assigned to this mission. After all Elite Specialists may work with the military but they do not answer to them. And other commanders in the past have ignored the High Council and caused unnecessary civilian damage when taking over a world. So the question is why would a specialist be sent?[/B]?

?[B]So why was one sent then?[/B]? Jared asked.

Sandra pushed her tea aside and leaned back, crossing her legs. ?[B]Because I requested one. As a candidate for a position on the High Council I must prove that I have the ability to use the correct resources to do my job. And that includes the use of an Elite Specialist if I feel the mission warrants one. The High Council has plans for the people here as well as for the planet and to ensure that as few people as possible are harmed; having them take care of the weapons and hunt for resistance members is the most effective way to do it.[/B]?

?[B]I see, if that?s the case then to meet the requirements in regards to the safety of the people, a specialist would be the logical choice for this mission.[/B]? Jared said.

?[B]Exactly. There will already be quite a bit of confusion from what you and Darren will be up to as well as from the specialists? activities. I have to choose which of the leaders of the world would be best suited to serve as a liaison. Crystal will be choosing which humans would be best for the High Council?s research project. Together everyone has the skills needed to get things ready in time and yet keep the civilian causalities at a minimum.[/B]? Sandra finished; she got up and pushed her chair back against the table out of the way.

?[B]I understand, I?ll make sure that Darren understands his role as well in keeping the disruptions down to a bare minimum as far as transportation goes. He?s already advised me that going to fast would cause riots.[/B]? Jared said.

?[B]Good, then I suggest you get started as it?s almost time for you to pick him up.[/B]? Sandra said as she headed towards the door with Jared following her.

?[B]Understood Commander,[/B]? Jared said as he left her quarters. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=Teal]Crystal wrinkled her nose at how things smelled on Earth. It was one thing to read about how pollution smelled and yet another to actually experience it. Most of the worlds they had taken over had not progressed to the level that Earth had. And their own technology was different; a lot of the side effects of producing them had been pretty much eliminated due to the fact that there were strict regulations in place to keep things from contaminating the planet. They had already learned the hard way how easy it was to destroy the environment of a planet. Though what they had in mind for Earth wasn?t much better.

She finished checking out the office and equipment at the office since shortly she would be seeing patients. The groundwork for establishing her as a non-profit doctor was already in place and the sheer number of applications had been a bit surprising. There were so many people who didn?t have insurance and the cost was ridiculous. She had more people waiting than she could even see in one day since unless they were literally dying they simply couldn?t afford it otherwise. She sighed to herself. And this was supposed to be one of the better places to live on Earth. What was going on in other poorer countries was just sickening.

Well no matter, that would change shortly. Crystal picked up the small handheld computer that had been made just for her to use here so she could easily coordinate with what was available to treat people. It was fitted with a genetic switch like the glasses to keep unauthorized people from accessing it. She was preparing to have them send the first patient in when a knock from the door to the back part of the facility caught her attention. She opened it to find both Jared and another man with him. Both of them were dressed in Earth styled clothing.

?[B]Good morning Jared, what did you need?[/B]? Crystal said.

?[B]It?s good to see you again Commander Crystal,[/B]? Jared said with a little bow. ?[B]It?s been a while.[/B]?

?[B]Jared,[/B]? Crystal said. ?[B]Get to the point, I have work to do.[/B]?

Jared laughed, ?[B]Still as blunt and to the point as always.[/B]? He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. ?[B]I love that about you.[/B]?

Crystal folded her arms across her chest, a stern expression on her face, ?[B]And I see that you still like to surround your self with handsome men as well.[/B]?

He laughed again. ?[B]Ah, but this time it was the High Council who chose him for the task, not I.[/B]? He said with a wink. ?[B]Though I won?t deny that they have good taste.[/B]?

Crystal turned and took a second look at the other man, now that she thought about it, he didn?t have the same body moments of an officer in the military.

?[B]Who are you then?[/B]? She asked him.

?[B]Darren Anderson of Anderson Shipping.[/B]? Darren replied to Crystal?s question.

?[B]I see, come here please,[/B]? Crystal requested as she reached up to turn on the glasses to scan him.

It only took a moment to identify that he too was a Versilan, but why did someone who was not in the military have a translator installed? Crystal turned off the scanner and turned back to question Jared.

?[B]Who installed the translator?[/B]? She asked.

?[B]I did.[/B]? Jared replied.

?[B]I see, that would explain why there is a tiny bit of infection.[/B]? Crystal crossed her arms in front of her chest again giving Jared a look that said he was an idiot. ?[B]Jared, next time make sure there isn?t anything going on first. It?s not serious, so he?ll be fine, but make sure you have the doctor treat that when you are done for the day. If I had the equipment here I would do it for you.[/B]?

?[B]Of course Crystal, and my apologies as I did not think to check for anything before installing it.[/B]? Jared replied.

?[B]You wouldn?t, since it?s pretty rare to have issues. And the actual infection was there before it was installed, and even then it?s something that he would have gotten over on his own. But with the translator irritating it it?s best to be on the safe side[/B]? She replied. ?[B]Now get on your way before I kick you out as I have a lot of work to do.[/B]?

Jared bowed again and turned and left, taking Darren with him.[/COLOR]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Things were about to happen, Kim could feel it, like the calm before a storm. First the Crimson had arrived and then shortly after it the Tempest. Still other than to orbit the planet and to occasionally pick up the energy signature indicating that a transportation door had been used, it had been quiet. Even Sara had finally come around and though she was less than thrilled at having to wait for the first part of the modifications to be finished before she could begin her training in the Versilan?s style of combat, she was taking her assignment to go through the course on learning their language seriously. Showing the same amount of dedication to it that she did to her martial arts skills.

Being able to fit her with a permanent translator wasn?t possible and using one at all would make her stand out on other worlds. Unless something interfered, the course designed to help her learn it quickly would be done in a few weeks, just in time to start her new training, as the modifications would be finished at that point.

Kim finished taking a shower and getting dressed, there were still other resistance recruits to train that had finished being modified, but first she needed to check in with Daniel. He was probably with Celestia and Jason who had been working like crazy to improve the shielding and to find any flaws in the program. The last thing they needed was to have the Crimson or the Tempest figure out where they were.

She had barely walked into the command center when Daniel about snatched her and pulled her into another room to talk with her privately.

?[B]What is it Daniel?[/B]?

But he didn?t answer; instead he turned on a workstation in the room and pulled up an image of the ships in orbit, the image of [I]three[/I] ships. And before she could ask about the third ship he magnified the view to show her just what the ship was.

?[B]Oh my God,[/B]? Kim said. ?[B]They?ve called in an Elite Specialist.[/B]?

?[B]They just arrived a few minutes ago. You?re the only one I?ve told. The humans won?t understand what a problem this is.[/B]?

?[B]Problem? Good lord that?s putting it mildly! For them to be here means either the invasion is about to happen or they know that we are here.[/B]? Kim said with a shiver. Elite Specialists were the best; so good that often the only way to escape them was to run. And unless you were in one of the ships the resistance had that could outrun them, they would catch you as they had the fastest ships in the fleet. She had worked with one before when she was still a Sub-Commander. They put her skills to shame when it came to covert operations.

?[B]I know, and other than the one message I still don?t know when William will return. If they manage to find us, I don?t think they will, but still, if they do, we?ll have to find somewhere else to hide on Earth. And we?d better hope they aren?t as ruthless as some of the other Elite Specialists I?ve seen in action.[/B]?

Kim sat down in the nearest chair, holding her head between her hands. She sighed, ?[B]This is a problem we do not need.[/B]?

?[B]I know, but nonetheless, they are here. I want you to gather everyone together and review the emergency evacuation plans. I don?t want someone left behind in the confusion should making a run for it become necessary.[/B]?

Kim got up, ?[B]I?ll get started on it immediately then.[/B]?

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=darkslateblue]"Kive, you might want to take a look at this," Daego said.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Kiva walked across the [i]Catalyst[/i]'s bridge to Daego's station. "What is it?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Take a look," Daego said, isolating part of the report currently displayed on his computer station's monitor.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]The [i]Catalyst[/i] had arrived in sector 13 the previous day. With standard stealth systems online, the ship had slid into orbit around Earth. The active stealth systems wouldn't fool sufficiently advanced sensor systems, but Earth technolgy wasn't even close to being at that level, and the Resistance forces on the planet were unlikely to have that kind of equipment available, so the standard systems would suffice.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Once in Earth orbit, Kiva and Daego had initiated a complete sensor sweep of the planet. The objective, of course, was to verify the locations on the list they'd been provided with, as well as try to identify anything not on the list. This, of course, was not likely to happen just by scanning the planet. It would require some work to locate such facilities, and since that work would involve a good deal of hacking, it would be Kiva's job. But that was for after the data from the sensor sweep had come in and been analyzed, which was currently happening. Daego was actually reviewing sensor data when he called Kiva over.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"It looks like they have some stuff we didn't expect," Daego said as Kiva looked at the indicated section. "I don't know how the got it here undetected, but it looks like they've got grade B sensor equipment down there."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"You can't be serious." But Kiva saw that Daego was indeed serious. The sensor sweep had indeed found what could only be grade B sensor equipment. It was well hidden, so it wouldn't be easy to detect. The [i]Crimson[/i] had likely missed it, as had the [i]Tempest[/i], but the [i]Catalyst[/i]'s sensors were more advanced, as was almost everything on Elite Specialist ships. The [i]Catalyst[/i] had detected the equipment.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"If the Resistance has grade B sensors down there," Daego said, "then they'll know we're here. Our standard stealth level isn't enough to fool grade Bs."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Yeah. Okay, so they know we're here. At least now we know that they know. Daego, we're not going to take any special action at the moment. They already know that we're here, so doing anything now would just tell them that we found their grade B equipment, that we know they've seen us. They'll probably figure it out anyway, but doing anything about it would only make them certain. Besides, active B equipment is something I can use."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"You're going to redirect yourself througgh the equipemnt to whatever facility it sends data to, aren't you," Daego said.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Kiva nodded. "That's right. And by making my signal look like incoming sensor data, I'll be in the system without them even knowing I'm there. And once in, I'll certainly be able to find some info that'll make our search for additional Resistance facilities much easier. You keep going with the sensor data while I hack my way in."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Kiva returned to her station and went to work. She pulled this particular trick before so she knew exctly what to do and how to do it. As a result, it wasn't long before she was into a Resistance computer network. She didn't know where this particular network was, but it didn't matter. She'd get any information she could from the network, then pull out without leaving any sign that she'd been there. Well, no sign but one.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]As an undercover Resistance agent, Kiva favored... creative means of getting her reports to the Resistance. Her favorite method was leaving her reports in Resistance computers that she'd hacked her way into, and that's what she was doing now. This particular report contained all the standard information; general updates on the Empire, a personal status report, etc. Kiva also included, as usual, her current assignment as an Imperial operative, as well as everything she had that was relevant to said assignment, including a notification of just what she was looking for within the Resistance computers. As usual, she flagged it for attention from whoever was in charge of the facility.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Her report planted, Kivachecked on the status of her programs. She had ran them to search for any information she and Daego would find useful and copy it to the [i]Catalyst[/i]'s data banks. Checking on their status, she saw that they were finished, so she withdrew from the Resistance computer network. Aside from the Resistance agent Kiva's report, Kiva hadn't left any sign that she'd been there. And when Daego was finished with the sensor sweep, they'd combine the data and begin determining their order of attack.[/color]

-------------------------------------------------------------

OOC: Aaryanna_Mom, I guess Kiva's report went to wherever your characters are.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Jason didn?t completely understand why both Daniel and Kim were concerned about the arrival of an Elite Specialist, but he?d take their word for it. Earth just didn?t have anyone like that. Sure they had special agents that worked for various governments, but none of them had the skills and the technological knowledge that those of the Versilan Empire did.

All he could do was keep working with Celestia on their shielding program to keep it from being detected. It helped that part of what shielded them was natural to the planet and not technological in nature. Certain energy signatures that they would scan for weren?t even being used since they were not necessary. But some of the equipment it was unavoidable, you could shield it, but eventually it would be found. Which was why most of it was in a separate location all together.

The ship with the Elite Specialist hadn?t even been here for a day yet and so far it looked like they had not located them. If they had, Jason couldn?t imagine them ignoring their presence, they would destroy the base, or attempt to capture him and Celestia if they knew they were there. The bounty on their heads was according to Daniel, enough to tempt anyone to catch them. And even members of the Military were allowed to collect a bounty so long as catching the criminal did not interfere with their duties.

But since it was the High Council who had issued the bounty and specified it was a live capture only, Daniel said it was even possible they were here just to get them. It was a thought that if he was honest with himself, terrified him. He switched off the terminal he had been using in the main control room and left to join Celestia who had already left to get some dinner.

The base was not very big and within a few minutes he was at the mess hall. It didn?t take long to spot her sitting at a table with both Daniel and Kim. He paused for a moment at the storage unit to grab some sandwiches that had been made and then he went over and joined the others at the table.

?[B]Finished already?[/B]? Daniel asked him when he sat down.

?[B]Not really, I did recode some of the parameters to make the energy frequencies change more often, but I?m having trouble getting them to be more random. It works but it?s not using as many different frequencies as it should.[/B]?

Celestia spoke up, ?[B]I?ll be sure to take a look at what you changed then, you?ve probably just missed something.[/B]?

?[B]No, I?ll do that tomorrow after I?ve gotten some rest, you need to keep focusing on boosting the distance the transport door will go. With three ships here and one of them fast enough to catch almost anything, William will need the extra distance to have time to transport someone and still get away.[/B]?

?[B]I agree,[/B]? Daniel said. ?[B]William does have one of the few ships that can out run the ships used by the Elite Specialists, but if they get close enough before he can escape, they would have no trouble taking him out, or catching him in a tractor beam and thus prevent their escape. They may look small, but that ship could easily take on the Tempest and win.[/B]?

?[B]Surely you?re joking.[/B]? Jason asked.

Kim spoke up. ?[B]He is not joking. Messenger ships have the most update equipment available in the Empire. Almost the entire ship is devoted to defense and offense, to the point that there is only room for three crewmembers. The Crimson could destroy it as it is a more powerful battleship than the Tempest is, but that would be difficult as the Messenger ship could simply outrun the Crimson.[/B]

[B]The Empire designed them that way on purpose, Elite Specialists only answer to the High Council and to prevent treachery on the Military?s side they have been given the skills to evade them if need be.[/B]?

?[B]So basically, until William shows up or someone else with a ship fast enough, both Celestia my sister and I are stuck here.[/B]?

?[B]Exactly, and at the moment, I believe that the Empire is unaware of your presence, I am sure they know about Sara, Kim and myself, but you and Celestia are another matter. And I intend to keep it that way.[/B]?

Daniel got up to leave, ?[B]Both of you need to get some rest, if anything changes I?ll be sure to inform you.[/B]?

?[B]All right,[/B]? Celestia said in reply.

Kim got up as well, ?[B]As much as I?d like to call it a day I?ve still got work to do.[/B]? And with that both of them left the mess hall.

Jason turned to Celestia as he had finished his dinner while they were chatting. ?[B]Ready to call it a night?[/B]?

?[B]I think we should stop in and say hello to Sara first.[/B]? Celestia said with a smile as she stood up.[/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Now that the Elite Specialist had arrived, tomorrow along with Darren, Jared would be implementing the first stage of disrupting Earth?s shipping. He had been pleasantly surprised to see that Darren was every bit as efficient and good at his job as he was at his. It had taken him little time to hack into their computers and databases and to get a general grasp of how things worked. And an even shorter time to modify his original timetable and choice of targets to lesson the expected impact.

Now that they had been working together for several days, Jared realized that the flaw with his plan was in overestimating Earth?s ability to defend and protect their shipping. He had originally thought no one would be so stupid to leave things so open to terrorism but apparently they were. It would be horribly easy to bring everything to a complete halt worldwide. He didn?t envy Darren in coming up with a solution to work with their technology.

Jared closed down the computer terminal in his quarters. Tomorrow everything would begin. First he and Darren would be putting the explosives in place at a huge trucking distribution center that sent goods to a huge part of the US. That would require careful movements on their part, once that was done they would call in a bomb threat as the center was home to thousands of workers, there was no need to kill any of them.

But if they were too foolish to evacuate them then there wasn?t much he could do about their stupidity. He got up and went into his bedroom to change into his sleeping clothes. Usually he stayed up later, but tomorrow was going to be a busy day for him and Darren. He quickly changed and went back out into the main room to get a drink from the storage unit next to the table.

He poured himself a generous measure and then took in into his bedroom to finish it. He set the unfinished drink on the stand next to his bed and picked up his handheld computer to input a few more details in regards to what to pick up from the weapons locker before they left tomorrow morning. It didn?t take long for him to make sure he had everything they would need listed. Jared turned it off and set it back down next to his now finished drink.

Jared picked up the glass and went back out in the main room to put it away for the crew to pick up tomorrow when they checked his quarters. He chuckled to himself as he remembered what had happened the other day when he had given Darren a couple of bottles of what his file listed as being his favorite drinks. He had intended it as a reward for good work but Darren had misunderstood. Never had Jared seen someone turn as red in the face as he did.

It was so enjoyable to tease Darren, and it was quite the temptation to take it beyond simple teasing. Because to be honest, he was very attractive, even more so since he was so competent at his job. Pretty and brainless men were fun, but not anywhere as interesting as the competent ones. Jared sighed, the things he did for duty. Still there was no telling what was going to happen in the days to come and for now he was satisfied with simply putting him on edge. If only because he really did look so adorable when he was flustered.

He walked back into his room and turned off the lights before climbing into the soft silk sheets of his bed. If only he could find Jason again, he never did get to finish what he had started and to be frank he was tired of sleeping alone other than the occasional lover or conquest. Jared pulled the sheets up until half of his body was covered, then he wiggled into a comfortable position, within minutes he was sound asleep. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

When Daniel realized that there was a priority message for him the very next day after the Elite Specialist?s ship had arrived, he got up and left the command center and went to the same private room he had dragged Kim into the other day. He secured the room and pulled up the message, expecting it to be from William. To his surprise it was a message from one of their top agents working within the Military. Usually such messages went to William and not to him. It didn?t take long for him to realize why he was getting the message and when he did, he went cold all over from the implication.

The actual report was not the problem; it was how the information had been left. The Elite Specialist who had turned out to actually be a member of the resistance, something he had not been aware of, had not only found their sensor equipment but had already hacked into the main computers without them even noticing. He felt unsettled and sick to his stomach. If it had been regular Elite Specialist they would have never even known someone had already accessed their system. It would have been a total disaster.

Now more than ever Daniel understood just why William was so fanatical about not sharing information you did not need to know. The actual location of this base along with the other two they had built were not in the main computer system, but unfortunately, all the secret military bases that belonged to the various governments here on Earth that he had agents in were listed in the main computer. The damage was done, this Kiva would have no choice but to reveal that information, he had already put out the alert to everyone due to the three ships. It was a good thing he did as most of the agents were prepared to make a run for it if necessary.

He made a note to recall over half of them since he could do so on the pretense that they were needed elsewhere, there was certainly plenty of things to be done. They had three up-to-date bases built but the safe houses and other areas were not finished. So pulling that many agents in would not be questioned.

[I]God what a mess, [/I]he thought. All that work securing personal into positions of the military here on Earth was going to go up in smoke. The best he could do would be to make sure none of his people got caught in the crossfire. Having them be prepared to avert destruction would only put Kiva?s position in jeopardy and even he was smart enough to realize that losing access to some of the more primitive weapons was not worth losing one in her position.

Daniel spent another minute transferring the data to his handheld computer and making sure it was encrypted. He was careful to not transfer the information about Kiva, that type of information was always deleted immediately. And once he was done, he did so immediately in the main computer as well, other than William no one else would be given the information he had just gotten.

He resisted the urge to shudder. Just thinking about how much of a disaster that could have been?was something he didn?t want to think about.

[Rachmaninoff]

It was one thing to talk about blowing up a facility, and yet another altogether to actually do it. Darren couldn?t help but feel nervous. There were so many things that could go wrong. What if the government didn?t take the bomb threat seriously and evacuate the people? Even though he would not be the one pushing the button, could he really sit by and do nothing? Jared had assured him that the very first explosive they would be placing would be in the abandoned warehouse on the very edge of the facility as a demonstration that they were serious.

[I]Why am I even going with him?[/I] He thought as he followed Jared to the transport room to head down to Earth. [I]I?m not a trained member of the military; someone like me would only get in his way![/I] But Jared had insisted that he come with him, that he had something for him to do. Darren could not think of a single thing that he could do. He was not trained to use explosives and though he could use laser and disruptor weapons, if Jared wanted someone to keep a lookout, there were others who were far more qualified than he was.

He sighed as he followed Jared through the transportation door and into the clinic where Commander Crystal was waiting for them. As always she was brisk and to the point as she immediately began to explain to him what his part would be. Darren found himself actually liking her. Even though she was a member of the military and a commander at that, she was straightforward and honest. Unlike Jared, there was no second-guessing her meaning or gestures, as she had no ulterior motive where he was concerned.

Not like that disaster a few nights ago when Jared had given him some of his favorite drinks. Jared had insisted that it was a reward for good work, but that bastard had to have known he would not have understood that. How could he have known that the more expensive drinks were something that those who were not officers could earn as a reward? Jared knew he was not a member of the military. And the way he had teased him mercilessly over how flustered he had gotten over thinking he intended them as something else just showed that. [I]He did that on purpose.[/I] Darren thought, still annoyed over what had happened.

?[B]Darren![/B]? A sharp reprimand from Crystal brought him back to what she was saying. ?[B]Pay attention! I don?t intend to explain this twice.[/B]?

?[B]Yes Commander.[/B]?

Crystal handed him a small syringe and went over the basics on how to give a shot to humans again. It didn?t take long for him to grasp the concept.

?[B]Now just to keep things straight. Our agents have hacked into the shipping system to indicate that you and I are there on behalf of the health department to administer a vaccine to a potential contamination that has occurred. While you assist me in briefly examining each group to tag those who would fit the research profile, Jared will be taking advantage of each section being shut down temporarily to plant the explosives.[/B]?

[I]Now this is interesting,[/I] Darren thought. [I]Tagging people for research? Just what is she referring to? [/I]

?[B]You and I will be wearing these,[/B]? Crystal said as she brought out some devices that could be worn on one?s neck, wrists, the waist and one?s ankles. They were used to support holographic technology. ?[B]It would not be in our best interests to look the same. These devices will make sure that when suspicion falls on us for being there, they will never be able to find us since the images created will not be the same as our true appearance.[/B]?

[I]Well that makes sense.[/I] Darren thought. He had wondered about that even as Crystal was explaining it. He took the devices and put them on as instructed. [I]I may not be a doctor or an explosive expert, but this I can do.
[/I]
?[B]Are we ready everyone?[/B]? Crystal finally asked.

Darren nodded his head to indicate that he was.

?[B]Good, now since you know how to actually drive one of those contraptions they consider a vehicle here Jared, I?m relying on you to actually get us there.[/B]?

?[B]It will be my pleasure Crystal.[/B]? Jared replied as he led them outside to the vehicle in question.

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=Teal]Crystal could help but raise her eyebrows at the rusted worn looking vehicle sitting in front of the clinic. Since it was a Sunday, there was no one else there and it looked pretty sad and pathetic sitting there by itself. It was painted yellow and had numbers along the side, with the words Taxi clearly in black written on the side as well.

?[B]Jared, that thing doesn?t even look like it will start let alone get us to our destination.[/B]?

?[B]It will, it only looks that way due to the holographic projection,[/B]? he replied even as he activated his own equipment, changing his appearance to that of an older earthling with graying hair and old worn out clothing. She hadn?t looked at her reflection, but she could see how her own hair was now blonde and her outfit more of a medical uniform than what she usually wore.

Darren didn?t look the same either with reddish brown hair and the change in his facial features making him look like he was much older. Something that Versilian?s did not start to show until they were well into their two hundreds. They did have holographic technology here, but not anywhere as advanced as what they had.

Crystal had read and supervised part of Celestia?s interrogations when she was still a doctor on the Crimson. She had not finished developing the technology to the stage where it felt real, and even then it would require quite a bit of equipment instead of the tiny little projectors they had. But then Earth did not use crystal technology at all. Their sources of power were extremely primitive and limiting.

It didn?t take long for Jared to drive them to the facility and drop them off, and due to the ground work of their agents, they were admitted immediately, the first batch of people were already waiting in one of the conference rooms set aside for their visit, concern in their eyes at the prospect of having been exposed to something dangerous.

She immediately went to work, scanning the people for potential profiles to work with, those who did she herself administered the shot as it contained a tiny locator that would allow the Tempest or the Crimson to pick them up with a transport door once they were not near someone else. Those who were not suitable, she sent to Darren, his shots were nothing more than a simple saline solution and completely harmless.

It didn?t take long and by mid afternoon she was almost finished. Crystal sighed inwardly, as much as she would rather not do this, she didn?t have a choice. It was the best way to get things started and yet not arouse suspicion over so many people disappearing. She knew that Jared was going to use explosives that were similar to Earth?s and yet far more lethal. The level of devastation would be terrible and yet completely confined to the complex. So it would be easier on them to believe that those who were missing had died.

At least for now, once they took over, so long as she was in charge, no families with young children would be taken for the research. And even now, any female that showed signs of having given childbirth at one point were immediately ruled unacceptable, even if they did fit the profiles she was looking for. And if the High Council objected to that, too bad.

Finally after spending close to six hours, she was finished. Over three hundred people had been tagged and according to the data feed from her glasses; over half of them had already been transported up. She had already gotten the input that Jared was done and in the clear thirty minutes ago. When the last person left she turned to Darren.

?[B]Lets go, our ride should be waiting for us.[/B]? She turned and headed to the main gate of the facility with Darren close behind her.

After checking in briefly with security, she and Darren then left through the main gate, just as he said in the message, Jared was already there with the car waiting for them. Without a word she and Darren got in, saying nothing as Jared drove them back to the facility, taking a different route and using a spot that was secluded to turn off the holographic projections.

Now instead of the beaten up yellow car they were in a fairly new white four-door car that was actually smaller than the projection had been. Another moment to drive to and then park it in the lot behind the clinic, remove the projection equipment and then enter the clinic to transport back up to the Crimson.

?[B]Just a moment before we head back,[/B]? Jared said with a smile. ?[B]I?ve already done the hacking for me to contact the authorities in this area from the ship, they can try tracing it with their primitive equipment but it won?t do them any good. But that?s not why I want the two of you to wait.[/B]?

Crystal watched as he pulled out his handheld computer and entered something into it. A moment later the muffled sounds of a huge explosion could be heard, followed by an actual vibration that they could feel in the building they were standing in.

?[B]Jared![/B]? Crystal started to say.

?[B]Relax Crystal. No one was hurt in that blast;[/B] ? He turned to show her the screen on his handheld, the scene of the now burning warehouse shown from the vantage point of being viewed from the Crimson. Even on the little screen she could see people running outside to see what had happened.

?[B]I just thought you two might find it interesting since this building is close enough, you can feel the vibrations through the ground as they head outward.[/B]?

?[B]Don?t you need to be in place to call in the threat?[/B]? She asked.

?[B]I will,[/B]? Jared said as he opened up the transport door. ?[B]But I intend to give them fifteen minutes to panic before I call in the threat.[/B]?

Crystal sighed. ?[B]I?ll be on my way then since I need to go prepare the people for being transported to the research facility.[/B]? She turned her back on both of them and stepped thought the transportation door. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Setting up the charges for the shipping complex to be destroyed had turned out to be ridiculously easy. If it wasn?t for Commander Crystal?s decision to use the operation to nab the first batch of humans for the High Council?s research project, Jared could have set things up in a fraction of the time. He had brought along some low-level stealth equipment but so far he hadn?t even needed it. Jamming the security camera?s when he was placing the explosives had been child?s play, something that even Darren with his lack of training could have done.

Though to be fair, it wasn?t a military facility and the US had never had any real terrorism done to their country. In the end not once was his presence ever challenged by those who were there, he placed the last charge and worked his way out of the complex and back to the abandoned warehouse, the car he had brought on the other side of the tall fence. He climbed it with easy and after sending off a message to be relayed to Crystal via her built in scanner in her glasses, he started the car and drove around to the front gate.

Jared smiled as he picked up both Crystal and Darren at the front gate, at least now things would be more interesting. Even Sandra would have her hands full monitoring all the communication that would occur between the higher levels of the government due to his actions. It wasn?t going to be easy for her to pick a liaison from among the governments of this world. Especially since so many of them were greedy grasping fools who only entered politics to further their own gain or to line their pockets with money.

Then once he had taken them back to the medical facility and set off the first explosive he followed Crystal and Darren through the transport door. Crystal had already left when he arrived and Darren just stood there waiting for him to tell him what to do next.

?[B]Come with me.[/B]? He said as he left the transport room.

He took Darren up to the main bridge, ignoring his look of surprise that a civilian had even been allowed to enter. Usually they were not, but Jared wanted him to monitor how the authorities reacted to his dealing with them. It would help determine if there was a pattern to their emergency response teams. He took Darren into the side conference room and motioned for him to take a seat. Once he did so he sat down on the other side of the table and turned on the built in screen in the wall at the end showing the warehouse on fire and all the people scrambling around. Then he pulled up the same thing along with a section for Darren to input notes on the terminal built into the table in front of him.

?[B]I want you to pay attention to how they respond to things Darren. If we are going to follow the High Council?s wish to spare as many civilians as possible, determining if there is a pattern will be useful in the upcoming missions. Understood?[/B]?

?[B]Yes Sub-Commander.[/B]?

It had been nearly fifteen minutes, Jared pulled up the program and initiated the sequence that would hack into their phone systems, then once he activated the program that would send their tracking system in loops around the world, he pushed the button, listening with amusement to the bizarre ringing sounds that they used to indicate it was paging someone. Then a moment later a voice answered. Before they could finish their speech about where he had called, Jared interrupted them.

?[B]I wish to speak to the one in charge, put them on immediately.[/B]?

?[B]Excuse me?[/B]? The voice on the other end said in confusion.

?[B]You do want to know about the rest of the bombs at the Denver Transportation facility correct? Don?t be an idiot, connect me to the person who is in charge.[/B]?

Silence greeted his words and then the person who had responded replied, ?[B]Just a moment and I?ll get them for you.[/B]? Jared snickered when the standard hold music came one. He muted the volume as well as any noise from their end.

?[B]Take a look at this Darren,[/B]? he said as he pulled up another screen in front of Darren showing that they had already started attempting to track the call. He also pulled up another display of the facility from the ships point of view; he zoomed in and activated the sensors to do a sweep for life forms. The buildings closest to the one on fire and been emptied, but the ones on the other side still had people working in them. He pulled up the chart of the location of the explosives, preparing for the next blast. Then he un-muted the volume when the music ended and a voice spoke.

?[B]This is the chief of police, Davis, to whom and I speaking?[/B]?

?[B]Who I am is irrelevant Chief. What is relevant is that you have one hour to evacuate everyone at the facility before I activate the remaining charges.[/B]?

?[B]I can?t do that![/B]?

?[B]Don?t lie to me Chief. I know perfectly well that you can do as I have requested. How about I give you another incentive?[/B]? Jared entered the code to detonate the explosives in the building closest to the fire. He sat back and waited as he heard the sounds of shouting in the background, a moment later the Chief spoke again.

?[B]What do you want?[/B]?

?[B]Want? I already explained that to you Chief, I want you to evacuate everyone immediately. You can stop wasting your time trying to track this call or to talk to me to see if you can outsmart me, I suggest you put your time to good use and get all of the people out of there.[/B]?

Jared sighed when Davis did not answer immediately. ?[B]This is not a difficult concept to grasp Chief, either you remove the people, or they will die when I destroy the buildings they are in. How many have already died? And how many more will die due to your stupidity?[/B]? Jared activated yet another set of explosives, taking out another building.

?[B]Wait! Stop! I need to talk to my superiors to get the authority to evacuate the area![/B]?

?[B]I suggest you hurry Chief, you have fifteen minutes to give me an answer, at that point if I have not heard from you I will destroy the entire complex immediately along with everyone in it. I?ll wait right here for your answer, now run along.[/B]?

Jared muted the volume once again and set the timer running. In less than five minutes people began to start leaving the remaining buildings and heading towards the main gate of the facility. Vehicles with flashing lights on top began to arrive in greater number as well. One minute before the time was up the Chief came back.

?[B]I?ve done as you?ve asked, the facility is being evacuated even as we speak.[/B]?

?[B]I know Chief, I suggest you pull your vehicles back as well as I can?t guarantee that the blast radius won?t affect them.[/B]? Jared detonated yet another set of explosives; the last remaining building that was actually empty.

?[B]Damnit! What did you do that for? We?re doing what you asked us to![/B]?

Jared laughed. ?[B]Honestly Chief, you should pay more attention when someone talks to you. I never said I would stop destroying the facility. I merely told you I wanted everyone off the grounds within an hour.[/B]? Jared paused and then continued in a much colder tone of voice. ?[B]You would do well to stop stalling for time and get everyone out of there. You will not be able to trace this call; you will not be able to stop me from destroying the facility. What you will be capable of doing is getting the rest of those people to safety. I grow tired of your stupidity Davis; you now have twenty minutes to finish. I suggest you get busy.[/B]?

Jared cut the communication ignoring Davis?s attempts to reason with him. Then as promised, twenty minutes later he destroyed the rest of the facility. With the remaining people inside barely making it out in time. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=darkslateblue]"Okay, I've got results from the data I took," Kiva said. "How're things on your end?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"The sweep's done," Daego replied, "and I've just about got the results sorted out. So far, things seem to be pretty close to our list. There are a couple deviations, but nothing too major. Basically, our list checks out. What do your results look like?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Well, it's like I told you the other day. The Resistance is very good at hiding. Like your data, mine basically confirms our list. However, I've discovered that there are also three large Resistance facilities on the planet. One of them is where I got the data, of course, and there are two others. Thing is, there's absolutely nothing in here to indicate where these three facilities are located."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Nothing?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Kiva nodded. "Nothing. All three facilities are mentioned in the data, but only by standard code names, so we can't get any clues there. And nowhere in the database is there any information on the facilities' locations."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"I'm assuming you tried tracing the data from the grade B sensor gear, too," Daego said. "I take it that didn't work, either."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"I didn't learn a thing from that. The signal's bounced around so many times that t's impossible to tell where it's going. The scrambler's damn good, too, which makes things even more difficult. I was able to get around that problem when I hacked in because I sent my signal directly into the sensor gear, which sent it down the path to the Alpha facility, as it's referred to in the data I got. But I can't do that with a signal trace, because the scrambler would disrupt it anyways. No, finding those facilities won't be easy."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Yeah, I guess not. I didn't find anything like that with the sensor sweep, so I can't help. Whoever's in charge down there definitely knows his stuff. Anyways, what's our next move?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"We compose and send a brief messageto the [i]Crimson[/i] and the [i]Tempest[/i]," Kiva said. "We tell Commander Sandra and Commander Crystal about the three facilities, as well as the grade B sensor equipment. We ask them to contact us if they find even a hint about where one of the facilities might be located. Also, we tell them of our decision to take no action regarding the grade B sensor equipment, and advise them to do the same. You get on that, Daego. I'll start prioritizing our target list."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Got it," Daego said.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Good. Let's get to work."[/color]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Things were tense in the command center of the main resistance base, ever since Kim had picked up energy signatures indicating that one of the battleships was using a transportation door. Once or twice was one thing, but several hundred and counting over the past four hours? And all of them in the city of Denver Colorado? Jason and Celestia tried to concentrate on their own work, but it was hard to do so when it was obvious that what ever was going on had both Daniel and Kim worried. Then without so much as a word, Kim got up and left. Jason couldn?t take it anymore; he turned off his terminal and went over to talk to Daniel.

?[B]What is going on?[/B]? He asked as he sat down next to Daniel.

Daniel didn?t take his eyes off of the monitor but motioned to Jason to move closer. ?[B]This is what?s going on.[/B]? He pointed to the screen showing a section of the city as being highlighted.

?[B]I don?t understand.[/B]?

?[B]The Crimson is opening transportation doors in this location. Normally I wouldn?t be able to pinpoint it, but with so much activity it leaves a residual energy signature for a little while.[/B]?

?[B]I still don?t understand Daniel.[/B]?

?[B]There are only so many things they could be up to. They could actually own the facility and are transporting personal down to that location, or they are preparing to destroy it.[/B]?

?[B]Why would they destroy it?[/B]? Jason asked completely confused.

Daniel turned to look directly at Jason, ?[B]It?s standard procedure. When we take over a world, we disrupt transportation, the military and essentially create chaos. In the end it makes taking the world in question over easier as at that point no one is organized enough to mount serious resistance to the invasion.[/B]?

Jason was aghast, he didn?t know what to say, but then something in the back of his mind clicked. ?[B]You just sent Kim to find out what they are up to![/B]? He accused.

?[B]Correct, even though we have grade B sensor equipment, it?s not good enough to pick up our type of explosives unless they have already been set off. Kim is taking a small scanner to get a closer look.[/B]?

?[B]But that?s dangerous![/B]? Jason started to protest.

?[B]Exactly, which is why I sent Kim. She may not be as good as an Elite Specialist, but she?s the most skilled hand-to-hand combat agent that we have. And unlike the rest of them she is trained to use all of our explosives. Something that only officers are trained to do.[/B]?

?[B]Why would that matter?[/B]?

?[B]Because if they are going to destroy it, the most logical way to do so without revealing that there is an alien ship orbiting Earth would be to use explosives. The Crimson could easily destroy it from space, but that sort of thing would not go unnoticed.[/B]?

A tiny tremor ran through the base, but Jason ignored it as the facility was made to withstand Earthquakes, but a moment later the lighting in the base changed to a deep red that bathed everything in a surreal look. At that same moment the alarm indicating danger sounded. The harsh siren startling Jason, nearly causing him to fall out of his chair. [I]What the hell?[/I]

A split second later the main viewer came on as Daniel accessed what had triggered the alarm. A few more sub screens opened displaying even more data, data that had Daniel cursing.

?[B]What?s going on Daniel?[/B]? Jason asked as Celestia came over to join them.

But then the main viewer switched to another view, one showing a huge building on fire.

?[B]Good lord! What happened?[/B]? Celestia asked.

?[B]It was destroyed by explosives that only my people could have made.[/B]? Daniel replied.

?[B]Are you sure?[/B]? Jason flinched when Daniel fixed him with a glare. ?[B]Never mind of course you?re sure.[/B]?

?[B]It?s what triggered the alarm,[/B]? Daniel said even as he switched the noise off. ?[B]The sensor is designed to alert us if certain things happen that are within a preset radius of this base.[/B]?

?[B]I thought we weren?t near the town of Denver.[/B]? Jason said.

?[B]Not by your terms, but the alarm is sensitive to anything within 150 of your Earth Miles,[/B]? Daniel stopped to answer an incoming transmission.

?[B]Daniel I?m at the facility where the building blew up, you were right! Not only did our explosives destroy the building, but I can?t lock on to the other explosives, who ever placed them put a low-level stealth shield on them. I would have to enter the building and fetch each one by hand.[/B]? Kim said.

?[B]You?ll do no such thing Kim, gather a little more data and return her at once.[/B]? Daniel ordered.

?[B]Understood.[/B]? Kim replied before cutting the connection.

?[B]Is there a way for us to call the facility from here?[/B]? Celstia asked.

Daniel turned to face her puzzled over her question. ?[B]Why would we want to do something like that?[/B]?

?[B]We can call in a bomb threat, forcing them to evacuate the facility, otherwise, more people are going to die![/B]? She said.

?[B]I?m not sure that?s a good idea,[/B]? Daniel started to say but he was cut off by Kim contacting him again.

?[B]Daniel I?m going to forward a line of communication to you.[/B]?

Puzzled Daniel opened up the link for her to send him a feed. A moment later he understood why. She had hacked into a signal coming from the Crimson that was directed to the authorities on Earth. An all to familiar voice could be heard, one that chilled Daniel, Celestia and Jason as they had hoped they would never hear it again. Torn between the desire to somehow do something and yet helpless to stop what was happening, they listened as Jared calmly ordered the authorities to evacuate, destroying a building every time they hesitated. And when it was all said and done and the transmission finished. A raging inferno, miles wide was all that was left of the transportation complex. It had begun. [/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Darren did not want to watch what Jared was up to, let alone listen to him ruthlessly toy with the officials on Earth as he destroyed the shipping complex. He had known that the military would use such tactics before taking over a world, but it was another thing to actually be a part of it. He felt sickened every time Jared triggered one of the explosives. Even if they were inferior, there was no need to kill them. So far no one had died, but somehow Darren got the feeling that Jared would not hesitate to destroy the complex with everyone still in it.

When it was finally said and done and the complex had been destroyed, Darren found himself fighting the feeling that he was going to throw up. He tried to analyze the data but he couldn?t get the image of the buildings blowing up out of his mind. Darren wondered just what bothered him the most, the destruction or how Jared seemed to find the whole thing amusing. He avoided looking directly at Jared who was also analyzing the data, he didn?t want Jared to see how much it upset him.

But when the computer finished compiling some of the scanning results and listed the number of dead he couldn?t hold it in any longer. He pushed away from the table, knocking the chair he had been sitting in over. He felt dizzy and before he knew what had happened he was on his hands and knees retching. But there was nothing for him to throw up. He had been so nervous that morning that he had relied solely on a type of energy drink that they used. It didn?t stop his stomach from trying to throw itself up though.

The sound of footsteps coming towards him finally registered when the retching finally came to an end. Darren tried to stand back up only to be caught by strong hands and gently placed in another chair when a wave of dizziness overtook him. When the dizziness passed and he could focus his eyes he saw Jared putting the chair he had knocked over back up. Then he turned it so it was facing Darren and sat down.

?[B]I never expected you to be so squeamish Darren. I thought it was clear that there would be causalities.[/B]?

Darren could feel tears flowing down his face; he averted his gaze looking elsewhere, uncomfortable with how Jared seemed to look right through him. How could he possibly explain that it was more than simply being squeamish? The data indicated that at least sixty people had died in the final explosion. Even though he had not pushed the button so to speak, he had still been down there helping Crystal tag people for research. How could he explain that what truly haunted him was the knowledge that he had deceived them? He had known that the complex was going to be destroyed and he had done nothing to warn them. He had let them go back to their jobs knowing that the building at that point had been rigged to blow up. He had let them die.

?[B]I bet I can guess why you are so upset.[/B]?

Startled Darren looked back at Jared who in spite of everything, still looked like he was enjoying himself. [I]How could he possibly know what I am thinking? [/I]

Jared smiled and continued once he had Darren?s full attention. ?[B]It?s not so much the causalities as it is a feeling that you allowed them to die, that their blood is on your hands.[/B]? Jared smirked at Darren?s tiny startled gasp. ?[B]I?m sure your image of me as a ruthless and sadistic bastard also plays into this as well. Not only did you do nothing to help those inferior humans, but you did nothing to stop me either. You even helped me and Crystal to not only kidnap the humans but to deceive them as well.[/B]?

Darren felt cold all over as a feeling of panic came over him. [I]Has he bugged my quarters?[/I] He had certainly not been shy in his opinion of Jared when he wasn?t around to hear him. How else could Jared know that he thought he was a sadistic bastard?

Jared laughed in delight at Darren?s panicked expression. ?[B]Darren, I am an expert at reading others body language,[/B]? he leaned forward ignoring how Darren weakly tried to pull away. ?[B]It is I who conducts interrogations on the Crimson. I would be a poor interrogator if a reaction as simple as yours was beyond me.[/B]?

His heart racing Darren wished with all his might to somehow vanish into the floor, but Jared had other ideas and before he could even react, Darren found himself pinned to the chair by Jared?s weight when he sat on his lap straddling him, pinning his hands under his weight as well. He choked down a gasp of horror when Jared casually pushed him further into the chair by virtue of his left elbow digging into the right side of his chest and his left hand reaching over to push his left shoulder down into the chair.

And when Jared started moving even closer he knew he had turned bright red from how painful the rush of blood to his face felt. He started to panic and attempt to pull free, until he realized where his hands were pinned in relation to Jared. Darren froze and at that exact moment Jared pulled back and laughed.

?[B]See what I mean?[/B]? Jared leaned forward again until their faces were almost touching, forcing Darren to look straight into his eyes. ?[B]You may be good at negotiating contracts for shipping, or in dealing with your clients and crew. But you lack the discipline to hide how you felt over the death?s of the humans as well as the ability to hide how you feel about me.[/B]?

Darren tried to respond, but he was too flustered by what Jared had just said. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He squirmed underneath Jared?s weight, and then stopped. Chilled by the voracious look in Jared?s eyes. Then just as suddenly Jared let go of him and got up. Darren watched him warily as he walked back around the table to close down the terminal.

?[B]I suggest you learn to control your reactions in the future Darren,[/B]? Jared said as he walked back over to where Darren was sitting. ?[B]Even I have my limits when it comes to exercising restraint.[/B]?
[I]
Restraint? Just what does he mean by restraint?[/I] Darren wondered.

Jared laughed again at Darren?s confused expression. ?[B]Don?t tell me you need me to explain that one as well.[/B]? He paused and leaned down to whisper in Darren?s ear. ?[B]Don?t you see Darren? It?s your lack of control that is so endearing and attractive in the first place.[/B]?

And with that cryptic statement Jared left Darren sitting in the conference room until a moment later two security personal entered to escort him to his quarters.

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Kim finished gathering some data once the final charge had been used at the Denver Transportation facility and then she pulled back to the point where she had transported to the location. A quick look and sweep with her scanner showed that no one was near; she activated the transportation door and quickly returned to the base. She had barely returned to the base when Sara immediately confronted her.

?[B]Kim, I heard about what happened from Daniel. I was coming to talk with you anyway since the doctor gave me this.[/B]? She handed Kim a data chip.

Kim inserted it into her handheld device and read through the doctor?s report. Even though it had only been just over a week, the genetics had settled into place, she would still have some trouble adapting for the next couple of weeks while she got use to being stronger and her reflexes faster, but other than to monitor her for any unexpected changes, the enhancement on the doctor?s side was done.

?[B]I?m tired of sitting here in the base playing it safe Kim. Daniel was talking to both Jason and Celestia about improving the scanning for the transportation door. He wants to try and at least slow the Crimson down if possible. If what he says about them targeting military and transportation is true then delaying them gives us more time to finish getting the safe houses set up before they invade my world. I want to help you stop them.[/B]?

Speechless Kim just looked at Sara, gauging the seriousness she saw in her eyes. On the one hand, Sara was trained in Marital Arts giving her an edge over the other recruits that had been modified. And that training had made her very observant as well, even more so than some of the recruits they had picked up from the military here on Earth. But then the Versilan Empire also wanted her; Sara had a huge bounty on her head. And when she had been the Sub-Commander of the Tempest, she remembered all to well how the officers and crew always checked the wanted list since they could collect on a bounty so long as it did not interfere with their duties.

It wouldn?t be an issue if they had the smaller holographic equipment, but it was low on the priority list. Getting the grade B sensor equipment had been far more important, along with other computer equipment for the bases. So other than more simple modifications like dying your hair, she would be easy to identify.

?[B]I?m serious Kim,[/B]? Sara said when she didn?t respond. ?[B]Earth is my world and I can?t sit still and do nothing! I?ll still keep learning the language and anything else you think I need to know, but damnit! I want to help![/B]?

?[B]Okay,[/B]? Kim said, ?[B]But on one condition.[/B]?

?[B]And that would be?[/B]?

?[B]You?ll work with me and you have to promise to do exactly as I tell you. No ifs ands or buts on this. I don?t want you questioning the tasks I give you when you lack the training to understand them, got it?[/B]?

?[B]Okay, I understand,[/B]? Sara smiled. ?[B]Even I know that I lack your training Kim.[/B]?

?[B]Good, so long as that?s not a problem I?ll talk to Daniel about it. Besides, after what the doctor said it?s time to start your training anyway and including reconnaissance is something that will benefit you in the long run. Now you first order is to read this.[/B]?

Kim took the chip she had given her as she had added a report from her handheld device to it while she was talking to Sara and gave it back to her.

?[B]I?ve included the basic welcome package that all military recruits get, some of it won?t apply since we are not the military, but it will explain how I do things and how our structure of command works. Get working on that immediately along with your language lessons.[/B]?

Kim then turned her back on Sara and headed to the command center. She smiled inwardly, now the fun part of arguing with Daniel over it was coming. She missed the days when she had argued and teased him while serving as his Sub-Commander. He was so cute when he got that serious look on his face over an issue they didn't agree on. Kim sighed, now if only she could get him to realize how much she cared for him.