RPG Silver One

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Kim couldn?t help but snicker at the two security personal stationed at her room in the sickbay of the Conqueror. Even if she had wanted to try and escape, she lacked the strength to even try. She was puzzled as to why Commander Crystal had even bothered to repair the damage to her nerves yet again when Stevens had already gotten everything he had asked her. Until in her weakened and half conscious state she remembered that it would be standard procedure for him to re-verify things with her to look for inconsistencies that would indicate she was still managing to lie in spite of the drugs. That would take a week at the most since Kim knew she lacked the strength to even fight anymore.

Commander Crystal had made sure to force nutrients into her every day, but even with that precaution she had lost weight, the sheer stress of both the drugs and the disruptors clearly taking a toll on her health. Kim sighed to herself; at least the sickbay bed was comfortable, unlike the one in her cell. Not that it mattered, in about a week, once Stevens was done he would either have her executed or keep her around to break. Kim had heard about how he liked to do that to female prisoners. It was why she had never liked him in the first place, though she had been very careful to never say so to his face. And then she had been assigned to serve under Daniel and had put Stevens out of her mind. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that one day she would end up in his clutches.

She shifted a bit more so she was on her right side, smiling at the memory of the last couple of sessions. Stevens had been horribly cruel, when she had finally broke, when the drugs had finally forced her to answer his questions. His dumbfounded expression when he realized that she really didn?t know the exact location of the bases had been too much and she had gloated and laughed hysterically in his face. That one moment made all the suffering and pain she had endured worth it. Kim chuckled a bit to herself at the memory. And then she choked back a sob before the tranquilizers Commander Crystal had given her a short while ago finally took effect and she fell asleep.

[CENTER]---------------------[/CENTER]
Daniel was as always working on reports and coordinating with all the various units and agents on Earth when the chime indicating someone was at the door sounded. He opened to find Glen waiting to see him.

?[B]Ah Glen, what can I do for you?[/B]? Daniel asked motioning for Glen to take a seat on the other side of the conference table.

?[B]I?d like to ask you some questions sir,[/B]? Glen replied.

Daniel smiled, ?[B]By all means, what would you like to know?[/B]? He waited patiently for Glen to speak, as it was obvious to him that he was upset.

?[B]I understand that no plans are being made to rescue Kim. Why have you abandoned her?[/B]?

Daniel smiled sadly, ?[B]It?s not that we have abandoned her, it?s simply that we have no means to get to her. If we did, we would have already tried to rescue her.[/B]? Glen merely looked confused.

?[B]Let me show you,[/B]? Daniel said as he pulled up a holographic display of the conqueror between him and Glen. ?[B]Kim is being held here,[/B]? he highlighted the section of the ship she was in, showing that it was deep within the Conqueror. ?[B]The detention and interrogation section of a flagship is protected by shielding independent of the main ship.[/B]? Daniel highlighted the areas protected by the internal shield and then again to show the one where the shield would be for the rest of the ship.

?[B]Not only is it impossible for us to transport to her location, we lack the means to disable both shields. Making retrieving her impossible. Plus in order to get on board the Conqueror requires documentation and special passwords that change every single day. We could forge the electronic documentation, but our best attempts to get the passwords for the security for the detention area has failed, and even if we get someone in, they would not have authorization to leave with Kim.[/B]? Daniel paused for a moment to let that sink in.

?[B]I want to rescue her, but I cannot and will not send agents on a suicidal mission doomed to fail.[/B]?

Daniel shut down the holographic display and watched, as Glen seemed to struggle with what he had just said. Then Glen asked him another question, one that did not surprise him.

?[B]I see, then answer me this, why do your people think you are superior to other races, I don?t understand how something like this could go on for thousands of years and yet have so few people object to it.[/B]?

?[B]That too is not so simple, why does anyone think they are better than someone else? Part of the problem is my people have spent thousands of years being raised and taught that they are better than other races, something that physically and technologically they actually are[/B].?

?[B]But that doesn?t make sense![/B]? Glen protested.

?[B]Of course it doesn?t, and a look at your own history will show that believing you are superior to someone else isn?t just a problem with my people.[/B]? Daniel replied.

Glen shook his head, ?[B]I still don?t understand how there can be so many of you and so few who even care.[/B]?

Daniel sighed, ?[B]It?s simple really, because compared to their previous lives, more than seventy percent of the slaves all have physically less demanding lives, proper medical care, and time off for recreation as well as being allowed to work together with their families instead of being separated. It works because for those of the worlds that were conquered who are poor, their new life is far better than their old one of starvation, poor health, and deplorable living conditions. As a result many of the average citizens see it as giving them a better life in exchange for doing work for the Empire.[/B]?

?[B]I still don?t understand it,[/B]? Glen finally said.

Daniel just smiled, ?[B]Anything else?[/B]?

?[B]Only one thing, and though I?m sure you have your reasons, why are you so damn secretive about everything?[/B]?

?[B]Think about it, if I were not secretive, Kim would have known the exact physical location of the bases here on Earth and as a result the Military would know where we are. The secrecy is to protect as many people as possible, including you. My people?s method of using torture combined with truth drugs is very, very effective. An unmodified human has no resistance to the drugs at all, and even someone like Kim with military training on how to resist, will eventually break, everyone does.[/B]?

?[B]Everyone?[/B]? Glen asked incredulously. ?[B]How would you know?[/B]?

?[B]Because not only have I served as a Commander in the Military before joining the resistance, I interrogated criminals myself,[/B]? Daniel gave Glen a stern look, ?[B]And when I was declared a traitor and stripped of my command, I too was subjected to being interrogated. And even with my training, I was ruthlessly broken. Make no mistake here Glen, I have no illusions about anyone?s ability to hold out should they be caught and I will not put people?s lives at risk just so people can know more about what?s going on.[/B]?

Daniel paused as the chime indicating a message had arrived sounded. ?[B]Now if you?ll excuse me I have work to do, we can continue this later.[/B]?

He waited until Glen had left and then opened up the message, it was from the Elite Specialist. With a touch of a button he secured the door and then opened up the message and started going through it.

[Rachmaninoff]

Darren just groaned as he and Jared checked out potential buildings to set up the main office for shipping in the UK. He had finally gotten used to some of the strange words used in Australia only to now be faced with new ones in this country. The translator worked just fine, but it didn?t have cultural references so sometimes what the people were saying came across as nonsense. Which meant he would need to spend time learning the quirks of the language for this area.

But what he really wished was that he could have set things up without Jared, but since security was not his department he was forced to tag along and simply give his advice as to how suitable the building in question would be. So far nothing they had looked at would work. In the end they settled on a building close to where the airport use to be and close to one of the troop encampments. Since the reinforcements had finally arrived things had calmed back down and the attacks on the new construction had become less of a problem.

Then Jared had them transport back to the Creator and head to Darren?s quarters to finish up since he intended to go over the information Darren had been forwarding him in regards to the shipping records he had checked in sector six, records that he was still working on. Puzzled as to why Jared even needed to talk to him Darren followed him to his quarters and to his workstation where Jared had him log in and pull up the reports.

?[B]All right Darren, I want you to clarify the information you found on the Will or William that you said could indicate a high level of black marketing.[/B]? Jared said as he brought the chair on the other side of the desk around and set it next to Darren before sitting down.

Darren did his best to ignore how Jared had chosen to sit so closely to him and pulled up the fragmented reports he had found. He wasn?t sure why Jared was so interested in a smuggling and black marketing problem, though he suppose it could be stuff being funneled to the resistance instead of corrupt merchants.

?[B]It has to do with the lack of complete shipping records, every now and then I find a stray report for a different merchant, that has been though sector six. Normally this would not be an issue since you can merely look up who they dealt with to find the missing information. But in the case of this Will or William, who I believe is the same person; there never is another report.[/B]?

?[B]Why is that a problem?[/B]? Jared asked.

?[B]With the protocols I put in place, this type of fragmentation should never have happened, maybe once or twice, but never for the same person. Reports are filed based on who the purchaser is. The person who received the shipment, as well as the person who sold it to them, if one is missing you can usually find the missing information at the other source. But in this case the report missing is always the one that would have more information on William. If William was the purchaser, the only report available is the one who sold the goods and vice versa. The report is never on this person, they are merely mentioned in the report as the buyer or the seller.[/B]?

?[B]Why do you say this shouldn?t have happened?[/B]?

?[B]Because any merchant ship going from sector to sector has to get clearance to do so, even if they have no business in that sector, thus resulting in the reports being duplicated as they are stored at every sector the merchant passes through. If a record is missing, usually they can be found at either the receiving sector or the one where they picked up the shipment from even if it is in the same sector. So for both records to be missing indicates someone deleted it.[/B]?

Jared cocked his head slightly to the right as Darren turned to look directly at him, ?[B]I see, then for the records for the same person to keep coming up missing would be an indication that someone was into smuggling since it wouldn?t keep happening again and again.[/B]?

Darren nodded before turning back to the report and changing the view to a list of all the fragmented reports he had found. ?[B]As you can see here, in the past year, in sectors six, eight and twelve, there are over thirty fragmented reports. Indicating that this William is operating in those sectors. And since the names of the fragmented reports are thirty different people, they?ve been pretty damn clever in hiding that they?ve been deleting the records. I wouldn?t have even found them if they all didn?t tie into sector six. I would have to expand my search to see if there are even more in other sectors. But one thing is for sure, whoever they are, they are up to something illegal.[/B]?

?[B]In other words we need to start checking the fragmented reports to see if they too tie into this William.[/B]? Jared replied.

?[B]Exactly, since usually a fragmented report is ignored unless there is a need to verify the data, since most stations that keep records know that the other location has the data. It?s rare for someone to encounter a real fragmented report. One where checking the other location does them no good.[/B]?

?[B]That?s actually very clever,[/B]? Jared finally said. ?[B]To take advantage of the system like that, with different names on the reports that still exist, no one would have realized that they were all connected unless they did what you did and saved the fragmented reports. How many broken records were there that had nothing to do with William?[/B]?

Darren pulled up another report to show Jared, ?[B]As you can see, for the same area there are only six.[/B]?

?[B]Is there a way to track this William? To flag the system to notify us if a new shipping report is entered before it is deleted?[/B]?

Darren shook his head, ?[B]The system is too massive, you can put a track on an individual, but due to the sheer volume of shipping, the main data base for each sector only pulls the information twice a day to update the changes. All this William has to do is start a transaction during the down time so that they can hack and remove the reports before the system update. I wouldn?t even be finding the fragments except all merchants send in what they have done from their own ships once a month to verify what they have done.

This William has been leaving the fragments so we wouldn?t be alerted to any discrepancies when the merchant they dealt with submitted a report for a transaction. Otherwise when they updated, the authorities would have been notified that there was something wrong when the records for the merchant did not match.[/B]?

?[B]Definitely very clever,[/B]? Jared said as he copied the information from Darren?s report into his handheld along with a transcript of what Darren had just explained.

?[B]The security for the new operations in the UK won?t be ready for a couple of days, I do want you to keep working on the shipping records in regards to sector six and I?ll authorize you to have access to all shipping records for all sectors to track down more fragmented reports as well.[/B]? Jared smiled as he stood up to get ready to leave.

?[B]However tomorrow you?re free to do what ever you wish, take the day off and simply relax, though if you wish to go to Earth for any reason be sure to clear that through me first.[/B]?

Darren just nodded as Jared left his quarters.

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Crystal had finished repairing the damage done to Kim earlier and had gone back to the Tempest to go over the reports of the other prisoners who had been caught in Australia. Everything had been finished and the remaining prisoners who were Versilan had been shipped off to sector one. Once Stevens was done with Kim she could go back to her duties of overseeing the medical facilities being built on Earth. Crystal was already planning on touring the ones in Australia for the next couple of days while Kim healed.

She sighed as she closed the report on Kim that she had been working on. Stevens had not decided what to do with her just yet, especially since the Elite Specialist had recommended that Kim be kept in sector thirteen in case Kiva or her crew had questions for Kim. Crystal really hated being involved in interrogations. Even though she knew they were necessary, she still hated it. Especially since on some level she felt like resistance members were treated too harshly, it was easier when dealing with criminals who often did horrible things, but members of the resistance?

She shook her head bringing her attention back to the report she was writing for Stevens since he had asked her what she thought of simply handing Kim over to Kiva once they were done with her. Crystal wasn?t sure why he was even bothering to ask her since it hardly seemed necessary, he hardly needed her opinion for anything, but then he asked her all sorts of things that surprised her. Like their last conversation when he had actually made her blush, something Crystal hadn?t done in years.

So Crystal did what she always did, she wrote up recommendations based on each option available, whether it was to execute her, to do as Stevens had suggested where he broke her along with the necessary drugs and things to watch out for. And then finally she included a medical routine for Kiva should Kim be transferred to the Catalyst. After monitoring Kim for nearly a month during interrogation the routine was specific to Kim?s makeup and if Kiva should need to use harsher methods like Stevens had, it would alert her to potential problems that could kill Kim. It would take very little for Kiva to install the routine into the monitoring equipment for interrogations on the Catalyst.

She sent it off to Stevens and then Crystal pulled up the reports from her second in command detailing what her crew had been doing on Earth to assist with the takeover; he really was efficient, as everything had been running smoothly. If she ever managed to convince the High Council to let her go back to what she had been doing before she had been assigned to command the Tempest, she would recommend that he take command of the Tempest in her place. She made the necessary notes on each report and then after a word with her sub-commander she left the bridge and headed towards the sickbay to talk to Alex. If she was going to tour the facilities in Australia she had some questions that she wanted to ask him first. [/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Celestia stretched lazily in bed as she woke up. Though the cabin was built into the mountainside, it had been cleverly done with high windows up along the top of the walls all towards the front so that even the back living quarters would get light when the sun rose. The whole design was a clever combination of both Earth and Versilan technology, with a built in water system tied into huge tanks that were further in behind the main building along with the crystals used in their technology, making the need for other power sources unnecessary. Along with the stores of food, it could easily, though it would be a bit tight, house around twenty people for around a year.

She turned and looked to see that Jason had already gotten up, she knew where he was, every day he had made a point of getting up first and making breakfast for the two of them. She had rather enjoyed their stay here. Even with their work last night that Daniel had sent to them it had still be more relaxing to work on it on the upper balcony. It hadn?t taken long since it seemed that William had been prepared for the eventuality that the relay system would be found and destroyed, especially with an Elite Specialist on the job.

Unfortunately, even with all the work her and Jason had done, the specialist had found each and every one and destroyed them. And though the information from William on how to cope with the loss would make limited communication with him and other resistance members in other sectors possible, it would lack the signal security that they had enjoyed before.

Also Daniel had not specified why, but he had forbidden the use of the hacking routine until a new and totally different type could be written. Though considering that the Catalyst was back in orbit around Earth she wasn?t surprised. If the specialist had found their relay system it was only a matter of time until they wrote something that would catch their hacking routine. A skilled programmer would be able to crack the code and then use the information to track where the routine went. And though it didn?t go directly to the base, they did randomly use different safe houses to gather the information.

Celestia finally woke up enough to get up and wrap up in a robe, pulling the tie around her waist and tying it securely. A quick glance at the clock next to the bed showed that she had slept close to ten hours again. Something that only proved that Jason had been right, she had been working too hard and it showed, she never slept that long unless she was sick. She walked into the bathroom, flipping on the lights as she reached into the drawer next to the sink and pulled out a brush. Taking a few minutes to brush out any tangles. She smiled as she put things away and turned the lights out and left the bedroom heading down the stairs towards the kitchen. By now Jason probably had things set up on the lower balcony. As they had been having breakfast out there every morning. She was going to miss it since they were due to return to the base later today.

It was completely quiet when she entered the main living room which meant Jason was probably out on the balcony setting things up, but when she bypassed the kitchen in favor of going out the sliding glass doors in the living room, the balcony was empty and nothing was sitting on any of the tables. Puzzled she turned to see that the sliding glass doors leading to the kitchen were open. She had only taken a few steps when she saw Jason lying face down on the floor.

?[B]Jason![/B]? She cried as she ran to his side and quickly knelt to check him. [I]What happened?[/I] Celestia checked his pulse, he was breathing just fine and there didn?t seem to be any signs of trauma. Instinctively she reached for her handheld computer to use the simple scanner built in it only to realize that it was still sitting on the small dresser next to the bed, as she had not gotten dressed.

?[B]I?ll be right back Jason,[/B]? Celestia said as she got up and started hurrying towards the door leading to the stairs that went to the bedroom. She needed to first scan Jason to see what was wrong and then contact the doctor at the base.

?[B]There?s no need to worry,[/B]? A voice from behind her said, startling Celestia, causing her to turn frantically, her eyes opening wide when she realized who was standing in the corner, holding a disruptor aimed directly at her. She froze, terrified. [I]How did he find us?[/I]

[I]This can?t be happening! [/I]Celestia thought in panic as Jared walked slowly towards her a malicious smile on his face. [I]Had he stunned Jason?[/I] She looked to Jason and then back to Jared. She couldn?t help herself she started to shake as tears started to flow down her face. It was the one thing she feared more than anything, she would be sent to the High Council and Jared would keep Jason. She would never see him again.

?[B]Now Celestia there?s no need to get upset,[/B]? Jared said. ?[B]I only stunned Jason, he?ll be just fine. I was about to come and wake you.[/B]? He set the disruptor on the counter before surprising Celestia by swiftly closing the few remaining feet between them.

Celestia?s heart skipped a beat and she gasped in pain and fear when Jared grabbed her hair behind her head tightly, forcing her to look straight at him. She tried to stifle a sob and failed, paralyzed by the fierce look in Jared?s eyes.

Jared reached up with his right hand and pulled the sash to her robe free with one swift tug. And then reached up and grasped Celestia by the throat ignoring her instinctive reaction when she reached up and grabbed his wrist with both hands.

?[B]You?ve caused me a lot of trouble,[/B]? Jared said coldly. ?[B]If the High Council didn?t want you alive?I?d make sure you only lived long enough to regret it.[/B]? He smiled when Celestia shuddered.

?[B]But before I ship you off to sector one I have something to take care of first.[/B]? Jared leaned forward, ?[B]I promised your father a video and I always keep my promises.[/B]?

?[B]No.[/B]? Celestia cried as she tried to pull free. It may have been a while, but she would never forget how Jared had taunted Daniel about giving him a video of her being raped by him. If the resistance hadn?t rescued her and Jason and Daniel when they had?She sobbed as Jared started dragging her towards the door leading to the stairs that went up to the bedroom. [I]This can?t be happening! [/I]She closed her eyes as things seemed to fade as if she was going to faint, then suddenly she found herself lying on her back in the bed, darkness leaving everything in shadows. [I]What the hell?[/I]

Her heart pounding, her hands shaking uncontrollably she reached over and turned the lamp on. A quick glance showed that it was only four am and that Jason was sleeping soundly next to her. Still she couldn?t shake the horrible feeling the dream, had given her. [I]Was it just a dream?[/I] Celestia grabbed her handheld computer and quickly opened it. Its range for scanning was limited but it was enough to determine that her and Jason were alone. She breathed a sigh of relief as she set the handheld back down.

Celestia looked over at Jason again, no wonder he was so upset after dreaming about Jared, she shuddered a bit. [I]God I hope I never have another dream like that[/I], she thought as she turned the light back out and got back under the covers and moved over next to Jason. Celestia sighed, she doubted she?d fall back asleep though. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Sandra was reporting to her father and the High Council as to her progress, something that as a candidate she was required to do on a regular basis. At first it had been stressful, as members of the council would over analyze everything she did, nitpicking it apart with question after question. But then she realized it was deliberate, a tactic designed to see if she was capable of handling the expectations and of dealing with not only other Council members, but with the population. From the wealthy, to the different factions of the military and to those special units that only answered to the High Council.

She had gotten use to that part of the monthly progress report; it was what they brought up at the end that usually got under her skin. Without fail they would question her current involvement with Stevens, something that had completely annoyed her since she did not like him. And unfortunately in the beginning she had been foolish enough to snip at them and barely answer their questions in regards to Stevens, after all, until she became a Council member, their betrothal was meaningless as nothing would come of it until after both of them finished their internship. Something that Stevens would finish long before she did as he had already been a candidate for years. And the average length for an internship was about eight to ten years. Sandra brought her attention back to what her father was saying.

?[B]We were surprised that you backed Stevens in regards to the matter in sector six. In the past you have avoided displaying your support whenever Stevens was involved. Explain this change.[/B]?

Sandra winced slightly, bowing to hide it before replying. ?[B]In the past, even though I agreed with Stevens decisions, I chose to remain silent due to my personal dislike of him.[/B]? She paused to consider her words, something she would not have done had Jared not talked to her about it.

?[B]I realized that my silence could hurt our people, the incident in sector six required my attention regardless of whether or not I like Stevens and staying silent could have resulted in things being delayed. If I am to eventually serve on the Council, I cannot allow my personal feelings to interfere with doing what?s best for the people.[/B]?

?[B]So you admit that you were at fault by staying silent when anything involving Stevens came up and that your personal feelings were interfering with your judgment.[/B]? Her father stated.

?[B]I do,[/B]? Sandra replied.

?[B]Very well then Sandra, this session is over. I suggest you continue looking for other ways in which you may be allowing your personal feelings to interfere with your judgment, because personal feelings are a hindrance to seeing clearly what needs to be done.[/B]?

Sandra merely bowed and waited for the transmission to end before straightening up and leaving the observation room just off the main bridge to return to her seat. She absent-mindedly nodded to the crew as she sat back down and pulled up what she had been working on in regards to the liaisons on Earth. But her mind was elsewhere as she was still thinking on how the session had gone.

She would have liked to talk to Jared about it, but he had left to go to the Conqueror for a meeting with Stevens since he was working with him on coordinating the shuffle of troops as people were transported off the planet. Even though only half of the reinforcements had arrived since the other half were still in sector six dealing with the clean up. Most of the transport ships that had been moving the humans to their new sector were back in service so they were almost back on track for clearing out sections of Earth.

It was going well, but Sandra had already been forced to delay those who once enough humans had been moved would come in and essentially terraform Earth to change the lands that had been emptied. Turning them into areas for growing both food and other products essential to the Versilan Empire. She would have liked to change everything to be more automated so that labor was not required, but it just wasn?t possible. Using Crystals to power everything was not only efficient, but didn?t put out the pollution like so many other methods did. But at the same time, growing them took time, and though they had terraformed and successfully started growing crystals on a planet in each of the main six sectors, it still was not enough.

In order to maintain their comfortable lifestyle and technology, it wasn?t possible to use crystals for massive farming and other things such as machinery for cleaning and other tasks that the slaves did. The amount of usable crystals simply didn?t exist, and the recent raid in sector six had destroyed part of the standard stockpile, driving the price of crystals up. Something that the High Council had been forced to step in and put a cap on.

And in the end it just wasn?t worth it to use more dirty methods since destroying the eco system on a world left you in the position of eventual starvation, something that Earth had been heading towards with the sheer amount of damage they had been doing.

Sandra pulled her attention back to what she was supposed to be doing. Since the work with the liaison in the UK needed to be dealt with since in just a few days they would be focusing exclusively on that area. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Daniel had long since removed the message from the Elite Specialist from the system. And to be sure he had even followed her instructions on how to remove traces that would show up that she or other hackers could find, even though all it would do was show that he made a deletion. Again he was impressed by how detailed and good at her job she really was. Which was why other than William, no one knew about her. Even her suggestions were being passed off as coming from William since he too was skilled at hacking.

And now that both Celestia and Jason had already written up the changes and sent it to the other programmers here who had implemented them, he was preparing a very short report to William as to the information he had gotten, including the part on how Kim?s interrogation was nearly complete and that her fate was still undecided. Including the bit that she might be transferred to the Catalyst, something that would put her further out of reach since the hacking routine, when it had been running had failed to get into their system.

He wondered how the Elite Specialist could do what she did, if Kim was transferred to the Catalyst and they required information, she would be expected to use what ever means necessary to get the information. [I]How does she manage to do it?[/I] He wondered. [I]Just admit it, you?re far too soft[/I], he thought to himself. A thought that on some levels pained him. [I]I wonder why she joined the resistance? Did something terrible happen to her like it did to me? I'll just had to wonder about her reasons, [/I]he thought as there was no way he was going to search her records and possibly bring unwanted attention to her. Especially since in the end, he didn't need to know why.

Daniel pulled out the photograph of his mother to take a look at it. Turning it and opening the back to reveal the poison he kept on hand at all times. He sighed, closed the back of the tiny picture frame and put it back inside his breast pocket. Other than William, no one else knew about the poison. Like his father Nathan had done, he would make sure he was never taken alive, he knew far too much. That was another thing that pained him; he had spent all those years hating his father, not realizing that he had done his best to protect him and his mother as well as those who were affected by the government and the corruption at the higher levels.

He shook his head and shifted in his chair as he went back to the report he was sending to William. Now that the changes had been made, even though it wasn?t as secure, he needed to send him an update. He smiled a bit as he carefully worded things to indicate that all the knowledge they had gotten came from a new hacking routine, even though one hadn?t been written yet. [I]Let them think that the new one is untraceable,[/I] he thought. [I]That will keep them busy for a while trying to find a program that doesn?t exist.[/I]

Then as he went to send it the chime for a new message sounded, puzzled he opened it. It was from William, very short and in a manner that would confuse the Military, all it said was [B]A new run will commence shortly[/B]. [I]A new run? So soon? I wonder what he has in mind?[/I] Daniel thought even as he quickly sent the update he had prepared to William in return. [I]Well no matter, [/I]he thought. [I]Even if our transmission isn?t as secure I?ll find out soon enough if it?s big enough like the destruction in sector six, that had been broadcasted across the entire Versilan Empire, that sort of thing doesn?t require a secure message since all we have to do is pick up the transmission being sent to the fleet. [/I]

Then, he finished and closed what he was working on. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was almost time for when Jason and Celestia would be returning. He hoped that the time in the cabin safe house had helped them to relax and deal with some of the stress they had been experiencing. Daniel had been surprised when Jason along with the doctor had confronted him about making it possible for the two of them to leave. He had resisted it until the doctor backed Jason.

It wasn?t easy for him to understand since he had been born and raised to expect space travel and had spent quite a bit of time without setting foot on a planet, so he did not feel the lose of sunlight or walking on the ground as keenly as Jason and Celestia did. And though they were rescued over half a year ago, between being captured in the first place and working with the resistance, other than a few hours at the place where he and Kim had lived for a while on Earth, both of them had been either on a space ship or in a station since they got pulled into this mess.

[I]I really should talk to the doctor about this, [/I]he thought as he got up to go to the transport room to meet them when they arrived. [I]If they got that stressed, then others who rarely leave the base might have the same problem.[/I] And as a former Commander, he knew perfectly well it was better to catch such things before they became a problem that would interfere with a person?s performance. And in all honesty, losing the work by both Jason and Celestia would be a terrible loss, as they didn?t have anyone better at what they did in all of the resistance.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=darkslateblue]"Okay, looks like just one more relay," Kiva said to herself. She was working with the copy of the Resistance's hacking routine. Specifically, she was attempting to trace the signal path. She knew that the hacking signal would have originated at one of the two remaining bases; only the bases would be able to do digital transmissions. Safe houses tended not to have the needed equipment, as they were meant for taking shelter in, not operating from. So the hacking signal would have originated from one of the remaining bases. The hacking routine contained traces of the signal path, which a skilled hacker suck as Kiva could find and use to back-trace the path. And it looked like the next relay point for the signal would be the last, meaning that from there, the next location she found would be that of one of the Resistance's bases. But the Resistance, it turned out, was as cautious and clever as always.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"What the hell?" Kiva said. "How the hell did they do a fragmented transmission with a program as complex as this hacking routine?"[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Daego was reviewing sensor data to see if he could find any clues as to the bases' whereabouts. "What's a 'fragmented transmission'?" he asked in response to Kiva.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"It's a method used to obscure the origin point of a signal," Kiva said. "Instead of being sent as a whole, the signal is sent in simoultaniously transmitted fragments. The fragments are bounced repeatedly around multiple relay points in a pattern that makes it virtually impossible to determine the actual point of origin. It has to be done with a fragmented signal, because it't be possible to determine the bounce pattern of a single signal. With the fragments, however, the number of bounces is increased geometrically by the number of fragments, and it's usually next to impossible to determine which signal fragments match with which bounces. It's a very efective technique. I've seen it before, even used it myself once. It's a nice hacker tool, because it obscures where you're hacking from."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Okay, so what's so special with the Resistance's setup?"[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Because of the complexity of the hacking routine," Kiva said. "The more complex a program is, the harder it is to fragment. I don't think anyone's ever successfully fragmented a program as complex as this hacking routine. As far as I know, this is the first time it's been pulled off.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Anyways, because of the fragmentation system, I can't determine the exact location of the base where the signal originated. However, it has to be close to at least one of the fragmentation relay points, and I know where those relay points are. From that, I can say for certain that there is a Resistance base somewhere in the UK."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Well, that certainly narrows it down a bit," Daego said. "Still, that's not a small area. Should we try to grab someone like we did in Australia?"[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Yeah, that's certainally a good idea. However, do remember that we got lucky in Australia. The transmission to the Resistance agents allowed us to pinpoint their locations. Odds are we won't have that kind of luck again. I have located a couple safe houses, so we'll hit those, but the odds are against us finding what we're looking for. Still, it's worth a try. Just let me finish up a couple things here, and then we'll move on the safe houses."[/color]

[Rachmaninoff]

So he had the day off, so far the only thing Darren had done was to sleep in a bit. But as he stood looking out the windows of his quarters looking towards Earth, he didn?t have a clue as to what he should do. He didn?t want to take the time to request access to the holographic rooms for recreation, especially since those were usually booked among the crew members and he didn?t want to generate resentment by taking someone?s time slot. There wasn?t anything on Earth that he wanted to do either.

He could work on tracking the fragmented reports to try and determine a pattern as to where this William had done business, but he had already checked to see that Jared had left a message indicating that he would not have the additional clearance until tomorrow along with a reminder to actually take the day off. [I]Why the hell does he even care if I get any time off? [/I]Darren wondered, though part of him knew. Ever since he had been required to work more closely with him again, Jared had been inserting all sorts of interesting innuendoes into their conversation. And though it was embarrassing, at least he was fairly certain he wasn?t going to just have his way with him. Though Jared certainly had been clear that Darren was free to visit him when ever he wanted. Darren sighed as all this had quite a few rumors flying among the merchants?

Darren turned from the window at the chime indicating there was an incoming message for him. Puzzled he went over to answer it, as he was not expecting anyone to contact him. Mike was busy and as far as he knew there wasn?t anything that required his attention. He sat down at the desk and then groaned when he realized that it was his father. [I]What does that fool want?[/I] He thought as he reluctantly opened the transmission.

?[B]Father, what can I do for you?[/B]? Darren asked, though he had a good idea as to why he had called.

?[B]Ah Darren, so what I heard is correct, you are working for the Military in sector thirteen.[/B]? His father sighed, ?[B]I thought you hated the Military son, so why the hell are you there?[/B]?

?[B]I didn?t have a choice father.[/B]? Darren replied with a grimace, he knew what would be next, first he?d get lectured and then his father would start prying to find out if he was getting anything special for working for them. Because in the end that?s what he always did, as well as many of his other relatives. Many of them were greedy grasping fools who would stab you in the back just for money.

?[B]Didn?t have a choice?[/B]? His father said, his voice raising a notch. ?[B]Or just to cowardly to admit that you?ve become [I]Jared?s bitch?[/I] Don?t think I don?t know about your cozy little arrangement on the Creator. The military doesn?t put [I]second-rate [/I]merchants in the special quest quarters of a flagship.[/B]?

Darren just raised his eyebrow at that, he knew that rumors were flying left and right, but people were saying he was Jared?s bitch? [I]What the hell? When did that rumor start?[/I] He started to get angry until he realized that none of them knew that he had written the current protocols for shipping for the entire empire, that he had turned down the reward as well offers to work for both the military and the High Council. They didn?t know that he was actually qualified for the work they had him doing and not some position gained by sleeping with Jared.

?[B]Nothing to say son? I thought I raised you better than that..[/B]?

Darren cut him off, ?[B]Raised me [I]better[/I]? Don?t make me laugh father, you were always gone on some shipping run while I was back at home with mom. Spare me the [I]I raised you better crap[/I]. Quite frankly I?m sick of hearing that bullshit from you. You called me because like always you want to find out if I?m getting any special treatment that you can be a part of, to see if I?m getting any money that you can attempt to get for yourself.[/B]?

?[B]Get money from you?[/B]? His father said furiously, ?[B]I gave you the company you are running! Don?t you dare imply that I am sponging on you when you owe me your very lively hood![/B]?

Darren just shook his head sadly, ?[B]You?re really pathetic father, when you retired it was because the shipping company was about to collapse and you wanted to cash in on the retirement benefits before everything was lost.[/B]? He ignored is fathers protests. ?[B]If I hadn?t taken over and brought things back from the ruined state you put it in with your negligence and incompetence, you would have been arrested and tried for fraud. I suffered losses for years fixing the damage you had done and making sure all of your employees were taking care of so they could retire.[/B]?

?[B]Now wait just a minute![/B]?

Darren ruthlessly cut him off again. ?[B]No father, I?m tired of having this same conversation every time you call me. And I?m tired of you jumping to conclusions instead of finding out what?s really going on. It?s no secret; I?m working for the military because the damn resistance hacked my shipping clearance, putting me into a restricted sector. Something that is punishable by death.[/B]?

Darren paused, getting angry all over again. ?[B]I didn?t ?[I]sleep[/I]? with Jared, I was given the choice of either helping with the shipping for Earth or being executed for being in a restricted sector. The military doesn?t give a damn that the resistance just used me as a decoy. The only reason I am on the Creator is because Jared is Commodore Sandra?s second in command and the damn Military put Jared in charge of overseeing my work![/B]?

Darren watched as his father?s expression changed from surprise to the usual one of calculating how he could take advantage of things. [I]He just never learns[/I], he thought. [I]I think I?m going to see if I can have all transmissions from him and all of my relatives blocked, even if I have to talk to Jared to do so.[/I]

?[B]You?re the most ungrateful, selfish child ever,[/B]? his father finally said nastily. ?[B]You really expect me to believe that garbage?[/B]?

?[B]And I can?t believe that after all these years you?re still as stupid, arrogant and foolish as always,[/B]? Darren shot back. ?[B]I?ve had enough father. I?ve put up with you all these years and that?s it. From this point forward you are to never call me again.[/B]? Darren ignored his father?s attempts to yell at him and closed the communication.

And then, even though he absolutely hated talking to Jared he sent a message indicating that he wanted to talk to him. It was bad enough having to deal with Jared, but his father, now that he knew he was on the Creator, would be calling him and leaving messages all the time and he did not want to deal with that again. With a sigh he went over and fixed himself a drink, even though it was still quite early. And then he took it and went back to watching Earth from orbit. [I]What a mess[/I], he thought.

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]When Jared had decided to give Darren the day off, the very last thing he had expected was to return from Earth in the early afternoon to find a message that Darren wished to talk to him. He had already prepared the information he was to discuss with Stevens when he was finished working with Kim for the day and a quick check of the system showed that Darren was still in his quarters. So after taking a moment to get cleaned up and to gather the files and information he needed, Jared headed over to Darren?s quarters since they were on the next level down. Besides he needed to talk to him anyway as the High Council wanted his recommendations on how to change the shipping to make tracking criminals like this William much easier.

When Darren opened the door to let him in Jared knew something had to have happened since in spite of his efforts to hide it, something had upset him. As soon as the door shut Darren spoke.

?[B]I?m sorry to have bothered you, but I need to find out if it?s possible to have all messages from any of my relatives blocked permanently.[/B]?

[I]Ah,[/I] Jared thought, [I]so the vultures have finally noticed what Darren is up to.[/I] ?[B]I take it one of them contacted you then?[/B]?

Darren frowned, ?[B]Yes, my father contacted me this morning.[/B]?

Jared just snickered a bit. ?[B]I?m surprised he didn?t contact you sooner.[/B]?

?[B]Sooner?[/B]? Darren asked a bit confused.

?[B]Darren, when I first investigated you to see if you were guilty of hacking your clearance to be in a restricted sector, I checked your family for any suspected resistance activity since it is standard procedure. It?s no secret to the Military that your father was skirting the edge of legality as far as dealings went. If he hadn?t retired when he did and you hadn?t cleaned up the mess he caused, within a year he would have been arrested, tried and executed for stealing funds from the shipping company he was running.[/B]?

He ignored Darren?s surprised look and continued. ?[B]A fair number of your family was also in on it and would have also been arrested. I reviewed the case being built against him and the only two people that were considered innocent were, you and your younger sister. But when you took over the company and repaired the damage out of your own pocket, the case was closed.[/B]?

?[B]I see I knew my father was foolish, but I didn?t know he was being investigated.[/B]? Darren finally replied after a moment of silence, looking down at the floor instead of at Jared.

?[B]Darren, your request ties into another matter that the High Council wants you to take care of,[/B]? he paused as Darren looked back up at him, puzzled as to what the High Council could possibly want.

?[B]I forwarded your report about William to them and they want you to look into reviewing and modifying the protocols to make it easier to track merchants and yet still maintain the same level of integrity as far as shipping records go. The current system did cut down on redundant reports and reduce criminal activity, but after what happened in sector six, it?s clear that some of the resistance members are hiding as merchants. And though that?s nothing new, it is important to make it harder for them to hide in the system like they?ve been doing.[/B]?

Darren just shook his head, ?[B]How does my request tie into what the High Council wants?[/B]?

?[B]It?s simple, unlike last time you will not be able to do so anonymously. The High Council has decided that once you are done, a formal report will be issued that you have been working on it since you wrote up the protocols in the first place.[/B]?

?[B]What!? But I don?t want that kind of recognition![/B]? Darren snapped angrily, he turned and stalked off to look out the window. Not realizing that Jared had followed him until he turned back to speak to him again only to find Jared right behind him. Darren stepped back in surprise.

?[B]Don?t be such an idiot Darren, you?ve been protecting your relatives long enough. By doing as the High Council requests and coming out of the shadows you will not only gain the power to disown your family, except for your sister, but it will still a number of the [I]lovely[/I] rumors running around about you and I as well.[/B]? Jared finished with an amused smile, as he knew all about the rumors in regards to him and Darren. And then he laughed at Darren who had turned bright red.

?[B]Why can?t I just have their messages refused?[/B]? He asked, almost pleadingly, ?[B]Why do I have to go public with the shipping protocols? I don?t want to...[/B]?

Jared cut him off, ?[B]What? Have the merchants or your family hate you? They already do.[/B]? Jared moved forward until Darren had backed into the transparent window, banging his head in the process when he was brought up short. ?[B]There?s no reason for you to continue this pointless charade of not taking credit when even though you may not like the Military, your work with the shipping industry clearly shows an interest in the well being of the Versilan Empire. Your work not only saved both the Military and the High Council quite a bit of money, but everyone who was being hurt by price gouging from illegal dealings as well.[/B]?

Jared waited for a minute to let that sink in before leaning forward and whispering, ?[B]Unless you?re saying you enjoy the rumor that you are... [I]my bitch[/I].[/B]? Jared laughed when Darren turned even redder and slid sideways to get away, stumbling and landing hard on his rear.

Darren scrambled to his feet and backed away even more, but this time Jared simply smiled with amusement and didn?t follow. ?[B]Is that the High Council?s final word? That I have to go public?[/B]?

Jared nodded, ?[B]It is.[/B]?

Darren looked away, clenching his fists in anger, ?[B]Fine! I?ll do as the damn Council requests.[/B]? He looked back at Jared and continued bitterly, ?[B]After all you already made it clear when I first started helping with this mess that I had no choice.[/B]?

?[B]Correct, you do not.[/B]? Jared confirmed, ?[B]However, by doing this, not only will your family be disowned, except for your younger sister, once you finish improving the protocols as well as assisting with the assimilation of Earth, that will no longer be true and the fact that you were caught in a restricted sector will be pardoned and noted as having been done by the resistance.[/B]?

?[B]I only have one more question then,[/B]? Darren said, ?[B]Do I have to wait until after the formal announcement to have all attempts by my family to contact me blocked or can that be done immediately?[/B]?

?[B]Immediately of course, after all you were clearly upset when I arrived and such distractions only interfere with your performance. I would do the same for anyone under my command. So long as it was within my power to do so.[/B]?

"[B]Your power to do so? Why wouldn't it be within your power?[/B]"

"[B]Because some members of the military come from very power and influential families, or are like Sandra who's father is a member of the High Council. Even if I wanted to block communications, for some it is not possible.

In your case however, even if the Council had not requested otherwise, I could have done as you asked, but since they did request your assistance I have to take that into account. And in this case it works in your favor since once your work becomes public, you would be within your right to require me to do as you requested.[/B]" Jared explained.

Darren sighed, ?[B]I see, then please do so.[/B]?

Jared bowed mockingly towards Darren before leaving to go meet with Stevens, ?[B]Consider it done.[/B]? Jared smiled as the door to Darren?s quarters closed behind him. It had been a while since he had seen Darren so flustered. It never failed to amaze him at how cute he looked when he blushed. He sighed. It was a pity he had no interest in men. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=royalblue]William was about to shut down the terminal in the side conference room after sending Daniel the brief message when one from him came in. He took a moment to read through it, smiling at how Daniel was crediting not only him for all the changes the Elite Specialist had recommended, but also his impudence to act as if they already had a new hacking routine. He may not have been a computer specialist like his father Nathan had been, but he was certainly quite skilled in leading the resistance on Earth. And his determined struggle was doing an effective job of misleading the Empire, leaving him free to bring the fight to a more personal level.

And in just a few days, that was going to happen even more so than sector six had done. There would be no way the High Council would be able to ignore them after this. Sector six was one thing, but what was next, even he would have to change his pattern as the High Council would have no choice but to figure out just how he had done it. And what made it even more beautiful is that they didn?t even realize the danger yet. Like sector six, everything was already in place and all it would take was for him to arrive at the proper coordinates to set everything in motion.

William pulled up a different report from one of his agents in sector fourteen. It had taken him a while but the agent had finally gotten hold of some of the more sensitive information in regards to what was happening, but the information was fragmented and incomplete. He needed to find out just what was being done to the humans that had been taken there. And unfortunately he was starting to think there was only one way to find out. Especially since he had been trying to figure it out since construction had started there over six months ago.

[I]I should have sent Daniel the order before the relay system was destroyed.[/I] He thought. Instead he pulled up an encryption program they had never used before. By the time the military figure it out on Earth it would be too late. William just hoped that Daniel wouldn?t have a problem with it; after all, it was something that the resistance rarely did. But if it worked he would have the information he needed in less than a week and if it was what he thought it was, it would make a powerful tool for exposing the High Council.

Not immediately of course, but once the initial shock of what was coming next died down it would be the perfect non-violent announcement. One guaranteed to get the attention of everyone in the Versilan Empire. The only question would be if they believed it or not. Still it would create quite the stir and the High Council would have a hard time explaining it. William sighed; he was getting ahead of himself. He had to verify the truth first. He finished off the message and sent it to Daniel, stressing the importance of following this order. After all unlike the military he did not force Daniel to work for him and if he felt an order was something he couldn?t follow?he did not make an issue out of it.

[CENTER]--------------------------------[/CENTER]
Celestia took a final look out at the trees and the far away lake from the lower balcony before turning to join Jason. It was almost time to return to the base. They had brought so little with them and it had taken no time at all to clean up and make sure everything was properly locked up. She joined Jason who was in the living room with their belongings.

?[B]You ready?[/B]? Jason asked her with a smile.

?[B]I am.[/B]?

Jason looked around and then back to Celestia as she came over to stand next to him. ?[B]I?m going to miss this place. I hope we can return here sometime.?[/B]

Celestia smiled sadly. ?[B]So do I.[/B]?

Jason frowned at her expression, as she had seemed so edgy since he woke up. ?[B]What?s the matter?[/B]? He finally asked her, ?[B]You?ve been a little out of sorts today. Is it because we are heading back? If you don?t feel ready I can always ask Daniel to extend our time here a bit.[/B]?

Celestia straightened and put on a fake smile and stood up straight. ?[B]Oh no, it?s nothing like that, I?m fine.[/B]?

?[B]No your not,[/B]? Jason said, ?[B]I know that fake smile when something is bothering you.[/B]? He reached over and grabbed her by the shoulders, causing her to look right at him.

?[B]What happened?[/B]?

Celestia looked away, embarrassed over her reaction, ?[B]It was only a dream.[/B]?

Jason pulled her close hugging her tight. ?[B]It?s alright, you can tell me. It was Jared wasn?t it?[/B]?

Celestia just nodded. Jason held her even tighter. ?[B]It?s okay, I understand.[/B]? He pulled back and looked directly into her eyes, seeing the effort it took for her to not cry. ?[B]If you ever have one again just tell me okay?[/B]?

?[B]I will,[/B]? Celestia replied. Surprised that she was still feeling so upset over it.

Jason pulled her close again and held her while she shook a bit. [I]She must really be stressed to dream about Jared. [/I]He thought. [I]I should ask the doctor about this when we return. She?s never had dreams about Jared before; at least I don?t think she has.[/I] He waited until she stopped shaking and then pulled back just enough so he could see her face.

?[B]Feel better?[/B]? He asked her.

Celestia smiled shakily. ?[B]A little.[/B]?

Jason leaned forward and kissed her tenderly before replying, ?[B]Good, lets head back okay?[/B]?

He opened his hand held and sent the request for a transportation door to be opened when Celestia indicated that she was ready. Then he took her hand in his as they walked through the door and back into the base. [/COLOR]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Daniel didn?t expect to receive a reply from William so soon and using an encryption program that they hadn?t used yet. [I]What?s so important that he decided to use it? [/I]He wondered as he used the corresponding program to decode it. Then a moment later as he was reading it?

?[B]What the hell? He actually wants me to do that?[/B]? Daniel said to himself incredulously. ?[B]What is that idiot thinking?[/B]?

He continued to read his eyes going wide at what was contained within the message. Daniel shook his head in disbelief and reread the message. [I]This can?t be true, it just can?t![/I] He thought, [I]if the High Council really is doing this?[/I]

Daniel moved to the very last notes of the message, reading William?s explanation as to why this order was so important, how he stressed that though he needed Daniel to do it, he didn?t not expect him to. The resistance simply didn?t use the same methods as the Versilan Empire for a good reason, it had been done in the beginning and the resulting backlash among the people had nearly done the resistance in.

He closed the report and without realizing it Daniel was up and pacing back and forth in the small conference room off the main command center. His thoughts racing. For one thing, if what William had found out was true, spreading the knowledge would start to put a wedge between the common Versilan and the High Council. Explaining such a thing would be very difficult since it represented a deep betrayal of trust.

But on the other hand, if he did as William said and it turned out to be incorrect, his actions would make the resistance look bad, just as the accidental deaths of the civilians in sector six had. It wouldn?t matter that he would not be doing all of the horrible things the Military could and would do. The incident would be put into the worst light possible due to the nature of what was often done. It was why the resistance simply did not do it at all. It was hard enough getting support for their cause as it was.

Daniel sighed and sat back down, in the end he would do it. The potential gains far outweighed the risks of public disapproval and if he did it now at the same time the run William was speaking of was due to happen, it would be drowned out by the uproar over what William had in mind, or so he hoped. He pulled up his list of agents, selecting only the most trusted and experienced, then he painstakingly explained why it was being done and more importantly what would not happen should they succeed, as he knew they would feel the same way about it as he did. Then he sent the message to them before turning off his console.

[CENTER]-------------------------------[/CENTER]
Once again Kim was lying on the bed in her cell, her mind still confused by the powerful drugs. Though she knew for certain that her time was nearly up. There was so little left to be addressed and though she tried to hide it she was frightened of dying, of possibly being broken by Stevens. Kim could feel tears running down her face but she was too tired to brush them off. The only thing she could hope for now was to be executed; she did not want to be put solely into Stevens?s hands.

But Stevens had spent a good part of the afternoon toying with her as to what he would finally decide on, hinting at even another fate, though she could not imagine what it would be. The way Kim saw it, she would either die here, be sent to sector one for a public execution or be taken by Stevens. She had tried to think of something else and failed. She was beginning to wonder if he was implying there was more just to upset her. And though she did her best not to show it, it did bother her.

Kim sighed, at least he had not used the disruptor's on her this week, her ability to resist was reduced greatly, to the point that the drugs were all that were needed. She had not been given enough time to build any strength back and Commander Crystal was efficient, changing the drugs to match her perfectly. It was a pity her training was only to help her resist long enough for the information she knew to be rendered useless.

It was rather ironic that it was standard training for all officers in the Military. Because once she became a member of the resistance she had learned that the stories of them kidnapping officers and torturing them for information was a rumor. The resistance didn?t kidnap or torture people, it just wasn?t done. And the few times someone did get in the way, they were released within a few days completely unharmed.

She supposed it could be done by other branches of the resistance, but she doubted it, William was one of their top leaders and he did not sanction or support such tactics, and if he did kidnap someone, he would never torture them, ever. It was possible that William had lied to her, but she chose to believe in him. After all when she had been kidnapped initially out of a desire to protect her, she had still been given the choice to go her own way.

But after what Jared had done to Daniel and his mother she had decided to join the resistance since she had been questioning the brutality that went unchecked in the Empire for a long time. Kim sighed yet again as she shifted so she was lying on her left side in an attempt to get more comfortable. In a few days she would know one way or the other just what was going to happen. And though she didn?t want to die, she would rather be dead than become Stevens plaything.

[Rachmaninoff]

Some day off this turned out to be, Darren thought bitterly as he resisted the urge to start smashing things after Jared left. First his father, then dealing with Jared. He reached up to feel the painful bump that was starting to form on his head where he had accidentally slammed into the window. It was a good thing it was made to withstand the pressure of outer space, but damn that had hurt!

He didn't know who he was madder at, his father, the High Council or Jared. His father was simply behaving as he always had, the High Council was making it clear that he would no longer be able to stay neutral like he had in the past. And Jared...he felt his face turn hot as he flushed yet again over what Jared had said. How he had enjoyed the implication that others thought he was [I]his[/I] bitch. He hated how Jared always looked so smug and seemed to enjoy upsetting him.

With a snarl of anger he slammed his fist into one of the walls and then the other, cussing and swearing until he finally ran out of energy. Darren ignored the damage to his hands and sank to his knees, grasping his face in both hands as he fought the urge to scream and cry at the same time. [I]I need to do something[/I] he thought [I]or I'm going to go mad. I don't know if I can take this anymore.[/I] He choked back a sob as he felt hot tears start to run down his face.

He had a small type of gym on his own ship that he use to work out in on a regular basis, going through basic stretches and then using weight training to stay fit. He tended to get a little on the chunky side without regular workouts. Though that hadn't been a problem since he started working for the military. He was so tied up in knots half the time that he didn't have much of an appetite. He had already lost some weight since the whole thing started.

Darren lifted his face and looked around. If he had the engineer's move his desk since all the large furniture was attached to the floor, he could convert the office space to a small gym. The question was would they allow him to make such an alteration to his quarters? If the desk was simply moved to the other side, it should be simple to run the necessary power link over to where the desk was. He had made simple modifications like that to his own ship. It wasn't that hard.

He stood up and pulled out his hand held computer and briefly scanned the area. It looked like the modification would be easy. Unfortunately it would mean talking to Jared again. Darren closed the his hand held computer with a sigh, wincing at the pain from where he had hurt his knuckles. He went over to the restroom to clean up and treat them. [I]Maybe I could ask the doctor first[/I], he thought [I]to see if he would recommend that I be allowed to have it for stress issues? [/I]

But he discarded that the moment he thought of it. [I]No if I try to go around Jared all he'll do is make things difficult for me. [/I]Darren quickly cleaned up and applied a solution to help his hands to heal quicker. If only his clearance hadn't been hacked in the first place. Something that he thought of nearly every day since this had happened. When he thought about it, the person he was really the maddest at was the idiot who had hacked his clearance. Because once he wrote up the recommendations for changing the protocols, something that he had already been thinking about before the High Council mentioned it. It would change his life forever once that became public knowledge.

Darren sighed as he went back out into his quarters and back to looking out at Earth. At least his family would be unable to harass him anymore. It pained him to admit it, but the main reason he was neutral was to avoid as much contact with them as possible and if being forced to go public meant they would be cut off, at least something good would come of it. Though the resentment it would generate among the merchants when they realized he was responsible for helping the Empire put an end to illegal dealings would be far worse than what his family did. Since many of them hated the protocols since they made it harder for them to lie and cheat the government, the military and the people in general.[I] I'd better make sure Mike is prepared with the proper security when this hits or he'll become a target...[/I] Though as much as Mike hated the military he might want nothing to do with him anymore. [I]God what a mess[/I] he thought yet again.

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]It didn?t take long for Jared to join Stevens in his quarters on the Conqueror. He waited patiently, sitting in the comfy padded chair across form Stevens as he worked at his desk and finished up some of his work. It was the first time he had been in his quarters and he had to admit that the windows that went to the floor and halfway up the ceiling were quite impressive. As well as the rich furniture and sheer amount of open space, Jared had known that the quarters for the Fleet Admiral would be like this but even he was taken back by just how much had been put into them.

Stevens had the same design with silver square columns a foot apart that separated the rooms yet still allowed for full view through them, but unlike his or Sandra?s quarters he had a kitchen area big enough and elaborate enough to host a formal dinner as well as a small conference room for more private discussions among him and top officers. And the remaining space with a fully stocked bar and arrangements for guests to relax was far richer than his own quarters as everything, even the chair he was sitting in was fitted with the finest silks and materials available.

He also had the option of closing a room off as each column had internal shutters lying flat that could be activated to move and cover the gaps and block the view from the rest of the quarters. Jared caught himself calculating the expense as the silks on the furniture alone were worth a fortune. Something he knew as he was rather fond of silk and most of what was in the room was beyond what he could afford.

Jared turned back at the sound of Stevens picking up the data chip he had set on the desk with all the updates, he continued waiting patiently for him to read through them before turning to talk to him.

?[B]Excellent work Jared. Have you informed Darren that this elusive William is a member of the resistance?[/B]?

?[B]No, I have not.[/B]?

Stevens grinned, ?[B]Then do so, when the High Council first suggested that we use him for the shipping needs on Earth I questioned as to why someone like him would be considered a good choice. But when they sent me his file showing what he had done for the shipping protocols it made sense.

However, as you have informed me, Darren is determined to stay as neutral as possible and though that won?t be possible anymore, knowing that this William is likely the one who hacked his clearance in the first place would be a good incentive for him to do what the High Council asks.

And even if this William did not do it personally, Kim?s interrogation revealed that he is one of the top members of the resistance, so it?s likely that he approved the decision, even though such actions are uncommon for the resistance since they like to keep civilians out of things as much as possible.?[/B]

Jared leaned back and crossed his legs getting a bit more comfortable before responding. ?[B]I agree, especially since in spite of his claims of neutrality, Darren has a very high level of ethics. After reviewing the case being built against his father when he was first caught being in a restricted sector and later learning that he was responsible for the change in protocols, the changes were designed to prevent the sort of thing his own father was doing.[/B]?

Jared smiled, ?[B]For all his pretense of not caring it bothers him when others lie and cheat and steal for profit.[/B]? Jared paused as he snickered a bit, ?[B]He is honorable to a fault as well as being adorable.[/B]?

?[B]I know,[/B]? Stevens replied, ?[B]Otherwise, you would have already taken advantage of any dishonesty to have your way with him.[/B]?

Jared shrugged, ?[B]True. If people are stupid enough to break the law they deserve what they get.[/B]?

Stevens just smiled and continued, ?[B]Have you any questions for Kim? I am pretty much finished with her at this point.[/B]?

Jared shook his head negatively, ?[B]I talked to Sandra about it as well and neither of us have anything to ask that hasn?t already been address in the sessions you and Crystal conducted.[/B]?

?[B]Well if you think of any you can always ask the Elite Specialist Kiva.[/B]?

Jared frowned a bit, puzzled as to why he would ask Kiva, ?[B]Why would I ask her?[/B]?

?[B]Because I have decided to hand Kim over to her. When I asked her if she had any questions she said no, but recommended that we keep Kim alive and here in sector one in case something comes up. And since it is Kiva?s task to locate the remaining two bases on Earth, I am going to follow her recommendation that Kim be transferred to the Catalyst.[/B]?

?[B]I see, I hadn?t thought of that since it?s unusual for an Elite Specialist to be involved in an invasion. Though we?ve never had the problem of an extensive resistance presence on world that hadn?t been conquered yet either.[/B]? Jared said.

?[B]Exactly, and since hunting down the bases is not my task, Kim might know something that Kiva could use to find the remaining bases. Crystal has already written up a medical routine for Kiva should she need to interrogate her further, with a month of interrogations, the routine is specific enough to alert Kiva to potential danger to Kim. And Kiva hardly needs to be bothered to come to the Conqueror when the facilities onboard the Catalyst for prisoners and interrogations are better than what?s on the Conqueror.[/B]?

Jared thought about that for a moment and then nodded his agreement, ?[B]Did you want me to transfer her to the Catalyst? Or is she going to be transported there?[/B]?

Stevens got up and headed towards the kitchen motioning for Jared to follow, ?[B]I?ve already sent Kiva a message and asked her if she wants Kim brought to her by shuttle or for us to simply transport her over in two days. If she requests a shuttle you can take care of that if you want, if you have other obligations, I already have a security team that can take care of it for me.[/B]?

Jared stopped when Stevens halted just short of the Kitchen area and turned to face him.

?[B]What are your plans for tonight??[/B] Stevens asked Jared.

?[B]I need to review the security measures being put in place for where Darren will be working in London, but that doesn?t have to be done tonight since it will take them a few more days to finish getting ready.?[/B] Jared replied. ?[B]Other than that I have nothing that needs to be done.[/B]?

?[B]Good,[/B]? Stevens said as he moved closer pulling Jared into his arms, caressing him intimately as he whispered into his left ear, ?[B]Because I already cleared my evening.[/B]? And then he smiled when Jared responded in turn. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][CENTER][IMG]http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/9964/silveronebannerhm6copyksx4.png[/IMG]
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Once again William was on the bridge of his ship, prepared to execute yet another operation. Only this time he was in sector four and the target was not one of the planets where supplies were kept. After the incident in sector six the military had increased security on both the inhabited worlds as well as the other supply worlds in the Empire. And before long that would extend to include other aspects of the Versilan Empire. Such as the planets that had been terraformed for growing the crystals essential for their technology or the worlds where food was grown or where parts and machinery were built for the rest of the Empire.

Though William really had no plans to attack worlds where food was grown or where things were manufactured. For the simple reason that anything that didn't have to be done by machines was done by slave labor and attacks on such facilities would result in unacceptable losses among those who had no choice but to work there. It was one thing to attack facilities run by the military, but everything else was unacceptable.

However, once he analyzed the data from sector six and realized that destroying crystals sent out a shock wave that only destroyed other crystals that weren't shielded enough he decided to put in motion a plan that he had already been considering. This time it would be the world that had been terraformed in sector four. The entire planet was full of field after field of crystals growing. And though there were slaves there for cleaning and packaging the crystals, they did not harvest them directly, that was done by special robots that hovered over the fields and pulled one that was ready and took it back to the main plant for preparing the crystals.

No one went out into the fields since the crystals grew so closely together that walking out to get one would result in stepping on and destroying the new growth that was quite fragile when it first started. It had taken time, but he had already arranged for a number of decoy robots that would go to a center of a field and lower itself to the ground and then self destruct. It hadn't been easy to get the high quality explosives to the planet and once security was stepped up and more intensive scans started, they would be found and taken care of. Since he didn't have high level stealth shields on them. So if he didn't use them soon, all that work would be for nothing.

All he had to do was send the signal and those robots that were decoys would head to their designated target and explode. William had close to a hundred of them on the planet. And he intended to detonate all of them at the same time, hopefully producing the same shock wave he had in sector six and thus wiping out all the crystals on the planet. If the loss of the stock pile in sector six created a stir, losing an entire planet would really shake things up.

A beeping noise indicated that they were in position. He looked up at the screen as his second in command changed it to a view of the planet in question. "[B]Everything is ready sir, shall I give the signal?[/B]"

William nodded and replied, "[B]Yes.[/B]"

He waited patiently as it would take the robots a little time to get in position. He found himself holding his breath, even though he was sure it would work. Then fifteen minutes later small flares that were visible from space started showing up around the planet. And then the readings on the screen indicated that other than two of the robots, all of them had exploded.

"[B]Explosions confirmed sir, and the shock wave is nearly three times as strong as what happened in sector six. I'll need to back us away or we might be affected.[/B]"

"[B]Begin doing so immediately, again go as slowly as possible as I want as much data as possible. Also send out the transmission for destruction again and see if you can't trigger the two that did not detonate.[/B]" William said.

He waited as his second sent the signal and then shook his head, "[B]Sorry sir, but they are not responding.[/B]"

William sighed, "[B]Very well, what of the planet?[/B]"

"[B]Preliminary readings indicate that all crystals on the planet were destroyed as well as the crystals on the transport ships that were in orbit. However, since we timed it to coincidence with the transports being empty, none of the ships broke apart this time.

However, the shock wave is strong enough that parts of the main world in sector four will be affected as common household devices are not shielded enough to protect the crystals that power them. As well as any light ships in the area.[/B]"

"[B]That can't be helped,[/B]" William said. "[B]Excellent work everyone. It's a pity that after this security will be to tight for us to do something like this for a while. Be sure to broadcast our usual statement on how the Empire needs to stop enslaving other worlds and instead protect the lesser races and then once we are done here head for sector fourteen. I want full stealth mode since we can't afford to be stopped by the military for any reason.[/B]"

His second smiled, "[B]Understood sir.[/B]"

William left the bridge and once again shot off a short message to Daniel, no encryption, just two words...[B]Run complete[/B]. He smiled to himself, please at how well things had gone for the past two missions. Now if Daniel could only verify and get the information he needed. It would be quite some time before he could do what he had in both sector six and four.[/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Crystal was glad that the interrogations with Kim were finished. She knew Stevens had arranged for her to be transported to the Catalyst and since she had already given him the medical routine for monitoring Kim should further interrogations be required, her duty in regards to Kim was finished. The routine in question was one of her best and would eliminate the need for a doctor to be present. And Crystal was positive that Kiva would have been briefed on all the necessary protocols and how things were done once she had been promoted. From what little she had seen, Crystal was sure Kiva had gone through everything that would have been necessary for her to complete her job.

It was almost soothing to be back working in the medical field and the past few days working with the doctors in one of the clinics in Australia to eliminate a particularly nasty virus among the humans had been relaxing, as well as the working on her end of the genetic research being done in sector fourteen. Crystal transported down to the main medical facility in Canberra Australia and with a brief nod to the receptionist she headed back into the main doctor's office to go over their progress yesterday. At their current rate they would have the virus isolated and a means to eliminate it ready within a few days.

"[B]Ah Commander Crystal,[/B]" the young doctor said, standing up as she entered his office. "[B]Thank you again for your assistance, this particular virus has been most troublesome since we arrived here on Earth. I've already prepared the lab for today's work, shall we?[/B]" He indicated the door to the right side of his desk.

Crystal nodded and followed him through the door, but before the door could even shut behind them the sound of a commotion from the main area could be heard as well as the sound of what could only be disruptor fire. [I]What the hell? [/I]Crystal turned to head back only to freeze in place when two unknown men entered the doctors office openly carrying disruptor's with them. Without hesitation Crystal slammed the door shut and stepped to the side and opened her hand held to contact the Tempest. She barely had time to register that someone was jamming transmissions in the area when the door leading to the lab was blasted open, smashing it into pieces that flew everywhere, knocking apart weeks of delicate work. She closed her hand held, turning it off and placed it back in the side pouch she always wore before walking over to join the young doctor and turning to face the two men as they entered the lab.

"[B]What have you done? You fools![/B]" The young doctor exclaimed as the two men came in their disruptor's aimed at both Crystal and him. "[B]You've destroyed weeks of delicate research! Research that would help the people of this world![/B]"

"[B]Be quiet,[/B]" one of the men ordered as he turned to Crystal. "[B]We've come for you Commander Crystal.[/B]" He walked forward his disruptor aimed at her while holding out his other hand, "[B]Don't make this harder than it has to be, just hand over your disruptor and no one has to get hurt.[/B]"

Crystal just raised an eyebrow at that one. [I]Why would they want me? [/I]Unless she was mistaken, their silver eyes clearly identified them as being Versilan and therefore working for the resistance. She hesitated and then when he raised the weapon a tad and his expression changed, she reached slowly for her disruptor and handed it over.

He bowed slightly, "[B]Thank you Commander.[/B]" Then while he kept the weapon trained on both of them he did something with his hand held and a transportation door opened. He motioned for Crystal to enter and then leaving the young doctor behind the two men followed Crystal just before the door shut behind them.

When Crystal walked through the door, the very nature of the room she was in told her she had to be at one of the resistances bases. The walls were made of the same substance that the ships were and such a thing would require excellent shielding to hide it from the scanners on the ships. She was not surprised to find former Commander Daniel waiting for her and she didn't wait for him to speak.

"[B]Perhaps you could explain to me why you interrupted my research Commander,[/B]" she said coldly, "[B]Research that would have benefited the people of this world. These two fools,[/B]" she indicated the two agents who were escorting her, "[B]Destroyed weeks of delicate work, work that would have saved thousands of lives.[/B]"

"[B]I'm terribly sorry Commander Crystal,[/B]" Daniel replied even as he motioned for the agents to take her personal belongings along with the hand held computer which they promptly handed over to him. "[B]But it was necessary in order to get your hand held computer. Since I know you will not tell me what I wish to know.[/B]"

"[B]That is correct, if you wish for my cooperation, I will not willingly help you. Regardless of what you have in mind.[/B]"

"[B]Other than to keep you locked up, no harm will come to you.[/B]" Daniel said apologetically, "[B]We do not torture or use drugs to find out what we need to know. I'm sorry Commander about your research being destroyed as I know you do genuinely care about the health of the enslaved races.

Unfortunately, for now it is necessary to halt the research in sector fourteen and since they will not be able to finish it with out your input I cannot release you immediately. As soon as it is possible you will be released though.[/B]" He nodded to the two men and then left.

"[B]Commander, this way please,[/B]" one of the men said.

Crystal turned and followed him through yet another transportation door into what appeared to be a small home in the country side, though she did not know where it was on Earth. The view outside was pretty and the room she was in though small had a bed a restroom and a small table. But not much else.

"[B]One thing to keep in mind Commander,[/B]" one of the men said before leaving her in the room. He raised his disruptor and fired at the window, only for nothing to happen. Surprising Crystal.

"[B]This room was constructed from materials similar to what is used to make the ships. We thought you would at least enjoy having a nice view, but breaking the furniture in an attempt to get out is futile as it's not glass. I'll be back later to see if you need anything.[/B]"

Crystal watched as he closed the door, locking it behind him. She turned to look at the window where he had taken a shot at it. There wasn't even a scorch mark. [I]Now what?[/I] She wondered. [/COLOR]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down in the small conference room just off the command center. Things had gone perfectly as the two agents had kidnapped Commander Crystal without a hitch. And the short report they sent indicated that she had been confined to the safe house in the UK designed to hold someone should the need arise. He finished reviewing their brief summary indicating that other than to stun the light security at the medical facility and to destroy the door to the lab to get to Crystal, nothing else had occurred.

Daniel sent a message to both Celestia and Jason that he needed to speak to them immediately. Then he picked up Crystal's hand held computer that he had set on the small conference table. He opened it and though the power came on, a screen requesting a password was displayed. Daniel was not surprised since the agent who had worked with her on the Crimson when Celestia and Jason had been prisoners, had told them that Crystal kept her research on her hand held and very little on the main computer of the ship. The agent had taken advantage of the time when Celestia had required treatment when she had a bad reaction to the modifications to obtain a copy from Crystal's hand held on the genetic modification process.

Daniel closed the hand held and set it down. If what William suspected was true, it would make sense that she kept most of the information on a protected source that was isolated from the main system. He only hoped that Jason and Celestia could hack into it. It was bound to have very high level encryptions and security protecting the files. He looked up as Jason and Celestia entered the room. Daniel didn't give them a chance to speak but instead motioned for them to sit down.

"[B]Thank you for coming, I need both of you to handle a special project for me.[/B]" He picked up the hand held computer, "[B]The files on this computer are protected by very high level security and encryptions. I need both of you to break that security and hack into it and gain access to the files.[/B]"

"[B]I take it that it belongs to a member of the Military here?[/B]" Celestia asked.

Daniel nodded, "[B]It does.[/B]"

"[B]You've never stolen a hand held before, why now? What makes this one so special?[/B]" Jason asked.

Daniel paused and then decided to tell them, since news of Crystal's kidnapping would be all over the network by the end of the day. "[B]It's belongs to Commander Crystal, we took it from her when I had two agents kidnap her this morning.[/B]"

"[B]You what[/B]?" Celestia said incredulously as she stood up angrily, "[B]Does William know about this?[/B]"

"[B]William is the one who issued the order.[/B]" Daniel replied.

Celestia sat back down looking confused, "[B]I don't understand, I thought the resistance didn't kidnap people or use torture or drugs to gain information.[/B]" She paused to look at Jason and then back at Daniel her expression again one of anger, "[B]Crystal is a doctor father, what possible reason could William have to kidnap her.[/B]"

"[B]Crystal is the top authority on genetics in the Versilan Empire. She is responsible for overseeing not only the medical facilities on Earth, but research being done to modify the genetics of the enslaved races to make them live longer but without the same health benefits of improved strength, immune system and other advantages that you received when you were modified.[/B]" He waited a moment to let that sink in.

"[B]But more importantly, we need to verify if the High Council has authorized research that would allow modification to be done that would change the essence of how they feel and react, making them more passive and accepting of their situation. Such research is forbidden, even among the enslaved races.[/B]"

"[B]They can do that?[/B]" Jason asked.

Daniel nodded, "[B]They can, which is why it is forbidden, experiments done well over a thousand years go proved that such research only caused problems, so it was outlawed since people wanted to use it have passive obedient children, there was concern that the military would use it to make more powerful and aggressive troops, in the end the High Council ruled that such manipulation was unacceptable and banned it.[/B]"

Celestia just shook her head, "[B]That's terrible.[/B]"

"[B]Exactly, which is why we need to find out if they really are doing it. Nothing will happen to Crystal, she will simply be detained for the time being.[/B]"

Celestia got up and walked over and picked up the hand held computer, "[B]I see, I'll do as you ask, just promise me one thing in return. That as soon as it's possible, you'll release Crystal.[/B]"

"[B]I will.[/B]" Daniel replied. Then once the two of them had left he went back to working on even more reports that needed to be taken care of.

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

[B]OOC: [/B]Just to be clear, this happened the same day sector four was attacked, so this is right before the news of what happened in sector four reaches Earth.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Celestia took the hand held and with Jason following her headed back out to the command center where her and Jason worked. She sat down and started pulling up the programs they had already written for bypassing security, she ignored Jason as he sat down and pulled up his side of the work as well.

"[B]Celestia,[/B]" He started to say.

She turned and snapped at him, "[B]I know! I'll start the link to tie you in.[/B]"

Jason reached over and grabbed her arm causing her to stop and stare at him, "[B]There's no need to get angry.[/B]"

Celestia looked down and then back at Jason chagrined at what she had just done. "[B]You're right, I'm sorry. Daniel would never do something if it was not necessary, I'm just so tired of this.[/B]"

"[B]I know, so am I,[/B]" Jason smiled sadly. [B]?Lets get started okay?[/B]?

Celestia nodded and opened up the hand held causing it to turn on. ?[B]Okay I?m establishing the link and starting the routine.[/B]?

Jason watched as she ran the routine they had used to hack the security of both the update system for the fleet and when the troop facilities had been raided for supplies. Paying close attention as layer after layer was stripped until it hit a higher level of security.

?[B]Damn! That won?t do,[/B]? Celestia said as she pulled out. ?[B]Did you see that?[/B]?

?[B]Yeah, it reminds me of when we tried to get into the Catalyst. We never finished that routine since the Catalyst was gone for so long.[/B]? Jason replied.

?[B]It looks like we?ll need to finish it if we are going to get into the files on this. At least unlike the update system we are close enough to the source to see why it failed. I?ll at least be able to make some modifications to improve the routine.[/B]?

Jason finished recording the data before responding. ?[B]Looks like William and Daniel are correct. There just isn?t a reason for such high level of security to be put on a simple hand held computer, at least one that is being used by a doctor.[/B]?

?[B]I can?t think of any other reason either,[/B]? Celestia said as she pulled up the routine they had been working on for the update system. Daniel may have forbid them to use it to hack the update system but there was no reason why she and Jason couldn?t use it to obtain the information in the hand held computer.

Jason and Celestia worked on the routine making changes based on the information they had gotten from the first attempt. Several hours later it was clear that they weren?t going to get it done in time for another try that day. It was mid afternoon when another agent interrupted operations switching the main screen over to a broadcast from the Versilan Empire.

Jason and Celestia stopped to watch the report about Commander Crystal and how she had been kidnapped by the resistance, something she already knew, as well as the other members as Daniel had sent a formal report to everyone explaining what had happened with the bare information as to why. It had not included the information about the genetics though.

She was about to turn her attention back to her work when another report was shown, this time a live feed from the Empire showing what had happened in sector four.

?[B]Oh my God![/B]? Celestia exclaimed as pictures showing the massive destruction on the world where the crystals had been growing were displayed. ?[B]How did William manage to pull that off?[/B]?

Jason shook his head, ?[B]Damn, that?s incredible.[/B]? He winced as the news broad casted the usual statement from the resistance of how the Versilan Empire needed to stop enslaving the other races and instead protect them and guide them to be true members of the Empire instead of slaves. ?[B]That?s going to make a lot of people angry.[/B]?

Both of them continued to watch the update, relived when it was announced that other than a few minor injuries no one had been killed. But then it switched to showing how massive disruptions had occurred on the inhabited planet in that sector when the shock wave from the crystals destroyed nearly a third of the crystals on that world as well.

Celestia looked away when parts of the news began to repeat. She didn?t want to think about the problems it was going to cause. She understood why such things were necessary, but she was glad she was not the one in charge, since she wasn?t sure if she could do it. A lot of innocent people would be affected by what had happened. She turned her attention back to the routine for hacking the hand held computer. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Jared was feeling rather pleased with himself as he worked with Darren down at the new main shipping office. Now that the mess with sector six had been brought under control, Kim's interrogation finished along with her being transfered over to the Catalyst, though he had not been the one to actually do it, and Sandra had stopped snipping at the High Council every time she was reviewed...Things had calmed down quite a bit, leaving him less rushed and even with enough free time for personal stuff. He smiled to himself as he remembered the evening he had spent with Stevens, it had had been far too long since he had enjoyed himself like that.

He pulled his mind back to what he was doing, only a few more checks to make sure the security was all in place and then he would be able to leave Darren on his own to work on both the shipping for the UK as well as continuing his hunt for fragmented reports in regards to Williams as well as working on modifications for the shipping protocols. Jared didn't think there would be another incident like the one with Sara but once Darren finished the modifications to the protocols and everything was announced to the public at large, it would make him quite a few enemies overnight and that would require much greater security than what he had set up for him before.

It would also require quite a bit more security for his crew member Mike who was currently running his ship. Darren may have realized that things would change, but Jared wondered if he had realized that it would also put Mike in considerable danger. Jared just made a notation to see to it that security was changed for Mike as well. Even if Darren didn't realize that his new position would give him the right to request it, Jared never left anything undone, ever. Even if Darren wasn't cute he still would have made sure everything was taken care of.

Jared and Darren both paused as a chime indicated an incoming message had arrived. They were both standing next to the window overlooking the city as they went over the security so Jared merely pulled it up so that both of them could take a look. A moment later Darren jumped, visibly startled when the small scanner Jared was also holding shattered from him clenching his fists angrily. Jared ignored his startled look as he backed away from him, instead he pulled up the addition files sent only to him, it didn't take him long to go through the video of the two resistance members first entering the medical facility in Australia and then stunning the light security before heading back and blasting the lab door to where Crystal was stationed before taking her disruptor and forcing her through a transport door.

"[B]I don't understand,[/B]" Darren said a bit hesitantly, frightened by Jared's reaction, a reaction that annoyed Jared. "[B]Why would they kidnap a doctor?[/B]"

"[B]It doesn't matter why,[/B]" Jared said furiously. "[B]What does matter is finding the fools who did this and getting her back. We're leaving immediately.[/B]"

"[B]But shouldn't we finish here first?[/B]" Darren cringed as Jared glared at him. "[B]I only meant..[/B]" He stopped with a startled gasp when Jared grabbed his left wrist tightly and pulled him close.

"[B]Meant what? That you're surprised I might care what happens to her?[/B]" Jared said, getting even more angry, ignoring the real look of panic on Darren's face. "[B]Or is it that you can't imagine the cold-hearted Jared caring about anyone?[/B]" A statement that was confirmed by Darren's look of fear that he had inadvertently upset Jared.

"[B]I'm sorry,[/B]" He choked out, "[B]I didn't...I...I didn't think.[/B]" Darren finally stammered.

"[B]That's right,[/B]" Jared said furiously, "[B]You didn't think. I grow tired of this Darren. I grow tired of your stupidity in making assumptions as to what I am like.[/B]" He ignored Darren's gasp of pain as he gripped his wrist even tighter.

"[B]I've been more than patient with your assumptions, If you weren't such a blind fool you would realize that if I really was as sick as people thought I would have done far more than simply tease you.[/B]" Jared reached up with his left hand and grabbed Darren's shirt pulling him closer.

"[B]What really amazes me is how you can be so smart in other areas and yet so clueless in reading others. I've never pretended that I don't care for Crystal, and if you were to get out of your pointless rut of hating the military you would find that quite a few of the officers would fight over her given the chance.[/B]" Jared paused before continuing, ignoring the sick look of panic and fear in Darren's eyes.

"[B]I may not be interested in her like I am in other men, but that doesn't mean I don't consider her my friend.[/B]" Jared released Darren ignoring how he fell to the floor cradling his left wrist.

"[B]We are heading back to the Creator, once you've gotten that wrist of yours attended to, you are to head to your quarters and work on the protocols for the shipping. I already told you about William and it wouldn't surprise me to find out that he's behind Crystal's kidnapping as well.[/B]"

Jared turned and opened his hand held computer requesting that a transport door be opened, ignoring Darren as he got up and his attempts to apologize. Then after making sure Darren went through first and was headed towards the sickbay, he turned and left for the bridge. Still furious over what had happened.

It just didn't make sense, Crystal was a doctor. Not an officer. But that was not the worst of it. When he got on the bridge Sandra merely motioned him to follow her to the side conference room where Stevens was already waiting.

"[B]Ah Jared, I was about to call for you, it seems we have another problem as well. Just take a look at this.[/B]"

Jared sat down and watched the report being about what had happened in sector four. It was unbelievable that they had managed to pull something like that off. He turned to Stevens when the report was finished.

"[B]It will be public knowledge in just a little while when the High Council issues a formal report. This is far more than a single incident like sector six. I've already been talking to the High Council, the reserves must be called in to increase security through out the Empire as well as ten of the ships from our fleet here will be sent to sector six so the ships stationed there can leave immediately for sector four.[/B]"

"[B]What about Commander Crystal?[/B]" Jared asked.

"[B]The High Council will be assigning Kiva to head the search for Crystal. They will be contacting her shortly. I assure you, everything will be done to recover her as well as to finally put an end to the resistance.[/B]" Stevens paused for a moment.

"[B]I know you want to head the search but I need you to make the necessary arrangements to take care of the loss of ten ships. We will still receive about a third of the transport ships to continue removing humans, but we will only be getting a fraction of the reinforcements until the reserves are brought into action. Just as Kiva is good and finding people, you are good at organizing the troops and deploying them effectively.[/B]"

Jared frowned before responding. "[B]All right, I understand. Since Kiva will be in charge of recovering Commander Crystal I'll take care of the rest.[/B]"

Jared sighed as Stevens brought up even more things that had to be dealt with. He would rather search for Crystal, but if he was honest with himself, Kiva was a much better choice than he was as her hacking skills were much better than his were.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=darkslateblue]When the 'message received' signal sounded, Kiva went over and viewed the message. "Looks like Stevens decided to heed my recommendation about Kim," she said to Daego. "She's being transferred to us. Also, Crystal wrote up a medical report on Kim for us. She was quite thurough, too. It loks like this report has all the information on her we could possibly want. Also, Stevens wants to know if we want Kim sent over via shuttle or transportation door. I'm thinking transport door."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Yeah, I agree," Daego said. "I'll feed Crystal's information on Kim into the computer system in the interrogation room."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Good," Kiva said as she replied to Stevens's message:[/color]
[indent][i][color=#483d8b]Send Kim via transportation door. Include door instruction RD.A-007 to send Kim directly into cell A. No need to wait two days; send her as soon as you can.[/color][/i]




[/indent][color=#483d8b]After sending her reply, Kiva went back to what she'd been doing before the message came, analyzing the captured hacking routine to see if it contained any more clues as to the bases' locations.[/color]




[color=#483d8b]Kim's transfer went without problems. She was transported right into cell A, and Daego went down to 'greet' her. He looked her over on the moniter before ativating the cell's two-way speaker system. "Hello, Kim," he said. Kim didn't respond.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Well, you're no fun at all," Daego said. "I was hoping for some entertainment after what I heard about you from Stevens. Oh, well. I guess he just took all the fight out of you. Too bad, really. Makes things much less enjoyable for me."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"That's just too bad, isn't it?" Kim said.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Oh, so you do talk. Well, well, well. This may be fun, after all."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Enjoy it while you can. It won't be long before I'm gone, now, will it?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Daego laughed. "It 'won't be long'? Amusing. I suppose you think you're on a transport to sector 1, don't you? That's not the case, though. No, you'll be here for quite some time, I'd say. Long enough for me to completely break you. Should be fun."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]At that moment, the speaker system suddenly turned off. "Sorry to cut you off," Kiva said over the [i]Catalyst[/i]'s comm system, which didn't include the cells and so would be inaudible to Kim with the cell's speaker system off, "but it's best if Kim thinks you're done for now. Get to the bridge immediately. We've got a situation here."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Understood," he said. [i]Man, being a bad guy was fun[/i], he thought as he left Kim and headed for the bridge.[/color]


[color=#483d8b]"What's going on?" Daego asked as he took his seat on the bridge.[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"We just recieved two messages," Kiva said. "Bring up the contents yourself. The first one's from the [i]Conqueror[/i], and the second one's directly from the High Council. To summeraize the first message, Commander Crystal has been abducted, presumably by the Resistance. We know from security camera footage that it was Versilans who did the job, but no identity matches have been made."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Shit, they captured Crystal? How the hell did they even get to her?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Well, they somehow got in armed. It's likely they had help on the inside, but nothing's been confirmed yet. Once inside, the abductors took out the security personell, went straight for Crystal, and escaped with her via transportation door."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Damn, these people are good," Daego said. "It's a shame we're enemies. I assume the High Council's message is an order to locate and retrieve Crystal?"[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"That's right. Rescuing Crystal is to be our top priority. The High Council did not detail the reason, though. The message says only that she's vital to classified research taking place in sector 14."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]Just them, the 'message recieved' signal sounded again. "What's next?"Kiva said as she opened the message. "My god."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"What?" Daego asked as he viewed the new message, which was about the Resistance's strike in sector 4. "Oh. Shit, what the hell's next? First the store in sector six, and now production in sector 4. About the only thing harder to do would be an attack on sector 1."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Yeah, you've got that right," Kiva siad. "okay, this makes our job that much more important. Someone on Earth may at least have a clue as to how all this is being done. Crystal's still priority number one, though. All right, we need to put this out of our minds for now. Daego, get back down to Kim. Show her the camera footage. She may recognize the abductors. Get everything about them out of her that you can. I'll go back into the computer network. There probably won't be anything, but there's always a chance we'll find a clue."[/color]

[color=#483d8b]"Got it," Daego said as he went back down to Kim's cell. As he left, Kiva made her way back into the Resistance's computer network. She modified her latest report to include the new developments, then planted it in the usual location while her search programs ran, looking for anything that might conceivably be useful.[/color]

[Rachmaninoff]

Darren had still not worked up the courage to ask Jared about modifying his quarters, but as they worked on the security set up for the new office in London he wondered if he should bring it up when they were done, as Jared seemed to be in a good mood. Not just an amused mood but he actually seemed to be relaxed. Darren couldn?t recall if he had ever seen Jared relaxed. But then the chime indicating there was a new message sounded and as he read the message about Commander Crystal being kidnapped. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Jared?s expression changed to one of fury when he shattered the scanner he was holding. Darren instinctively backed up a few steps and did the one thing he should not have done, he spoke.

Something that within a very short time, he realized was a mistake when Jared grabbed his left wrist and nearly yanked him off his feet when he pulled him closer chewing him out for what he had inadvertently implied. Darren tried to not be afraid, but he couldn?t help it, never had he seen Jared so angry, so furious. Especially when he realized that Jared was right, he had never considered that Jared would actually care about someone, he actually was guilty of thinking Jared didn?t know how to care. [I]I?m a fool [/I]he thought as Jared chastised him and gripped his wrist even more tightly. He couldn?t help but gasp in pain as he felt something give. And then nearly pass out as the pain intensified.

And then when Jared grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, for a brief moment he wondered if he had gone too far. If he had finally managed to say the one thing that Jared would not forgive him for as he spoke about Crystal. Something that if he had been thinking he would have realized that something happening to her would upset Jared, after all, when he had first met Crystal it had been clear that Jared liked her. Darren felt sick with fear and dizzy from the horrible pain in his left wrist. He couldn?t look away from Jared who was still furious. Then without warning he let go and Darren fell, landing hard on his rear.

He tried to move his left wrist only to be met with even more pain, instantly he shifted his left arm favoring it with his right. Fighting the urge to be sick. [I]Jared must have broken it, [/I]he thought. And as Jared told him what to do after going to sickbay, he realized that Jared realized that he had damaged his wrist.

As Jared requested a transport door, Darren managed to stand up without using his arms for support. He winced as the slightest movement sent even more pain running though his left wrist and arm. He was definitely going to need to get it checked. He followed Jared?s instructions and immediately headed towards the sickbay as Jared headed in the opposite direction.

[I]I?m such a fool,[/I] he thought to himself. [I]Why did I say anything? Even if the security check was nearly complete, he gave me a direct order; I should have just followed it and kept my mouth shut. [/I]Darren winced when he slightly bumped into the door frame of the sickbay as he entered it.

Darren sat down as a wave of dizziness overcame him for a moment. Jared?s words about him being in a pointless rut of hating the military echoing though his mind,[I] is he right? Am I allowing my judgment to be compromised?[/I] He wondered.

?[B]How can I help you sir?[/B]? A female voice asked him.

Startled Darren looked up to see one of the assistants standing in front of him looking at him with concern.

?[B]I seem to have hurt my wrist,[/B]? he replied.

She smiled at him, ?[B]This way then and we?ll get you fixed up in no time.[/B]?

Darren stood up and followed her into one of the treatment rooms, waiting patiently as the attendant scanned his wrist.

?[B]I?ll need you to wait here okay?[/B]? She said and then hurried off once Darren nodded in reply. A few minutes later the doctor entered and re-scanned him to confirm it.

?[B]Darren correct?[/B]? The doctor asked. He continued when Darren nodded. ?[B]You?ve done more than simply hurt your wrist. I can easily fix it, but it will require light surgery as part of your wrist has been shattered.[/B]? He showed Darren the scan results.

?[B]Now based on the nature of the damage, I?ll need you to explain who did this to you.[/B]?

Darren looked away, ?[B]It wasn?t intentional Doctor, it was an accident and I?d rather not say who did it.[/B]?

The doctor just sighed. ?[B]I see, very well then, this time I?ll overlook it. If it should happen again I?ll need to know just how it happened, understand? Now do you wish to be awake for this or would you prefer to be out?[/B]?

Darren winced, ?[B]I?d rather not be aware of it doctor.[/B]?

The doctor smiled, ?[B]Neither would I young man, just wait here and my assistant will be back to give you a little something. We?ll have you fixed up and taken care of in no time. And I?ll be sure to forward a report to your commanding officer, Jared wasn?t it?[/B]?

?[B]Yes sir,[/B]? Darren replied and then he waited patiently for the assistant to come back after the doctor had left.

[I]Lovely,[/I] he thought,[I] no wonder it hurts so much.[/I] And then he winced grinding his teeth in frustration as even more waves of pain came from his left wrist. [I]Damn that hurts! [/I] Then he sighed with relief as the attendant came back and had him lie down before she gave him something to put him out, something that within moments knocked him out completely.

[Aaryanna_Mom]

When the door to her cell opened on the Conqueror, Kim knew it was finally time, the only question remaining was what Stevens had finally decided to do with her. She was ordered to stand up, something that was hard to do as she barely had the strength to do so and then while she waited the security officer in charge contacted someone and a moment later a transport door opened in the cell.[I] So I?m going to be sent back to sector one,[/I] she thought. It would take a while to get there, but once she arrived the only thing awaiting her would be a public execution.

Kim gasped in surprise as the officer stepped forward and shoved her though the transport door. She had been so busy thinking about what was going to happen that she hadn?t heard his order to go through the door. Then a moment later the door closed behind her and she struggled to get up from where she had fallen on her knees, looking at the new cell she had just been transferred to.

It was smaller than the one she had been in before, which if she were on a transport ship would make sense. Other than that it was virtually identical to the one she had just been in. The same type of bed fastened to the wall the small restroom facilities just off the main room. And the door leading to the rest of the ship with no type of windows to let her see anything at all.

Kim was in the process of turning to simply lie down on the bed when the two-way speaker system activated and an unknown voice greeted her.

?[B]Hello Kim,[/B]? the voice said.

It sounded like it was a guy, but without actually seeing them she couldn?t be sure. Kim ignored it.

?[B]Well, you?re no fun at all,[/B]? the unknown voice said, sounding disappointed. ?[B]I was hoping for some entertainment after what I heard about you from Stevens. Oh, well. I guess he just took all the fight out of you. Too bad, really. Makes things much less enjoyable for me.[/B]?

Kim knew she should ignore it, but she responded before she could think twice about it. ?[B]That?s just too bad, isn?t it?[/B]? She replied, annoyed at the implication that she would be [I]entertaining[/I].

?[B]Oh, so you do talk. Well, well, well. This may be fun, after all.[/B]? The unknown voice said, clearly amused.

Nettled Kim responded yet again, ?[B]Enjoy it while you can. It won?t be long before I?m gone, now, will it?[/B]? She said sarcastically. Stopping before she said more and annoyed who ever was on the other side of the speaker system.[I] Don?t do it![/I] She thought, [I]don?t banter with them. Just sit down and shut up.[/I] It was hardly fair that they could see her and she couldn?t see them. Kim did her best to say nothing when the person laughed at her.

?[B]It ?won?t be long?? Amusing. I suppose you think you?re on a transport to sector one, don?t you? That?s not the case, though. No, you?ll be here for quite some time, I?d say. Long enough for me to completely break you. Should be fun.[/B]?

[I]Don?t respond,[/I] Kim thought. [I]Just ignore them.[/I] But part of her wondered what was going on. Were they telling the truth? Was she really not on a transport ship headed for sector one? Had Stevens merely handed her over to someone to [I]break her[/I] for him? A thought that made her tremble a bit. She waited, but who ever it was seemed to be done as nothing else was said.

Kim finally sat down on the bed and then she lay down on her back, still exhausted from what Stevens had done to her. How long had it been since this started five, six, seven weeks? Kim had a hard time remembering. She sighed. What ever was happening she would find out soon enough, unfortunately. Kim shifted a bit on her new bed; at least this one seemed to have a comfortable mattress on it. And frightened or not, she found herself starting to fall asleep;[I] I wish people would just let me get some rest [/I] she thought.

[CENTER]-----------------------------------[/CENTER]
Once again Daniel went over the report from the Elite Specialist, confirming the news that William had been successful as well as other updates, along with the news that Kim had been transferred to the Catalyst. Making her even more out of reach than she had been on the Conqueror. He memorized everything he needed and then removed the report and carefully copied only the information into his hand held. Now that the relay system was down he would have to send the information to William in snippets. It would be foolish to send them all at once. He had already notified him that Commander Crystal had been captured and that Celestia and Jason were working on breaking the encryption on her hand held computer.

Then he pulled up another set of objectives, with the Military?s focus on Commander Crystal and what happened in sector four, it was time to start putting the supplies they had stolen to good use. Within a few days, Earth would be in utter chaos with all the strikes he had in mind. Even though Stevens had altered things after what happened before, it didn?t mean they couldn?t disrupt things in other ways. He smiled a bit, just wait until they see what happens next.

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=DarkRed]It had been a few days since Crystal had been abducted and though her captors were completely polite, they refused to answer any of her questions. It didn?t stop her from asking them. She sighed from her vantage point of sitting on the single chair in the room, Crystal had moved it so she could enjoy the view, but though the green meadows were pretty, it was obvious they were out in the country somewhere as she rarely saw anyone and the few times she did they were off in the distance.

What they had told her about the room had been completely true, in spite of what she had seen where the disruptor didn?t damage the window, she had carefully checked the rest of the room only to find that the only way out would be when someone let her out. And if what Commander Daniel had said was true about the resistance?s intent to halt research in sector fourteen, she was going to be in this tiny room for a very long time. She wondered if anyone in the resistance was capable of breaking the security on her hand held computer. It had been specially made for her. Well if they couldn't she'd find out soon enough if Daniel's claims that they would not hurt her were really true or not.

Crystal stood up at the sound of a knock on the door, something that they always did to warn her they were about to enter. She turned to face the door; it opened to reveal the taller of the two, carrying a box, which he set on the small table. The other one entered right behind him carrying a huge stack of books, which once he had set on the table as well, he left and came back with another huge stack of books.

?[B]Commander,[/B]? the taller one said as the second left. ?[B]I can offer no apology for holding you here, but since I cannot answer your question as to when you will be released I offer you these instead.[/B]? He indicated the books. ?[B]I?m sorry for the crude format in replicating them into book form, but I?m sure you can understand why I cannot give you a reader or a hand held computer. But since you are a doctor I thought you would at least like to have some of the newest publications from sector one in medicine.[/B]?

Crystal raised an eyebrow at that. ?[B]And the box?[/B]?

?[B]Rations should either one of us be delayed in returning immediately.[/B]?

?[B]If you are done, please leave.[/B]? Crystal said coldy.

He sighed, ?[B]As you wish Commander, I only wish I understood why you would willingly support enslaving other races.[/B]?

?[B]In the same manner you willingly helped imprison me. Don?t play stupid with me. It?s not that simple and you know it.[/B]?

?[B]Simple Commander?[/B]? He said incredulously. ?[B]There?s nothing simple about forcing billions of other people to do your work for you.[/B]?

?[B]Is that how you see it? Stop and think instead of judging. I choose to help since I can make a difference, not on some foolish ideal of equality but on one of making sure everyone receives proper medical care. Ideals are all fine and noble, but at the end of the day it doesn?t stop people from suffering, it doesn?t end disease or solve hunger.[/B]?

?[B]How can you say that?[/B]? He demanded. ?[B]Are you saying that so long as we treat them it?s okay to exploit and use them?[/B]? He shook his head. ?[B]How naïve.[/B]? He turned to leave and halted when Crystal spoke.

?[B]Naïve? What sort of nonsense do they teach you?[/B]? She waited until he turned around. ?[B]What?s naïve is thinking you can demand things change to fit your views, your values. Our Empire was built upon the labor of others, everything, from the food, to buildings to our every day comforts. All of it wouldn?t be possible without them. If the High Council were to give into your demands, within a month everything would collapse, people would starve, riots would break out. It would be chaos.[/B]?

He started to reply but Crystal cut him off. ?[B]Try looking into how things are done instead of assuming it?s simple. And try asking the ?slaves? what they think as well, for those less fortunate, the poor, the oppressed, which if you truly look, are more than seventy percent, their new lifestyle is paradise in comparison.

Here on Earth a very small percentage of the people lived in comfort while the rest grew fat and wealthy. Where the rest can?t even afford to feed their families, receive medical care, or even have time off to enjoy recreational activities.[/B]?

?[B]But..?[/B] He started to reply.

?[B]No buts.[/B]? Crystal said firmly. ?[B]I understand perfectly well what is reasonable as far as improving conditions for the lesser races goes. And I do it without needlessly destroying supplies or killing innocent civilians in the process.[/B]?

Crystal waited for a response; it wasn?t the first time she had argued with someone over what her people did. She watched as he went from being disgusted to angry to finally expressionless.

?[B]Fair enough Commander,[/B]? He said as he bowed slightly in her direction. ?[B]And since I don?t have the time to continue this discussion I will be on my way. If there is anything I can do for you, let me know.?[/B]

?[B]Besides setting me free of course.[/B]? Crystal said sarcastically.

?[B]Yes besides setting you free.[/B]? He left, closing the door behind him.

Crystal sighed. And then walked over to check out the books he had left. Even if they were in such a primitive format, reading them would at least give her something to do. She picked up the first one and then took it with her as she went back to the chair to sit down.[/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Celestia had the hand held computer open and sitting on the console as she once again prepared to made the connection. It had taken her and Jason a couple of days to re-write the routine for hacking into it. Her fingers flew over the controls as she first established a link to Jason who would be recording everything and then directly to the hand held computer.

"[B]You ready?[/B]" She asked Jason.

"[B]I am.[/B]"

Celestia started the sequence, "[B]Okay, lets see how far we can get this time. I'll focus on recording the progress, you copy any files should they become available.[/B]"

Celestia watched the progress carefully for any signs of counter programs that would erase the data, so far she had fooled the security and this time they got into the first level of files, which she noticed that Jason began to copy immediately. Then as it went for the next level of security the routine began to fall apart.

"[B]Damn.[/B]" Celestia said as she pulled out. "[B]The security on this is really tight. Did you see that?[/B]"

"[B]I did, who ever designed this is clever, they've made multiple layers of security to be bypassed and each security wall is a different program. Commander Crystal probably has to use a password for every single layer. And look at this.[/B]" Jason pointed to a section of the data.

"[B]If we push too far it will trigger a system wide program that will erase everything in the system. I don't know if we can get around it.[/B]"

Celestia finished closing the links and saving the data along with the files they had gotten onto a separate data chip to give to Daniel. She turned to look at Jason.

"[B]I don't know, that last bit of information could be use to make a maintenance program that we could piggy back on top of the routine once we rewrite it. We could potentially fool the security into thinking that it's a program designed to do a system check on the files integrity. If that got by it could copy all the files on the entire system for us.[/B]"

"[B]True, but that would take several days to write.[/B]" Jason replied as he finished saving everything he had gotten at his end. "[B]I got the impression that Daniel wanted this as soon as possible.[/B]"

Celestia took the data chip and stood up. "[B]Daniel will have to be satisfied with this.[/B]" She held it up to show Jason. "[B]If we try to use brute force we will not only get nothing, but we might lose the data permanently. I'll be back in a moment.[/B]"

Jason watched her as she walked over and then entered the side conference room where Daniel was. When the door closed behind her he turned back to what he was working on. Only to pull up another screen and check on the updates in regards to sector four. They had been so busy lately that he hadn't been keeping up with what went on. It was hard to believe that with the crystal growth on the planet being completely destroyed and a third of the crystals on the nearby inhabited world that no one had died. He pulled up some surface pictures of the world in question.

[CENTER][IMG]http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3726/sectorfouric0.jpg[/IMG]
[SIZE=1]Copyright [URL=http://tateishieigo.deviantart.com/][COLOR=RoyalBlue][U][B] TateishiEigo @DeviantArt[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] [/SIZE][/CENTER]

[I]Well that would explain it,[/I] he thought as a picture of one of the cities pulled up. Everything was ground based, much like what he had seen around the High Council's building in sector one. [I]If they aren't using air transport, that would reduce the chance of fatalities due to the equipment failing when the crystals shattered.[/I] A fact that was confirmed as he read the brief report summarizing the damage that had been done.

But what really surprised him was how clear the sky was and how clean things looked. [I]How is that possible?[/I] He wondered. But then he realized that it had to be due to a huge percentage of other types of industry being elsewhere. [I]It's no wonder these people see nothing wrong with what they are doing. They live on beautiful worlds with every comfort while those who are enslaved are on the worlds where food is grown or where crystals are grown or the planets where things are built to be shipped to the main six worlds of the Versilan Empire. [/I]

Disgusted he reached up to turn the screen off only to halt when Celestia wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, leaning into him as she bent over to see what he was doing. Her left cheek touching his when she placed her chin on his shoulder.

"[B]Where is that[/B]?" She asked.

Jason turned his head a bit to the right to look at Celestia before responding. "[B]That is the main world in sector four. I was curious as to why no one died so I decided to look into it.[/B]"

Celestia let go and took her seat next to Jason. "[B]Did you find out why?[/B]"

Jason shrugged as he switched the screen off. "[B]Everything I looked at indicates that things are ground based, so when the crystals shattered, it didn't cause any disasters, also the report indicates that though a third of the world's crystals were affected, only those where the shielding was light were affected. More important and sensitive equipment with better shielding was not affected.[/B]"

Celestia smirked, "[B]In other words, they lost the equivalent of fridges, washing machines, all those little things that make life easy for them right?[/B]"

Jason nodded, "[B]Correct.[/B]"

"[B]Well I can't say that I'm too broken up to hear that, after all they wouldn't have all those lovely little things if they didn't have slaves to build them for them.[/B]" She sighed. "[B]Still I'm glad no one was hurt.[/B]"

"[B]Me too.[/B]" Jason replied as he turned back to start working on re-writing the routine.[/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Jared did his best to hold his temper, but it had been hard to do so as things kept spiraling out of control. Not in the Empire since the High Council had taken the initiative and called in the reserves, something that hadn?t been necessary for hundreds of years. No this was due to problems on Earth, Crystal still had not been found, [I]not that he had expected it to be easy[/I], and the resistance had started making a real nuisance out of themselves, attacking things left and right in both the US and the UK. And it didn?t help that they were using the supplies they had stolen to really hit fast and hard.

There was no getting around it, they needed reinforcements and soon. Only Australia, other than when Crystal had been kidnapped was peaceful. Jared resisted the urge to snap at the High Council as he was in the observation room just off the Conqueror's main bridge with both Sandra and Stevens who were discussing what needed to be done with the Council.

?[B]Very well then,[/B]? one of the council members spoke, ?[B]It is decided, emergency reinforcements will be sent immediately to Earth.[/B]? A moment later the screen went blank.

Stevens turned from his position of facing the screen and back to Sandra and Jared. His expression uncharacteristically serious.

?[B]Now that that?s settled, we need to get down to business as to what we need to do until those troops arrive.[/B]? He turned to address Jared directly, ?[B]I?ve arranged for Darren to be given full access to all shipping records in the Empire, including classified military shipments. Two of the decoy robots with explosives were recovered intact. Apparently the explosives used in sector four were experimental and not even available to the military yet. I want to know how the resistance managed to get their hands on that.

Darren uncovered evidence pointing towards a William dealing illegally and after finding out from Kim that one of their top leaders is named William; I am convinced that it is not a coincidence. Especially since we have our own ?shipping? experts who never caught on to this William. Since Darren is also working on modifying the shipping protocols I want to see if he can find anything else out.[/B]?

Jared winced a bit at the thought of talking to Darren, other than to leave a brief message that he was to work on the shipping records and protocols he had not spoken directly to him since he damaged his wrist. He hadn?t meant to truly hurt him and when the doctor had contacted him and then voiced his concern that a member of the crew might be harassing Darren...Jared had actually felt embarrassed when he explained to the doctor that he had done it without meaning to. He had let his anger get the better of him.

?[B]I?ll get started on making sure those fools on Earth deploy their own troops to restore order in the rural areas.[/B]? Sandra scowled a bit, ?[B]They?ve been rather lax in that lately and I?ll make sure they understand that their failure to cooperate has not gone unnoticed.[/B]? She got up with a sigh. ?[B]Which means I need to leave immediately to the US. Those troops were suppose to have gone out yesterday and I intend to make sure they regret delaying.[/B]?

Jared waited until she had left before turning to Stevens. ?[B]What do you wish me to do? Besides shuffling the current troops to stay on top of the disruptions the resistance is causing? We?ve managed to take out some of their agents, but they are very elusive and hard to catch in the act.[/B]?

?[B]I want you to pull everything out of the remote areas and into the more populated areas, let the people find out that their real enemy in situations like this is their own kind. Without support, looting, rioting and all sorts of things will happen if the governments don?t get their own remaining troops out there to sort things out. Once we get the reinforcements the arrangement allowing them to police themselves will end.?[/B] Stevens got up and prepared to leave pausing where Jared had stood up at his seat.

?[B]One other thing Jared, it probably wouldn?t hurt to apologize to Darren for shattering his wrist, that?s very unlike you to allow your temper to get the better of you.[/B]? He chuckled when Jared flushed a bit. ?[B]Goodness I haven?t seen you blush in forever,[/B]? Stevens teased as he moved closer, ?[B]No wonder you tease Darren so much, I bet he looks just as cute as you do when you blush.[/B]? A statement that only made Jared blush even more.

Stevens just laughed delightedly. ?[B]One other thing, I don?t give a damn if our schedule is shot to hell, I still expect you over for dinner later this evening, it?s not like we can?t go over things while we amuse ourselves.[/B]?

Jared just stood there speechless, his anger for the moment gone. He had forgotten just how intense Stevens could be when he was interested in you. And to actually blush? He couldn?t remember the last time that he had.

?[B]You know Jared,[/B]? Stevens said clearly amused. ?[B]If you keep standing there looking like that I?m likely to lock the door and have my way with you right here and now.[/B]?

He paused to mock buff his right nails on his tunic as if he was considering it. Smiling when Jared blushed even more. Then he laughed yet again. ?[B]Go on,[/B]? he made shooing motions with his hands, ?[B]You know I prefer the comfort of silk sheets.[/B]?

Jared mock bowed to Stevens and then turned and left, ignoring the knowing looks from the crew over his still red face as he walked though the bridge and to the main doors leading to the rest of the ship. It wasn?t a secret that he and Stevens were seeing one another. And if the gossip over him blushing after leaving the room where he had been alone with him kept the crew occupied, it certainly wouldn?t bother him any. All he needed to do now was get the blushes under control [I]before [/I]he visited Darren. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=darkslateblue]After receiving the order to prioritize recovering Crystal, Daego had returned to Kim's cell. He drew his sidearm, set it to stun, and opened the cell door. "Come with me," he ordered Kim, pointing the gun at her. "It's about time we got down to business."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kim didn't say anything, but she did follow instructions. Daego took her a short way down the hall and into the interrogation room. "I'm sure this all looks somewhat familiar," he said as he secured Kim in the chair. "I know for a fact they put you through this kind of thing before handing you over to me. But let me assure you, this will be a lot worse than what you've already experienced."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Daego activated a display screen on the wall and displayed an image of Crystal's kidnappers. He saw a small reaction from Kim, enough to indicate that she recognized the pair. "Ah," Daego said, "so you do indeed know who these two are, then. Good. So tell me, who are they?"[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Why do you even care?" Kim said.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Tell me, Kim," Daego said, "or we'll have to do this the hard way."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"They're members of the Resistance," Kim said, a deliberately unhelpful response.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]"Yeah, I knid of knew that already. I see you want the hard way, then. And here I was hoping we might be able to do this quickly. You should know that I'll be able to get the information out of you. I thought you were smart enough not to resist pointlessly. Oh, well. You'll tell me what I need to know sooner or later. And at least this way, I'll get to have some fun."[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]The interrogation computer system was online and loaded with Crystal's information on Kim. A routine had already been built, and all Daego had to do was activate it, which he did. Kim may be trying to resist, but sooner or later, she would talk.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Kim had finally revealed what she knew about Crystal's kidnappers, though she of course didn't know why Daego had wanted that information.Unfortunately, she hadn't known much. Their names were Sako Alkalero and Kajo Flenke, and they worked out of the Europe base , but that was all Kim knew about them that was even potentially useful.[/color]
[color=#483d8b][/color]
[color=#483d8b]Daego was, however, able to get some other useful information out of Kim, including the fact that in the rare event that the Resistance took prisoners, they were never kept at primary bases. In this case, that meant that Crystal would be in a safe house somewhere. This was good, as the safe houses had prooven much easier to locate than the bases. Kim hadn't known the locations of any, but Kiva still had the locations of a couple. She'd been intending to move on them before the business with Crystal came up, and now it seemed that she would be doing so anyways. And even though it was extremely unlikely that Crystal would be in either of them, there was a substantially better chance of finding information that would lead her to other safe houses. It might take some time, but eventually, Kiva would locate Crystal.[/color]