Castle Tarentum, Yridia II 32 ABY

Ronovi set her glass down on her desk and watched the golden ripples caress the frosted brim. She felt unbelievably bitter. Salas V was a treasure trove Tarentum could have earned, and yet an independent house, Revan, had felt the need to swipe it from them like an old band of pirates. Not that she didn't respect the prime warriors of the unit - former Grand Masters and members of the Dark Council were but some of the Revanites who had sprung out of nowhere to take the grand prize. Still, it didn't say much for Tarentum, or its current state.

Something was stirring in the Yridian cosmos, churning the stars like they were gray and white foam in the Sea of Darkness. Ronovi wondered what would come of the three houses. She could sense the rifts growing within their walls, the conflict as well as the second guessing. Tension. Never a good feeling, and something that had almost been permanent within the clan for nearly five years.

She rose from her seat to greet the Consul who had just stepped through the doorway, his mountainous silhouette catching the dim light of the fading sun by the portal overlooking the sea. In Oberst's hand was a small, slim datapad, which he slid carefully across the desk to Ronovi. Ronovi peered at the numbers spinning wildly on the small screen, the statistics piling up, and clucked her tongue.

"Not good, is it?" she asked, as she handed the datapad back to Oberst.

Oberst nodded. "This clan needs an all-out revival. It's no longer going to be about polishing up and moving on."

"You can feel it too, can't you?" Ronovi murmured.

"Feel what?"

"The static in the air. Impending chaos. Broken strings. You know...'what we have here is failure to communicate.' That sort of thing."

"I'm not worried." Oberst moved to the portal and gazed upon the sea, his trophy, dark and frothing as if in a monster's mouth. "I have plans for Tarentum, should anything break apart. We can't afford any more breakdowns. Not after the reclamation. Not after the Keepers."

There was a silence between the two clan leaders. The hum of the generators could be heard from the walls, rattling the steel in an almost thunderous timbre. Ronovi let her fingers cling to the glass, raise the whiskey to her lips and wash the bitter taste from her teeth with harsh fire. She breathed deeply through her nostrils - a sloppy, hissing sound - and directed her eyes at the back of Oberst's neck.

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

• The results of the Rite of Supremacy are out, with Independent House Revan taking a surprising first place. This is a good time to congratulate all the clans on a job well done (except perhaps to those below us in placing, to which we say, "Neiner, neiner, neiner!"). The final results are as follows:

First Place: Revan Second Place: Taldryan Third Place: Naga Sadow Fourth Place: Arcona Fifth Place: Tarentum Sixth Place: Scholae Palatinae Seventh Place: Plagueis

Congratulations to Ji, Oberst, and Bf (and myself, though I shouldn't be congratulating myself :P) on their Novae earned in the main weeks of the vendetta. Off-week events are still being graded, so there may be many more Novae on the way. There are also Seals to be awarded, as well as a few more awards from yours truly to those who have proven themselves as invaluable members of the clan.

• As you all probably know by now, Syn Kaek stepped down as Master at Arms last week. Replacing him is our very own Korras. If you haven't congratulated him yet...do it! DO EET NOW!

• SOMETHING BIG IS COMING...

Yes, everyone. There are going to be some very big changes coming. If fact, "big" is an understatement. This is a project that will affect everyone in the clan. It will not change the clan entirely, but it is going to involve the houses in a big way. Like I said in my little fiction blurb, the time for a "revival" is now. The time for change is now. So be prepared. Be alert. Oberst and I will have more details in the following weeks. We are currently in intense discussions with your summits and will be exposing the results of said discussion very shortly. By the way, if you're wondering why Oberst wrote "Project Fisting" in the IRC topic line - yes. Yes, that is what the project is called.

• Cestus will be starting a run-on this Friday, which will affect the house in a big way before the even bigger change takes place. If you are not in Cestus but are interested in writing an NPC for the storyline, please contact QUA Ji K'awiil at [Log in to view e-mail addresses]. I know I'll be participating, using an NPC for the event. The run-on should last two weeks minimum.

• Everyone please congratulate Anshar Kahn Tarentae on his long-awaited Ruby Scepter for his tenure as Consul of Tarentum. He did some incredible work for the clan in his second tenure and we are happy to thank him with this award.

• Everyone should also congratulate Tier-Avis Nami on a promotion to Obelisk Templar! Way to go on becoming an Equite, Nami!

DB-wide

http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=4784 ([[DJBWiki]] Connect the dots - DEADLINE: February 17th TODAY)

Clan-wide http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/competition.php?id=4788 ([Tarentum]My Dark Jedi Valentine - DEADLINE: February 28th)

Sigan Thrax transferred from the Shadow Academy to House Tridens. Rebellious transferred from the Shadow Academy to House Cestus. DeathTheKid transferred from the Shadow Academy to House Tridens. Moloch Molazk transferred from the Shadow Academy to House Gladius.

DJM ANSHAR KAHN TARENTAE - Earned Ruby Scepter

DJM SITH BLOODFYRE-TARENTAE - Earned Bronze Nova

DA MAXAMILLIAN VON OBERST-TARENTAE - Earned Gold Nova - Earned Bronze Nova

DA SIRRUS - Earned Dark Cross

KPN SAITOU TARENTAE - Earned Legion of the Scholar

SBM JI K'AWIIL - Earned Silver Nova

SBM KAREL TARENTAE - Earned Scroll of Foundation

OP RONOVI TAVISAEN - Earned Gold Nova

SW SCION ALTERA - Earned Scroll of Foundation - Earned Legion of the Scholar

DJK JAGEN PHOENIX - Passed IRC Basics SA exam with a perfect score - Passed IRC Operator Studies exam

DJK KYRA STARFIRE - PROMOTED TO OBELISK TEMPLAR

DJK SEVERON VERCINGETORIX - Passed Brotherhood History I SA exam

DJK TIER-AVIS NAMI - PROMOTED TO OBELISK TEMPLAR

JH GIO PALERMO - Earned Legion of the Scholar

PRT IMIL C. UCINDUS - Passed Pre-Republic History SA exam - Passed History of the Sith Empire I SA exam - Passed History of the Sith Empire III SA exam - Passed Starfighter Studies SA exam with a perfect score - Passed Astronomy Studies SA exam - Passed Alchemy Studies SA exam - Passed History of the Sith Empire II SA exam - Passed Capital Starship Studies SA exam

ACO SYRNA VALKISS - Passed Brotherhood History I SA exam - PROMOTED TO PROTECTOR

NOV NITSU SAIN - PROMOTED TO ACOLYTE - Passed Brotherhood History I SA exam

NOV ROC TALOS - Passed Dark Brotherhood Basics SA exam

Thanks for all your work in the RoS, and be prepared for the big changes with "Project: Fisting"! Thanks for the charming name, Oberst. :P

Ronovi Tavisaen Proconsul of Tarentum; Brig. General of the Clan Tarentum I Corps