An Introduction

poking microphone This thing on? Sweet.

This is technically the second time that I’m doing an introduction, but as it’s also my first real report, I thought I’d give another one. Short and sweet. So… hi! My name is Orion, or Sera, if you prefer it. I’m coming at you from North Texas. I like spicy foods, cats, rabbits, military history, a wide variety of video games, and writing. I’m gonna be headed to Texas A&M in the fall, studying political science and participating in their Corp of Cadets program. Wish me luck!

Short and sweet, right? Now for some stuff that’s a little more serious. I had many goals in mind, coming into this position. But, my primary one is simple; I want to give the Spectre Cell an identity. I want to make sure that each and every person in my unit is enjoying themselves to the fullest extent, to help everyone feel like they belong. We all joined up to have fun, right? Well, that’s something that I want to ensure for all of us… and I’d love to get as many of you writing as I possibly can. Together, I just know everything is gonna turn out freakin’ fantastic. I think we’ve got some great times ahead of us.

Until then, stay golden, and be kind, friends. Thanks for having me aboard.

Orion

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House Fiction Update

Command Center

Fort Blindshot

The meeting was going nowhere as generals and majors squabblesquabbled about minor incursions on the homefront and the never-ending list of supplies lost in the effort to rebuild Eldar. It was mind-numbing madness to the Kaleesh as he stood by, passively listening to the sheer mountain of reports laid before him and the rest of the chain of command.

His attention was brought back when one unruly captain, who looked just as fed up with this meeting as he was, spoke up.

“Why don't we just abandon Eldar? The amount of men and resources we have put into it have gained us nothing but backward peasants and pirates too stubborn to just leave!” he all but whined to the rest of the gathered officers around the holo display.

The Sith could feel his blood begin to boil at the remark. He could hear the voice of Qyreia in the back of his mind, yelling at him to, in her own words, "karking fix it." With that he stood up, raising his voice to be heard over the rest of the men and women now arguing.

“Enough!” called the Sith, his robotic tone silencing all other voices in the room. “There will be no such action taken. We abandoned Eldar before and we abandoned our people who we left behind on it— never again! The more we stand around bickering over logistics and minor infractions the harder our job becomes to actually make something out of this planet once again.”

Read the rest here and expect our participants from our House fiction competition to make appearances going forward…

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News!

• WARRR! That’s right, we’ve got a great jedi war looming on the horizon! According to the Grandmaster’s latest report, we can expect it in late May or early June. As the pre-war competition chain just finished, I’m sure there’ll be a fictional update setting up for the war any day now…
• Shadow Academy news! The DJB is in need of a new Headmaster to lead up the Shadow Academy. You can find more information on that position within the Grandmaster’s report above. Moreover, there are four new courses for all you feisty students to sink your teeth into! Check ‘em out here!
• House Marka Ragnos of Clan Naga Shadow is looking for a new Aedile! Those who are interested should email Mystic Xolarin with their application. Good luck to those who apply!
• House Qel’Droma has a brand new Aedile in the form of Aru Law! Congrats, Aru!

Anyway, that concludes our news segment. In real life, make sure y’all are washing your hands and not licking doorknobs out there. Just in case, y’know?

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Battleteam Shoutouts

• Congrats to Tyga for a Ruby crescent, and his promotion to knight!
• Shoutout to Zodac for coming back to us after surviving basic training, and breezing through two of those new SA courses!

I’m gonna be making a personal effort to hit upon everything accomplished by our mates in the Battleteam in these reports. If I miss anything, feel free to kick me. Anyway, now it’s onto…

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Competitions!

There are… a lot of competitions going on. Looking at our current global situation, now might be the time to capitalize. Too many to cram into one report, really… but here are some highlights!

• Operation Rebuild Eldar is live! That’s right, another development comp for our own home pastures. Hunt down pirates, plunder their booty (wink-wonk) and see the sights! Remember, your work might even make it onto the wiki!
• [DJB] Quarantine Quests. You ever wonder where the word “quarantine” came from? You can find out (or not) in this sweet little chain of comps. A pretty good way to de-stress from all this craziness, if you ask me.
• [DJB] Shaken, Not Stirred. Think you’ve got what it takes to be a master mixologist? Give it your best shot in this comp! Try not to get punch-drunk though! Heheh.
• Combat-Writing: Fight Yourself is the sort of comp that’s right up my alley. Ever wondered what it would be like if your characters faced off? Brutal? Funny? Both? Find out for yourself!
• Spring Break Fashion. Spring break is here, and you know what that means. Spring cleaning? Nah, no one’s gonna be coming over anyways. I’m talking about spring fashion! How does your character style in the springtime?

Now, for my favorite section...

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#AskTheKickyCaptain!

That’s right! Every question you asked, I answered. Lots of good ones this week, ranging from the deep and introspective, to… uh… odd. Anyway, let’s go!

• Aay’Han asked…

  1. Can I own a pub?

     That sounds like a frackin’ awesome idea! Tell you what, I’ll talk to Fort Blindshot’s colonel, and I’d bet we could get a sweet cantina set up on base. Just don’t tell Ruka…

  2. Have we got any BT only comps to look forward to?

     Oh, I’d love to run a few competitions for Spectre Cell. I’ve got quite a lot of ideas going forward, so expect a few things in the near future :)

  3. On by one the penguins steal my sanity…

     Penguins? But penguins are so cute! They’d never do anything to hurt you…

     checks over shoulder, before leaning in, whispering

     Can’t talk here. They’re watching, always. Meet me around back… the Resistance is alive, my friend…

• Xenna asked…

  1. How many regrets has Sera had so far from having to deal with Galeres and Associates?

     None at all. She misses the Voidbreaker crew, but she’s so excited about the opportunity to make new friends and experience her own adventures that she’s hardly thinking about regrets. Now, workload on the other hand…

  2. Favorite type of frozen food stuff that isn't ice cream (frozen yogurt is cheating)?

     This is weird, but I like to stick candy in the freezer and eat it while its cold. Chocolates, gummy bears, sour patch kids… always best frozen solid. Yumm.

  3. What single item would you take with you into an eternally dark forest?

     A single candle of hope and love, to light my way home.

  4. Ever sacrificed someone into a volcano? Not personally, but I’m willing to bet that I’ll one day dive into one like Gollum, only to bounce like a sizzling caramel off of the magma below. It’ll be super tragic, just watch.

• Atyriu asked…

  1. Excited for Satsi and Sera interactions? :P

     Oh, you betcha. Sweet, energetic and loving with psycho, crazy, manipulative, loving-in-her-own-way lady? Both the proverbial immovable object facing unstoppable forces? Both really good at hitting people hard in the face? Hell yeah!

  2. Is Sera particularly insecure about failure at all, or just not fond of learning? She seemed to be down after Ruka's pointers on saber work last RP, and in general, advice or lessons don't really seem to...stick. I can't think of a time I've read where she actually altered behavior based on previous experience, though emphasis on "I've read". Is that just her hard headedness, an unwillingness to change her ways (when she sees them and her positivity as so sure fire), or.... what?

     Deep question gets a deep answer. Sera isn’t unwilling to learn. She’s stubborn, but she’s not stupid. However, she does have a very, very, very high expectation of herself, and overall places an overwhelming confidence in her own abilities. When that illusion is shattered -like when Ruka totally trounced her in saber training- she’s bound to get down on herself. Personal failure is her own anathema… but, that still doesn’t mean that she won’t get right back up and try again.

  3. We know Zabby ain't afraid of no ghosts, but what IS she afraid of? Mr. Nightmares competition :P

     Sera doesn’t like lightning, or getting electrocuted, or anything like that. Her experienced with it, coming to the Brotherhood, have been exclusively unpleasant, and the feeling of having absolutely no control over her own body is awful to her. Beyond that… her own greatest fear is failing those that she loves, and being left alone because of it. Just the thought is deeply unpleasant to her… so, she often refuses to even consider that possibility.

  4. Where's Sera gonna live now? Citadel apartments? Fort Aurora barricks? A place of her own in Estle? A tree on Eldar? Back at Karran's?

     Although her primary residence will likely remain her room back in Karran’s abode, because of course, she’ll probably seek out a secondary living somewhere in Estle. Get a nice apartment, with a sweet view of the city, or take advantage of living quarters somewhere in the Citadel. Either way sounds like a good deal to her.

  5. How's Sera like Selen? Estle City? Not much like Iridonia, but...

     Sera thinks that Selen and Estle are gorgeous. Out of all the places in the galaxy that she would have loved to see, a tropical-island planet would have ranked near the top of the list, especially now that we’re getting back into spring and summer. Plenty of beaches to spar and laze about one, cute animals, pretty gals and guys in scanty swimwear… yes, I think she’ll like Selen just fine.

  6. When’s she gonna learn to swim/

     Knowing her, the thought won’t strike her until she nearly drowns. After that… well, she’ll figure it out.

  7. How's Sera with kids, since there are actually some running around Selen? If her tribe didn't have many, are they very loud and sticky aliens to her or does she like them?

     Sera really likes kids, actually. They’re sort of kindred spirits to her, considering her normal levels of energy and exuberance. They’re loud and excitable, she’s loud and excitable, it works. They also make her a little sad, of course, due to her tribe’s unfortunate drought of children. It’s never pleasant, pondering the possibility that your culture might die out… and there’s a little bit of guilt there as well.

  8. Less IC stuff now, what are you most excited for about BTL? Least excited for and or most nervous of?

     I’m excited about a lot of things. To be working so closely with a new group of people, to be getting involved with the deeper plot of the clan, to be able to tackle problems and issues directly from a position of leadership… so many things. If there’s one thing I’m not excited about, its the emails. Although I’m already pretty good about digging through piles of spam, and always check my email, it’s just boring compared to everything else I get to do :p.

  9. What's something about you we don't know that you'd like to share? In real life, I’m six foot four, and still growing.

  10. Favorite thing you've read in the DB so far? Favorite thing you've written? Picking more than one is allowed if you must :p Uhhhhh… lots. Yeah, lots. I’ve loved all our little RPs, and go back and re-read them often. I really loved your first post in our first ACC match, and also adore an ACC match that I did with Techie where Sera stole Eilen’s jetpack and went on a joy-ride. Beyond that… Strong’s new crew is fun, Q’s Life-Day fiction was great, everything that you write is good, Karran did damn well on his Tenixir fiction and all these RPs, and Lucine’s March fiction update for the clan was just excellent. For my own writing… huh. I liked my first ACC match with Karran… and my Mandalorian fiction. That’s about it.

  11. Are we enjoying the mildly disturbing and very suggestive soap opera that is Gal RP so far? Lacking more zombies, of course.

      All I can say is that I’m running out of damn popcorn.

  12. Favorite sci fi fantasy thing? Book, game, movie, series, etc.

      The Percy Jackson series, Mallorean, and Orson Scott Card works are some of my favorites. Ringworld is damn cool too, and A Mote in God’s Eye. Uhhhh… lots. Lots and lots.

  13. Bun pics!

      Ask, and ye shall receive. I think I’ll make this a tradition of every report that I do. You should know that this picture is titled Bun with blankie

  

• Skar asked…

  1. What are Sera’s thoughts on Skar?

     Sera admires Skar a good deal for his strength, but less so for his general Sithiness. She’s basically forgiven him for introducing himself to her by trying to shoot her, and generally just thinks that he needs a few good, tight hugs, and some time with friends to mellow him a bit.

  2. Any plans to find a place on Selen?

     Sera already has a place on Selen, at Karran’s house in the archipelago. She rooms there with him, Sully, and Yezid, before they all jumped aboard the Voidbreaker. Other than that… well, a nice personal apartment in Estle couldn’t go amiss, right? Someplace with a view.

• Strong asked…

  1. How's Sera settling in?

     Sera’s settling in pretty well! She misses her friends, of course, but she’s been video calling with them a lot, and she loves Selen. She’s a people person, and getting stuck into the dynamics of House Galeres is exactly the sort of thing that she’s good at. Plus, she’s been seeing plenty of good friends, who keep her pretty happy: Ruka, Strong, and all the rest. What’s not to be happy about?

  2. Do you need Strong to help you move into your new place? He's good for moving furniture and heavy lifting.

     Thankfully, Sera didn’t really have any heavy objects to move. Just clothing, armor, weapons, and her cat. Thankfully, her wardrobe and armory were pretty limited. Moving was pretty quick and easy. But, she could always use a big blue sparring partner… or someone to help with paperwork?

  3. Any sparring plans? Build a stable of regular sparring partners on Selen?

     Well, she’s definitely gotta whip everyone in Galeres into shape… and I think daily saber practice is in order, since that’s been a proven weakness of her’s. Of course, if Strong wants to, we do need to run round four, even up the score between ‘em. Hehehe.

  4. FMK, Lucine, Alaisy, Satsi.

     Strong, you know I could never say anything so unprofessional… F Satsi (for the experience), M Lucine (for the home), K Alaisy (Sorry Ziggy… Sera would be super-duper tearful and apologetic about it. Long-term trauma, yis.)

  5. How's whatsitsface, the pet, settling in?

     Knickers is doing fine, though he’s definitely more mad about this whole moving thing, as he had to give up the stash of stolen shinies and pilfered panties that he’d built up within the Voidbreaker’s ventilation shafts. I’m sure the Skitters will miss their furry king… but, now he’s got new territory to plunder? I wonder how many different sets of underpants he can collect in Fort Blindshot…

  6. Does Sera consider cereal a soup?

     Carnivore stares at mushy bowl of grain products People… people actually eat this? And like it? I’m… I’m so sorry…

• Zuji asked…

  1. So, what type of folks you look for on the team? Any need for a passionate smuggler?

     Sera’s looking for people with lots of heart and a good team-spirit. I’m sure that she could come up with a fun use for a smuggler… getting cheap and effective aid to the Keadeans, maybe? On the passionate mark… well, I’m certain that Sera can find a place to channel that.

  2. How many horns does Sera have?

     Sera has ten horns, spaced symmetrically across the left and right hemispheres of her skull, forming a rough sort of halo or tiara shape. A very pointy one, as she keeps those horns filed smooth and sharp.

  3. What's it like going from the loose maverick House to the more militaristic Galeres?

     It’s… certainly gonna be a transition. Military discipline is not exactly her strongpoint… nor is discipline of any kind, actually. But, she has just about endless amounts of energy. She’ll figure it out. Just gotta learn to… stand still, salute properly, be neat. Things like that. So… yeah, a work in progress.