The Swing of Things

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Howdy howdy! I hope that the latter half of everyone’s spooky month was as restful and productive as mine was. It was, honestly, refreshing to just curl up with my schoolwork, books, and a few good comps to pass the time for a little while. But, all good rest comes to an end eventually. After our Battleteam’s kickass performance in the Clan event last month (congrats to Atty on taking third place!), we’ve decided to kick things up on Eldar.

That’s right! Battleteam event! Lots to do, lots to see...as soon as the comps get turned in and given the thumbs up...we’ll be ready to rock! The comps are mainly designed to be easy, low-stakes, quick-submit affairs; I honestly can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with. We’ve also got a Battleteam fiction, just going over where the team is currently standing, acting as a sort of prelude to the full House fiction that’s going to be dropping with it’s own update later this month. Hope you guys like it!

Until then...stay safe, everyone. If you’re here in the United States, election anxiety is hopefully tapering off, but we’ve still got this thing called COVID to worry about, so we’re not out of the woods yet. Enjoy the autumn air. If you’re so inclined, take a little time with your families, week after next. And, if you’re careful, and you’re quiet, you might just hear it…

Listen… With a faint, dry sound… Like the step of passing ghosts… The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the trees… And Fall.

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Battleteam Fiction!

Dry, dead leaves crackled underfoot as the trio cut their way through the thick underbrush. Avian life flitted quietly overhead, marking the morning with snatches of peaceful, restive song. An odd, four-tailed rodent scampered down the path, its young trailing behind it, seeking their den.

Autumn had come to Tairiku, Eldar’s southern continent. Cold winds rushed over the dry basin of the Sabaku desert, brushing over the dunes and howling as they met the forests beyond. Thick, gnarled boughs that had once been heavy with green just a few months prior drooped, their leaves exploding into vibrant shades of gold, violet, and a deep, bloody crimson. They drifted in the breeze, settling in great, damp mounds over the forest path, glittering with a thin layer of frost, and hidden by low wisps of fog.

A brisk, chilly morning. Perfect for the activities that Spectre Cell was normally getting up to...but not today. Today they were trying out a new method.

Check out the rest of the BT fiction here!

News!

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Just some clan news for this month, and a job opening for those who are interested!

• Check out the Consul/Proconsul report for this month! Great summary of October’s events, and the most drop-dead, badass Clan Fiction I’ve yet had the pleasure of reading! Really great work, Luci and Aiden <3.
• Check out our House Report, covering October and getting us into November. And, as always, make sure to visit the HQD Report to see what that naughty bunch has been getting up to.
• House Tyranus of Clan Plagueis is looking for an Aedile!

And, that wraps up the news for the month. Catch y’all in the shoutouts!

Spectre Cell Shoutouts!

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Y’all know what time it is. Every month, Spectre Cell presents an award to an outstanding member of the team, someone who projects the spirit of the team. Creative members, hard working members, supportive members; it all factors into earning the highest (non-monetary) honor that our team can bestow, the Spectre Dagger. Now, the person who’s earning it this month should surprise...absolutely nobody, honestly, considering how much doggone effort she put into running our clan RP, dominating in the clan event, and continuing to be a ray of sunshine and wisdom for the Clan as a whole. With the first-ever Spectre Dagger hat trick...

Atty! Congrats, and all the love. As usual. <3

And a drumroll for all of the other shinies…

• Atty! One amethyst crescent, and one sapphire crescent!
• Zuji! With another scroll of the master!
• Malfrost! With a spectacular four ruby crescents, an amethyst crescent, 75 clusters of fire, and a scroll of indoctrination!

Now...onto a lovely, Thanksgiving feast of comps!

Competitions!

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• We’ve got a whole huge group of comps from Clan Odan-Urr! Help ‘em reminisce about the last ten years of their clan history, and their relationship with Arcona, through fiction, some arts, and a whole lotta puzzles! Get deep into the light side...or something…
• As usual, got a modest bunch of GMRG comps. Squadrons, SWTOR, and even some Warframe!
• If you’re looking to relive the trauma of a few weeks ago, check out this fictional aftermath to our rather rough vacation. Also, show off whatever treasure you pillaged from Alla’su’s temple here!
• If you’re into being SUS AS HELL, we’ve also got a duo of Among Us themed fiction comps; one from the POV of the Imposter and one as a Crewmate!
• Not so shameless plug here, but me, Q, and Atty have finally gotten the Selen Development Project 2.0 up and running, this time centering on the beautiful underwater Celeste! Write a fiction, doodle a cityscape, Build-a-Village!
• In a similar vein, our clan’s illustrious, faultless, totally trustworthy intelligence agency is looking for agents in order to complete a few, harmless, well meaning tasks! This one’s going to be going on for a good while, so no rush.

And...that means it’s finally time for my favorite part of the report!

#AskTheKickyCaptain!

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Atty has a smörgåsbord of interrogatives:

• So uh... Next thing she might learn from Ruka? More saber training? TK finagling? How to Fail at Offing Yourself 102: Having Friends That Intervene?

Saber work and TK training is always much appreciated, as you know, but, at the moment, she could really stand to work on a more active melding of the Force and her body. Sera, at the moment, still uses the Force like a tool; she doesn’t really lean on it, hasn’t fully embraced it as a true sixth sense, a part of her...probably because she still doesn’t fully understand it, or her place in it. Not quite yet. As for that last part…hugs.

• Will Sera be dragging Ruka into any more SC exercises?

I mean, would he be willing? If so, yes, especially considering that he seems to be in his element teaching people, helping them grow. That kind of thing could be very useful, assisting both the Keadeans, and Spectre Cell itself.

• What's Sera's opinion on Cora and the kids? Morgan's? Morra's?

Sera sees Cora as a kindred spirit, plain and simple. Sweet, optimistic, with a tight (if overly formal) code of conduct that she can always get behind. I could totally imagine her getting him and Leda to help her with formal fashion advice, in the event of the Coruscanti fashion week that Luci mentioned last month. Morgan thinks that, while he is a sweetpea, Cora has also gotta be tougher than what outward appearance might suggest. As for the kids...well, he has an idea of what they’ve gone through. But, he and Morra share a similar perspective on the two of them. As shitty as their lives were, they are so incredibly lucky to have had Ruka, and to have each other. Morra didn’t have that. Morgan didn’t have that.

• Wanna write Morra learning TK more from Ruka or is that not a power you imagine her mastering?

Definitely TK. Still trying to hammer out with Jazzy what her proficiencies will be, but a focus on TK, mind trick...maybe even suppression...feels right up her alley.

• Do you have plans for Koren or pursuing his storyline or is that more back burner?

Innocent humming. Expect things on that front soonish or later. I’ve been hammering out the actual sequence of events that got him where he is for a little bit. I’ve still gotta ask around a bit, figure out if I want to tie him into old clan stuff or not. At the moment, the one thing that’s for certain is that a certain kiffar has seen him before…

• Sera learned any lessons recently?

The stronger someone looks, the more fragile they are.

• Writing. Challenge. :P not nagging just reminding

hug hug Right on it, got stuff brewing for you and Tali both. And Kord. Wheeee!

Kord is sharing a few queries:

• How concussed and broken is Strong going to be after our match?

Depends on how many stairs are outside of Theed’s grand throne room. In all seriousness, though, she’s not looking to break the blue man. Bruise, yes. Minor concussions? Probably. But, as she is bounded by honor rules in this, nothing that he’ll need to worry too much about...and she can always Force heal him up afterwards, when she’s bumming a ride on his ship.

• Did Sera's old master mention any... budding relationships...to her?

To pull a page out of Tali’s lekbook...vat? Innocent whistling

• How does Sera take her steak?

Bloody rare, blue rare if the chef can prepare it right, preferably with a pepper crust. Carnivore life!

Alaisy came prepped with a survey:

• How's the wound healed so far? Are you keeping the scar?

Bearing it with pride and patience. ‘Tis just a flesh wound, afterall. Nasty, leaving a wickedly cool scar, but nothing too awful. Already worked into her tapestry. For each Zabrak, their scars and tattoos tell their life story, an open book for thoughts with the skill and forbearance to read them, sagas etched and cut into the skin.

• Team Murderlizard or Team Shiny Sith?

Probably gonna get in trouble for this with the boss...but shiny sith all the way. Skar is a friend, but Alaisy, in her own way, is family.

• Would Sera be able to take care of a pet for a few days if Alaisy ever got busy?

...this is a very rare case where I feel that the word “pet” necessitates clarification. But, in all honesty...Sera would be down either way.

• Fancy bowl, Crown or Musical Instrument?

Is this even a question? You better be showing off that damned glorious feather headdress or so help me…

• Blitzkrieg or Sitzkrieg?

Sera has one plan of attack; attack.

• Topaz, Emerald or Garnets?

Topaz, of course. Gotta favor that honey-gold color, like the sun setting over the desert dunes.

• What is the next adventure for Sera?

The next adventure for Sera is...well, any number of things. Her experience in the temple, and with her friends prior to the temple, has left her with too many questions and too few answers. What’s her place in the Force? Hovering between the light and dark, when the dark only seems to bring woe and strife, but the light never seems enough to protect those she cares for? Can she really protect anyone, when there are so many people that she cares for, and they seem to be in constant danger? And what if the threat is...well, themself? Self-loathing, as she’s seen in Ruka, shattered spirit in Karran, Diy’s lack of self-identity. Worst of all, what if the greatest threat to all of them is...her?

If you want something more distinct, there’s going to be a good amount of shenanigans on Eldar, with the Keadeans, and I envision more ancient temples somewhere in the future. Personally, there’s this Mirialan treasure hunter that keeps bugging her about an expedition to Iridonia...and she’s also gotta track down her brother. Somehow.

Xenna is being Xenna:

• How many Ryn are too many?

How many Ryn could fit in a bin if a bin could fit a Ryn?

• Can I be on team Murderhornet?

Sure! Lemme go boil some gasoline for napalm.

Techie brings a few asks to the table:

• If Sera uses Sully's prosthetic arm as a weapon, who gets to claim the punch? Because if you can say, "Stop hitting yourself," when you hit someone with their own limb, then when you punch someone else with that limb, you can't change your mind and say that was your own punch, right?

I will preclude this by saying that Sera would never hit Sully with his own arm. A nice kick in a spar or friendly duel? Sure. His own arm? Never. That said, ultimate credit goes to whoever struck the blow; you don’t give a guy credit for throwing a knife and missing, only for some other guy to pick the knife up and stab someone with it.

• Eilen wants to know if Sera would be interested in, like, maybe going for a, uh, like a joint flight, with a jetpack, using a passenger harness so they can, uh, yeah, or something, sometime, if that's cool with her or sounds fun or whatever, eheh... Uh, no pressure, of course! Obviously. Yeah.

Eyebrow waggle.

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AND THAT WRAPS IT UP! To summarize, here’s a Bun-Bushka.

See you guys next time.