Special Branch: The Execution of Vixen Goddard

POSTED BY: SoulOfSerenity
UPDATED: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 15:54
VIEWED: 29647
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SOULOFSERENITY

Thursday, December 23, 2010 4:13 PM

SOULOFSERENITY

Thursday, December 23, 2010 4:20 PM

OOC: I made one of the character posters for Ciaran and posted it to the Blue Sun Room:

______________________

http://havenofsouls.wordpress.com/

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Thursday, December 23, 2010 4:42 PM

The big day finally arrived with a crisp autumn breeze and clear skies. The execution was scheduled for the even hour of noon with crowds expected to begin gathering from the early hours to get a good viewing point. The gallows were set, the parking was arranged, and stalls were being set up to provide refreshments with the execution. Wisp and the real guards were taken to the square at the crack of dawn. After a brief tour around the area of operations everyone took their positions. The square was about a quarter of a mile on all sides with cobble’s filling the space. The buildings stood around three stories on all sides and Wisp knew were filled with snipers and counter-snipers.

The gallows stood made of the traditional wooden timbers with the platform standing around six feet and the noose around six feet on top of that. Wisp was placed around the base among eleven other men, six more stood on the platform along with the executioner. For the first few hours the guards were all on high alert but after that before the crowds arrived they became lax and bored. Wisp took this opportunity to wander casually beneath the gallows, making an inspection on the timber supports. Of course what Wisp was actually doing was planting small smoke charges at several key places. When the time was right he would detonate the bombs and cover the centre of the square in a grey cloud. Hopefully this would give him the time and cover to free Vixen and escape. Three more hours stood until she would be arriving.

He stopped to consider what the others were doing at this moment in time. Had they also heard the announcement and come to rescue Vixen? Had they heard it and not come? It was no secret that Vixen wasn’t the most liked person in the group, and she hadn’t exactly given them many reasons to trust her. Were they coming not knowing it was a trap? No they were all smart enough to know this stank. Maybe they were here planning their own rescue? If only he knew how to contact them all? But he’d been trying for the past two years to find them to get in touch to no avail. It was too late now. He was on his own for better or worse.

NEEDY

Thursday, December 23, 2010 5:16 PM

I've tried to put this as shortly and succinctly as possible - including an introduction to the Special Branch 'verse itself

Special Branch Intro
Here's how it is:
There's a parliament, a big bad government called The Alliance that seeks to unite all the worlds under its rule. Only some take issue to that policy, not to mention their methods. And so The Resistance was born.
They called themselves Special Branch - a group made up of fugitives, former soldiers, companions and a whole lot more. They became a thorn in the side of not only The Alliance, but a whole host of secret groups and private armies. And so they were hunted down, imprisoned without charge. Now the last remaining members are scattered across the verse, trying their best to rebuild their lives, or start over.
But one event will bring them back together, will force them to unite as they prepare for the oncoming storm.

Previously:
The crew are scattered to the winds.
But whilst they are left pondering of what became of their old friends, news travels fast that Vixen Goddard - the meddlesome rogue that had been a part of Wisp's life for longer than he can remember and had travelled with the crew - has been captured and is to be publically executed.
The individual members of the crew deduce that it's probably a trap, a means to lure in the rest of the group, but their loyalty to one another is stronger than fear, and they each make arrangements to get to Ariel before the girl is executed.

Whilst Wisp infiltrates the Alliance briefing room to learn of their specific plans, Safe regroups with Seryn.
Meanwhile, Soul learns more about Ciaran and her motives, before they too decide to head to Ariel,
Upon hearing about the impending execution and its implications, Kyra sends a warning message out to Needy's former friends and decides that its time to come clean to her new partner about her former life.
Elsewhere, the Crimson Squad's latest recruit Clayton Payne investigates the murders of former resistance fighters, and believes that Needy is responsible.

SAFEAT2ND

Thursday, December 23, 2010 6:01 PM

Safe sat cross-legged on the floor, pouring over Seryn’s detailed maps and adding marks of his own. Seryn perched on the bed reading Bernard/Needy’s obit for the fifth time.

“It’s definitely a message, all the times and dates match-up with the execution.”

“That’s what I thought too.”

“Who do you think sent it?”

“Does it matter, really? It confirms what I suspected and what you worked out. This is a trap, but what I can’t figure out is why? If we are all dead or presumed dead, why the sudden interest? Why the trap?”

“This means the others are alive! But how did the Alliance figure that little gem out?” Seryn tossed the Cortex Touch Pad (CTP) at the pillows in frustration.

Safe rubbed his hand over his face and grimaced at the stubble. “I wish I knew.”
He examined the map again. Buildings around the square marked with red circles indicated the towers where snipers were most likely situated. These over lapped, in some spot, Seryn’s blue circles which marked the building equipped with a landing pad.

“Here.” Safe jabbed at a building a little further out than the others. It was marked with only a red circle.

“Why there?” Seryn asked.

“It’s furthest out. The Alliance won’t put much in the way of guards there. They'll deploy most of their snipers closer. Remember they are there to pick us off, not a covert assassination.”

“So, you’re saying we take that building and try to pick off or lay down cover fire? You sure you can hit your mark from that distance? Wasn’t Grunt your sharp-shooter?”

“Ya, I can do it. Can you fly us in there, low and fast and still hit that building top? There won’t be much to land on.”

“HA! Can I?!? With my eyes closed.”

Safe stretched and yawned, “Tomorrow it is then. Can I borrow your shower? The barn I’m staying at doesn’t have one and I’d like to scrape the stink off.”

Seryn wrinkled her nose, “just don’t leave it here.”

“Thanks. We’ll meet-up tomorrow before dawn. I’ve got an old fighter, you should probably get acquainted with before trying to drop it on top a building.”

Seryn clicked on the TV. With the shower's white noise in the background and the drone of the news, she drifted off.

On his way out, Safe pulled a blanket over her. "It's good to see you again Seryn." He closed the door softly behind him.

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

KYRA

Thursday, December 23, 2010 11:06 PM

OOC: Bit of a long post, but figured it was better this way than splitting it up and dragging it out

---
The day before the execution:

Kyra hadn’t wanted to lie. Not to him.

She'd made a cup of coffee that morning. Real coffee, none of that synthesized gose. They’d been saving it for a special occasion, and what could have been more special than telling your partner that you’d been lying to them for over a year? She wished she could have savoured the taste, but it tasted like gravel in her mouth. Her stomach churned.

“What is it?” her partner asked, sitting across from her.

She closed her eyes and wished herself away from there, but when she opened them again, she was still there, the morning sun still low in the sky.

“I haven’t told you everything about myself,” she began, flustered. “I know you said that it was fine, that we could take time, but I specifically didn’t tell you everything because I was afraid of what you’d think of me.”

“Em, it’s okay,” he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
She’d been tempted to tell him outright that her name wasn’t Emma, but that would have made him shut off instantly. She wanted him to understand. Still, she withdrew her body away slightly so that his hand dropped off her shoulder and rested on the top of the couch.

“I lied about Bernie, the friend I lost. He wasn’t just a friend, he was my...” she didn’t want to use the word soulmate, it wasn’t a word that she used. And yet it slipped out anyway. She shook her head.

“I‘m sorry,” he said sympathetically. Instinct told him to hold her hand, but after the way she’d reacted to him touching her before, he questioned whether it was the best move.

“No, that’s not it,” she tried to explain, her frustration threatening to erupt to the surface. He placed his hand on hers, calming her. “I didn’t lose him like... when I told you that he died, it‘s not that...”

“It’s okay,” he told her, holding her hand tight.

“He’s not dead,” she said outright. “The man I loved... he changed, became something I didn’t recognise anymore.”

Luthor began to listen now, so much so that his hand began to draw away without realising.

“He did things that the man I knew would never have done.”

“Did he hurt you?” he said, fearing where the conversation was heading, not realising how abrupt his words might sound to her.

“No,” she said carefully. “A friend who I’d worked with. He came to me, warned me that he was dangerous. But I didn’t wanna hear it. I didn’t want to believe him." She hung her head and breathed deeply into her chest. "But then I saw what he was capable of with my own two eyes and I... I couldn‘t stay”

Luthor wanted to ask what it was that he had done, but he knew she wasn’t ready, he just let her continue.

“My friend he knew some people, people that could help me get away, build a new life, start over. It was away from him, it was the only way. I had to take the chance.” She gently shrugged her shoulders. "It was a new start."
Kyra glanced up at him, hoping to see in his eyes some indication of what he was thinking: anger; sorrow; apathy. But she could never read him. Even as he opened his mouth, she didn’t know what he was going to say.
“Your name’s not Emma Roberts is it?”
She breathed out heavily through her nose and shook her head. “No," she said almost with an embarrassed laugh. "It’s... Kyra... McTaggert.” It pained her to admit it, like her name itself was something to be ashamed of, taboo.
Her throat had become dry. She sipped at the coffee. It tasted a little less like gravel now, more like soil. Her stomach rumbled. The two of them might have laughed in any other situation. In this moment they simply ignored it.

“Listen, i wanted to tell you, but i was 'fraid that if my name got out there, he'd track me down, he’d find me.”

“You think he’s still looking for you," Luthor asked her seriously. "that he'd hurt you?"

“I don’t know," she answered honestly. "He swore that he wanted to protect me - what h

SAFEAT2ND

Saturday, December 25, 2010 1:27 AM

OOC: Merry Christmas and happy holidays you wonderful story-tellers you! I have to say, and no it's not just the egg-nog talking, that I really enjoy this thread.

I hope the new year brings continued happiness and health to you and yours.

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Saturday, December 25, 2010 9:35 AM

OOC: Merry Christmas all! May the new year grant new adventures for all of us!

JAZAF

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 4:23 AM

"You're sure the target is on Boros?"
"Yeah, Kurren." came the reply. "Your guy..." There was a pause and the sound of various CTPs. "Your guy, Dawei Jones is on Boros."
"A lot of other hunters are after him. You hacked him onto the earliest passenger freight off that rock, yes?"
"yes."
"and you added on the the secure feeds in the area showing him getting on the ship?"
"yes."
"Ok. so where do the undoctored feeds show him?"
"Looks like he's drinking in the bar called The Comet's Tail."
"Anyone else we know there?"
"No.. I don't see anyone...wait...Looks like Early is already there and is looking to make his move. You better go into hard burn, boss."
"Good work, Nate. I'm heading in."
Kurren cancelled the comm link and exited the Bounty Baby. "Great, I gotta deal with the gorram chatterbox."
ooc:Hope everyone had a merry christmas!

---------------------------------------
Mystery Man on the Sereni-Tree
Navigator on Destiny
Kurren, Bounty Hunter

SERYN

Thursday, December 30, 2010 12:02 AM

OOC, this is starting to get exciting isn't it? Sorry haven't had much chance to put a post together. Just hope you all had good Christmases and hope you all have a wonderful new years, though hopefully I'm going to come up with something before then x

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Sunday, January 2, 2011 11:42 PM

“Evening Wisp, or should I say Ensign William Spacer, Valedictorian. Congratulations by the way.”

“Cheers Carl”

“What are you doing down here in the ranges? Graduations tomorrow I thought you’d be finishing writing your speech?”

“No I’m going stir crazy sat staring at the paper, thought I’d come down fire off a few rounds let off steam.”

“Sure, sure there’s nobody down here it’s all yours. Also as you’re an ensign now I can let you into the enlisted gear.”

“Nice. Erm, I’ll take a look at the X-57 Widow Sniper rifle, Vindicator assault, and how about a Shuriken Sub-Machine pistol?”

“Sorry Wisp you’re only allowed one at a time you know the rules”

“Come on Carl you know as much as I do that rules only there for stock issues. Im just trying to save you trips into the back. I’m not gonna pinch em.”

“Yea Suppose you’re right.” He stood up from the desk and headed into the back shouting over his shoulder as he went “It’d be one hell of a head line ‘Valedictorian steals Military hardware’ Hahaha. Here ya are. Sniper, Assault and a Machine pistol.”

“Could you pass me a body armour set? I wanna get the feel for a full combat gear.”

“Don’t get too comfy in that combat gear. With your record you’ll be lucky to see any ground deployment before they whisk you off to ship duty!”

Carl passed him the body armour which fitted over his undress uniform. Wisp then began fixing the two rifles to his back and the sidearm on his hip. As he reached for the last weapon he released a spray from a small aerosol covertly in his hand.

“We’ll I’ll probably shoot for about an hour then turn in. You look tired, maybe you should have a nap?”

“Yea.. I was feeling pretty beat. If anyone comes by just gimme a nudge.”

“Sure thing Carl, Night Night” Carl promptly fell asleep and began snoring heavily.

As soon as he was out Wisp headed for the emergency exit, picking up a rucksack of his clothes on the way. Before he’d covered half the distance he had a portable terminal in his hand which he used to disable all the alarms on the door for when he reached it. He stepped out into an area on the edge of campus where live fire trials were carried out. After a quick check on direction he set off towards town at a quick jog.

He’d planned this escape for month down to the last details, although he’d had the idea a few years previously. He didn’t want to be some military thug for the faceless alliance, he wanted freedom. At first all the guns and orders were exactly what a young teenage boy wanted, but soon he started finding the lectures and tactics went against his personal morals. Nobody seemed to care about people, in fact people seemed to be the biggest thing getting in the way of the grand scheme of Alliance control. He tried to talk to his parents about his opinions and after they’d changed their underwear told him in no uncertain terms to forget these silly ideals and fall in line. Well Wisp didn’t want to fall in line, and the more he sat through those lectures and read about how the cogs of the Alliance really worked he wanted to blow the whole line to hell.

He reached the fence exactly on schedule and began his next step. Unfortunately the security here wasn’t as easy to bypass as the door earlier so it required some creative thinking. Well the creative thinking had been done before time and all Wisp needed to do now was press a button and execute the whole thing. When he did every light-flyer on the base suddenly turned on and engaged their engines at full throttle, simultaneously every internal alarm on the base activated and one section of the outer wall went down for one minute. Of course the outer wall was entirely overlooked in the chaos and Wisp was over the wall and into the wilderness. The weapons he’d stolen were top of the line and should keep him safe until he could get off world.

But now he was free. No longer forced into service in the great conspiracy, his future was his own.

SERYN

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 11:37 PM

Seryn had woken to a completely empty room, and found herself to be a shade disappointed. Two years without any sensible - or even insensible - adult company and she'd been looking forward to seeing the others if for nothing other than a good natter about the bad old days.
She wondered how her son was doing. She'd been away before, often trips to find supplies would take her further afield, and when that happened he always seemed content to be left in the care of the grizzled old woman she'd hired to care for him. The woman was an angel with the boy, but her disapproval of Seryn herself was palpable. In the beginning it had been fine, then she'd let slip that her husband had died years before Fins birth. How to explain that one... She guessed the woman was a good sort, and had certainly proven herself trustworthy. Magda was a closed book in many ways, and that suited Seryn's situation completely.

Looking over the map again she couldn't think of any improvements in the plan but one - a change of getaway vehicle.

Safe had picked a good spot, but if they were seen it wouldn't stop every ship in the verse knowing what they looked like in under a minute. When things got hot, a second option would be just the ticket.

Donning all the daft skirts and restricting corsets was time consuming and dull, but by the time she left the hotel she fit right in with the local gentry. And not a one of them would have guessed at the number of weapons these things could conceal. She grinned - five knives was a lot even for her, and they were stashed in the most surprising places. The jacket was tight over her hips but loosened in folds above the waist, perfect for concealing her favorite gun. And the skirt had long splits in the folds leading to pocket bags that she'd filled with an ample supply of smoke cannisters and flash bombs - parlour tricks, but could come in handy. Even the stupid little handbag contained some 'helpful' items. She may just keep some of the wardrobe on her return to her little moon.

Suppressing the frown that idea prompted, she stepped out into the street and made her way through the throngs of people. Preparations for the execution were underway and even this far away from the site the millitary presence was noticably heavier. Overheard conversations seemed to be of nothing else - afterall, she guessed at some point or another various members of the crew had managed to p*** of a number of these people personally.
She set a lazy, sauntering pace and took time to reach her destination, once or twice quite welcoming the attentions of passing people. Men doffing hats in greeting was one of those revived customs that she was actually beginning to quite like.

Man, she had to get a lodger.

The repair yard she was looking for was tucked away behind a number of small shops selling food and various other consumables. Turning into what she guessed was the office she plastered on her best, most vacant smile.
The slightly greasy guy who seemed to be in charge ate up her cover story, greedily totting up the amounts he could overcharge her for what was actually a none existant repair. In reality she'd crossed the wires herself - even if they didn't fix it, it was the work of moments to put it to rights. But it meant her ship would be here, ready and waiting when she needed it.
She thanked him profusely and watched the towing cart trundle away, then made her way through the ever more packed streets to the execution ground.

OOC I found a picture of Claudia that I thought would be perfect for my avatar seeing as Saffron went for a burton - not to serious and not to silly, but shrunk down now she just looks very grumpy. So I apologise to all of you for the glaring - i'll get round to replacing it at some point. I also have to admit that i forgot the kids name. yup, i'll be that kind of a mother. So I went back and reread the Motherhood for heros thread - we were so funny! I'll aim for some of that again i promise.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 3:18 PM

What do you choose for your last meal? Do you want your favourite food? Maybe you want a meal that reminds you of a happy memory? Do you want to make a statement and eat nothing? Do you respect the traditions of which ever mealtime happens to be your last?

Vixen Goddard was hungry for her last meal; the week in Biostasis had left her drained, weak and nauseous. But on this her final morning her strength and appetite had returned to her, so she was determined to make her last meal a hearty one.

“Steak. Rare. And I mean rare. If it aint swimming in blood im sending it back. Then I want Jiangyin potatoes extra spicy. Beer. Something hearty and dark. And chocolate cake. With Ice cream, And Fudge sauce. In fact every kind of chocolate you’ve got put it on there.”

The young chef left the cell with a bewildered expression staring at his precise meal plan. Most inmates don’t seem so excited about their last meal, but Vixen had been practically ecstatic. The truth was she was at some sort of peace this morning. She didn’t know why but getting a lot of her baggage off her chest had made her feel better. It had made the priest feel a hell of a lot worse. He had to run out to throw up at several of the graphic descriptions of violence, he left vowing to pray for her soul every hour he was left alive.

But this was her last day alive. Nobody was coming to save her. She could leave this world without fear or guilt. And she could enjoy one last meal before she died. Hell it was more than she’d given a lot of people.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 3:18 PM

What do you choose for your last meal? Do you want your favourite food? Maybe you want a meal that reminds you of a happy memory? Do you want to make a statement and eat nothing? Do you respect the traditions of which ever mealtime happens to be your last?

Vixen Goddard was hungry for her last meal; the week in Biostasis had left her drained, weak and nauseous. But on this her final morning her strength and appetite had returned to her, so she was determined to make her last meal a hearty one.

“Steak. Rare. And I mean rare. If it aint swimming in blood im sending it back. Then I want Jiangyin potatoes extra spicy. Beer. Something hearty and dark. And chocolate cake. With Ice cream, And Fudge sauce. In fact every kind of chocolate you’ve got put it on there.”

The young chef left the cell with a bewildered expression staring at his precise meal plan. Most inmates don’t seem so excited about their last meal, but Vixen had been practically ecstatic. The truth was she was at some sort of peace this morning. She didn’t know why but getting a lot of her baggage off her chest had made her feel better. It had made the priest feel a hell of a lot worse. He had to run out to throw up at several of the graphic descriptions of violence, he left vowing to pray for her soul every hour he was left alive.

But this was her last day alive. Nobody was coming to save her. She could leave this world without fear or guilt. And she could enjoy one last meal before she died. Hell it was more than she’d given a lot of people.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 3:19 PM

What do you choose for your last meal? Do you want your favourite food? Maybe you want a meal that reminds you of a happy memory? Do you want to make a statement and eat nothing? Do you respect the traditions of which ever mealtime happens to be your last?

Vixen Goddard was hungry for her last meal; the week in Biostasis had left her drained, weak and nauseous. But on this her final morning her strength and appetite had returned to her, so she was determined to make her last meal a hearty one.

“Steak. Rare. And I mean rare. If it aint swimming in blood im sending it back. Then I want Jiangyin potatoes extra spicy. Beer. Something hearty and dark. And chocolate cake. With Ice cream, And Fudge sauce. In fact every kind of chocolate you’ve got put it on there.”

The young chef left the cell with a bewildered expression staring at his precise meal plan. Most inmates don’t seem so excited about their last meal, but Vixen had been practically ecstatic. The truth was she was at some sort of peace this morning. She didn’t know why but getting a lot of her baggage off her chest had made her feel better. It had made the priest feel a hell of a lot worse. He had to run out to throw up at several of the graphic descriptions of violence, he left vowing to pray for her soul every hour he was left alive.

But this was her last day alive. Nobody was coming to save her. She could leave this world without fear or guilt. And she could enjoy one last meal before she died. Hell it was more than she’d given a lot of people.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 3:30 PM

What do you choose for your last meal? Do you want your favourite food? Maybe you want a meal that reminds you of a happy memory? Do you want to make a statement and eat nothing? Do you respect the traditions of which ever mealtime happens to be your last?

Vixen Goddard was hungry for her last meal; the week in Biostasis had left her drained, weak and nauseous. But on this her final morning her strength and appetite had returned to her, so she was determined to make her last meal a hearty one.

“Steak. Rare. And I mean rare. If it aint swimming in blood im sending it back. Then I want Jiangyin potatoes extra spicy. Beer. Something hearty and dark. And chocolate cake. With Ice cream, And Fudge sauce. In fact every kind of chocolate you’ve got put it on there.”

The young chef left the cell with a bewildered expression staring at his precise meal plan. Most inmates don’t seem so excited about their last meal, but Vixen had been practically ecstatic. The truth was she was at some sort of peace this morning. She didn’t know why but getting a lot of her baggage off her chest had made her feel better. It had made the priest feel a hell of a lot worse. He had to run out to throw up at several of the graphic descriptions of violence, he left vowing to pray for her soul every hour he was left alive.

But this was her last day alive. Nobody was coming to save her. She could leave this world without fear or guilt. And she could enjoy one last meal before she died. Hell it was more than she’d given a lot of people.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 3:30 PM

What do you choose for your last meal? Do you want your favourite food? Maybe you want a meal that reminds you of a happy memory? Do you want to make a statement and eat nothing? Do you respect the traditions of which ever mealtime happens to be your last?

Vixen Goddard was hungry for her last meal; the week in Biostasis had left her drained, weak and nauseous. But on this her final morning her strength and appetite had returned to her, so she was determined to make her last meal a hearty one.

“Steak. Rare. And I mean rare. If it aint swimming in blood im sending it back. Then I want Jiangyin potatoes extra spicy. Beer. Something hearty and dark. And chocolate cake. With Ice cream, And Fudge sauce. In fact every kind of chocolate you’ve got put it on there.”

The young chef left the cell with a bewildered expression staring at his precise meal plan. Most inmates don’t seem so excited about their last meal, but Vixen had been practically ecstatic. The truth was she was at some sort of peace this morning. She didn’t know why but getting a lot of her baggage off her chest had made her feel better. It had made the priest feel a hell of a lot worse. He had to run out to throw up at several of the graphic descriptions of violence, he left vowing to pray for her soul every hour he was left alive.

But this was her last day alive. Nobody was coming to save her. She could leave this world without fear or guilt. And she could enjoy one last meal before she died. Hell it was more than she’d given a lot of people.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 3:31 PM

What do you choose for your last meal? Do you want your favourite food? Maybe you want a meal that reminds you of a happy memory? Do you want to make a statement and eat nothing? Do you respect the traditions of which ever mealtime happens to be your last?

Vixen Goddard was hungry for her last meal; the week in Biostasis had left her drained, weak and nauseous. But on this her final morning her strength and appetite had returned to her, so she was determined to make her last meal a hearty one.

“Steak. Rare. And I mean rare. If it aint swimming in blood im sending it back. Then I want Jiangyin potatoes extra spicy. Beer. Something hearty and dark. And chocolate cake. With Ice cream, And Fudge sauce. In fact every kind of chocolate you’ve got put it on there.”

The young chef left the cell with a bewildered expression staring at his precise meal plan. Most inmates don’t seem so excited about their last meal, but Vixen had been practically ecstatic. The truth was she was at some sort of peace this morning. She didn’t know why but getting a lot of her baggage off her chest had made her feel better. It had made the priest feel a hell of a lot worse. He had to run out to throw up at several of the graphic descriptions of violence, he left vowing to pray for her soul every hour he was left alive.

But this was her last day alive. Nobody was coming to save her. She could leave this world without fear or guilt. And she could enjoy one last meal before she died. Hell it was more than she’d given a lot of people.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 4:17 PM

Has anyone else had any trouble with the new website? Because it seems ALL of my old posts have been deleted? Can anyone else see them/ have a saved copy of the old thread with them in?

SAFEAT2ND

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 6:51 PM

OOC: It shows you posted seven times, but I could only see the last two.

I'll post a bit soon.

SERYN

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 9:19 PM

I've no idea whats going on - i posted on the new site hence all the wittering about the CB photo.

It did show that you'd posted several times but like Safe i can only see a couple. Unfortunately i haven't been copying the threads sorry.

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

SERYN

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 9:20 PM

I've no idea whats going on - i posted on the new site hence all the wittering about the CB photo.

It did show that you'd posted several times but like Safe i can only see a couple. Unfortunately i haven't been copying the threads sorry.

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Thursday, January 6, 2011 10:06 AM

OOC-Its ok guys Me and my Posts are all back! Apparently when I logged into the Beta it shortened my username somehow causing a Hiccup between who the site thought I was. Luckily Haken in his holy glory has repaired the fault!! So im back with a vengance

NEEDY

Thursday, January 6, 2011 10:45 AM

OOC: That's great news! Glad you got it sorted :)

SERYN

Thursday, January 6, 2011 12:35 PM

Of course it does now mean that Vixen has had 6 or so last meals - what a porker!

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

KYRA

Friday, January 7, 2011 12:16 PM

OOC: Lol Seryn. So true!

---

They had a visitor. After the story Kyra had told him the day before, the one they had talked long over, Luthor McNab could no longer be carefree about letting her open the door to unexpected guests. And so he answered the call, keeping a tight grip on the knife he had removed from the kitchen and concealed in his pocket.
The man at the door looked about forty, his dark, greying hair curled on his forehead but it was otherwise neat, much like the rest of his appearance. Luthor relaxed his grip on his weapon when he realised it wasn't the man he feared, but it was a stranger nonetheless. He looked like an agent, considering his garb, but his speech was casual and formal, as if he was a joe looking for legal aid.
"Mr McNab?" he said. "I'm Clayton Payne, an old friend of Emma Roberts, I wondered if i could speak to her. It's of the utmost importance."
"What's this about?" Luthor asked plainly, his deep voice and large stature intimidating to the former reporter.
"It's about a man, Bernard Needham," Clayton elaborated. "I believe she may have some information about his whereabouts."

He wasn't interested. After what they'd been through, the last thing Luthor wanted was for this man to reopen old wounds. "I'm sorry, we can't help you," he answered as he started to close the door.

Clayton put his hand out and pushed the door back, causing Luthor to glare intensely at the hand, the door and then back to the visitors face. The man had vengeance in his eyes. But he failed to notice Clayton slip his hand into his left pocket and pull out a card. If he had, he might have suspected it of being a weapon and knocked him out there and then. But instead, he caught sight of the revealed ID after the fact.
The red on the badge caught his eye immediately, so much so that he almost forgot to check the name on it to verify that the man standing there was indeed the man identified on the band.
Crimson Squad.
The name was something to be feared. He was an agent, or at least a consultant for them. Either way, Luthor McNab knew better than to refuse a man that worked for such an agency. The last thing they needed was trouble, especially with Kyra's now unveiled background.
Agent Payne seemed to be on the level, asking for assistance and nothing more. He had to take him at his words. If he was there for some other reason, and that he threatened Kyra's safety in any way, well then he'd deal with it. He'd figure the rest out later.

Luthor opened the door wide and invited him in, keeping a tight grip on that knife in his pocket once again.

SERYN

Friday, January 7, 2011 2:37 PM

(whoot! I'm so slow- how did I miss Clayton being Crimson squad? Oo eck, hope fictional Seryn is more on the ball or you lot are in trouble)

Seryn sauntered a little, then moseyed. She bought herself a lemon juice from a vendor and loitered just a little bit. Then thankfully Safe turned up.

Taking no notice of anyone around he nonetheless managed to cross her path and head into a small ally between two closed and shuttered shops.

She took her time, finished her drink and looked around, as though looking to throw it away, before heading for the alley and the trash trolleys Safe was now concealed behind.

"we were supposed to meet at dawn. At your hotel"

She shrugged, the silence stretched for a few minutes and then she grinned at the serious look on his face.

"oh Safe dear I did miss you! " she laughed and bear hugged him until a grin broke ruefully through the stony expression and he hugged back. " I had something to do, I put a back up transport in place - Wilsons Garage"
He frowned as she told him the location "unexpected" he grunted.
"Exactly. I also need to ask you something, a contingency plan, incase I'm... whatever. I need to let someone know where Fin is."
"Sure -it's sensible, but I really don't intend for either of us to get into harms way."
"You figure we let Wisp rescue Vixen then we rescue Wisp?" He nodded "Me to, hence the lurking out here, figured whatever he's got planned, we're probably best off outside of the heavily guarded areas." she looked up at him " Question is do we try to find him beforehand, or do we wait for the chaos to jump in?"

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

KYRA

Friday, January 7, 2011 3:43 PM

OOC: Ah well, it's a fairly recent development. I'll let you off :)

---

“I don’t have any more secrets,” Kyra told her old friend plainly. Clayton had wanted them to speak in private, but Kyra made her point clear. “He’s staying.”
Clayton didn’t like it, not one bit. It could have been because he didn’t trust anybody. But if he had to admit it, it was probably because this man, this stranger, was standing by Kyra’s side, holding her hand. So what if she had told him the truth, even came clean about her real name, he didn’t know her. He couldn’t. At least not like Clayton did.

But if that was the way she wanted it, so be it.
“It’s Needy,” Payne said. “He’s killed again. Girl on Silverhold this time.”
He’d expected some reaction. A gasp, a headshake, even something simple like a blank expression.
What he got was a nod of understanding a stare, as if waiting for him to continue. Her eyes asked him to tell me something new.
It seemed one innocent life no longer mattered to her.
Clayton walked over to the video screen hanging on the wall and jacked his zip-file into the side of it. Switching the screen on, a series of thumbnails displayed on the screen - incident files. He tapped the first one on the screen. The video sped through the satellite footage taken outside the girl's home and zoomed in on the man leaving the house. Luthor had already palmed his personal laptop device and downloaded the data to his machine.
“He stole something,” Payne explained. “A stone the girl found in some caves. Experts say, based on shards they found in the same location, that it could be used as an energy source.”
“You can’t even tell who that is,” Luthor interrupted, examining and manipulating the image on his own screen.
Clayton was about to confirm it but he didn’t need to.
“It’s him,” Kyra said, without any doubt in her voice. But then she directed her next question to the man standing before them. “So?”
“So, it’s not the only thing he’s been up to,” Clayton told them, backing out of the file and selecting the next one, much larger than the previous file.
Seven photos were highlighted, crime scene photos of crisp bodies. One would think they were victims of the same incident, but the locations didn’t match, not to mention the dates. One body was laying outside, beside a riverside of all places, others were found in blackened rooms, the last one looking to be a church judging by the nearby pews. The latter was dated only a few days ago, the day Clayton had called her with news of Vixen’s execution.

“Five men and two women,” Clayton explained, rolling through the photos in detail one by one. “All former soldiers, all attaining positions in high authority within the government. All loyal to the resistance.”
Clayton stopped at the fifth photo, a burnt corpse barely visible atop the black sheets of his decimated bed. “This one, Walter Kinsen, Assistant Director at the CDA (Civil Defense Agency) on Osiris, had been on the Crimson Squad’s watch list for months. Turns out he’d been pulling some strings to have certain members of Special Branch pulled from their containment facilities. He’d been denied but the Squad had received word that he was collaborating with a group intent on having them removed to continue their work elsewhere. Before the Squad could make a move, somebody else got to him.”

Kyra barely raised an eyebrow, and so Luthor put the obvious question to him. “If he was under watch, surely they could have done something about it.”

“In the Assistant Director’s case, he’d been embedded with a device which we’ve learnt was used as a weapon. Made him spontaneously combust by remote. Of course it’s unlikely he knew what it was. We suspect somebody he trusted encouraged him to have it implanted, perhaps convincing him that it was for his protection, or simply was a means of disrupting bugs, enabling him to carry on with his secret meetings.”

“You’ve got nothing? What makes you think Mr… Needy has anything to do with his?”

Clayton ignores the man’s question and looks solely at K

SAFEAT2ND

Friday, January 7, 2011 7:52 PM

OOC: Sorry, I'm in day two of a migrain. No writing for me what requires thoughts. All my coherant thoughts are scattered like broken glass.

Seryn, I am constantly amazed by how this little band of merry writers sees the story in each others heads and stay true to each other's charcater's voices. Nice post! That plays perfect.

I WILL post, please bear with me.

Loving all this back story and plot twists!

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

SERYN

Saturday, January 8, 2011 12:42 AM

OOC Oh, I do hope you get better. Migrains are the pits.

I don't get them but when I get bad headaches I find a cool cloth on the back of my neck as well as on my forehead helps. It may or may not work for you but i hope something does.

And thank you, glad I do Safe justice.

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

SAFEAT2ND

Sunday, January 9, 2011 5:30 PM

“The way I figure, if we meet up with him, that’s what they’re expecting. But, if we wait, they’ll consider us dead or lost or whatever and focus solely on Wisp.” Safe scratched his boot in the filth of the alleyway while Seryn grinned at him, giving him a quick punch in the shoulder.
The second smile in a short period of time crept onto his face which made Seryn grin even wider.

“Seryn, you’re gonna be the death of my reputation, you know that right?” Safe looked at her sideways, the smile broadening.

“Reputation?” Her eyebrow ached.

Laughter finally broke through and Safe couldn’t stop it. It bubbled up from some forgotten place and overflowed like a shaken soda pop and seemed to go on forever.

Finally able to gasp a breath, Safe wiped laugh tears from him face and cleared his throat, “It’s been too long.”

“What about the others?” Seryn asked, finally sober.

“We don’t even know if they’re alive and if they are if they know about this. We can’t risk trying to find them either. That what they want.”

“So we play it by ear?”

“Exactly. It’s the part of the plan I’m none too happy about. I don’t like surprises.”

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

SERYN

Monday, January 10, 2011 2:12 PM

Her expression read only too clearly that Seryn wasn't too fond of them either.

"Question is, what do we do with our selves in the meantime?"
Both of them looked out towards the square, scanning the crowds and buildings. She grinned and pointed to a building just in view. "how about we get a room with a view?" Most balconys were filled to capacity with people eager to get a look at the upcoming 'spectacle' but here and there were empty balconies - the rooms vacant or the owners having better seats she guessed.

"Do you fancy a little breaking and entering? "

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

KYRA

Monday, January 10, 2011 5:50 PM

Above the moon of Xanthus, One Month after Santos:

“What’s on your mind?” Needy asked her from the cold corner of the ship’s bridge. Kyra had been sat in the co-pilot’s seat staring out into the black. She had flown in the past, but not this time, not this shuttle.
They’d taken it from a yard on Bellerophon. It seemed that Needy had a way of talking the owner there to trading their original shuttle (the one they had stolen from Santos a month earlier) for this one. It was an Encore class shuttle, once attached to the now defunct Ocean Crafts. It’s engine was good - it hadn’t failed on them yet - but it was the most basic ship she had ever flown on. She didn’t let it bother her though, she had other things on her mind.

Kyra didn’t answer. After what had happened on Santos, leaving everybody behind so suddenly, things had felt different. Before, it had been all she could have hoped for, all that she wanted - to be with him, just him. But there was something off. And she felt it wasn’t just what had happened with Clayton, there was something altogether different about the man she was sharing this shuttle with.
They had shared this vessel, they had shared a bed, but that was all. Kyra hadn’t shared her feelings. She thought that it was her. That she was worried about leaving everything behind, too anxious that Needy’s past would come back to haunt them, that they might not ever be able to truly settle down without looking over their shoulder. She thought that all her concerns weighed upon her to the extent that she couldn’t relax, couldn’t look to the future, to any future, without being filled with some sort of dread.
But those thoughts had passed by her now. Instead the nagging feeling that she had ignored for so long now rose to the surface. Maybe it wasn’t her. Maybe she was feeling this way because her subconscious knew that something was wrong… with him.
Needy had been warm and considerate, always looking for opportunities to prove to her that she was loved, that she didn’t need to think about these things as long as they had each other; that somehow they would make it through together.
But that man that she knew - Bernie - was absent. This man may have occasionally said the right words, words that would have brought her comfort in another life, but they were not heartfelt. They were cold, formal, rehearsed.
As if the man was simply repeating words he’d heard before. Words he had hoped would work.

“Nothing,” she told him, continuing to stare out into space.

She could feel the man approaching her from behind. And even though she had wrapped herself in an thick old blanket - some desperate attempt to keep warm - she felt him rest his hand upon her shoulder.
It fell upon her like the hand of a stringed puppet, resting awkwardly on her.
Yearning for some sort of consolation, some emotional satisfaction, she rested her head upon the hand, her cheek pressing up against his cold dead fingers.
There was nothing there. He might have looked it, he might have acted it, but this man was not alive.
He was a shadow of the man he’d used to be.

SOULOFSERENITY

Monday, January 10, 2011 7:40 PM

OOC: I'm not sure what anyone has planned for rescuing Vixen, but I had a thought to put out there involving Ciaran. She wants to redeem herself, she can look like other people, even Vixen, and she can be "killed"...

______________________

http://havenofsouls.wordpress.com/

SOULOFSERENITY

Monday, January 10, 2011 7:40 PM

OOC: I'm not sure what anyone has planned for rescuing Vixen, but I had a thought to put out there involving Ciaran. She wants to redeem herself, she can look like other people, even Vixen, and she can be "killed"...

______________________

http://havenofsouls.wordpress.com/

KYRA

Monday, January 10, 2011 10:34 PM

OOC: Well if it does turn out that way, it looks like the story could get even more interesting.

---

“Kyra,” Clayton said, snapping her out of her daze. He was crouching, facing the two of them on the sofa. “I know its not easy, believe me I know the last thing you want is to put yourself back there.”

“Then why come here Payne?” she snapped at him suddenly. “Why do you always do this?”

Luthor was about to speak out but Kyra was urged to continue. He let her.

“I can’t do anything, you know that,” she told him straight. “You’re in a better position than I could ever be. What can I do that you can’t?”

Clayton shook his head in disbelief. “You know him.”

“Not anymore,” she quickly retorted.

“You knew him. You were with him.”

Luthor shifted uncomfortably in his seat, considering whether to end this conversation right there and then.

“No,” she replied. “I clearly didn’t.”

Clayton bit his lip and stood up, beginning to walk away from the two of them in frustration, before stopping and quickly turning to face her once more. Luthor had his head down, as if concentrating on remaining still and quiet. Kyra stared at Clayton intently, waiting for his inevitable reply.

“Then why bother? Goddard, Spacer… the others.” He shook his head. “I know you say you want to stay away but why bother in the first place?” He pulled out a scrap of printed paper and unfolded it, slapping it down on the table before them, open.

Needy’s face and the notice that went with it - the obituary that she had put together - now sat condemning her.

“You really think this was helping them?” he said.

“You asked me,” Kyra said, biting the air.

“You thought plastering his face on the signal would help? If anything you just glazed the squad’s trap with a cherry. Were you trying to encourage your friends to show their faces or what?”

“What did you expect me to do?” she bit again.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I had to believe that you had some means of contacting them. Some means that didn’t involve a message being broadcast to the whole gorram verse. A stunt like this makes me think that maybe you want them to get caught, maybe that way this can all be done and dusted.”

Kyra scoffed and shook her head, “You have no idea what you're talking about.”

“I dunno,” Payne continued. “Maybe they deserve what they get. After all, its their fault what happened to Needy, right?”

Kyra stood up and faced her old friend. She wanted to hit him. But by this point, he would have expected it. And where was the satisfaction in giving him what he wanted?

“You should go,” Luthor said as calmly as he could. He was still looking down at the floor but as both Kyra and Clayton looked at him, he raised his head up and slowly got to his feet. He stared at Clayton seriously, not backing down. “I think that would be best.”

Payne looked at the woman then back to her partner. He wasn’t going to win this battle.
“Okay,” he said, nodding reluctantly. He walked around the table and removed his zip-file from the video screen, placing it in his pocket. He left the obituary on the table though - something for Kyra to mull over.
Kyra remained where she stood whilst Luthor followed Clayton out the door.
“I didn’t come looking for trouble,” Payne said to Luthor as he walked, out of earshot from Kyra. “I just wanted to make sure she stayed out of it.”

“Sure,” Luthor replied.

They reached the door and Clayton turned about. “If she doesn’t want me here then I won’t come back,” the Squad’s consultant said. “But it doesn’t mean that he won’t.”
Clayton stepped back, onto the outer door step. “He’s dangerous and if he finds her, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
“I can take care of her,” Luthor told him plainly.
“I hope so, for both your sakes,” Payne answered. “But you sense anything wrong, anything off. Don’t think, don’t try to stand your ground and fight. You take her and you run. You’ll stand a better chance that way.”
“Thanks for the advice,” Luthor said as he shut the door in front of the man’

SERYN

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 12:08 AM

I'm not sure - wisp seemed to be in control but he's not been around for a few posts. If you have an idea (and its a great idea Soul!) maybe email him?

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 10:41 AM

OOC- I've had this post written a while I was just waiting till everyone was in position before starting the show. So here we are boys and girls. take your places at the starting line up for The Execution of Vixen Goddard:

“All units report to positions. Prisoner is inbound” The klaxon blared across the square and surrounding area. “Repeat all Units to positions.”

The armoured car pulled up to the edge of the square at a path lined with soldiers on either side. The crowd hurled abuse, stones and rotten matter at the vehicle as it passed through the narrow passage towards the gallows. Wisp watched with great anticipation as the car got closer and closer. Occasionally someone would break through the guard’s lines carrying a placard or sign of some kind usually saying something along the lines of ‘Hang nǐ shì shénme dōngxi”. This would slow the procession as they were forced back into the horde so the Car could continue. Eventually the vehicle pulled up in the centre of the square and Vixen was manhandled from the back. She was shackled at hands and feet dressed in a fetching orange jumpsuit.

“Timing is everything” Wisp muttered to himself. This was the wrong moment. He had to wait for the perfect opportunity or all was lost. Vixen was marched up the stairs with a guard in front and behind her. She was positioned in the centre of the gallows as the executioner, hooded and dressed all in black, measured the noose around her neck. The Planetary mayor of Ariel took to a microphone on the stage calming the audience as the wailed and roared demanding the young woman’s blood. It was well known the Mayor had designs on running for Parliament and was using this execution to promote his hard stance on crime. As he began to make his speech Wisp wished deeply that Soul would appear from the shadows and slit his pompous throat for all to see, or that Safe would put a bullet in his chest from a mile away.

“Ladies and Gentleman please, would you bring your attention to me? For a feast for your eyes to see. An explosion of catastrophe” He waved his hands in all the power gestures that politicians loved to make, as if the will of the people could be swayed by a chop and slash of the hand. “We have before us an example of what is wrong with Society. And we’re here to make an example of she!” He swung his finger round pointing darkly at Vixens throat. “For too long these people have held our lives to Ransom, made us feel unsafe whenever we leave our homes. We draw a line here today with this rebel’s life. We send a message to every other criminal out there who seeks to ruin our way of life. We Will Tolerate No More.” He paused between each word for emphasis. “We will protect our lives, and our homes, and our children! TOLERATE NO MORE” By now the crowd were at fever pitch, roaring the words back at the mayor as he gave the signal to begin the execution.

Now was the moment. Now was the correct time. Wisp detonated the smoke bombs.

SOULOFSERENITY

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 3:45 PM

OOC: I tried to post something here, but it doesn't fit yet. Go with what you have planned, and I'll post when the rescue goes south in the square. It will get interesting.

SAFEAT2ND

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 3:50 PM

Back at the building on the edge of the security perimeter, laughter filled the empty apartment as Safe and Seryn ate. The food they had ‘aquired’ from the ornate press box with the balcony with a view, spread out in front of them. They reminisced about the good times, as few as there seemed to be. They laughed at the crowd gathered below as grapes and other various fruit rained down upon them.

But even through the laughter, a nervous tension added an edge to it.

“Did you see the look on that usher’s face?” Seryn blurted out.

Safe’s responding laugh was cut short.

“All units report to positions. Prisoner is inbound” The klaxon blared across the square and surrounding area. “Repeat all Units to positions.”

Instantly the food and the embarrassed usher were forgotten.

Safe looked through the site of the large rifle set-up in the window. Seryn stood at his side.

“So they aren’t coming?” She stated sadly.

“Doesn’t look that way. No movement in the square. Some politician is grand-standing, using Vixen to promote himself, no doubt. You know what to do right?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll lead them here, if there is anyone to lead that is.”

“And I take them to the shuttle on the roof. What happened to your fighter anyway?”

“I followed your lead. It would be too conspicuous. Traded it in on the shuttle.”

“Any sign of Wisp?”

“Nothing yet... wait! Someone set off smoke grenades.”

Seryn bolted for the door.

“Seryn!” Safe called.

She paused.

“Be careful, ok?”

“Is there any other way to be?” Seryn winked at him and descended the stairs to the building’s front door to wait for any arrivals.

Safe squinted through the sight again; the crosshairs lined up on the executioners head. It was all up to Wisp now, all Safe could do, is buy him some space and Seryn to cover their retreat.

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

NEEDY

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 5:32 PM

OOC: This sure is getting exciting. Nothing to add as of yet storywise, but i have just posted something in the blue sun room
http://beta.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=23263

I was thinking of maybe adding it to my recap post at the top of the thread. I would say i'd like to post one for each story, but to be honest this took me a lot longer than expected

SAFEAT2ND

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 6:13 PM

OOC:

Quote:
Originally posted by SoulOfSerenity:
OOC: I tried to post something here, but it doesn't fit yet. Go with what you have planned, and I'll post when the rescue goes south in the square. It will get interesting.

I suspect I know where you were going with your idea, Soul. Like Seryn, I think it's a great idea especially if Wisp dosen't suspect a thing. But then all the ideas on this thread turn out awesome, so I'm sure Wisp plan will be spectacular too.
Can't wait to see how Kurren fits into all this.

AWESOME poster Needy!

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

SAFEAT2ND

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 6:13 PM

OOC: This is not the blank space you were looking for, nor is it the crappy moon where you are a gorram hero. Move along.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Thursday, January 13, 2011 2:41 PM

The past four days had passed at such pace. Every thought and action was planning for this next minute in time. There was no time for second guessing or pondering, now was the time. This was the moment. All that had passed had lead him here. He had to make it count cos there sure as hell wasn’t a second chance.

The Gallows were now coated in a cloud of thick black smoke. It was impossible for any of the snipers to pick off anyone on the stage through the fog and nobody wanted to risk hitting any of the civilians in the crowd. Wisp activated a Thermal imaging contact and began the first step of his plan.

Step one: Misdirection and Misinformation
“This is Jenkins I think I saw one of the Terrorists north Quarter. Moving to investigate” Of course Wisp hadn’t seen anything of the sort but now all eyes would be focused on that point. To add to the confusion He set his radio to scramble all transmissions on this frequency slowing down any real information that may be being given out. He quickly vaulted over the fence into the plume of smoke and headed up the stairs.

Step two: Cut off reinforcements
This was simple to do as the gallows had been designed with a single stairway. It was Childs play to drop a grenade on the steps as soon as he was on the top step preventing anyone from following him up for a few seconds.

Step three: Eliminate Resistance
Of course as soon as the smoke screen had come up the four guards on the stage went to full alert but they couldn’t see a thing. Wisp’s thermal contact lens allowed him to lay head shots on all the guards and the executioner in a matter of seconds. He considered tapping the smug mayor who was now screaming, crying and generally filling his expensive trousers with something smelly, but he would tie up any forces with his whining.

Step four: Covering the escape
Wisp had used up about fifteen seconds so far. He had reckoned for about thirty seconds before the helicopters got the smoke cleared and/or dropped in more troops. And Vixen was stood in a bright orange jumpsuit in the centre of all this. As soon as the smoke dropped enough to see any glimpse of that orange it would be like a bulls eye for them. So the Orange had to go.
“Vixen its Wisp” He unlocked the manacles at her wrists “Arms out don’t breathe” Wisp hastily sprayed black fabric paint all over the jumpsuit, taking care not to leave any orange patches exposed. It wasn’t perfect but It didn’t have to fool people for long. He took the executioners hood off the dead body and placed it over Vixens head completing the disguise.
“You’ve been shot sit down and shut up”

“You shouldn’t have come”

“Thats not shutting up is it?” Wisp placed her against one of the pillars just as a helicopter appeared overhead fanning the smoke away and several guards dropped in.

“Don’t Shoot! I'm a guard! They took the girl over the side heading east. The executioner’s injured I need to get him off this stage.”

The paratrooper checked his ID and was about to remove the executioners hood but the good Mayor took that moment to enter a hysterical breakdown. As two guards restrained him the captain who was talking to them was called over to help.

“Sure get him out of here to a medic but I want you to come straight back for a report”

Step five: Exit the area of operations calmly and quickly
Wisp helped Vixen up and towards a ramp they were hastily erecting up to the gallows. The Paratrooper had obviously radioed ahead as none of the streams of soldiers heading up to the gallows questioned him at all. Heading in a South-Westerly direction they had made it about halfway across the square. Wisp was checking his radio listening to the progress of the search. He had to get them out of the line of snipers as quickly as possible but too fast would draw attention. Suddenly a transmission caught his attention over the radio
“We’ve accounted for all four dead guards and the executioner now that someone shut up that whiny son of a Bitch”
“Wait? All the guards and the executioner? But I sent one of the guards off with the e

SAFEAT2ND

Thursday, January 13, 2011 5:51 PM

“Gosa!” Safe swore between clenched teeth as the smoke obscured everything. His finger twitched over the trigger and he reluctantly relaxed it, resting it instead on the trigger guard, while he flicked the scope around the square.

“What the hell’s going on Safe?” Seryn hissed through the communicator in Safe’s ear.

“Dammit Wisp, where are you?”

People ran around like ants around a smashed anthill.

A shout caught his attention, and Safe swung the scope to its origins. Wisp and Vixen surrounded by guards.

“Gorammit, of all the stupid.. there’s no way I can take them all down and even as scrappy as Wisp is, one of them is getting shot, unless...”
Safe swung the scope around, “Where are you Mr. Mayor dude. Ah-ha there you are, now let’s see how loud you can be and how important people think you are.”

Safe breathed out slowly, relaxing and slowly squeezed the trigger.

The Mayor’s knee exploded in a cloud of blood as he dropped to the ground, screaming blue bloody murder.

Before the Mayor even hit the ground, Safe had his gun again trained on the squad commander nearest Wisp.

“Get ready Seryn, the gosa is about to hit the fan.”

From her vantage point on the ground floor, Seryn checked her gun again and took a deep breath.

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

SERYN

Thursday, January 13, 2011 7:56 PM

Her thoughts stopped their frantic jigging about, but it didn't help at all with the fact that she was almost totally blind to the situation. Her view, limited as it was, only contained milling, confused crowds and helicopter filled skies.
It was to risky to step out though, letting herself be recognised would be stupid without nothing to gain yet. Whilst the poncing about in posh outfits afforded her some measure of anonymity before, now that the guards were alert they'd be searching every face.

gosa. Patience was never one of her virtues. She moved back into the building to a window that gave her a view of a different part of the square. "Bingo!" In front of her, stood a crowd of guards, facing away from her and moving further away.
She retreaived several of the smoke bombs from her pocket bags and made her way back outside.
"Safe, get ready to cover me - I have to get closer, keep an eye out for interest on the rooftops"
Skirting the outside of the building as nonchalantly as she could she got within throwing distance of the guards and launched as many smoke bombs as she could in quick succession before moving to another spot and following them up with more smoke and a couple of flash bombs for good measure.

She moved again, hoping that no snipers had spotted her actions "Safe! Let me know which way they run!"
"Will do!"

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Friday, January 14, 2011 10:52 AM

Wisp was pretty much out of options as he stood there looking down the barrels of six guns. He’d had a pretty lucky roll of the dice up to this point but his number was up and his credit was zero. His best plans right now were fight to the death or surrender and he wasn’t entirely keen on either option. Suddenly the pompous Mayor erupts into screams of agony as he collapses from the stage. The guards all around become suddenly very scared. Wisp had absolutely no idea who had fired the shot but they were on his side which is all that counted. The guards held position a few steps back from him and Vixen obviously waiting for orders from their superiors. It was then that Wisp spotted Seryn skirting her way round the crowd dressed up to the nines. If she was here then the others shouldn’t be far behind. The people he’d spent the past two years searching for had finally found him and their timing couldn’t be better. Wisp wanted to shout for joy but decided on a much more impressive option.

“I did that” Wisp said to the Guards “I just shot that pompous mayor like I shot all the guards on that podium without getting a scratch on me” The soldiers couldn’t decided if they or Wisp was crazy but decided that someone was. “You see I’m not just a man. I am the Avatar of Justice sent forth by the Mighty Thor himself. Don’t believe me?” Wisp threw his hands up in the air and shouted “Thunder and Lightning!” just as smoke and flash grenades rolled into the circle. Ducking and running through guards he dragged Vixen with him headed for where he’d last seen Seryn.

“Very theatrical” Vixen smirked as they ducked through the guards who were now fleeing in disorientated terror. “You should have been a thespian.”

“You know me. I like to please the crowd”

SAFEAT2ND

Friday, January 14, 2011 1:05 PM

OOC: BWAHAHAHA!!! The Avatar of Justice! Well done Wisp!

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

SOULOFSERENITY

Friday, January 14, 2011 2:50 PM

Wisp's act was only partially successful. The rank and file guards weren't paid enough to risk their lives for a madman, but then again they were usually just for show. Moments before Wisp and Seryn met at the edge of the square, a bullet wizzed through the air, carving a thin line in the skin of Wisp's shoulder as it passed. Wisp came screeching to a halt as he found himself surrounded yet again. He felt in his pocket for the remaining smoke bomb and was about to drop it when a figure collided with them, throwing both Wisp and Vixen to the ground. A shot rang out and one of the guards fell, quickly followed by another. Wisp took that moment to run low, pulling Vixen along with him when...Vixen screamed from behind him?

Wisp spun around in shock as one of the guards hauled Vixen to her feet. How had he left her behind?

"Enough!" The guard yelled. He began pulling Vixen back towards the gallows, the circle of guards tightening. When they reached the wooden platform, the Mayor stopped crying in an attempt to regain some sort of composure.

"This is the kind of scum we are dealing with!" He cried out through the pain. "They would kill innocent people to rescue a criminal." He held out his hand, and someone placed a gun in it. He knew he had the crowd now. "No more," he said, and fired two shots.

The first bullet went wide, but the second--

The second bullet buried itself in Vixen's head, and she dropped to the ground.

The croud roared, and Wisp screamed, surging forward when Soul appeared from nowhere and grabbed him.

"Go! Take Vixen and go!"

Wisp stared at him like Soul was crazy until a hand tugged at his arm.

"Let's go," Vixen said in Wisp's ear.

"How?" Wisp asked, eyes wide as he saw Vixen standing beside him, alive and well.

"Just go!" Soul yelled, pushing the two of them away and drawing out his dagger as a sea of guards descended upon him.

"GO!"

OOC: Let Soul be please...I have a plan...

SERYN

Friday, January 14, 2011 10:19 PM

Does that prevent Safe, Wisp, Vixen and I getting the heck out of Dodge?

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Monday, January 17, 2011 4:25 PM

The crowd had now reached fever-pitch. Punch drunk and high on blood lust they roared for more. The various guards were no longer concerned with tracking Wisp and Vixen’s path to Seryn but were using all their strength to keep the raging mass of people under control. Staying low and dodging as many people as possible they eventually unite.

“Seryn You have no idea how glad I am to see you! You got an escape plan set up? Because mine is all shot to hell.”

“Yea there’s a ship ready to go on one of the rooftops. How is Soul getting out?”

“I’ve no idea. I thought he was with you?”

“We haven’t had any contact with him. When he appeared we thought he was with you?”

“Jesus you really know how to plan a rescue” Vixen interjected from the sidelines “Do any of you have any idea what the rest of you are up to?” Wisp and Seryn shared a look of mild embarrassment and a shrug.

“Well we’ve got exactly no time to catch up here. Seryn which way do we head and is anyone else with you?”

SOULOFSERENITY

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 1:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by seryn:
Does that prevent Safe, Wisp, Vixen and I getting the heck out of Dodge?

OOC: Not at all. I just have something planned for Soul that requires him to be left behind.

_______________________________________________

SERYN

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 9:13 PM

okay!

Seryn grinned "Yup - guess who" She pulled them back towards the building she'd started from, opening the channel on her comms as she ran "Safe! Get down here, we have them. Soul is here, with Ciaran.. i think."

"Ciaran?" Safe sounded stunned, but his muffled breathing and the clattering in the background told her he was already on his way.
She studied vixen. One thing she hadn't thought of - Vixen stuck out like a sore thumb in her overalls - was that black paint? Swiftly she pulled off her jacket and thrust it in the girls direction. Vixen pulled a face "Just put it on - don't argue" She loosened the ties on one of her skirts to and shuffled out of it, foisting that at . Not great, but it would do.
Safe clattered down the last of the step and joined them, a quick grin greeting Wisp and Vixen and then straight to business.

"Do we all have our running shoes on?"

(and this post was bought to you by being up way past my bed time.)

SAFEAT2ND

Thursday, January 20, 2011 7:02 PM

OOC: Dammit!! I had two great posts that errored out and I lost all of the text. So consider this a test. Frankly, each time I rebuilt the post it lost more impact so...

"Do we all have our running shoes on?"

Wisp grinned, "Good to see somethings don't change."

"We all change a little here and there Wisp. Just happy to be on the sunny side of the dirt." Safe smiled back.

"You could at least show some signs you're happy not to be dangling over the square." Seryn aimed at the cross-armed, unintersted Vixen.

Shouts erupted nearby.

"Ok, lets move." Safe started back towards the building.

"What about Soul or Ciaran" Seryn asked as she, Wisp and Vixen fell into step beside him.

"Last I saw of him, he was moving like smoke through the rackus. He's got a purpose otherwise, I suspect he'd be here already. As for Ciaran... I couldn't care less."

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

SERYN

Thursday, January 20, 2011 7:07 PM

OOC Worry not, its still cool

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Friday, January 21, 2011 2:46 PM

“There they are!” erupted behind them just as they were reaching the doorway to the building. Guards were beginning to fight their way through the crowds towards their location. Still too far, with too many people between them and their quarry to open fire but approaching like a thundering storm on the horizon.

“Seryn get the flyer ready, Vixen, Wisp go up with her” Safe shouted rushing people through the entrance “I’ll hold them off for a minute”

“No chance” Wisp said, the last one across the threshold “Its been too long and too far for Heroics now. Me and you hold this door. Girls you have exactly two minutes and we will be on that shuttle and we better be airborne the next second”

“Damn Wisp you grew a serious pair” Vixen smirked from the bottom of the stairs.

“Yea well I’ve had two years to practise my A game so get up stairs and get that ship ready!”

The foyer of the building had a single door which sat opposite the stairway. Opening up about half a meter on either side of the door Safe occupied the right hand side leaning out to take out any guards that emerged from the crowd before they had a chance to shoot. Wisp used two shells to take the door off its hinges then took up a position on the left.

“Hell a’ good to see ya Safe. But I thought I should let you know I’m nearly out of party favours”

“I wish you hadn’t said that, I’ve got two smokes and a flash left.” The conversation was broken up by both of them taking turns to lean out and shoot. By now the crowd were rushing as far as they could away from the entrance and more and more guards were headed this way.

“Mine was a ‘last man standing’ idea, there’s two bricks of Semtex woven into my flak jacket.”

“Jesus Wisp! That’s enough to level this building!”

Wisp winked back “My thoughts exactly” Wisp dropped his rifle a second and unzipped his flak jacket throwing it into the middle of the hall “Time?” reassuming his firing position.

“Thirty seconds, then we hit the stairs for thirty. They’re coming in thick and fast now” Both men were no longer taking turns, instead each was laying down as much fire as they risked to slow the advancing horde. “Seryn we have exactly zero margin for error so I hope you’re ready for us.”

The guards were now dropping a few feet from the door rather than the safe ten metres when the charge had started. Shots were starting to pepper their way through the open doorway and throw up clouds as they impacted the stairwell.

“GO time!” Safe shouted throwing Wisp his rifle. Wisp began walking backwards towards the staircase dual-weilding the assault rifles as Safe threw three grenades in series out of the door. The first cloud of smoke erupted just as the guards reached the doorway and Safe, and Wisp began running full pelt up the stairs. Neither wasted precious seconds in turning back to check the advance behind them or fire wild shots. Timing was everything.

They burst through the door just as Seryn was starting to take off. With neither grace nor style both men leapt through the open door as guards appeared at the top of the stairs. “Faster, Faster, Faster would be better!” Safe screamed as the shuttle inched upwards over what seemed like an eternity. Wisp held the detonator in his sweating palm waiting for the ship to ascend enough. Too early and the blast would take them out as well, too late and the Soldiers now appearing on the roof would fill them with holes.

All about timing.

Wisp pushed the button and the building they had been stood upon ten seconds ago shook. The ground floor exploded outwards forcing a fireball of super heated air, dust, and rock up the stair’s they had rushed up. Screams were heard for but a second before being replaced by tumbling brick and burning wood. The roof began to collapse as the ship accelerated took to the sky.

http://rockandrollaintalternativeenergy.wordpress.com/

SOULOFSERENITY

Friday, January 21, 2011 8:48 PM

Soul heard the crump of the explosion and had less than half a second to phase his body before the heatwave roared through, throwing the guards around him to the ground. It had happened none too soon, as Soul wasn't sure how much longer he could last. He had bullet holes in his left arm and leg, and he was bleeding from no less than two dozen grazes and cuts. He only had to hold on long enough for the others to get away.

He looked to the side as he phased back to solidity and watched as Ciaran's body, still wearing Vixen's face, faded into nothingness. He smiled softly. He could die now knowing that everyone was okay, and when he woke up somewhere else, they could all reunite and down a few drinks in celebration.

He lowered the dagger and made his way over the bodies of the guards, a few of them beginning to stir. It was in that moment that a thought tickled the back of his mind, only moments before something sharp drove it's way into his neck. Soul cried and twisted, swinging the dagger at--

"Kurren. You son of a bitch."

Kurren grinned, and it was a nasty grin. "So predictable. You even knew it was a trap, and yet you still came."

Reaching around to the back of his neck, Soul pulled a long needle from the flesh of his neck, the syringe empty. "Trying to poison me? Haven't you guys figured me out yet? I'm like Obi-wan." At Kurren's raised eyebrow, Soul allowed a small grin. "If you strike me down, I will return even more powerful than you can imagine. Well, not really more powerful, more like all healed like Wolveri--"

The gunshot rang out and Soul's head snapped back, the bullet from Kurren's gun passing clean through his skull. As he fell, the grin remained on Soul's lips. He would wake up somewhere else. Somewhere safe.

**********

His eyes opened slowly, and Soul groaned as he got to his feet.

"So where am I this time..."

His jaw dropped open as Kurren's grin became a smile. "You see Marshall, we have figured you out." He held up a small device, no larger than his hand. "The nanites I injected you with are linked to what I hold in my hands. Every time you die, you'll wake up within ten feet of me."

He shot Soul in the gut, and Soul screamed in pain. "You sonofa..."

Kurren kicked him in the stomach once, twice, and continued to kick him until he was sure Soul was dead.

*********

Soul opened his eyes again, and of course the first thing he saw was Kurren.

"You and I have a lot to talk about," the bounty hunter stated. "Let's begin, shall we?"

_______________________________________________

CIARAN

Friday, January 21, 2011 9:18 PM

There was a lot Marshall had judged her for - rightfully so. But there was a lot he didn't know about her. When she had tracked down Kurren and convinced him that she was the one they were looking for, not Marshall, The Expendables, and Blue Sun in turn had seen an oportunity for a weapon they truly could control. So they used her, allowing scientists to experiment on her until they could decide where she woke up when she died. When they reached that point - they knew they had her.

They trained her, pushed her past her breaking point and even further. She was sent on missions to kill people who had truly done nothing wrong; men, women, children. It didn't matter. She killed them all.

And she looked like Marshall every time.

As she found out, Kurren had never truly believed her about Marshall. Everything they did to her, every experiment, every test, it was all part of a larger plan: to capture Soul for themselves.

She watched the fruition of their plan from a hacked Cortex feed linking her to the sole remaining security camera in the square on Ariel. From several worlds away, with tears of rage streaming down her cheeks, she watched as the man she loved was killed again and again, and she knew he felt everything.

As far as he had come, as much of his humanity he had retained, they intended to break him. They wanted Marshall to once again become Soul, and to kill for them.

And she knew they would succeed.

She had to find his friends, because once Kurren was done, once Blue Sun had their way, if Soul found them first...

Ciaran shook her head, and her features shifted. Her red hair faded to black, and her skin and eyes paled. Sliding away from the Cortex terminal, she made her way towards the docking bay. She needed a ship, and she needed to find the man Soul knew as Safe.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Saturday, January 22, 2011 11:20 PM

“Hey Wisp I’ve got a hot date tonight do you mind closing up by yourself?”

“Sure it’s been a slow day I’ll have the place in ship shape in no time. Who’s the lucky lady?”

“You know Laura who works the fryers?”

“LAURA? Jesus dude she doesn’t count as a hot date! I mean you’d have to carve the grease off of her”

“That is absolutely correct, but her Sister on the other hand works at a very nice law firm down town and she does not have that ‘I work a deep fat fryer’ aroma”

“Dude how did you get her? I mean we work in a Gorram fast food joint, not even a good one”

“We’ll after one of our shifts last week some of us went out and she was there and we hit it off and well, I got a date”

“Well you go out and achieve the impossible.”

“Thanks dude I’ll see you tomorrow”

Wisp’s co-worker quickly grabbed his stuff and left out the back door of ‘Bry’s Burger Bar’. Wisp waited a reasonable time which he spent cleaning one of the grills then headed to the cortex station in the back. He wrote a quick message to a secure account:

“Meet me round back BBB in one hour”

Wisp finished the cleaning and then headed out for his secret rendezvous. He didn’t have to wait long before a private shuttle landed in the furthest spot from the building. A single man got out of the back and wandered into a single circle of light in the darkened lot. Wisp went out to meet him and placed a duffel sack at the mans feet.

“As ordered two dozen grade A lock overrides. Entirely disposable and untraceable.”

The man pulled open the bag and extracted the first device. Wisp made a living selling these kinds of black-market gear for a variety of local criminals.

“Looks good. How do I know they work?”

“Come on Vankeetsen’s been buying my merchandise for months and he’s never had any problems. Now if you’re trying to haggle price then you can forget it and hand over the coin.”

The Man looked very serious and stern for a moment then burst into a wide grin, And passed him a bag packed with notes “I like you Wisp. Always do good work, never take any Gosa. I wish I worked with more private contractors like you. Actual Vankeetsen was saying just today that he liked your work; he told me that he’d like to offer you a job”

“He already gives me a job. What do you call that nice pile of tech at your feet?”

“I mean an in-house full time paid position. Vankeetsen’s private technical consultant.”

“Look I really appreciate these one off contracts but I don’t want a full position. Tell him thanks but no thanks”

At was at this point in time that two large armed men appeared behind him and the man in front drew out a pistol.

“This wasn’t really a request but as I like you I’ll spell out how this can go down. You come of your own accord and live in luxury with very nice perks, or you have to come by force and you get treated very unpleasantly. Your choice”

“Well. Looks like I’ve been hired.”

OOC- HOLY MOLY Soul! Thats awesome stuff. Exciting

http://rockandrollaintalternativeenergy.wordpress.com/

NEEDY

Monday, January 24, 2011 12:14 PM

OOC: DAMN! Loving the posts, some great twists.
--

Liam Torne thumped his fingers down on the keypad, ending the call.
It was all for nothing, he told himself. Nothing!
He thumped his fist down on the table and swiped the phone off with his hand in a fit of anger. It crashed and broke on the floor.
He sighed loudly to himself, and ran his hands through his hair. His eyes were red.

He'd wanted to make a difference. To be the kind of man that his great-great-uncle had been. There had always been something terribly wrong with this verse, he'd known that despite his initial allegiance to the Alliance. It was only after an attempt was made on the President's life - Sian Dreight, the husband of Liam's cousin Gabriella - and the truth behind who was behind the attack had been unveiled, that Liam realised that he could be more than just another yes-man.
Gabriella had always had a soft spot for the Resistance, and it was those very ones that eventually aided Liam and his family when their ship The Dwarf had run into trouble. They helped them on their way, they made sure that the Torne family got to where they wanted; that Janti - the man who had been used, brainwashed by Blue Sun, a man that had been nothing more than a "Weapon" - would live long enough to tell his tale.

But it was all for nothing.
They hadn't changed the worlds. They hadn't taken down the powers and instituted a New Alliance as they had hoped. Their mission had only served to make the ones responsible more cautious, more secretive. On that day Liam realised who was really in control. If not even the President of Albion could make a difference on his own world, what hope did a few freedom fighters have of changing the verse?

Liam downloaded the feed of the incident on Ariel to his personal viewer and watched as the girl, Vixen, was killed, and the remaining survivors took a building down - and all those that occupied it - in their attempt to escape.
He couldn't help them now. He and his office had helped some of the imprisoned Resistance, transfered them to a more comfortable facility. But these ones - the ones that had personally helped him and his own - the best they could hope for now was a life on the run.

He had hoped to assist them, had even sent a trusted aide to Ariel in a bid to help in someway, but evidently even those in his own organisation couldn't be trusted. As far as he was concerned, it had all been for naught. He'd achieved nothing of any real consequence, and worse still, he'd lost people - his wife, his daughter, his friends. Few remained by his side now.
But that was about to change. Now he had nothing left to lose. Janti had contacted him with the news of what had went down on Ariel, and he had a plan. Maybe there was still time to help the former crew of The Epsilon after all.

NEEDY

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 5:06 PM

OOC: WYSB, i know you talked about doing a SB poster for Clayton, but in the meantime i've created my own using the same site. Still interested in seeing yours though.

---

Kyra and Luthor talked about many things - trivial things such as work and shopping, about money and maintenance; they watched the stations together, laughing at the chatshow host's jokes and made mocking statements about the newsreader's style of moustache; they argued, they made-up, they teased, they made love. Clayton Payne heard it all. He wasn't ashamed, nor did he feel that he ought to have been.
His visit the day before had allowed him to plant bugs around their home; at the back of their video screen; left more bugs and motion sensors discreetly by their front porch - it was for their own safety, and of course so Clayton could sleep easy at night. He didn't. In fact, he may have left their house but he hadn't gotten far. He'd set up station in his car down the road, off the dirt track. Through the trees he might have been able to see the way the sunlight bounced off of the lake, but instead he kept his gaze fixed firmly on the treetrunk ahead of him - no distractions.
Occasionally he'd close his eyes, the sounds of Kyra and Clayton's homelife whispering into his ears, but he didn't fall into a deep sleep, he couldn't. He simply listened and waited. He could have been waiting all his life - there was no way of saying for sure if Needy would ever find them - but still he waited.
Until his phone rang.

"Payne," he said into the speaker, turning the microphone volume down and resigning himself to watching the red and yellow bars on his monitor go up and down to the muted sounds of the couple's voices.

"You're needed on Ariel," the voice said on the other line.

"Sir?" Clayton responded. He recognised the man's voice when he heard it - Colonel Youngblood had been the one to take a chance and offer Payne a position with the CS in the first place.

"Mr Green requests your presence for a special task," Youngblood told him. "He believes you may hold certain information that would be invaluable to him and his men."

"Ariel?" Clayton thought out loud. He stared at the monitoring system set up beside him in the car and thought of Kyra, but more importantly of her friends. He didn't need to be told what mission was being referred to.

"Is that a problem?" the Colonel responded.

"Well," Clayton began, "I'm sort of in the middle of something important right now."

"No, you're not," the voice told him. "Nothing you're doing is important, because we haven't assigned you anything for today."

Clayton knew better than to argue, and he knew he couldn't tell his superior the reasons why he couldn't leave the post. But he wondered for a moment whether the truth would be a good option at this point. The Crimson Squad wanted Bernard Needham, and Clayton wanted Kyra kept safe.
But it would never go how he wanted it. And Clayton certainly wouldn't be used in such an "important" assignment. Chances are, he'd never see Kyra again, and neither would Luthor.
"Certainly sir," he eventually responded.
"Good," Youngblood replied. "Don't make me regret bringing you on board. I'll send the details to your onboard. They're expecting you now so you better get moving, Xiansheng's a long way from home."
"Yes sir, I'm just leaving," Clayton said, firing up his engine as he says the words.
"Good man, I'll let him know you're on your way."

Clayton hung up the phone and stared at the monitor. It would still work on long distance, but even so, listening in would do no good if they were in trouble. And so, before he pulled away from the dirt road and headed for his shuttle, he placed one more call, this time to a trusted associate. It helped to have sou

VIXEN_GODDARD

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 11:54 AM

“This is it then” Vixen said to herself as the noose was placed around her neck. Even to the very last she hoped against hope that someone would come and save her. But a life spent looking after number one had left her with nobody willing to look out for her. Maybe if she’d done it differently someone would come for her. Maybe someone would care? She looked around the square at the hatred and fear in the eyes of the crowd. Hundreds upon hundreds of people had come to watch her die. They didn’t even know her. They spat and cursed and screamed for the blood of a woman they’d never met. Vixen was the first to admit that she probably deserved most of it but she could have just as easily been innocent of all her charges. They could have any girl up here as a scapegoat, someone to die so everyone else gets to feel safe. Her death would give all these people false hope, false confidence, false security. They would all go home tonight and feel a little better knowing that justice was being done. Even though deep down they knew that the government were monitoring their phones, reading their mail, keeping track of everywhere they went. Be quiet, don’t make a fuss and let the government keep taking away privacies and civil liberties in the name of security. Vixen could see it and she wondered why they didn’t see it. The real crime that they were executing her for was failing to fill the universal mould they wanted everyone to be. She wanted freedom, and that made her dangerous.

An uptight white collar came onto the stage and took up the microphone. He started spouting some political tripe about evil and justice. Everything people like to hear from a politician. They know its all lies but it still makes them feel better.

“Tolerate no more” she heard him say. That was the queue. This was the end. She closed her eyes and waited for the noose to tighten and the floor disappear. But instead she heard screams and shouting. Opening her eyes her vision was clouded with dense black smoke swirling about in all directions. Could someone be rescuing her? Could someone have cared? She recognised a series of pops and thumps as silenced shots and bodies hitting floors.

“Vixen its Wisp, Arms out and don’t breathe” her knees went faint. ‘He came’ she thought to herself. The battle of emotions raged within her. To show love and look weak or stay hard and tough and don’t risk getting hurt. Now what was he doing? Her jumpsuit was being turned from bright orange to some glossy black. Clever but messy.

“You’ve been shot sit down and shut up” he placed the executioner’s hood over her head forcefully. It smelt of sweat, blood and cheap cologne. She wasn’t sure which was worse. It also blocked her already greyed vision

“You shouldn’t have come” She managed. It wasn’t everything she felt but It was everything she could say.

“That’s not shutting up is it?” He got like this when he was working. His mind raced a mile a minute; you could see it behind his eyes. He was thinking of every contingency, escape plan, and worse case scenario that could happen in the next minute. It made him exceptional at crime; he was wasted in this hero business. She heard rotor blades above her, soldiers dropping onto the wooden deck.

“Don’t Shoot! I'm a guard! They took the girl over the side heading east. The executioner’s injured I need to get him off this stage.” Jesus Wisp had some Gorram balls pulling this one. She was sure It wouldn’t work but before she knew it they were marching off the stage. As the moved further from the smoke she gradually began to see more light. Wisp was moving at the fastest pace he dared take her but she wanted to run away much faster. Every second spent in this square surrounded by stranger baying for her blood terrified her. She heard the radio in Wisps ear chatter over the crowds screams:

“Oh Gosa. All teams eyes up for a guard supporting a hooded woman dressed all in black. They’ll have my ass for this”

They started to move faster. Nigh on running through the throngs of people. They’d come so far but it was only a

NEEDY

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 5:22 PM

OOC: Absolutely Brilliant post "Vixen", i loved it
Also guys was thinking probably due a new thread soon, any ideas for titles? I was thinking "Rebirth" or "Born Again" might suit the Soul story, along with the fact that many characters are now taking a new look at their life. Or maybe something like "Back in Black"

---

Liam looked at his watch and noted the time. He was late, again.
The large building had been abandoned a long time ago, but Liam remembered when it was still in use - it had been a library once upon a time, and he'd spent many hours here alone, back when he still had dreams of being a lawyer. It was a lifetime ago. But now he was back here, staring at the grey walls - the light from the street lamps outside shone through the windows, but not much.
It was dark and cold in here. And Liam felt old. The room was empty - no desks remained, no posters, and certainly no computer screens. Not even a book stood on this ground any more. Just him. Liam Torne. Alone.

"Did you call her?" a voice called out, startling him.

Liam turned and shook his head, "Gorram it Janti, you about gave me a heart-attack."

As Janti stepped forward out of the dark, Liam could see a small grin on his face. The man looked well, healthy - certainly a lot healthier than the man that had been brought before him on the day they first met. Fifteen, as he had then been known, was skinny and sombre-looking, with a blank stare that could disturb the hardest of federal officers. Now, if one was to look at him in the daylight, they would see a seemingly well adjusted man, still slim but toned, with a nice tan,and fine tattoos etched along his arms. They might never have imagined this man had once been a man imprisoned, a former assassin acting upon the orders of an secret organisation.
Now he was just Janti, and he was the only man that Liam Torne still trusted.

"You call her?" he asked the politician again. His tone was friendly but firm.

Liam shook his head. "She doesn't want to talk to me."

"It's not about what she wants," Janti answered. "It's about what you both need."

Liam sighed heavily, before breaking his serious composure with a false smile. "I don't suppose you brought any beers."

Janti pursed his lips, "I don't make a habit of drinking on the job."

"Sure," Liam mocked playfully.

Neither of them seemed willing to address the elephant in the room, the real reason why they were there. Liam knew it was necessary, it seemed to be the only option left open to him, but it didn't make it any easier. There was nothing else he could do. His hands had been tied in office and the more power he seemed to achieve, the tighter the ropes became. He'd tried to have it both ways, like Gabriella had, like others loyal to the Resistance had. But it hadn't achieved a gorram thing. Every which way he looked at it, the answer was always the same: Do what the others have done; leave it all behind and do what is needed."Whatever it takes." That had been the motto, always had been, but now he understood it better than ever.

"So how you wanna play this?" Janti asked.

"Me?" Liam said, confused. Janti had already explained the plan - get Torne away from Hera, get new papers, and secure him a ride to Ariel. He would do what he could from there, with a new identity that would see him "join" the Crimson Squad as one of their own. If he couldn't change the system from the office, then he'd tear it down from within and start over.

"Yes, you," Janti replied. "You want to call your daughter now or not?"

Liam bit his lip. He knew he should. He might never get another chance to, to say he's sorry, to tell her that he was wrong. But he'd tried. He'd lost count of how many times he'd picked up the phone only to put it down again. Some things were just too dif

SOULOFSERENITY

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 9:25 PM

OOC: Wisp, that was awesome! And holy crap, Needy! This thread is still so awesome.

I vote for "Back in Black"!!!

_______________________________________________

SAFEAT2ND

Thursday, January 27, 2011 12:11 AM

OOC: WHOA!! This story is fantastic! I feel like I'm hardly contributing anything. What amazing story arcs!

I vote for 'From the Ashes' and my second vote is for Back in Black and Rebirth.

Check out my blog for info and updates on my novels
http://drlong67.wordpress.com

SAFEAT2ND

Thursday, January 27, 2011 12:12 AM

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Thursday, January 27, 2011 9:30 AM

I vote Back in Black so I can play the song every time I post

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Saturday, January 29, 2011 12:42 PM

Vankeetsen’s office was a stunning testament to Earth that was decoration. Thick hand-woven carpets rolled from wall to wall in deep Maroon and Brown. The wall’s were paneled in rich Mahogany and interrupted with classic paintings from long dead artists. The back wall however was a full reinforced force glass with a stunning view of deep space. In front of this Vankeetsen sat looming over a solid oak desk imposing his authority over the room. Vankeetsen himself was in his late 50’s with light brown hair graying slightly at the temples. He was tall, thin, and lean that had come from years of hard work, exercise, and organizing other people’s deaths. He spoke with an epic sort of voice that seemed to be able to resonate across mountain ranges at even a whisper. It never changed tone or volume no matter what emotions bubbled behind it. Wisp stood looking at this imposing view after being summoned for an unknown reason.

“You know Wisp when you first joined my organization you really excelled yourself. I saw untold revenues from sectors that before had barely broken even. Your technical expertise rippled through to every business I had going. I mean, I’m currently the Alliances most wanted crime lord and I owe most of that to contributions from you.” Vankeetsen stood up and looked out of his window “But you seem to have grown stagnant here Wisp. My cortex incomes growths have been slowly dropping over the past few months and I’ve seen fewer and fewer new technologies come out of your workshop. So it comes to me that there must be something you must be unhappy with.”

“Well you see, you kidnapped me from a perfectly quiet little life back on Osiris to work for your organization. And I came and I worked. Hell I didn’t even just fill time; I gave you a fantastic income system and some great techs for any excursions you plan. And I was kinda hoping you might let me go some time soon”

Vankeetsen began to laugh, one of those deep evil laughs that starts as a quiet titter and grows into a crescendo of booming cackle that echoes around the room. “Oh William” Wiping a tear from his eye “how you make me laugh. This is how it’s going to happen boy. You’re going to keep on making me rich and powerful, and if I think for a second that you’re screwing me over I’m going to put you in a world of pain. I’ve come too far for a little squirt like you to hold me to ransom, and if you keep on disobeying me you’re going to end this little life of yours. So keep on pumping out those new technologies of yours and enjoy your life of luxury”

“I actually have another technology for you. It’s called a wire. That’s broadcasting this entire conversation to an Alliance attack squad that’s going to come in here and arrest you smarmy ass any minute now”

The mirth fell from Vankeetsen’s face like a lead mirror shattering his dreams upon the plush carpets. “Your bluffing” In answer sirens began bellowing around him and his intercom burst into the noise of dozens of underlings screaming about incoming Police. “You little GOSA!” Vankeetsen jumped across his desk lunging at Wisps throat, unfortunately falling short and landing in the space in-between where Wisp easily managed to land a kick to his throat.

“I quit”

KYRA

Saturday, January 29, 2011 4:05 PM

OOC: I'm loving the posts highlighting Wisp's backstory!

---

She'd never kidded herself into believing that she was a good person. It wasn't that she'd set out to be mean towards others; or cold; or harsh. It was just the way things had gone. And whether she liked it or not, that was the image that she'd made for herself.
She'd left home before her sixteenth birthday, ran away with a man twice her age. It wasn't just for the thrill of it - she certainly didn't love him - it was because she knew how much it would anger her mother. She did it as a slap in the face, for all the slaps that she'd received from her. From one miserable home to another, she kept running, hoping to find that illusive reason to stay. She jumped between her homeworld of Alexandria to Regina and back again. She moved all over, even found herself married to a husband at one time. But it never lasted. The longest she'd stayed in a place was for six months. And then she found herself on Boros and secured a job at the Boros Bound, her first and last legitimate job as Kyra McTaggert. The uncle of her then-partner had gotten her the job as a favour to her, and for once she played nice. She had to. She'd grown tired of running. She was twenty five. And then she met Bernie.
It was just a job at first, an opportunity to make her name. It was a simple write up, that's all, but not for him. It could ruin him. But that was the point. It was a test. If he was foolish enough to trust her then it would prove the Editor's long-held opinion - that the Guild wasn't as secure an organisation as they made it out to be. Kyra used him, she lied to him, she almost ruined him. But she'd loved him. For once she'd found a reason to stay, a person to stay for. And she'd used him up and threw him away. She didn't deserve pity, she didn't deserve anything. And yet he found her again. And he forgave her. She thought he would be her redemption. If he could forgive her, maybe she could turn her life around. Maybe she could forgive herself. But that was a long time ago. The truth was, Bernie wasn't her redemption. He couldn't even save himself.

And then there was Luthor. She'd first met him barely a week after she had settled on Xiangsheng. He wasn't shy in making known his feelings for her, but she hadn't wanted to get involved. Not just because she was already living a lie - changing her name to Emma Roberts was a necessary step to getting away from Bernie - but because she knew she didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve happiness - call it her own self-imposed punishment. But Luthor's tenacity and determination was hard to ignore. And the closer they got to each other, the stronger her feelings became. She wanted to tell him the truth, but it would be another year before she told him everything. But meeting and, in turn, falling for him turned her around. Maybe she wasn't destined to live her life on her own. Maybe Luthor could bring her back into the light, could redeem her where Bernie couldn't. Maybe he was the one she was meant for after all.

The past few months she'd tried to take control of her life. She'd tried to stop pushing people away, even made some friends at the office, something she'd never really succeeded in at the Boros Bound. But when Clayton contacted her, all those memories had come flooding back, and the real person that she had been running away from all this time - herself - returned.
Kyra McTaggert had been a selfish woman, always had been. She'd never done anything in her life that didn't in some way benefit her. Even helping Bernie had been a selfish venture, when she thought about it. She wanted to help him because she felt bad within herself. It was never about him. Even now, when she missed him, she wondered why. What was the real reason why she had felt so devoted to him in the first place? Was it love? Or was it simply because he served as a reminder of who she really was? That being