Redwall Abbey

Chapter 1 - Casamira
Casamira Allene was a slight but tall girl, of 16 years of age. She had dark, reddish brown hair, and her face was covered in the most adorable freckles, absolutely covered in them. She had lovely brown eyes, and a truly gorgeous smile, when she chose to let it play over her slender pink lips. She was a genuinely beautiful young woman, and one of the most heart breaking things about her is how she doesn't believe it. She really does hate the way she looks. She thinks that her legs are too long, too skinny, that she isn't nearly curvy enough, and that her freckles make her ugly. She was, of course, very wrong about that, but it's not like she would believe you.
Casamira was lying on her bed, tucked against the wall in a corner of her attic bedroom, the sloped roof coming in close above her, the sound of the rain loud, even through the insulation.
She loved that sound.
The befreckled girl was reading a book she had taken out from the library at her school, and sipping from a hot mug of sweet, healthy lanternleaf tea.
I did mention that this world has magic written all over it, right?
Lanternleaf is a bioluminescent flower that gives off a flickering, fiery light in the dark. This, combined with the rigid, lantern-like structure, and the fact that the flower always either hangs from vines, or stands on tall stalks, lead to the name Lanternleaf. When you eat the petals, your irises begin to glow, and you get to see in the dark for a couple of hours. You can make tea with the petals, too, and get the same effect, but less pronounced, and for longer.
The petals are sweet, healthy, and do not contain caffeine. It's little wonder that they're so popular, what with the lack of withdrawal symptoms, and the little to no negative effect from overconsumption.
She tipped the mug back, and finished it, her eyes soaking in the wordy goodness from the surface of the paper, enraptured by the workings of the writer, captivated by her characters, her plots, her intricacies and well-made plans. Her heart started beating faster and faster as the protagonist leaned in to kiss her love interest. Her eyes went wide at the in-depth description of their lips touching, tentatively at first, then more and more passionately. The characters were lost in each other's arms, their eyes closed, their mouths slightly less so. It wasn't particularly graphic, but it was rather well written indeed.
She finished the chapter, and let the book fall onto her chest, breathing a little more heavily than perhaps she should have been; she was only reading, after all.
Looking disconsolately at her empty mug, her eyes fallen after that one scene had finished, she resolved that it was a perfectly good idea to get some more tea. She had a kettle in her room, and an en-suite bathroom she could get water from, and she kept a few well watered, fast growing lanternleaf flowers in her room, dangling from the ceiling, their vines stretching out over the wood, leading out the windows, searching for water.
She stood up, stretching and yawning. She had been in bed for most of the day, and when she hadn't been watching bad (a word she often used instead of amazing) TV shows about wizards and witches and dreadfully handsome youths, she had been reading and drinking tea, or occasionally going downstairs for something to eat. She was still in her pajamas, and she felt both too lazy for words, and very, very comfortable.
As she walked to the bathroom, kettle in hand, limping just a tad on her right leg, as she had for a long time now, she hummed a tune she'd heard online, and thought about writing her own books one day.
Uh, no. No, certainly not. She wasn't nearly talented enough. She was just a girl, and writers were always great people. She was just a girl, just a silly little girl. She wasn't that great. Not really great at all, to be honest. I mean, what kind of idiot spends all day lying in bed, watching TV on a tablet and reading the kinds of books she liked to read, huh? Not a great idiot. She just wasn't that great.
The passive smile she usually got when reading was already gone by the time she got back to slot the kettle back in to the dock that was plugged in and left on her bedside table, and turn it on, setting the water to the task of boiling.
She was walking slower, carrying herself a little less tall, and thinking more about how bad of a person she was than just how not-that-amazing of a person she was. I mean, really. You have to be really stupid to stick yourself in bed all day like she did, especially when you could be doing something productive, like- like anything else. Anything at all. All stuff she wasn't good at, too.
[darn] it.
And now you see why she's so bloody annoying, don't you? Look at this amazing girl, look at how she's giving herself a personal day- look at how she's wise enough to know when it's time to take one. All around her room, there are small stacks of exercise books, filled to the brim and hem with the most amazing sketches and drawings. She has talent, and she doesn't see it.
What kind of person could possibly have lived with themselves after making her think of herself like that?
She turned to the hanging flowers, their wobbling, candle-like light filling the room, aided by the candles she kept around, and started to cut some of the older petals off with a short, thin blade. This little knife hadn't always been used to cut plants; it had a sadder history than that.
Casamira put the petals in her teapot, after emptying the old ones out into her bin. Then, she waited for the water to come to boiling.
She started thinking about that knife, and her left hand unconsciously went to her right wrist, feeling the skin on the inside of the forearm, feeling where it was just slightly uneven, where it had been-
She shook her head, eyes closed.
She wasn't going to think about that today. She was having a really nice time until- you know, she couldn't even remember what had triggered this? She couldn't even remember why she was feeling so bad about herself suddenly.
So she wasn't going to anymore.
Her friends were coming over soon, and she needed to be dressed for that. They wouldn't mind if she was still in her pyjamas, of course; they probably wouldn't care if she was naked, frankly, because Breanna had never shown any interest in anyone in a sexual way, and Josef was gayer than gay. It would probably be a bit awkward, but she really didn't think they would have a problem with it. They'd known her for ages now, you see. She'd gotten changed in the same room as them a dozen hundred times, and they'd done the same. No problems.
She was going to put some clothes on, though.
By the time the tea was ready, she was dressed in her favourite faded black jeans, and her signature grey jumper, the one with the sleeves a bit too long for her, so she could tuck her hands inside them if it got cold.
She took the first sip from her tea, and thought about trying to get another chapter of that lovely book she was reading when we first met her in before Breanna and Josef arrived...
Instead, though, she decided to take a look around her room.
The rest of her house- her family's house- was pretty modern, really. Her room was the exception to this rule. Where the other rooms in the house liked lighter, airier colours, she had opted for the natural dark brown that the wood furnishings and walls had come in. She had asked for the renovators to leave her walls unplastered, with just the wood panelling, and she had specially requested that they leave the light switch out, because she was going to light it with glowing flowers.
That really isn't as rare of a request as you may think it is, by the way.
She wasn't a big fan of 'the old ways' in which suspected Nameless Worshippers were burned at the stake, and women had no rights- not to say things were honestly that much better now, under a conservative government like this one- but the old world décor did have a certain charm to it that she found hard to resist. There was also the way that the candle smoke tended to soak into wood more easily than plaster, and give her room a delicious, ye olde writer-y smell. She sometimes imagined herself in one of the grand outfits of old, with her dinner jacket and waistcoat and top hat on the desk, frantically scribbling at a piece of parchment as her inspiration took her on a rollercoaster, and her ideas flowed like a fountain of sparkling wine (or tea. Honestly she preferred tea.).
She breathed in, and her breath hitched a little. She hadn't realised how close she'd come to crying when she'd been thinking about herself as negatively as that.
She never did realised how close she always came to crying when she berated herself like that.
Once, she'd gone downstairs for dinner with puffy red eyes and wet cheeks, having forgotten that she had been crying entirely, and she'd been shocked to death when her father asked her in horror what the hell was wrong.
Her brother and sister- weird little twins, sort of semi-psychic- had explained things in a remarkably curt fashion. It was amazing how much they knew, really. When their dad had angrily demanded why they hadn't told him she was being bullied before, as soon as they knew, they looked at Casamira, and then back at their father, and said very simply "It was never our place." In perfect unison.
She loved those two so much.
She sipped at the tea she'd just made, letting the sensation of taste consume her thoughts. The tea was, as always, sweet and warming, and she could already see the room getting slightly brighter as the 'night vision' effect began. She closed her eyes, and lay back on her bed, thinking about life.
Life was unfair, most of the time. She didn't really have all that much to look forward to, in a way. Her dad said she had a natural talent for investigation, and that she could probably have a promising career in the police force if she felt like it. Her mum would always tell her that 'there are always other paths, too, dear' and wink whenever her dad started on this, of course. She could never figure out what her mum was talking about; she should probably ask the twins about it, to be honest. They always seemed to know everything.
Before she could start thinking about anything else, however, she heard the doorbell ring, and her mother open it. It was, of course, the two people she'd been expecting.
Josef was a tall, slender boy, with dark hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes Casamira had ever seen. It was true that the twins had lovely blue eyes too, but theirs were almost paranormal, and Josef's were like icy blue pools of handsome. Casamira's eyes were just mud, in her opinion. Josef had a trickster's disposition, quick hands, and an easy charm. His appetite for fun was matched only by his ability to have it- and to ensure that everyone around him was having fun too. He was the kind of guy that was easy to like, even when he was playing jokes on you. He was also a good listener, and even though there wasn't that much of him to hug, he gave very good hugs. He was good like that.
Breanna was a flirt. A huge flirt, in fact, with a fantastic, curvy body, and long eyelashes, and wonderful, shiny hair, and a really nice wink. Casamira always looked at her and thought how great life would be if only she looked more like that, with flawless, unblemished skin, and hips and breasts worth a [darn]. Oh, and no freckles. Casamira hated her freckles. Breanna was the girl who could wind boys around her fingers like putty, but never actually went out with anyone. Breanna was amazing. She was kind, and sweet, and when she kissed you on the cheek for doing something nice for her (which she did a lot, because people were always doing nice things for her) she made you feel special, because she was special.
Casamira smiled, the ends of her lips curling upwards just slightly. She could spend all day telling you about her awesome friends, they were just that awesome.
When Josef and Breanna got up to her room, Casamira pulled a couple of chairs out from her desk for them, and set them by the bed. She didn't need to ask if they wanted tea, she knew that Josef would always have lanternleaf tea, and Breanna would always have coffee.
She set the kettle again, and then sat down, smiling.
"So what's up, Cas?" Breanna asked, hands on her knees, leaning forwards like she always did.
"Well, I've spent the day reading, and watching that show you made us watch at your house." Cas' voice was quiet, but her friends were used to it.
"What, you're actually watching it?" Breanna's eyes lit up. Usually it was her that took book recommendations from Casamira, not Casamira taking TV recommendations from her.
"Well yeah." Cas smiled a small smile, not a nervous smile, but the smile of a girl who wasn't used to her smiles mattering to anyone. "It's good. I like Marlin." Her smile broke into a grin. Marlin was the heartthrob of the show, the cute guy who always ended up shirtless and covered in water. This one time, he'd gone out in the rain without his top on for absolutely no reason at all, just to feel it on his skin. That episode had been one of the fan favourites.
Of course, Casamira recognised the symbolism too, all of the meaning behind it. She knew it was a really important part of his character development too. She understood exactly why the writers had made it such a long scene. Oh yes, definitely. 100%.
But he was gorgeous too.
"Everyone likes Marlin." Breanna's smile was cheekier.
"I like Marlin." Josef chimed in, his eyebrows raised, looking down into his cup. "I definitely like Marlin."
The room was silent for a minute, but then they all started laughing. Josef did like Marlin. They all liked Marlin. Everyone always liked Marlin, and everyone always said it wasn't just his abs, his pecs, or his butt.
It was always his abs, pecs, or butt. Usually a mixture of those three. Of course it wasn't always just those things; Marlin was an intelligent, meaningful character too, and he knew how to treat people right.
"Hey Cas, you draw, right?" Breanna began to suggest, slowly.
Casamira nodded, unsure where Breanna was going. Her drawings weren't bad- no, not bad at all- but they certainly weren't credible pieces of art. Why would Breanna want to know if she could draw?
"Have you ever drawn Marlin?" Breanna smiled coyly, her legs crossed, her eyes devilish. This was not the first time she had asked Casamira if she'd been drawing boys recently.
"I... I guess I might've?" She guessed. She drew characters from her favourite things pretty regularly, so it wouldn't surprise her if she'd been drawing Marlin recently.
"Can I sneak a peek in your books? Just to be sure?" Breanna flashed a cheeky grin at Cas, a 'may I please please please with sugar and honey on top?' grin, as Josef had once called it.
Casamira thought about it for a moment, and then, when she noticed Josef looking eager too, she gave in, and nodded as she poured herself more tea. It was hardly as if she had anything to be embarrassed about in there, anyway.
Wait. Did she? Casamira never paid much attention to herself while she was drawing, and even less on the rare occasions she deemed herself talented enough to write. A faint blush flooded her cheeks as she thought about all of the possible scenes she might have been depicting in there all along- all of which her friends were about to become privy to.
"Cas..." Josef gasped, his hand to his mouth, shocked. He'd found something, she knew he'd found something, and now he was never going to speak to her again. God [darn] it, Casamira.
"Cas, this is beautiful." He finished.
And now she was really blushing.
"Oh my gosh Cas, I wish I could draw like you." Breanna said softly, stunned. Casamira really was a gifted young artist.
"I'm not that good." She brushed the compliment off, as she had become far too used to doing.
"No, Cas, you're brilliant!" Josef looked up. He, despite being a notorious and widely revered (or despised, depending on which people you ask) prankster, had a heart of pure and unadulterated gold. If there was one thing he hated more than the way people would treat him if he let on that he liked guys, it was the way Casamira belittled herself. "You're absolutely brilliant, you know that?" He reached over and patted her gently on the shoulder.
Casamira had withdrawn into herself a bit. Praise always made her feel uncomfortable, for the pure and simple reason that she did not feel she was deserving of it.
"Hey, what's this?" Breanna sounded surprised. She had found one of the few pages in all of Cas' doodled, drawn-on and art-ified books that was most revealing to Casamira. It was a picture of-
Casamira snatched the book back. She knew she shouldn't have let them look through her things, now she had no idea how much they'd seen of it- how much they knew. It was bad stuff art, but it was revealing, and she didn't know how they were going to react to it.
"Cas? What's wrong?" Breanna backed up suddenly. Casamira was not an aggressive girl. "Why'd you do that?"
"Because- because it's awful." She lied. It was an obvious lie, she's not much of a liar, and it didn't take a Grey (one of the government's secret police) to figure it out.
"Actually I liked it." Josef said plainly.
"Me too. Sweetie, what's wrong?" Breanna came over to sit by Casamira, wrapping her arm around the smaller, thinner girl's shoulders and squeezing her warmly.
"Nothing's wrong, Breanna." Cas lied again. Seriously not good at lying. Not at all.
Josef looked at Breanna, and Breanna looked at Josef.
"Something's wrong. You can tell us anything, Casamira." Josef's voice was tender, and very handsome, actually. If he had been straight, or otherwise going for girls, Cas would have been tempted to ask him out.
"He's right, honey." Breanna cooed gently. She was, perhaps, the kindest girl that Cas had ever met. Also the most beautiful.
Cas looked down, scratching roughly at the back of her right hand, shaking her head rapidly.
She froze when Breanna laid her hand gently on her own, stopping her scratching, just as she drew blood.
"Don't hurt yourself. If you don't wanna tell us anything, you don't have to."
[darn] it. [darn] it! God [darn] it! Why was she so useless? Ugh, what a bloody idiot- didn't she trust her friends? She'd known them for years, for crying out loud. She must be a very selfish girl if she wasn't going to share this with her friends. She must be even more stupid than she was selfish if she thought they cared.
I mean, she wasn't worth much, was she? She wasn't even pretty.
Casamira had begun to cry, silently, but Breanna could feel her sobbing.
"Cas, Cas look at me." Breanna brought her friend's head up gently, until she was looking Casamira in the eyes. "It's ok. Whatever it is, it's ok."
"Cas, there is literally nothing in the world that could stop us from loving you, ok?" Josef came closer too, resting his hand on her back. For such a slim young man, he felt very strong. "It's ok. We're here for you."
Slowly, Casamira began to stop crying. It must be said that what she's currently going through- whether you've worked it out yet or not- is probably one of the hardest things human beings could ever be forced to do. As a result, I'm not going to tell you what the secret is. Oh, I know. I know a lot of things. But I'm not going to tell you, because it would be wrong to do that to Casamira.
"It's fine, don't worry. You don't need to tell us a thing if you don't want to." Josef, pulled them both into a hug.
That was twice today Cas has ended up crying, or gotten at least half way there.
She breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself down. She was also painfully aware that her tears were getting Josef's t-shirt all wet.
"I'm sorry." She apologised. She was. She was very sorry. Sorry for a lot of things, none of which had ever been her fault.
"It's fine, hon. You don't need to apologise to us about this, you didn't do anything wrong." Breanna hugged them both tighter. "You never do."
"I'm sorry." She said again anyway.
Josef shushed her gently.
"It's ok. We've got you."
They're the best friends in the world, aren't they? Casamira is a very lucky girl in many ways, even if she doesn't always feel it.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Casamira's mother burst in, her face panicked, her hands shaking. Something was wrong, terribly, terribly wrong, because Fiona Allene (Casamira's mother) was never scared, not of anything in the world.
"Cas, there are three Greys at our door, and they're asking for Josef." Her voice shook like a leaf. "Cas, they have rifles."
Now that was it. Greys don't carry rifles when they're not there to take someone. Investigators get pistols, and baton-sabres, like all the rest of the Greys. Abductors get rifles.
They were going to take Josef away.
"Mother..." A younger boy's voice came from behind Casamira's mum.
"... please let us through." A girl's voice followed it.
Yes! The Twins! Neala and Finn Allene were bright, and saw things coming before they came. They would have a plan, they always had a plan.
The Twins were calm, as always, their presence ethereal, their very posture ghostly, and their faces serene but thinking.
They held the silence for seconds that felt like minutes that felt like hours, unmoving. Somehow, everyone knew not to speak- or rather, they were wordlessly ordered not to. The Twins had this effect on people sometimes.
The silence continued.
"There is nothing you can do." Finn finally conceded.
"There is no escape from this." Neala explained.
Breanna was trembling in a sour mixture of rage and terror for her friend as she turned to Josef.
"What did you do?!" She screamed
Chapter 2 - Baine
Neala shook her head briefly, and pulled her twin to one side, speaking quickly and quietly to him. If you were to listen, you would not understand the words they were using. This is either because they are using a coded language they have developed for themselves, or because they are not really talking, and are fully psychic.

Take your pick, they're both just as likely.

"Finn, we must do something." She urged. Contrary to what might be popular opinion and gender roles, they both acknowledged that Neala was the most impulsive of the pair. She saw this as a fault, and was trying to correct it. Finn, on the other hand, was occasionally a bit passive for comfort. He was, of course, trying to fix that too.

"What can we do? There is nothing." He replied, a note of cold anger in his voice.

"Finn..." She rested her hand on his upper arm, looking deep into his eyes. "... there is never nothing."

Finn looked at her. His darling twin. It's true, she was reckless at times, and she had put their goings-on in danger with it before... but she was a good person.

Often, she was even better than he was- and above all, he trusted her. He trusted her with his life, and more importantly, with all the lives he was there to protect.

"You're not saying that we should..." He began.

"... make contact with them?" She finished his question.

There was, again, silence. You get used to it eventually, but it's bone chilling to begin with. They really do have a supernatural quality to them- people have even made allusions that the twins are not entirely human before.

The Twins only smiled at those suggestions, which was even weirder.

"We can't." Finn shook his head again. He'd worked to make these connections, and he couldn't let them be thrown away right now, for the sake of one-

"For the sake of one living, breathing, feeling human being, whose crimes may well deserve punishment, but are obviously unworthy of the penalty that The Greys will bring."

[darn] it, she was right. Always, she was right.

"You're right too, just not right now." She felt his cheek. They were a remarkably affectionate pair, and had reportedly never fought with eachother a day in their lives. "We have to."

"You're right." Finn nodded.

"We often are." She smiled at him.

Meanwhile, the others in the room were beginning to panic good and proper. This was not mild panic, this was not even moderate panic. This was Defcon 20, apocalypse level, end of the world, London's Burning panic.

"You idiot! You bloody idiot! What did you do?!" Breanna was beginning to beat weakly against Josef's chest. Tears were streaming down her face, and Josef could only sit there, frozen in the highest, most elite state of terror.

Casamira's mother had gone back downstairs to try and talk to the Greys at her door, find out what his charges were, things like that. She couldn't say he wasn't here. They would know, they always knew. It was like a Grey benefit, you get to know when people are lying to you, and then you get legal license to murder them for it.

And Casamira herself was sitting on her bet, her knees drawn up to her chest, pressed up against the corner, chewing so hard on her lip it was entirely feasible that the most prominent colour on her face when the Greys inevitably came up and beheaded them all would be the blood dribbling down her chin. It was over. Her life was over- ALL of their lives were over.

What did he do?

Casamira's mother returned.

"They say that they won't tell me anything, but that they will talk to you, Josef." Her eyes were bloodshot already, and she looked a cross between faint and terrified on adrenaline.

"Don't go! You can't go!" Breanna grabbed him and held onto him, tightly. "I won't let you go! They'll kill you!"

"They say they're coming in if he doesn't come out, and that then we'll be guilty of harbouring a fugitive." Cas' mum looked up at Casamira.

Casamira had closed her eyes. Everything seemed to be working against her, and her friends. The world seemed more than determined to have them all hang themselves before winter arrived properly, and it wasn't that far away.

The world was succeeding, so far.

"I have to go." Josef burst out suddenly. His eyes were steel in that moment, his jaw clenched and his will set. If they were to kill him, then they could kill him, but he would not have his friends hurt by his refusal to step out of the house with his hands up- even if he would be stepping into a firing squad.

And once again, the room fell totally silent bar for the unending pettering of the rain. Even the twins were wordless. They hadn't expected this.

Josef stood up, stronger than he had been before. He felt the shadow of the one they call Death upon him already, but there was nothing to do about that. Why waste time worrying about what has been done, or what will be done that you cannot change?

Unless you can change it.

As Josef walked out and into the rain, the grimace he had painted over his features beginning to slip as the rain soaked him through, two of the three Greys in front of him raised their rifles, and moved to his sides, not coming close enough for him to swipe at them, but close enough that they wouldn't miss.

The one who remained in front of him was not carrying a rifle. He was holding a baton-sabre, in its baton form, and he was staring at Josef in a mixture of pity and distaste.

"So you are the saboteur." His voice was gravel, and it sounded cold.

"There's no point in saying I'm not, is there?" Josef was angry. He stood there, rain slicking his hair down, running down his face like all of the tears that parents don't let boys cry, because boys don't cry; only girls cry.

Josef wanted to cry right then. I imagine you would too.

"No, not really." The man sighed, clicking a button on the hilt of his Baton-Sabre, pointing it towards the floor as a long, elegant, indescribably deadly looking blade shot out of its end. It was unbelievably thin, and probably just as strong. This may well have been the blade by which Josef would die, and he knew it.

"What if I tell you why? I know you can't tell that, Grey, not just by looking at me." Josef stared at the Grey, stared into his cold grey eyes. The Grey's hair was wet and slick too. It was long, which was unusual for the Greys- although officers got privileges, he supposed.

"It won't change anything, Josef." The Grey in charge took a few lazy steps forward. "But I'll humour you."

He knew his name.

That was another power the Greys seemed to have.

Josef stood up taller, ignoring the Grey Blade that seemed eager already to fell him like dead foliage or a practice dummy, ignoring the two automatic rifles aiming at his neck. Josef stood up taller and he started to speak out.

"Because what you do is wrong. Last week you dragged off a young man I knew by the name of Marcus. He did not return, instead the police found his body, and did not investigate." Josef's voice was building, and so was the storm. His friends were watching. "I knew that man, Grey. He was a good man, and you had no reason to take him. He left behind a woman who loved him, and a wedding ring he had been going to give her later that evening." Josef was roaring; he was a lion; the Greys were but mice to him.

"He was going to propose, Grey, and she was going to say yes." Josef trembled in rage and fear and anguish. If he was the one holding the sword, then none of the monsters that stood before him would still be standing.

"And that was not the first time this has happened."

The Grey looked up at Josef. If these stories had reached him, he did not show it.

"Josef, my name is Alexander Baine. I am the High Commander of this region's Greys, and I care for my men." His voice, on the other hand, was calm. Scarily so. "When you poured sugar into the fuel tanks of our fast response cars, along with your three other co-conspirators, you removed our ability to respond. As a result, not only did the terrorist known as the Firebomber manage to take a dozen hostages, but he also managed to set the building on fire, and make sure that his hostages stayed there until they had burned to death."

Casamira paled. Breanna less so.

"I'm going to level with you, since you already seem like an emotionally aware boy. I don't care for the government. I don't care for their officials. I care for order, though, and I care for my men." the High Commander, Alex Baine, took a breath.

"12 hostages, Josef. All of them high ranking government officials. They can be replaced easily, but I lost upwards of 20 Greys in that fire, the explosions it caused, and the chaos that ensued- and they were not bad people."

He poked Josef in the chest with a single, strong finger. Josef was pushed backwards by it.

"You may not have set the fire, but by sabotaging our ability to respond, you are as much a murderer as the Firebomber himself."

"Then I'm no less guilty than the Greys who died, am I?" Josef smirked. It was a brave- and foolhardy- smirk.

The Commander seemed to ignore it.

"Josef, there is a word for what you are." He began, feeling along the blade of his sabre, his gloves protecting his fingers from it. Believe me, if it weren't for the gloves, he may well have lost bits of himself by now, touching the blade of one of those things like that; they're extremely sharp. The Commander looked up.

"That word is traitor, and it carries the death penalty."

The rain did not stop for that. The rain stops for nobody. In a way, it's fairer than the Greys.

"Don't! Please don't!" Breanna shouted, taking a step forward, but freezing in place when one of the Greys with rifles turned to aim at her.

"Back up, girl." He commanded.

"Don't hurt him!" Breanna cried, even as Casamira came forward- shaking in terror, of course, but coming forward nonetheless- to stand by her side.

"Please, we'll do anything." She offered.

The High Commander, Alexander Baine, shook his head.

"The Law is final." He lifted the sword up, and Josef shut his eyes tight.

"Commander Baine." Came a voice. It was authoritative, strong. Which was a little odd, because the origin was Finn. Normally, the decisive speaking came from Neala. "Is there truly nothing we can do to stop this?"

Frustrated, the Commander lowered his sword and furrowed his brow in frustration. He was not a kind man, nor was he a very good man, but he was not fond of beheading teenagers, no matter their crimes; he wanted it over with.

"No." He said, looking at Finn.

"But you are down 20 men and women, Commander. Surely there is another way of punishing the guilty party?" Neala suggested. She knew exactly what she was doing; the Greys have a unique 'Right of Conscription' allowing them to conscript any and all citizens they deem appropriate to their ranks in times of need. A time of frequent terrorist attacks counts as a time of need.

The Twins were suggesting that Alexander Baine recruit Josef instead of execute him.

"What are you suggesting I do instead?" The Commander asked them, his voice unsure. Surely they couldn't mean that?

Josef looked back at the twins, confused. Casamira and Breanna did too, the same befuddlement dancing across their faces. It was something that the twins would usually enjoy, outsmarting people, but this was serious. Josef's life hang on how they worded this.

"The Greys possess the right of conscription, correct? You need more Greys, Commander, whether you like it or not. Josef is able bodied, and we have found him to be remarkably intelligent." Finn took his turn at speaking. The Greys with the rifles were stunned into silence, not just by the twins' immaculate use of language and eloquent phrasing- that's more the kind of thing that the Commander would notice- but by the fact that they knew anything about the Greys at all.

The Greys are not the best documented of Secret Police Forces, probably due to the fact that they are a Secret Police Foce, and that they are rather good at remaining so. The few books about them don't contain much on rules, because they are not generally bound by them, and even then the books themselves are atrociously hard to find- especially for teenagers whose biggest worries should really be acne and getting dates.

"It would be an awful shame to waste him like this." Neala added.

They were working on him. They could already see him reconsidering the death penalty- it was within his power to offer Josef his life if he wanted to- and more importantly, they could feel him reconsidering. Their feelings were their most accurate tool, and their most deadly weapon.

But they couldn't take chances.

"And of course, to further bolster your numbers after this tragedy, Casamira, Breanna, Finn and myself will gladly join your Greys."

Now that surprised them.

"You will?" The Commander quizzed, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"We will?" Casamira, Josef and Breanna all turned in incredulity.
"We will." The twins decided unanimously.
"No!" Fiona screamed. Even the Greys jumped a little- a good mother is not easy to separate from her children. "I will not allow it!" Her voice was shrill and furious. "How dare you even consider taking my children from me!" Her face was red, and her hands clenched in fists of rage. Even Casamira was a bit afraid of her like this, stepping out into the rain, away from her mum.
The Commander ignored Fiona as much as he could.
"You're sure about this? Not all would consider what you suggest to be a mercy." Commander Baine asked Neala and Finn. He had not used his 'right of conscription' and did not enjoy the thought of doing so.
"No! No they are not! Kill me and be done with it!" Josef roared, his voice breaking halfway through. His throat was hoarse already, and rainwater had trickled a river down his everything- he was soaked to the bones.
Commander Baine had a real talent for ignoring people, it turned out.
Suddenly, he pushed past Josef, and came up intrusively close to the twins, leaning down on them, sword still in-hand.
Casamira could not hear what he said next. The hair on Cas' neck stood on end as she saw his grip tighten on his baton-sabre hilt, but his fingers soon relaxed, and the air was pierced by the mechanical sound of the blade being withdrawn.
It would appear that an agreement had been reached.
Breanna was still stunned into silence as Josef began begging them not to do this to him- not to make him serve the Greys, or to become one himself. Casamira, however, was fully able to turn to her younger siblings as the Commander left their personal space, and start interrogating them.
"What are you doing?" Her voice sounded just as terrified as her mother's. In fact, their voices were fairly similar in general.
"We are doing what must be done to save Josef, Cas." Neala tried to reassure her, but Casamira wasn't used to listening to positive talk.
"Josef would rather die than this!" She hissed, a dark kind of rage building in the pit of her stomach.
"Shut up, Cas, you're being an idiot." Finn dismissed her.
Casamira recoiled in shock. Finn had never called her an idiot before. Her heart felt like it was shrivelling as she stepped backwards from her brother and sister- and right into the arms of the Grey waiting to drag her into the car and take her to the Grey Tower, where she would inevitably die. She knew better than anyone that she would never survive Grey training, and the cadets do not live to speak of their failures.
She screamed as burly arms closed around her, and lifted her from the ground.
"Mum! Mum!" She shrieked, struggling futilely as her mother was backed into the house by Commander Baine. Cas could see her mother shaking her head furiously as she was cornered- and then she was thrown in the back of the car. It was a stoutly built military model, and the Grey locked the door after her. Josef and Breanna were already in there, huddled together on the far side of the back seats. Cas could see that Josef had tried to fight them, and she could see that it had ended in a fierce nosebleed, leaving a streak of crimson dripping from his chin.
"Why the hell did Finn and Neala say we were going to do anything for these bastards?!" Josef raged, not particularly as Cas, but she was feeling it the most.
"I'm sorry!" She cried out, panicking at the volume of his voice. Josef was normally calm and quiet and gentle, this wasn't like him, this wasn't him. He would never hurt her, she was sure of it, but this wasn't the Josef she knew. "I'm sorry, Josef!" she repeated as Breanna leapt away from Josef's noise, towards Cas.
Josef looked down, his face twisted in anger as everything about him sank. He was in a dark place, and his eyes showed it best.
Finn and Neala were being escorted into the car in front of them, more gently as they were not trying to resist.
Cas pulled Breanna close, trying desperately to feel warm or safe or anything other than terrified and awful for letting the twins betray Josef like that.
But without them he would be dead.
But that's what he wanted!
Casamira buried her face deeper and deeper into Breanna's shoulder, trying to block everything out. She should have made them let Josef do what he wanted, but she didn't because she was stupid and weak and she knew it, she knew it!
Cas started to scratch the back of her hands again- the same spot she'd torn her skin just before- when Commander Baine walked out her house, his baton drawn and the end of it painted in blood.
When he got in their car, Josef began to vocalize.
"What did you do to Casamira's mother?!" He shouted in panic, noticing the blood on the end of the baton.
"She'll be fine." He avoided it nonchalantly.
"No, you tell me, [darn] it!"
The Commander turned around to speak to Josef through the wire mesh separating the front from the back as the car started to move off, towards the Grey tower.
"She tried to stab me with a kitchen knife, so I dodged her and sliced open her ankle. Then, when she still refused to give up, I put the blade away and used the baton to knock her out. The blood is from her ankle, not her skull. Satisfied?"
Josef growled.
"You monster."
"If I hadn't, she would have stabbed me." He droned boredly, turning back to face the front. "This may be one of the few occasions where the only violence committed on a call was purely in self-defence." The commander mused.
The car fell into silence for a good while, Casamira still holding on to Breanna, and Josef too infuriated to speak reasonably about anything.
After a while, though, he calmed down a bit, and found that he had a question that needed answering.
"Why didn't you just kill me?"
Commander Baine had been very patient with these children- he wasn't normally as tolerant of ridiculousness at all- but even he could respect a good question.
"That's a good question." He remarked, smiling softly to himself, running over possible motives in his head.
"It could be that I saw something special in each and every one of you, and that I'm going to make you all special elite soldiers that go out and save the world from some insane engineer's mad mayhem machine." He suggested jokingly, and the driver chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.
"But no. There is a reason, young Josef. More than one, to be fair."
Josef sighed.
"Then please, enlighten me."
The driver stopped laughing.
"Well, for one, I have an intense dislike for the murder of children, and no matter your crimes, Josef, you are but a child still."
The car rounded a corner. People outside were gaping. They were people that Cas and her friends knew, and they couldn't believe that Casamira, Breanna and Josef could possibly end up in the back of a Grey car.
"For two, those odd twins are right. There aren't quite as many of us in the Grey tower as you all think, and each and every Grey is more valuable than can be imagined. I need to replenish my troops- and successfully inducting one of the saboteurs might just stop it from happening again."
"Thirdly, there are people in the world whose opinions I respect and care about. Not all of them would approve of what I arguably should have done to you." He added more quietly.
"We never caught your fellow saboteurs, by the way, Josef. We assume that they were extracted by the Revolutionaries shortly after your crime."
Josef perked up, surprised and confused.
"But that's impossible. We don't know anyone with them."
The Commander sighed, and turned around again, a look something like pity in his eyes.
"No, Josef. You didn't know anyone in the Revolutionaries. The others may not have either, to be fair, but they do now. We found a red feather on each and every one of the suspects' beds."
And at that point, Josef's jaw dropped.
The Red Feather was indeed the publicly accepted calling card of the Revolutionaries.
And Josef had not received one.
He fell into a different kind of silence. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes were downcast in shame. They had been chosen; he had not.
Admittedly, he had not had the goal of joining the revolutionaries in mind when he joined the others in their bid to put the Greys' cars out of action, and they'd not known that the Firebomber was planning anything on that day- although if the others had been in contact it would make sense to plan the two events together.
All he had wanted was to hurt the system that seemed so keen to hurt him, and his friends.
"You know, I do understand why you did what you did." The Commander said. His driver gave him the most surprised look, it almost had Breanna laughing- almost.
"Oh yes. I know. Kind of scary, isn't it? Big, bad Grey empathising with another human being. But no, I can see why you are angry."
He shrugged.
"Occasionally I feel very angry too."
Josef didn't know what to think- and neither did his two feminine friends, although Cas wasn't thinking all that much right now, being in the middle of a panic attack and adamant in the belief that she was going to die horribly in the Grey tower.
And the driver maintained his look of wide-eyed disbelief. At this point, people who were not so sure they were being driven to their deaths definitely would have laughed.
"The way our government treats people like you, Josef, and like you, Breanna, and even like you, Casamira- though I doubt you know it yet- is wrong. It is, perhaps, the epitome of wrong." The Commander was speaking slowly, ponderingly.
"But it is more important to maintain order. Order and peace cannot be sacrificed for the well being of a minority- can you not see how many people would die in the fires of a revolution? Innocent people, too." He was speaking the views he held, now. He was speaking his mind.
The driver was looking slightly less shocked, but still fairly catatonic- not a wise move, considering that he was driving.
However, the car didn't crash, nobody died of spontaneous cardiac arrest, and the world didn't end just because one man had an opinion you might not have thought he would have.
The Commander leaned forwards, and looked up.
"We're nearly there." He announced quietly as his eyes met the spire of the Grey tower.
The Grey tower was an imposing, threatening, intimidating beast of a building. It was, with no doubt about the matter, the tallest building in the city, ignoring height restrictions entirely, and it continued underground for X distance (it is a closely guarded secret).
It was, of course, made of grey rock. Not simply cement, not just stone, but rock. Gargantuan slabs of igneous rock, unpolished and dull, formed its four terrifying walls.
The spire was at once blunt and sharp, with not even a hint of architectural chaos in all the design, but with something vicious built into it.

If this tower were a man, this man would be a murderer.
And they were headed right into his arms.
Chapter 3 – The Grey Tower
Casamira got a lot of dirty looks from everyone as she was frogmarched through the halls of the Greys. Her hands were cold and stained lightly with blood where she had been scratching at herself, and her stomach was tying itself in a reef knot.
Josef looked oddly calm. He obviously hadn't taken his apparent rejection from the Revolutionaries that well, and the frightening levels of empathy he had experienced from a Grey...
Maybe it was too much for him to take. Maybe he was thinking deeply on his beliefs. Maybe he no longer cared what happened to him.
Maybe he was getting better at hiding fear.
Breanna walked unsteadily. They were not cuffed, but she wasn't moving her arms as she walked, holding her hands together up by her chest, shaking. It wasn't clear to anyone if she was shaking in blind and undignified terror, or if she was shaking in blind and indiscriminating rage right now, though, as her face was completely non-emotive, which was unlike her.
The twins actually started to look nervous. Nobody would have recognised the look, however, as it was the first time they'd shown it this much.
The inside of the Grey tower is not something that most people will ever see- or that any sane person who doesn't want to join the Greys could ever hope to see. Most people who walk these corridors do not leave them, unless they leave carrying a baton-sabre and pistol, daubed in thick Grey clothing.
They were taken to the top of the building, and directed to a room at the end of the corridor that the lift opened out to.
Commander Baine sat down at his chair at the desk in the room, and quickly pulled out a book from a drawer in the desk.
"This is the Grey tome. You won't have heard of it, and you'll never tell anyone of it. It is how you will be joining us." He explained briskly, uncomfortable with holding the book.
Scanning through the pages briefly- as quickly as he could, in fact- he tried not to look too closely at the symbols and sigils inscribed in silvery ink onto the thick, crisp paper. The others, however, looked, fascinated in an inhuman sort of way.
"Don't look for too long." He warned them, his voice ever so slightly pained. "Just don't look at them for too long."
Eventually, after what seemed like an age to the 5 teenagers awaiting some kind of big show, he stopped on the middle page of the book.
It was entirely blank, and too white to be real.
"Josef, you'll go first." The Commander slapped the book down on the table, eager to fling it from his grip. He drew his baton, and extended the blade.
"Run each of your thumbs along the blade." He laid it on the table in front of the book, holding it so the blade faced upwards. "Press hard, if you can. The book recognises a shoddy job."
Josef looked suspicious- which was odd because the real Josef would have been up in arms at even going near the Grey tower, let alone being told to cut his thumbs open inside it- but stepped forwards.
He closed his eyes, and sliced himself on the weapon, blood trailing a thick red swath over the glinting metal. His wounds still dripping, and the wince only just leaving his face, he looked to the Commander.
"Press both of your thumbs firmly into the paper, one on each page. Hold them there, and no matter what, do not pull away." He instructed, wiping his sword with a grey, silken cloth, and laying it down again for the next person.
Josef didn't even question it.
As he stuck his thumbs down to the paper, he cried out as his fingers began to burn. He looked down in horror as he saw his thumbs pale visibly as blood was drained from them- but he did not pull away. No, he gritted his teeth, and he struggled through it.
His cry built until he could no longer bear it, his voice already hoarse and cracking under the strain.
And then the book- the Grey Tome- let him go.
Josef stumbled backwards, clutching at his thumbs, the burning sensation fading rapidly and being replaced with an icy cold- the icy cold that came with a distinct lack of blood present in the hands.
Casamira looked- in an uncharacteristically curious manner, I must say- at the pages. There was no blood on them whatsoever.
"The Book is hungry. It forces you into it with curiosity, and then it drains you- or at least, that's how it was when we found it. We repurposed it- we negotiated with it and its kin- until we found that it could be used for blood oaths of a kind."
"You just fed an ancient pamphlet your blood, Josef. Feel the gift of charity on you yet?" Neala joked, nerves tittering in her voice. Again, uncharacteristic. Also odd, because this book is a very powerful thing, and it should have been making her intrigued, not afraid.
"Not charity, Neala. That was a trade. The Book demands to be fed, and it grants power in return. Over the next few days, you will change, and your curiosity will be replaced with pain whenever you go near the book." He held out his hands. Only Josef did not gasp when they all saw that his palms were scarred deeply, and that his fingers were still a blistering red from his contact with those cursed pages.
The Book seemed amused.
"Breanna next." He commanded, not turning back to the book, his eyes having a haunted look to them already. "She seems bravest out of all you who are left."
Casamira came last.
"Your friends have all done this already. They're already feeling better." Baine tried to encourage her. She shook her head resolutely, fear gripping at her throat, muffling her, strangling her.
"Cas, its fine. It doesn't hurt that much anymore." Breanna rested her hand reassuringly on Casamira's shoulder, petite and bony though it was. "Josef, back me up."
"Yeah, it's fine Cas." He mumbled. Some friend, huh?
Breanna growled- growled- at him, and then turned back to Cas.
"Cas, it's gotten to the point where we don't have a choice." She urged her.
Casamira looked up at Breanna. She took in as much of her face as she could for no particular reason other than that her friend was the most beautiful young woman she'd ever seen, and she liked the way Breanna looked.
She knew Breanna was right. Breanna was always right in the end. It might be because Breanna, being an especially adaptable girl, was good at shifting her point of view slightly enough that she could still win an argument if proven wrong and make you think that she'd been right all along. It might also be because she was always right in the end.
But Cas was so scared. She was mortified. The idea of cutting herself- on purpose- again was too much. She was afraid that one cut, even for something like this, could lead to anything. She was afraid that she would somehow die in the 'booking'. She was afraid of a lot of things that she knew to be totally pointless, and that she knew she shouldn't be afraid of.
But that didn't stop her being afraid of them, now did it?
"It's gonna be alright." Breanna took her hands. The wounds had been bandaged shortly after, but her hands were still cold, still drier of blood than they should have been. "I'll look out for you. I'll even hold your hands while you do it."
That was enough.
In fact, Cas' 'booking' was especially vicious. These books, these ancient leather-bound predators, they can sense fear and vulnerability and they love to abuse it. In truth, nobody knows who created them- and I doubt very much that the book would tell you if you asked it, even if it knew.
As Casamira shunted backwards, her scream dying in her throat, she fell, and Breanna caught her.
The blood soaked into the book's greedy pages, and Alex Baine stepped between the new recruits conscripts and the tome itself. Steadying himself, he then proceeded to skim through the rest of the pages, from the halfway point to the finish.
When it was over, he threw the book shut, and then stuffed it back into his drawer- a lead lined drawer- as fast as he could.
"I swear to whatever cruel being made this world that those bloody books will be the death of me." He wiped sweat from his brow, and turned to face the new guys.
Cas was leaning on Breanna, not just her hands having gone pale, but all the way to her elbows- even her cheeks had lost their colour, making the freckles more pronounced than ever. If she had the emotional capacity to give a [darn] about anything but warming her hands up and not falling over right now she would probably have screamed at the freckles.
"Those books used to feed on emotion and weakness, Casamira. They still sense it, and take advantage of it. You will notice that Josef will recover fully before any of you- and that you will be the last to regain your colour." For a secret police Commander, he was very good at sharing information.
"I promise..." He was breathless still. "I promise that you will not be made to do that again." He groaned, and stretched his back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need a drink. Duncan is outside, he'll show you to your quarters and around the tower as much as you're allowed to see right now. You're going to have a few days before your training begins, and you'll be put in with another group that have just been booked, so they're not getting a head start. Use the time to get to know eachother, and to look around the base."
He sighed.
"After all, this is your home now."
With that, he made his excuses and left.
Duncan had been in the Greys for years now, and knew the base like the back of his hand. Whatever the book had done to Casamira, it was acting already; she was paying more attention than a person who'd just had their hands feeling like they were being ripped off and burnt arguably should have been. The twins kept rubbing their eyes, and Breanna was blinking a lot, but looking around more too. Josef was taking on a wider, more dominant stride, too.
"This is where you'll sleep." He gestured inside a doorway.
Inside was a corridor, with several more doors branching off from it. There was a sign pointing to the bathrooms, and a sign pointing to the common room.
"You'll get plenty of time here, believe it or not. Training sessions aren't as long as the public seems to think they are; we don't spend our entire lives down below. Common rooms are pretty sweet, too."
He started walking on down the corridor, and continued speaking.
"You'll get moved down a floor every two to three years. Things pretty much stay the same as you move up the building. I mean, there are some changes, of course, but nothing drastic."
"Dorms are on floors 15 upwards, ending at about 70, maybe 75. I never counted them, not even when I was a bored recruit. Anything about 80, though, that's where the booking offices are, and then you get up to the Commanders' apartments. Off limits, got it?"
They resounded a quiet yes, still semi-reeling, even as those slight modifications to their temperaments and personalities were made by the book's magic.
"We have a bunch of mess halls for you, from 15 downwards. You gotta keep in mind that there are armouries and stuff mixed in with all of this too, ok? If something goes down you have to respond superquick, or people die."
"Speaking of which," he stopped walking. "If the sirens go off, drop what you're doing and wait for orders. Rookies get them too when we get sent out, you just don't usually tag along."
He started up again.
They got in a lift, which took them up a good distance. Then, Duncan took them out and showed them something kind of stunning.
"Look out over the city." He said quite simply. They were on a landing pad, underneath a large, solid covering. There were aircraft of various natures parked neatly about it, but the view was the most important bit, Cas felt.
"This is the topmost hangar-pad." Duncan informed them. "The view is the best bit."
He sat down on a bench nearby.
"I come up here and think sometimes, I do. It's peaceful, as long as things aren't going on- although you don't think much when you're in the thick of things so coming up here to think would be a bit redundant, if not just against orders."
The view was stunning.
Cas found it interesting, actually. She was looking down over a city that contained some of her other friends. She was now superior in rank to them, being a Grey cadet, and could see just how big the city was in comparison to each and every one of them.
She could see the richer buildings clustered around the Grey tower, the financial district not too far away, and the rich peoples' homes just between the skyscrapers and the banks. But as she started looking further out, she noticed a distinct lack of wealth in the buildings, and she began to see slums, too.
Wealth does not trickle down, it seemed.
She resolved that she could not go back now, but that she had to maintain her own views. She had to stay individual. She had to-
"We're not trying to make you into clones." Duncan said, like he'd been reading her mind.
"That's what they all think when they get taken up here first time, you see. It's kind of funny, but as soon as people get up here and see all the different bits of the city together like that, they tend to notice how unfair it is that some people should live in poverty while others live in luxury and don't even care."
He pulled a small bar of chocolate from his pocket, and opened it.
"I agree, actually, with that point. But you see, then you all think that it's the most important thing in the world to hang on to this new perspective- as if we're trying to rip it away from you. We're really not." He continued to explain with a mouthful of chocolate.
"In fact, we don't care what you do or don't believe as long as you do your jobs. We don't care about a lot, when you think about it. You'll find Greys on every floor that are pretty open being gay or whatever too. As I said, nobody here cares- although you're not meant to have relationships or anything. Don't get any ideas." He mock-warned.
"Nah, we don't honestly care about that either. The really really high ups in command might, but Baine doesn't, and so we don't either. I mean, Baine's actually got a girlfriend."
What?
"I know. He seems a weird kind of guy at first, too, but he's pretty cool when you get to know him. I mean, by no means is he a saint- we all have to do what we have to do to keep the peace, y'know?- but he is a pretty cool guy."
Hang on, what?
"Commander Baine has a girlfriend?" Breanna gasped.
"Oh, yeah. She's another High Commander. That's not the top rank, by the way. It might seem like it is, but it isn't. Top rank is 'Overcommand Chairman' believe it or not. Odd, I know, but we're unlikely to get far enough to be confused anyway, so we may as well enjoy ourselves, eh?" He opened another chocolate bar.
"I'm sure it's obvious why my nickname is Chocolate Dunc-ers, right? You know, because I love chocolate and my name is Duncan?"
"I think I might even like it here." Josef murmured.
"Ok, I made that nickname up myself. I don't think anyone really calls me that."
"You what?" Breanna whipped around, almost sending Cas sprawling onto the smooth surface of the landing pad.
"Maybe you guys could call me that? I'd like it if you could."
"I said I think I might even like it here, Breanna." Josef reinforced, a little louder.
"Ok, you don't have to call me that if you don't want to. It's not the best nickname anyway, is it?"
"How?! How can you like it here? You've always hated the Greys!" Breanna's voice rose in kind.
"I mean, I have plenty of other defining features, like my ability to play guitar, and my love of flavoured lip balm."
"But that was before I knew them, and before the other side refused me." Josef's voice wasn't angry- but it wasn't ready to sit down and be shouted at either.
"I guess a better nickname would be something like 'lippy' or something."
"So you're going to give up your beliefs that easily?" Breanna rebutted.
"Maybe Big Duncan. Hmmm, no. No that makes it too easy for them to call me Big D, and that'd be dumb."
"Maybe I will." Josef raised his voice, anger flaring in his eyes. Anger did not normally flare in his eyes, it usually flushed his cheeks. The 'booking' might have affected him in other ways, it seemed.
"Like you were going to give us up so easily?" Breanna's voice trembled. She was still upset about how willingly Josef would have gone to his death when she and Cas still obviously needed him around. Breanna especially needed him; she'd come to love the ant like the brother she never got.
Josef was silent.
"Guys, you're gonna have to work this out." Duncan's talk got serious suddenly. No more nicknames, he was making a point. "You're going to have to trust each other with your lives at some point, you know. You've got to be friends, I mean, we grouped you with cadets we thought you'd get along with for that reason, after all. No sense in having a row and ruining everything between you two, whatever it is that you guys have together."
For such a simple sounding guy, Duncan was pretty wise.
"Look, dinner's soon. I want you two to sit next to each other and talk this out."
"Can't." Breanna res

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Qoth the Dwarves.

"Chip the glasses and crack the plates!
Blunt the knives and bend the forks!
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates-
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!

Cut the cloth and tread on the fat!
Our the milk on the pantry door!
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!
Splash the wine on every door!

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;
Pound them up with a thumping pole!
And when you've finished, I any are whole,
Send them down the hall to roll!

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
So carefully! Carefully with the plates!"
-Dwarves, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien :)


   



Redwall


Squirrel
Take What Redwall Goodbeast Race Are You? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.
You, my friend, are a Squirrel. One of Redwall's most valiant and hardy of creatures. Squirrels are warriors of the treetops, brave, curious, and sometimes annoying. You are known to have a silent sense of humor and a serious game face when trouble's afoot, and no one doubts your wisdom when times get rough. You are quick on your feet, bossy at times, but ever the friend a beast could need. Your emotions don't slip out much, but when they do they make you seem all the more enticing as an ally. Its okay, sometimes, breaking down is the answer, but for now, your stone-solid resolve is what your allies need to see.

   




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?





Piña Colada

 




Island Pineapple Gelatin Dessert

?





Island Pineapple

 




?





Raspberry Gelatin Dessert

?





Raspberry

 




Strawberry Gelatin Dessert

?





Strawberry

 




Strawberry Banana Gelatin Dessert

?





Strawberry Banana

 




Tropical Fusion Gelatin Dessert

?





Tropical Fusion

 




Watermelon Gelatin Dessert

?





Watermelon

# Beholder
# 9 hardware points.

# Energy: 150
# Damage Max: 150
# Shield Max: 0
# Processor Speed: 15

# Rubber bullets
# Missiles

   150 shield' sto
   -4 speedx' sto
   270 aim' sto

Alpha:
   collision Xray if
   range Juliet if
   x 40 > Alpha if
   November call

Bravo:
   y 10 < Charlie2 if

Charlie:
   icon0
   collision Victor if
   90 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   icon2
   radar dup 50 < and Charlie2 if
   x 266 > Romeo if
   collision Victor if
   icon3
   180 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   energy 140 > Hotel2 if
   icon4
   270 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   Charlie jump

Delta:
   x 290 > Delta2 if

Echo:
   icon0
   collision Whiskey if
   180 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   icon2
   radar dup 50 < and Delta2 if
   y 266 > Tango if
   collision Whiskey if
   icon3
   270 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   energy 140 > Hotel2 if
   icon4
   360 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   Echo jump

Foxtrot:
   y 290 > Echo2 if

Golf:
   icon0
   collision Xray if
   270 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   icon2
   radar dup 50 < and Echo2 if
   x 44 < November if
   collision Xray if
   icon3
   0 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   energy 140 > Golf2 if
   90 aim' sto
   icon4
   range Juliet if
   Golf jump

Hotel:
   x 10 < Foxtrot2 if

India:
   icon0
   collision Yankee if
   0 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   icon2
   radar dup 50 < and Foxtrot2 if
   y 44 < Papa if
   collision Yankee if
   icon3
   90 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   energy 140 > Golf2 if
   icon4
   180 aim' sto
   range Juliet if
   India jump

Juliet:
   range dup 30 < and Lima if
   range dup 50 < and Kilo if
   energy 3 / missile' sto
   Mike jump

Kilo:
   energy missile' sto
   energy missile' sto
   drop
   return

Lima:
   50 missile' sto
   50 missile' sto
   drop

Mike:
   return

November:
   -3 speedx' sto

Oscar:
   drop
   collision Xray if
   x 15 > Oscar if
   0 speedx' sto
   -4 speedy' sto
   Hotel jump

Papa:
   -3 speedy' sto

Quebec:
   drop
   collision Yankee if
   y 15 > Quebec if
   0 speedy' sto
   4 speedx' sto
   Bravo jump

Romeo:
   3 speedx' sto

Sierra:
   drop
   collision Victor if
   x 285 < Sierra if
   0 speedx' sto
   4 speedy' sto
   Delta jump

Tango:
   3 speedy' sto

Uniform:
   drop
   collision Whiskey if
   y 285 < Uniform if
   0 speedy' sto
   -4 speedx' sto
   Foxtrot jump

Victor:
   90 aim' sto
   Zulu jump

Whiskey:
   180 aim' sto
   Zulu jump

Xray:
   270 aim' sto
   Zulu jump

Yankee:
   0 aim' sto

Zulu:
   range dup 30 < and Bravo2 if
   aim 40 + aim' sto
   range dup 30 < and Bravo2 if
   aim 80 - aim' sto
   range dup 30 < and Bravo2 if
   aim 160 + aim' sto

Alpha2:
   range dup 30 < and Bravo2 if
   aim 40 + aim' sto
   collision 0 = India2 if
   Alpha2 jump

Bravo2:
   50 missile' sto
   50 missile' sto
   drop
   return

Charlie2:
   20 movey' sto
   return

Delta2:
   -20 movex' sto
   return

Echo2:
   -20 movey' sto
   return

Foxtrot2:
   20 movex' sto
   return

Golf2:
   aim 5 + aim' sto
   20 missile' sto
   return

Hotel2:
   aim 5 + aim' sto
   50 missile' sto
   50 missile' sto
   return

India2:
   drop
   return

"I'm going to get straight to the point. The only redeeming virtue of the failure you've made out of this assignment is that it gives me an opportunity to try out my newest toy. Watch and learn as it demonstrates its amazing power on one of you."

The spotlight shined down on a robotic turret. It swiveled around to face Taggerung_of_Redwall's capsule, and fired a blue beam. The energy moved through the capsule and struck Tagg -- there was a flash of something, then he seemed to disappear. The spotlight shone into the middle of the room, revealing for the first time a desk. A large glass bottle sat on top of it.

"Don't think that I was so kind as to completely vaporize your fellow servant. Instead, I've given him a new perspective on life, one that matches his productivity in the last mission. Look carefully at the bottle."

The servants looked, but from the distance they were at, it wasn't possible to see much of anything. Then a crane arm gently lifted the bottle, and moved it over within arm's reach of the servants (at least, what would have been arm's reach if there wasn't impenetrable glass walls separating them from the rest of the world), giving them a better view of what was inside. There were cloud-like patterns of fog through most of the bottle, but at the bottom there was about two inches of dirt. Nothing else seemed remarkable about it, but then --

Something incredibly tiny was pushing its way through the dirt.

"Meet your new and improved little friend. I've always wanted to do this since I first took up Overlording, but I could never get the exact recipe to work right. Some people got broken to bits. Others just disappeared. But after years of trying, I figured it out, and here it is in action: the galaxy's first working shrink ray."

"Don't shed any tears for your little friend... it might drown him. Anyway, he should be able to make out all right. I think I left some tiny plants and food pellets in there. As long as he doesn't get eaten by an earthworm, he has a decent chance of survival. A much better chance than any of you have if this next mission goes south..."

"You can't seem to interact properly with the outside world. So, I'm sending you to do a little errand where you shouldn't have to coexist with anyone but yourselves. You'll be teleported onto an underwater base deep in the Arctic Ocean (http://redwallabbey.com/forum/index.php?topic=888.msg28710#msg28710). I have a library there that contains one of my favorite books, "The Essential Profile of Adequate Minions". It's been ever too long since I read it -- obviously, since I keep picking servants like you. Find it, then hit the transponder button in the center of the base when you're done, and I'll beam you up. Make sure you're holding the book; otherwise it will not teleport with you."

---

A few hours later...

The Overlord sounded weary as he castigated his servants. "I'm not sure how you always manage to mess things up, but you did it again. My data recorder indicates you found the book in ten minutes, so you should have requested to be teleported back right away. Instead, you stuck around and started messing with the controls and defense systems. Then the base was flooded when a submarine attempting to dock struck and penetrated its walls. A submarine whose pilot was apparently distracted (http://redwallabbey.com/forum/index.php?topic=888.msg28731#msg28731) by a snorkeling cow. Which one of you was playing with the solid hologram projector, and why? Finally, when you were desperately trying to get beamed out before you drowned, you left my book behind!"

"Frankly, this disaster is inexcusable. Try to convince me that I shouldn't destroy all of you. I'm past fed up with your blundering, but maybe your excuses will amuse me enough to spare some of you."

Posts: 400


Trust, but verify


         Overlord's Orders XI
« on: November 18, 2014, 05:41:33 PM »   
________________________________________
Welcome to the eleventh regular round of Overlord's Orders.

I'm not sure where to take this round yet thematically. Most likely, though, it will jump off from the ending of round IX, and take place in the world established by OOs II, III and IV. Reading up on those rounds is highly recommended -- some events there might play a role in this game. If I don't announce otherwise, assume that this is what it's going to be.
Quote
The Rules
We will have an overlord (or overlady), who will be all powerful and control the game.
Everyone else will be a servant of theirs to do his or her bidding, which will be a new assignment at the beginning of each round.
The game begins by the Overlord issuing a task, sending out their servants, and then summoning everyone before them and questioning them about whether they got the thing they wanted.
Any given round may have anywhere from a developing storyline and plot to pure and simple tasking. At times, the gamemaster (Overlord) may deviate from the general pattern and do something different at the end than just another task.

Example Round:
Let's say the Overlord might have wanted a jeep to use.
Stage 1: Introduction
The Overlord sends out their servants on a task and they return, and the Overlord will question their servants and ask them why they failed to bring them the thing they wanted (which will invariable happen, no one ever succeeds).
Stage 2: Defenses
Players can then blame their failure on some random thing (like maybe an elephant destroying the jeep) or someone else in the game; anything to shrug themselves off from fault.
Everyone can then blame someone, themselves, keep silent, or introduce some sort of new feature that happened while acquiring the item (in this case, a jeep). Eventually, the Overlord will process the information and decide who failed.
Stage 3: Punishment
The person chosen to have failed by the Overlord is then thrown out, vaporized, or something creative, by the Overlord's orders. The idea is to not be this person, and to survive as long as possible.

Likely, the Overlord will be choosing the best defenses as survivors.

Player defenses may not exceed 750 words per post. Unless your post has gotten noticeably quite long, you are unlikely to be hitting this limit.

Inter-game rules: The winner of any round is given host-ship of the next game. This can tie in with them going from servant to overlord, or it can be original.

General Guidelines:
Free roleplaying, or game spam, is fine. This means having yourself eat a banana, talk about the weather or river dance.

Whenever someone says something, it becomes fact. It is what happened. If someone says an elephant destroyed a jeep, then anyone calling that person a liar is for certain lying; the jeep was destroyed by an elephant. What's up for telling for someone else is, for example, who set the elephant on the jeep.

Godmoding pertaining to persons should be restricted to some extent, just try to keep things with at least a hand in plausibility. Powerplaying is allowed. However, it cannot affect players between tasks. For instance, you cannot have a servants contract a disease and be unable to speak, or even die. You can have them be sick during the task, but you cannot impede them during the Sessions before the Overlord.

Normally, the Gamemaster will have technology restricting servants to a base during the game to prevent physically roleplaying and keep the game focused on its purpose. Overlords can powerplay.
Also, you cannot use an excuse like being brainwashed or cloned during the task. You are you-and you are responsible for what you did wrong.
Remember to keep things civil, stay inside the board rules, keep all hands and legs inside the game until it comes to a complete stop.

All the previous rounds are here.

Overlords Order's I - Taggerung_of_Redwall
Overlord's Orders II - James Gryphon
Overlord's Orders III - DanielofRedwall
Overlord's Orders IV - Matthias720
Overlord's Orders V - Redwall Musician
Overlord's Orders VI - Tiria Wildlough
Special Holiday Round 2012 - Taggerung_of_Redwall
Overlord's Orders VII - Matthias720
Overlord's Orders VIII - Romsca
Overlord's Orders IX - rusvulthesaber, James Gryphon/Tiria Wildlough
Overlord's Orders X - Taggerung_of_Redwall

Sign-ups:
1. Soren the Warrior
2. SilentSam
3. Delthion
4. LT Sandpaw
5. Taggerung_of_Redwall
6. Jasper
7. The Mask
8.
9.
10.
   
« Last Edit: November 25, 2014, 09:06:24 AM by James Gryphon »    Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
« Subject to editing »



Soren the Warrior
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 274


I'm....open to suggestions.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2014, 07:03:00 PM »   
________________________________________I'm in.
   
   Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


SilentSam
Full Member
   
Posts: 136


SILENT SAM IS THE BEST REDWALL CHARACTER!


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2014, 07:42:48 PM »   
________________________________________Me!!!  I'll be in, I'm ready to play.
   
« Last Edit: November 18, 2014, 07:56:24 PM by SilentSam »    Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
 

I AM SAM 
Cicha sam jest najlepszym redwall znaków!

Please come to my website:
http://abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz-0.blogspot.com/



Delthion
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 425


Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2014, 07:46:47 PM »    
________________________________________I'm in!


   
   Report to moderator    75.62.113.54

________________________________________
Yes, I finally got out of my Halloween costume.


LT Sandpaw
Full Member
   
Posts: 131


To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2014, 07:53:39 PM »   
________________________________________
I'll do it count me in.
   
   Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
"Sir you will find that fear is not a word in my vocabulary!"


Delthion
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 425


Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2014, 11:32:30 PM »    
________________________________________
Never played this game before, so I am really excited!


   
   Report to moderator    75.62.113.54

________________________________________
Yes, I finally got out of my Halloween costume.


SilentSam
Full Member
   
Posts: 136


SILENT SAM IS THE BEST REDWALL CHARACTER!


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2014, 03:57:29 PM »   
________________________________________
I'm not sure about Soren, but if Soren is new to this game, everyone is new to this so far.
   
   Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
 

I AM SAM 
Cicha sam jest najlepszym redwall znaków!

Please come to my website:
http://abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz-0.blogspot.com/



Taggerung_of_Redwall
Global Moderator
Hero Member
     
Posts: 849


The spirit of Martin will always guard Redwall


           Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2014, 07:15:59 PM »   
________________________________________
"Add me", said the otter to the bird lion.

I have great expectations for this round.
   
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Soren the Warrior
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 274


I'm....open to suggestions.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2014, 04:09:30 PM »   
________________________________________
Quote from: SilentSam on November 19, 2014, 03:57:29 PM
I'm not sure about Soren, but if Soren is new to this game, everyone is new to this so far.
I am new, but Tagg there has managed a whole bunch of these.
   
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________________________________________
Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


SilentSam
Full Member
   
Posts: 136


SILENT SAM IS THE BEST REDWALL CHARACTER!


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #9 on: November 20, 2014, 05:30:40 PM »   
________________________________________
Quote from: Soren the Warrior on November 20, 2014, 04:09:30 PM
Quote from: SilentSam on November 19, 2014, 03:57:29 PM
I'm not sure about Soren, but if Soren is new to this game, everyone is new to this so far.
I am new, but Tagg there has managed a whole bunch of these.
Yes, but I said that before Tagg came.   

Anyway, when does this start?
   
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________________________________________
 

I AM SAM 
Cicha sam jest najlepszym redwall znaków!

Please come to my website:
http://abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz-0.blogspot.com/



James Gryphon
Global Moderator
Sr. Member
     
Posts: 400


Trust, but verify


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #10 on: November 21, 2014, 04:45:30 AM »   
________________________________________
Probably in four or five days, although if there aren't at least six people by then, I might hold it off for longer.
   
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________________________________________
« Subject to editing »



LT Sandpaw
Full Member
   
Posts: 131


To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2014, 05:03:37 PM »   
________________________________________
Will we be starting soon?
   
   Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
"Sir you will find that fear is not a word in my vocabulary!"


Delthion
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 425


Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2014, 05:04:20 PM »    
________________________________________
Quote from: James Gryphon on November 21, 2014, 04:45:30 AM
Probably in four or five days, although if there aren't at least six people by then, I might hold it off for longer.


   
   Report to moderator    75.62.113.54

________________________________________
Yes, I finally got out of my Halloween costume.


Soren the Warrior
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 274


I'm....open to suggestions.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2014, 06:39:41 PM »   
________________________________________THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!!!
   
   Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


LT Sandpaw
Full Member
   
Posts: 131


To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2014, 09:01:18 AM »   
________________________________________

DON'T DO IT SUSPENSE IT's NOT WORTH IT!!!!!!
   
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________________________________________
"Sir you will find that fear is not a word in my vocabulary!"


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Posts: 121


Clementine


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #15 on: November 24, 2014, 04:23:01 PM »   
________________________________________
If I could join that'd be great. I've never done one of these, but there's always a first time!
   
   Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
The tops of crags and cliffs, the air is thin, so we'll find a mountain path on down the hill.
Meet me where the snow mount flows; It is there my dear where we'll begin again.
Skipping Stones, braiding hair; when the hills have turned to blue
and the waves are lapping where the children grew


James Gryphon
Global Moderator
Sr. Member
     
Posts: 400


Trust, but verify


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #16 on: November 24, 2014, 04:30:33 PM »   
________________________________________
I'm grateful; I'm hoping to get at least seven people for this, and every bit helps.

I'm going to be going out of town this Wednesday for Thanksgiving; I should be back Thursday night, so the game will probably begin then. (This gives me some more time to write plot, a necessary task I've been putting off.)
   
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________________________________________
« Subject to editing »



Soren the Warrior
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 274


I'm....open to suggestions.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #17 on: November 24, 2014, 09:58:29 PM »   
________________________________________Very well. Have a nice trip!
   
   Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


Delthion
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 425


Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #18 on: November 24, 2014, 10:58:01 PM »    
________________________________________
Quote from: James Gryphon on November 24, 2014, 04:30:33 PM
I'm grateful; I'm hoping to get at least seven people for this, and every bit helps.

I'm going to be going out of town this Wednesday for Thanksgiving; I should be back Thursday night, so the game will probably begin then. (This gives me some more time to write plot, a necessary task I've been putting off.)

I'll be out of town from Friday morning to Saturday evening. So would it be possible for it to begin Saturday?


   
   Report to moderator    75.62.113.54

________________________________________
Yes, I finally got out of my Halloween costume.


The Mask
Full Member
   
Posts: 244


It's Me matey! The Mask


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #19 on: November 25, 2014, 06:01:32 AM »   
________________________________________I'll join!
   
   Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
I am a squirrel, an otter, a mouse, a fox, a stoat, a ferret, a weasel, a wildcat, a hare, a hedgehog, a badger; I am the master of disguises, The Mask.

If you wake the lion,he will bare his fangs!

"That's what happens to snow in Texas. It. Freaking. Melts."-Leo


James Gryphon
Global Moderator
Sr. Member
     
Posts: 400


Trust, but verify


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #20 on: November 25, 2014, 09:08:03 AM »   
________________________________________
Quote
I'll be out of town from Friday morning to Saturday evening. So would it be possible for it to begin Saturday?
Well, that's only two days; I'll probably run the first round longer than that. You should have time to get a reply in, even if you're not immediately available.
   
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________________________________________
« Subject to editing »



James Gryphon
Global Moderator
Sr. Member
     
Posts: 400


Trust, but verify


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2014, 07:20:05 PM »   
________________________________________
Last call for registrations. I plan on making the opening post in the next six hours or so.
   
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________________________________________
« Subject to editing »



James Gryphon
Global Moderator
Sr. Member
     
Posts: 400


Trust, but verify


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #22 on: November 27, 2014, 11:59:23 PM »   
________________________________________
Registrations are closed.

---

The Overlord waited with anticipation as the thrum, thrum of the starship's mighty engines began to slow, and finally stop altogether. "It's good to be going home... or something like it, anyway."

A light on the control panel flickered green, breaking him out of his reverie. "Back to business," he thought, "And not soon enough. It's time to take care of some things."

He looked down at the screen that monitored his servants, who were all shut up in individual glass chambers. Those chambers were useful for a quite many purposes, in fact, which the Overlord did not care to reveal to them at the time of their enclosure. For now, however, they were used solely for protecting his minions from the potentially hazardous effects of "The Change".

He pressed the button to release them from stasis. After waiting a moment for them to get their bearings, he began to speak.

"Welcome back to the real world. You've got a lot to do and not much time to do it in, so listen up."

"The truth of our current situation is a little more complicated than this, but all you need to know right now is that we've gone back in time. Specifically, back to the early 21st century. And you're going to get to visit one of the wonders of that time period, one of Sweden's gorgeous Ice Hotels. The whole thing is, in fact, made out of real ice. You'll need to blend in with the locals, so taking personal heating shields is out of the question. Appropriate winter garb will be provided for you in the teleportation room."

"Your mission here is very simple. Go down, spend three days, then come back. None of you have worked together before, so I'm hoping you'll use this time to do the whole 'bonding' jazz that those team-building books always rave about. Get acquainted with one another and don't destroy anything."

"There is one caveat -- you need to make sure that nobody takes your picture while you're down there. Having a photographic record of your presence could endanger your cover for future missions, as well as potentially disrupting this timeline. So don't let any exist."

---

Three days later...

"I can't say that I didn't expect things would go wrong, but I have to tell you, of all the mission teams I've ever put together, this is a new low for a first assignment. In three days, you managed to melt the hotel to the ground with a "dragon", shoot at five of the hotel's guests, and hijack a helicopter. Needless to say, I'm not impressed with your ability to keep a low profile."

"Also, on a more personal note, my inbox is full of millions of copies of pictures of the hotel and the surrounding area. It'll take ages to download them all, and I had to spend $1,000,000 for the extra storage space necessary to keep all those files on my email account. You're very lucky that I've always had an interest in this hotel; otherwise I wouldn't easily forgive you for causing this unwarranted expenditure. Which of you jokers thought to send all this to me in email instead of just bringing me the cameras' storage drives?"

"Explain to me how you all managed to achieve this amazing degree of failure. Speak up, quickly."
   
« Last Edit: November 28, 2014, 12:07:45 AM by James Gryphon »    Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
« Subject to editing »



Soren the Warrior
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 274


I'm....open to suggestions.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #23 on: November 28, 2014, 12:42:17 AM »   
________________________________________
Your lordship, it is true that I was the one who hijacked the helicopter. But it was not of my own initiative sir. Delthion was the one who was firing the shots at the hotel guests, and we fears for our lives that the authorities would capture us and disrupt the timeline. So thus we needed a get away vehicle. I had sufficient understanding and knowledge of the aircraft that I was able to hijack and pilot it sir. But it was Delthions fault. If it wasn't for him firing shots at the hotel guest for who knows what reason, I wouldn't have been in it in the position of having to hijack the helicopter, in an effort to perserve the timeline and all that we hold most dear.
   
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________________________________________
Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


SilentSam
Full Member
   
Posts: 136


SILENT SAM IS THE BEST REDWALL CHARACTER!


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #24 on: November 28, 2014, 11:18:31 AM »   
________________________________________
Lord, I must inform you that it was my idea to send the pictures, but I had to because LT Sandpaw and Jasper started smashing started smashing the cameras, and their storage drives because it was "fun". At first I tried to hide the storage drives, but LT Sandpaw found them. So I took the remaining ones and emailed them to you.
   
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I AM SAM 
Cicha sam jest najlepszym redwall znaków!

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Jasper
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Clementine


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #25 on: November 28, 2014, 11:48:51 AM »   
________________________________________
My great and powerful Overlord, some of the things these miscreants have said is true, but they left out the most defining details in the situation, so allow me to clear it up for you.

As Soren said, it was indeed Delthion who was firing at the hotel guests, but that was because Soren had spotted a pretty human female, and in an effort to communicate with her, had gotten us spotted. The guests began to try taking pictures of us, and succeeded in taking one of Soren, still trying to reach the human. Delthion, in a somewhat rash effort to clean up the damage Soren had caused, began shooting at the guests, and told me to go and smash their cameras to get rid of the picture, because as you said, we can't allow pictures to exist of us. LT Sandpaw and I complied, but Sandpaw was also holding the cameras we had used to take pictures of the hotel, and he mistakenly smashed those along with the ones that the guests had been using. Luckily Sam managed to email the pictures on the camera before they were completely destroyed.

I apologize for the number of pictures that cost you so much extra, but The Mask spent the entire trip taking pictures of everything in sight - he even took several thousand of our hotel's toilet for some odd reason. I tried to convince Soren not to take the helicopter, since it would attract so much attention, but he insisted that he knew what was best, and blamed us for shooting at the guests - but that wasn't our fault! It was HIS for getting a picture taken of himself! We were just trying to clean up his mess!

As for the Dragon, I honestly don't know where to start with that. You see, Sweden is home to a massive white one, and it had loads of riches. While the rest of us were at the hotel taking care of our task, Taggerung of Redwall wanted to earn himself a little bit of extra money - likely linked to his recent purchases of sketchy materials that might be used to overthrow you, oh powerful overlord. He stole a precious gem worth billions, and fled back to the hotel with the dragon hot on his heels. In its rage the Dragon destroyed the entire hotel, and would have killed us too if I hadn't returned the gem Tagg stole to it, at great risk to my own well - being!
   
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The tops of crags and cliffs, the air is thin, so we'll find a mountain path on down the hill.
Meet me where the snow mount flows; It is there my dear where we'll begin again.
Skipping Stones, braiding hair; when the hills have turned to blue
and the waves are lapping where the children grew


Soren the Warrior
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         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #26 on: November 28, 2014, 12:49:05 PM »   
________________________________________
Your lordship, it is true that the woman I pursued was attractive in nature, but they is not the reason I pursued her. The reason is I had noticed that her camera's screen had a photo of Tagg stealing the gem. If this got out, then not only would they capture Tagg, who no doubt would tell the authorities we're on a mission, but would also trace is back to you oh lordship. It would disrupt the timeline as well as possibly putting you in danger. For if Tagg hadn't gotten greedy, then this situation would have never happened. It's all his fault.
   
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Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


Delthion
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Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #27 on: November 28, 2014, 05:51:48 PM »    
________________________________________
My gracious and great Overlord. I beg thy forgiveness for this terrible lack of discipline. I was rendered unconscious in the elevator for two days, then when I woke up, I had forgotten why I was there. I was very rude to your other servants due to the fact that I had no recollection of them, once again I beg your forgiveness, and hope that you will be able to do the same for the others. The blame goes to all of us, and I beg you to forgive all of us. Thank you my Overlord.


   
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LT Sandpaw
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To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #28 on: November 29, 2014, 10:07:20 AM »   
________________________________________

Your Lordship it was very necessary to destroy the video devices and their storage units because it filmed Soren flirting with important officials. I admit it was very fun to find and destroy the cameras but it was for a good reason because we didn't want the officials enemy's seeing Soren and use it in a campaign disrupting the timeline. Sam tried to hide some of the storage units but I managed to find them in time. After the gunfire began I had to escape on the hijacked helicopter fearing for my life, but I didn't know it was hijacked I was told it was bought for "cheap".
   
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SilentSam
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SILENT SAM IS THE BEST REDWALL CHARACTER!


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #29 on: November 29, 2014, 12:54:37 PM »   
________________________________________
Lord, I know that I hid the storage units, and emailed them to you, but I must inform you that ToR told me that the new storage for email is free for unlimited amount of space. I asked if he was sure, and he said yes. As for Mask, he HELPED ToR get the precious gem, as ToR said he would get part of the money.
   
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I AM SAM 
Cicha sam jest najlepszym redwall znaków!

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Author    Topic: Overlord's Orders XI  (Read 593 times)
Soren the Warrior
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         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #30 on: November 29, 2014, 02:40:24 PM »   
________________________________________
Your highness, though it may appear otherwise, I was not "flirting" with the officials. I was trying to convince them to let me examine the footage they had taken of LT,  who had been filmed initially conversing with a woman in a helicopter pilot suit. It was for this reason that I tried to recover the footage, even though I was filmed in the process. Your lordship, we do all for your well being and out of your kindness! Please forgive us!
   
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Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


The Mask
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It's Me matey! The Mask


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #31 on: November 29, 2014, 05:35:14 PM »   
________________________________________
YOU BLASTED WORMS!!!! Not you of course my lord. What these WORMS say is partially true. I did take all those photos of the toilet. But it was very clean and shiny! I did not however give Taggerung of Redwall any gems of any kind, I give him but a simple piece of dung. You must believe me, not these WORMS!! Also, I should mention, ToR took the rest of the pictures in exchange for the dungball.
   
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I am a squirrel, an otter, a mouse, a fox, a stoat, a ferret, a weasel, a wildcat, a hare, a hedgehog, a badger; I am the master of disguises, The Mask.

If you wake the lion,he will bare his fangs!

"That's what happens to snow in Texas. It. Freaking. Melts."-Leo


Delthion
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Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #32 on: November 30, 2014, 12:00:56 AM »    
________________________________________
This is true, most supreme lordship, but it was Soren who had taken the gems from the Tagg. Taggerung must have made a team with Soren in order to confiscate the gems! I was then forced to push him down t5he stairs in an attempt to retrieve the gems. But once I did and went to him to get the gems, they were nowhere to be found.


   
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Soren the Warrior
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         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #33 on: November 30, 2014, 12:32:12 AM »   
________________________________________
Your mighty lordship, it is true I took the gems from Tagg, but it was not a deal between us. But because I needed to draw the dragon away from the hotel. In an effort to preserve the mission,  I ran to a nearby creek and threw the gems in. However, LT was following me, and I belligerent he took the gems from the creek and back to the hotel. This caused the dragon to turn his attention to the hotel, after which he attacked it.
   
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Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


Delthion
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Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #34 on: November 30, 2014, 12:36:25 AM »    
________________________________________
When the hotel was destroyed, only LT was responsible for the destruction done to the Hotel, I tried to smash him to the side with a sledgehammer, but he ran on. Then when the dragon turned and dove on him, LT hurled the gems onto the roof of the hotel in fear for his life, he then duck and hid under a bush allowing the dragon to destroy the hotel.


   
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LT Sandpaw
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To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #35 on: November 30, 2014, 09:33:37 AM »   
________________________________________
Its true that I retrieved the gem from the creek your lordship, I was trying to save the hotel by drawing the dragon further away. But when I was trying to escape away from the hotel Delthion went crazy and tried to kill me with a sledge hammer. I ran but the only way to run was back to the hotel. After the dragon had melted the hotel I realized that Soren had stolen back the gem while I was dodging Delthion who was jeopardizing the mission by forcing me towards the hotel.
   
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Delthion
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Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #36 on: November 30, 2014, 12:41:47 PM »    
________________________________________
OOC: But it already states that you were running towards the hotel when I tried to smash you to the side with a sledgehammer.


   
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LT Sandpaw
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         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #37 on: November 30, 2014, 05:29:59 PM »   
________________________________________
OOC: I don't think it does it only says I was at the hotel causing it to be melted and then you were trying to kill me with a sledge hammer, I don't think it ever said I was running originally towards the hotel.
   
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Delthion
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Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #38 on: November 30, 2014, 06:24:57 PM »    
________________________________________
OOC:
Quote from: Soren the Warrior on November 30, 2014, 12:32:12 AM
Your mighty lordship, it is true I took the gems from Tagg, but it was not a deal between us. But because I needed to draw the dragon away from the hotel. In an effort to preserve the mission,  I ran to a nearby creek and threw the gems in. However, LT was following me, and I belligerent he took the gems from the creek and back to the hotel. This caused the dragon to turn his attention to the hotel, after which he attacked it.


   
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________________________________________
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LT Sandpaw
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To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #39 on: November 30, 2014, 08:50:30 PM »   
________________________________________
OOC: Back to the hotel because you were attacking me with a sledge hammer. He left that part out.
   
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Soren the Warrior
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I'm....open to suggestions.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #40 on: November 30, 2014, 10:41:31 PM »   
________________________________________
OOC: No I didnt. Your supposed to be a theif.
Your lordship, the reason I re-took the gem was not only to draw the dragon away from any trace that could be led back to you, but also to save them from Tagg, who was attempting to take the items he coveted, the gems.
   
« Last Edit: November 30, 2014, 10:46:28 PM by Soren the Warrior »    Report to moderator    Logged

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Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.


James Gryphon
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Trust, but verify


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #41 on: November 30, 2014, 11:16:54 PM »   
________________________________________
OOC: If there's a severe discrepancy, I'd prefer that y'all sort it out through PMs. Creating a bunch of posts like this clutters up the topic.

---

"If nothing else, I can see that this trip didn't go anywhere towards drawing you closer as a team. The backbiting and contradictions here are pathetic. I can see that my money on all of those "Leading Through the Magic of Friendship" books was wasted."

"I guess I'll just have to go back to what I know works. If perks don't get it done, fear will draw you together... fear of what will happen if you fail me, which you have so miserably done here. I'll tell you flat out now: one of you is not going to be leaving this room the same way that you came in. You can beg and grovel as much as you like, but I find it annoying, not ingratiating, and it will not help you escape punishment."

"The claims against Taggerung_of_Redwall are numerous. I would prefer for him to give his account of the situation, but I'm willing to hear from anyone who is willing to shed some light on why he took the actions he apparently did. After that is cleared up, I will decide which of you should be disposed of."
   
« Last Edit: November 30, 2014, 11:20:39 PM by James Gryphon »    Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
« Subject to editing »



Jasper
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Clementine


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #42 on: December 02, 2014, 03:48:49 PM »   
________________________________________
Jasper looked around at his companions. None of them seemed keen to defend Tagg, likely because it was clear the dire consequences would be carried out on the one deemed ultimately responsible for the failure. Tagg himself seemed to be in a silent trance, likely induced by pure fear of the staggering penalties James was alluding to. Jasper decided someone may as well give the side of the story Tagg had revealed on the ride back to base. He stepped forward:

Oh great overlord, Tagg informed me of his explanations not long ago, on the ride back to your domain. His health seemed to be deteriorating, so I recorded it on this: *Pulls out a small device and turns it on. A hologram appears of an earlier version of Tagg*

*The hologram of Tagg:* "Oh great overlord, it is true that I stole the gem, but it was necessary under the circumstances. You see, in the hotel I noticed that Mask was taking an incredible amount of pictures of the toilet alone. I figured over the trip he might have taken billions of them. This was alright thanks to the admirable storage capacity of the camera, but later Jasper and another one of these bumbling blockheads smashed the cameras by the mistake mentioned earlier. Sam wasted little time in emailing the entire storage of the cameras straight to you great overlord. I am well versed in email, since I own one myself, and realized the storage capacity would be too much for the regular email plan, and would cost millions to fix.

I asked around about how we may earn some more cash to compensate you, when Mask informed me that there was an old abandoned mine in the northwest. He told me nothing of the ferocious Dragon that lived there. I journeyed to the mine and found the gem unguarded in the open. I took it back to the hotel, not realizing a dragon was stalking me on the way back. When I got there, it roared and attacked. Although some of these servants mention me trading off the gem in some sort of imaginary dark scheme, I was merely trying to keep us all alive by changing the target the Dragon was after. (If a single servant had kept the gem, he would surely have been roasted alive.) After that it was a mad game of hot potato, with dire consequences for the loser. Some of the servants did not immediately see the Dragon, and that accounts for the odd things they claim to have seen me do with the gem.

Earlier Mask mentioned me taking pictures in exchange for dung. This is clearly misled, I had no want or desire for this disgusting material, and merely grabbed it so that his hands were free to take the gem when the dragon was hot on our heels. As for the photos I supposedly took in exchange for it, that was merely me taking a picture of the raging Dragon to show that it was not us, but the Dragon that melted the entire hotel. Please understand, great overlord, that it was not my doing that this mission went the way it did!"

*hologram fades*

OOC: If tagg comes he can edit my post, or write a new one if he likes. Anything works for me, I just wrote this to keep the game going on the admirable pace it has been at thus far. I've never been in such an active and enjoyable roleplay   
   
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The tops of crags and cliffs, the air is thin, so we'll find a mountain path on down the hill.
Meet me where the snow mount flows; It is there my dear where we'll begin again.
Skipping Stones, braiding hair; when the hills have turned to blue
and the waves are lapping where the children grew


James Gryphon
Global Moderator
Sr. Member
     
Posts: 400


Trust, but verify


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #43 on: December 02, 2014, 10:15:03 PM »   
________________________________________
"I've heard enough. You have been unbelievably incompetent -- all you had to do was nothing! I'm tempted to destroy all of you, but my robotic servants' Chameleon programs are glitched right now. I can't use them for undercover work, so I have to keep some of you around until my objectives here are complete."

"The purpose here is to build an effective team. One of you does not fit in with my vision. He is the one who will be punished. Watch and learn from his most fascinating fate."

A previously hidden spotlight shone down on The Mask's glass capsule. A robotic arm suddenly lowered from inside the capsule's ceiling, and grabbed The Mask, holding him in position. A second arm came down with a large hypodermic needle and began injecting the unfortunate servant in several places.

The effect was immediate. White hair began to spring up all across The Mask's body. The other servants winced as several sickening cracks and pops came from the direction of the lit capsule. The Mask's body changed and transformed, bones and flesh molding and changing, until -- !

The Overlord spoke.

"Yes, what you see before you is a gorilla. An albino gorilla, to be precise. I decided that this was an appropriate punishment, considering his recent behavior. This bizarre fascination with a toilet is unseemly for any human servant of mine. While it could have been forgiven if he was helpful, he in fact did nothing to salvage the situation. Trust me when I say that he will be far more useful in his current state than he ever would have been working with you."

"I have some unfinished business to conduct in this time, but it does not concern any of you. Instead, you will be going a few years into the future, to meet up with some old friends of mine."

"The teleporter will take you near a city called Cupertino, in the old state of California. An agent I have on the ground, Max Marcos, will greet you there and assist you throughout this mission. I cannot beam you directly to your destination due to the fact that it is a frequented area, and your abrupt appearance there would be noticed, so he will also assist you in finding appropriate transportation to the meeting place. You're to talk with the Death-Defying Beavers that are there and pick up the "Omega Six" package. They will know what I'm asking for. Get to the destination, get the package, bring it back safely, and don't cause a scene."

---
A few hours later...

"I'm not quite sure how you manage it. No package anywhere in sight. An expenditure from my account for a $5000 bribe to a Mr. Tim Amack, an ex-bus driver. The prolonged kidnapping of a girl who was a passenger on a bus. Finally, a Death-Defying Beaver Battle Saucer appeared in a nearby part of the city and started blowing things up. Do you have any idea how many people are going to have to have their memories wiped to avoid contaminating the timeline?"

"I had a solemn promise from the Beavers, who never break their word, to avoid interfering with this planet unless their presence was requested. So I surmise you boneheads did meet with the beavers, and somehow inspired them to perform this act of mayhem. Why, and what happened to my package? Why the bribe? And what's with this taking a captive and hiding out in the woods with her? What does "do not cause a scene" mean to you fools, anyway? I'm not talking about film-making!"

"Start talking. If you're lucky maybe I'll only vaporize one of you."
   
« Last Edit: December 02, 2014, 11:06:42 PM by James Gryphon »    Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
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Soren the Warrior
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         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #44 on: December 03, 2014, 02:01:03 AM »   
________________________________________
Your mighty lordship, I'm afraid I don't know much about the events during our mission. But I'll tell you what I do know.
We teleported down to the surface, and as soon as we made it to the city of Cupertino, we went to see your agent, Mr. Marcos. He instructed us to get in the back of a van, while he made arrangements for us to have minimal contact, in an effort not to disrupt the timeline. After 15 minutes of waiting, he returned, and got us out from the van. However, as soon as I stepped out, I was hit on the head, and fell unconscious. When I came too, I was tied to a bus seat near the back. I had a towel in my mouth, preventing me from speaking. I had my limbs tied up, which prevented me from moving. I noticed a girl tied up in the back of the bus with me. But she was still unconscious. I saw someone who looked like Tagg hand the driver an envelope, and then walk out of the bus. The bus driver came to the back of the bus and knocked me unconscious again.
When I came too a second time, the bus was on its side. The girl was gone, as was the driver. I had fallen from my ##:1162 and I climbed out of the burning bus, only to see a Death Defying Beaver saucer destroy the building next to me. I searched for what seemed like hours, looking for my team members or Mr. Marcos. I couldn't find the , or the package.
   
« Last Edit: December 03, 2014, 02:05:37 AM by Soren the Warrior »    Report to moderator    Logged

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   Topic: Overlord's Orders XI  (Read 593 times)
Delthion
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Posts: 425


Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #45 on: December 03, 2014, 11:35:42 AM »    
________________________________________
Most gracious and esteemed Overlord. It is true that we failed you in your mission but it was LT that handed the driver an envelope, not Tagg. It contained some sort of hypnotic jewel, I know this because as soon as the driver opened it, he looked as if he had no control over his body. I thought originally that he was trying to help the driver have no knowledge of us, but then he told me and a DDB to find something for him and that he would stay right there, unfortunately this was a lie. When I questioned him about where I could find such a thing he shoved me and the DDB out of the van and ordered the driver to drive off, leaving me and the DDB in a cloud of smoke. Thankfully there was a working over-sized hamster wheel, that the DDB had borrowed from Ham the hamster. We then followed the van as fast as possible to watch LT whack Soren and drive off again, we didn't have time to stop and pick him up and followed them at top speed, eventually the DDB called in a battle saucer and beamed up and started firing at the van but his aim was terrible. 


   
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LT Sandpaw
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To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #46 on: December 03, 2014, 01:43:06 PM »   
________________________________________
OOC: Who's DDB isn't that a Death Defying Beaver?

BIC: Milord I can understand your anger but I have an explanation, After the bus driver knocked out Soren and dragged him on board the bus I chased after him, when I climbed aboard after Tim and Soren, the bus driver demanded a ransom for Soren's life, I handed him my personal hypnotic gem to try and trick him into handing over Soren for nothing but he caught on and pointed a small deadly plasma gun at me hiding it from the others. he told me quietly that if I didn't do as he said he would kill me and Soren. I had to do something so after I pushed Delthion and the DDB out of the way and knocked out Soren again I summoned a different Beaver to help. I am a friend with a high ranking beaver and he agreed to time jump and help us.
I think something went wrong with their ship and they crashed and had to be teleported out by their ally's, however the other beavers ship was flown by a noob but they covered them with suppressive fire to let my friend escape. Luckily while Tim was distracted by the buildings being blasted I was able to throw Soren off the bus I was unable to get the kidnaped girl off as well though, then when Tim threatened to kill me I told him I would give him five Million for my life and the girl, luckily for me he couldn't count very well and I got away with giving him five thousand instead.

Turns out Tim's a really good driver and he lost the team, they were chasing us. After Tim dropped me off in the most random spot he could find I searched for the team and Soren for some time, meeting up first with Soren and then the team. I had to take the girl with me because I couldn't leave her on the street.
   
« Last Edit: December 03, 2014, 01:54:25 PM by LT Sandpaw »    Report to moderator    Logged

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Jasper
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Clementine


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #47 on: December 03, 2014, 04:28:41 PM »   
________________________________________
Mask's fate was hilarious, I can't stop cracking up.

Oh great Overlord, many of these inaccurate accounts likely sound like a jumble of nonsense and excuses. Luckily I saw the whole thing unfold firsthand, and I'm here to clear things up for you. Once again, due undoubtedly to fear of punishment, these servants have frantically covered the main ideas of what happened, but have entirely missed the important details. I'll start from the beginning:

Once we made it to the city we met up with the agent, as Soren has said. Max told us as a side job he runs an enchilada dealership, and had a large shipment due only a mile from the meeting place. He informed us that we could ride along in the back of the van in order to get there quietly. We did so, and finally wound up at a small mexican restaurant full of dancing people in taco suits. They were having a raging fiesta, and they had set up a wild game of bowling in the center of the restaurant. They gave Delthion a try, but he's an awful bowler, and he threw the bowling ball over the entire crowd- straight into the forehead of Soren. The poor fellow seemed to be in terrible shape, and under the advice of LT Sandpaw, we put a towel in his mouth to keep him cool. We were worried he might have broken something, so to prevent him from moving and making it worse, we tied him to a bus seat in the restaurant's "Spicy Salsa" Dance & Party Bus.

Max insisted we spend a little time at the fiesta to fit in. (No one shows up at a party and then immediately leaves!) Despite all our warnings, Delthion tried to bowl again, and he hit a young girl. We had similar worries for her, so we did the same to her as we did Soren, and put her in the party bus. Her friends realized she was gone later, and reported to the police that she was "kidnapped," but we merely were trying to save her.

After all of that, we  packed on the bus and went to meet the beavers. We all unloaded (including Soren), and the meeting went well, but Tim the bus driver received a call that he had been fired while the meeting was taking place. Determining that ransom was the best option to earn some cash to replace his lost income, he grabbed Soren and dragged him onto the bus. Sandpaw managed to get on the bus, and pushed Delthion and a Death-Defying Beaver off the bus in an effort to save them. I assume the "friend he called in to cover us with suppressive fire" is the beaver saucer that exploded half the city. The rest of us did what we could to chase the bus, but Tim got away and apparently dropped Sandpaw and the girl off in a random alley.

After meeting up, we all decided that we couldn't leave the girl on the street, so we kept her with us. I proposed giving the girl back, but the police believed we were responsible for her kidnapping and the missing bus, so we had to just high tail it out of there. I'll let me fellow servants continue from that point.
   
« Last Edit: December 04, 2014, 03:58:36 PM by Jasper »    Report to moderator    Logged

________________________________________
The tops of crags and cliffs, the air is thin, so we'll find a mountain path on down the hill.
Meet me where the snow mount flows; It is there my dear where we'll begin again.
Skipping Stones, braiding hair; when the hills have turned to blue
and the waves are lapping where the children grew


Delthion
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 425


Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #48 on: December 04, 2014, 06:07:06 PM »    
________________________________________
It is true my lord that I accidentally knocked both Soren and the girl unconscious but this is only because LT was standing in the kitchen which was hidden from the rest of the guests which were facing me. Anyway, back to LT: He was projecting a hologram right in front of me, it looked like it was from the Exorcist so I was startled each time and swung at it with the bowling ball, of course when I met no resistance since holograms are only light I let go of the bowling ball in surprise, then it thudded into Soren's head, and on the second time it was onto the girl's head.


   
   Report to moderator    70.239.88.134

________________________________________
Yes, I finally got out of my Halloween costume.


LT Sandpaw
Full Member
   
Posts: 131


To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #49 on: December 04, 2014, 06:40:52 PM »   
________________________________________

It's true Milord I was projecting the image to motivate him with a cheering figure. The first time I was distracted and didn't see what it was I was projecting The second time I saw it and hurried to reprogram it but Delthion had already knocked out the girl. I had no intention to scare him, I had no idea he was scared by it.
Actually it was supposed to be a positive thing.
   
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________________________________________
"Sir you will find that fear is not a word in my vocabulary!"


SilentSam
Full Member
   
Posts: 136


SILENT SAM IS THE BEST REDWALL CHARACTER!


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #50 on: December 06, 2014, 09:05:45 PM »   
________________________________________
Overlord, this is all true, but LT chose the hologram also to scare some people of the future. He figured that he could have fun scaring some people of the future, and get away with it.
   
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________________________________________
 

I AM SAM 
Cicha sam jest najlepszym redwall znaków!

Please come to my website:
http://abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz-0.blogspot.com/



Delthion
Sr. Member
   
Posts: 425


Onoirath Sprucepaw by Rainshadow


          Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #51 on: December 06, 2014, 10:47:57 PM »    
________________________________________
But this was only true due to Silent Sam's encouragement, even I being distracted by the roar of the crowd could hear him chanting; "Do it LT do it!" I wasn't going to bring it up unless Sam blamed LT. But he did, so I did, so you heard.


   
   Report to moderator    70.239.88.134

________________________________________
Yes, I finally got out of my Halloween costume.


LT Sandpaw
Full Member
   
Posts: 131


To serve and protect, till my dying day.


         Re: Overlord's Orders XI
« Reply #52 on: December 07, 2014, 10:12:48 AM »   
________________________________________

It's true I was scaring people during the Fiesta for fun, but it was because several people were encouraging me including Sam, the point is when I was trying to motivate Delthion someone must have switched my motivation tape with my projector but I

OOC: I'm not sure I understand Del's last post, so I'll just roll with it like I read it. I sent Del a PM for clarification.
BIC:
Your graciousness, it is true that I accessed the sound system in your base, and that I used LT's holographic projector. But it was for good reason.
You see my lord, Sam was the one who was heading the clearing out of starfish from your base. He said it would go quicker if we could scare the starfish away. He said that starfish are afraid of cows. And if we projected an image of a cow then it would scare away the starfish. So I grabbed the holographic projector and used it too project the image of a cow to scare the starfish. However, the targeting sensors were off. LT rarely keeps up with that kind of thing. So I had no idea where it was projecting the image of a cow. Sam said that maybe the audio of cow sounds would work. So sense he didn't know how to do it, I accessed the sound system of the base. I used it to play cow sounds and drive the starfish out faster. So you see your lordship that it was all for the betterment of you and your assets.

The Titanic sinks.[

MDEwMTAxMTEgMDExMDEwMTEgMDExMDAwMTEgMDExMTAxMTEgMDEwMDExMTAgMDEwMTAxMDEgMDAxMTAwMDEgMDEwMDAxMTEgMDExMDAwMTEgMDEwMDAxMTAgMDExMDEwMDAgMDEwMTAxMTAgMDEwMTAxMTAgMDAxMTAwMTAgMDEwMTAwMTAgMDExMDExMTEgMDEwMTEwMDEgMDEwMTAxMDAgMDEwMDEwMTAgMDAxMTAxMDAgMDEwMTAwMTEgMDExMDExMDAgMDEwMDExMTAgMDEwMTAxMTAgMDEwMTEwMTAgMDEwMDEwMDAgMDExMDAxMDAgMDEwMDExMTAgMDEwMTAxMTAgMDAxMTAwMDAgMDEwMTAxMTAgMDAxMTAxMDEgMDEwMTEwMTAgMDEwMDAxMDEgMDExMDAxMDAgMDExMDExMTEgMDEwMTAwMTEgMDExMDExMDAgMDEwMDEwMTAgMDExMTAwMTAgMDEwMTAxMTEgMDExMDExMDEgMDAxMTEwMDEgMDExMDAwMDEgMDEwMTAwMTAgMDAxMTAwMTAgMDExMTEwMDAgMDEwMDAxMDAgMDEwMTEwMTAgMDEwMTAxMTAgMDExMDAxMDAgMDEwMDEwMTAgMDExMDAxMDEgMDExMDExMDAgMDEwMTEwMTAgMDExMTAxMDEgMDEwMTAxMTAgMDExMDExMDEgMDEwMDAxMTAgMDEwMTAwMTAgMDExMDAxMDEgMDExMDExMDAgMDEwMDAxMDEgMDAxMTAxMDE=

(http://i.imgur.com/geOAQgR.png)

   I fidgeted in my seat as I listened to the mingling voices of hundreds of excited high school students just like me. We watched the animations that appeared on the huge screens over the stage as the crowd anxiously waited for the awards ceremony to start. I was in one of the largest (and noisiest) auditoriums I had ever been in. Never would I have guessed as I waited with my team on the side of the auditorium where the winners sat before they received their awards that, soon, with a few words, my elation would suddenly flip over. Never would I have thought that in about half an hour, I would be inadvertently learning one of the most important lessons of my high school life. As I waited enthusiastically, a sponsor of my organization, Ms. Something, suddenly came up nearby. With a look of sheer shock on her face, she said, "What are you doing here? You're not going to national competition."

   (organization here) state competition was one of the most eventful experiences of my sophomore year. It was at the (some fancy hotel) in (some large, well-known city) that year and lasted three days. A few hours before I was to compete in an event called "Blah" with my team members, Guy1 and Guy2, I felt sick in my stomach. I could barely stand up and walk around as I doubled over with pain. Ms. Johnson took me to buy some medicine and let me rest on a chair. I was still not feeling as well as I wanted to when it was time for me to compete. However, I had been told that I didn't have to present our prepared PowerPoint with my team to go to national competition. Since I was a group member too, and had helped out, I would be allowed to advance if my teammates placed (or so I thought). Relaxing, I curled up in the chair and munched some pretzels.

   But then I found out that I wasn't going to national competition after all. When Ms. Something had broken the news to me, I had felt as if the floor and the ceiling had switched places. This wasn't supposed to happen! Ms. Something led me into the hall and comforted me, explaining that there had been a misunderstanding and that I actually couldn't go to national competition, because I hadn't presented. After this numbing conversation, I went to the bathroom to fix myself up. I was pretty sure I had cried a little or had at least started to, and that wouldn't be a good way to show up to the other (insert organization) members. However, washing my face didn't help because, just then, a friend of mine walked in. Seeing me, she said, "Do you need a hug?" I raced into her arms and flung mine over her shoulders, feeling a tear fall like rain down my cheek.

   My friend cheered me up. She sat on some steps outside the auditorium with me and we talked until I was ready to show my face to my fellow (insert organization) members again. We crept back into the auditorium, where the awards ceremony was well underway. When my team members won 3rd place, we clapped for them. After they got their awards, Guy1 and Guy2 stopped in their tracks when they saw me for the first time since I had found I wasn't going to national competition. They stared at me with an expression of sympathy and anxiety. "It's okay," I told them, because I didn't want them to feel guilty. However, it was not until months later that I could repeat those same words with complete honesty, meaning, and understanding.

   Throughout the rest of my sophomore year, sickness kept returning. It turned out that I had GERD, very common acid reflux. This honestly isn't so bad but I personally it found very uncomfortable and hindering. My health fluctuated: some days I was my usual and energetic self and others I was weak and small because that was how I acted when I felt sick. I made frequent trips to the nurse and even had to miss out on an important state competition later in the year because of my condition. However, it was the challenges and hardship that my acid reflux brought, along with a bit of time, that helped me move on from my incident. This may sound odd, but I am glad this happened to me; it has made my second year of high school all the more interesting. Months after, I was able to candidly say, "I'm thankful for what happened to me, even though it was upsetting at first. I'm sure God challenged me with this for a reason that although I can't fathom, I can trust."

Simply said, one can't have only "good things" in their life; he or she must take the bad with the good. Life is a rollercoaster: there are peaks and there are nadirs. Either way, the ride is pretty exciting.

RSPEED, does the same as "Radar sync Radar –" would do but without the sync. That is it gives you the option of seeing if a shoot is heading towards or away from you. Again this makes programming easier.

GRENADE, travels a fixed distance and explodes there. Suggested speed is 8px/c and power same as explosives. Gives some more option in programming, while still being something you don't have to have.

I guess the other register along the same lines would be a "Range sync
Range -", or similar to doppler but for radial speed instead of
tangential. (Real doppler shift actually tells you radial velocity not
tangential, but who is counting). There was a placeholder for this in
the old code but I don't think it was ever enabled.

A register to tell you the exact angle to the shot detected by RADAR.

The other thing that would make writing a new robot easier would be if
you didn't have to write corner hopper four times. Could we implement a
layer of indirection that would allow you to write them once. Consider
a system with five additional registers: P', T', SpeedP', SpeedT',
AimR'. P' (perpendicular) would represent the distance from a wall*,
SpeedP' would be the speed perpendicular away from that wall*, T' and
SpeedT' would be the tangential distance and speed along that wall*.
AimR' would be the aim relative to that wall* with zero facing 90
degrees out from the wall. * = Then you have a parameter you can set to
determine which wall the measurements are made from. When the parameter
is 'TOP' you have the regular coordinate system P=Y T=X SpeedP=SpeedY
and SpeedT=SpeedX. (I guess I don't have Aim=AimR). If you set the
parameter to 'LEFT' then P=X T=-Y SpeedP=SpeedX and SpeedT=-SpeedY. If
the parameter is set to 'BOTTOM" then P=-Y T=-X. When it is set to
'RIGHT' P=-X T=Y. With this system you can write code for a wall hopper
once. I would envision have the direction parameter automatically set
when Edge interrupts fire so you could write a bot without changing them
manually if you wanted two, or you could change it yourself.

I'm in full support of Matt's new registers, though I
would suggest the minor change of "LEFT" being the
standard. Then, with "LEFT," P would then correspond
to X, T to Y, SpeedP to SpeedX, SpeedT to SpeedY, and
AimR to Aim, and I assume LEFT would be the default.
TOP would change the above x's to y and the above y's
to -x, AimR to AimR-90 ('AimR 90 -' heh). Etc.


We could also introduce "center" as one of the
parameter. It would have the same directions as Left
but would decrease P and T by 150. I don't know if we
need such an option, but the point I'm making is that
with Matt's registers we could add new coordinate
reference systems without adding a host of new
registers, just by adding one new parameter option.
We could add options that gave standard math
orientations of aim' (90 aim -), which would also give

My Top-5-Changes List:
1) New [P,T,SpeedP,SpeedT,AimR] registers with
reference' parameter.
2) Increase battle length to 2500 chronons.
3) Change processor purchases (I suggest
[10,20,30,40,50], though [5,15,30,50,75] has its
merits; it would be hard to tell with (5)).
4) Change shields*.

How about a register like chargeshield'? You store some value of
energy in there, to a maximum per round. This will be added to the
shield.

"Chargeshield": not sure I know what you mean. Is
this to auto-recharge shields lost due to decay or a
hit? For example: if I set shields to 10 and
chargeshield to 2, on chronons where a bot lost a
shield due to decay it would automatically reset
shields to 10. And if it got hit and lost all
shields, it would invest 2 energy a chronon until it
got back up to 10 shields? Seems neat to me.

black hole gun

1
Joe Sakic
COL
C
82
826
778
269
186
119
114
649
512
55.9
565
566
50.0
1214
1078
2292
53.0
2
Peter Forsberg
COL
C
73
320
375
23
17
9
11
179
191
48.4
173
212
44.9
352
403
755
46.6
3
Stephane Yelle
COL
C
50
299
213
13
8
103
100
209
133
61.1
206
188
52.3
415
321
736
56.4
4
Chris Drury
COL
C
71
246
202
51
41
7
5
162
130
55.5
142
118
54.6
304
248
552
55.1
5
Dan Hinote
COL
R
76
212
213
22
17
18
24
128
130
49.6
124
124
50.0
252
254
506
49.8
6
David Reid
COL
L
73
119
179
2
0
21
31
73
106
40.8
69
104
39.9
142
210
352
40.3
7
Steve Reinprecht
COL
C
21
84
76
7
6
16
20
51
48
51.5
56
54
50.9
107
102
209
51.2
8
Shjon Podein
COL
L
82
9
12
1
1
21
25
20
22
47.6
11
16
40.7
31
38
69
44.9
9
Adam Deadmarsh
COL
R
39
11
13
16
9
4
3
15
11
57.7
16
14
53.3
31
25
56
55.4
10
Alex Tanguay
COL
L
82
6
11
6
4
1
2
8
7
53.3
5
10
33.3
13
17
30
43.3
11
Yuri Babenko
COL
C
3
6
20
0
0
0
0
6
20
23.1
0
0
0.0
6
20
26
23.1
12
Joel Prpic
COL
C
3
12
8
0
0
0
0
12
8
60.0
0
0
0.0
12
8
20
60.0
13
Brad Larsen
COL
L
9
8
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
8
6
57.1
8
6
14
57.1
14
Rob Shearer
COL
C
2
5
6
0
1
0
0
5
7
41.7
0
0
0.0
5
7
12
41.7
15
Eric Messier
COL
L
64
2
4
1
1
1
0
1
1
50.0
3
4
42.9
4
5
9
44.4
16
Milan Hejduk
COL
R
80
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
2
33.3
0
0
0.0
1
2
3
33.3
17
Ville Nieminen
COL
L
50
1
2
0
0
0
0
1
2
33.3
0
0
0.0
1
2
3
33.3
18
Scott Parker
COL
R
69
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
2
0.0
0
2
2
0.0
19
Chris Dingman
COL
L
41
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0.0

Let me explain.

One of my compatriots, Plugg Firetail, had paid Wuggers a considerable amount to imprision us. Plugg said, before we were locked up, what he was planning on using the power of the station to destory you! Wafter we were locked up, I figured out the only way to get out was by destorying the main reactor. With the nifty glass window overlooking the reactor room, I was able to use by concealed pistol to destoryi it. However, Plugg had Wuggers by the throat and was threatening to kill him if we attacked thhe bridge. However, I had an idea and was ableto break in with out incident. But, LT purposely opened the airlock and forced Plugg to release Wuggers. When we tried to stop LT, he let Wuggers go out the airlock' before closing it. I´m sorry to say that we had o steal the shuttle to save our lives from the exploding station. It was Ash´s fault we crashed.Stepping forward one of the servants cautiously raised a hand.

"Uh your lordship we arrived at K7 very promptly, We met Wuggers who had a small force of security guards ready to imprison us. He later interrogated me and said he had received a payment and a tip that someone was going to betray you your lordship.

Well later Sage used a hidden pistol too  to help us escape, I was unable to tell them that Wuggers was on our side and they started shooting everything they could. Well then I made a distress call too you but instead we contacted a group of space flowers. I was going to hang up when Sage grabbed the communicator and started yelling insults at the flowers.

Well then they got angry and warped to us and attacked K7. I had never fought flowers before but those things can pack a punch. Well we were fighting for our lives when Plugg turned up holding Wuggers by the throat. I tried to save him but someone kicked me repeatedly and I fell accidently throwing Wuggers out the airlock.

I panicked then fought my way though a bunch of Poppies where I was hit. I later felt someone pick me up and carry me too the ship then I blacked out until we were teleported back here.
Allow me to explain, most gracious Overlord.

All that the others have already said is truth, but not the complete truth. LT left out the bit where after he accidentally contacted the space flowers, he began telling them the most egregious lies about how your operation is one of pure evil and your space station must be destroyed to prevent various evil things from happening evilly. Sage, enraged at LT's trickery, snatched the communicater from his hand and began hurling insults. When I tried to stop them, Sky tackled me and then sat on me, muttering something about how you must be prevented from carrying out your plans, oh Overlord. Struggling and unable to get up I called to James to help me, but he just leaned against the wall and ate a snickers bar, saying something about how he'll keep watch for the others. I tried calling for the guards, but Jukka suddenly appeared and gagged me. Forgive me for lacking sufficient strength to successfully resist, sir, but I did all I could do. It was only after the space flowers finally attacked that the others released me to fight. During the course of the battle Ash must have slipped off and caused the K7 to crash, just as Sage said.Overlord, Mhera hasn't told you the whole truth. I gagged her because I feared that if she alerted the guards, we'd be in even more trouble than we already were. But when the space flowers attacked, in the confusion I managed to push Skye off her so she was able to get up and fight.

During the fight I saw both Ash and LT slip away together toward the cockpit. However, being surrounded by various flowers and fighting for my life, I was unable to stop their evil plan.
Sir, I feel I should clarify that I had no knowledge of Jukka's intentions when she gagged me, nor did I claim to. Regarding her I merely stated what I observed.
   
In the midst of the accusations that had been flying from person to person like arrows, a certain servant had been unable to speak. When a momentary silence was just beginning to settle, Skyblade seized the opportunity. She stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the Overlord. When she looked up, her eyes were inquisitive and calm.

"Sir, I had none but the best intentions in mind. Please allow me to clarify this debacle.

Everything that the others say is true. However, some details were left untold. When we had just arrived at the station, I had to relieve myself. I was trying to find the restroom when I heard mumbled voices. Out of curiosity and concern, I followed them. I snuck a peek around the corner and saw Mhera, Sam, and James speaking. Neither of them saw me, for I glanced very stealthily and drew my head back. But I listened, for they were talking very suspiciously.

"So we are going to overthrow the Overlord Soren?" Sam said.

"Yes," said Mhera.

"Finally," added James, "I've always wanted to get rid of him."

"Let's do this soon," said Mhera.

"Agreed," said Sam.

Then they walked off.  I quickly went back to the group before they saw me. I wanted to warn the others, but Izeroth told me he didn't care, and the others weren't listening. Then, we were locked up.

And just to make it clear, I did not do anything to deliberately harm or try to harm you (such as killing or overthrowing you) before, during, or after this event. I had no part in the conspiracy or planning of it. I just listened to it going on and tried to do something smart about it.

When I saw Mhera going to the communicator, the conversation lit up in my head. What if she was going to do something bad? I sat on her to keep from moving, and said I would overthrow you to pretend to be on her side and gain her trust so I could buy time. After what I heard, I couldn't trust some of my fellow servants. I didn't mean any of that; I just needed so stall. When she yelled for James, I was even more worried because I knew he was part of the group plotting to overthrow you. Then, Jukka pushed me off even though I told her that she was planning to get rid of you.

Then, the space flower battle. I fought for my life. Sand failed to mention that the only reason he was knocked out is that he was doing the hokey pokey in the middle of battle, even though we all know that dancing actually enrages space flowers of all kinds. Don't ask me why he did this because I have no idea. I saved his life by pushing him out of the way of an attacking Poppy, but he was knocked unconscious because his dancing had already provoked other flowers. I fought them off and was extremely occupied by that. I was knocked out soon after, and I woke up here."

After this explanation, the servant stepped back. "Never did I mean any harm to you, Overlord. My heart is pure and my mind free of such corruption. I hope you make the right choice."

"Sky is correct in saying I was preforming the hokey pokey to anger the flowers. Since I was panicking at the time the first thing I thought of was having the flowers all attack me allowing the others to pick them off. By preforming the dance I might have saved their lived but then I got hit by one of the shots and I fell. Its thanks to Sky that I am still alive."OOC: I owe you! Smiley

IC: Sky nodded and smiled at her ally. "Sand is right. I understand. Also, he and Plugg were the only ones who listened to me when I was telling the others about the plot of Mhera, Sam, and James. He said, "You're right, Sky, we need to do something to stop their overthrowing" and Plugg said, "I agree. We need to stop them as soon as we can." Everyone else (Izeroth, Ash, Jukka, Sage) ignored my warnings and made it clear they didn't care what happened to you."

With all due respect, sah, I was unable to help and assist my compatriots because I had to keep the space station from crashing. I tried to the best of my ability, sir, and was about to safely land it on nearby moon when Jukka leaped onto me, shouting "Nooooo! We have to let the space station crash, it'll kill us all!" She had a sleeper hold on me and for the rest of the time I was inactive.Sir, I did indeed meet with Sam and James. They had approached me before the mission about overthrowing you, and even though the very idea is abominable to me I agreed to join them. You see, I wanted to know their plans so I could thwart them. As it turns out I had no need to, because after they had asked me to join them I asked Plugg for advice on what to do and he said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of this. Just continue to play along with them." I did and left the matter in his hands. Unfortunately I had no idea that his solution was to get us all imprisoned, but it did indeed stop Sam and James' original  plan.
James rolled his eyes. ""Oooh, look at me, my heart is pure from all corruption, I never do anything wrong." Pffft. Give me a break! I'll tell you the real story about what happened, without gross misinterpretations of the facts like what these kids would have you believe."

"When we were on our way to the station, I was going through the cargo room as a part of our assigned duties on our ship. I happened to notice a big box sitting in the corner. It had this label on it: "WARNING. DO NOT OPEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. CONTAINS ALL KINDS OF EVILS." With that warning, I had no intention of letting all those horrible things out. But apparently Sky felt differently. She skipped into the room, humming some ditty from that new kid's movie "Sleeping Cinderpanzelsa White", and asked me, "What you doing?" I said, "Don't worry about it, dear." (She insisted that we all call her "dear" that at the beginning of our trip, and started hysterically crying whenever we left it out of a sentence.)

She said, "What's in the box? Can I see can I see can I see? What's this say? Read it to me." I said, "It says bad things are in the box; leave it alone, dear." She pouted and said, "It's a present, isn't it. I wanna see!" Before I could stop her, she opened the box! Shape-shifting 4th-dimensional space monsters flew out of the box, cackling with glee. They disappeared into thin air, but their work was far from over. Everything your Majesty had worked so hard to build was at dire risk of being completely destroyed by these evil monsters."

"I knew that the only way to stop them was invented by the space flowers. Knowing that we were all in danger of being killed by the shape-shifting monsters, I privately warned everyone else about this threat, and advised them to talk about your Majesty as though we were against you, so that they would think we were their allies, and not kill us. I had to deliver this important message in sign language, while talking out loud about overthrowing you, so I guess some people might have misunderstood me. Anyway, this is what Sam and I were doing on the station later on."

"After Sandpaw and Sage lured the space flowers to the station, things were looking up. I took an anti-space-monster detector and eliminator from a space flower's remains. I was looking for monsters when Mhera was being attacked; while I was sympathetic, space monsters can kill in a moment, and I knew it was top priority to make sure that we didn't miss any of them. I was successful. None of us were killed by space monsters, although the flowers did take heavy losses. I'm very sorry to have had to even speak about your Majesty in a less than positive light, but given the circumstances it was necessary to do it, to allow us some hope of completing the mission. Rest assured that I would never consciously betray your Majesty."Overlord, the reason I jumped onto Sage was due entirely to the fact that Mhera hit me on the head with a heavy broom, which she was using against the space flowers. I have no idea why she was using it, since there were plenty of blaster guns right by her. Anyway, I was dazed and wandered into the cockpit. Sage was driving, and Ash and LT were lying on the floor, unconscious. (I realized later that they had attempted to hijack and crash the station.) Not knowing what was going on, I jumped on Sage and yelled, "Noo! We have to let the space station crash, it'll kill us all!" I finally realized what was happening three minutes later when the space station crashed. But, as you see, it was all Mhera's fault.

Also, I was one of the few who actually understood James' sign language.Sky smiled in amusement. "Well crafted response, but I'm afraid I need to justify myself:

You see, all of us together as a group had found out about Opposite Day. We all agreed to go along with Opposite Day and all say the opposite of what we really meant. It wasn't my idea, but I went along with it.

We all found out that the day I ended up opening the box was the bona fide Opposite Day and agreed to say the opposite of what we really meant no matter what. Again, this wasn't my idea, but Izeroth said it would "improve our critical thinking". So when James told me the box contained bad things, I thought he meant good things. He didn't tell me that this was an exception to Opposite Day whatsoever, and all of us were still going along with the Opposite Day. I never told him to stop saying the opposite of what he meant.

Anyway, Opposite Day ended after this. The day we arrived at the station was the following day.

As for the dear thing, I just lost a very good friend of mine who used to always call me "dear". As I missed him so much, I cried at the very thought of him. To alleviate my pain, I asked my allies to do me a small favor and call me "dear". It wasn't a big deal and it wasn't anything bad, sir.

Also, I didn't understand James' sign language because I never learned it. I know you ordered al of us to learn at one point, but I never got to because some of your other servants kept canceling my registration to a perfectly fine and good sign language school. I apologize for this misunderstanding; this is the reason why it occurred."Sir, I was using a broom to fight as anyone paying attention could see that the blaster guns next to me were just dummy guns used for training and absolutely worthless in a fight. My hitting Jukka in the head with the broom was an accident.

Now as for Jukka's implication that I'm to blame for crashing the K7, it seems nonsensical especially since she herself just admitted to jumping on Sage and shouting how the station must crash and kill us all. In her defense, however, she used the vague pronoun "it" when referring to whatever it was she is accusing me of; it is quite possible she is blaming me for the delicious breakfast I bought everyone before the mission, and for that I accept full responsibility.Overlord, Mhera did indeed buy us breakfast before our mission started, and it is for that reason that I was accusing her of being the root cause of the space station's demise. You see, the day before this (which was Opposite Day), I overheard Sage muttering something to himself about how he was so stupid and how he thought I was awesome and how he had NOT slipped a timed-release poison capsule in my breakfast that Mhera had bought three weeks before. Of course, since it was Opposite Day, I quickly realized that I had been poisoned, and that it might take effect at any moment. I searched the ship all that day for an antidote, but found none.

The next day, the day of the chaotic attack and crash, I think that Mhera's whacking me with a broom and the poison (which, luckily, wasn't enough to be fatal) combined to send me into a daze which lasted long enough for the ship to crash. Thus, Mhera's buying of breakfast is indeed the root cause of the station's demise. Would I lie to you, Overlord?Sir, I bought the time release capsules and then hid them on a stray asteroid to prevent any of your other, potentially unloyal servants from attaining them and then using them to poison you. I noticed the day before that some were missing from where I had stashed them and assumed a wild space creature had stolen them. Thanks to Jukka's information I now realize it was actually Sage. My buying breakfast was solely to make sure everyone went into the mission well-fed and feeling good, sir, and I'm sorry that Sage used it for more nefarious purposes.

As for Jukka, putting it frankly, sir, it was irresponsible for her to go on with this mission when she knew she was poisoned and could become a potential liability.
I'm sorry, alright? I never meant to poison Jukka, I just... well, it was Halloween the day before, and the spirit of Death Day just kinda took ahold.Perhaps it was somewhat irresponsible to go on with the mission without telling anyone, but I am by nature a paranoid person, and I didn't know who among my companions I could trust. James, perhaps, but I wasn't completely sure, so I searched for an antidote myself."I can attest about the Opposite Day nonsense. Here's how it all started. Sage and Plugg had been arguing very loudly, and yelling insults at each other. When Sage screeched, "NOOO, I'M AWESOME, AND YOU ARE STUUUUPIIIID, YOU STUPID STUPIDITY STUPIDITY STUPID STUPIDY-HEAD STUP MAN", so loud that it burst one of Jukka's eardrums (the poor girl has a condition, and her ears are especially sensitive), well, Sam had had enough. He screamed, "STOP SCREAMING!!!" This shocked everyone into being quiet, as Sam is known for being silent. He continued, "I'm sick to death of hearing this argument! If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all." Plugg growled, "Not much chance of me saying anything that sounds nice to this ninny, unless it's Opposite Day." Izeroth and Ash cheered, "OPPOSITE DAY!!! YAAAAAAY!" Izzy looked up what day Opposite Day was on the Externet. It turned out to be the day after that day. So, he went around telling everyone, "We should celebrate Opposite Day; it will improve our critical thinking", over and over and over and over and over again. Eventually, we all said "Fine" just to get him to shut up."

"As for why I spoke normally, confusing Sky, it was because I was very tired and stressed out. You see, Izzy was all fired up about celebrating Opposite Day when it was just an idea, but he was depressed when we actually started doing it, and he walked around constantly saying "We should celebrate Opposite Day; it will improve our critical thinking" in a very whiny, sarcastic tone, starting at midnight (when Opposite Day officially began), and continuing for the next 24 hours. He even took stimulants so that he could keep the rest of us from getting any sleep by repeating this over and over again. The reason I took on the duties in the cargo bay was to get away from him. So, I was half-asleep, and reflexively answered Sky normally. I tried to correct myself when I realized my mistake, but by then it was too late and she had already opened the box."

"I wasn't there when Sky was sending her forms in to school, but Jukka had told me about what happened. She said that every time Sky pressed the "Register" button on the sign language school's website, she would then get off the computer, forgetting to log out of her account. Then, when Sage got on the computer, he would keep pressing the "Cancel Registration" button, at Plugg's request. Plugg's supposed to have said something about it being fun, that they could teach Sky wrong sign language themselves and cause her to misinterpret everything. I guess he hadn't gotten around to doing it before this mission started, though."My overlord, Yes, we talked about "overthrowing" you, but, as James said, was to pretend that we were on the flowers's side. And, it was all crazy after that, but if I try to explain the rest, they would argue with me, and I don't want to have too much attention.
IC: Skye stepped forward again. "Sir, the first time, I forgot to log out because there was so much going on at the time. The second time, I was determined to not forget because my registration had been canceled earlier. However, a few other servants burst in saying they needed me for something important (and not evil). They dragged me out of the room to help them out, and I had no chance to log off my account. That must have been when my registration got canceled again. All because I tried to do something good for you and my team."

   Oh, the moors. Soft was the land, and fresh was the breeze. Adventure was an aroma smelt by the trio, as their quest, which was longsome, was nearing its in. Together, they visited one last ruin to spend the night, as tomorrow they would be crowned hero's of the Rweride.
"Oh, this journey eh! Sticks a coople rucks in y' britches don't it?" Questioned Aross, the bard of the group.
Lazdrum piped up to his friend's comment. "Not if you're wearin' lus n's!"
"Heh, I don' think y' where laddie!"
"Same 'fer yoo!"
"Quiet y' two brawnies! Me 'ead 'urts! Ploos, we be reachin' Urindow 'morrow, so clog y' pipes! Cytrine called at the two life long brothers. Being the only female in the group was tiresome. Those two seemed to never shut up!
"Suit y' self lassie!"
With this, Aross wrapped himslef up in his extra kilt and journied off into the land of dreams and mystery.
Lazdrum, however, was not tired at all. Really, the hefty archer was nervous. In his kilt pocket he ran his rough, worn out fingers across a beautiful ring, crafted with the finest and most precious metals. The smith had been so presise, that there was not a blemish or smudge on it. Surely, it was meant for a Queen, and a great one at that.
He had every right to be nervous. Cytrine was a beautiful young women. Her long, black hair was luscious and sparkled in the moonlit night. His however, was a dark brown and scruffy, not giving even a small hint of shimmer. Cytrine's rich brown eyes lit up any dark room, even if they themselves were dark. Everytone of her face radiated great beauty, which was uncommon for the people of this land. Proposel was not easy. Two years have they travled together, and every day they gre closer. Her brave, bold spirit had saved his left amny times, and his agility and theft had saved hers as well. Now the timing was perfect. The pale moonlight shone though a broken window by which Cytrine lie, reflecting off of her hai and milky white skin. This was it. Together they would ride into Urindow as a couple, sharing together the adventutes that they had witnessed. With a great heap of courage, the quick bowman got up and queitly walked to his love.
"Cytrine, may I ask you something, I must know," he whispered.
The women turned her head, shaking just a little with sweat rolling down her face."
"Yus?"
Lazdrum wiped the sweat away from her forehead. "What worries y'?"
"Oh, Notin' o' 'portance, carry on."
"Well, I just wanted to say I know. I know how you feel about the whole thing and what your prefance is."
With this, Cytrine hopped up, looking up at her friend with cold, dead eyes.. "You do not know! What I did wi' them does no' define meh!"
Lazdrum stepped back from her. "Wot y' mean?"
"I mean the Dardiers! Oi dun't know 'ow you found oot' but I dun't care! Too lung have Oi carried on with y' two, questin' and slayin' just t' get recognition! Moi true self is with them!"
An expression of horror came across his face. The Dardiers where a group of top notch assassins that hunted on flesh in Rweride. The Evil which consumes each and every one of them is one not taken lightly. It transforms people from humans to killing, savage slaves. He didn't know how to feel. Lazdrum could be killed right now on the spot along with his brother. No option wad left.
Slowly, Lazdrum pulled out the silver ring. "Oi don't care, nor want t' hear wot y've done. All I wanted t' ask was, if you wanted to marry meh."
This time, Cytrine stepped back. Had she just told him her secret? If so, why did he still love her? No, this couldn't be real, no one would love her. She was a brain-less killing machine in a women's body. No man would want that.
She looked back up with him, tears in her eyes.
"Yes".

After she spoke, her darrger was taken swiftly from her belt and thrusted into her chest, spewing her hot blood over her fiance. A thid could be heard as her dying body hit the stone floros of the building. Lazdrum dived down, and grabbed the women. He looked down at her. The shimmer in her hair seemed to have faded away. All of the life in her eyes was slowly leaving. The bright beatly of her skin was gone.
Tears flowed down the archer's eyes. While crying, he looked down, and saw three words move from his friend's mouth. Slowly they came, each on tugging out more and more of a precious life. As much as they hurt, she said them.
"I, Love, You."



The smell of wind seemed off today. It no longer flet sweet and lush. No, today it was stern, and cold, like a stern force. Through it though, two horses walked. The gray day had not dampened thier spirits, but it had their riders. Both brothers sat, looking west to the capitl of Rweride, Urindow. With a large sigh, Aross plodded down a small hill. Before doing the same, his brother, Lazdrum, looked back to the ruins where they had slept the night. Right outside was a small stone sticking up from the ground. Sitting right infront of it was a silver ring, crafted in the purest of ways. A smile came across the man's face. And with that, he plodded off with his brother towards their final destiny, the end goal of their trip. A solitary tear fell from his eye as his horse moved. He would always remember the good, even if it came from the bad.