text:
|By PSUAvatar14
|More from PSUAvatar14
|PG (Mild violence early)
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|Last Preparations
|Chapter information
|Written by
|Release date
7 January 2012
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Last Preparations is chapter thirteen of The Weatherbenders.
The Fire Nation Rebellion continues to capture towns and place pressure on Zorro, while Team Avatar arrives at General Fong's base, and receive their last pieces of Weatherbending training before splitting up. The Southern Water Tribe, meanwhile, falls to its last legs.
The story
Fire Nation, 10 September, 13:00
Early that late summer morning, the Rebel Army landed at the shores of another town, and quickly charged it, setting up a battle between them and its police force.
The battle was swift and decisive; the defenders never truly stood a chance, as for the first time since their formation, the rebels proved overwhelming, racing to the Mayor's palace within hours.
Near the mayor's office, three rebel soldiers took the last three officers out. One rebel drew his sword and knocked the sword of an officer away, forcing said officer to surrender. A second one was defeated when his face was burned off by a close-range fireball from a rebel, and the third was forced to surrender when surrounded by these soldiers.
One of them then kicked the door to the mayor's office open, and then they threatened him. The mayor tried to attack with Firebending, but found himself quickly overwhelmed. Two rebels cornered him, while the third locked and guarded the door.
"All right...I surrender!" The mayor exclaimed.
"Take him away," a soldier said to the other soldier who was guarding the door. The guard rebel placed him in handcuffs he stole from a defeated guard, and led him towards a prison.
The leader of the three rebels stepped outside to other forces who were outside the office. "This town is now ours!". The remainder of the soldiers cheered. It was the third town to fall in just thirty-six hours. Now, the recruitment of soldiers got back underway.
"This should get us to near 800 men," Tizou remarked. "We are getting closer and closer to the desired manpower to attack the Fire Nation Capital."
"The clock is working against us," Azai advised. "Let's gather up our forces, appoint the next set of soldiers, and get out of here. We need to stop Zorro before he can take the Southern Water Tribe down."
"That could be just three days away," Bujing remarked. "I agree with Azai. No need to stay here for long. Get these new forces into training as soon as possible. Where shall we go next?"
Tizou looked over a Fire Nation map. "We have these three towns under our control." The general placed an asterisk over the town they just captured, which was about thirty miles south of the Capital. "Let's take one more on the south side today, take a couple on the north side, and we'll be ready. Some of these towns can give us hundreds of men...possibly enough to total 1,500 when all is said and done."
"Are you sure we'll need that much manpower?" Azai asked.
"We don't want to take too many chances," Bujing replied. "Tizou is right, let's get all these towns taken, our forces increased, and get a move-on."
The commanding general walked out to the edge of the boat, standing over the rail. He looked to the north, and said clearly, "Zorro, your reign will come to an end. The era for evil is long over."
Southern Water Tribe, 17:00
Admiral Xian's post
The old admiral sat at his desk, over a map of the Southern Water Tribe, with his ships surrounding it. His siege plan was going exactly as planned, and soon his final attack would begin. As far as he knew, it was still just the Fire Nation and the fading Southern forces.
However, he didn't feel right. The admiral had been having second thoughts, pondering every so often if this was supposed to be done. When Zorro took over the Fire Nation, Xian initially found himself as happy, as he too was a non-believer in Zuko's peaceful ways. But, over the last week, as he watched more and more people of the Southern Tribe become ill with starvation, he didn't feel the same way. He wondered if peace was meant to be instead of a senseless war by a disgruntled Ozai loyalist. However, he was to follow orders, and he knew that if he pulled out, he would likely be executed by the current Fire Lord.
A young colonel knocked at Xian's door and was given clearance to enter. "Admiral Xian?"
"Yes, Colonel Maozan?" Xian asked.
"I just got word from the Capital. Zorro is ordering us to launch our assault of this place by the 14th," the Colonel explained. "He also says he is demanding daily updates from this point forward."
Admiral Xian simply sighed. "Something wrong?" Maozan asked.
"I don't know what's right anymore," Xian replied. "I mean, should we really be doing this? We already did this, and its results were devastating. I feel like I am seeing this more in me lately; I'm not the warhawk I once was. Seeing all these families weakened, people dying from starvation...no one deserves this. Especially a place like the Southern Water Tribe. These people were rampaged to the point of their last Waterbender. I know I have to carry out Zorro's orders, but...I don't know."
Maozan shook his head. "Admiral, we're doing Sozin's original work. What Azulon tried and what Ozai tried as well...spreading our prosperity to the rest of the nations!"
Xian also shook his head. "Is this really prosperity? These people are starving, and we're going to assault them within three days' time...I don't think I'd call that prosperity."
Maozan sighed. "Then leave, Admiral. You don't have to be here. Desert and get yourself killed by Fire Lord Zorro."
"I will still carry out orders," Xian replied. "I won't desert my own family in the process."
"Very well," the Colonel said, and then he left, but not before peeking back in to say one more thing. "You're lucky I consider you a great leader...or I would report you back to the Fire Lord."
Xian didn't respond. He knew he had to keep his family safe and not become a traitor. Regardless of his misgivings, he prepared for the attack, drawing up various strategies and preparing a speech for his forces.
Chief Hakoda's home
The Chief sat himself at his kitchen table, a cup of tea in his hand. It was the last of a tea shipment he had ordered from the Jasmine Dragon before the current struggle started. It was one of Iroh's specialties; calming jasmine tea. However, even as Hakoda sipped at it, he couldn't feel himself calming. For the second time in his reign, the tribe was collapsing to nothingness. It was happening years ago, when his first and so far only wife was killed by the Southern Raiders, and now it was happening all over again. He rested his elbow on the table, his other hand over his cheek, and gave a tired sigh.
Hiyoki entered the house, along with Sokura. There they saw the chief who looked like he had been down the beaten path several times. "Hakoda, we need to speak with you," Hiyoki said.
"Very well, take a seat," Hakoda instructed his advisers, and the two men sat opposite of him.
"Sir," Hiyoki began. "We have a leak that the Fire Nation might assault the tribe within three days. Their siege continues, and there's no doubt they want more. They want to take our tribe down."
Hakoda again sighed. "Is there anything that we have good to report?"
"Some good news," Hiyoki replied. "The Northern Tribe slipped in some reinforcements via the Earth Kingdom. Further, the Earth Kingdom has said they will provide support as needed. We might have a chance at a counter-offensive after all. It's better than nothing."
Hakoda idly nodded. "I just hope support can come with us in time. Knowing Zorro, he will want to come as fast as possible, and as hard as possible. It will be a heavy assault...also, the Earth Kingdom forces may be compromised if they send Earthbenders."
"The generals are aware of that," Hiyoki said. "They will send mostly non-benders down, and their benders will be supplied with Earth."
"That was the good news," Sokura said. "Sadly, I must now bring bad news, regarding our shrinking supplies."
The chief did not reply, simply gesturing his second adviser to continue.
"Our supplies are wearing thin," Sokura warned. "We have enough to maybe feed all our current troops and families for three to four more days. Already many people are ill or deceased from starvation. Things are getting critical. The Fire Nation is waiting to strike, and once we hit that critical point, they will. That's not long from now, hence this leak of three days to attack. Time is running short."
Once again, the chief gave an exhausted sigh. "If we can't get supplies in, we'll have to hold out. Everyone will have to fight as hard as they can. We'll likely have to join in. Myself, Bato, Hiyoki...every capable body. It's a hard sacrifice, but we need everything."
"Now would be a darn good time to have your children down here," Hiyoki said. "Where are they?"
"I haven't heard from Katara or Sokka in a while," Hakoda informed his adviser. "I believe in them though...they are my children. They showed up when they were needed during the War, and I have no doubt they will do so again."
"I hope so," the military adviser replied. "We don't have much time."
Almost as if on cue, a messenger came in with a letter to the chief. Hakoda took it and began to read. Indeed, it was the news they were hoping for. It read as follows:
We are still traveling across the Earth Kingdom. Today, we're on the way to General Fong's base to help mobilize for the counter-attack against Zorro's Fire Nation. We understand there is a chance of all three nations being involved, and we're planning on splitting ourselves up. Training is going well, and we're pretty much almost ready. The good news? When the time comes, we will be coming back to the South Pole to help you fight. We love you Dad, and we're not going to let you go this alone. These people must be dealt with. They took one from us, we're not going to let them take any more. We will see you soon. --Sokka & Katara"
Hakoda simply smiled. "I think we just got what we were hoping for, men," he then addressed his advisers. "Let's gather up our forces. It's time to bring the Fire Nation Navy down."
Western Earth Kingdom, 11 September, 10:00
The team had left their campsite late night on the ninth, and settled at a camp for the overnight on the 10th just short of their destination. They woke up early that morning to resume their flight aboard Appa, and closed in on the base. Katara and Sokka had sent a letter to their father on the ninth that arrived at the South Pole the previous day.
"I still don't trust this guy as far as I could throw a boulder," Sokka said.
"Want some help with that?" Toph joked around.
"It's not funny," Sokka snapped back. "This guy tried to force Aang into the Avatar State and buried my sister alive to do so!"
"Sokka, it's over now," Aang replied. "I know he was a big jerk when we first met him, but I don't think he'll do that again. It's been two years, we have to let go. Fong's now also a key part of this attack. If we don't have his support, we won't be able to save the world."
"I spoke with Fong during our distribution of the colonies," Zuko remarked. "He seems like less of that jerk nowadays. I don't think we'll have anything to worry about."
"Not that I don't trust you Zuko," the Southern Prince stated, "I just don't know if we can trust him."
"I still am not sure about Fong either," Katara said to her brother, "but we have to trust Aang here. Who better to trust?"
The team's flight continued over the Earth Kingdom towards the general's base. Reeaki looked out over the open air and then saw the circular structure which Fong's base appeared to look like when he first saw it. "Is that the place we're looking for?" The Weatherbending instructor asked.
"Indeed," Aang answered, looking down. "General Fong's base is right there." The Avatar directed his sky bison down to the ground in a gradual descent. Sokka still was not highly in favor, giving a somewhat angry look as they landed.
"You know Sokka, if you're going to be Dad's successor, you'll have to learn to trust our allies," Katara remarked.
"All I know is that this guy had better not try anything again," Sokka snapped. "If he does..." he drew his sword. "I'll be ready." He then put his sword back after they all hopped off Appa.
Team Avatar was welcomed into the base with no interference. "General Fong is up at the top of his fortress," one of officers present said.
They looked up at the tall fortress before them. Aang shuddered slightly, thinking about when the general attacked him for not accepting the offer to go into the Avatar State. Katara placed her arm around his back, wrapped around his shoulders. However, Aang knew he had to keep moving. Reeaki looked ahead in amazement, his chance to see such a structure in person. The base had been long since repaired after Aang's Avatar State-induced destruction of it, complete with more protected walls.
Slowly but surely, they all made their way up the fortress stairwell, before reaching Fong's war room. There, he sat at his desk, the large world map off to his left. He looked up and saw the team, his first encounter with them since they were just the original three two years ago. Soon, he rose from his chair.
An apology
Everyone took a look at the Earth Kingdom general, but no one's look stuck out more than Sokka's disgruntled one. Fong surveyed the team for a moment, not sure what to say. Finally, he stood up and fell on his knees, bowing before the team.
"Avatar Aang," he elected to address the young savior first. "I would like to apologize for my actions during our meeting two years ago. My actions were selfish and strict. I tried to force you to do something you clearly were not ready for, and it caused you and your friends to lose your trust in me. My actions were unjust and I was not thinking of your position. I only desired your power instead of working with you. I hope you can forgive me for what I did." He then turned to the Avatar's girlfriend. "Mighty Katara, I also apologize to you for burying you. This was a byproduct of my desire for the Avatar's power. I made a silly move, and threatened your life. If you weren't a part, the world would not have been saved. Once again, it was my foolish thoughts that nearly killed you."
Sokka looked down at the general, his angry look sort of faded. "You seem honest..."
"I am honest," Fong assured him. "Sokka, I realized after the War that what I did was silly. Aang was not ready to use that power back then, I see that now! I just ask for your forgiveness and trust. This is a critical time, and I hope we can be at an understanding." Fong's look showed great regret. He looked at the Southern Prince with an upset look, as if trying to say "please forgive me".
Aang and Katara nodded, giving him forgiving looks.They then looked at Sokka. He finally released his anger. "All right, you are forgiven."
Fong smiled. "I promise, I won't let you down. Now, let's get to work, discuss our strategies, because mobilization is coming soon."
The team sat down in front of Fong's desk, on a couple of couches that had been added recently. Fong stood up to the right of his map. "So, here we are. On the verge of a showdown with the world's fate on the line once more," the general started. "Here is the breakdown. There is a rebellion ongoing in the Fire Nation, being led by three of your advisers, Zuko. They tried to attack the Capital but were driven back; however, as we speak, they have shifted to a more successful strategy...capturing small towns near the Capital. They are building their forces quickly."
Zuko nodded. "I knew some form of rebellion would be done. I just hope they can get to Zorro before they're too late. Myself and Aang volunteered to go to the Fire Nation and assist them.
Fong turned around and stroked his beard. "How do you plan on getting there? It's not an easy ride."
"We could use Appa," Aang began, "Thing of it is, however, it's a further distance to the Southern Water Tribe, where Katara and Sokka are headed. They might want to get there sooner, so I was thinking of letting them use Appa."
"My boat is still docked not far from here," Reeaki suggested. "You and Zuko could use that, Aang."
"It's a good idea," Fong said, "But with one issue. Not far from the Capital are the Great Gates of Azulon, and you know full well Zorro will utilize those to stop advances in if the rebellion grows. That's the shortest way into the Capital, however."
"We'll have to risk it," Aang said. "There's no other way to get through."
"Aang," Katara said. "If you need to use Appa, you can use him. He is your sky bison, after all."
"Another solution," Fong added, "We have been working on new submarines, using the original Waterbending-powered machines from the War. If we can have one of those operational, you could use that instead. I'll check with our engineers after this meeting."
Aang and Zuko nodded.
"That said," Fong continued. "As for the rest of the world...obviously, you are aware of the situation at the South Pole. The Fire Navy may attack there within a few days. They have done an effective job of sieging them to the point of severe strain. I don't know how accurate this is, but a leak from the Fire Nation has told me that Kianna and Baktan might go there to take power when the Fire Nation conquers it in an assault."
"Oh no," Sokka declared, standing up. "General Fong, Katara and I will assure that doesn't happen. We will take them. We refuse to let our home fall."
"I am sure you will fight hard, as the children of the chief," Fong addressed the Water Tribe siblings. "However, the manpower of your home tribe is small. I might send some reinforcements down with you, if that's not a problem."
"We'll take any help we can get," Katara replied.
"I'm sure our father will be happy if that's the case," Sokka added.
"I should add I was a general who was in contact with Chief Hakoda about reinforcements for the South Pole," the general continued. "It's a tough route to get to the Southern Water Tribe with the way things are structured. They have to basically cut to the east of Whale Tail Island, and swing around the continent."
Sokka stopped for a second to think. "Hmmm...I got an idea! Let me come up to the map for a second."
Fong stepped aside, and Sokka surveyed the map. There, he caught a weakness in the Fire Navy's positioning. "Check this out, general. They only blocked off the north coast of the continent, failing to swing to the west. All you have to do is come around the west of Whale Tail, and then slip southwesterly, and you will get around the Fire Navy. Then you just have to shift to an easterly course, and there you go." His finger moved around the map with his proposed trail, ending at the South Pole village. "It's a key weakness that seems to have been missed."
"Yes, it turns out that Zorro isn't so smart after all," Fong replied after surveying Sokka's proposed path. "Great pickup, Sokka. It's a good way to get our reinforcements in to the Southern Tribe."
Sokka gave a nod and returned to his seat.
"Now that we have that plan settled, it is time to talk domestically," Fong explained. "Right now, the Council of Five has orders out for mobilization with Zorro's attack a short time off. Some troops are currently traveling across our kingdom to the west coast, with the rest due here tomorrow. The Fire Nation is expected to arrive here by the fourteenth. There is a rumor going around, however, that Zorro might pull some forces back home because of the growing rebellion. Regardless, since I know where four of you are going, I presume the rest will stay here.
"I've got no problem bashing some Fire Army tanks," Toph declared with a tone of confidence.
"Go ahead, bring them on," Suki said. "A couple jabs and they're down."
"I have to say, I love the tone of confidence," Fong responded. "You girls are more confident than some of my men are. It will be nice to have some inspiration within the lines. Miss Bei Fong, your skills will be needed the most, as a master Earthbender."
"I'll be ready," the blind Earthbender replied.
"Look, we have about three days left before the Fire Nation arrives," the general resumed. "Whatever more training you need to do...complete it. Time is short."
"As their Weatherbending master," Reeaki said, "I can assure you the capable members are about done. However...there might be one more move I have to teach. I would have to check."
Fong nodded. "Very well. Now then, I will allow all of you lodging for the remainder of your time here, as we are where this whole fight is launching from. The forces from Ba Sing Se will combine with my men here. From here, we will move to the immediate western shores and fight. They will be looking to take the villages first, such as Senlin and then this mining village, which are in either direction of my base."
"Those are villages we were at early in our travels," Aang observed. "I remember the mining village, when we met Haru, and Senlin was where I first learned of the Spirit World."
"Yeah, the Spirit World," Sokka said. "Not my favorite place..."
"Funny you should mention Haru," Fong said, turning back from his map to the team. "He trained here before the invasion during the War. Guy's a pretty good Earthbender. Maybe him and his father will come back around again before you all take off."
"It'd be cool to see them again," Katara remarked.
"Right now, take some time to get settled," Fong advised. "Going to be a long three days." With that, Team Avatar took off to their rooms to prepare for the days ahead.
Ba Sing Se, 12 September, 07:30
There they were all positioned, thousands of soldiers, a host of tanks, all gathered at the outer wall of the mighty Earth Kingdom capital. Once again, they were all ready to go off and defend their nation.
Families came to say goodbye to their departing, hopefully not for the last time. They were departing husbands, fathers, brothers, some even grandfathers...relatives were all there.
At the front of the entire mobilization, the young Earth King Kuei stood. After spending most of the hundred years' War suppressed by the Dai Li or in exile, he was making all the decisions now. He had approved this mobilization which had been crafted by the Council of Five. The five generals were inspecting every soldier, making sure they were in shape. When completed, they stood along each side of the Earth King.
"At this time, we will need the families to depart," General How commanded. The families said their final goodbyes to their soldiers, showing whatever affection along the way. They then took their leave from the outer wall. This was a process that would not occur today just at Ba Sing Se, but at other bases across the nation.
"Men," Earth King Kuei started. "I can not thank you enough for making the decision to serve your country once again. I know that peace has been our desire since the end of the War, however, we once again face the threat of the Fire Nation knocking at our kingdom's door. You will be headed to the western shores of the Earth Kingdom, to General Fong's base. There, you will take further instruction from him, and prepare for the attack of the armies of Fire Lord Zorro. Regardless of if you come back, I know you will do your country proud, and these people proud. You are already doing so just by stepping up and serving them. Some of you will also serve two peoples at once, by being directed to the Southern Water Tribe, where a siege has strained them. Within moments, you will depart. I wish you the best of luck, and my blessing, as you proudly serve your nation. I am looking forward to your victorious return."
General How took over. "Men, we have assembled several of these trains for most of you to transport in." He then pointed out the trains which looked similar to those used in the Day of Black Sun attack; however, they had been enhanced and were able to carry more soldiers, yet also, thanks to enhancements from the Northern Air Temple mechanist, they could achieve higher speeds to get to their destination faster. "You will travel in these across the Kingdom in these twenty trains. I will need any loose soldiers to board these upon the end of my speech; all of you have a number 1 - 20, designating the train you will board. Also, because of the danger of the Serpent's Pass, we have constructed a bridge across the West Lake. Other than that, the path to Fong's base will be normal. Like the Earth King, you have the best wishes from the Council of Five, for you, those who will proudly serve this nation."
After this, in an organized process, the rest of the soldiers boarded the trains, and prepared for their departure. Kuei, the Council of Five, and the present Royal Guards departed from the defense force, and with that, the trains left.
"May the spirits watch over us all," Kuei said.
"They will," How responded. "We've come too far from the end of the War to fall now."
An important move
Just outside the base, Reeaki invited Aang and Zuko out for one last meeting. The day was sort of cloudy, but no rain was falling. Reeaki had just one scroll with him, and it was just one move he needed to cover, but this move was a big one.
The three young men sat in a small pagoda, and Reeaki opened the scroll. "Avatar Aang, Zuko...you guys have made it far with all your training. You have essentially mastered temperature control. However, there is this move I want to cover with you. It's a powerful move, but it is very risky."
"Risky?" Aang asked.
"Yes," Reeaki answered. "This is a move that hasn't been performed in almost 2,800 years. It is basically instead of simply absorbing the heat energy, you convert it into an attack. You have the extra energy, but, the risk is you can take all your energy with it. Allow me to demonstrate...simply demonstrate, no performance."
With that said, the instructor got up and began performing the same steps he used for temperature control. However, after relaxing the stance, he quickly jumped to an attack position, and shot fire out of his fingertips. "That's all there is to it. The heat energy becomes a Firebending attack, or for you, Aang, any other bending attack. However, you have to be fast; within two seconds after releasing your heat absorption stance. The enhancement from the temperature absorption will give you a powerful Firebending attack. However, you need all your energy for the attack....going too powerful could possibly drain all the energy from your body...leaving you an unconscious shell."
Aang shuddered at the thought, while it didn't seem to phase Zuko too much. "If those are the risks...so be it," the ex-Fire Lord declared.
"I hope you don't have to use it," Reeaki said, going over to a pillar and placing his hand against it, adding a deep sigh. "But if Zorro is as powerful as advertised...you'll have to."
"Reeaki?" The Avatar asked. "Have you...used it before? You seem regretful."
"I did," Reeaki responded. "I tested it out while I was on my own...it worked. But...I was close to a forest...and I mistakenly set part of it on fire. I was able to put it out as the forest was at the shores...so I used the seawater to extinguish it. Still...it's powerful. Be very careful with how you use it. Don't go to it unless it's a last resort."
"That's rough, buddy," Zuko added.
"You should have seen it...well, you're better off that you didn't," their instructor said. "It was the most horrifying thing I had seen...and it was of my doing."
"It was a mistake," Aang assured him. "Not your fault."
"In any event," Reeaki continued. "That attack is severe...and once more, do not go to it unless it is a last resort. I can't emphasize that enough."
"We promise," Aang added with a nod.
"Does Zorro know it?" The former Fire Lord asked.
"Maybe...maybe not," Reeaki answered. "I guess you'll just have to find out. With that said...that's all I needed you two for today."
Declaration of a march, 08:00, 13 September
Two more towns fell on the north end of the Capital throughout the previous two days, granting the Rebel Army a total of six towns, and another surge in troops.
"1,582," Tizou reported as the official headcount. "This has to be more than enough to attack the Fire Nation Capital! I mean, the Day of Black Sun invasion force was smaller than this, and they almost took the city!"
"They did have the advantage of a solar eclipse," Bujing reminded them. "However, I will not lie...this is an impressive army now. Almost 1,600 men...it depends how much Zorro will call back to the Capital now."
"We also have these towns' resources if we need them," Azai said. "The fall of this town was critical; we have several tanks we can proceed with."
"I think it's time to march," Tizou declared. "They will be assaulting the South Pole and Earth Kingdom soon. Remember, there's a navy base on the eastern islands. The eastern tip of our island chain is not very far from the Earth Kingdom. It's not a pleasant situation. Time is too short to try other towns. With that said, General Bujing, your strategy has paid off."
Bujing nodded and said, "Let's gather everyone up. We are marching to the Capital today. We only have, by my estimation, forty miles to march."
Fire Nation Royal Palace, 08:30
Zorro's flames were low; he was in an upbeat mood. Tomorrow, the Fire Nation would invade the Southern Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom. A large mobilization had taken place over the last thirty-six hours, and they were set to go at any time. Zorro had told Kianna and Baktan they would be sailing southbound tomorrow, and had sent them to a navy base. With them, the surrender of the South Pole would be handled.
At that time, General Fuang walked into the throne room. "Sir, I have some news you might not like," he said, falling on his knees but looking up to the Fire Lord.
"I'm sure I can handle it right now," Zorro said.
"Well...the Rebel Army bounced back," Fuang explained. "As of local sunset last night, they had taken five towns in forty-eight hours."
Zorro's flames shot upward. "What?! What is wrong with our domestic forces? FIVE towns!? This is absurd!"
"I'm afraid they are also on their way towards the Capital," Fuang continued.
Zorro placed his palm over his face. "This is sickeningly bad. I can not believe the failures of the internal army. Five towns...this can only mean one thing. We'll have to take some of the Earth Kingdom invading forces and bring them back here to defend the Capital. I can't believe this has happened."
"Don't blame me!" Fuang urged.
"You are not responsible," Zorro responded. "It's the idiots who lead the domestic forces in those towns. Unbelievable how ill-prepared they could all be, so as to let those generals who served under that brat Zuko take over. Now, we're talking a possible attack against us!"
"We have about 400 men who can defend against the Rebellion," the general told him.
"Very well...call in about one thousand of the Earth Kingdom invaders," Zorro replied. "We will make sure no one takes this city. We came here, and here we shall stay."
"I'll send a messenger hawk to General Shang as soon as possible," Fuang said.
"How about NOW!?" Zorro yelled back. "Don't wait a second longer, time is of the essence!"
"Very well sir," Fuang said, and left the room quickly.
Zorro's look was stinging. "If any of those brat's men think they can take the Capital...they're fools...and that coward Zuko won't even show up and fight for himself...how weak. Hiding behind his generals. I promise this to you, Zuko, wherever you are...once I stop this nonsense rebellion...I will find you...and end you."
General Fong's base, 09:00
The troops rolled across the countryside, closing in on the general's base as fast as they left Ba Sing Se the day before. They were the thousands who would join Team Avatar in their mission.
Outside the base, Team Avatar stood alongside General Fong, with Aang closest to the center.
The trains stopped out in front of the mighty base, which was, save for Aang's Avatar State attack, not affected by the War, as had been advertised. Slowly, the multitude of men that had been arranged for this mission stepped out of the tanks. Whether they were simply warriors or Earthbenders didn't matter much in that moment; they were there to serve.
"Men," General Fong began. "It is my pleasure to welcome you to my military base, from where we will launch our attack against Zorro's Fire Nation! I am glad to announce that the Avatar, the Southern Water Tribe royalty, the former Fire Lord and his girlfriend, the Bei Fong child, the head of the Kyoshi Warriors, and their instructor of Weatherbending all have joined our mission, and will be helping against the Fire Nation in all ways! This day is important; you all need to understand your assignments before we attack! As it appears to me, there are twenty trains here and they are all numbered. Per the assignments I have been given by the Council of Five and the Earth King," he looked down at a message he had been given days earlier regarding the plans. "It appears that those of you who arrived on trains four, seven, nine, fifteen, and eighteen...you will be headed to the Southern Water Tribe to help the depleted forces there against the siege! Joining you will be the Tribal Prince and Princess, Sokka and Katara! At this time, you will now join Prince Sokka and General Gala for further instruction."
Sokka led the assigned troops away, and there he would discuss the strategy with his eventual allies. He was nervous after he struggled with the same idea before the Day of Black Sun. Katara gave him a quick hug and an assuring smile. "Don't worry, big bro," she told him. "I know you're ready for this."
"I hope so, little sis," Sokka replied, and he led the troops on their way to see General Gala.
"As for the rest of you," Fong resumed. "It is up to you to defend our homeland. You will be divided to the west and east of the base. The Fire Nation intends on taking Senlin Village and the nearby mining village first, then use them as bases to take this base. It is up to all of you to be in position for this fight. The village leaders have already agreed to allow you to quarter in homes over there for the overnight. Be prepared to rise early! The Fire Nation will come early; they have a base just a short distance from here. Now then, the Avatar wishes to speak."
Aang stepped up; he was biologically younger than pretty much every soldier there, yet he would be the one to address him. "I can't thank all of you enough for joining the cause to retain our world's balance. This is not going to be an easy fight; the military under Fire Lord Zorro is just as tough as it was under Ozai and his ancestors. However, you all have already done a great job by just being willing to serve not just the Earth Kingdom, but the entire world. I know that together, we can do this. I may not be along side all of you, as I will join Zuko in the Fire Nation to restore his rightful place on the throne. However, all of you have a role in this; by stopping Zorro's Fire Nation from overwhelming your land and colonizing it once again. I know you will do the job well. I know the spirits will watch over us. I know we will all have restored balance to the world when this is over. Once again, thank you all for your bravery."
The Avatar then stepped back. Katara was smiling at him brightly, and she walked over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Great speech," she murmured. Aang blushed and sheepishly smiled at the show of love in front of the soldiers, but didn't mind it at all.
"I have nothing more to say beyond what Avatar Aang just said," Fong said. "Now, take some time to head over to the towns to get settled. We will see you all again later today. Trains 1 - 10 will head to Senlin when their men return. 11 - 20, the mining village with the same circumstances." The general, the Avatar and his friends all walked away.
The team enjoyed their last dinner together before they split up tomorrow to join the fight. The dinner was prepared by staff of General Fong's base, as had been their previous two as well. Tomorrow would be the day they separated.
"I just thought of something," Toph said after taking the last sip of a soup. "When this is over, where are we all going to meet back?"
"Good point," Reeaki responded to the Earthbender.
The team took a few seconds to think before Zuko came up with something. "Well, some of us are taking trips to our locations, and others are staying here. Maybe we could all just come together back here."
"It's a good point, Zuko," Sokka replied, "But when you and Aang win, you're going to become Fire Lord again, so why don't we just all go back to the Capital?"
"You sure about that?" Mai asked. "I don't know about you, but the only thing we have left is Reeaki's boat. Even if we win, there will still be a bunch of ships crossing the oceans. I don't want to deal fire coming at us from all directions. I vote for Zuko's plan."
"I can see where each of us are coming from," Aang said. "But, Sokka...I'm sorry. When I think about it, Zuko's plan makes more sense...even if it does seem weird to leave the Fire Nation before he becomes Fire Lord again."
"Politically," Zuko pointed out, "As the generals are leaders of the Rebel Army; when the Capital falls, they would be the leaders. They would have to appoint me as the Fire Lord. Because Zorro is the leader of the Meteorologists, he became the ruler of the nation. So, whoever's truly in charge of the Rebel Army becomes Fire Lord, and then they would transfer power to myself."
"All right," Sokka said. "I see where this is coming from. So, we will all meet here once we are done."
The rest of the team nodded in agreement.
"There's one last thing I wanted to show you all," Reeaki said. "Before I get it...Aang, do you remember a few days ago before dinner, when I went into that town?"
Aang nodded, and Reeaki got up. He then came back with a small bag in his hand. Reaching into this bag, he pulled out an object within. It was a black wristband. "This is a proper tribute to the one who has fallen."
On the wristband, the letters "TL" appeared, and on each side appeared a fan, similar to the ones the Kyoshi Warriors used. An inscription on the back read as "WHY WE FIGHT".
"We fight not just to save the world," Reeaki said, "but also to avenge our fallen." He drew out several more and left them on the table where they were dining. "I want everyone to wear one of these for the final battle...to serve as a reminder."
One by one, the members of Team Avatar took a wristband, and placed it on themselves. Katara and Suki each looked at theirs with a more sort of upset but stronger feeling. "You know...this is a really cool idea," Katara then addressed Reeaki.
"It's an idea I got from my world, in sports," Reeaki stated. "When a teammate or significant figure to a team died, the rest of the team would always do some tribute to them. This is the idea I got for a tribute to Ty Lee."
"I like it," Aang simply spoke. "It is a good reminder."
Fong then walked into the dinner. "Aang, Zuko, I have some good news. Those submarines we have do work; however, they are not at the best speed. You will have to leave by midnight tonight."
Zuko and Aang weren't overly thrilled with the idea, but they simply nodded.
"Katara, Sokka," Fong continued. "The assault against your home will take place around 8:00 tomorrow morning. Given you are using Appa as your transportation, you should leave here by around 4:00. It's early, but it's the best bet for you two."
"Reminds me of when Dad would get me up by sunrise to help him fish and whatnot," Sokka said. "We'll be ready."
"The last thing...the Fire Nation's assault against us should begin by midday," Fong finished. "I assume I can trust the rest of you to be ready."
"You can," Reeaki stated.
"Not be ready to kick Fire Nation butt?" Toph declared with a chuckle. "Yeah, tell me another one that makes me laugh."
General Fong left them behind with that, trusting they would be prepared. Team Avatar looked around at one another, and despite some weird timing in effect, they all seemed ready to go.
This would be the team's final meeting before the separation. The couples stood next to one another.
"I guess I won't see you tomorrow," Katara whispered to Aang, taking his hands within hers. "You have to leave in about two hours."
"I know," Aang replied. "I'm going to miss you. I know you'll make us all proud though....though I really wish I could come."
"I do too," the Avatar's girl added. "However, you just need to know where you're needed the most...and that's the Fire Nation. I know you and Zuko will make a great team...you are the Avatar and the Fire Lord after all. I look forward to your safe return...home."
"I'll be homeward bound before you know it," the Tribal Princess' boyfriend responded. He then moved in and gave her a light, affectionate kiss.
Katara absorbed the kiss, and smiled brightly, looking into his eyes. She then drew a heart in his hand, and closed his hand with hers. "That's where my heart is...I'm leaving it with you...so I'm always with you."
"Thank you," was all Aang could get out.
The two then embraced tightly, and exchanged another soft kiss.
Mai looked at her boyfriend with worry. "I don't want you to be harmed," she addressed Zuko.
Zuko gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I may get wounded...I promise you, I won't lose though. I've let myself fail as Fire Lord once...I won't do it again. You stay safe...their military is dangerous."
"I've got a good enough base by my side, in addition to some good weapons," Mai chuckled. "I'll be fine. I just can't wait to see you again...and boss around more of your servants," she proceeded to laugh again.
"Careful, power corrupts," Zuko laughed back.
Him and Mai then kissed, and hugged as well. "Good luck, love," Mai said.
"You too," Zuko responded.
Sokka and Suki were hoping for the best for one another.
"If I'm late," he told her. "Don't get worried. You know Katara and myself might take a while."
Suki kissed him lightly. "I won't ever give up on you, Sokka. You managed to break into the Fire Nation's most secure prison to get me out. Don't worry."
The two kissed again, and soon everyone began giving their allies shows of friendship, whether it be hugs or handshakes.
Katara and Suki met, and it wasn't long before they had each other in a hug. They had a common pain that united them in a better friendship.
"We'll win this for her," Suki said.
"Absolutely," Katara added, breaking from the embrace afterwards. "Stay safe."
"I will," Suki nodded. "Kick Kianna's butt."
This was it.
Team Avatar would split.
It was now...or never.
For the world.
Around the world, they were ready. The Fire Nation Rebel Army spread to the entrance to the Capital, ready to attack at dawn. The Fire Nation Navy was still surrounding the South Pole, and the soldiers were braced for attack. At a navy base on the eastern islands, there were several ships still left, despite the fact that some reversed course and returned to the Fire Nation to defend their capital. At the western coast of the Earth Kingdom, thousands of men were set to defend their home.
Only time would tell who would win.
One thing was for sure...every fighter was in for a wild battle.
Author's notes
This chapter turned out about as long as chapter nine.
Zuko's line "I've let myself fail as Fire Lord once...I won't do it again" recalls Aang's saying from The Day of Black Sun, Part 1.
Another Zuko quote, "That's rough, buddy", is a line he also said to Sokka in The Boiling Rock, Part 1.
The closure section I felt was the definitive way to wrap this chapter up, to serve as a true bridge into the final showdown.
Ready? Set? In two chapters or so you will see who rules the world.
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For the collective works of the author, go here.


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Warmed by the rising sun, a third-year stalker lizard wended its way through tall grass. It was a long powerful body, all knees, and moved with surprising speed. Its blue skin blended it into the violet mishmash of the Dantooine plains. Its flickering tongue brought to it a myriad of scents, some sharp and unknown, but the rank markings of the herd overpowered its brain. It was the time of the season that the iriaz females dropped their calves, and already it could smell the wet afterbirth and pungent milk.
A pitiful bleat sounded nearby, and it went straight through the reptile's body from nose to tail-tip. The stalker lizard froze, one of its feet frozen in mid-step. Then its blue tongue rolled out and flickered. Its striped eyes swivelled and oriented. A newborn iriaz calf stumbled about on its clumsy legs.
The reptile paused. Then it pushed off and went a sideways walk through the grass. The important thing was to snatch and kill quickly. It could leave the carcass behind; the iriaz would be angered but they would move on. Once it was dead nothing could be done.
The iriaz calf wailed for its mother once more. She was walking toward him, ears fluttering, her horned head eye-level with the grass. The birth had been difficult for her but she would still have the strength to fight.
The stalker lizard made itself low in the grass. Its eyes followed the calf, which began to stumble and prance, half-falling down. Its gawky hind legs were almost in range. One strong bite and shake would sever the limb. Let the calf bleed out.
A little dancing light stole the reptile's attention.
A little red mote.
The stalker lizard's eye moved to orient on the light just in front of it, glinting on grass blades.
The calf bleated again. The time was now.
The light was out of view. That little red dot.
The shot, when it came, turned the reptile's head into fine mist. The body kicked and jerked after that.
That lone crack of sound set off the entire herd. Hundreds of iriaz moved all at once, scattering every which way, mothers and young, and the males. Green-gold bodies everywhere, leaping and bucking, before the shimmering mass of animals converged into a powerful torrent that thundered across the morning plains.
"Dawwww, my hero," said Canderous Ordo.
Without taking his eye from the scope, Onasi held his hand sideways and made a one-fingered Nar Shaddaa salute. "Told you I could hit a target from here."
"Hell, so could my daughter when she was eight," Canderous replied. "A good head shot, too, straight through a slot visor."
"You people shouldn't be allowed to have kids."
That was about as much mando'a that Carth retained. "Yeah, no thanks." He leaned away from the rifle and sat up, half crooked on his arm.
Canderous smirked.
The two men were stretched out on the ridge above the trampled grasslands. The sun had just come up but already the heat baked them in their field clothes. Carth had shed his armor for something more mobile, and he was beginning to regret that he had taken his jacket.
"Well, you scared 'em all away, Onasi," Canderous told him. "Could have had a prime shot."
"The stalker would have spooked them anyway."
Canderous grunted as he got up, snatching up the sniper rifle. "Maybe. So, kill's a kill. Now you got to eat the liver."
"Let's not," Carth said, "and say I did." Getting to his feet was harder than he thought. Sitting so long in the pilot chair was killing his back.
"You don't waste your kill." Canderous raised his scarred eyebrows. "It's not done."
"So what, you wanna make some boots out of it, or what?" Carth began to walk his way down, picking his way down the hillside to the reptile carcass.
The Mandalorian grinned as he slung the sniper rifle over his shoulder. "Maybe a nice purse to go with it."
"Sure, you've got to match. Keep it classy."
The Ebon Hawk had touched down on Dantooine for the third time. Two times too many, as far as Carth was concerned, but in this situation he felt he had no choice. It was a decision he and Bastila made together. Bha'lir needed looking at. If the jedi couldn't help him with his nightmares, then maybe one of the Republic garrison docs could get him some sedatives. Just in case. Nobody wanted to go through that episode again, and even Bastila insisted it was a good idea.
But the jedi cloistered the both of them away and the rest of the crew couldn't even see them. Carth had been ready to rip down the walls, but Bha'lir was allowed to make an appearance, his usual self again, yawning through a smile. "Oh man.. I'm gonna kill myself," were his first words, to Carth's deep-seated and terrible fear. But his next ones were, "You can't get the holonet here!" But he'd seen the look on Carth's face already, so he laughed, and hugged him, though that was a bit much, Carth was always annoyed how he had to touch you when he talked. He hated touchy-touchers. And people who talked with their hands.
"Somehow I'll pull through," he'd laughed at Carth.
"Yeah well, I'm sure your zabrak porno sites will be there waiting for you to get back."
"Zabrak porno? What?" His big yellow eyes reminded Carth of the time the local wharf cat slipped and fell into the water. That same expression. "Am I into that?" Shocked, but now tantalized, a slow sly spreading smile on his face.
"Well come along, we must be going, Master Zhar wanted to see you, and you like Master Zhar, don't you," Bastila said archly, and she had shot eye daggers at Carth, mouthing, 'Stop REMINDING him!'
So Carth had gone back to sit and wait in the enclave courtyard, frowning at the tinkling fountains, the chirpy little brainwashed padawans. Mission hanging on Zaalbar like a baby wook, groaning, "Sooooooo boooooooored" and "I can't even get the holo.. This is wronnnng. Carth let me try your datapad, mine won't log on, pleaase."
Canderous, meanwhile, had paced around all cagey. A lone Mandalorian in the heart of his enemy's power. Everyone staring. All eyes on the Ordo clan tattoo. "Onasi," he'd barked, suddenly. "Wanna go kill some shit?"
"I'm at about that point, yeah."
Onasi wondered what HK would think of his rifle borrowed and used on this little jaunt. Then he had to remind himself that HK didn't have thoughts like a human would.. And that HK wasn't a him. It was a machine. It was a machine currently in Off mode, safely disabled, its platform's limbs arranged in a sitting position on a chair in the Hawk's cargo hold. Mission had taken pity on it and wedged a cushion under its head. But that was unnecessary.. and more than it deserved.
Within twelve paces of the stalker lizard, Canderous drew out a huge knife from the inside of his vest. Carth knew the type from back in the wars, the kind with an edge like a chisel. For a brief moment he felt the chill of the Dagar northern continent, that polar station, before the heat of Dantooine closed in again and brought him back to the present.
The Mandalorian took a knee by the lizard's carcass, pulled it half-up by one of the legs, and plunged the knife in.
Carth crossed his arms. If Canderous really wanted this to be the latest event in their pissing contest, so be it. One part of him was through all these games, hated it, hated this downtime and wanted to push on with the mission. The other part of him, the hot shot pilot still down in there, still kicking, that part loved competition. Bring it on. Though it was only about six in the morning local time, Carth pulled out his flask. You had to do this right.
Canderous handed him a hot fleshy glob and half a handful of goo to go with it.
Carth tested its viscuousity with a squishy squeeze of his fingers. He could probably get in a few good chews before he could swallow. "K'oyacyi."
Looking the Mandalorian hard in the eye, standing over the body of his kill, Carth Onasi put the bloody mess in his mouth, chewed, and tipped his head back with a burning mouthful of dead Kang's whiskey.
"Kayashi," he said.
Canderous stared. Then his hard eyes crinkled at the corners, and a smile spread across his craggy face. "You're all right, Republic," he said.
Canderous son of Candra had come to find out that when you were one of the last of the scattered Mandalorians, you could pretty much make up anything and the dar'manda would take you at your word. On his clan's homeworld, there was no particular ritual of eating the liver from one's kill. That was because on the dusty red world of Ordo, everything was poisonous, and everything would kill you.
Granted, the liver of the Dantooine stalker lizard was also poisonous. A lot of the stalker lizard was poison. Not the internal gonads, though, which was why Canderous had been careful to cut those out for the pilot. Didn't think he'd actually eat them. How about that.
Didn't think Onasi would come out here with him again. Didn't think he'd ever be palling around with one of the most feared and hated enemies of his people. Respected, too. Those of his clan had respected the Aurek pilot. Had rejoiced when they shot him down that one time. Had lamented when he got away. Had to be a story in there later over beer.
Though the crack of the shot had scared off the iriaz, the herd wouldn't be hard to follow. Wasn't going to take a Clan Kotkarta ranger to track them down. Hell.. Canderous bet the son of the Coruscant senator could probably figure it out. With a posh call-girl's knickers over his head for a blindfold at that.
The torn and shredded grasses were giving off a good smell in the morning heat. Canderous found his spirits lifted. That didn't mean he wanted to chat with Onasi right yet; one of the things he liked about ole Republic was that he knew the value of silence. Just that he spent it on brooding and moping. Life was for living. Even with his mission.
After a mile and a half, Canderous said, "So you'll kill Karath when we find him."
"Karath is dead when I see him."
He answered that right away, like he had it right on the tip of his tongue.
Canderous smiled. "And then what?"
"There is no then what."
"Maybe. I figured that was the thing with your rank."
Carth frowned at him. "What about it?"
"You're a commander in the Republic navy. But here you are running around like one of your common soldiers. That's not done with your people, is it? An officer is a gentleman. You should be drinking caffa on the bridge of a ship somewhere. Wearing one of your funny little outfits. This is grunt work for you."
"You're hardly the one to talk about funny outfits," Carth replied.
"There's some truth in what you say. This is a strange mission. One of the strangest I've been on. I guess I happened to be in the right place at the right time."
Canderous heard that Carth remained one of the last souls on the Endar Spire, that even as it ruptured, he had refused to leave any of his men behind. Good thing, too, to have rescued Bha'lir. He was a rare prize.
"What I'm getting at is this. You think you're on a suicide mission. Your navy thinks so. Your jedi all think so."
"Of course it is," Carth snapped. For a moment there was a naked bitterness in his voice. "That's what everything thinks, what they intended. There's me. There's Bha'lir.. Mentally crippled. Isn't going to get better. Hell, Bastila. With her powers she's better dead than alive. If Malak gets ahold of her.. "
"Throttle back. I think it'll all be fine. Vod'ika won't get better, but even all clouded up as he is, he's still smarter than all of us put together. When he isn't being so damn dumb."
Carth's hackles went up, but Canderous just smiled. "It's true," he added. "Anyway, my point's this. You'll kill Karath when you find him."
"That's what I said."
"Then what?"
"I don't expect to get out of there alive," Carth answered.
"Sure you will. Vod'ika will think of something."
The pilot snorted softly and a smirk of understanding slowly appeared. "Yeah, I guess he'll just pull some miracle out of his ass. As usual."
"Can't wait, personally. Just to see what he does this time." Canderous grinned a wily grin. "He keeps it all interesting, even to a crusty old man like me. So when it's over, you'll go back to your world Telos, or will you stay in the Navy? Marry again?"
Carth's face closed to him. "Haven't thought about it. Haven't had the time."
Canderous gestured to the wide expanse around them, the great silence of the open plains. "Time now."
"What you need is a Pengalan wife," Canderous told him over a lunch of field rations. He talked with his mouth full. "Good and fat, with tasty cooking."
Carth frowned at him and leaned back against smooth tree bark. "I'll pass," he said. He had stripped off his jacket by this time, down to his undershirt with the dark rings of sweat.
By this time the beating sun had halted their advance. The herds were farther off but not likely to move, not in this heat. Their bodies were dark hunkered-down smudges a ways away. Lots of mamas dozing off, with some of the babies prancing around on new legs. The two men had sheltered likewise in the shade of a blba tree. Its acrid smell was sharpened by the heat.
"Almost took me one," Canderous continued. "We screamed down onto that mudball and whipped them like children. Their men couldn't fight worth a damn. Their women, however.. "
"Spare me the rosy reminiscence of your rape and plunder. We were starting to get along."
"Aw, hell. The way I figured it, their women were so starved for real men, we had to beat them off with a rifle stock. I remember one time I kicked in this door and burst in ready to kill, and this female grabs on to me like a fat kid loves cookies-"
"I don't want to hear about it."
"Your loss, that was a good one. Had to pry her off the leg of my basilisk. Should have brought her with me, though, now that I think back on it."
"These the kind of stories you tell Bha'lir? You're proud of that?"
The Mandalorian smiled a grim smile with that notch-scar in his lip. "You should hear some of his stories."
Carth felt the unexpected sting of jealousy. It had been hard to open up to Bha'lir and his incessant questions. At first, before he really began to understand the nature of his comrade's injury, he had been infuriated by the nonstop prying, the total disregard for Carth's rank, for Carth's past, for his pain. It hadn't been Bha'lir's fault, and in fact, Carth didn't know yet who to blame for foisting him on this mission. The man had a severely damaged memory, especially short term. Some days, if he didn't read his datapad, he woke up to a ship full of strangers.
It had taken time to accept that condition and to forgive Bha'lir even when he didn't mean it. And to talk about the wars with the old war buddy he didn't know he had. But on some points even Bha'lir was quiet. Took a long time to say he didn't remember.
Did he tell Canderous something he kept from me?
"Stories like what," Carth said, as casual as he could. Didn't work. Even he could hear the edge in his voice.
"Well, for one, he was part of the mission that released that bio agent that damned near forced Clan Kaladen out of the war."
Despite the revelation, Canderous smirked, as though he enjoyed knowing something that Carth didn't. That Bha'lir had told him a confidence that he didn't share, not even with his closest friend on the Ebon Hawk, and maybe in the whole wide world right now.
"I don't believe it," Carth said.
"Me neither, but the story was so crazy, it's got to be true. He described that damn pit on Kadok-Cuir so well I could smell it again." Canderous scratched the stubble on his chin. "You know, I fought a kalee elder spearman in that system, a kaleesh, whatever they call themselves. Those reptiles weren't even involved in the war, couldn't even give a damn, we were there for the bithraevate, but that one got into his head that he wasn't going to miss it- "
"That plague. How did.. What did he do?"
"Well, it's not like he made it with his little chemistry set. Anyway, you should ask him, I don't want to spoil it. A good story." Canderous smirked. "And Lord Kaladen should have known better than to get taken in by such parlor tricks. It's him I blame for what happened. Arrogant ass, half the man his uncle was."
Carth said nothing.
"Deserved to die shitting his armor if you ask me." The Mandalorian went back to his lunch like nothing had happened. "Vod'ika has some more stories in him yet. Maybe more of his memory will come back to him. I'd like to know if I ever faced him, though I think I'd remember. I see him fighting with a vibroblade. Isn't much good with a blaster."
"He was probably one of the speeder troops," Carth said. "Why he's good with the swoop. Where his accident came from, probably."
"Think you're right. Think he's one of the irregulars. One of the fringers who wanted to save a republic they weren't even part of, hell if I know why. He's not a proper soldier, at least what you types would consider."
"No, he's not," Carth said before he could stop himself. Despite his loyalty to his new and exasperating friend, it was true. He felt the Mandalorian's eyes on him with renewed interest, smirking, almost. "I knew it from the first. The sergeant brought the new troops on the Endar Spire.. had them all stand there all crisp and military at perfect attention. All of them except him. He actually had the nerve to yawn in the presence of a decorated naval commander."
"Didn't even cover his damn mouth. I went right up to him and stood this close." Carth held his palm almost to the tip of his nose.
Canderous laughed again. When he didn't have a mean laugh, he had a sharp laugh, like the bark of a kath hound. "So you yelled at his dumb ass?"
Carth felt a greasy kind of guilt. "Yeah. I didn't know. Nobody told me."
"What'd he do?"
"He didn't seem afraid or embarrassed or anything. Just kind of curious, you know how he is. Even relieved."
"What'd he say?"
Carth soaked in the heat for a moment. "He said.. 'So glad it's you, Fleet. I'm so confused.'" Damn it, but he felt his throat tighten a bit, for no reason.
"That's Bha'lir for you. No damn respect for anybody's rank. Like when he called that jedi master a silly green puppet that one time, Vandar, or Vinder, or whatever his name was. The green puppetty one." Canderous grinned. "He just says it like it is. Damned refreshing."
"It's then I should have figured out something was wrong with the whole picture. That, and, well, one of his buddies, hell, his only buddy, Ulgo Trask, he just went white in the face and was all 'sir, so sorry, sir, it's been a long trip, sir', and so on." Carth frowned. "I punished them both." Oh, Trask. Poor Trask. Even now, strange enough, Bha'lir could forget Mission's name or even Bastila herself, but even now he'd sometimes ask about Trask. Like he did yesterday. He'd been so sure Trask was here on Dantooine. He could get so mixed up sometimes..
"Well, what a mean old ass you are, Onasi. Some hero of the Republic, picking on a poor brain damaged man." Canderous laughed while he said it, and in the most chastising tone. "A disabled veteran too. Shaaame."
Carth was surprised how deep it cut. "I didn't know," he said, testy. "I don't know if anyone did. Maybe Trask. Tried to cover up for him sometimes or help him out. They weren't there long before the attack.. but some of the men had fun playing jokes on him. Like they'd get him all mixed up or send him on pointless errands. Made him make caffa over and over, because he'd forget that he did. Thought he was stupid. Hell, I did, before I figured it out."
The smile slowly eroded from the Mandalorian's face. "Sons of bitches," he said.
Carth never spoke ill of the dead, but there was a single fact lodged in his chest like a piece of shrapnel. "When the sith were killing everyone on the Spire.. Bha'lir was holding a caffa pot in the break room."
"Is that what made you stay behind?"
Carth shut his eyes. "No. Yes, maybe. But I never wanted to leave anyone behind." Never again.
"You stayed to save him, when Bastila fled."
And Carth hated her for that, even though they had become something like friends, even though they had come to confide in each other from time to time. It was always there. He was sickened of speaking about his people behind their back, so he snapped back, "She had to, if she'd been taken it would all be over."
"You say that like it's a given," Canderous snorted.
"The sith have ways."
"Oh, whatever.. I don't disagree, though. I always found it interesting how quick the jedi went bad. Like flipping a switch."
Carth said nothing. If he spoke out loud, he would agree. Instead he looked away, back out at the grasslands and the iriaz lounging in the distance.
"Makes you wonder," Canderous said, "how deep their convictions really go."
"They're different from you and me," is all that Carth would concede to.
"Must be. Even when Darth Revan destroyed Malachor, melted our basilisks, stripped our armor, and had us tied up and lined up, beaten down on our knees, I still had enough in me to give her some sass. Right to her face."
Carth shouldn't have looked so incredulous. Canderous ate it up. The old son of a bitch's eyes were dancing.
"I don't believe that."
"Doesn't make it not true."
Carth tried to put his thoughts together. He said, "I don't believe you said it to her face."
"To her mask. As close as this." He held his palm almost to the end of his nose. Then he winked.
The conversation had taken a turn he hadn't expected, and he was weary from the walk and from the heat. Not knowing what to say, Carth just shook his head. "Revan was a man," he said.
"Everybody likes to argue. Even to this day. But I know. Only a woman could be so cruel."
"Yeah, well. You deserved it."
"I'll tell that story someday. It's pretty good. Maybe I'll tell my Revan story, and ole Bastila can tell hers."
"She won't talk about it." And Carth hadn't wanted to know.
"Can't or won't."
"Don't talk to her about it."
"Vod'ika will get it out of her."
Carth pulled his jacket over his head, now, to make a shelter from the sun. He'd said enough, and was tired.
"So while we're telling tales," Canderous prodded on.
"No. Later."
"We always wondered. How the hell did we not kill you that one time? For sure we shot your ass down in the jungle."
"I'm just that good." A broken leg, terror, the secret mission, certain death in the coming airstrike..
"Wish I could have killed ya," Canderous said, and through the fabric of the jacket, his voice sounded wistful to Carth.
At any other time, Carth would never take a noonday nap with a mortal enemy just a stone's throw away, but in this case, he just grunted and got himself comfortable. "Yeah," he said. "Wish I could have killed you too."
The herds were gone.
No matter. There was no hurry. Better to take their time and bring back barbecue. Nobody on the Hawk wanted to eat any more of that bland jedi food. Hell, even Bastila couldn't go back after a taste of Carth's cooking. Which reminded the sly old mercenary of a certain point of gossip he wanted to ask Fleet about, but there'd be time later. Not like Carth would ever say, but a man's face could tell you all you needed to know.
They tracked the sign of the iriaz across the plain, a comfortable silence between them. A welcome breeze picked up after awhile, and a creamy green collection of brith winged gently over the grassland. Canderous saw Carth turn his head to watch them, following the flight of the manta-like creatures. The Mandalorian had an errant thought that he could shoot Carth right now and no one would know. Well. They would know later.
Canderous blamed the thought on the sniper rifle slung across his back. As though HK was rubbing off on him. That damn thing made everybody uneasy, but vod'ika loved it so.
"You used to fly, Canderous?" Carth asked him after awhile.
"Nayysh... couldn't flap my arms hard nough." That made the pilot smirk.
"Your war droid, I mean. Your basilisk. You had one?"
"How'd it handle?"
Canderous smiled at the man's naivete. "A basilisk war droid wasn't like a ship or a vehicle, Carth. You didn't just steer it around."
The pilot shook his head. "Fine, then what?"
"Mine was a warrior and a true friend," Canderous replied. "Talash was his name. He was a right mando'a, deadly to enemies and good to our family. I tell you, the greatest sound I've ever heard is the whine of his engines when I needed backup in combat. One blow from his claws could disable one of your tanks."
And his children would sit and play on those very same big paws. Talash seemed to take a shine to his youngest daughter in particular.
"I was always changing planes. You had to fly what was there. But there was one old Aurek I flew a couple of missions.. damned thing was so finicky and particular. Sort of like your first hand-me-down landspeeder. Only you know how to drive it."
Carth was trying to find a common ground there, but it couldn't be done. "I don't think you could understand," Canderous answered, his eyes following the movement of a lone hound in the distance. "They weren't vehicles."
"Did yours talk?"
Now Canderous smiled. "Hell, all the time. Getting him to shut up was the thing."
"I can't imagine flying an Aurek that talked back to me." Onasi scritched his beard. "Wouldn't stand for it, really."
"Hah! Talash had his own way about him. Things he liked, didn't like. Of course it was all programming.. " Canderous gave him a sharp look to make him understand that he wasn't some silly superstitious savage. ".. but you couldn't say he didn't have spirit." He liked to think that even now Talash lived on in the manda.
"No. I don't doubt it. There was one, back in the opening battles on Dxun and Onderon.. hell. That one had spirit. An evil spirit."
His eyebrows shot up, and then he smiled, needing to know. "Were you there," he asked, "when they dug up the Red Dragon?"
"Yeah. What a fiasco."
Canderous growled with pleasure. "You were witnessing history right there."
"Yeah, I think I've witnessed enough history to last me a long time."
"Lord Taltora thought he'd give the Red Dragon to Mandalore, get himself a bride in return. Clan Taltora were all idiots, frankly. We in Ordo told him not to break into that tomb. They buried that monster in there for a reason. We lost a lot of good warriors."
"Not to mention it destroyed several blocks of downtown Iziz and fired missiles through the windows of the grand palace."
Canderous smiled. "I know, I saw it. My son and I were pretending to be merchants in the bazaar." Even now, years away, worlds away, he felt the hairs on his arms stand up in memory of that basilisk's voice booming across the city, deep and haunting, full of rage, daring someone to try and be its master.
"They put me and Tosska on standby to shoot it down, if the expedition went wrong." Carth's voice had grown quiet. "Gave us a hell of a fight. Efficient, like a droid, but it seemed so angry. It kept talking over our radios, talking to me."
"What did it say?"
"I don't know, not really. It talked in mando'a, and I had to concentrate on the fight. Grav combat's totally different from space."
"Now, were you the pilot on the wall, or the pilot over the plaza?"
Carth shook his head. "I was forced to land on the Great Wall. And Tossk would have got his neck broken by what happened, but he was already dead. That's why he lost control of the ship."
Canderous remembered the chaos in the newly reclaimed city. All of Onderon's capital was in terror of that damned metal beast. Fire and smoke everywhere. Huge slashes taken out of the buildings, probably still there to this day. Canderous and Keldeesh had been pretending to hawk rugs and carpets all that morning, getting a good look at Iziz City and the new republic garrison. They had the prime view of Lord Taltora's folly, the risen Hetteesh Kyramud, Burning Death, the monster made for the Mandalore in the age of Exar Kun. The poisoned gift. The last cry of the Basilisk people who were driven to extinction, the last vessel of their hatred.
It had taken the best pilots of the Republic to bring it down. Canderous remembered seeing that one Aurek fighter spinning wildly out of control, a flaming arrow headed straight to the crowded plaza.
He would always remember the fear he felt, then, real fear, with his hands on his son's shoulder and head.
And he would always remember how the Aurek suddenly stopped in mid air. And hung there.
The nose of the spacecraft hovered only a meter away from the outstretched hand of the one they would call Aruena, with her cold blue eyes and bright blond hair. The Witch. The Whore.
"What happened to her, after the war?" Canderous asked.
Carth had moved on, shrugged off the heavy memories. "Who, Runi, the consular?"
Runi. A name that meant soul in the old poems. Cruel to have it so close to what the clans came to call her- the Traitor of All Traitors.
"The girl your jedi took from our people."
Carth didn't deny it. "She tried to go back to the jedi after the war. They condemned her and sent her into exile."
"Idiots. They didn't know what they had. Her power was terrible. We lived in fear of her and Revan."
"If you're interested, Bha'lir has a holo about her. If Bastila hasn't smashed it."
Canderous snorted. "She regrets not having the grit to stand up to us, to go against us in the war. I can smell it on her."
"Think you're right."
"She was so beautiful, Runi was. It's all you could think about. She had this power in her eyes, in her voice. We were all desperate for her. Even after all that she did.. Even after all the thousands she killed.. we would have wanted her back. The jedi just threw her away. I know for damn sure that Clan Ordo would have taken her in."
"Too bad you didn't," Carth grunted. "Then you'd all be dead."
Canderous clucked his tongue. "But what a way to go."
And even Carth had to smile. "Hell."


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Announce West Coast Tour
With Honor Society
Bergen County, NJ - September 28, 2012 - New Jersey natives, Action Item, have announced that they will be touring the west coast with fellow pop rockers, Honor Society. The tour will kick off on November 1st in Orangevale, CA. The first 50 lucky ticket purchasers will be included in a meet and greet with both Action Item and Honor Society. See full tour dates and links to purchase below.
Action Item has had one busy year, touring with Andy Grammer, Hot Chelle Rae, and Owl City, releasing and touring with their self-produced documentary, "Until It's Over," and releasing a music video for their hit single, "Last Day of Summer,"that reached #1 on MTV Buzzworthy. Watch the video here: http://on.mtv.com/OtIjCv and purchase the song on iTunes here: http://bit.ly/MlYnba.
Action Item's debut EP, "The Stronger The Love," sold over 22,000 copies independently. In that time these early twenty-somethings have been direct support for Hot Chelle Rae, Andy Grammer and Allstar Weekend. Along with having support slots for Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & Boys Like Girls under their belt. On top of that, the band has had three singles in Radio Disney's Top 30 Countdown including "Learn To Fly" a track produced by Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. The boys are currently putting the finishing touches on their new EP, due out this fall.
Honor Society, on the heels of their 8th national tour, has just released their highly anticipated new album, 'Serendepity'. Purchase it on iTunes here: http://bit.ly/QhuPJQ. The 5-track EP is an evolutionary step forward, showcasing the band's strongest and most personal material to date. "We feel like this music is a natural progression for us," says keyboard/guitarist Jason Rosen, "It's a step in a new, more refined direction that our old and new fans can connect with."
When asked about the tour, Action Item guitarist, Anthony Li states, We couldn't be happier to be returning to a few of our favorite cities in the country! Especially since we'll be co-headlining with some of our best friends in Honor Society!"
Tour Dates:
11/1 - Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk (to purchase: http://bit.ly/1oZMMg)
11/2 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction (to purchase: http://ticketf.ly/ShPUnh)
11/3 - San Diego, CA @ SOMA (to purchase: http://bit.ly/RlKEBO)
11/4 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater (to purchase: http://ticketf.ly/SILESZ)
Be sure to keep up with Action Item on their social networks:
Instagram: @ActionItem


text:
Kitchen Supplies
- Food Storage
- Cambro Colanders
- H Pan Amber Colander Pan
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H Pan Amber One Third Size Food Pan Colander Product ID: CB35CLRHP150 Cambro
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text: Dark Mammothダークマンモス Japanese: ダークマンモス Romaji: Dāku Manmosu Level 4 ★★★★ ATK/DEF 600 / 300 Appearances Yu-Gi-Oh!: 008, 020, 024 Yu-Gi-Oh! (Toei anime) cards (list · gallery) Gallery Appearances Trivia Lores Artworks Names Retrieved from "http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Mammoth?oldid=2608327" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Toei cardsToei cards with no OCG/TCG counterpartHidden category: Cards that need a gallery


text:
Motorist caught by Gardai doing nearly 240 km/h
Gardai yesterday recorded a motorist doing nearly 240 km/h.
Officers on the M8 motorway in Cork clocked the driver travelling at approximately 147 miles per hour yesterday afternoon.
The driver of the vehicle was apprehended and brought to court, Gardai said. The incident occurred near Fermoy.
236km/h on the M8 near Fermoy, Co. Cork today! Driver arrested and brought to court. Speed Kills pic.twitter.com/8Ys1nW0Qr5— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) November 25, 2016
The tweet drew a lot of reaction on Twitter after Gardai posted the speedometer.
Some expressed outrage, "Absolute disgrace. He should have his licence taken off him and banned for a considerable amount of time! #speedkills."
Others were in a more conciliatory mood... One users wrote: "speed does NOT kill. If it did astronauts would be dead. So would every racing driver."


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Assuming you already think she is attractive. on a scale from 1-10, how highly would you seek this girl out as a serious girlfriend material?
during arguments, she keeps her cool and does not point fingers or get defensive.
she texts you once but does not send another text until you reply (so not a text terrorist).
When you do text back, she never asks why you took so long to text her back.
you haven't communicated with her for two or three days, she doesn't freak out and ask where are you.
when you do talk to her, she sounds like she has a variety in her life to keep her busy.
she seldom complains about things.
never gossips about others.
she tells you often how much she loves having you around.
Guys, what would you rate this girl and what else would make her a better catch?
Would you be interested in a girl like this?
Assuming you already think she is attractive. on a scale from 1-10, how highly would you seek this girl out as a serious girlfriend material?
Have an opinion?
What Guys Said 3
Sounds like the girl I am talking to now except she rarely even texts me so that would be nice every once in awhile lol. I would much rather not be policed all the time though since I'm so busy and travel a lot. sounds like the perfect girl to me00|00|0
Have you told her that you would like more starter texts from her?
Well this is a bit of a new situation so no I haven't, but its because we don't live in the same state currently. I'd rather not have these conversations over the phone. I do plan on it when I go out there next week though.
highest possible , she sounds cool , mature , rational... not clingy or insecure.
She would be a perfect girl for me.11|00|0
10. I would want her to be very affectionate and clingy when we are together though.10|10|0
So clingy when together as in touchy feely or something else?
- Show AllShow Less
This is interesting about the dressing, i have never heard that before. So it works?
It would work on me. If the girl is so affectionate and dresses how I want, I would be so into her that she could probably get her way with me much more often and I would want to spend most of my free time with her as long as whatever we are doing I get to be touching and kissing on her as much as I want.
What Girls Said 0
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and earn 1 more Xper point!
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Simplicity 7400; ©1976; Misses' Skirts in Three Lengths: The top-stitched Skirt V. 1 or 2 with front button closing above pleat has shaped waistband, front gathers, back pleat and self fabric tie ends. V. 1 is regular length. V. 2 is 5" shorter than V. 1. Skirt V. 3 is gathered to shaped yokes and has back zipper, waistband, patch pockets gathered to bands and self fabric tie ends and ruffle.
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text:
like if you are sitting next to the person you like, how do you give them a hint that you want them to kiss you?
Most Helpful Guy
Train him. The next time you fall down, tell him it hurts all over. Ask if he an kiss you where it hurts and point to each area. Later on, say you forgot an area and point to it. You could use this later to get kisses anywhere your finger desires. Just a thought.
Guys aren't the best at perception. There is a reason why the best snipers are women after all. Sometimes you just have to pucker up.00|00|0


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We are trying to set up SpiceWorks for the first time. SpiceWorks is installed on a Win2003 server on a subnet using one private address range. We are getting access denied errors when we try to connect to a Win 2008 R2 server on a separate private address range (seperated by a cisco firewall device). We have already confirmed WMI and DCom configuration and set the cisco firewall to permit port 135 between the two servers. Another Win 2008 R2 machine is running on the same network as the SW server and we have no access problems with it. Is it possible to include devices on another network?
This topic was created during version 5.3.
The latest version is 7.5.00101.
4 Replies
Apr 12, 2012 at 4:27 UTC
You should be able to include devices on another subnet if Spiceworks can scan that subnet. Have you tested the WMI connection outside of Spiceworks to make sure your cisco firewall (or another device) isn't blocking the WMI connection? You can use wmic from the command line to test WMI outside of Spiceworks. Just use the same account that you use for your network scan of that subnet.
Apr 13, 2012 at 10:53 UTC
Thanks for the reply, Tim. We tried wmic outside of SW and received an access denied error, but the user name and password work in a Remote Desktop Connection. SW recognizes the server and shows it in the inventory, but won't let us log in. We tried setting up a new local admin on the server and that info fails to authenticate as well.
Apr 13, 2012 at 4:24 UTC
RDP and WMI use different ports, could your firewall not be allowing the WMI traffic through but is allowing RDP? Does wmic work to another computer that doesn't go through the same cisco firewall that you mentioned?
Apr 19, 2012 at 5:03 UTC
Sorry for the delay. Major project taking up my time. The server is discovered, and information listed in SW, we just can't verify the account information. SW sees that the server is running Windows 2008 r2, which to my understanding is mostly what WMI does. Is there a different protocol handling the authentication?
This discussion has been inactive for over a year.
You may get a better answer to your question by starting a new discussion.


text:
Digital Convergence Webinar Series
Book Study
Join your colleagues for an online book study! The group will be studying
Eric Sheninger's book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times on the 2nd and 4tth Thursdays at lunch between 12 - 1:00 p.m.
The first call will be on Thursday, January 12, 2016.
Purchase the book and read it on your own, then join in the call to discuss the themes of the book. The conference call number is:
Dial-in: 515-739-1020
Access Code: 883967
There is no cost for the book study, but please RSVP that you will participate:http://www.texask12ctocouncil.
People Skills Training
Need help dealing with people? Want to learn more about the behavior styles of yourself and others? Want to find out how others perceive you as a leader? Learning about personal behavior styles can have an impact on one's daily leadership and awareness of these behaviors can be flexed so that interpersonal relationships in both professional and personal settings are enhanced.
This blended learning program takes all the content covered in a two-day training program and breaks it down into three, one-hour webinars and one, ½ day workshop.
Educational Consultant, Betty Burks, will lead this training and guide participants to explore the impact your behavior has on others, including those who think and act differently from yourself.
Cost for the training is $350 for members and $400 for non-members.
Cost includes:
- Three one hour webinars: March 7, March 28, and April 4
- One face to face ½ day workshop: June 22 (during the CTO Clinic in San Antonio)
- Training materials
- Self-assessment survey and report
Registration is closed.


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(based on 18 ratings in 2016)
"The culture of the firm is very friendly and supportive. There are opportunities to socialise outside of working hours and these events are very inclusive and provide a great opportunity to get to know members of the firm you don't usually work with."First year trainee, London
"There is no need to stay just to show your face if you aren't busy. When the sun shines everyone is keen to go for drinks and enjoy it! Most partners are incredibly friendly and happy to explain a matter."First year trainee, London
"The hierarchy is not obvious, as shown by trainees sitting with partners and there being an open-door policy. All the teams work closely together across departments so there is a really cohesive feel to the firm. There is also a good social side from sports teams, team away-days and the choir."Second year trainee, London
"Probably the best thing about the firm. The culture is very open, friendly and welcoming. No hierarchy in my experience and a fantastic network of people both in the office and after-hours."First year trainee, London
"Several after-hours events and lots of firm socialising. Friendly and collegiate atmosphere."Second year trainee, London
"There is no noticeable hierarchy and there is very much an open-door policy. There are frequent socials and all the trainees tend to have lunch together."Second year trainee, London
"While you are expected to be at the office long enough to get the job done, there is no culture of having to be in the office for its own sake. The firm is very supportive and is a friendly environment on the whole."First year trainee, London
"The firm has a great culture and everyone is very friendly. People work hard but they know how to have fun while doing so. There are lots of opportunities for socialising, be it informal Friday drinks, choir, any one of our sports teams or more formal client/firm-wide events. There is, of course, a hierarchy but people at all levels are approachable. While there is a healthy respect for partners, there is definitely no fear."Second year trainee, London
"Everyone is very approachable and there is a real sense of teamwork in that everyone wants to help each other at Taylor Wessing. I enjoy socialising with my colleagues both in and out of the office and there is no hierarchical trainee/associate/partner divide."First year trainee, London
"Although there is not a huge amount of socialising at Taylor Wessing, most people are very friendly and pleasant, and there is no 'face-time' culture, so the work/life balance is excellent."First year trainee, London
"The firm is sociable without trying too hard and lots of fun."Second year trainee, London
"Within the office there is a very friendly culture and everyone is approachable. There are often instances where you will be speaking to a very senior partner/head of a business group and have no idea that they are so important! There is a brilliant network of support staff who are invaluable and not an aspect I considered before I joined the firm. There are regular social events, both formally organised by the firm or casual adhoc arrangements made within departments, although possibly not as often as at other firms."First year trainee, London
"The firm has an 'open-door' culture - everyone is very approachable and supportive. There are plenty of opportunities to socialise with colleagues."First year trainee, London
"There is a general sense of camaraderie even in corporate departments. People work together and are always willing to help. Trainees certainly spend time together out of work and most associates/partners do too."First year trainee, London
"People are generally friendly but the pressure of work means that there is not always a lot of socialising out of work."Second year trainee, London
"Some departments more hierarchical than others. Amongst the trainees there are very good relationships and this means that you always have an excellent support network."First year trainee, london
"The firm has a very friendly, familial culture. Everyone is very approachable and people will try to find time to help trainees. All levels of the team 'muck-in' when a deal is on. Some departments are more sociable than others, but you can always find people to go for a drink with after work."Second year trainee, London
Our 'Inside Buzz' reviews are the comments and views of recent graduate recruits, giving you a view of what it may be like to work for an organisation. Copyright of all TARGETjobs Inside Buzz material lies solely with GTI Media.


text:
Annapurna Cafe Map
1833 Broadway Ave. (E. Denny St.)
206-320-7770 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu
Now that you know where you want to enjoy a meal, it's time to find the restaurant. Print out this Annapurna Cafe map and take the driving directions with you so you can locate the restaurant easily.
Find out which restaurants and chefs top the list of GAYOT's 2016 Annual Restaurant Awards.


text:
Osage County Quilt Factory; ©1988; Virginia Robertson - "Luella" The Star Spangled Angel. Pattern and instructions to make Luella, cloth doll angel in a folk art style.
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Shackled and wearing orange prison garb, former "Sons of Guns" reality TV personality Will Hayden told a Baton Rouge state judge Thursday that he is innocent of rape charges that a grand jury brought against him last month.
Hayden, 49, of Greenwell Springs, pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated rape and one count of forcible rape — counts that accuse him of raping two preteen girls, one recently and the other in the early 1990s.
Hayden's lead attorney, Frank Holthaus, had plenty more to say than the four words — "Not guilty, your honor" — that Hayden uttered to District Judge Mike Erwin at his arraignment on the East Baton Rouge Parish charges.
"It's very easy to lodge complaints and allegations, but this is a court of law, not the 'Dr. Phil' show," Holthaus said outside the judge's courtroom.
Holthaus was referring to a September appearance by Hayden's oldest daughter and ex-"Sons of Guns" co-star, Stephanie Hayden Ford, on the "Dr. Phil" show. She told the program that her father walked into her bedroom one night while drunk about 20 years ago and began pinching and kissing her while trying to disrobe her.
Ford said she escaped and he never touched her inappropriately again.
A Livingston Parish grand jury has charged Hayden with sex crimes against Ford. He also faces an aggravated rape charge in that parish.
Following Hayden's first in a series of arrests in early August, another woman — besides Ford — came forward, claiming he molested her in the 1990s. The allegation led to a charge of forcible rape against Hayden in East Baton Rouge. The woman, who is now in her 30s, told authorities that Hayden raped her when she was 12 years old.
In East Baton Rouge, Hayden is accused of raping a girl in 2013 and 2014 when she was 11 and 12 years old. In Livingston Parish, he is accused of raping the same girl in 2013.
In all, Hayden is charged with three counts of aggravated rape — two in East Baton Rouge and one in Livingston.
"It didn't happen," Holthaus said of the charged conduct.
East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III said his office is ready to move forward with the case.
"We are confident in our case and in the grand jury's decision to indict," Moore said. "We are prepared to move forward with this case and present our facts and evidence to a jury."
Hayden appeared heavier and had longer hair at his court appearance.
"He's just depressed," Holthaus said. "He's suffering depression, in my opinion."
An aggravated rape conviction in Louisiana carries an automatic sentence of life in prison. Forcible rape carries prison time of five years to 40 years.
Erwin scheduled an April 21 status conference in the East Baton Rouge case.
Holthaus said Hayden will be arraigned next week in Livingston Parish.
Prior to his arrests, Hayden owned Red Jacket Firearms, a Baton Rouge custom gun shop. The shop and the people who worked there, most notably Hayden, were the center of "Sons of Guns," a Discovery Channel show that stretched several seasons. The show was abruptly canceled during Hayden's recent run-ins with the law. Red Jacket Firearms also cut ties with him.


text:
"Does any one have more infro on this ?"
Ruh-Roh, Rorge. I ron't row.
: )
The Mayan calandar only said that planets would align in 2012 or every 572 x 11 years. The Egyptains say that the allignment would point to the "Eye of Horis" which is a relatively blank spot in space. Maybe that is the spot where the center of the universe is located and that can only be observed in the southern hemisphere.


text:
Indian Ordnance Factories, Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), Jabalpur is going to recruit the deserving and eligible applicants for Semi-Skilled Tradesmen post. Applicants should check the complete eligibility criteria from below and apply for the post before the last date.
More details of Delhi University Recruitment 2016-2017 is mentioned below:
1. University Name: Indian Ordnance Factories, Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), Jabalpur
2. Post Name: Semi-Skilled Tradesmen Post
3. Total Posts: 378 posts
Post Departments:
1. Blacksmith Semi-Skilled: 03 Posts
2. Fitter (Auto Electric) Semi-Skilled: 02 Posts
3. Heat Treatment Operator Semi-Skilled: 03 Posts
4. Millwright (MMTM) Semi-Skilled: 25 Posts
5. Painter Semi-Skilled: 08 Posts
6. Turner Semi-Skilled: 16 Posts
7. Welder Semi-Skilled: 36 Posts
8. Electrician Semi-Skilled: 35 Posts
9. Electroplater Semi-Skilled: 05 Posts
10. Machinist Grinder Semi-Skilled: 02 Posts
11. Miller Semi-Skilled: 08 Posts
12. Fitter (Gen) Mech Semi-Skilled: 87 Posts
13. Machinist (Engg.) Semi-Skilled: 101 Posts
14. Examiner Semi-Skilled: 28 Posts
15. Fitter (Automobile) Semi-Skilled: 09 Posts
16. Fitter (Electronic) Semi-Skilled: 10 Posts
Eligibility Criteria:
Age Limit:
As on:
1. Minimum age limit is: 18 years.
2. Maximum age limit is: 32 years.
Education Qualification:
Applicants must pass Class 10th plus National Council of Trades for Vocational Training (NCTVT) certificate [i.e. National Apprentice Certificate (NAC) or National Trade Certificate (NTC)] in the relevant trade.
Selection Process:
Applicants will be selected through Written Test and Trade Test.
Application form Fees:
1. Form fees are Rs-50
2. No fees for Female, SC/ ST, PH and Ex-servicemen
3. Pay the form fees through online mode through Payment Gateway or by using Debit Card or Credit Card.
Apply Delhi University Recruitment 2016:
All the eligible applicants should apply for the post through online mode before the last date.
Official Notification: