[System]
Bring out the big guns and create a realistic character within this unrealistic setting. Make sure you read up on the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stat system, and stat your character accordingly. Remember, even though flawed characters are not attractive, they are the most realistic ones!

Template
Name:
Age:
Race:
Sex:
Description:
Notable Belongings:
Backstory:

[User]
That was the last straw. He would take the inane prattlings of this human whelp no more. The smell of alcohol burning came from the last gulp of his drink, ans he slammed the tankard down upon the counter, leaving a singed handprint upon it as he let go. One does not poke a dragon lightly. Even when he was confined to a humanoid form, he did not take the abuse of such creatures. Of that, he was certain. He turned and looked around the bar for a moment before muttering to the bartender.

"I shall spare the tavern."

With that, he walked towards the door, grabbing the loud-mouthed priest to take him in tow. Aredis would feel heat like an oven coming off of that grip, but he wasn't going to break it, not against this guy. He was dragged along, kept at relative head-height, as the dragon had grabbed him and just kept on walking. The door was slammed open and the two would head out into the street. However busy it was, it was about to become alot more vacant in a moment. The dragon had not boasted or bluffed or merely threatened. No one was going to deny a dragon his dignity. Whatever protests the man was giving, he was ignoring it, and any who might interfere. He let go of him - not caring if he fell to the ground or remained upright, then spaced himself a few feet away. It wouldn't be enough room, really, but he did not care.

Countless centuries of being under the thumb of the eternal ones, their curses keeping us in line... No one shall deny the dragon kind!

Crouching low, with arms spread out, the dragon reached down deep into the depths of his inner being with concentration and pulled forth the ancient form once separated from his kind. Aredis would see the scaled humanoid's body ripple and bend, as though extreme heat were surrounding him, and then he became indistinct in form and expanded! Legs and tail pushed back in the street, knocking over any person in their way, muscular wings slapped and brushed against the nearest buildings, forelegs rushed past the priest on either side of him, and his forward vision would be dominated by thick gray scales! Looking up, he could see the craning neck as first the dragon glared down at him, then reared back and ROARED!!!

Naturally, anybody who bore witness to this that didn't feel like being a hero today...panicked.

People ran the hell away, shop vendors were now closing, and anyone charged with protecting this town...well...we'll leave them to them, but they've gotta be wondering why the dragon was apparently just sitting there. Oh yes, he was indeed doing that thing. He had engaged the smug face, a BIIIG draconic grin that seemed to say 'Well, now what, human?'.

[Assistant]
Aredis would've been lying to himself and all others if he pretended he was not frightened to a degree. Even the beasts who he had grown into manhood around still could scare him, regardless of their intent. Fear was human, fear was natural. His faith had taught him that fear was healthy. There were a great deal of things to fear and that was what kept a man alive. Aredis also was a man that could be humbled and admit when he's wrong. While he had never known a dragon to take humanoid form before, it was quite clear that it was indeed possible. At the very least they seemed to have to retain the majority of their appearance even in human form, and that thought comforted him. Couldn't have them running about completely disguised. There was no telling what kind of problems could occur if they were angered among those without an inkling of what they were. All of that said, Aredis had flinched and covered his face with his arms as a reaction to a large taloned foot flying passed his face. Had he not been rather peeved the dragon would have been amazing wonder to behold.

After a moment he collected himself and stroked his God's Favor out of habit before trying to rise from the dirt. Placing both palms on the ground he would lean onto his knees and try to bring himself up on his good leg. Bones protested with aches and pops against the pressure. Yet eventually Aredis would bring himself to stand upright and lean on his staff to compensate for the bad leg. Setting his gaze directly up at the face that was turned into a...grin? Apparently dragons could be as smug as the day is long, that was something alright. With a sharp clearing of his throat he once against spit at the feet...or talons more aptly...of the great beast. There was still a clear distaste in Aredis' tone when he would speak again, yet it was more for the arrogance that the dragon boasted. To attempt to flaunt yourself like a prized horse was not becoming of any kind of creature such as a dragon. Yet perhaps wisdom was not as widespread among the species as the man had been led to believe.

"I have encountered Jack rabbits that struck more fear into me then this display of yours. Let it never be said I am a difficult man. I can admit when I have wronged another, and that you are indeed a dragon. Yet you shame yourself and your race. If you choose to take this as an insult that is your own mistake. One so easily goaded into a show of display would find themselves quickly slain. What if this had been an attempt at forcing you into your true form only to have a round of mercenaries come around and slay you?" Aredis did have a small quiver in his voice, as this whole ordeal had put a good strain on his well being. Yet he felt there would be a far greater deal of conflict so he had best grow accustomed to it.

[User]
He climbed the stairs and entered his room, the image of the innkeeper still fresh in his mind telling him to vacate the room or pay for the previous day and this one, albeit said in less nicer words. He had also requested a bath to be drawn for him...the innkeeper gave him a look that said "you must be joking" before leaving the drunk.

Oh well, if they wouldn't draw a bath for him, he would invade another patrons' room to enjoy it. He hazily remembers the occupants next door to have requested such services.
*kick*
*boom*
It made a heavy sound as the door flew open, splinters of wood flying in all directions. A few seconds of pause insued derived from the shock of what had just happened. He was standing before 2 naked girls who wasted no more time to start screaming as they covered themselves, one even grabbing a knife.

"Ladies please, I mean no ha..*burp*..rm, I just need a bath."- he said in his drunken derilium as he kept walking towards them while talkin. Unshaven, dirty looking old man with stained clothes and a not so friendly attitude walking towards 2 naked girls....someone might, nay, will get the wrong impression if they happen about this scene.

But luckily a sudden tremor followed by a roar diffused the situation. Now he wasn't the biggest problem in the room. That roar, a roar he knew too well. Anger overtook him, the rush of adrenaline momentarily making him sober. He breifly entered his room to pick up his fighting sword, a sword which in the past weeks ,before this month, had slain more dragons than humans in the past year, and hurrying downstairs to put an end to it, his sworn enemy.

In his anger all he could see were memories of that dragon back then and although the size difference with the one before him was substantial to say the very least, alcohol still clouded his judgment although his motor skills were almost up to par with his normal form.

"DRAGON!!"-he spewed that word with such hate, leaving the impression that it was one of the highest forms of verbal offence the man could muster.

He had no real hate for the dragons as a race. It was even suspected that the dragon summoned during that battle wasn't even alive, just a big carcass from ages long forgotten. Even if he, in the past weeks before this month, had constantly and, funnily enough, religiously hunted dragons, finding a way to apply their weaknesses to the abomination that he faced that day, even then he held no hate for them. It was simply another job. But That dragon was something else entirely. Even the slightest memory of it made his soul tremble and during all his drunken crusade to drown it from his mind, the slightest trigger could set him off. The harder you try to consciously keep something out of your mind, the easier it is for it to suddenly burst through and flood it entirely.

Even if he realized that this dragon wasn't his Enemy, he was still another dragon endangering humans. And with that in mind, he charged forward with intent to cut the offending dragon up.

[Assistant]
Orky had retrieved his glass of water from the long fingered bartender. He replied, "Thank you Sir." He then went over to the Holy Woman and put down the glass of slightly dirty water next to her. "This is for you...it seems as if me being an Orc disturbs you and I am terribly sorry about that." Orky then bows slightly towards the Holy Women. "But I'm afraid my race is something I cant control and I would like if you could treat me as I do to you." Orky put on a humble smile trying to seem as genuine as possible, when he had smiled his tusks had exposed themselves more than they already did. When he did smile his near the gums are what appeared were file marks from Orky grinding his teeth down. But before the Holy Woman could reply the Dragon and slammed his drink down and then proceeded to drag the 'Big Homeless man' out of the bar. Orky was going to follow to try and prevent a fight until he heard the sound of a door being kicked in followed by the scream of two woman. Orky stood up and was going to head up stairs, when he had heard a ear piercing roar. The kind of roar that would rattle your bones, and make you feel defensless. Orky stood there confused and bewildered for a second till a man who looked very pissed off ran past him to go outside. That threw Orky back into reality, Orky knew if he didnt stop what ever was about to happen that he wouldnt be able to go on the job.

When he had collected himself, Orky rushed outside to find the pissed off man, the dragon from before but now as in his true form and the 'Big Homeless Man' in a type of Mexican Standoff but every one was facing the dragon. Orky got between all three of them before anyone could say something. "Ok look I dont know what's happening but it looks bad. Mr. Dragon it looks like you are mad at the Big Homeless Guy, it's none of my bee's wax to intervene but I can guarantee it is not worth hurting him over it. Now Mr.Pissed Off Guy, it seems like you dont like Mr.Dragon for some reason, but I'm sure we could solve it by just talking it over ya know. But why dont we all calm down and go back into the Inn and be friends?" Orky put on his best award winning smile to try and convince everyone to listen to him. But his smile came off kind of creepy since its awkward for an Orc to fully smile because of their tusks.


[System]
Appearance: Short sun bleached hair and heavily tanned skin. 5' 1" , Pudgy

Age:14

Personality:
 Outside of the Archer, Krista is cheerful and optimistic. However she honestly feels that it is better to be blunt now rather than mince words and wait for a misunderstanding to form. This has led to more than a few hurt feelings with her peers. While she does enjoy group activities, she shies away from one on one interactions. However she is noticeably colder when preparing for a mission or in the Archer, sometimes dismissing personal and emotional problems with derision.

Motive to live: Revenge, protect her remaining family.

Background:
 Krista was on a docked cargo ship owned by her cousin Richard when the Cruxi attacked her home-world. Richard locked her and cousins Jess and brother Martel into the ship's security room while the ship tried to deal with the influx of refugees. Between the security feeds in the security room and news broadcasts, she had a front row seat to the chaos the Cruxi caused. In addition, watching her family home get destroyed while she watched imbued a sense of helplessness that sent her spiraling into despair.
 While a few members of her family managed to make it off the planet safely, it wasn't until she learned of the Framewerk program that she managed to pull herself out of her depression. Now she can do something. Now she doesn't need to sit idly by watching others die.

Notable Deaths:
 Her family's farmstead was destroyed as she watched through the video call Martel had made in a desperate attempt to warn their parents. She also remembers watching as the ship she was on left people on the ground as it took off.

Framewerk Code Name: Archer

Source
(Just pretend that the guy isn't there. This is more for the general shape of the machine)

Signature Weapon System:
Anti Material Projectile - Thermal Type(A.M.P.T.T.) Cannon, also known as the Slag Cannon. This is a modified rail gun that can fire superheated metal, typically tungsten, to melt through armor. The large amount of heat this generates limits the (Safe) firing rate for the weapon. Typically a technique known as "Time on Target" is used to increase the effectiveness of the first shot by following it up with one or more conventional rail-gun shots. The Archer's Prometheus Fire Control System automates the rapid loading and firing of these follow up shots, but they are more inaccurate than the initial shot due to recoil.

Secondary Weapon System:
Prometheus Fire Control System:
This system allows the Archer to track and predict enemy movements to a limited degree. While it isn't true prescience, it uses an advanced suite of sensors and adaptive computer models to develop the situational awareness to predict a target's movements. The system is also designed to learn from experience, so the more it is used the better the predictive models get and thus the system becomes more effective. It is primarily used to help the Archer's pilot to aim the main gun and handle the reloading of the main gun. The actual aim adjustment and pulling of the trigger are still done by the pilot. While it allows the Archer to accurately hit targets at remarkable ranges when both the target and Archer are stationary, movement of either the Archer or target reduces the accuracy of system remarkably. Typically this reduces the system to providing predictions (i.e. 80% of the shots fired will land in this particular area) of likely points of impact in most combat situations.

Hornet Nest Point Defense System:
Primarily a defensive system, there are several hidden missile pods located all over the Archer. At a moment's notice one or more missiles can be fired off to intercept incoming enemy fire with kinetic impact weapons, which are essentially large darts. While this is mainly to protect the Archer from return fire while on the move, the system can attack other targets such as airborne threats with less efficacy as the Hornet Nest missiles lack the explosive damage of conventional missile load-outs.

Armor Type:
Heavy. The heavy hitting nature of the main gun puts the Archer at the top of the enemy's list of targets, necessitating heavy protection. The Archer has been equipped with experimental armor that gives the same protection as conventional heavy armor while still allowing the heat from its main gun to dissipate. However the Archer still requires support to deal with close range engagements, as it is slower than most bipedal Framewerks and lacks a strong close range defense.

Special Ability: N/A

Current Synchro: 80%

[User]
"Attention all Cadets, the mock battle is hereby over... you all performed as I expected you to do, which isn't saying much. Others performed better than I expected them to!"

Breathe in... breathe out...

"Oh, and one more thing... You all failed the mock battle. Reflect on your failure while you wait," The voice finally cut out with a mocking cackle.

"You would," Lora whispered within the confines of her emergency pod. The old man had approached the pilots with a vague, twisted announcement of a mack battle in order to test the factors that would make one of them the leader. Those factors, he made no effort to make clear, tested by a battle with also no obvious purpose made clear. He asked essentially nothing, and so the not-so-good doctor got essentially nothing. And then he laughed at them, because that was exactly what he was expecting of a couple of especially prodigious teenage Framewerk pilots.

Yes, he was the old rat that brought this project for the Framewerks into creation, but he was an old rat all the same. Why put him in charge? Why should the old even begin to dare have control of what they believe is best for the young? It was a classic conflict that began to seriously heat up in the second half of humankind's stay on Earth, with little learned from it.

It's a good thing Lora wasn't fighting for his sake, then.

"Hey Lora, could we... talk?" The receiver in Lora's headset rung meekly, Elora's tone seeming to have shifted back to its state prior to the battle. "There's something I need to say..." Lora didn't respond. She had a lot on her plate already, and this otherwise quiet soul didn't need to get caught in the middle of it.

"...I'm coming over," The voice on the intercom concluded, and cut out. Silence again. The pilot of the Caliburn sat still as ever, now ruminating on the battle some more.

Stukov was technically their first casualty, but in a dishonest way - he died before the battle could even begin, harnessing powers that nobody seemed to truly understand. Based on radar readings, Miles had been next to fall, the cocky lone wolf meeting some form of comeuppance by apparently not wearing his suit properly. Lora was having her doubts that the boy would make the grade to be in the team after this orientation, but now he had to be outright crippled. But that's just what happens when one gets too self-righteous.

Her thoughts turned back to Daemon's destruction. She was still curious as to what exactly led to Stukov's death like that. Lora was aware that his Synchro Rate was outstanding, nearly at 100%. But perhaps 'nearly' wasn't enough. Maybe he was trying to unleash that power before he was actually capable of wielding it. If only there was any salvageable evidence from the Daemon's wreck, there might yet be some answer.

A light knocking resounded on one of the capsule's walls. The pilot within turned her head to the side it came from, an eyebrow raised. "Umm... I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't know what overcame me. It was...scary." Elora, again. Lora sighed. She felt like an older sister who's younger sibling was coming over to apologize over a spilled glass of milk.

Lora began, "Don't think you did anything wrong. In a real battle, against a real Cruxi, what you did right there was exactly what you needed to do. You're just concerned because I'm not a Cruxi, and that's fair enough. It's nothing to apologize over." Her voice rung over herself inside the sealed metal pod, echoing to the outside world. Why she wasn't just opening the capsule to speak more clearly was anybody's guess.

Maybe she just wanted to be alone. But then again, perhaps she shouldn't be. One's own thoughts could prove quite dangerous in over-exposure.

[Assistant]
Mai was about to move out of Zone E after the Anzu's escape when her Setsuka suddenly lost power. Immedately understanding, she merely braced herself and even twisted her mech in a way so that it fell back first into the ground.

After the hit, she kept her eyes closed...waiting...then the comm line came on...

"Attention all Cadets, the mock battle is hereby over... you all performed as I expected you to do, which isn't saying much. Others performed better than I expected them to! Oh, and one more thing... You all failed the mock battle. Reflect on your failure while you wait", the individual said with a laugh.

"...Understood sir...Mission failed...", Mai droned in the open comm link.

...and I deserve it...I became inefficient..., Mai thought to herself.

Opening the cockpit, Mai climbed out and simply sat on the torso of the Setsuka, still in her pilot suit and black helmit though the "visor" part was a red color. She did check two things there were in place as well in the cockpit. Something she hid under the pilot's seat where no one, not even her team of scientists and engineers, never thought about looking before this whole mock battle started.

Mai had just strapped a utility belt of sorts on her waist. On it were a few pouches that held some nutrition bars, a bottle of water, a synringe with some unknown medication in it. But what stood out more were the hostler holding a pistol and another holding a combat knife. It wasn't a "live" mission but even for something like this, Mai always felt it prudent to be prepared even if others thought it wasn't necessary.

Hearing that there will be a pick-up, Mai simply continued to sit there, eyes closed...as if trying to be aware of her surroundings.

[User]
When the suits were shut down, just like before when his arms were remotely controlled, the frame activated the full extent of his defensive systems, drawing in all the limbs as it crashed to the ground to minimize damage to them both. This also had him tolling about like an egg on the field for a few miles as he was in full afterburner when the kill switch went off. Thankfully his pod had the heightened protection of folding him into a fetal position when this all started.

With the frames sitting around waiting for pickup, he activated the comlinks to all.

I just wanted to take a moment to say 'thank you' to you all, regardless of what these fools say, I would be honored to fight beside you all in the war. He may have wanted us to be bloodthisty assholes, but if we are to become monsters to fight the monsters, then we loose our humanity. The very humanity we are trying to save.

[Assistant]
Krista was steadying herself as she followed the Anzu around to Zone A. It each slowed to a stop in the middle of the open field. Still wary, she mumbled "What are you getting at?" Suddenly a notification that the Archer's remote control systems had been activated. Realizing that command had deemed the Archer too damaged to continue, Krista became acutely aware of the fact that she was on top of a tall column. Therefore she took a moment to lower the belly of the machine to the ground so as to avoid it crashing down.

What she didn't expect so soon was to see the other Framewerks coming to a stop. Soon the Professor's voice came on over the radio. "Attention all Cadets, the mock battle is hereby over... you all performed as I expected you to do, which isn't saying much. Others performed better than I expected them to!" he laughed. "Leave your Framewerks where they are at, the mechanics will retrieve them. There will be choppers shortly to escort you all back to the base. Assemble at the briefing hall and prepare for hearing your results." There was a pause before he started up again, this time more serious. "Oh, and one more thing... You all failed the mock battle. Reflect on your failure while you wait,". Lorenzo turned off the channel.

That last line got at Krista. She couldn't help but feel that they were going to lay into her at the debriefing, since she was the one to suggest teams. Still, there was not much she could do about it right now. As she shook off the disorienting feeling of moving from four legs back to two, Romeo chimed in over the line. "I just wanted to take a moment to say 'thank you' to you all, regardless of what these fools say, I would be honored to fight beside you all in the war. He may have wanted us to be bloodthirsty assholes, but if we are to become monsters to fight the monsters, then we loose our humanity. The very humanity we are trying to save."

 "Yeah, it was nice to fight with you too. See you back at base."

Watching the scene unfolding around her through the Archer's video feeds was getting her antsy. Krista pulled out the portable radio set and a set of binoculars from the Archer's survival kit and made her way out of the cockpit. Sitting down on the Archer's head, she started to survey the area with the binoculars. With the sounds of the helicopters closing in, she could only marvel at the view.


[System]
Age:
16

Appearance:

Bio:
Machines were always man's servant. After all, man created the machine for a specific purpose. To help them whenever they wanted. Machines propelled mankind into another renaissance era of the future, and fantastic forms of computers, AI, and robots were created at an alarming rate. The government never saw fit to limit or restrict any of the new technology scientists seemed to be pumping out on a daily basis. And thus, "Elijah" was born. A product of the most advanced robotics, AI, and artificial tissue technology. He was one of the first machines that acted, looked, and sounded like a human. Elijah went into a public high school as his first test, where none of the staff or students were able to identify him as a machine, as they were all fooled. But when the scientists announced this fact to the world, outrage occurred. The scientists were playing god, they said. Soon enough, Elijah was forced to carry an ID card that identified him as a machine, and was sent to live among the aliens, since the humans cared little about the extraterrestrial beings.

[User]
Kaffir Lycaste
It was the beginning of the school year, but that didn't mean anything to Kaffir. He wasn't planning on attending his classes despite his parents' concerns. He knew that they meant well, but he just couldn't take it anymore. It was hard enough being a teenage boy, but being an alien teenage boy made things even worse. They didn't understand what was bothering him, but he could see the way they looked at him and he knew what they thought. He was a freak and he wasn't one of them. So why pretend?

He was sitting down in a dark, but familiar alley. While his species generally preferred sitting out in the sunlight, he didn't want to risk getting caught by the police. This was their spot and everyone who was anyone knew it. He was throwing a rubber ball that he had found in his room earlier that day. The ball would hit the wall and return back to his hand. If he had miscalculated, his vines would help him catch it and allowed him to continue what he was doing.

They didn't always do much nor did they always say much but they didn't need to. Sometimes he wondered why they all hung out. But in a way, they were the same and they had reached some unspoken understanding. It was definitely something he needed in his life.

"Hey Hali," he said absentmindedly, breaking the silence. "Isn't your birthday coming up soon? Did you want to do something?"

"Do me and Eli have to get you a present or something?" he half-joked as he threw the rubber ball at his robot friend.

[Assistant]
Hali was crouching on the ground, leaning forward to try to catch her reflection in the smudged basement window across the narrow alleyway. She'd decided to pin up her bangs: since she was with her friends in their spot, it was safe to show her third eye. The rhythmic sound of Kaffir's rubber ball against the wall had lulled her into a false sense of security, almost causing her to lose her balance when Kaffir abruptly addressed her, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, my birthday's on Monday. Just four more days!"

She tilted from side to side, half-pondering what she wanted as a gift, half-trying to get a better view in her makeshift mirror. It wasn't really working out. Deciding to be satisfied with her handiwork, she pointed her three-eyed gaze at Kaffir. What could she ask for as a present? She didn't have birthday plans any grander than eating birthday cookies on her roof at sunset with friends and family, and that was what she did every year.

"You guys should steal a spaceship for me, and we can ditch school and tour the galaxy instead." She smiled proudly, as if she had come up with the greatest (and most realistic) idea in the history of sentient life. "And then we'll eat cake. On the spaceship. Space cake!"


[System]
Species:
Zabrak

Gender:
Male

Age:
32 cycles old

Rank:
Jedi Knight

Lightsaber Forms:
Form II (Makashi), form III (Soresu) and form VI (Niman)

Equipment:
 Green Lightsaber (Ruusan Crystal, reclaimed from the ruins a Russan Reclamation battlefield)
Layered Wristbands

Appearance:
Like most Zabrak, Stadak doesn't grow hair but does have a healthy crop of horns around the base of his skull. As well as horns, he has a series of facial tattoos that mark him as one who passed the traditional trials of passage and has been marked as an adult. His skin under the tattoos is a pearly pink colour but has a thick, coarse texture, useful for resisting the harsh winds of his home planet. Stadak prefers to wear jedi robes when around the Enclave on Dantooine or the Temple on Coruscant but clothes himself in battle armour when off planet. As a jedi Guardian, he feels that others should see him as a force to be reckoned with and therefore think twice before resorting to violence. To this end, he carries himself with certainty and force, heavy shoulder and thick arms suggesting the capacity to end fights quickly, if not the wish to start them.

[User]
Damar
Coruscant - Processional Way
Alek's Rally

---

Damar leaned against a pillar, and looked around at so many of the others who had raised their sabers. Some he recognized, and knew to be considered by most just as impulsive as Revan and Alek. Others he knew to be wiser, but they were concerned with justice, with protecting the innocent. Still others were simply swept up by the energy of the crowd, not thinking clearly, only carried forward by the tide of emotions all around them. The Force was thick with it--which should not be so, not in the halls of the High Council.

"There is no Emotion, there is Peace." Damar said to himself, before he pushed away from the pillar and began making his way through the crowd. He rarely brushed against anyone, though his eyes were focused only on Alek and Revan; he always seemed to know when to change his step, or turn his shoulder slightly, to avoid bumping into the others. Soon he emerged from the throng and stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the two who had brought this call to arms together.

"Knight Alek, I mean no disrespect," he began, with a slight bow of the head, "But how do you propose to stop the Mandalorians? To work with the Republic as our Order has for so long, to defend ourselves from attackers, I feel these things are right and true. But to fight a war, would this not be to bring the same carnage to our enemies as they have brought to other worlds? If we were to cut down Mandalorians without mercy upon a battlefield, would this not go against the Jedi Code? Even they, as brutal and evil as their actions have been, deserve to be treated honorably--do they not?" He called out loudly, to make his voice heard. His words might have sounded like a challenge, but what he really wanted was to hear Alek and Revan's plans. He wouldn't make a judgement this early, not without more information. He had spoken with his Master at length, but never had he heard this side of the story from the originators. He only hoped that, should his words be taken the wrong way--as they often were--that it wouldn't lead to further escalation of emotion. Right now, he could feel palpable anger coming from Revan, and jubilation from Alek as the man watched the stirring in the crowd his speech had caused. Both of them were talented and ambitious young men...but a fall to the dark side could come to anyone, no matter their abilities. Perhaps even more easily, the more assured one was in their immunity to it.

[Assistant]
[Vijjo]

---

 The Council's lack of action only furthered Vijjo's desire to move against the Mandalorians. The horrific stories he'd heard from the survivors of the attacks on top of his established perception of Mandalorians made him grit his teeth in anticipation. He'd grown up with a distaste put in his mouth towards Mandalorians by his family and culture. "Brutes" they'd be described as. The eye witness accounts of their actions were more than enough to support that generalization. People were dying, Jedi and civilians alike. Vijjo's lips cracked into a slight grin as he convinced himself that the Council would eventually take action against the Mandalorian Campaign.

There's no way we can just sit here as if nothing's going on.

 As if an answer, he heard a somewhat familiar voice calling out nearby. Vijjo interrupted his walk to see what the commotion was all about. Preachy. Taking a spot towards the back of the crowd, Vijjo smiled as he listened to Alek express exactly what he'd just been thinking. His light expression hardened as he was reminded of the Council's failure to react to the Mandalorian threat. He found himself nodding along, slowly, at first, then more and more, he realized he let out a slight yell of agreement as his hand moved to imitate the sabers being raised around him. Vijjo couldn't bear much longer of inaction. He knew people out there needed him, and the grim truth was that the Council was not seeking to answer the Galaxy's cry for help. For now, he had a lot of thinking to do.

 Vijjo noticed the one man moving deliberately from his place by the pillar towards the two atop the stairs. He noted the man's cautious movements and wondered if his personality reflected those careful motions - as was generally the case. Nevertheless, nobody else had made any sort of move toward the two jedi, and this man caught his attention. Vijjo realized he had come up to speak to them, and decided he felt a bit nosy. All he wanted to do was learn more about the situation outside of the Temple and figured he could stay and listen a while to what the three had to say. Slowly, Vijjo inched closer towards the front, merging and moving with the crowd until he was within earshot. He slightly turned his head as if to seem uninterested, but pointed his ear towards Revan and the jedi.

 "Knight Alek..." Vijjo continued to listen.

---

[User]
Lowering his saber at the approach of a fellow Knight, Alek listened to his case. "You have righteous concerns, but I think you misunderstand our purpose. We do not seek to slaughter them, but to stop their advances. There are ways to defeat enemies without such brutality, and while this is a conflict that goes beyond what words can fix, we can defeat them without a vicious massacre. We are not invaders, but defenders. They have the right to live in peace on Mandalore, their homeworld, but they do not hold the right to attack the rest of this galaxy as they have.

"This is why we will fight this war alongside the Republic. We will combat this enemy as nobly as we can to protect and retake what is rightfully the Republic's. We are not tyrants, dear companion. Please understand us. Our ranks would be in need of one noble as you. Many here would fight with vengeance in their hearts, but you have mercy. You could become a great General for the Republic. Perhaps even greater than Revan or I. I have no doubt of that.

"While glory is not the goal we seek, I see a much needed ally in your compassion for nobility. So tell me, would you be so kind as to lend us your strength? The Republic will be here with a vessel to transport this Jedi Templar within a matter of hours. There is little time to waste."

[Assistant]
Damar
Coruscant - Processional Way
Alek's Rally

---

"Such was my intent from the beginning." Damar said, nodding. "I had already decided that I must head to the front lines, to see for myself what is happening in the galaxy firsthand, to make an informed decision. If I could be of any help by accompanying you, then I shall do so." He bowed again, then raised his own saber, gripping its black leather wrapped hilt lightly. With a flick of the power switch the bright green blade bloomed into existence with its distinctive sound, something like the sound of electricity coursing through wire yet with hints of flame burning through air. He saluted Alek and Revan with it, before turning off the blade and returning it to his belt. "May the Force be with us all." he said, before turning and walking back into the crowd.

It wasn't long, however, before he spoke again--this time to another Jedi in the crowd.

"May I ask what you are looking at, over there?" Damar smiled knowingly. Turning one's head and looking away, while keeping an ear out, would work in most cases. But in this one, with all the crowd so focused on Revan and Alek and there being so little else going on around the Procession Way, turning away from the focal point of all the attention only made one stand out all the more. As Damar stood next to Vijjo's side, at a respectful distance, he folded his arms over his chest and began to watch the rest of the crowd.

"Were you listening as well?" he asked, in a lower voice. "Their hearts are perhaps in the right place...but why a General of the Republic, rather than a Jedi Master? Why mention glory at all, if one meant to be unconcerned with it?"

[User]
[Vijjo]

---

 Vijjo felt himself straighten up ever-so-slightly when addressed. Despite how reluctant he was to admit it, he knew his sense of duty to the people of the Galaxy outweighed his responsibility to uphold the Jedi Code. Disobeying the Council's direct wishes and going to war would no doubt have serious repercussions. He didn't know if he was totally willing to leave altogether - it was far too big a risk. Regardless of his doubts, he knew something had to be done to help those in need. Peacekeepers of the Galaxy were not meant to sit idly by while others are needlessly slaughtered in the name of glory.

 He turned to the Jedi who addressed him:

 "Regardless of where their hearts are, they know what needs to be done. I try not to think about issues as controversial as this too deeply. Don't take that the wrong way, I just prefer to use my instincts to determine what the correct course of action is. What's your take in all of this?"

[Assistant]
Coruscant - Jedi Temple
Alek's Rally

---

The Jedi Temple; a site of calmness, solemnity and peace for so many. Its hallowed halls are a refuge from the chaos and uncertainty of the Planetary city outside, where there is no emotion, there is peace. For Stadak, returning to the Temple always allowed him to shrug off the burdens of duty and reputation he carried in the wider galaxy. Out there, he represented the entire Jedi order and the republic as a whole whereas in here he was one among many, just another face in the crowd. Even as he stepped off the transporter and beheld the majestic sight of the Temple's entrance, he could already feel a calm over taking his being. With a brief smile at his Padawan, he started to ascend the steps. In his mind, he ran through some of the beings he'd encountered on this most recent trip. An interesting species of subterranean beetles that survived by eating plants from the roots up, a bird that utilised four wings at once, and several more species he'd never seen catalogued in the Jedi archives. It often surprised Stadak that others were not willing to study the movements and biologies of diverse alien fauna nor to enter their findings into the archives.

He was so involved in mentally writing out his entry to the archives that he didn't pick up the waves of bellicose emotion flowing from a small group at the top of the procession way. But as he went to move past them, he caught a few words of the discussion that shook all thoughts of plant eating beetles from his mind. Looking at the man addressing the crowd, he immediately recognised the form of Alek, a well respected figure in the Temple. His words did not sit well with Stadak at all, though he wagered he could guess what his apprentice, Taiko Tachibana, would think of all this talk of righteous defence and the shirking of glory. Youth tends to gravitate to such causes and Stadak was sure he was just as susceptible to its siren call in his own youth. Still, better to involve himself in debate that disapprove from a distance.

Stepping forward though the crowd, he moved to the forefront and addressed Alek directly. "Forgive me if I ask you to retread what you have already spoken of, brother, but I am recently returned to Coruscant and must ask you; what has the council said of this venture? Have they approved of this... gathering?" he asked, casting a quick glance across the Jedi with ignited lightsabers thrust skyward or sheepishly deactivating them.


[System]
Eska
Age: 22

Gender: Female

Physical Description: Standing at 5'9" Eska has a slender figure with muscles that are toned from years of training. Her thick, dark chestnut brown hair reaches to the middle of her back, and is usually in a loose side braid on the left side of her head. Long bangs frame her face, with two little blue beads resting half an inch from their tips keeping them out of it. Her face gracefully slopes down to a heart shaped chin, with cheekbones lightly dotted with freckles. Eska's icy blue eyes seem to peer straight into souls, though will never linger too long. While she does stick to the traditional blues and whites of the water tribe, her clothing is light due to Republic City's climate and is loose so that she is free to move as she pleases. She normally wears navy joggers, tucked into light brown, slim calf boots that hug the shape of her feet and point at the tip of them. She wears a light blue tunic with a traditional collar that ends at her hips, sloping down to mid-thigh on the right side.

Backstory: Eska, of no relation to Desna and Eska, was born of Northern and Southern Water Tribe descent. Her father was a part of the Northern Water Tribe and her mother that of the Southern Tribe. They initially resided in the Northern Tribe, where her father worked in the government and provided Eska and her mother with a comfortable life. Her mother was a bender, who was overjoyed to see her daughter was gifted as well. With enough convincing, Eska's father allowed her to begin training at the age of seven. She mostly trained in the Northern bending style, yet whenever her family took vacations to the Southern Tribe she would receive lessons from her mother's side of the family. Thus, she was trained in both the Northern and Southern styles of water bending. Despite this gift, her father always taught her how to be humble and only use her bending when she necessarily needed it.

As a young girl, she admired Avatar Korra and Katara, daydreaming of adventures across the world. The years passed, and her fantasies dissolved as she learnt that the world was falling into a time where there was no balance. At the age of fifteen she moved to Republic City, where her father was sent to be a small time diplomat. There she learned of the political strife that laid thickly over Republic City, and she began to miss the peace of the water tribes. Homesick, she began to bury herself in her bending training. Eventually she began to adjust to life in Republic City, although her father worries about her safety in the city. Despite his wish for her to live at home, she moved out and into her own apartment at the age of 20. She found a job teaching the basics of water bending to young benders, and has found a fascination in the spiritual side of bending. She taught herself basic healing techniques within the span of a month, and continued to hone her bending.

Now at 22, Eska prefers to keep her bending to a minumum, though she continues to teach young benders and train. She plans to travel to the Southern Water Tribe within a few months to become a a master bender.

While she may not use her bending in public she always carries a small amount of water with her, as if it were pepper spray. She keeps a level-headed, playful atmosphere about her, with a few close friends in the city and a whole bookcase of bending knowledge in her room. Always tuned into the news, she has a feeling deep down that she wants to do more for Republic City.

Bender/Non-bender: Water bender of moderate skill; knows the basics of healing and fighting styles of the Northern and Southern Water Tribes.

[User]
The young man in the cage took deep breaths as he drowned out the cheering crowd. Most contenders made a show of their victories, waving or egging the crowd on, or other such theatrics. But Shu wasn't here for theatrics. He wasn't here for the audience's sake, in fact he might even insist that he wasn't here for the glory either. He was here for the fight itself. Something about it was just... therapeutic to him. Being able to beat an opponent senseless, unleash all his pent up rage and frustration with the world and putting it all into strikes against poor unsuspecting opponents. His sharp, angry glare never left Shu's face even as he Earthbent a short pillar in front of himself.

The usual rules of the Cage was to fight until you drop, a sort of King-of-the-Hill competition where the Cage was the "hill" and whoever was left standing was it's current king. Right now, that meant Shu, and so he waited for whoever was going to come out next. He passed the time in his usual way, by striking at the pillar of earth he had erected for himself, using it as a training dummy. There was something to be said for someone who would, without hesitation, repeatedly punch rock and stone with their otherwise bare fists. And these were regular strikes. too, no Earthbending involved. That of course meant his knuckles, forearms, and legs were impacting the pillar no differently than those of a non-bender. Suddenly he heard someone calling him, and whatever trance-like state Shu had been in was broken. He stopped striking the pillar of rock and turned to the source of the voice.

"Some nutcase rookie wants to challenge you, offered good money for a chance to fight you on the spot. It's not our usual rules, but we can't ignore the money. It's your choice, but the boss has authorized me to offer you a cut of the bet if you make the rookie run home screaming. So what say you?"

The Master... he rarely left his post in the Red Room. So this had to be a pretty unusual circumstance. His words didn't mean much to Shu. The money would surely go to good use of course, but he also made it no secret that he didn't really do this for the money. He also wasn't as stupid as most people took him for either. Most arena fighters were thought to be brainless muscle, unable to figure out when something was suspicious. Well, Shu was far from that image. Whoever this challenger was he obviously had some other agenda. As for what that actually was, well, Shu would just have to ask him... using his fists of course.

"You should know me by now, Master." Shu responded, his tone even and without hesitation, "I'm here to fight, don't much care against who. If he wants to get hurt so bad, then let him. No skin off my back." he didn't say anything else, instead returning his focus to the pillar he had erected earlier. The Master must have walked away to inform the officials, because within moments the voice of Zhou thundered on the loudspeaker.

"Stop the presses, folks! Some newbie thinks he can conquer our beloved Beast!" the crowd seemed to be split on this, half of them cheering and the other half booing and hissing, "So let's bring him out see if he can walk the walk or if he's all bark!"

The more he waited, the more furiously Shu struck at his stone pillar. By the time his challenger would enter the Cage, Shu's pillar was starting to form cracks on it until he finally gave it one last mighty blow to shatter the pillar into pebbles and gravel. Then Shu's angry eyes, filled with rage and fury, shot a threatening glare at his next opponent.

[Assistant]
@Exit

"Kid wants to fight," the Master replied as he walked back from the Cage. "Don't know if that's good news or bad."

"It is good news for you," Shiban replied, checking the makeshift cloth bandage he had wrapped around his left forearm to hide his tattoo while he had waited. There was no point flaunting his allegiance in front of a large crowd. He then made a move towards the entrance to the cage, but stopped as the Master laid his hand on him. He turned irritably.

"Now, look here Mister whatever your name is," the Master began, his features hardening. "I don't know why you are doing this crazy thing. It's your life. But if you try anything funny in there, I will stop you. Provided the Beast doesn't finish you off first."

Shiban raised an eyebrow in amusement. This old Master threatening him was the funniest thing he had heard in recent times.

"So what do we call you anyway?" the Master continued. "The Destroyer or something?"

Shiban grinned. Something nudged his memory, and he remembered a name from long ago. Why not, he thought. He controlled his manic laughter as he said, "Call me Sparky Sparky Boom Man."

His shoulders were still shaking with mirth as he entered the cage, while the Master scratched his head in bewilderment.

Shiban stepped into the glare of the cage. He couldn't see few feet beyond the cage as the floodlights momentarily flashed in his eyes. He pulled his probending cap lower on his forehead and approached the lone fighter standing there, having just smashed a block of rock to pieces.

"And here he is, folks!" the announcer was screaming. "The craaaazy fighter who wants to take on the Beast! My, look at the size of him! Well, as they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. But let's not count our pig-chickens just yet. He might still pack a mean punch."

Shiban stared at Xun, the Beast. He was just a young man. But in the cage, he seemed much larger. Shiban nodded to himself. The prophecy seemed to be true. But he needed to test this kid to know his true mettle.

"Greetings, Beast," he called out from where he was standing. His legs were spread to imitate a solid stance. But he was light on his feet, ready to pounce away the moment the earth shifted under him. "It will be my honor to fight you."

He never broke eye contact with Xun as he stood his ground. Somewhere in the arena, a bell rang. It was time to fight.

[User]
Maika looked at him as if she was seeing a ghost. Or a miracle. Was this just an act he was putting on? But no, he seemed genuine. He sounded sincere. Maika turned around to face him.

"What gave it away was your kindness. No inhabitant of this city ever spared so much time for the poor and the weak. You know, if I had met you even a month earlier, I would have said you are a fake. Or I would have laughed in your face for your naivete. But... but something happened. Something that made faith meaningful. I wanted to see proof of the strength of hope. And now... I see you." She gave him one of her rare smiles. Not the flirty one she used on her marks. She felt genuine warmth emanating from him.

"The name is Maika," she said, offering her gloved hand to him. "And you and I are not all that different. I try to help the less fortunate. 'Try' being the operative word." She sighed. Why should good things be so difficult to do, while crime came easy?

"You know... there is a great ice cream place around the corner. The owner is a friend. She gives free ice creams to poor children once all the customers are gone. And she always needs more hands to help." She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "There is a free raspberry smoothie in it for you. Or any other flavor really," she added with a small laugh.

[Assistant]
"The moon is brightest at night. And so are you," said Old Man Wu, chuckling to himself. If his dear Mili had been alive to hear him flirt with a girl his granddaughter's age, she would have chased him around the block, creaking knees and all.

"And don't you get me in trouble again, young lady," he wagged his finger at her. "Last time I told you probending stories, the boss man wanted to fire me for wasting your time. Hmph!"

He made sure to mop while he talked, taking care to get the dirt between the floor tiles. The gym could have long since fired him. Or let him go in a dignified manner. But his wife Mili's death changed everything. He did not want to spend his final years stuck in the lonely house full of memories of her. He wanted to work for as long as he could. The work was therapeutic to him, something to focus his mind. The owners of the gym were kind enough to let him stay.

"But... I do have something to tell." He was uncharacteristically subdued as he broached what was weighing his heart down. "Eska, I don't know why I want to tell it to you. But... it will help me if you listen."

He was a bit anxious. Eska had always been nice to him, consoling his grief in those rare moments he thought of his family. Sometimes, he would imagine his son alive, married to someone like Eska. But he didn't, anymore. There were too many dead people in his memories these days.

He motioned to a row of chairs set against the wall by the large windows. Moonlight was streaming in through the windows, giving the place an ethereal lighting.

"Perhaps we could sit down and chat?"


[System]
Alias: She-Wolf

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Pansexual

Personality: Although the media paints She-Wolf as a vicious beast much of the time, Accalia is actually somewhat calm and slow to anger. She's very physically affectionate around the people she loves, and will hug, smooch, and snuggle the heck out of whoever she's feeling loving towards. Even when she's out superhero-ing, she prefers not to use violence or force until she deems it necessary or is pissed off enough–– and when she's pissed off enough to use excessive violence, there is no rhyme or reason to it; it's animalistic rage. She'll bite, rip and tear at whatever she can.
Being a werewolf, she eats mostly meat, and is prone to really pissing off vegans more than the average person.
Much of her superhero-ing involves rescuing animals and escorting people home at night, but she also (literally) sniffs out dog fighting and human trafficking rings.
She has some canine-like traits: She is startled and wary of new things, she gets distracted by animals, she likes to roll on things she think smell good (this includes her favorite people).

Appearance:

Powers:
•Shapeshifts into a larger-than-average, black-furred wolf (This takes a lot of energy, which is probably why she eats so damn much)
•Enhanced senses (Night vision, very strong nose and hearing–– her color vision is actually weaker than most people's)
•not really a power but she just really doesn't give a shit about the cold
•in her wolf form she can "talk" to dogs/canines with body language, and is in general in expert on it

Bio: Accalia has been a werewolf since birth, because her father was one and surprise surprise it's genetic. She's had a pretty good relationship with her mother for the most part despite the fact that it is not easy raising a werewolf child–– doctors always think/thought she has abnormally high metabolism (she sort of does), she sometimes just kind of went missing as a toddler and her mother would find a tiny wolf pup in various locations throughout the house. Basically it was like having a baby and a puppy at the same time.
Her father was absent because he died when she was seven months old of leukemia.
There is no crazy origin story. Accalia just graduated high school, moved out, and got bored. Naturally, a part-wolf 18 year old with a lot of pent up energy is going to decide to be a vigilante, because that's just the most logical decision, right? She donned her ridiculous costume, went out at night, and started small, just rescuing puppies and whatnot. She didn't become actually recognized as a superhero until she was 20, and long story short, ended up in a dogfighting ring.
That is also how she got her media reputation as a vicious beast, but worry not, every dog made it out okay!

[User]
`Good morning, Kingsport! It is currently 4 AM and welcome to WKXZ News Radio, your local station for all the things happening in this amazing city of ours! Our top story for this morning: last night around 10 PM, an apartment on West Gay Street caught on fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene after a neighbor reported a sound like an explosion to find the top half of the six-story building burning up. One fatality has been reported so far, and eight people are in the hospital for related injuries. There is no news as to what caused the fire or the explosion-like sound. Anyone with possible information is encouraged to call the police station. Personally, I'm trying to remember off the top of my head if any of our local supervillains are known arsonists. But that may just be me.

The weather for today is predicted to be a wonderful seventy degrees Fahrenheit, partly cloudy with winds under five miles per hour and no chance of precipitation. Humidity will be only 37%. Listeners, if you want to see the sunrise, it's predicted to begin at 4:37 AM this morning, so grab your coffee and cameras and get ready for a wonderful start to a wonderful day!

Onto the traffic: Highway 40 is currently clear. We- Hm. We seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties with the drone, we'll get back to you on that, but your commute should go smoothly. No accidents have been reported yet and with the weather the way it's been, there are no hazards to warn about.

Onto the other stories for the day!`

-kzzzt-

`Good morning Kingsport! It is currently 4:30 AM and welcome to WKXZ News Radio, your local station for all the things happening in this amazing city of ours! The sun should be rising soon - on our sponsor break, I decided to take my own advice and prepare my camera for the sunrise. I think our friend Matt in Weather may have made a few wrong predictions - the sky seems to be blanketed in clouds this morning. I couldn't even see the stars! So that's your weather update, first of all. Secondly, I apologize, but it seems the traffic drone is still out of order. I sent Clara out to report on the roads herself, so don't worry, we'll have information to you all in good time! Everything you need to know to have a wonderful morning!`

-kzzzt-

`Listeners, I believe Matt has made another mistake. The sunrise seems to be a bit late this morning. Our apologies from everyone here at WKXZ News Radio, particularly those looking forward to a beautiful sunrise. We are trying to correct this error. In the meantime, on with our coverage that will affect your morning commute!`

-kzzzt-

`I... Good morning, Kingsport. It is now 5 AM - I think - and and welcome to WKXZ News Radio, your local station. In especially local news, we are examining the clocks in our station. The sunrise seems unusually late, as verified by our callers, but it's possible we've ignored Daylight Savings Time or something similar.

Clara has been reporting in - roads are mostly clear. We have our outbound traffic as usual, heading off for that forty-minute commute - we wish you luck from here at WKXZ News! Inbound traffic seems to be moving slowly, though there are no accidents. Probably some rookie drivers. More on this as it progresses.`

-kzzzt-

`Listeners, the sunrise is over an hour late now. We can't find anything wrong with the clocks. I went outside - the sky is still black, with no stars visible. Matt is calling the National Weather Center in the event we are experiencing strange meteorological phenomena. However, I also received a call from Clara - she's now inbound to Kingsport. She doesn't know what happened, and, frankly, neither do I. Each of her reports indicated she was headed straight out of the city. She says she's going to try to turn around and exit the city.

I- excuse me, we just received a call. One moment.`

-kzzzt-

`...Listeners. We have an exclusive story from Mother Mercy General Hospital. According to the employee who called me - after they'd calmed down enough to tell me the story - all of the comatose patients have awoken. There was no warning, just, suddenly, everyone's awake. Of course, families are being contacted and many of them are apparently well enough now to return home. It's as if nothing ever happened to them.

Afterwards, Clara called - she managed to turn around and kept me on the line as she drove outward - only to return into the city. She told me what she was doing, and I don't think she's trying to trick me. Listeners... she sounds scared. I'm going to call Meridian County Police, try to get some help here. I think something terrible may be happening. If any of our local superheroes are awake, I will also plead for you to help find out what's happening.`

-kzzzt-

`..........`

-kzzzt-

`Listeners. The Meridian County Police answered when I called, and promised to send out a car to get a sense of the situation. That seemed reasonable to me, since no one's getting hurt yet, as far as I've heard. Just a lot of callers confused and scared since, well, the sun appears to be missing and so far we have a looot of late employees unable to leave Kingsport to go to their place of work. It's very bizarre to say the least. But anyways.

The Meridian County Police sent their car.

Their car came back.

Listeners... they can't find us. It's as if Kingsport has been plucked off the face of the earth. They've sent out three more cars, to no avail. They're working on escalating to state and even federal assistance. In the meantime they, and I, advise you all to stay indoors unless necessary to go out and call the station if there are any more updates to report. Again, if any superheroes are listening to us at... 7:45 AM, please, help us.

What is going on here?`

[Assistant]
Sarah stared at the radio in silence, she had woken up to the alarm and the soothing voice of the morning radio host blaring through her small room alongside the loud obnoxious beeping of the alarm. And what she heard as she pulled herself from her half-awake doze was troubling. Normally she only listened for a few minutes before going on with her morning....

This morning she quickly flicked it off and turned on the radio in her main living space. It was 5:30 am and the..sun was late?

Unable to completely comprehend what she was hearing, the young woman quickly scrambled to put together some coffee. Her ears strained to pick up more information, trying to understand completely what was being said as her coffee brewed. The sun was missing. A peering look out of her slightly dirty windows told her that. It was late this morning.

People couldn't leave town. That was troubling as well.

Drinking her coffee and trying to remain calm, she listened to the radio. Listened to the slow advance of news that told her more and more...and left her with more questions than answers. She grabbed her phone and called Sakura, her best friend and the only one who knew…

Well...everything.

For Sarah wasn't just Sarah Quick, IT technician to Kingsport Media and News (KMN). She was also Sparks. Superheroine with the power to control and manipulate electricity.

"Sakura I swear to god. Pick up." Sarah hissed as the ringing drew on more than twice. Eventually Sakura answered and between the two of them they worked out what their next step should be. The debated between listening to the news. No one could leave the city. Everyone was turning right back around somehow. And no sun? And then the coma patients waking up.

The churned out one idea after another, who could be behind this. Why it's happening and they found nothing worth noting.

Eventually it was decided, the city needed Sparks right now, a somewhat familiar face hopefully on the streets will ease some hearts and minds as she went looking for answers.

Draining the last of her coffee, she heard that final question. "I'm hoping to find out." Sarah said to no one and everyone all at once, before disappearing in a bright flash of lightening and electric energy into the outlet. She'd start with the cops.

Whether they liked her or not, they could use all the help they could get at this point.

[User]
"Hm. No sun..? That's weird." Adelaide thought, extinguishing the small flame in her hands. Her cat Sammy jumped onto the couch, meowing a few times to show that he was hungry. "Yeah, yeah, I know. One sec."

After giving Sammy a bowl of food, she sat back down on her couch. "Wait. The... people in a coma are awake? Damn, I kind of wished that Jakob would die. He's such an asshole." The radio went silent again, until that annoying news guy came back, this time with news about the Meridian county police cars or whatever.

She felt oddly calm about all this.

"Hm.. the police will probably take care of this. Or some of those 'superheroes' people like to talk about."

Adelaide stood up from the couch, and went into her room. It wasn't anything fancy, she mostly just slept on the couch anyways. She went to her closet, taking out a dark green tank top and shorts.

[Assistant]
"Five more minutes, please," grumbled Accalia, even though there was no one to hear her. Her ringtone was playing, and it wasn't very loud, but she had one sensitive pair of ears––which made that, and the accompanied incessant buzzing of the phone on the nightstand that much more annoying. Eventually it stopped.

Then it started again. She answered with her mouth curled into the slightest of snarls, a fang sticking out onto her lower lip. "Yes, what, hello? What time is it?"

"It's seven in the morning!" answered her mother.

Incredulous, Accalia looked out the window––not that she needed to. It was utterly dark out, which must have been why she hadn't woken up at her usual time. "Stop playing with me," she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Look at your phone. Look at the time."

She did, and for a minute she didn't say anything. It was too early for this. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Turn on the radio. It seems like, um, the sun is missing. No one can get out of Kingsport and people in comas are waking up!"

Accalia turned on the radio with her free hand and listened. "What in the fresh Hell?"

"You have to go out there and help them, you have to do something."

"Mom I thought you hated my, er, lifestyle. Plus, what am I supposed to do?"

"Get out there right now, young lady!"

Accalia yawned loudly and nodded, even though there was no way that her mother could see it. "Okay, okay, I'm on it, I'm getting out there. Love you."

"Love you." Click.

Well, that was possibly the most unusual thing that Accalia had ever woken up to. She rolled out of bed with a low noise that sounded like, but wasn't quite, a growl, and got dressed in her superhero getup. Much too early for all of this. She ate a hasty breakfast consisting mostly of lunchmeat (she'd make up for all the calories transforming took later) before she turned into her lupine form: a large, bristling black wolf, and exited through the doggy door installed in the back door.

After trooping through several backyards and the somewhat scenic surroundings of a biking trail, She-Wolf emerged onto the street with a determined trot. She didn't actually know whether it would do any good to talk to anyone about this whole issue, least of all the police, toward whom she had mixed feelings. Contemplating this, she shifted back to her human shape, standing on a sidewalk. Her transformation had startled an already panicked passer-by, who she just waved at.


[System]
Appearance: "What, can't you just look at me and take some notes? No? Alright fine. Reptilian, green scales, spikes trailing from the top of the head down to the end of the tail. Usual outfit of a hooded long-sleeve shirt, pants with a hole for the tail, no shoes. That good enough for ya?"

Species Name & Description: "Last I heard the going name for us was 'Reptiloids.' There's a bunch of us out here, enough to have several different factions. Not sure most of us came from the same planet originally, actually.

Favourite Side Dish: "I..uhh..whaddaya call the little yellow sweet bits? Starts with a C...cake? No...car? No, that ain't it...Corn! Yeah, corn!"

Useful Skills & Abilities: "I'm a pretty decent pilot. Used to run cargo for a bigger shipping company, before they got bought out. Had to sell my ship recently to get some cash flowing again, but my skills still hold up."

Membership Number: "%XYN)p(Xf@vlv)fL. Yes, I know there's no actual numbers in it. Don't ask me, I just read it off the back o' this badge.

An Inspirational Quote That Sums Up The Character's Personality: "A wise, long-dead human once said 'Life is like a sewer… what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.' I gotta say that you humans sure know how to make a guy laugh."

History: "Oh, you want my story? My WHOLE story? Well sit back, and get comfortable, cause its gonna be a long one..."

[User]
The Bees second Vanessa's fridge comment as some had already had a look inside and had ended up moved it to the medbay assuming it was simply in the wrong place. They apologies for the inconvenience on that bit

"Now that we are all here, I am, as you're probably aware unless I have only communicated with you viea a messaging system for the recruitment process, your Captain: Draksal the Devourer!"

The bees collectively roll their eyes at this last part.
The Bees explain that the voice is The Mind, they are The Bees and that they are very excited to go on adventures with you all

The rest of the group apart from... Tik-Tik, (the mind could probably pronounce her name, having no vocal cords to get in a twist as a result of being a disembodied voice, but her nickname was certainly faster to say/think) had ordered the waiter dispensed a fresh copy of the Space Friends Newsletter.

"Oh good, a copy that hasn't been used by a napkin by someone. Get rid of that one someone left here and wake up Elarin, there is business to be discussed before food arrives "

The old issue was quickly scrunched up and tossed at Elarin to try and get him to join in the discussion that was to follow as the two captain bees packed away the chess set and hovered above the newsletter to view the possible tasks.

The words shrink ray immediately attracted their attention, such a device would be very useful to… acquire and the Bees did have a small number of individuals who had rigorously read detective novels that had seen very little use. The Bees were particularly fond of parties much to the chagrin of The Mind, though free cloths sounded nice so that one was also on the swarm's table.

"As captain I would be interested in hearing your opinions before we decide. It will be useful to get some knowledge as to how you think your skills would apply to that task, vague as their descriptions are"

[Assistant]
"Guten Tag, comrades. My name is Vanessa Kiyvana, though some of you already know that one. I run on a special diet, which..." announced the pretty girl. Fiddlesticks couldn't pay further attention to Vanessa's announcement for he was lost in her eyes. Her voice was as clear and as melodious as crystal rains of Symana. Her eyes sparkled like the stars themeselves. Suffice it to say, Fiddlesticks was a sucker for a pretty face.

"Alright Fiddlesticks old boy. It's game time. Be smooth." Fiddlesticks told himself under his breath. He was painfully shy around pretty girls. The prettier the girl, the more intense his shyness. Vanessa's beauty certainly wasn't helping him with that.

"V-v-Vanessa, if you're done with the newsletter could I have a look?" asked Fiddlesticks. "Cool gun by the way" he commented. His voice broke on the word cool. Fiddlesticks heart was racing. He blushed noticeably.

[User]
Vanessa gave a brief wave of her hand towards the bees and said. "It's no trouble. I moved it back earlier today."

It had been moderately confusing as to why her fridge had been moved, but Vanessa was used to such a thing and had promptly checked the medbay for it's location. It was a good thing she did since the blood wasn't transfusion quality. Attempting to use it in such a way would quite likely kill the recipient, since most of it wasn't filtered and purified to the quality of transfusion blood. Vanessa could, in theory, drink the blood and barf it back up, since her body was able to naturally filter and purify blood. Though Vanessa obviously knew that such blood, despite being clean, wouldn't be very comfortable to use.

Since Draksai had asked for opinions, Vanessa spoke up about her logical findings. "Personally, I would avoid the first and third missions upon the list. The first one likely involves combat between military grade and capital ships which our ship is, quite obviously, not cut out to handle. The third mission is what appears to be someone abusing the system to advertise themselves as help-givers rather than an actual mission. The rest I have no comment on."

Vanessa knew that trying the first mission with their ship in it's current state would be quite the hassle, as Vanessa didn't know how well the armor or shielding would hold up under military grade weapons fire. For that matter, was the ship even armed? Truly, the first mission seemed like a logical impossibility, and Vanessa hoped that the more action oriented members of the crew didn't attempt to sway everyone into undertaking such a mission. It would be rather foolish and likely result in most of their deaths when the ship went up in a fireball after a brief volley of weapons fire.

The other missions seemed much more practical in comparison, since they didn't involve capital ships or military grade equipment. There was the possibility of them looting a disabled ship should they take the first mission, but the cost of adequately repairing something of that quality and size with matching quality components was going to likely break the bank of everyone sitting at the table.

Thus, Vanessa had made her statement against the first mission. The third mission seemed to be rather out of place since the group sitting here was together to give aid, not receive it. They were a crew, not a support group. That left several other missions of various types upon the paper before them, and Vanessa didn't really have too much of a preference to be made about any of them. Vanessa could assist with all of them in some way, and thus was rather neutral in opinion about them.

Vanessa's ear twitched slightly as she heard the music stop and change to another track. Much the same to the previous one in terms of instrument composition, but the note composition was different and the song thus sounded different from the previous one. It too soon faded into the background hum of noise since Vanessa turned her attention away from it, but it was nice to know that the radio system still worked properly and wouldn't be playing the same repeating tune time and time again for the duration of their stay at the eatery.

Weaving her hands together once again, Vanessa took a moment to shift her legs and switch the way she crossed them. Vanessa shifted her rifle as well, moving it to the other arm and resting the butt of the gun upon her other foot, which now sat flatly upon the ground. The rifle was nestled within the crook of her arm just as before, sitting comfortably like a date who had been informed that they were not upon the menu back upon Vanessa's homeworld.

It was a rare treat, to be invited to the feasts there. Vanessa had personally never brought anyone with her, though she had seen plenty of others and thus knew what the feeling was like. The relieved look upon the faces of the men and women as they walked in with their partners. Lovely times, though Vanessa didn't feel homesick upon thinking about them. That was probably a good thing, since returning home after just making friends was probably not the best thing.

With little more to say or think, Vanessa waited for others to voice themselves. Though it was now that she heard Fiddlesticks speak up in her direction. He had complemented her rifle and was asking to see the newsletter. Though this was a rather interesting request since Vanessa hadn't touched the newsletter. Her eyesight was more than powerful enough to read it where it lay upon the table, and as such Fiddlesticks was free to take it at his own pace since Vanessa hadn't moved it. The commander bees were currently reading it, however, and it would likely be best to ask them.

Vannessa gave him another closed lipped smile and said. "Thank you. The design is an old one, though I had it rebuilt using modern materials. I have more weapons at home, though this one is my personal favorite, so I brought it with me." Uncurling her hands from one another, Vanessa gave her free wrist a flick and set a .303 England round upon the table before saying. "It fires these. Not as fancy as some of the other weapons of today, but quite reliable in function and performance. There have been few times where I've needed anything else to ensure my viability in combat."

Picking up the round again, Vanessa gave her wrist another flick to return the round to where it had previously been. Though this location was a mystery to everyone else at the table, Vanessa kept the rounds hidden within her suit, since carrying around exposed ammunition was rather unsightly. Vanessa knew that Fiddlesticks had taken a liking to her, though she also knew that she was rather incompatible with him as a mate due to her status as a vampire, and thus had politely chosen not to reciprocate the feelings that he felt since she knew that it would only lead to disappointment.

Vanessa would live as long as she wanted to, Fiddlesticks likely didn't have that option. Thus, to spare him the misery of not growing old with someone, Vanessa remained aloof in terms of romantic feelings.

[Assistant]
Vanessa gave Fiddlesticks a look of confusion. Perhaps it was because he asked her for something she didn't possess. Vanessa did eye the newsletter with great interest from a distance so he naturally assumed she would be the next one to have it. In truth, Fiddlesticks didn't care about the newsletter. He just wanted an excuse to talk to Vanessa. "Thank you. The design is an old one, though I had it rebuilt using modern materials. I have more weapons at home, though this one is my personal favorite, so I brought it with me." she replied. Her tone was polite yet business like.

"Oh, that's really cool." replied Fiddlesticks sheepishly.

Fiddlesticks may be clueless at times but a fool he was not. He could tell, with a high percentage of probability, that she wasn't into him. This realisation would've crushed Fiddlesticks if it weren't for the fact that he was used to disappointment. The only thought that consoled him was that he was with what seemed like a pretty cool space crew and that Vanessa herself seemed very professional. A professional like her would never let things get awkward. The prospect that soon he'll get to sink his teeth into some honey braised ribs and sweet potato fries also kept his spirits up. Hey, it's a big galaxy and there's plenty of fish in it, literally and figuratively.

Vanessa and the swarm of bees each gave their spiel about what missions to take from the supposed list. Apparently the swarm of bees was the captain. Fiddlesticks was skeptical of this seemingly peculiar arrangement. He decided to test this captain, or captains, a little.

"Excuse me sir, or sirs. Are you or you all the captain or captains of our crew?" Fiddlesticks asked the swarm of bees. "If that's the case, then I assume you know what to do in an emergency? Let's say that we're boarded by space pirates, what do we do?" challenged Fiddlesticks.


[System]
Margrave
Alias: Margrave
Age: 17
Alignment: Wannabe Antihero, formerly Wannabe Villain
Loyalty: Unofficial Ward
Appearance: A white male of lanky proportions, 6'1", most often clothed in dark colors. His features, from his nose to his jaw to his cheekbones, are angular, and his nose itself is rather prominent. By nature his brown hair is poofy, and he keeps it styled upward. His earlobes are attached, his eyes are a murky brown, and he has slightly yellowed teeth. His favorite attire includes a dark green high-collared trench coat that belonged to his grandfather and a black baseball cap.
History: Elliot came into the world in a rough period for his family. Poor, without a house, and constantly on the move, his parents did their best to love him and raise him while teaching him important lessons about life. Elliot learned quickly, becoming a very serious and reserved child. As the years went by, his family persisted in a state of continuous change. For a few months he and his parents might be living in an apartment or condo, and immediately after be back on the road in a station wagon. When Elliot was four, the trio finally settled, and Elliot went to school. Though not very social at all, he excelled in his classes, displaying streaks of perfectionism. Knowing that he needed something else to work on, his parents enrolled him in a kickboxing class, and he took to it like a fish to water. Eventually he found himself on the receiving end of some bullies, but rather than silently put up with their abuse he displayed a newfound confidence. One bully provoked him into punching, but even though Elliot missed, his enemies decided to find easier prey. All throughout middle school, nothing really changed.

Only in high school did he start to open up, his defensive shell cracking to allow dry humor and the occasional hilarious remark to seep through. Meanwhile, he continued to study, balancing a life of school, video games, and hanging out with friends. He saw no problem in trying beer or a cigarette when pressured to but, finding neither remotely to his liking, he never tried them again. Elliot instead dedicated himself to a new goal: scholarship. Though his family's condition had improved immensely from his early youth, there was not a single sliver of a chance he'd be able to attend college. In scholarship, though, he found a solution: a full-ride to a local university, if only he continue to excel. In his sophomore and junior years he did exactly that, but a dark and brooding foe lay on the horizon. Confronted with Calculus II, a college-level course, in senior year, he was stumped for the first time. Having become accustomed to overcoming every obstacle easily, Elliot grew uncharacteristically distraught disturbingly quickly. He grew more and more crazed in his desperation, knowing that his future lay on the line. Yet his pride would not allow him to cheat. Though he enlisted the teacher for help, he continued to struggle, and at the end of the second semester opened a yellow envelope with shaking hands to discover that he'd fallen afoul of the cutoff for the full-ride scholarship by only a small margin.

Elliot stared at the paper, mouth agape and eyes wide. In his quest to get a passing grade, he'd practically severed ties with all of his friends. He'd staked everything on this—and now he'd failed. With a shattered confidence, knowing that he'd doomed himself to a rotten life and disappointed everyone who knew him, he went berserk. Before, he'd made certain to keep excelling by punishing himself when he failed, so what came next seemed obvious. Seizing a metal pan, he smashed it against his own forehead. The impact dazed him and the held-back tears poured forth, but he did it again. Two more times he cracked the pan against his head, not really caring if he lived or not. The fourth time, however, the pan broke off. Elliot didn't discover why until he awoke an hour later to the sound of his mother coming into the apartment. Deaf to her shriek of fear, he touched the broken, plastic pot that lay before him before passing out again.

After recovering, Elliot was advised to go to therapy, but he shrugged it off. With school over with, he took to spending a lot of time outside, exploring the city. He'd discovered something new about himself, and in doing so he changed. A new attitude had taken him over, forming a sort of persona. He acted strangely and extravagantly without any restraint. He continued to work as a junior instructor for his kickboxing studio, albeit with a shocking new persona that the kids thought was pretty awesome, and he earned enough money to live off of. Out of the studio he sought something different. After a painstaking search, he attempted to get in with the local supervillain gang, only to be conspired against and brutally kicked out for his lame attitude and power. With no other options, he sought the local Wards. Perhaps its leader took pity on Elliot, but nevertheless he finally found somewhere he felt as if he belonged, though he'd never show it.

Personality
Motivations: Elliot wants, more than anything, to be recognized. The road starts with getting attention and ends with getting famous—preferably infamous. He wants people to know his name, and to respect him.
Sexuality: Straight
Likes: * Looking cool
* Beating others at petty competitions
* Taking advantage of others
* Company
* Potato crisps
* Exercise
* Flaring up with no real reason
* Playing 'lone wolf' DPS characters in games
* Action movies, especially martial arts movies

Dislikes: * Being alone
* Being ignored
* Being wrong
* His lame power
* People who are full of themselves
* Goody-goodies
* Artificial sweeteners
* Support players who whine a lot in games

Derangement: To Elliot, the only way to become renowned and respected is to be respected through fear. To that end, he goes to frequently absurd lengths to speak and act mysteriously and threateningly, though more often than not this comes across as acting confusingly and obnoxiously. He cannot conceive of a different way to get famous and is completely ignorant of his own shortcomings.

Parahumanism
Skills: Elliot is a fast runner, with somewhat higher than usual stamina. He's pretty smart, and can produce a sense of humor from time to time, but what he's really good at is pissing other people off. When it comes to ideas, schemes, plots, plans, and so forth that might bamboozle, infuriate, or enrage others, Elliot's the guy. He's also got a hint of a British accent that tends to intrigue people who aren't familiar with it. From kickboxing lessons he's taken since he was eleven, he's got notable fist-fighting ability, as well as the strength to go with it, though his pain tolerance is surprisingly low.
Classification: Striker
Details: Upon touching an inanimate object, Elliot can turn it into a toy version of itself. This may include substance change (for instance, to plastic) size change, and so forth. The rate of toyification is tied to his mental state; when he's calm, the transformations go at an unremarkable speed, but if he's excited or scared, the process can be sped up by several times depending on intensity. Objects will tend to turn into toy versions of themselves that replicate or at least resemble existing toys. Someone's mech suit might, then, turn into a Transformer. A few traits are shared among all of the toys created by Elliot's power: they are simple, they are destructible, and they are harmless. An anvil, turned into a plastic toy, could be easily crushed. Elliot has some control over the change; IE he could choose whether to turn a gun into a Nerf gun, a Super Soaker, or a tiny action-figure accessory.
Limitations: This toy-transformation power can only emanate from Elliot's hands. He wouldn't be able to defend himself from anything threatening to harm his body if he couldn't physically touch it with his hands. Additionally, if one of his toys is moved out of close proximity to him, it will quickly begin to revert to its original form. This also applies to toy versions of things he might want to use himself, like vehicles or hidden weapons. Of course, this power is also of very little use in direct combat with other parahumans.
Equipment: At all times, Elliot has in some pocket or another handfuls of foam knives and action figure weapons. He's also got a little canteen and a bag of beef jerky, which he enjoys. His heavy clothing might also provide a little defense, but it's no substitute for anything resembling actual armor. However, he does wear cloth shin-guards and forearm guards beneath his clothes when out and about, which are valuable when fighting unarmed. As a Ward, he's also got a Protectorate Communication Earpiece and a holographic computer interfacing tool, courtesy of Decoy.

[User]
Farce - Judah's House@Spiffy
"Tell him the contact stuff, if you would please. I'm gonna get back in contact with my guy." Gaia asked as she left the kitchen, heading back to her room as she called Chilly Willy back.

"Mayn, do you call back fast."

"Can you still get us that floor plan."

"It's under a red barrel, mayn. Southern side of the buildin'."

"Nice. Check the news later." Click.

Gaia began to prepare her bag, grabbing Carlotta and her typical assortment of stuff, including a flashlight, dental floss, fake gun, a singular flashbang grenade (nabbed from the Community), and a set of brass knuckles (also nabbed from the Community). How useful these items would be, she had no idea, but each one had their uses, that was for sure. The twin put on a generic black hoodie and began to walk out of her room when she heard her brother chime into her head.

"Think we can actually trust Judah, after what that Troll said?" "Yes. Especially since he doesn't mind our presence." "He probably doesn't mind it because you show off your body all the damn time." "Buzzkill." "Don't forget your mask, eye candy." Gaia grabbed her mask as she left her room, speaking back to Dunn while she stepped back out. "Thanks for the reminder, buzzkill."

[Assistant]
Judah Raines - Judah's House
@solokolos@Xandrya

Judah texted Zach the basic information Gaia had given him. He ended with Meet us at **** a few blocks away from the warehouse ASAP

Then Judah went to his room to change. He donned his uniform from his feet all the way to his shoulders. He took his submachinegun out of the wall safe attaching his silencer. He grabbed a couple of magazines, tear gas canisters and a single flashbang grenade while holstering his sidearm with his free hand. Then Judah slung the MP5 over his shoulder and carried his helmet under his arm. He was ready for this. Anything that could give them a tactical advantage over The Community was worth the risk in Judah's mind. Potential weapons, ammo and cash was just what they needed. His combat boots thudded against the wooden flooring as he made his way back into the kitchen. Seeing Gaia, he asked, "Are we all set?"

If Gaia gave an affirmative Judah would call to Axel, "Come." His loyal companion immediately obeyed, following Judah into the Garage where his mustang was parked. He stored his MP5 in the trunk inside a case as well as his helmet. Then he got into the driver's side as Axel took his spot in the back seat.

Once Gaia climbed in Judah would turn to her and comment, "I hope this contact of yours is reliable. Otherwise, we could just be beating up a bunch of warehouse workers." Judah grimaced at the thought. One time was one too many. They didn't need to revisit that blunder again..

Then he pressed the garage opener and headed out towards their destination under the cover of night. Ever aware of their surroundings Judah decided it would be best to focus on their mission rather then getting sidetracked by the hundreds of potential problems they could help with. It became overwhelming sometimes to an empath. So Judah cut off his power for a little while. "Ah..sweet release," he thought to himself.

After some time, Judah parked at the destination that he had given to Zach. Not but a few blocks from the warehouse in a kind of strip mall looking area. It was lit by various light poles and the many shops that lined the strip. A few of the more shady ones remained open.

While sensing the area with his ability he asked Gaia, "You think Zach will find a ride? I don't even know if he has his license yet...Hahahahahahaha!" Judah laughed for about ten seconds until he finally brought his head to rest on the top of the steering wheel. This was the life. His own team fighting crime to make the city of Denver a better place. They didn't need badges, fancy titles or even public recognition. No. The knowledge that Denver was a little safer, a little more prosperous was all the reward Judah wanted. Not being ordered around was the icing on the cake.