A Space Odyssey - Duty (semi-on)

A big ol steaming bowl of notemeal for you all. Real big:

1. First, I would apologize to my poor pally Aleria, as twice now I've sworn my next piece would be about her, and this certainly isn't.

2. I blame the inspiration on this piece on two things. First, Alpha's latest piece, causing the idea to germinate and then on Farscape, my show of SciFi inspiration which gave it some of its touches.

3. KoTOR is bloody addictive. Do not buy this game if you don't want your free time sucked up into one of the most amazing games ever.

4. This story is very much an alternate ASO universe. A key change through the entire timeline careening into the wall at Daytona and the race completely changed. Cookies for anyone who can pick out the event.

5. This is another possible mini series because it could be extended, but I kinda like it as it is. And it could use more polishing, but I wanted to share it out.

So, I hope you enjoy it. My fellow readers, I give you:

 
Duty

Bran reclined in his memory leather chair and stared out into his office, ordering his thoughts. It was a large office, even when compared to planet based accommodations. The bulkheads were covered in real dukari wood, its rich brown accented with polished brass fittings. Along the walls hung numerous trophies and trinkets from other worlds, symbols of a long career in defending the Alliance against her enemies. Some he had taken from his foes in battle, others given during surrenders.

They were as varied as the enemies the Alliance faced. War banners from the flagships of Imperial battle fleets. The ceremonial armor of an Arachine warrior priestess. The twin silver plated blasters of a rather cantankerous Dohlmani admiral. And the pride and joy of his collection, the Sword of Avoreen, given to him by the last survivor of the Yolandan Admirality once Yolanda had fallen. As he looked at these things, he knew he should feel a sense of pride, of accomplishment.

But instead of pillars of achievement of a hero, they were the dusty artifacts in the museum of an aging warrior, stripped of their value by his latest enemy. The Rebellion. His own people. His friends. Friends he had faced in battle just hours before.

Abandoning the false refuge of his thoughts, he returned to the present. The chronometer on the desk read 13:51 hours. Nine minutes to the deadline. An untouched glass of very old scotch rested next to a pile of reports. They remained unread, the contents self evident by the drifting, burning wreckage floating beyond the view port of his office.

Victory. His victory. The rebel fleet all but annihilated, the Alliance fleet triumphant. All that stood between the Alliance fleet and rebel headquarters were the remaining orbital battlestations and a handful of sublight gunships. A daunting final perimeter, but one that now was of no concern.

Turning away from his desk, he stared out through the wreckage at the bright blue ball that was Orelis Prime, the last refuge of the rebels. From this distance, it looked like a beautiful world, vibrant and full of life.

For now. For six more minutes.

Unlike President Roenall, he held no illusions about the chances of a rebel surrender. They had faith in their last defensive perimeter and that the battered Alliance fleet would have no wish to dash themselves to pieces against it. Nor the stomach for the bloody ground campaign it would take to capture the rebel leaders. While it could be done, the butcher’s bill would outstrip even this last battle, something the Alliance could ill afford. And they were counting on it.

But he knew something they did not. He had a trump card yet unplayed. Thanks to the geniuses in R&D, they had a solution to that problem. An elegant solution to the difficult problem of assaulting a heavily fortified planet. The Crichton Device. The ultimate weapon. Wormholes.

The door chime buzzed, interrupting his dark meditations. Turning to face the door, he pressed the button to open the wood paneled doors of his office. They silently slid open, and his aide stepped inside.

He marveled at how her face still remained young, despite the heavy burden of the last few years. As the doors slid shut behind her, she said, “Admiral, the President and the others are waiting for you on the command deck.”

He nodded slowly. “Is everything prepared as I requested?”

Only someone who knew her well would have been able to read set of the lips that spoke of the aide’s confusion. It was obvious to such an observer that she wanted to ask a question, but years of familiarity kept her silent. “Of course sir. Everything is as you requested.”

An odd smile crossed the admiral’s mouth. “Good.”

Standing, the admiral removed the stark white uniform jacket from the back of his chair and shrugged into it. Without a word, his aide walked over and began to do the buttons. A grey eyebrow arched and the admiral reproached, “Tessa, I can do my own buttons. I’m an admiral, not an invalid.”

Not looking up, she continued her work, her voice entirely professional despite the smile on her face, “I am fully aware of your rank and position, Admiral. And considering the historic nature of this day, it would be unbecoming for the Supreme Commander of the Alliance Fleet to look like he’d been sleeping in his uniform.”

“History can got to hell,” grumbled the unresisting admiral.

Without skipping a beat, Tessa cinched his weapon belt around his jacket and continued, “Also, this event is being broadcast live throughout the Alliance and I’d think the President would be less than pleased to see his military commander looking like a junior officer coming off two weeks on Risa. It would ruin his spectacle.”

“Fuck him and these spectacles of his,” he swore, this time more vehemently. “If he had not been so hell bent on making a bloody example of the rebels, this war would have been over years ago and hell of a lot less good people would be dead. He’s a pompous, blustering fool with delusions of domination.”

This time, she did pause. Looking up into his eyes, she asked, “If you really believe that, why do you still fight for him?”

An eyebrow arched, but not angrily. “That question is close to sedition, Commander.”

Blue eyes locked onto brown. “Perhaps, Admiral. But after all these years, I think I deserve an answer.”

The admiral was silent for a minute. “Duty, Tessa. The oath I swore the day I put on the uniform. And an obligation to all of the people who fought and died under my command. Fought and died for the Alliance.”

“Sir, I’ve swept the room for listen devices,” she replied, her eyes telling him she did not believe him. “Internal Security isn’t listening.”

The eyebrow arched further. “After all these years, you still manage to impress me.”

“That’s why you’ve kept me around, isn’t it sir?” she asked.

“Yes. And the fact you make a mean cup of coffee,” he replied, flashing a grin.

She shot him a look that would have stopped a battlecruiser in its tracks. Then her face softened, a small smile cracking through. “So, are you going to answer my question, Admiral?”

The smile faded. “There is one other. My wife. She believed in the Alliance enough for both of us. She kept my faith alive even when things looked truly dark. And then, when the rebels assassinated her…”

“You wanted revenge.”

“Yes,” he admitted, this eyes turning cold. “I did. And so I did my duty, even when my conscience screamed I shouldn’t.”

Tessa simply nodded, already knowing this and wondering what it meant that he would be willing to admit this now. Brushing smooth the bright white fabric of his jacket, she said, “You should get up to the command deck, Admiral.”

Nodding grimly, he replied, “Yes, I should. I must do my duty.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two data crystals. Pressing them into her hand, he said, “The blue one contains the final instructions as per my orders. The red one…” the Admiral’s eyes softened as he rested his other hand on her shoulder. “The red one is for you Tessa. For everything.”

Tessa nodded, eyes widening as she now understood exactly what he was planning. She could see it in his eyes. Swallowing hard, she asked, “What are you going to do, sir?”

He smiled kindly. “I’m going to do my duty, Tessa. Just as I expect you do to yours. Follow my orders, to the letter. No matter what.”

Nodding, she took a step back and snapped off a parade perfect salute, something she hadn’t done since she was fresh out of the Academy. “Of course, sir. Good luck, sir.”

“Thank you Tessa. I think I’ll need it.”

With that, the Admiral straightened his uniform with a sharp tug and strode out of his office. He had a meeting with history, one he intended to keep.

I guess I'm exposing my massive ignorance by saying I have no idea what the hell is going on here. True, I haven't read many ASO, but I know the basics and I'm rather lost here. If it is a miniseries, then great. But if it isn't, I'm lost

Btw, any idea when more Interludes In Suldenesselar will be showing up? I've always been more of a lurker, but I read those avidly and I was hoping some more would be coming soon

A big ol steaming bowl of notemeal for you all.

Well, at least it's not a big ol' steaming pile of waste matter.

1. First, I would apologize to my poor pally Aleria, as twice now I've sworn my next piece would be about her, and this certainly isn't.

Enara: "Welcome to the world of obscurity, hon... take a seat, you'll be here for a while."

2. I blame the inspiration on this piece on two things. First, Alpha's latest piece, causing the idea to germinate and then on Farscape, my show of SciFi inspiration which gave it some of its touches.

Blaming me, huh? What am I? Scapegoat of the Western World? Anyway, calling it the Crichton Device is a pretty blatant reference. But you know what, it's a good one, so if anyone thinks to actually -blame- you for stealing it, I'll smack 'em for ya.

3. KoTOR is bloody addictive. Do not buy this game if you don't want your free time sucked up into one of the most amazing games ever.

Yeah, dude... we've all been saying just that. Maybe next time, you should actually listen to us.

4. This story is very much an alternate ASO universe. A key change through the entire timeline careening into the wall at Daytona and the race completely changed. Cookies for anyone who can pick out the event.

At first, I figured it was Nalia and Imoen not meeting up on that space station after she (Nalia) had left Isaea... but that couldn't be it, since by that point in the regular timeline, Bran had already split from the Alliance... at this point, I'm going with that "my wife was assassinated by Rebels" bit - specifically, I guess that means that Branwen didn't go KIA trying to cover Bran's retreat, but was instead offed by these "Rebels."

5. This is another possible mini series because it could be extended, but I kinda like it as it is. And it could use more polishing, but I wanted to share it out.

You're right... about the "I like it as is" part. I mean, it might be interesting to see exactly what happens after this, but it works as it is. It's a nice, compact unit, and it says pretty much all that needs to be said. If you want to extend it, I certainly won't complain, but I think what you've put up does the job just fine.

The Crichton Device. The ultimate weapon. Wormholes.

"You got one penny. Double it, you got two... double it again, four... double it again, eight... then sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four..."

Have to admit, being a complete newbie to Farscape, that standoff scene at the end was nothing short of brilliant. Like I said in that other thread, I seriously wish I hadn't missed out on the earlier seasons...

Anyway, I know you haven't played the fourth installment of the series, but this piece very much reminds me of one of the possible endings of Wing Commander IV. A little spoiler-laden background information.

Basically, WC4 focuses around a conflict between Confed and their long-time allies in the Union of Border Worlds. Blair and company find out that the conflict was engineered by an enormous group of conspirators within Confed who believed that keeping humanity constantly occupied by war was the only way to keep them strong and therefore able to fight off any threats by anyone who would attack them in the future.

Blair and company eventually find all this out, reveal the conspiracy, nail those responsible, but depending on how you play the game, one of two things can happen. The conspiracy dies completely, and Blair ends up as a flight instructor on a Border Worlds carrier, or, the "evil" option: he ends up -running- the group of conspirators after its original founder/leader gets put away. This scene here with Bran just reminds me very much of

Blair: "Have the Black Lance fighters do blanket recon... that should keep those worlds in line..."

It's a really creepy scene, and me quoting one line from it certainly doesn't do it justice, so I guess you'll just have to take my word on the similarities... or play the game yourself. (Nudge Nudge)

“That question is close to sedition, Commander.”

Raven: " 'The President licks combat boots! We have proof!' Now -that's- sedition."

“The blue one contains the final instructions as per my orders. The red one…” the Admiral’s eyes softened as he rested his other hand on her shoulder. “The red one is for you Tessa. For everything.”

"You take the blue pill..."

Anyway, last thoughts: Like I said, it might be interesting to know exactly what Bran plans to do, but even as it is, you've set it up so that we know to expect something big... we may not know what form it'll take (I don't), but it almost doesn't matter... we know why he's doing it, and sometimes, that's as important, or even more important, than knowing -what- he's doing...

It's a good piece.

1. First, I would apologize to my poor pally Aleria, as twice now I've sworn my next piece would be about her, and this certainly isn't.

Theo: Awww… I’ll rather read about her than about this little cocky son of a gun they call Bran.

3. KoTOR is bloody addictive. Do not buy this game if you don't want your free time sucked up into one of the most amazing games ever.

Isn’t it just? I think I’ll go for another run-through soon.

So, how’s it going with Bastila, finding her hard to handle?

4. This story is very much an alternate ASO universe. A key change through the entire timeline careening into the wall at Daytona and the race completely changed. Cookies for anyone who can pick out the event.

What’s ASO? I even consulted the acronym finder, but I figure that you probably didn’t mean Alabama Symphony Orchestra by that.

*edit*: Gah, I actually just realised it's the abbreviation of the story title...

But instead of pillars of achievement of a hero, they were the dusty artifacts in the museum of an aging warrior, stripped of their value by his latest enemy. The Rebellion. His own people. His friends. Friends he had faced in battle just hours before.

Egh… I think I’d rather have heard this story retold from another perspective, his friends talking about facing him in battle just hours before…

But he knew something they did not. He had a trump card yet unplayed. Thanks to the geniuses in R&D, they had a solution to that problem. An elegant solution to the difficult problem of assaulting a heavily fortified planet. The Crichton Device. The ultimate weapon. Wormholes.

You Know Who better not be with the rebels, otherwise I’ll call you a skunk for the rest of your days.

“Fuck him and these spectacles of his,” he swore, this time more vehemently. “If he had not been so hell bent on making a bloody example of the rebels, this war would have been over years ago and hell of a lot less good people would be dead. He’s a pompous, blustering fool with delusions of domination.”

This time, she did pause. Looking up into his eyes, she asked, “If you really believe that, why do you still fight for him?”

I guess that the things that caused Bran’s defection just didn’t happen in this AU.

The smile faded. “There is one other. My wife. She believed in the Alliance enough for both of us. She kept my faith alive even when things looked truly dark. And then, when the rebels assassinated her…”

The rebels sure made themselves a disservice there, killing Bran-wench.

“Thank you Tessa. I think I’ll need it.”

With that, the Admiral straightened his uniform with a sharp tug and strode out of his office. He had a meeting with history, one he intended to keep.

I think he plans to blow up a bit more than everyone expects of him… or perhaps just not what everyone expects him to actually blow up.

Theo: Well, I enjoyed this story! It was nice to for once see Bran as a sore, old loser who doesn’t get Jaheira.

Me: Oh, shush you!

thats weird i rember playing but WC 4 but i dont rember getting the choice of evil ending, how do u get it, cause i was always forced to defect when asked the second time, because the battleship would get blown up

WC4 spoiler alert.

Kain:

Blair's defection to the Border Worlds is inevitable... you have to do it at some point, or the game just ends. But, once you've defected, there are certain decisions that you make which determine whether he stays good or "goes evil." Basically, those decisions are based on whether you tend to favor Hawk's approaches or Panther's. Do you help the innocents in Circe (Panther) or go make supply raids in Spearadon (Hawk)? Do you nail the Ella Starbase with the Flash Pak knowing it'll kill more innocents (Hawk), or do you bite the bullet and try to get the Intrepid through the hard way (Panther)?

Play it the "good" way, and Blair ends up as an instructor on the Intrepid. Note who calls down to him from the above catwalk: Yep. Tamara.

On the other hand, play it the "evil" way, and Blair makes Admiral. Jacob comes into his office talking about a couple of Confed worlds acting up. Blair gives Hawk those "Send the Black Lance out" orders, and there ya go...

I guess I'm exposing my massive ignorance by saying I have no idea what the hell is going on here. True, I haven't read many ASO, but I know the basics and I'm rather lost here. If it is a miniseries, then great. But if it isn't, I'm lost

It's really just a one shot, taking the main character and putting him in another timeline, one where he stayed as a military man and ended up waging many a war. Here he is an older man, worn down. Just kind of a piece that sprung up in my head.

Btw, any idea when more Interludes In Suldenesselar will be showing up? I've always been more of a lurker, but I read those avidly and I was hoping some more would be coming soon

As to the Interludes of Suldenessellar.. well, there are more planned, it is just that I am currently involved in some other projects, namely Space Odyssey and Meeting of Like Minds. But there will be more. I can't leave my namesake stuck in that kind of situation.

Thanks for reading.

VH

A big ol steaming bowl of notemeal for you all.

Well, at least it's not a big ol' steaming pile of waste matter.

Heh.. Thankfully not. Didn't think that would go down well.

1. First, I would apologize to my poor pally Aleria, as twice now I've sworn my next piece would be about her, and this certainly isn't.

Enara: "Welcome to the world of obscurity, hon... take a seat, you'll be here for a while."

Aleria: "I.. REFUSE!"

Bran: "Dear, you're starting to sound like that crazy mage boy."

Aleria: "I just want my fair share of screen time."

Viga: "Hey, at least you've not COMPLETELY dropped off the map."

2. I blame the inspiration on this piece on two things. First, Alpha's latest piece, causing the idea to germinate and then on Farscape, my show of SciFi inspiration which gave it some of its touches.

Blaming me, huh? What am I? Scapegoat of the Western World? Anyway, calling it the Crichton Device is a pretty blatant reference. But you know what, it's a good one, so if anyone thinks to actually -blame- you for stealing it, I'll smack 'em for ya.

Yes, you are. And yeah, it was a blatant reference. Mainly because of the mini series.. so I decided to just run with it. And thanks for the back up bro.

3. KoTOR is bloody addictive. Do not buy this game if you don't want your free time sucked up into one of the most amazing games ever.

Yeah, dude... we've all been saying just that. Maybe next time, you should actually listen to us.

You all kept on telling me to buy it!

4. This story is very much an alternate ASO universe. A key change through the entire timeline careening into the wall at Daytona and the race completely changed. Cookies for anyone who can pick out the event.

At first, I figured it was Nalia and Imoen not meeting up on that space station after she (Nalia) had left Isaea... but that couldn't be it, since by that point in the regular timeline, Bran had already split from the Alliance... at this point, I'm going with that "my wife was assassinated by Rebels" bit - specifically, I guess that means that Branwen didn't go KIA trying to cover Bran's retreat, but was instead offed by these "Rebels."

Cookie for Alpha. That was the key thing. She survived that mission, and went through rapid promotion. Which helped Bran's career along. Both were actually flag officers when a certain sniper downed then Fleet Admiral Branwen. And well.. Bran went all cold inside and boom. War.

5. This is another possible mini series because it could be extended, but I kinda like it as it is. And it could use more polishing, but I wanted to share it out.

You're right... about the "I like it as is" part. I mean, it might be interesting to see exactly what happens after this, but it works as it is. It's a nice, compact unit, and it says pretty much all that needs to be said. If you want to extend it, I certainly won't complain, but I think what you've put up does the job just fine.

That's exactly the way I feel about it. I think the details would actually take away some of the emotional impact I was going for. *shrug* Who knows, there may one day be 'Duty, Pt. 2'

The Crichton Device. The ultimate weapon. Wormholes.

"You got one penny. Double it, you got two... double it again, four... double it again, eight... then sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four..."

That was an awesome effect and just the ultimate weapon.

My favorite line:

Rygel: "If this is truly the largest black hole in the galaxy, then it is a fitting death for a Dominar."

Have to admit, being a complete newbie to Farscape, that standoff scene at the end was nothing short of brilliant. Like I said in that other thread, I seriously wish I hadn't missed out on the earlier seasons...

Seasons 2 and 3 are absolutely brilliant. There are only a few weak episodes, and even those are good. Season 4 is just frenetic.. good stuff. Season 1.. they were still working on it... you can tell, but you can just see all that potential. It's tasty. But welcome to the Scaper's club. May I suggest the DVDs?

Anyway, I know you haven't played the fourth installment of the series, but this piece very much reminds me of one of the possible endings of Wing Commander IV. A little spoiler-laden background information.

Basically, WC4 focuses around a conflict between Confed and their long-time allies in the Union of Border Worlds. Blair and company find out that the conflict was engineered by an enormous group of conspirators within Confed who believed that keeping humanity constantly occupied by war was the only way to keep them strong and therefore able to fight off any threats by anyone who would attack them in the future.

Blair and company eventually find all this out, reveal the conspiracy, nail those responsible, but depending on how you play the game, one of two things can happen. The conspiracy dies completely, and Blair ends up as a flight instructor on a Border Worlds carrier, or, the "evil" option: he ends up -running- the group of conspirators after its original founder/leader gets put away. This scene here with Bran just reminds me very much of

Blair: "Have the Black Lance fighters do blanket recon... that should keep those worlds in line..."

It's a really creepy scene, and me quoting one line from it certainly doesn't do it justice, so I guess you'll just have to take my word on the similarities... or play the game yourself. (Nudge Nudge)

Interesting. If I ever do find the game lying around somewhere, I may have to give it a try. Of course, I'll need a new joystick first. But it is a very interesting thought.

“That question is close to sedition, Commander.”

Raven: " 'The President licks combat boots! We have proof!' Now -that's- sedition."

Admiral Bran: "Yes, that is sedition. But, I like you're style, so I won't have you shot."

“The blue one contains the final instructions as per my orders. The red one…” the Admiral’s eyes softened as he rested his other hand on her shoulder. “The red one is for you Tessa. For everything.”

"You take the blue pill..."

Anyway, last thoughts: Like I said, it might be interesting to know exactly what Bran plans to do, but even as it is, you've set it up so that we know to expect something big... we may not know what form it'll take (I don't), but it almost doesn't matter... we know why he's doing it, and sometimes, that's as important, or even more important, than knowing -what- he's doing...

This is the effect I was going for. I really didn't think the details were all that important, just the fact that here he is, goign off to do what needs to be done. And I thought that was what was important and that was the core of my idea for the piece. If you really are curious, PM me and I'll give you the sketch of my thoughts on what he actually does do.

It's a good piece.

Thank you sir. And thanks for writing your piece to inspire this one.

VH

1. First, I would apologize to my poor pally Aleria, as twice now I've sworn my next piece would be about her, and this certainly isn't.

Theo: Awww… I’ll rather read about her than about this little cocky son of a gun they call Bran.

Aleria: "Thank you dear brother. Now just convince my scribe to continue my tale. My knees are starting to hurt from all this kneeling."

3. KoTOR is bloody addictive. Do not buy this game if you don't want your free time sucked up into one of the most amazing games ever.

Isn’t it just? I think I’ll go for another run-through soon.

It is. It's like computer crack. It is making its case for a Pantheon level game.

Current VH Pantheon of Games (in no particular order)

Baldur's Gate 2
Civilization 1 & 2 - (3 is good, but not as good)
Fallout 2
Master of Orion 2
Heroes of Might and Magic IV
Rogue
Doom

So, how’s it going with Bastila, finding her hard to handle?

She's a fun little Jedi. Such Tude in this woman. I do love that you can say: "I'm CHARNAME. I'm here to rescue you."

However, my current fav character.. Mission. Such a spunky little Twilek.

4. This story is very much an alternate ASO universe. A key change through the entire timeline careening into the wall at Daytona and the race completely changed. Cookies for anyone who can pick out the event.

What’s ASO? I even consulted the acronym finder, but I figure that you probably didn’t mean Alabama Symphony Orchestra by that.

*edit*: Gah, I actually just realised it's the abbreviation of the story title...

It's okay Theo.

But instead of pillars of achievement of a hero, they were the dusty artifacts in the museum of an aging warrior, stripped of their value by his latest enemy. The Rebellion. His own people. His friends. Friends he had faced in battle just hours before.

Egh… I think I’d rather have heard this story retold from another perspective, his friends talking about facing him in battle just hours before…

Perhaps one day I will write that story. But not today.

But he knew something they did not. He had a trump card yet unplayed. Thanks to the geniuses in R&D, they had a solution to that problem. An elegant solution to the difficult problem of assaulting a heavily fortified planet. The Crichton Device. The ultimate weapon. Wormholes.

You Know Who better not be with the rebels, otherwise I’ll call you a skunk for the rest of your days.

Um... well.. I guess you can call me Pepe Le Peu. She was one of the Rebels. She's part of the Organizing Committee.

“Fuck him and these spectacles of his,” he swore, this time more vehemently. “If he had not been so hell bent on making a bloody example of the rebels, this war would have been over years ago and hell of a lot less good people would be dead. He’s a pompous, blustering fool with delusions of domination.”

This time, she did pause. Looking up into his eyes, she asked, “If you really believe that, why do you still fight for him?”

I guess that the things that caused Bran’s defection just didn’t happen in this AU.

Indeed. One of the key components to it never came to pass.

The smile faded. “There is one other. My wife. She believed in the Alliance enough for both of us. She kept my faith alive even when things looked truly dark. And then, when the rebels assassinated her…”

The rebels sure made themselves a disservice there, killing Bran-wench.

Yes, they did. Although she was a brilliant battle commander, her death made Bran a rather heartless one. Especially considering who the assassin was.

“Thank you Tessa. I think I’ll need it.”

With that, the Admiral straightened his uniform with a sharp tug and strode out of his office. He had a meeting with history, one he intended to keep.

I think he plans to blow up a bit more than everyone expects of him… or perhaps just not what everyone expects him to actually blow up.

He is off to right a wrong. And stop a worse one from happening.

Theo: Well, I enjoyed this story! It was nice to for once see Bran as a sore, old loser who doesn’t get Jaheira.

Me: Oh, shush you!

Well, he is old. And bitter. But, he is no loser. More the victor. But no, he did not get Jaheira.

Thanks for reading Theo and commenting Theo.

VH

Hi

This quiz seemed to have prompted a lot of AU stuff. I don't quite know why, but I'm not complaining.

This was really interesting. It's a major change to see a Bran who's embittered about the world.

Cool!

So, how’s it going with Bastila, finding her hard to handle?

She's a fun little Jedi. Such Tude in this woman. I do love that you can say: "I'm CHARNAME. I'm here to rescue you."

However, my current fav character.. Mission. Such a spunky little Twilek.

So how far are you in that game?

Curiously, Mission also was my favorite character, at least for the Taris part. Then, when I got deeper in the relationship with Bastila, and Mission's efficiency in the battle started to lessen, it sort of changed... but Mission still remained one of my favorites until the end.

You Know Who better not be with the rebels, otherwise I’ll call you a skunk for the rest of your days.

Um... well.. I guess you can call me Pepe Le Peu. She was one of the Rebels. She's part of the Organizing Committee.

Me: What do you mean was, you (string of expletives)!!!

Conscience: Well, it's not like you haven't done cruel things to her in some AU's.

Me: That's different, see, I've never killed her. Not even on a passing-by, see?

Conscience: Well, that part is true, yes.

Me:

Conscience: So how about those two occasions where you gave her FWTD?

Me: FWTD? What's that?

Conscience: Fate Worse Than Death.

Me: Meeeeep!

Conscience: Hypocrite...

The rebels sure made themselves a disservice there, killing Bran-wench.

Yes, they did. Although she was a brilliant battle commander, her death made Bran a rather heartless one. Especially considering who the assassin was.

Well, fess up, who was it? A sniper, you say... V-Man, or... Imoen? If it's Imoen, well, then that's bad. Reeeeaaaal baaaaaaad.

But, he is no loser. More the victor. But no, he did not get Jaheira.

Correction: That my good buddy, makes him a loser by default.

Viga: "Hey, at least you've not COMPLETELY dropped off the map."

Enara: "I still say I got you beat. I'm... well, technically, I don't even exist, anymore. So... there!"

Cookie for Alpha.

Better not be oatmeal raisin... or worse, notemeal raisin... 'cause then we'd have a problem.

Rygel: "If this is truly the largest black hole in the galaxy, then it is a fitting death for a Dominar."

I think my favorite line from the miniseries came near the end.

Crichton: "For once in your life, honey, let -me- cover -you-."

Aeryn: "Shooting makes me feel better!"

I mean, it's a great line, and that lovely Aussie accent of hers is just awesome.

Seasons 2 and 3 are absolutely brilliant. There are only a few weak episodes, and even those are good. Season 4 is just frenetic.. good stuff. Season 1.. they were still working on it... you can tell, but you can just see all that potential. It's tasty. But welcome to the Scaper's club. May I suggest the DVDs?

I've been thinking about it, but, crap, that's like another $400 down the tubes... I mean, I'm still working on finishing off my DS9 collection. I still have three seasons to go. Then, when Batman: The Animated Series - Volume 2 comes out, I'm gonna be -all- over that... plus, I was even thinking about setting myself up with some B5 DVDs or maybe even SG-1 DVDs... I mean, yeesh...

I don't know... even used copies aren't all that much cheaper than new, or so I've seen... I'm sorely tempted, though.

Of course, I'll need a new joystick first. But it is a very interesting thought.

You also won't be able to run it on XP... I think some people managed it, but I tried, and couldn't get it to work properly. It ran, but I couldn't get joystick support up since my current stick is USB. You might have better luck using something that plugs into your sound card's MIDI port.

If you really are curious, PM me and I'll give you the sketch of my thoughts on what he actually does do.

Or, you could set us up with a Part 2 somewhere down the line... if that's the case, I'll wait.

It is. It's like computer crack. It is making its case for a Pantheon level game.

Heh heh... so are we talking about favorite games of all time? 'cause I really have no idea how I'd manage to sort out my rather extensive library of crap.

BG2 would be up there, of course, as would the Civs. Personally, I never played the original, and I was only marginally good at 2, but I'm pretty solid at 3, and, bias or not, it's the one I like the best. I need to reinstall it, though. Haven't played it since the last time I wiped my hard drive. I've been meaning to tackle the WW2-Pacific scenario, but it actually intimidates me since I plan to play through as the Aussies.

The Fallout games are great, too; I agree with that call. Ditto for MOO2 (Though I'm very sad that MOO3 sucked so hard. I don't know from experience, though. Reviews were harsh, and so I skipped it.) And the Heroes series is definitely one of my faves... Criminy, I've been playing them since the beginning of the series. I own all four, and all of the expansion packs for 4. Though, truth be told, I actually kinda like 3 more in some ways. I like the art and music a little more in 3, I think. 4 is technically superior, sure, but 3 had such great ambiance, if you ask me.

I don't know what Rogue is, unfortunately, and as for Doom... well, you know, it's one of the most influential games ever made, and I certainly played lots of it, but I don't have much interest in playing Doom 3, for example... though that's partly because I know my machine wouldn't be able to handle it without dumbing down the pretty factor severely.

Other faves, though?

The Jagged Alliance series. Seriously, I keep talking about it, but there's a reason. It's a great game. It's friggin' hilarious, and just fun as hell if you like wargames. I'd also toss the GTAs up high on my list. Real high. Like I said, once San Andreas hits, you ain't seeing me for a while. Oh, and then there's that beast called Homeworld. Man. GOOD.

However, my current fav character.. Mission. Such a spunky little Twilek.

Yeah, she's my favorite, too... I mean, she's cute, she's blue, and she says stuff which gets Jedi pissed off enough to use the Force to knock her on her tush. What more do you need?

Hi

This quiz seemed to have prompted a lot of AU stuff. I don't quite know why, but I'm not complaining.

I think that is a question best left to the sages.

This was really interesting. It's a major change to see a Bran who's embittered about the world.

It was an interesting experiment to do with the character of Bran. Of my three main characters, his is the personality most suited for this path, most suited for taking that long walk into darkness. And yet, he still has the strength to pull up.

Cool!

Thank you For both reading and commenting.

VH

So, how’s it going with Bastila, finding her hard to handle?

She's a fun little Jedi. Such Tude in this woman. I do love that you can say: "I'm CHARNAME. I'm here to rescue you."

However, my current fav character.. Mission. Such a spunky little Twilek.

So how far are you in that game?

I'm currently kicking around the Sith base on Taris, but I seem to be seriously low on computer spikes. Hopefully there are some command passes around. Plus, killing Sith is FUN.

Curiously, Mission also was my favorite character, at least for the Taris part. Then, when I got deeper in the relationship with Bastila, and Mission's efficiency in the battle started to lessen, it sort of changed... but Mission still remained one of my favorites until the end.

There is a relationship with Bastila? Neat. Right now, its my boy Pano, Mission and the little Astromech driod shredding Sith in the Sith base. And I really like Mission.. so much spunk. But Bastila has her charm too.. so many choices!

You Know Who better not be with the rebels, otherwise I’ll call you a skunk for the rest of your days.

Um... well.. I guess you can call me Pepe Le Peu. She was one of the Rebels. She's part of the Organizing Committee.

Me: What do you mean was, you (string of expletives)!!!

Conscience: Well, it's not like you haven't done cruel things to her in some AU's.

Me: That's different, see, I've never killed her. Not even on a passing-by, see?

Conscience: Well, that part is true, yes.

Me:

Conscience: So how about those two occasions where you gave her FWTD?

Me: FWTD? What's that?

Conscience: Fate Worse Than Death.

Me: Meeeeep!

Conscience: Hypocrite...

You bastard!

As to her current fate in this alternate timeline.. she is still alive, hiding behid the last defenses still orbiting the planet.

The rebels sure made themselves a disservice there, killing Bran-wench.

Yes, they did. Although she was a brilliant battle commander, her death made Bran a rather heartless one. Especially considering who the assassin was.

Well, fess up, who was it? A sniper, you say... V-Man, or... Imoen? If it's Imoen, well, then that's bad. Reeeeaaaal baaaaaaad.

Imoen. It was a necessary mission, at least it seemed it. She was the commander in charge of the assets working against the Rebellion and her underlings were not entirely competent. The problem was, the just moved another admiral in. This one with a serious bone to pick. The widower.

As to Imoen doing it... she wasn't happy, but it had to happen.

But, he is no loser. More the victor. But no, he did not get Jaheira.

Correction: That my good buddy, makes him a loser by default.

Aleria: "Thankfully, not ending up with Jaheira does not make me a loser."

VH: "You've been drinking again."

Aleria: "So have you."

Viga: "Hey, at least you've not COMPLETELY dropped off the map."

Enara: "I still say I got you beat. I'm... well, technically, I don't even exist, anymore. So... there!"

Viga: "You have a point. But you're also not stuck in another person's body."

Cookie for Alpha.

Better not be oatmeal raisin... or worse, notemeal raisin... 'cause then we'd have a problem.

Chocolate chip.

Rygel: "If this is truly the largest black hole in the galaxy, then it is a fitting death for a Dominar."

I think my favorite line from the miniseries came near the end.

Crichton: "For once in your life, honey, let -me- cover -you-."

Aeryn: "Shooting makes me feel better!"

I mean, it's a great line, and that lovely Aussie accent of hers is just awesome.

I think that was probably the most laugh out loud funny moment of the series.

Another good one is that exchange between Crichton and D'argo. You know which one.

Seasons 2 and 3 are absolutely brilliant. There are only a few weak episodes, and even those are good. Season 4 is just frenetic.. good stuff. Season 1.. they were still working on it... you can tell, but you can just see all that potential. It's tasty. But welcome to the Scaper's club. May I suggest the DVDs?

I've been thinking about it, but, crap, that's like another $400 down the tubes... I mean, I'm still working on finishing off my DS9 collection. I still have three seasons to go. Then, when Batman: The Animated Series - Volume 2 comes out, I'm gonna be -all- over that... plus, I was even thinking about setting myself up with some B5 DVDs or maybe even SG-1 DVDs... I mean, yeesh...

I don't know... even used copies aren't all that much cheaper than new, or so I've seen... I'm sorely tempted, though.

The problem with the Farscape DVDs is the limited supply. They're just not cranking them out, which keeps the price artificially high. But it still one of the great shows on TV. I'd definitely put getting it ahead of SG-1. And if you buy B5 Season 5 before Season 2 of Farscape.. well, I will have to hunt you down.

If you really are curious, PM me and I'll give you the sketch of my thoughts on what he actually does do.

Or, you could set us up with a Part 2 somewhere down the line... if that's the case, I'll wait.

There might just be. Don't know.

It is. It's like computer crack. It is making its case for a Pantheon level game.

Heh heh... so are we talking about favorite games of all time? 'cause I really have no idea how I'd manage to sort out my rather extensive library of crap.

I have the same problem sometimes.

BG2 would be up there, of course, as would the Civs. Personally, I never played the original, and I was only marginally good at 2, but I'm pretty solid at 3, and, bias or not, it's the one I like the best. I need to reinstall it, though. Haven't played it since the last time I wiped my hard drive. I've been meaning to tackle the WW2-Pacific scenario, but it actually intimidates me since I plan to play through as the Aussies.

The WW2 scenario is tough as nuts. And while being good at Civ3, I just liked the gameplay of Civ2 better. It was a little less realistic, but the music was a lot better and the little video councilors just were great. Also the wonder videos.

The Fallout games are great, too; I agree with that call. Ditto for MOO2 (Though I'm very sad that MOO3 sucked so hard. I don't know from experience, though. Reviews were harsh, and so I skipped it.) And the Heroes series is definitely one of my faves... Criminy, I've been playing them since the beginning of the series. I own all four, and all of the expansion packs for 4. Though, truth be told, I actually kinda like 3 more in some ways. I like the art and music a little more in 3, I think. 4 is technically superior, sure, but 3 had such great ambiance, if you ask me.

I forgot about Heroes 3.. another great one. Never played the first two, but I do like the Heroes series.

As to MOO3, I picked it up for 3 bucks. And what's really bad about it is the overwhelming potential the game had that is just lost in the gameplay. I've found that I can't win directing my own fleets or managing my planetary assaults as well as the game AI, because you can't really direct the ships. Planetary management is a joke and its impossible to control. You can't upgrade ships, you can't board them. There are so many flaws but the idea was a good one. Damn shame.

I don't know what Rogue is, unfortunately, and as for Doom... well, you know, it's one of the most influential games ever made, and I certainly played lots of it, but I don't have much interest in playing Doom 3, for example... though that's partly because I know my machine wouldn't be able to handle it without dumbing down the pretty factor severely.

Rogue is one of the first graphics games, all out of ASCII characters. For a net version try http://www.hexatron.com/rogue Its simplistic, but fun. And well Doom has to be there for being Doom. But yeah, no real interest in Doom 3. Not much of an FPSer.

Other faves, though?

The Jagged Alliance series. Seriously, I keep talking about it, but there's a reason. It's a great game. It's friggin' hilarious, and just fun as hell if you like wargames. I'd also toss the GTAs up high on my list. Real high. Like I said, once San Andreas hits, you ain't seeing me for a while. Oh, and then there's that beast called Homeworld. Man. GOOD.

Heard Homeworld was good. And the JA series I will just have to check out someday.

However, my current fav character.. Mission. Such a spunky little Twilek.

Yeah, she's my favorite, too... I mean, she's cute, she's blue, and she says stuff which gets Jedi pissed off enough to use the Force to knock her on her tush. What more do you need?

That so far is my favorite moment in the game. That and getting to say.. "I'm CHARNAME and I'm here to rescue you."

It can be very compeling the strange word call 'duty'. Weather it is passed down by those who seem to be in charge, or is some internal clock that tick within.

The dialog between the admiral and commander hinted at a longer history between these two.

Thanks...

Viga: "You have a point. But you're also not stuck in another person's body."

Enara: "Hello? Remember that whole deal with me quantum leaping into other people's bodies after Imoen started messing with the Machine of Lum the Mad? You have got one selective memory, bucko. I've been a guy, a girl, even something called a... Pakmara... trust me, I got you -beat-."

...

Just let her rant... she's a little... upset...

Another good one is that exchange between Crichton and D'argo. You know which one.

Actually, I don't. Hint?

(It's not the one involving D'argo trying to give Chiana the sword, is it?)

And if you buy B5 Season 5 before Season 2 of Farscape.. well, I will have to hunt you down.

I am like the only person I know who actually has no problems at all with B5 Season 5. So many people think it's crap.

The WW2 scenario is tough as nuts. And while being good at Civ3, I just liked the gameplay of Civ2 better. It was a little less realistic, but the music was a lot better and the little video councilors just were great. Also the wonder videos.

(Nod) I played through the first couple of Conquests, but I wasn't really enjoying the Fall of Rome one, so I never bothered to finish it... and I didn't want to tackle the WW2 Pacific scenario until I'd finished the others before it.

I'll admit, wonder videos were neat, though... and even the little video councilors... especially when you were in anarchy, and they were all bickering, and you heard that loud "THUD!" and the Big "A" came up on the screen. (Snicker)

But I adore Civ 3 music. Only Civ 2 music track I really liked was Mongol Horde. That one was neat.

As to MOO3, I picked it up for 3 bucks.

Waste of three dollars.

Anyway, you said basically what I was gonna. Good series, good pedigree, should have been a winner... and then they mussed it up something fierce. MOO2 wasn't perfect, but it was certainly good enough. Hell, they coulda taken MOO2 and just given me some prettier graphics, and I woulda jumped on it.

Heard Homeworld was good. And the JA series I will just have to check out someday.

Look into both of them if you get the chance. Homeworld's pretty damned tough, and unforgiving, but the game is just so brilliantly executed, that you likely won't care you're getting your ass handed to you.

2. I blame the inspiration on this piece on two things. First, Alpha's latest piece, causing the idea to germinate and then on Farscape, my show of SciFi inspiration which gave it some of its touches.

yep, i'm blaming alpha for my next piece...knights who wear naughty lingerie and the women who love them...(actually that was really morning glory's fault... but the official blame will be alpha, the scapegoat of the western world..)

3. KoTOR is bloody addictive. Do not buy this game if you don't want your free time sucked up into one of the most amazing games ever.

god yes...going thru my second run, about to restart again, cause my avatar is not looking good, (going female...if i have to stare at someone's butt all day, it better be on a girl... ) not really interested in the carth romance, so will slap him down after rescuing dustil, trying out the juhani romance...hopefully my brother will get me his unused xbox live dvd so i can get yavin station and any patches..

scoundrel guardian of doom...god, force jump is absolutely the coolest power ever...sith lords coming out in december, and i will be able to buy immediately, since i have fallen to the dark side and bought an xbox...

4. This story is very much an alternate ASO universe. A key change through the entire timeline careening into the wall at Daytona and the race completely changed. Cookies for anyone who can pick out the event.

emilo esteves, and i can't remember the title..it was a bad high budget science fiction movie..freejack?...

So, I hope you enjoy it. My fellow readers, I give you:

i did, very much!

Bran reclined in his memory leather chair and stared out into his office, ordering his thoughts. It was a large office, even when compared to planet based accommodations. The bulkheads were covered in real dukari wood, its rich brown accented with polished brass fittings. Along the walls hung numerous trophies and trinkets from other worlds, symbols of a long career in defending the Alliance against her enemies. Some he had taken from his foes in battle, others given during surrenders.

i realized only after reading this, who this character reminds me of...

erwin rommel...a career soldier, who believed that politics had no place in duty, honor, country...and who did his duty, all his life, and he closed his eyes to the monster that had taken over his country...and when he realized the full extent of the suffering that hitler was about to inflict on his beloved germany, he did his duty and joined the von schifflen bomb plot, and was tortured and shot by the ss...a professional soldier, untained by war crimes, untainted by the evils of nazi-ism, whom even his enemies admired...who in the end did something that he literally could not conceive of ever doing his entire life, commit treason against his own government...because he saw his duty.

But instead of pillars of achievement of a hero, they were the dusty artifacts in the museum of an aging warrior, stripped of their value by his latest enemy. The Rebellion. His own people. His friends. Friends he had faced in battle just hours before.

and won...there is nothing so terrible as a battle won...

Unlike President Roenall, he held no illusions about the chances of a rebel surrender. They had faith in their last defensive perimeter and that the battered Alliance fleet would have no wish to dash themselves to pieces against it. Nor the stomach for the bloody ground campaign it would take to capture the rebel leaders. While it could be done, the butcher’s bill would outstrip even this last battle, something the Alliance could ill afford. And they were counting on it.

their backs are against the wall...and its obvious by now the rebels know roenall's policy tword traitors...liquidation camps, and mental "re-engineering"...brrrrrrrrrrr...

But he knew something they did not. He had a trump card yet unplayed. Thanks to the geniuses in R&D, they had a solution to that problem. An elegant solution to the difficult problem of assaulting a heavily fortified planet. The Crichton Device. The ultimate weapon. Wormholes.

technically worm hole device is not what crichton used in farscape...the wormhole is what's inside the event horizon of a black hole...the weapon somehow created a expanding event horizon...increasing the "object" inside the schwartzchild radius...but expanding schwartzchild radius device isn't quite as sexy as wormhole device..

and sorry, that was NOT the biggest black hole in the galaxy...the biggest black hole in the galaxy is the one in the center...yep, our galaxy has a gigantic black hole in the center, hundreds of stellar masses, that in about a trillion years will consume the center...

He nodded slowly. “Is everything prepared as I requested?”

its pretty obvious he's going to assassinate the leadership, and its interesting to speculate how he's going to get thru the body guards...the most logical way is to evacuate the command center, and emplace a single explosive charge, to blow the compartment out into space...quick, sure and all he needs to do is to say the appropriate phrase that his neural implant will pick up and trigger the charge...

bran closed his eyes, shutting his sight of the monster he had called "Mr. President" for the last 50 years of war, and whispered...

"God bless the Alliance"

and the 3 kilos of smashite blew the huge observation port, along a precisely engineered fault, and he, the president and his cabinet had a single perfect image of the stars, in all their perfect majesty and splendor, untainted by the obscuring haze of an atmosphere, as the explosive decompression tore their bodies apart...

Standing, the admiral removed the stark white uniform jacket from the back of his chair and shrugged into it. Without a word, his aide walked over and began to do the buttons. A grey eyebrow arched and the admiral reproached, “Tessa, I can do my own buttons. I’m an admiral, not an invalid.”

did you realize that this was rather symbolic...the close beloved relative washing and shrouding the body before burial???

“Fuck him and these spectacles of his,” he swore, this time more vehemently. “If he had not been so hell bent on making a bloody example of the rebels, this war would have been over years ago and hell of a lot less good people would be dead. He’s a pompous, blustering fool with delusions of domination.”

no, he needed the perminent state of emergency war powers granted by a frightened senate to lock in the stranglehold of his personal power...

The admiral was silent for a minute. “Duty, Tessa. The oath I swore the day I put on the uniform. And an obligation to all of the people who fought and died under my command. Fought and died for the Alliance.”

did you read david weber and steve white's "insurrection"?? ok book, and many of the ideas are strikingly similar..

“Sir, I’ve swept the room for listen devices,” she replied, her eyes telling him she did not believe him. “Internal Security isn’t listening.”

there always seems to be an internal security that becomes feared and loathed in these regimes...

“Yes,” he admitted, this eyes turning cold. “I did. And so I did my duty, even when my conscience screamed I shouldn’t.”

duty, honor, country...

Nodding grimly, he replied, “Yes, I should. I must do my duty.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two data crystals. Pressing them into her hand, he said, “The blue one contains the final instructions as per my orders. The red one…” the Admiral’s eyes softened as he rested his other hand on her shoulder. “The red one is for you Tessa. For everything.”

does he know that tessa has loved him for years? of course...

With that, the Admiral straightened his uniform with a sharp tug and strode out of his office. He had a meeting with history, one he intended to keep.

sometimes less is more..sure, its fun to speculate about what exactly happened next, but sometimes, good story telling demands you just stop...

great stuff!!! time to play kotor...

Viga: "You have a point. But you're also not stuck in another person's body."

Enara: "Hello? Remember that whole deal with me quantum leaping into other people's bodies after Imoen started messing with the Machine of Lum the Mad? You have got one selective memory, bucko. I've been a guy, a girl, even something called a... Pakmara... trust me, I got you -beat-."

Viga: "Fair enough. I don't even want to know what a Pakmara is."

Just let her rant... she's a little... upset...

Viga: *pulls out a flask* "Care for a drink?"

Another good one is that exchange between Crichton and D'argo. You know which one.

Actually, I don't. Hint?

(It's not the one involving D'argo trying to give Chiana the sword, is it?)

It's actually right before that. The "Chiana" part.

And if you buy B5 Season 5 before Season 2 of Farscape.. well, I will have to hunt you down.

I am like the only person I know who actually has no problems at all with B5 Season 5. So many people think it's crap.

Maybe because it is?

The WW2 scenario is tough as nuts. And while being good at Civ3, I just liked the gameplay of Civ2 better. It was a little less realistic, but the music was a lot better and the little video councilors just were great. Also the wonder videos.

(Nod) I played through the first couple of Conquests, but I wasn't really enjoying the Fall of Rome one, so I never bothered to finish it... and I didn't want to tackle the WW2 Pacific scenario until I'd finished the others before it.

The Middle Ages was my favorite, except for the AI constantly building new cities. I think that's the biggest problem with Civ3, is that AI really only cranks out cities. Even untenable ones. Which you then have to conquer.

I'll admit, wonder videos were neat, though... and even the little video councilors... especially when you were in anarchy, and they were all bickering, and you heard that loud "THUD!" and the Big "A" came up on the screen. (Snicker)

My favorite.

But I adore Civ 3 music. Only Civ 2 music track I really liked was Mongol Horde. That one was neat.

See, I liked the music iwht the Multiplayer version a little better. It was... better.

As to MOO3, I picked it up for 3 bucks.

Waste of three dollars.

Yeah.

Anyway, you said basically what I was gonna. Good series, good pedigree, should have been a winner... and then they mussed it up something fierce. MOO2 wasn't perfect, but it was certainly good enough. Hell, they coulda taken MOO2 and just given me some prettier graphics, and I woulda jumped on it.

Double Yeah.

Heard Homeworld was good. And the JA series I will just have to check out someday.

Look into both of them if you get the chance. Homeworld's pretty damned tough, and unforgiving, but the game is just so brilliantly executed, that you likely won't care you're getting your ass handed to you.

Hey, if you can get your ass handed to you and like it, you know you're playing a good game.

VH

It can be very compeling the strange word call 'duty'. Weather it is passed down by those who seem to be in charge, or is some internal clock that tick within.

It is a very strange thing, as it can truly drive and control a person. I think that 'duty' is sort of an internal clock, calibrated by ones experiences and beliefs.

The dialog between the admiral and commander hinted at a longer history between these two.

A very long history between these two. Bran was her first commander (See the Tilverton Incident)

Thanks...

No, thank you for reading and commenting.

VH