Prologue

[Shadow Shack]

Ajax and Grelude were considered for the CGS but they are currently under a cloud, so to speak, and the medal was not awarded.

Grelude cranes his pseudo-neck toward Ajax and bellow-mutters, "Star, shmar...next time he barks the order, I'll step back and let the Tornadium detonate in the El-Tee's face."

Meanwhile, he'll "bite down" on the Crimson Stripe medal just to ensure it isn't counterfeit.

[Will]

OOC: Changed the post in question, so that all dialogue takes place during the tenday she was in hospital. Sorry for the confusion.

This is set after she gets out of hospital and returned to Port Royal.

IC:
Lyssa wanders aimlessly down the streets of Port Royal, her dress uniform equipment belt holding her holstered Rafflur M2 and her scabbarded officer's sabre, looking all round her for any signs of attack from these Goons of Corporations the media have been gassing on about.

She's going to need more ammunition for the Rafflur—she prefers that over her issue laser simply because it is more useful against albedo-screened enemies—plus, maybe a forceaxe, if the Capellan has one in his shop, and maybe one of those holdout M1 Rafflurs, one that won't be detected by the weapons check at the Roost.

Hells, maybe even an Omega Bolt, she doesn't know of any defense that would stand up to that, and it actually takes standard powerclips, instead of the minis....

Of course, Rith's is on the opposite side of town from where she is now, Lyssa realizing she'd intended on coming here the whole time, even before she knew it. the Royal Marine midshipman committing possibly the last reckless act in a long line of reckless acts, but she doesn't care.

She is a soldier of the Crown, and they have to be shown.

The music, the carousing, the darts, everything stops the instant she enters the Provisional, the pub which the known watering hole of every Liberationist piece of creet in Port Royal.

After a few tense moments' silence, the scarred, bald barman growls,"Ye've gotta a set of 'em, walkin' in 'ere, brazen, as ye please, me girlie."

"Vog off, and I 'm not your girlie, you Liberationist piece of garbage," Lyssa snaps, hand on the butt of her rafflur pistol.

"The Roost is where ye're kind be," a patron drunkenly tells her. "Ye'll find no friends 'ere, y'Royalist tart."

"You vogs attacked the Roost," Lyssa repolies coldly, as she walks in and sits down at at the bar.

"Soda water on the rocks,” she says to the barman, ”Now!”

Muttering the barman fixes a glass of soda water with ice, Lyssa keeping an eye on him to make sure ice is all he adds, at the same time she glances at the gathered patrons, all of whom are looking death at her, and she doesn't vogging care, they're all worthless excuses for sentience anyway.

"Thank you,” she says to the barman, snatching her drink out of his meaty paw, drinking it down in one gulp, Alyssa remarking,”it is rather quiet in here, don't you think? What say we liven it up with a bit of singing.”

With that, she sings, going more for volume and enthusiasm than actual singing ability:

"Gods save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
Gods save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
Gods save the Queen.
Eternal Light Above,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
Gods save us all.
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
Gods save the Queen.”

singing louder with each roar and howl of disapproval from the patrons, Alyssa noticing out of the corner of her eye , the barman reaching under the bar for something, a blast from her Rafflur shattering several bottles above him, startling the vog into dropping the ballbat in his hand, Lyssa climbing on top of the bar, stomping her feet to mark time and really piss them off, as she starts over:

"Gods save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
Gods save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
Gods save the Queen.
Eternal Light Above,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
Gods save us all.
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
Gods saAAAve tTTTTHHheEEE QuEEEEEeen!”

after which she jumps down off the bar, slaps a few cred notes on it, and walks out of the Provisional, hailing a cab to take her to Rith's and Tith's.

[BD Cerridwen]

The following occurs prior to learning that Ajax's mother is in contact with his brother.

It's not like Ajax hasn't ever been questioned due to his relationship to his brother before, but this is sheer madness. sixteen times in the last four days! It is only with great effort that Jax keeps from shouting the same old answers.

"Yes, sir, I did see Midshipman Blue to my front. As I told the RCMC, the Special Intelligence Office, and you four times before, she was not in the direct line of fire. MY target was a good 2 meters to the left and had a weapon pointed at Midshipman Blue. I did what is expected of a Marine Scout. Sir."

"You could have been trying to kill her and missed," prodded the human interrogator with the CRM special ops uniform. A Dral observer in the corner just sat there like a, well, like a blob, doubtless gauging if Ajax is telling the truth.

"I respectfully disagree, sir," Jax is barely holding it in. "Again, if you doubt me, I will submit to Telol. I have nothing to hide."

The human looks to the Dral, who waves a psuedo pod in a manner to indicate that the questioning should move along.

"How do we get in touch with your brother?"

"Half-brother. Like I said when I joined and a half million times over the past 4 days, I don't know. I haven't seen him since he left home when I was five. Maybe you ought to be asking that lucky LF bastard that me and my buddies didn't kill."

"We are done here," belches the Dral. "Your movement restrictions are modified within 1000km of the capital. We will contact you if we need you again. Dismissed."

Ajax rises smartly, salutes angrily, and marches out of yet another interrogation room.

[Will]

Ajax and Grelude were considered for the CGS but they are currently under a cloud, so to speak, and the medal was not awarded.

Grelude cranes his pseudo-neck toward Ajax and bellow-mutters, "Star, shmar...next time he barks the order, I'll step back and let the Tornadium detonate in the El-Tee's face."

Meanwhile, he'll "bite down" on the Crimson Stripe medal just to ensure it isn't counterfeit.

It's countefeit. Just a red foil wrapping round a crispety, crunchety Nestle Crunch Bar.

[BD Cerridwen]

Post Mom meeting. Also, post holo-vid news cast.

Ajax feels angry. At his mother for keeping in contact with Bedros, and at the authorities for treating a hero like a criminal. he wishes that Bedros were here right now so he could beat the tar out of him, too. The only thing stopping him from turning the choroncom number over right away is his love for his family. It's bad enough that Ajax is suspected, there is no need to put the family through all of this. Again. Bedros has done that enough. Ajax won't be like Bedros.

The train ride back doesn't ease his anger. A handful of passengers kept looking at him, perhaps recognizing him from the news footage after the attack, or maybe the entertainment news that was flipping him between hero and LF mole in the stories only barely related to Adonia anymore. They better assign me off-world, Jax thinks to himself, before Adonia has a cow!

Back in his barracks in Valentina, Ajax goes out for a run to relax, clear his mind, and decide what is the right thing to do. He's not in uniform, so he guesses that the rules of staying in pairs doesn't count. As a precaution, he puts his combat harness on under his clothing, along with his laser pistol and a single powerclip. He's not paying attention to where he is going, though. He's just running, and running, and running...

[jedion357]

OOC ffrom BD Cerridwen: Ajax will eventually decide to ask Panos for discrete assistance. If Panos agrees to pass unknown information on to an investigator who will play along with the story that it came from an anonymous tipster, AND that the family will be kept out of it (i.e. Panos warns Mom not to call Bedros or answer a call from him) he will divulge the chronocom number for Bedros. The conversation must take place in a place and/or manner so that it cannot be recorded.

IC: "Jax! Come in my boy."
Panos gestured Ajax to a padded leather seat before coughing and giving a head toss to the door for the secretary to leave.
"So no bullet holes in you, though I suspect you'd have preferred that fate over the flak you're catching form IA?"
The young man's disgusted snort said it all.
"No matter, today's troubles have not come to stay, they've..."
"Come to pass," Ajax finished for him. If he had a credit for every time Panos had said that he'd likely be able to buy his own shuttle. Changing the subject he ask, "Whats going on with all this activity?" he said referring to the busy secretary.
"I'm getting a new office. I've been appointed by the Queen to assist in the special investigative unit enpanelled to hunt down these Guards vogholes."
Ajax nodded not surprised by the answer and gratified to learn from an official source that the media hype on the Guards of Clarion was probably not far off the mark.
"Jax I am sorry, I could have tried to pull strings to deflect some of the pressure that 's been directed at you but then it would have actually made things worst- as it is I can tell you that you are in the clear as long as no one turns up a direct link between you and your half brother."
"Well that's the thing...."
Panos held up his hand in a wait gesture walked over to a portable white noise broad caster and activated it. Portable was an oxymoron as it took two being or one gorlian to move it.
After sitting he asked, "Now, you were saying?"

Ajax described the conversation with his mother and Panos asked a number of questions.
"Ok boyo, I'll visit your mother this week and explain the gravity of the situation to her and the danger to your career, fine?"
Ajax nodded.
"Next I'd like you to come by my new office tomorrow and we'll place a call to your brother. The file on him says he's no fool so even though we'll try to track his signal he'll either cut us off or already have jamming and counter measures in place. I don't mean to put you in a tight spot but I'd like to hear what he has to say."

[Will]

"Niss," Lyssa says, as she spots Niss and the aptly-named Dudd in Rith's &Tith's,"Dudd, hello."

"And," she says to the lawn gnome behind the counter,"hello to you too, Rith."

"More minipowerclips for your Rafflur M2, my dear?" Rith asks, eyeing Auntie Chloe's gift to her with a predatory gleam, with just a bit of drool on his lip(figuratively, of course).

"Are you sure you won't reconsider selling it?" he then asks. "A fine soldier, such as yourself, surely can see the impracticality of maintaining an otherwise finely-crafted weapon as that; I have, as you may know, an extensive collection of weaponry which someone such as yourself can find more useful."

Lyssa chuckles.

"You do indeed have an extensive selection of weapons. Last time I was in here, I couldn't help but admire your selection of forceaxes, but, unfortunately, I hadn't the money to buy one."

"Also," she adds,"I'm sure a merchant of your resources," implying his Cappellan connections without saying their name,"has doubtlessly come across an...Omega Bolt or two."

OOC: Long story short, Rith doesn't know anyone on Clarion who can get a bolt weapon for Lyssa. He does sell her a pair of nice shockgloves(an extra 100 creds cos they look like ordinary gloves)as well as a forceaxe. And, another dozen minipowerclips for the M2 as well.

[Terl Obar]

Tanar is pleasantly surprised at the bestowal of the CGS. After all, he didn't feel that they did anything truly out of the ordinary, they are Royal Marines after all, even if they did just graduate from the academy.

However, Tanar's sense of honor and justice is disturbed that Ajax and Grelude did not receive the award as well. After all, they did as much as, and in Grelude's case, possibly more than, any of the rest of them in preserving the lives of those in the Roost. Sometimes he simply can't understand the Human sense of honor, or in this case, lack thereof.

As he stands in line to receive the award, he makes an impulsive and possibly rash decision that this is one medal that will not decorate his uniform. That night, after all the pomp and ceremony is over, he removes the star from his dress uniform and stores it away in the bottom of his footlocker.

[jedion357]

OOC: I was always fascinated with stories of the oddities and some injustice of medals given out in war (one of my favorites was a whole regiment of Federal troops from Maine convinced to re-enlist at the end of the Civil War in exchange for the Congressional medal of honor - it was latter revoked). So I approach the whole medal issue not as a GM but as putting myself in the role of the NPCs in the setting.

[Shadow Shack]

Just wondering if any of your hover-bruiser contacts might know anything else on this group, such as where they're getting their cruddy hardware...seems every one of us that 'appropriated' one of their sidearms had it jam or misfire. Someone's floating some serious junk out there. Which is fine by me as long as it all ends up in the hands of the clown trying to shoot at me.

{edited for spelling}

If it's the cheap crap without a company name or a serial number than its coming through POPS in the belt. The rumor mill suggest Madderly's Star or K'Sar Kar as a point of origin.

Ri-Kono

[BD Cerridwen]

OOC: I was always fascinated with stories of the oddities and some injustice of medals given out in war (one of my favorites was a whole regiment of Federal troops from Maine convinced to re-enlist at the end of the Civil War in exchange for the Congressional medal of honor - it was latter revoked). So I approach the whole medal issue not as a GM but as putting myself in the role of the NPCs in the setting.

OOC: As a RL veteran, I found your handling of the medals extremely accurate. I absolutely loved it when I first read it. I also love Tanar's response. I did the same thing with my Good Conduct medal after receiving it one month before getting out. I did nothing to deserve it in the last year of my service. I was a bit of an attitude problem when my chain of command changed over from field craft oriented ex-Rangers to a bunch of REMF wanna-be pogues.

[Will]

OOC: You were 10th Mountain, right, BD?

BIC: Back at RM Headuqarters(CMB Port Royal), she finds herself pushing data in quintupulate around the net, at the same time honing her computer skills, even after everyone else has retired for the evening.

Now, she's updating the TO&E for the entire Royal Marines, noting that two ships are all but unmanned as a result of the attack on the Spacer's Lounge.

Noting it and very quickly moving on, sighing...long couple of tendays, and it bothers her that Grelude and young Syranno weren't awarded the CGS...the reason for denying Grelude his just desserts is especially stupid; everyone in the Royal Marines knows Lieutenant Flaherty's a useless REMV who only got his commission, cos his Daddy's an MP...she'd have done precisely the same thing in his place.

I have done precisely the same thing in his place, she thinks to herself, as her chronocom bleeps for her attention.

"Yes?" she asks, Lucretia Dolores' beautiful face, long raven hair and smouldering dark eyes float in front of her.

"My editor wants an interview with the heroes of the Port Royal bombing," Lu says, her best chum since forever coming to the point, per usual, rather than beat round the bush.

Pity, part of her thinks, in spite of herself, we couldn't make a go at things, she's—

Lyssa quashes down that thought, asking Lu,"so why are you talking to me, luv? All I did was a couple of stupid things and they gave this bauble for it."

"Girl, I'd hardly call the Conspicous Gallantry Star a bauble," Lu remarks. "Or the Queen's Gallantry Medal(Guards service, but up to ref), or five Crimson Stripes."

"Five Indigo Stripes too," Lyssa reminds her.

"Anyway," she tells Lu,"if you really want to talk to a couple of heros...or even trumpet their cause a bit, may I suggest Gunner Grelude, or Spacer Syrrano?"

"Syrrano's brother's one of them," Lu replies. "I'd thought he'd be the last one you'd—"

"Last time I checked," Lyssa replies,"attaintment was not part of our constitutional tradition, a point I intend to visit with the Commander, assuming I can get an audience with Her Grace tomorrow; hat any rate, what his brother did doesn't take away from the fact young Syranno more than earned his CGS, same as any of us who were there—except me, I was—"

"—only doing your job," Lu says, with a bit of a sigh. "I know, I know. So what they have against the blob?"


"He defused a bomb without waiting for Leftenant Flahterty to give him permission to lick his arse."

Lu chuckles at that.
"I'll see what I can do about that, luv," Lu then says. "But, it's gonna cost you."

"I know, I have to give you an interview," Lyssa says, sighing herself...gods, how she hates the media.

"Not just that," Lu replies, flashing her 500-SEU smile. "Dinner...I haven't had your famous bubble and squeak in forever, and I've been craving it like crazy."

Vog.

Leave it to Lu to re-open that bloody can of Sathar.

She finds herself agreeing to that, in spite of all good sense, asking Lu if tomorrow, before she was scheduled to report to Nightengale, would be all right.

Lu tells her that would be fine, before she discomms.

[BD Cerridwen]

OOC: You were 10th Mountain, right, BD?

OOC: Who-ah (To you civies, that's grunt for 'yes' - in this context. In others, it can also mean 'eat sh*t and die, sir/sergeant'.)

BIC: Ajax has no idea what to say to his brother when it comes time to make the call. A part of him wants to blame him for all of the troubles. Another part wants to get him to turn himself in and become a law abiding citizen (and part of the family) again. The competing thoughts and feelings tumble around in his mind as he waits.

The next morning, Jax does his daily physical training before hitting the base gym for a pick-up game of net ball. Eventually he is kicked out for being overly aggressive. So he sits in front of the holo-vid in the barracks common room and veges in self pity. Eventually he comes to a realization. He has to get Bedros to share any info the LF has on this splinter cell - a common enemy. That's probably the best that can come of the call. He dresses in his BDUs, combat harness, and laser pistol, then heads down to the police station to visit Panos.

[Will]

OOC: What I thought.

[jedion357]

Ajax was sullen in his demeanor and Panos reading it didn’t pepper him with small talk other than a perfunctory introduction to the technician performing the trace.
“Jax?”
Ajax forced a smile and waved a hand to say he was o.k. before responding, “Let’s do this. What should I do?”
“Keep him talking as long as possible for one thing and ask him about the Guards of Clarion. If need be I'll pass you questions on this computer screen.”
Nodding to the com tech Panos then Ajax donned matching head sets and the call was made.
The com beeped eight times before Bedros’ voice answered, “Mom?”
Jax was speechless for an eternal second and Bedros declined to repeat his question.
Panos, made an encouraging hand gesture and Ajax found his voice.
“It’s Jax.”
“Oh. You know this means I won’t be able to call Mom anymore. I wonder, is that cop whose boots you’ve always been licking there too?”
“Bastard!”
“I’ll assume yes and we’ll have to keep this call short. So lets dispense with the pleasantries shall we. You’re calling because you nearly got your prissy little marine arse shot off and you’re looking to blame me.”
Panos was making ‘go softly’ gestures with his hand, which was just as well as the anger, insult, pain of dead comrades, and the sheer gall of his half brother nearly had him to the boiling point in less than 15 seconds of talk.
Taking a deep breath, he answered still under control, “Were you?”
“The Roost attacks? No, that little dog and pony show was the latest brain child of a Guards officer who didn’t make it back from the Roost. She was determined to initiate the newest recruits by having them massacre Royal Marines for full membership rather than go with the tried and true method of a straight up bombing like what I organized.”
“Bastard!”
“That’s twice, the third time is the charm.”
Ajax struggled for control, then asked, “So you’re in the Guards of Clarion?”
“Well, there’s been some changes in the leadership and it’s more like that I AM the Guards of Clarion… And I could do this because the Liberation Front is full of lace on the under ware wanna-be’s that will never affect real change. The Guards are hungrier, leaner, and meaner and we will bring down that bitch you serve. The guillotine will fall and wipe away the monarchy, the marines the Royal Guard and a new day will dawn for Clarion. Soon it will be too late for you and their wont be any place in the New Clarion for you.”
He paused and asked, “What? Not going to call me a bastard again? Hhmm? Know this, little brother, that you’re only alive because I let that stuck up witch have her way with your botched initiation knowing that you might be there. If I had commanded that operation directly, you’d be dead now. So you owe me.”
“I owe you? You frag hole! I’m gonna kill you.”
Bedros’ laughter came like a belly laugh.
“Not likely, but if we ever do meet again one of us will die. I’d wish you well in your new career but you know…”
The com signal went dead.

“Did you trace it?” Panos asked the tech.
“No, it was routed through 5 satellites but I suspect he was in the capitol.”

After the conferring with the tech for a few minutes Panos spoke further with Jax privately, “You did fine. He wanted to talk and he gave a lot away. This is classified but you should know that we have signal intel that refers to an Operation Guillotine and a off world training camp called The Bastille. Your brother has been wanted for a long time but he’s about to make the ten most wanted list. I’m sorry Ajax.”

[jedion357]

Lyssa found a message from Rith.
"Located an Omega out system, I can have it here in four days for double otherwise in 4-6 standard weeks. Com me if you're still interested."

[jedion357]

Lucretia and Alyssa met at Gimpy's for its cozy atmosphere and quality food.
Small talk was the conversation fair over dinner and the play by play of the events at the Roost was over drinks afterward.
Lucritia with a worried look responded, "You could have been killed."
Alyssa grimaced, "Ahh.."
"Seriously, some of us actually love you and your penchant for charging into trouble worries us. I know the job of a Royal Marine is to stand on the wall to watch out for the rest of us but please, be a little more careful."
Lucritia was so earnest that Alyssa relented a little and promised to try.
"Everything we're digging up on this Guards of Clarion suggest truly hard core extremist. Stuff like you can only become a full member if you've killed a Royal Marine, a Royal Guard or a member of a number of the police services."
"What else do you know?"
"Hey, who's interviewing who? Well no one's heard of them till recently and my assistant turned up an ancient document that the it appears their manifesto is based on. What's really odd about that Declaration is that it claims that the commoner is barred from public office which is patently false. It's like there is a real disconnect in the communications they've had with the news media."

The conversation ebbed and flowed till they left Gimpy's late.

[jedion357]

OOC: Sorry about the increasing brevity of those last post' I was struggling to finish them before falling asleep.0

Oh stink! it appears I edited Shadow's post instead of replying to it sorry dude. Thats what I get for post while half asleep.
I meant to delete out most of your post only leaving the pertinent comment in my reply that Ri-Kono was responding too.- you'll see the answer in your post.

I was wondering what happened to the post I wrote for you.

Thats a big dope slap on me!

[BD Cerridwen]

To bad Mom can't hear that recording thinks Ajax. It would do her a world of good to see just how big an a-hole he's become. In the back of his mind, Ajax realizes that he will never have the big brother he's wanted. In the end, Bedros will be dead. KIA or executed. Dear gods, just don't make me the one to have to pull the trigger...

[Will]

Lucretia and Alyssa met at Gimpy's for its cozy atmosphere and quality food.
Small talk was the conversation fair over dinner and the play by play of the events at the Roost was over drinks afterward.
Lucritia with a worried look responded, "You could have been killed."
Alyssa grimaced, "Ahh.."
"Seriously, some of us actually love you and your penchant for charging into trouble worries us. I know the job of a Royal Marine is to stand on the wall to watch out for the rest of us but please, be a little more careful."
Lucritia was so earnest that Alyssa relented a little and promised to try.
"Everything we're digging up on this Guards of Clarion suggest truly hard core extremist. Stuff like you can only become a full member if you've killed a Royal Marine, a Royal Guard or a member of a number of the police services."
"What else do you know?"
"Hey, who's interviewing who? Well no one's heard of them till recently and my assistant turned up an ancient document that the it appears their manifesto is based on. What's really odd about that Declaration is that it claims that the commoner is barred from public office which is patently false. It's like there is a real disconnect in the communications they've had with the news media."

The conversation ebbed and flowed till they left Gimpy's late.

"You just mark my words," Lyssa says. "Dig deep enough, and you'll find the corporate backers behind these so-called Guards, same as the Liberationists."

It' s Lu's earnestness and concern for her well-being which bother Lyssa the most, but she doesn't say it.

Instead:
"Do you think you could let me see that Declaration of theirs. I'm rather curious as to what BS they're using to justify murde."