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Operation Treadstone Operation Treadstone (or usually just Treadstone; in the novels, Treadstone71 or Treadstone Seventy-One) was a top-secret black ops program of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the Jason Bourne series of novels and movies. It recruited only U.S. Service members to turn them into nearly superhuman assassins and was formed in direct response to the Congressional Act which banned the U.S. from partaking in any assassinations. It used a behavior-modification program to break down the assassins' morality and make them effective nearly unstoppable living weapons. After the morality break down, presumably, the assassins received advanced training in sniping, hand to hand combat techniques, and tradecraft. The last surviving member of Treadstone is . It had a successor, which was . In the novels, it was formed after the Vietnam War. Treadstone71 was the successor to the pre-Vietnam Operation Silverlake. Treadstone is so top-secret that several Deputy Directors of the CIA have no idea that it even exists. In the books, Treadstone headquarters is located in New York City and looks simply like a dilapidated house but is in reality a fortress, having bullet resistant glass and multiple security systems. It is, in this context, a top secret operation to trap the international assassin, Carlos, by creating a mythical assassin called Cain. In the movies, Treadstone is headquartered in an office at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Its membership consists of many agents, who are essentially assassins, based in different countries around the world. As sleeper agents they lead normal lives (piano teachers, businessmen, etc) until "activated". At this point they can be quickly deployed on missions after which they presumably go back to their daily lives until called upon again. Access to Treadstone archives and files require a Level 5 Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance or higher. Staff Ward Abbott - Head of Operations. Alexander Conklin - Field Director. Stationed in Langley, Virginia. Albert Hirsch - Director of the Treadstone training program. Neal Daniels - Superivising Training Officer. Nicky Parsons - Field logistics coordinator and agent handler. Stationed in Paris, France. Daniel Zorn - Assistant to Conklin, and later to Abbott. Operatives �@ Treadstone operatives are very capable assassins. They leave no trace of their existence. Conklin states that while anyone can carry out an assassination, Treadstone agents are meant to be "invisible". "They don't make mistakes. They don't do random. There's always an objective, always a target." �\Nicky ParsonsHYPERLINK "/wiki/The_Bourne_Supremacy"[src] Treadstone operatives are highly trained in numerous killing techniques such as turning nonlethal objects into lethal weapons. They are nearly superhuman proficient at using firearms or other weapons, sharpshooting, using explosives, operating vehicles, (advanced) hand-to-hand combat, and many martial arts techniques. All Treadstone agents are also observed to have excellent observational skills, heightened target awareness, lightning reflexes, hyper peak of human physical condition, escape-evasion abilities, and mental process which also gives them the ability to think quickly and calmly in stressful situations. The following is a list of known members (current and former) of Treadstone: Known Assets Jason Bourne/Cain [David Webb] - Based out of Paris, France. Professor - Based out of Barcelona, Spain. Castel - Based out of Rome, Italy. Manheim - Based out of Hamburg, Germany. Jarda - Based out of Munich, Germany. Bootlace - Based out of Calshot, UK Secret 01- Based out of (Classified Lev.6). Paz - Based out of London, England Chimp Beaver Eagle Brick Hornet Pyramid Owl Blue Jay Objective- Red Rum Physical / Psychological Effects Due to the stringent and experimental training program, Treadstone operatives were recorded to have experienced a number of physical problems due from the physical and mental enhancement. These include suffering from chronic headaches, which seem to never go away, consistent fatigue, due to the stresses of their job and sensitivity to bright lights. The most dramatic effect is amnesia. This was only experienced once, by Jason Bourne. Bourne's amnesia was the result of his being shot and left for dead after a mission in the Mediterranean Sea. Amnesia was extremely rare and considering their regular circumstances should not have happened. He lost his entire memory, including his name, origin and profession. He retained basic functions, such as addition, subtraction, making coffee, knot tying, and shuffling cards. He also retains an almost instinctive ability to perform well in combat situations. As of The Bourne Supremacy, he has regained parts of his memory, mostly those related to the most emotionally charged of his past actions (i.e. his assassination missions). �@ Status �@ Treadstone is currently, as of The Bourne Legacy film, inactive. It was shut down two years before Supremacy, at the end of The Bourne Identity film. In Legacy, Treadstone has been retconned to be a Beta program along with Blackbriar, for creating superspies through genetic engineering.

Operation Outcome Operation Outcome, a program that is an improvement over Operation Treadstone and possibly even Operation Blackbriar. The Outcome agents had two of their chromosomes altered, giving them better recovery from physical injuries with additional unknown benefits. Since Treadstone agents were prone to physical and psychiatric ailments such as strength, speed, depression, anger, compulsive behaviors, headaches, sensitivity to light, and in Jason Bourne's case amnesia the program may have been designed to overcome those obstacles after Bourne went rogue and Treadstone was upgraded to Blackbriar. A point of distinction between Outcome versus Treadstone or Blackbriar is that Outcome agents are better prepared to talk their way out of trouble rather than fight. When Bourne and Pamela Landy exposed both Treadstone and Blackbriar to the public in The Bourne Ultimatum film, Agent Byer (Edward Norton) decides to execute all of the Outcome agents worldwide and the R&D staff including Dr. Marta Shearing . Unlike Treadstone and Blackbriar, Opreation Outcome is not a CIA program. It is like the other two, in that it is a Beta program project. <a href="https://s1339.beta.photobucket.com/user/redrome500/media/1-4_zpsbe04ff42.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/redrome500/1-4_zpsbe04ff42.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 1-4_zpsbe04ff42.jpg"/></a>

DISCLAIMER: I swear like a sailor OOC. Be forewarned when reading my rules. If they offend you, then clearly you are breaking one or more of them and maybe you and I shouldn't RP. Just sayin.Since I've been gone for awhile, I'd say it's that time again. I will NOT RP with anyone who hasn't READ and SIGNED these rules before they contact me about a storyline. Believe me, I can tell if you haven't read them.1. SPELL- AND GRAMMAR-CHECK!!! This is my #1 pet-f***ing-peeve. Hence why it's #1. I DO NOT care how long it takes you to respond, you NEED to check your spelling and grammar when you write. I have to do it all day, every day for a living, and it drives me up a wall when someone cannot take 5 minutes to use the INTERNET or a f***ing dictionary to look up a word. Also, I DON'T GIVE A RATS ASS how they do it at Marvel, Inc. My character has one of the thickest accents in the entire Marvel Universe, which is why when she is SPEAKING the words are spelled incorrectly, but my descriptive paragraphs are ALWAYS spelled correctly, unless by some miracle a misspelled word got past me, because hey, it happens. We are all here to have fun, but I will NOT read and then re-read your sh*t 5 times to try to decipher it. I will simply tell you I can't understand it and could you please take a look at it again. If the sh*tty spelling and grammar continues, I will contact you OOC. If you get pissed at me, then: a) you did it wrong, you KNOW you did it wrong, and you are pissed because I called you on it, or b) you're too lazy to check it in the first place, and you are pissed because I called you on it. Either way I DON'T GIVE A F***. *FIX IT* and quit your bitching, or delete me and go find a sh*tty Rogue to RP with who doesn't give a damn about your crappy spelling.1a. I do not tolerate IM and/or text speak in RP. I am guilty of it in messages sometimes because I type so fast and have a lot to say, but you will NEVER see me doing it in a blog, comment storyline, etc. DON'T DO IT TO ME.2. I do not roleplay as any specific version of Rogue, I roleplay as the version that I am most familiar with, which is the Rogue that still has all of her powers...and by that I do mean *ALL* of her powers. (Earth 616 version, not Evo, not Movie, just plain ole, good ole fashioned Rogue)3. Rogue (as I RP her) CANNOT control her skin. This is a fact of life. Deal with it.4. Do not attempt to touch Rogue unless she initiates the contact, or unless we are involved in a fight SL. This should be pretty self-explanatory. If not, see #3.5. Rogue does NOT give out her name. Her name is NOT Marie. (I realize that Rogue's name has been revealed as Anna Marie, but I do not play that way, I prefer the mystery....that's just how I like it)6. Do not assume that Rogue knows who you are. Just like in real life. Unless this has been proven by Marvel Canon or Ret-conned in, forget it. You need to introduce yourself as part of the initial RP. (i.e., Rogue would naturally know Storm, Gambit, or one of her other X-Men teammates from the good ole days, but not necessarily a member of say, the Avengers, or the FF)7. NO GOD-MODDING!!!! This is a straight-up d*ck move. Don't do it. We're all here to have fun. No one can do that if someone has decided not to take their hits. Even I take my hits, and my character is invulnerable to most things. If I can take my hits, so should you. When in doubt, DON'T BE A DOUCHEBAG. 8. My RP style is para- and multi-para. As such, I will only RP in messages under EXTREMELY specific conditions. 9 times out of 10, it will not happen, so you should probably not even bother to ask. There are a select few that I will RP with in messages. You know who you are.9. One-liners, "thanks for the add", and other useless comment sh*t has NO PLACE on my page. If you put it up there I WILL DELETE IT. Keep it to yourself, please.10. PICTURES - Many of my pictures were given to me by a VERY dear friend who no longer plays as Rogue. She is one of the best Roleplayers of Rogue that I've ever seen. All of the others I got myself. Having said that, DO NOT STEAL MY SH*T. If I see my pics on anyone else's page, I will call you on it and post a bulletin with the URL on it to show everyone what an a**hole you are. Again, when in doubt, DON'T BE A DOUCHEBAG.11. If I add you, I send the starter...if you add me, then you need to send the starter. If you add me and a week goes by and I don't here from you, I'm going to delete you.12. RP and RL are two SEPARATE things. We all have both, so accept that sometimes it may take awhile for me to get back to you. I have a lot of stuff going on IRL (as does everyone else), and sometimes I just can't stay up all night RPing like some lucky folks get to do. That's pretty much it.....if you read and sign these rules, I WILL hold you to them. Basically that means that I assume if you signed them, you read them. You break em...and out the door you go, because I absolutely will *not* coddle you because you decided that you wanted to be a slackass RPer.

                                                                                 Rules & Regulations                                                                      Please read and follow the rules 01. No Drama or BS;  I will respect you as long as you respect me and my boundries. So with that said, I ask that everyone to stop bringing me there drama and there issues. Don't come onto my page and start a mess or a riot of any kind that is not even worthy or related to role play.I am here to have fun I am sure you are too, so lets drop the BS and just leave your drama at the door, if not you will get deleted.  02. No God Moding; I know this is rare but do not kill off my character, or control him. I am the person behind him and I choose his fate what happens to him.  03. No Stealing / Jocking; We all know that we work hard for our pics, please do not jock/ steal my pics. If you want one I will go out of my way to get you one or heck it might even be better than mine. Clearly my pics are tagged, and if found  I will call you out on it, and if you still do it I will block you and black list you. Letting everyone know that you couldn't follow a simple rule.( If you got this far, please post what you like about Teen wolf.)  04. Para, Multi-Para & Novella; I accept all three role playing styles. I like at less five (5) proper sentences or more, in my para at all times. I normally love multiple paragraphs at a time, at less two (2) to six (6) at a time. I like something to read, and I like something to reply to. I also like Novella, and I will role play with Novella role player's if they ask me nicely to. I normally don't do it often, but when it comes around I easily do it and I love it. Also it normally does take me a slight bit longer to reply to Novella role playing. Due to the fact that sometimes I am not always inspired, and I rather give my best work then something less of it. I am a perfectionist, I admit that willingly.  05. Literacy Required;  now normally I do not post, or mention this rule cause it is common sense that if someone doesn't understand something that can GOOGLE it. However, I noticed a few group of people are not trying to even understand what some words mean. So I am just hoping that people will take this rule under consideration mostly and learn to widen there vocabulary skills. I mean no one wants to role play with someone they have to repeatedly explain what they are writing.   06. Grammar & Correct Spelling's;  I am truly not gods gift, I do make mistakes here and there, but I try to make myself better and if you point it out I will correct myself and will try my best no to make the same mistake again. I know there are picky people out there but I will let it slide for a bit but when it comes to text talk, I will not reply and just delete your comment. ( if you gotten this far, please post Who is your favorite Teen Wolf Character.)  07. Discussions & Story lines;  Honestly when it comes to discussion I am all for it, I love to chit chat ooc and discuss what will happen between our characters. I do tend to chit chat a bit more coming up with more ways that our characters can be involved with one another. Or sometimes I would say if you would want to wing it, that means just go with the flow, I have done this with some people and they actually like what happens to our characters in rp. So hit me up and lets do this.    08. Messages & Comments; now this is a very, very easy rule to follow.  I like to talk and chit-chat out of character as well as discuss story lines in my messages mostly.  I however will not role play in messages, not one bit. I like to role play in comments, cause it helps me keep track and follow up on what I owe and what is owed to me. I find this simple and easy to do, but if it isn't for you.. then just delete me, cause it be a waste of time of trying to discuss a story line with you just to have it not work out or turn into some sort of drama. Hint why I throw this information into my rules each and every single time...  09. Starters & Replies; now I know that people are busy and that life can get sort of in the way and it's the same for me. I try and do what I can when I can and how fast I can without being to speedy so I can send my most quality work out each and every time. Normally if I take on the role of sending a starter, it takes me longer then most people to get them out.. due to the fact, I role play with a lot of people. So I ask most people when it comes to starter's and replies, to be so very patient. Cause patience is a virtual that we all need. I also normally see if the other people can do the starter, if not.. and asked properly, I be more then happy to. As for replies, it's the same thing.. I Take my time, so please take your time to. (please post what is your favorite candy.)  10. Mature Content & Love Interest;  I am a very mature role playing individual. As it also says on my header picture, I am into "Mature Content." I like to role play love scenes and other erotica like story lines. I am very interested in getting them kind of story lines going as well as build my role play around proper substance. I am not all about the "erotica" themed style stuff. I will throw that out now, I look for more substance then anything in a role play, cause it isn't a role play if you don't got substance over anything else, but I welcome erotica in my story lines.  I am also a multiple love interest profile as well. I however will not just take anyone on as my lover or love interest. I am very picky in who I choose and I will not just be with anyone fully. I wanna make sure I pick the right person for me, someone I can trust and have a good time with. Someone who understand and gets me.. simple as that. Until then I am just going to have fun and have a good time role playing on this profile. But when I find that one person I click with, its hands off and I stay loyal to that person. But If I feel or see that I am being cheated on or being played I do my thing.    11. HAVE FUN! Yes that is it, HAVE FUN, don't take things to heart and don't tell me who I can be with and such, I am east to get along with, just back off if I tell you to stop, you keep on pushing me to the edge. I will delete you and block you. I tend to clean out my friends list in a two weeks, if you do not show any sign you want to rp, then you got to go, sorry I don't like to keep people around to talk, you can easy chat it up at least.12. Mains: I know when it comes to main, there is suppose to be a select few but I want to give everyone a chance I dont like to shun out people, like others do. I believe everyone has talent or that writers gift and sure they might need help but hey as long as we are rping and having fun that is all it matters.I have already 3 Lydia 4 Jackson, and 2 issax so if you wants something let me know and lets talk. Any Restrictions .. only on one part and thats li and that spot is filled already. Unless otherwise that spot is never gonna be mutli and stuff. just throwing it out there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I claim the right to change and alter my rules at any time. when signing this blog, you agree in taking Knowledge to that.   please do not sign my rules with "Read & Underwood" I will know if you did not read them if you post that. Please sign with the following, plus your signature. Thank you!

*waits* come for me hashirama!! i'll kill you senju scum

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*Lycan had chosen to leave the DSW in the capable hands of his sister Kelly Derakas and had taken just his flagship and his warship "The Mirage" and "The Pride of Korriban" as the ships headed out of DSW space and into the unknown regions of space in the outer rim as he stayed in his command throne onboard The Mirage the other smaller class of ship was within the forward bays of the massive ship. Lycan ordered the crews to rotation shift and had left all comms lines open to search for a noble quest for the old Sith Lord, he had hit 5000 years of age and was still young for his species maybe in this quest or search he would find his species, the Scarrens had vanished after a war with the Jedi their loses to great to stay on their homeworld scattered to the far reaches of the galaxy as far as the old scrolls in the Derakas palace vaults said.((more to come))

STARTERS NOTE: Let me know if you can work with any of the starters bellow as they are or if you want me to personalize them to better fit your character and story! | ~* STARTER 1 The Roman Republic - the City of Capua Relations between Rome and the Persian-Parthian Empire, collectively known as Iranians, had long been tense. While the once again united Iranian nation strove to regain the territories of their once vast empire, the largest the word had ever known, before being invaded by Alexander of Macedonia and divided by his general following his death, the emerging Roman force in the west also sought to bring under their dominance all the territories that Alexander had once claimed and then go even further. Yet, such concepts served only to further sway the men whose accord was needed for such endeavors and motivate the men who had to partake in the impending military campaigns essential in the completion of such goals. The main reason for conquest was a simpler one, which was the main reason for all wars, namely resources, and the east was a rich land overflowing with unique items and astonishing novelties. For many years now Rome had eagerly drunk from the rich spring flowing from the east, to the point that it had become dependent on those luxurious commodities, especially the aristocracy which, in no way different from the aristocracies of other nations, better secured their position by constantly amazing their fellow citizens with some bewildering novelty that they alone had come to possess. As the Roman Republic continued to expand and develop, the task of securing a constant flow of the now much needed commodities from the east became a thing of great concern, especially since the Iranians had once again secured control over much of their former empire, except for the coastal regions of the Middle Sea and Anatolia, including the Kingdom of Armina, the northern neighbor of the Persian-Parthian Empire. To the west, the barrier between the Empire of the Iranians and the territories either directly or indirectly controlled by the Roman Republic, was the river Ufrātu River. Long, arduous battles between the Romans and the Iranians, with grave casualties on either sides, made the two nations realize that they had met their equal and neither could be able to definitively defeat and subdue the other. Whatever victories either side might gain, it would only be temporary and the balance would soon shift, reverting the order of things to its previous state. This was due to the vastness of the territories controlled by either side and the diverse array of nations that inhabited those lands, with the people of the western and eastern hemispheres generally being at odds with each other in both culture, tradition and way of life, despite some similarities that proved the differences were merely the result of different contexts. Continuous warfare would offer the people of both nations a tense and scarce existence, with the need to divert most resources towards sustaining military campaigns. As such, the primary means of assuring future prosperity and social development became trade, an emblem of civilization after all. To ensure the stability and security of trade routes, the Iranians and Romans first had to come to terms on a multitude of relating subjects and sign detailed treaties. Ambassadors from both sides were sent to the partner nation where they would be granted residence and the freedom to represent the interests of their nation, while respecting the laws of that land. On more important occasions, high representatives of each nation would visit their commercial partners in their homeland. This type of visit brought Maniya to Rome for a second time, although the first time when the visit was an official one and of such high stature. Following her marriage to the second-oldest son of the King of Kings, almost two years before, Maniya kept her adoptive name of Mahtab and continued to perform the duties that came with being the heir of the House Kurush-Hakhāmanish, the oldest, wealthiest and most prominent Iranian dynasty. Due to her previous knowledge and experience in such matters, as well as being more familiar with the Roman world, mostly because of the tortures she had suffered at their hands - something she kept secret and no longer sought vengeance for, Maniya was allowed by the King of Kings, with the joint approval of the Royal Council, to head the diplomatic mission to Rome. She was the one who made the proposition for such an excursion, in light of recent events. Back when the peace and commerce treaties between Rome and the Iranian Empire had not yet taken a final shape, military confrontations still occurred between the Persian-Parthian military contingents stationed at the western border of the empire and the legions assigned to the neighboring Roman province of Syria. One such confrontation had been delayed by means of foregoing negotiations and then averted altogether when Maniya discovered that the Legatus in charge was someone she was acquainted with, a Roman who had actually saved her life. (Legatus Titus Flavius Virilus) It happened years before, in Britannia, when she was a young woman in her early twenties, travelling the world alone so as to explore it with the eyes of a common individual. There she was mistaken for a Britton rebel, with whom she had sought shelter, and crucified together with all the rebels who had been caught. Titus Flavius Virilus, then a Centurion in rank, took notice of the peculiar looking boy with messy short hair and realized it was in fact a girl. She convinced him that she was not a Britton by addressing him in Greek after she realized that some Britton rebels were also familiar with the Latin tongue. After she was taken down from the cross, barely alive and with severe injuries for which she would find a cure much later and at opposite ends of the known world from where they stood, Maniya was left in the care of some Roman-friendly locals, while Virilus had to move forth and see to his own duties. When Maniya and Virilus became reacquainted, they developed their bond into a lucrative relationship that became the starting point of military collaborations between the two opposing forces. Their combined efforts helped settle the major disputes between the Iranian-friendly and Roman-friendly people of the region, ensuring as much stability as possible. The fruitful outcome of their actions was seen by both Roman and Iranian officials as a solid foundation on which a stable alliance could be built. The final treaty outlining this collaboration was to be signed in Rome, by Maniya, on behalf of the Iranian nation. She had been authorized by the King of Kings and the Royal Council to act as representative and had with her the royal seal. Although the greatest part of the treaty presented the details of joint military engagements, its main purpose was in fact the securing of trade routes and commercial activities carried out between the two nations and their common allies. Military action was one of the means that contributed to the achievement of such end. The Iranian delegation headed by Maniya set on a sea voyage towards Italia, departing from the eastern shores of the Middle Sea, travelling together with Legatus Virilus and a small contingent of soldiers who accompanied him to Rome. The Legatus too, left the eastern lands only temporarily, to assist in the discussions prior to the signing of the treaty, as well as to regroup some of his most trusted soldiers who had served with him in Britannia. Together with Maniya and her entourage, he would then return with the additional unit to supplement the legion left in Syria and also in the company of the new Governor of Syria, bound to replace the one in office, whose proconsulship was at an end. In Italia their vessels docked at Brundisium, a major center of Roman naval power and maritime trade, as well as the chief point of embarkation for Greece and the East. (The Via Appia - white) From there, the convoy comprising of horse-riders, marching soldiers and baggage carts made its way along the Via Appia and only made a one day stop at the family villa outside Capua, inherited by Titus Virilus. Although they had strived to keep a low profile during their march, Magistrate Sextus of Capua had gotten word of their arrival and on the very same day he and his personal escort went to greet the illustrious visitors at the Virilus Villa. His enthusiasm was not met by an equal response as the master of the house, Legatus Virilus, politely but rapidly sent him on his way, telling him that they were in a hurry to march on towards Rome. He did however had to promise the Magistrate that he and the foreign guests, together with the future Governor of Syria, would attend the celebrations that Sextus was eager to organize in their honour. The political prospects the magistrate would be exposed to while mingling with the aristocratic elite partaking in such a gathering were practically boundless. Virilus was well aware of these well-known interests of politicians that were never among his interests, since he had always been a man of war. As such, he dismissed the man with a mildly obscured ironic grin and more or less closed the door in his face. Two weeks later, when they returned from Rome, it so happened that the eager Magistrate was once again there to greet them, this time having arrived at the Legatus' villa well in advance of the property's master himself. Unfortunately for Magistrate Sextus, his enthusiasm was once again dampened by the same ever changing whims of politics that he also sought to embrace more tightly. The future Governor of Syria had not returned with the delegation all the way to Capua. Not too far from the premises of the city he and his own escort had broken away from the convoy with whom he had travelled from Rome and took the road to Neapolis. There he had to attend legal and military matters concerning the legions that either returned from or set sail towards the western territories of the Republic. Further on he was to travel to the city of Baiae, a fashionable Roman seaside resort west of Neapolis and one of the most famous gathering places of the ultra-wealthy aristocrats of the Republic. The city was also notorious for the hedonistic temptations on offer and for rumours of scandal and corruption. Such was the double nature of the aristocracy, though not at all different from aristocracies of other nations: due to their high status they could discreetly engage in all the deeds and pleasures they themselves deemed immoral and punishable before the public they had to control, while very few dared to cast any accusations upon them, even with proof. Nonetheless, Roman learned men, some of whom genuinely adhered to the concept and deeds considered to be moral and decent within Roman society, described the city of Baiae in their writings or orations as being a "vortex of luxury", a "harbor of vice" or a "den of licentiousness and vice". What had made Baiae such a famed resort for the wealthy, aside from its beautiful scenery and the elaborate, luxurious villas like no other in the Republic, built on the very coast and offering a superb view of the sea-side, were the topographical wonders of the city. Baiae was host to an important region for thermo-mineral bathing. Roman engineers had constructed a complex system of chambers that channeled heat beneath the land's surface into bathing facilities that acted as saunas. The baths were used not only for relaxation purposes, but often also as medicinal remedies for various illnesses. The future governor undoubtedly wanted to enjoy such delights once more before he would have to depart from his homeland but most certainly the purpose of his visit had more to do with the men of power he would encounter there, or possibly had set up a meeting there in advance. Either way, because of his political standing no one beneath him in title could question him on his motives and when asking the governor concerning the date of his return, the party who had to wait for him in Capua had no choice but to accept his response along the lines of 'When I return you will see that I have returned'. Magistrate Sextus was the only one who found some joy in the news, hoping he would at least be able to meet the Consul and future Governor in person, upon his arrival, although the man had also instructed Legatus Virilus to be ready to depart immediately after his return. Taking into account the days to be spent on the road and speculating on the affairs the Consul would be attending to, the conclusion was that up to a week would pass before his return. As much as she longed for home, Maniya was not displeased by the news. She would have loved to visit the city of Baiae as well and enjoy its delights but with circumstances being as they were, she had to settle with Capua that also had much to offer, despite lacking the wonders of Baiae. Capua was after all considered to be the second city of Italia, after Rome itself and was famous throughout the Republic and beyond for its bronze artifacts and exquisite perfumes. Maniya was also keen on exploring the city's cultural heritage but the Magistrate's offer, aside from the banquet at his villa to which he promptly invited them before they barely had time to dismount, comprised of a festival of games, organized in their honour, at the newly constructed Games Arena of Capua. These games that so many thrill-seeking Romans were so eager to attend comprised of none other than the renowned gladiatorial matches where slaves of the Republic and on occasions volunteering freedmen or even citizens, fought for coins and for the lives. Maniya was by no means thrilled to see such grotesque displays as she strove to discourage violence and do as much as possible to reduce and if possible, abolish slavery in her homeland, where the notion had far less gruesome connotations than in the west. In the Persian-Parthian Empire slaves were mostly prisoners of war or citizens in debt but their treatment as slaves and the work they did was similar to that of a free citizen employed as a servant. Slaves also received payment for their work, although inferior to that received by a free servant and they could buy their freedom if they were able to raise the needed sum. The life of a slave was by no means pleasant there either, but it was considerably safer and slaves being used as sexual objects occurred only rarely. This was also due to the fact that over there a man could legally have more than one wife at the same time as well as publicly recognized mistresses and in some regions women could also have, legally, more than one husband at the same time. Since she wanted to keep a low profile, upon their arrival Maniya and her entourage, together with the Romans who had returned with them from Rome, bound also to sail towards the east, rode directly to the stables and had yet to meet Magistrate Sextus face to face. Virilus had been the one who conversed with him each time, as was appropriate since he was the master of the villa. After having settled into the chambers they occupied during their stay at the villa, Maniya was informed that the Magistrate, together with his wife and a few more members of his escort were still in the main reception hall, awaiting to greet the foreign guests in person and offer some welcoming gifts they had brought. Seeing that the meeting was impossible to avoid, Maniya went to greet the guests but without making a grand entrance. She approached quietly, from a lateral corridor and without the company of any attendant. (Magistrate Sextus and wife, Aemilia) Magistrate Sextus and his wife, Aemilia, were both sited on a comfortable sofa, conversing and sipping the wine they had been served. Appius, the man who had been administering the Virilus villa for years, in the absence of its master whose military duties kept him away from home, had just parted with the couple with the promise that he would inform the foreign guest of their expecting visitors. 'Your excitement is rather exaggerated, don't you think?' Aemilia whispered to her husband through somewhat gritted teeth that were sustaining a forced smile, just in case. 'The Consul has yet to arrive and until then we must spend coin to entertain these... foreigners, and with what benefit to us?' she concluded with a rather smug grimace. 'I have told you, once cannot expect to gain coin without spending coin first, and unless you want to find the quality markets empty of fine silks and rare jewels, you'd do best to aid in keeping the stream flowing,' the husband instructed. 'And how precisely am I to do that?' the sneering wife retorted. 'By smiling and being a good host. We must make good impression and with that rewards will surely follow. Gifts of their own perhaps, to us, a good word to the Consul and even an invitation maybe, who known,' the Magistrate spoke with revived enthusiasm. 'A visit? Where? To them, in their land?'Aemilia scoffed. 'It is said to be a place of magnificent wealth and unimaginable splendors,' the Magistrate continued with the same enthusiasm. 'Have you not paid attention at the games to how that lanista of lesser note, Vibius I believe, described the place? Some wealth, indeed, but mostly ghastly and with odd people of questionable intent. He should know, his ludus is there and he practically lives there for over six month each year,' Aemilia rapidly replied, showing even more self-content upon expressing the unique knowledge she thought she possessed. 'The ludus of Vibius is in Damascus, in Syria, a different place altogether,' her husband calmly corrected her. 'He says there is nothing but arid land and deserts stretching further east. Is that where this fantastic land of fabulous wealth is supposed to be?' she inquired ironically, once more. 'Merchants and other travelers who ventured there, even scholars of Rome, describe it as such,' replied Sextus. 'So are they supposed to be Syrians of superior quality to those the Republic has subdued?' Aemilia questioned further, never losing the irony in her tone. 'From what I have heard and seen the notion proves difficult to be assumed as truth.' At this point in their conversation Maniya decided to intervene and make her presence known. She had quietly amused herself with the couple's discourse but eventually grew tired of listening to it from the shadows. 'Those you generally call Syrian are nowadays mostly a mixture of Greeks and Arabs. We are Iranian, a different nation in its entirety.' With this unexpected intervention Maniya almost startled the couple whose attention was focused in a different direction, from where they expected the foreigners to appear. Magistrate Sextus was the first to stand up, followed by his wife who seemed to rise only because she knew her husband expected her to. 'Greetings!' the Magistrate spoke with a small, symbolic bowing of his head, a more polite tilt to be precise. 'We were merely speculating, hoping to learn more from our esteemed guests themselves. I assume correctly that you yourself are with the delegation?' He assumed that by the robes she wore, which were evidently not of Roman fashion and neither what he would have expected a woman to wear. Maniya was dressed in a knee-long, black coat of sorts, with long, loose sleeves and golden embroideries along the edges of the sleeves, around the neckline and in a vertical line on the front, on either sides of the buttons that closed the coat. The coat was also tied around the middle by a golden-coloured sash and underneath she wore black trousers and knee-high leather boots. She wore no jewelry aside from a ring on her right hand that bore the insignia of the dynasty she belonged to. But what surprised both Sextus and Aemilia was that the foreign woman looked nothing like they had envisaged. In fact, if dressed in Roman clothing anyone seeing her would assume she was a Roman-born citizen. 'I am. The men and our attendants will join us momentarily,' Maniya replied. 'Splendid!' the Magistrate exclaimed. 'I am looking forward to meeting the honorable Mahtab who has fought alongside our brave Legatus Titus Flavius Virilus to vanquish the enemies that threatened both our nations.' 'It is an honor to meet you as well. I am Mahtab of the House Kurush-Hakhāmanish. Mahtab is a woman's name,' Maniya informed the Magistrate with a mild smirk masked into a polite smile and extended her hand in greeting. 'Ah... apologies, I did not know,' the Magistrate was so taken aback by the revelation that he failed to find the proper words with ease. 'I am Sextus, Magistrate of Capua,' he introduced himself and since the gesture of receiving an extended hand in greeting, as if from a man, confused him, Sextus courteously took her hand in his and kissed it. 'My wife, Aemilia,' he then introduced her as well, with a glance in her direction. 'It is a pleasure to meet you,' she responded on a much tempered voice and with a forced smile to mask her perplexed reaction to what she had learned while watching the conversation unfold. Maniya greeted her with a symbolic bow of her head and a smile. | ~* STARTER 2 The Persian Empire - the City of Alamut 1 week after the Persian invasion of Alamut Following the complicated affair regarding the wrongful invasion of the Holy City of Alamut, and the sudden marriage proposition made by Prince Tus in sign of reconciliation, Princess Tamina requested time to consider the proposition. For the sake of maintaining a peaceful relationship between the two nations, no one on the Persian side could request a quicker reply and risk spoiling the opportunity of subtly bringing Alamut under their sphere of influence and control, without any bloodshed. In the meantime, the King of Kings himself, King Sharaman, had arrived in the Holy City and the princess had several diplomatic encounters with him, expressing her desire of ensuring the safety and prosperity of her people in the new circumstances that would arise following her alliance through marriage. King Sharaman assured her that she would retain her sovereign privileges and duties and like any other city-state allied with the Persian Empire, the people of Alamut would go one with their lives as before and the monarch of Alamut would retain the right of governing its people according to their own rules. The only change would be the recognition of King Sharman as their supreme ruler and the payment of the corresponding monthly tribute. Much had changed in Maniya's life as well, unbelievably much to be precise. One week before, just after the invasion, she had snuck inside the city, on her way back from Hindustan, to meet her childhood friends, Dastan and Bis and now she woke in one of the lavishing guest chambers of the royal palace of Alamut, with the two men she loved, Tus and Garsiv, on either side of her. It was not a dream, but the manifestation in reality of a life-long dream. The people of Alamut had a strong belief in destiny and with all the incredible things that had happened since they arrived in the Holy City, Maniya found it difficult to ignore the proclaimed powers of the mysterious deities worshiped in that city. It seemed as if destiny had brought them all to Alamut to finally put their lives in order and end their emotional suffering. With the overwhelming events off the past few days, Maniya had almost forgotten that she was in a foreign city that would get to keep its independent rule although it will be under the Persian sphere of influence. Now that she would openly assume the leading role of House Kurush-Hakhamanish, her adoptive family, and continue being the leader of the people living under the patronage of her house, Maniya would also have to meet with the princess and her advisors, to discuss political, administrative and military issues. She had spent over a year in Hindustan, covertly gathering information on the many dynasties that constantly fought for land, riches and power in that region and that were potential enemies of the Persian Empire, until proven otherwise. Because of the knowledge she now possessed, her advice was crucial in any courses of action the King decided to take in the region and the support of Princess Tamina was just as crucial, since the Alamutians had century-old relations with the people east of the Hindu River. Political issues aside, there were also personal reasons for becoming acquainted with the princess, who would soon become family, the wife of the young adopted prince whom Maniya affectionately called her son, since she had taken care of him and his best friend when she was a young slave girl and the boys homeless orphans. There had been however a slight incident the previous day, a misunderstanding that Maniya hoped would soon be clarified, as soon as she got the chance to talk to the princess. Overwhelmed with joy because everything that had happened, Maniya rushed to share the news with her life-long friend, Dastan. Their encounter was not different from any of the previous ones, Maniya acting as always like both one of the boys and a fun older sister. Still, the princess, who did not know Maniya nor her relationship with Dastan, had undoubtedly drawn a wrong conclusion when she saw her future husband having a joyful time with his arm around the shoulders of a beautiful woman, who in turn had her arm around his middle. Maniya had drawn her own conclusion of what the Princess must have thought when she spotted her looking at them with a stern and slightly ironic look on her face, before turning around abruptly and walking away without another glance in their direction. At the time Maniya, Dastan, Bis and Roham were being shown though some public areas of the palace by a group of enthusiastic young Alamutians who were eager to receive the foreign guests, once the misunderstandings had been cleared and the Persians began to help the Alamutians in repairing the damages they had caused during the invasions. The day ended with a banquet where the princess conversed mostly with King Sharman and Prince Tus and discreetly avoided Dastan, as well as discussions regarding her reply to the marriage proposal. When Maniya arrived later on, together with Garsiv, coming straight from a meeting with the Persian generals, her eyes met Tamina's once more and she saw the same expression on her face. Garsiv and Maniya did not linger much at the banquet and they left as soon as Tus joined them. Maniya had her arm intertwined with that of her husband to be and as they walked away she felt Tus's hand touching her lower back. She did not turn to search for Tamina's expression, in case she still had her eyes on them, but she nonetheless thought with a smile that it might have been amusing. These thoughts returned to her the morning of the following day when a servant brought word from King Sharaman that she was to have an audience with Princess Tamina to discuss the pending political issues while Prince Tus would accompany him to Hindu-Alexandria, the capital-city of the Harauvatish Satrapy, which bordered Hindustan directly and therefore also the city of Alamut. The meeting was necessary in order to avoid any potential internal conflicts that might have arose as a result of the sudden invasion of Alamut, whom the eastern satraps had long wanted to subdue but were always ordered against it by the King of Kings. 'This should be quite interesting,' she exhaled with a snicker once the servant left, leaning back against the cushioned bench she sat on, in between Tus and Garsiv, as the three dined in the balcony of the guest chamber they were occupying. 'My first talk with my future daughter-in-law,' she added with a chuckle before bringing a dark-red, seedless cherry to her lips, which immediately enveloped it and took it in. Garsiv, who sat on her left side, halfway turned towards her and with his right arm outstretched and resting on the back of the couch she leaned against, watched Maniya closely, the corner of his lips curling up into a smirk when the luscious moves of her lips and fingers made him relive in his mind scenes of the previous night. 'Be sure not to be too much of a shrew as a mother-in-law,' he then said with a muffled chuckle. 'I thought you liked me as a shrew,' she retorted on a seductive tone. 'I love you as a shrew,' Garsiv replied while leaning over to kiss her lips quickly but voluptuously. 'But don't scare the princess ... at least until she gives her answer.' 'I could not possibly wish for her answer to be anything but positive, although it worries me that this girl will have Dastan wrapped around her little finger.' 'You will make sure she does not cross any lines, I am certain,' Tus intervened and put his arm around Maniya's waist in a comforting gesture. She turned to glance at him with an ironical grimace. 'That is unless your six wives combined don't drive me insane,' she retorted, referring to the four wives of Tus and the two wives of Garsiv. The two men laughed in unison, each nodding in approval of what Maniya was saying. 'Then we should have Tamina meet Lida. A few hours with her and the princess will be the one driven to madness,' Tus added on a higher and joyful tone, trying to use amusement to help him cope with the thoughts of his difficult third wife, whom he would have to face soon enough, once they returned to Babylon. 'Or secretly plot to have us all killed and drive the empire to ruin,' Garsiv added sarcastically, with a scoffing grimace that he displayed often enough. This time Tus's smile seemed forced and did little to hide his concern. Garsiv might have spoken in jest but they all knew better, given the trouble that Lida had caused ever since she had approached Tus with an alliance though marriage. At this moment they still knew too little about the Princess of Alamut to be certain of what they could expect. Maniya cast a short glance in Garsiv's direction, her own smile also darkened by concern, then turned towards Tus who was visibly affected by the troubling suppositions. She leaned closer to him, putting one arm around his back and caressing his cheek with the other, then giving him a light kiss. 'Joking aside, I promise you no such thing will happen,' she assured him. 'Be wary when you speak to the princess. We cannot know just yet how well we can trust her,' Tus told Maniya on a much more serious tone. 'I always do that and if there are any secrets she is hiding, I will uncover them. Do not trouble your mind with this, focus only on your meeting with the Suren and secure your coronation.' 'If ever there will be one,' Tus turned his gaze from her, scoffing almost in the same manner as Garsiv, though still showing his own, different character. 'Of course there will be.' With her right hand still around his back, Maniya leaned even closer and placed her left hand on his upper chest, massaging him tenderly. 'The King is just overly concerned with everything that is going on throughout the empire. But the west remains the key to your glory. Drive out the Romans as you did before and make sure they don't return, secure the western border with more stationed troops and ensure the allegiance of Armina, undoubtedly wavering now with the death of Pakur. Once the western conflicts are resolved other issues will be much easier to deal with.' 'The people were on our side when we retook Anatolia, Syria and Iudaea. They will join us again if we march in better armed, better organized and in greater numbers,' Garsiv added, leaning into Maniya and reaching with his arm around her back to place his hand on his brother's shoulder. Maniya turned to greet Garsiv's gesture with a smile and removed her hand from Tus's chest to take Garsiv's free hand in hers. 'My heart throbs at seeing you hacking Romans,' she smirked. 'Just your heart?' he smirked back. 'No ...,' Maniya trailed and gazed at him seductively while bringing his hand to her lips, which then lingered on his flesh for a few moments. Simultaneously, Tus placed his own hand on top of Garsiv's, which continued to grasp his shoulder, thus both acknowledging and returning the gesture of support. Afterwards he moved his hand to gently grasp Maniya's chin and turn her gaze towards him, while at the same time slowly leaning forward. 'Then let us be done with this place and go home,' he half-whispered the last few words as his lips met hers, in a tender and lasting kiss. 'I long to return to Babylon,' Maniya whispered back. 'But first we have the Kushan to deal with here.' 'Barbaric cave-dweller, we'll scatter them like weeds,' Garsiv exclaimed with confidence, on his usual high tone, though at the same time he placed a rather tender kiss on Maniya's upper neck, just below her earlobe. Their tender moments lasted only a short while longer, until the servant returned, at King Sharaman's command, to urge Prince Tus to hasten his departure. The three of them left the room together and after escorting Tus to his entourage Garsiv went to find Dastan and Maniya asked one of the Alamutian guards to show her the way to the hall where she was to meet with the Princess. Once there she was told to wait in front of two tall and beautifully engraved but closed doors. It was not a burden however because Maniya soon found herself mesmerized by the carvings that adorned the stone walls. There were also writings among the engravings, the language being that of the land and one of her favorite, Sanskrit. She smiled when she saw her name written on the wall, although it was a mere coincidence, since in Sanskrit it translated as "glass bead". Maniya had known this for a long time and the detail was part of the very complex path that she thought to be her destiny. Noticing this on the wall immediately made her look down to the string of glass beads she wore like a bracelet wrapped around her right hand, the string that Tus had given her years back, when they were young. Her mind kept jumping from one detail to the other and since the glass beads that always made her remember Tus, when they came into view she inevitably started replaying the events of the past few days in her mind, still unable to fully believe that it was all real. | ~* STARTER 3 The Persian Empire - the Makai Desert After marriage, only Maniya's social position and degree of public exposure had changed, while her habits and desires remained the same. Although Maniya had found emotional fulfillment in her new life, marriage also did not ease her responsibilities towards her adoptive family and the people under their patronage, nor did she want them eased. Now more than ever she had every means at her disposal to ensure, among other things, the efficient training of the men who were compelled to come to arms when called by the lords they served, who in turn had sworn their allegiance to the House Kurush-Hakhamanish, Maniya's adoptive family. Other responsibilities included making sure the peace was kept in various regions under her patronage, by the people appointed for these tasks. When needed, she and the soldiers under her direct command, which formed a small army in effect, would march towards the conflict areas and intervene personally to solve them. Such was the case when hordes of bandits, mostly escaped prisoners or vile, lawless criminals who had never been captured, began to rage havoc on the scattered settlements of the southern region of the Maka Satrapy. This region was covered mostly by the Makai (Greek: Gedrosian) Desert, where human settlements could only be built around the few scattered oases. Because of the environment they could not be large or thoroughly defended, making them an easy target for the desert bandits. They even took over some of the smaller settlements that were not near any major travelling routes. The entire satrapy of Maka was in fact a dry, mountainous region and aside from the few larger cities and the dispersed oases, small towns and settlements had been established on the coast as well. In that area, sea-bandits or pirates had also become notorious by frequently attacking trade ships, especially those sailing to or from Hindustan (India). The Makai Desert was one of the largest barren regions of the empire and one of the least populated, as well as one of the most dangerous, primarily because of the harsh environment, and only in smaller proportions because of the bandits. Crossing this desert was a battle in itself and a most arduous one at that, so much so that many brave warriors of the past had made a goal of it, which, if achieved would have been a great victory in itself. The most notable of them had been the legendary Assyrian Queen Shamiram (Greek: Semiramis), King Kurush (Greek: Cyrus), the founder of the First Persian Empire and the most famous Macedonian King, Iskandar (Greek: Alexander), all of them trying to succeed where the other had failed in the past. All three had marched straight into the desert with a large army and barely made it to the other end with only a handful of soldiers. The others, together with the animals and the carts that had to be abandoned, all fell prey to the merciless desert. Since the days of Iskandar, almost three centuries later, significant progress had been made to chart the approximate parameters of the desert and identify the areas that had to be avoided at all costs, together with those that proved to be significantly more hospitable, in comparison. The guides who accompanied Maniya's convoy were also versed in the art of finding their direction by the stars at night and by the sun in day-time, the same as sailors, and did not rely solely on landscape marks that were easily obliterated by the blown and drifting sand. In most areas there was nothing in the vast and featureless desert to determine what course one should take - no trees, as elsewhere, by the roadside, no hills of solid earth rising from the sand. Still, there were ever-present hardships that could not be avoided such as the blazing heat and burning, sun-baked sand. In some areas there were only lofty hills of sand - loose, deep sand, into which one sank as if it were mud or untrodden snow and sources of water, aside from the few known oases, were very scarce. Even with guides, it was still more or less marching into the unknown, especially when it came to finding water sources, which were not permanent. Almost on a constant basis, old water sources dried up and new ones emerged or were formed by streams flowing from the rocky mountains bordering the desert. In the Makai regions, the same as in the neighboring Hindustan, there were certain periods each year when it rained heavily. Rain fell not on the plains but on the mountains and the otherwise small streams could grow into overwhelming torrents able to sweep away everything in their path. Maniya and her troops were actually fortunate to not have been compelled to venture into the desert during such a period, when water in abundance was a curse instead of a blessing. Iskandar himself had met such a misfortune when his camp had been swept away during the night by the powerful torrents of an overflowing stream. In pursuit of the bandits who had now mustered into a small army, though with the expected lack of structure and discipline, Maniya marched her troops along the outer rims of the perilous desert, heeding the instructions of the trained guides. Given the conditions, their own discipline during the march was difficult to maintain but still they went forth, following the trails left by the bandits, as few as there could be in the desert, such as lost object that had not been completely engulfed by the sea of sand. One afternoon, after several days of travel, a scout ridding ahead broke away from the small party he was with and galloped back with speed to deliver urgent news to the commander. 'Mahtab Banu (Lady Mahtab), a small village up ahead, appears to have been sacked not long ago, a few days maybe,' the scout informed, slightly panting, mostly due to the pressing burden of the waves of heat that fell upon them. The blinding sun was almost halfway along its descending course and still it shone as powerfully as it had earlier in the day. 'Any survivors?' Maniya brought her mare to a halt upon noticing the approaching scout and raised her right hand to signal the riders behind her to do the same. 'Unlikely, but we are yet too far to be certain. Anyone who survived the raid had to hide well and they are most certainly still there.' 'Call the others back. We will regroup and advance in formation. We cannot rule out the possibility of this being some sort of trap.' 'Yes, lady,' the man complied with a swift bowing of his head and simultaneously stirred his horse to change course and ride off back from where they had come. 'Tiran�s,' Maniya called her bodyguard who also served as her second-in-command in this expedition. 'Have the archers form a line of three groups in a half circle covering the perimeter around the village from where we stand. We will advance separately through the two openings.' Having advanced with his own mount so as to stand next to Maniya's, the seasoned warrior with the demeanor of an all-knowing hermit, was, as usual, not quick to form words, offering instead a prolonged stare. It was a look resembling those given by masters to students or by parents to children when they expect them to acknowledge their error. Here the problem was not the advance strategy proposed by Maniya but her intention to march alone, of which Tiran�s was certain even if she had not voiced it plainly. She did not have to, he knew her long enough to predict her intentions. 'You disagree?' Maniya questioned following a brief silence whose meaning was not unknown to her, but still she chose to purposely ignore it. 'Only with your intention of having me lead the other group instead of riding by your side.' 'We cannot keep arguing about this. If I appoint you for something important it is because I trust you above all others.' 'The only thing important to me is your safety,' Tiran�s responded with the severity of a dutiful protector. 'I swore to you and your honorable mother to always defend your life with my own if needed and now I also swore it to the King of Kings himself. Such an oath, I cannot break.' Uncustomary for Maniya, her silent reply was one of compliance. A small smile spread her lips when King Sharaman was mentioned, her husband's father. The notion of having a husband was still new to her, especially since he was the man she thought she could never have, and she often found herself in need of being reminded that her life was now completely different, though apparently the same. The difference lay only in her emotions and the way she perceived her purpose in life. In the past her own survival held little meaning, only achieving the goal mattered and now, as strange as it may sound, she had to learn what it meant to care for herself, how to achieve a goal without sacrificing her life in the process. 'I understand. This is still new to me.' The smiled lingered on her lips and following a short glance in the distance ahead, she scanned the mounted men behind from the corner of her eye before returning her attention to Tiran�s. 'Have Arash lead the second advance party then.' With Tiran�s ridding beside her, Maniya led one of the advance parties, simultaneously with that led by Arash, down the mildly steep sand and rock walls of the small valley, home to the ravaged village. In those lands, what was commonly referred to as village were in fact tent settlements raised along oases. Most communities were of pastoral nomads, sometimes also mixed with tribes of hunters. The village stood desert and even the remains of tents were torn and scattered. Desert winds had already set a thick blanket of bright-yellow sand over the remains, yet still proved inefficient in obscuring the most terrible of remains, those that once had life. Had it not been for the layer of sand, the grounds would have been no different than those of a battlefield. There could not have been more than fifty people in the settlement, yet the massacre looked like that of thousands when they were all but piles of butchered corpses, some even with limbs and ruptured flesh or bone far from where their bodies lay. If the pools of blood had been absorbed or partially covered by sand, nothing could mask the horrid stench of rotting flesh, which the heat only made stronger. The sight became clear to Maniya once they had marched halfway towards their destination. At that point she stopped and ordered the other party to do so as well. A soldier behind her, following her command, cried out the order to the group led by Arash. It appeared that the unfortunate souls were denied peace even in death. There was one vicious predator spread over them in great numbers. With another hand signal Maniya had the soldier behind her deliver another order. This time the man raised a flag whose purpose was to have the archers back on the hill take position and stand ready to fire. The soldier with a similar duty in Arash's party did the same and at Maniya's command they signaled the archers to release their arrows. Many of the sharp missiles hit their target, impaling the hungry vultures to the corpses whose flesh they were tearing, while the rest caused the other birds of prey to swarm off in haste. The sight, though now less darkened by the cloud of birds, was in no way more southing. The parties went on further down and stopped just in front of the main scene of the massacre. Here Maniya dismounted and Tiran�s followed. Other soldiers did as well, while the remaining mounted ones were ordered to ride along the edge of the settlement and further scan the surroundings. Once, such a sight would have scarred or shocked Maniya but that was a time long passed. Circumstances had forced her to expect anything at any time and always keep a straight face and a focused mind. As such, upon seeing the bodies up close she only sighed and shook her head before scanning the environment and doing a quick, visual assessment of the former conflict zone. 'Where do you think survivors could have hid to escape this?' she questioned Tiran�s as they both advanced through the corpses, one carefully placed step after another. 'There do not seem to be any such places,' he responded, yet squirted his eyes once more to prevent the wind-blown sand from entering his eyes while attempting to find in the distance areas he might have overlooked. A sand-storm had once again started, mild by comparison to what that desert often gifted its guests with but still dense enough to partially obscure sight from reaching too far into the distance. 'Perhaps over there,' he pointed to a stain of darker colour amidst the sand, far enough from where they stood, among a patch of desert vegetation and a semi-circle of palm-trees on the other side of the pool of now bloodied, water around which the oasis had formed. 'It might be a tent still standing.' 'Let us go see until this sand breeze turns into a full storm. We might as well be forced to take shelter here.' The commander and her bodyguard encircled the water and hurried to investigate the remains of one of the largest tents, some of its vertical supporting beams still standing and holding in place the fabric that served as walls and roof. The curtain which had been a makeshift door looked as if it had been torn from its upper support in a brutish attempt to pull it aside. Only its left corner was still attached and the rest of the worn-out fabric was fluttering in the wind. Maniya left it as it was and only pushed it aside to step inside the tent. 'No bodies,' she commented, somewhat surprised by the clean sight. 'Those who took shelter here were dragged out to be taken or killed in front of the others,' Tiran�s pointed to some randomly thrown or shattered belongings and the remains of jewelry ripped apart, all indicating a struggle. 'Mahtab Banu,' Arash announced his presence when he too stepped inside not long after Maniya and Tiran�s. 'I have retrieved your weapon,' he explained his rather hasty arrival and extended to Maniya the sai he had come across. She was about to question him on the nature of his find when her eyes met a replica of one of the dual impaling weapons she wielded. It was not a common weapon and its discovery spurred her curiosity. 'It is not mine. I have both with me,' she replied, pressing her right hand against the two weapons hanging from a belt by her left hip, in place of a sword. Still, she reached forward and took the weapon from Arash's hands and examined the design of the hilt, different from hers. 'Where did you find this?' 'Impaled in a corpse. It delivered a fatal blow,' Arash formed a new opinion after discovering it was not Maniya's weapon, while before he had been confused to discover her weapon in a long dead body. 'Show me where you found it.' At the place in question nothing else out of the ordinary caught Maniya's eyes, not even the twin of the sai found by Arash. Not willing to give up on discovering the mystery of the one sai, Maniya ordered the two men to look for its pair while she ventured further, driven by an unknown impulse that told her there was more to be found there. Beyond the borders of the oasis, where only two or three solitary corpses lay almost completely covered by the sea of sand, a sudden brightness shone from amidst one of such sandy mounds. Maniya recognized it as the reflection of the sun upon metal, most certainly the polished surface of a weapon. Disregarding the shouts of Tiran�s who urged her not to rush forward into open, empty terrain, Maniya did precisely that and struggled through the treacherous sand as if through tall snow to reach the place from where the light had come. Its source had been indeed a weapon and none other than the twin sai she was searching for. Clutching its hilt, a female hand by the looks of it stretched from beneath a lifeless male body, barely visible from beneath the sand covering it. 'Help me push this body,' she called to Tiran�s, once she saw him approach. When he reached her, Maniya had already brushed off most of the sand on top and began to roll the heavier body off that of the woman beneath. 'There is a woman's body beneath.' 'The sai was hers,' Tiran�s noticed the other sai in the woman's hand. 'Pull the woman from underneath when I lift the body,' he then instructed and Maniya complied. For Tiran�s, lifting the dead body was far from difficult. He could have thrown him aside with one hand but used both so as not to accidentally bring more harm to the woman beneath, in the slim chance that she was still alive. When the body was lifted, Maniya moved to grab the shoulders of the woman lying on her stomach and pull her out. 'A Saka woman?' Tiran�s inquired after having thrown the male body aside. Judging from her yellow hair and her foreign-looking attire, his first assumption was that she might have hailed from a northern steppe tribe, generally referred to as Saka by the Persians and Scythians by the Greeks. 'It would explain the sais, but it is no certainty. The drawing on her back is a motif common in the far east, where the sais also originate. It might be that she visited the same distant lands I have and maybe even beyond,' Maniya reflected upon seeing the large, colourful dragon painted on the woman's back. 'It is not safe to linger here. If you desire it, we can take the body and give at least this woman a proper burial. There is no time for the others.' Maniya then proceeded to inspect her for signs of life and found her breathing, though faintly and with a slow beating of the heart. 'She is alive!' The enthusiastic reaction took her as well by surprise, although it was a natural reaction to have when finding life among so much death. 'We must take her back to the tent. She is between life and death, her wounds have gone untreated for too long.' Aside from the harshness with which the sun had treated her body, leaving burns and even mild blisters, there was also slight bleeding from cuts evidently received in combat, although none too deep. A most severe wound was on the right side of her forehead, from where blood had flowed across the side of her face. Tiran�s understood the order and took the woman in his arms to carry her back to the tent. Maniya had taken the other sai and could not help admiring the twin pair on the way back, glancing from time to time to her hip to compare them with her own. They returned to the tent they visited earlier and placed the injured, unconscious woman on a pile of blankets that served as a bed. 'We will take shelter here for the night and set off early in the morning. The guides say we could reach the canyon by nightfall. Bring the physician from Harauvatish (Greek: Arakhosia) to tend to this woman and have the men dispose of the bodies outside, before the storm gets worse.' The man complied with a nod and left Maniya to tend to the woman before the physician arrived. She placed the blonde woman's sais next to the improvised bed she had been laid on and began to look around the tent for any items that might be of use. To begin with, water was needed and she was fortunate to discover a small waterskin still half full. She used half of what was left to soak a piece of cloth and with it she proceeded to wipe off the dirt and dried blood off the woman's face and arms. Special attention was paid to open wounds, which were carefully cleaned and prepared to be treated with medicine by the physician. It wasn't long before the physician arrived, one of the few women taking part in the expedition. Already informed about her task, the woman only bowed her head to Maniya upon entering and went forth to where she was needed. A boy, her son and apprentice, came after her, carrying the required supplies. 'It will take time for her to awaken, days, maybe weeks. I would have to remain by her side, should there be complications,' the female physician informed Maniya. 'Do so. We will be taking shelter here for the night but tomorrow we move on. Perhaps, by some miracle she will awaken, if not, we will move her with a stretcher or some improvisation.' 'As you command, Mahtab Banu. In the meantime, I shall do my very best to bring forth that miracle,' the spirited woman assured her with a confident smile. 'I have every confidence you will,' Maniya returned her smile, knowing well that the woman's words were not in vain. She had proven her skills many times before. After one more glance at the blonde woman and her sais, Maniya left the tent to go find her mare, Devi. No doubt she had already been taken care by a soldier or another attendant but Maniya preferred to tend to her personally. Devi was not just an animal or nothing more than a means of transportation, she was a longtime companion. While tending to Devi, whom she found near the water, together with the other horses, Maniya was approached by Arash. 'Has something happened?' she inquired. 'Nothing worrisome, Mahtab Banu, but we did find something we thought might interest you. Close to where you found the injured woman there was a dead horse beneath the sand. It might have been hers. The bags strapped to the saddle were full of written scrolls, Greek writing. I had them brought to your tent.' 'Thank you, Arash. Quite an interesting find.' The unexpected announcement came as a pleasant surprise that made Maniya eager to unfold the scrolls and uncover the mysteries. 'It seems we may discover much about my sai-wielding comrade before she even awakens,' she exclaimed with some enthusiasm, turning towards Tiran�s, who was tending his own horse close enough to hear what Arash had said. 'If they're even about her,' he commented plainly. 'They appeared as accounts of journeys, but I did not linger on them to be certain.' 'Now you have made me even more curious,' she replied to Arash's comment with a smile. 'Let us be done here and go uncover these new found mysteries. But, crucial matters first. Arash, once the men have set up camp here make an assessment of where we stand - casualties, wounded, supplies and report back to me by nightfall.' Later in the evening, after a fairly optimistic assessment report presented by Arash, Maniya had freed herself from her light armour and unbraided her long hair to brush off the sand, then sited herself within the larger tent, close to the wounded woman. The recovered parchments were spread around her and Maniya unfolded each in turn to see if they were numbered or if any order for their succession could be established, perhaps after the chronology of the written accounts. However, such an ordering was difficult to establish so Maniya lingered on a parchment that caught her attention due to the mentioning of Hindustan. The following parchment she picked up described, as she had assumed earlier, a journey to the far eastern lands.

Several weeks had passed since the Spring Party which was definitely nothing like she had expected. After having spoken with Koufu, Leia had taken a reprieve from the activities, taking refuge sitting atop her ship and watching the sun set peacefully. She had left not long after, not having said a word to anyone as they all appeared to be caught up in their own festivities which she did not feel like intruding upon. She did, however, sent a holocomm to Droid Lord, thanking him for inviting her and informing her that she would take him up on his offer to stay at the coordinates he had provided for a house. The house felt vaguely familiar, giving Leia goosebumps. In part, it was the pictures Droid and Akasha had shown her, but there was more to it. While the place looked immaculate, she couldn't help but shake like life and death had occurred here. What had happened? Night after night, she was tormented and plagued by nightmares. It would start with some great storm in the distance that always drew nearer, no matter where she went. And the storm brought a tremendous wave; a wave that rose higher and higher before it would come crushing down, washing over and through her. And somewhere in it all, were the twins, untouched and unharmed even as Leia herself perished in the wake of the storm. Each and every night, she would wake gasping for air, drenched in sweat...the remnants of her dream as delicate as cobwebs, quickly fading from her conscious mind. As the unknown haunted her and exhaustion set in, Leia was forced to pack up and leave the house she had once occupied. Remembering her conversation with Koufu, she set a course for Coruscant to better acquaint herself with one of the few that remained of her lineage. Taking up residence in one of the Temple's guest suites, the former Princess of Alderaan set about sending a message to Koufu. Koufu, I hope that in the weeks since the Party you have kept well. The twins and I have taken up a temporary residence on Coruscant and I would like to keep my word. If you are still interested in and wish to become better acquainted, you need only think of me. May the Force be with you.Leia Retiring for the night, she promptly had a deep and restful sleep, undisturbed by storms, waves, and death.

1. I am not Jason David Frank nor do I claim to be. Like you all I am a roleplayer.2. No godmodding, autoing, or controlling my character. I dislike godmodding as much as anyone else. I would never control yourcharacter, so I would personally like to have be shown the same courtesy I give to you. 3. If Tommy is in a relationship, then he will not cheat. That's a promise. I won't cheat on the person I have an rp relationship with, because my Tommy is a very committed person.4. I have many pages, so I'm always bouncing on or off. So if you expect a reply, be patient, eventually I will get back to you. If you wish to discuss storylines/or connection, I'd be happy to comply. 5. Please don't attempt to kill off my character without my consent. If you do that, rest assured you will be deleted off my list. If you wish to try and kill off my character, we can discuss that in a message and see if we can cross that bridge. 6. Out of Character Drama is absolutely discouraged. If you cause drama, curse at someone or at my friends, you're off my page. If all you wanna do is whine and cuss, do it somewhere else. I don't tolerate fighting/conflict. RP drama is all good though. 7. I am fine with either para/multa roleplaying, and accept one-liners. I only require literacy. I don't wanna see someone using text talk. It's just kind of crazy. Novella is, however, something I cannot do. 8. I play any type of Tommy, whether it be from the MMPR era, The Zeo Era, early Turbo era, or the DT era. 9. Hope we all have fun roleplaying.

1. I am not Jason Lee Scott, or the actor that acted as Jason in the show. I am merely the rper who rps as Jason, and Jason's copyrights and such belongs to the creators of Power Rangers.2. The rping length that I do is from para to multi-para. One-liners are fine, as long as they are interesting and worth replying back. Novella are something that I can't do, due to amount of time and writing a lot of paragraphs. 3. The whole 'you add, you talk' rule is something that I won't do. So, with that being said, I don't care who send the first message/comment, as long as we talk, I am fine with that, regardless of who add the other.4. Rp relationships are meant to stay in Rp  I don't want anyone start taking it serious and think that we are a couple in real life. I had to deal with that in the past, and I don't want to deal with that now.5. Drama are best meant to be left alone. In other words, unless you are one of my closest friends on here, or someone that I trust, don't tell me what your drama of the week/day/month.  I don't bring my dramas to strangers, and I expect those that I don't know to do the same.6. My rule about grammar is about the same as everyone else. I am not some grammar nazi that I want everyone to make their grammar prefect, but I do want to understand what you are talking about, as I try to improve my grammar as well.I will update my rules later.

The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 160,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two years. The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits. Senators are limited to two four-year terms, and representatives to four two-year terms; a total of 8 years for members of both houses. The General Assembly meets at the State Capitol in Jefferson City. Qualifications Members of the House of Representatives must be 24 years of age to be elected. Representatives also must be a qualified Missouri voter for two years, and a resident of the county or district of their constituency for one year. Senators must be 30 years of age, a qualified Missouri voter for three years, and similar to House qualifications, must be a resident of their senatorial constituency for one year prior to their election. Sessions and quorum According to Article III, Section 20 of the Missouri Constitution, the General Assembly must convene on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January following the state general election. The General Assembly may provide by law for the introduction of bills during the period between the first day of December and the first Wednesday after the first Monday of January. Regular sessions continue until the legislature's adjournment at midnight on May 30. Neither the House nor Senate, without the consent of the other chamber, adjourn for more than ten days at any one time, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses may be sitting. As a part-time legislature, compensation is low with the General Assembly, and most senators and representatives hold jobs outside their legislative duties. Law makers are paid $31,351 per legislative year.

Rule 91. Every senator who is within the bar of the senate when a question is put shall assume his or her seat, and shall vote when his or her name is called unless the senate, for special reasons, excuses him or her. All motions to excuse a senator from voting shall be made before the senate divides, or before the call for yeas and nays is commenced. In taking the yeas and nays, each senator shall declare distinctly his or her vote yea or nay. In the event a senator within the chamber refuses to cast his or her vote, then, at the direction of the president, he or she shall be removed from the chamber and such action noted in the Journal. Rule 92. When a question has once been decided by a vote of the senate, any senator voting on that side which prevails may move for a reconsideration of the vote at any time within three legislative days, excluding legislative days wherein the roll is not called, after the day on which the vote was had, except votes ordering bills printed as perfected, which may be reconsidered at any time before third reading of such bills. When a motion is made to reconsider the vote by which a bill failed of perfection, the presiding officer shall briefly state the nature of the bill and, thereupon, the vote on the motion to reconsider shall be immediately taken without interrogation or debate. All motions to reconsider shall be decided by a majority vote of the senators elected. Only one motion to reconsider shall be allowed on any question. Rule 93. Any senator voting in the minority on any subject, and protesting against the vote of the senate, may have his or her protest entered on the Journal, if the tenor and language of the protest would have been admissible in the discussion of the subject. Miscellaneous Rule 94. No person except members of the house of representatives, fomer members of the senate, the governor, the secretary of state, the state auditor, the state treasurer, judges of the supreme court, courts of appeals or circuit courts, attorney general and the congress, shall be admitted within the senate chamber during the sitting of the senate, unless invited by the senate; except that the seats at the north and south ends of the senate chamber may be reserved for spouses and families of members of the senate, and other persons may be admitted to the senate chamber on special request of any senator when the senate is in session. Access to the third floor rear gallery shall be limited to senators during the hours in which the senate is engaged in floor session. Any use of the gallery when the senate is not in session must be approved by the Chairman of the Committee on Administration. Rule 95. No senator shall absent himself or herself from the session of the senate unless he or she has leave or is sick or unable to attend. A member who is absent from the chamber for attendance at a standing committee meeting, or a conference committee meeting shall be shown as absent with leave (committee). It shall be the responsibility of the member to advise the secretary of the senate of his or her attendance at such committee meeting. Rule 96. 1. Laptop computers may be used by the press at the press table and by the research staff at the research table in the Senate Chamber as long as their use does not violate Rule 78 or is otherwise disruptive to the business of the Senate. No person shall take any photograph in the Senate Gallery. Persons with cameras, flash cameras, lights, or other paraphernalia may be allowed to use such devices at committee meetings with the permission of the Chairman as long as they do not prove disruptive to the decorum of the committee. Smoking is not permissible in the Senate Chamber or Gallery, the Kirchoff Gallery, the Pershing Gallery, the Bingham Gallery, committee rooms, lounge, the hallways, restrooms or elevators. 2. For the purpose of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the President Pro Tem may designate a portion of the Senate Chamber as handicap accessible and such areas shall not be considered a part of the floor of the Senate for the purposes of section 21.420, RSMo. Persons using such area shall not lobby members of the Senate while going to and from or while using the designated area. Rule 97. In cases not provided for in these rules, the senate shall be governed by the rules laid down in the practice and procedures adopted by the Senate of the United States and Jefferson's Manual, including the U.S. Senate practice that a substitute amendment to a first degree amendment is subject to a second degree perfecting amendment. Rule 98. No standing rule or order of the senate shall be rescinded or changed without one day's notice being given of the motion thereof, which notice shall be printed in the journal of the senate, and then only by a vote of at least a majority of the senators elected; except that any rule, including this rule, may be suspended for a special purpose, stated in the motion to suspend, by a vote of a two-thirds majority of the members elected to the senate, and such rule shall remain suspended only until the senate proceeds to the consideration of business other than that for which the rule was suspended. Upon one day's notice of the proposed rule change having been given, the senate resolution adopting such rule change shall not be assigned to a committee without consent of the sponsoring senator and shall be in order to be considered by the senate at any day or time thereafter upon motion of the sponsor during the order of business of Resolutions. Rule 99. No senator shall be permitted to interrupt a roll call and no senator shall be allowed to change his or her vote after a verification is requested by any senator, or after the final vote is announced. When verification is requested, any senator within the chamber who has not voted shall vote prior to the verification of the roll. Rule 100. A roll call vote of the senate shall be taken upon any question at the request of five senators. Rule 101. All senate committees shall meet on call of the chairman and the regular meetings of the committees shall be held at the times and places designated by the Committee on Administration. Rule 102. Public introduction of guests shall not be allowed in the Senate Chamber during the last ten calendar days of the session. At other times, the introduction of guests shall be the order of business at the beginning of each daily meeting of the Senate and immediately prior to daily adjournment.