[1000 Hours, M/FRG Phoenix, Flight Deck, Many Years Ago]

The flight deck was nearly deserted. A wide assortment of ships were parked in rows along the edges of the runway, and the big hangar doors were closed. Racks lined the ceiling where TIEs would be stored in any other warship, but this vessel was designated for retirees. Some higher ranking officers had their own ships which, more often than not, were parked in this hangar once when they arrived and never flown again. The ship's compliment of TIE Interceptors and Bombers had been ransacked by the Fleet Commander more than once to resupply the Sovereign, Intrepid, and other ships that had suffered losses in combat. This ship, however, was doomed to wait in the back where it was safe. The mere thought of it made Firebird scowl.

Risking a quick glance to each side, the Colonel walked purposefully onto the deck. His eyes searched the TIE racks first, simply out of habit. They came to rest on the hull of a TIE Defender in the very farthest rack at the opposite end of the hangar. It was a thing of beauty. The hyperdrive capable craft would be more than adequate. The old pilot strode toward the hangar controls with strong, confident steps - if you act like you belong, most people will believe that you do.

Slipping a hand into his pocket, Firebird retrieved an encryption key fob. It was a copy he had made during his brief tenure as assistant to the Reconnaissance Officer.

"Alright Joe you bastard, don't fail me now," he whispered under his breath as he plugged it into the console.

The deck controls came to life before his eyes. The screen read "Welcome, Fleet Admiral Joe."

Firebird punched in the commands to release the TIE Defender from its rack, and open the hangar bay doors. Fitting his helmet on his head, he started to jog towards the machine as it lowered to the deck. Once the pressure dropped and that bay door opened, he was home free. Nobody could come in without a pressure suit, and it would take at least a few minutes to seal it back up and pressurize the room.

An impact tore the Colonel's left knee out from under him. The old man fell to the metal deck just a few feet from the TIE, which had lowered enough now that he could almost reach out and touch it. His head whipped around to see what had hit him. A five man security detail moved in to surround him. Their blasters were leveled at his nose. The lead man carried a crowbar, the end of which was now stained red and dripping through the metal grating.

"Just where do you think you're going, Admiral? We've been looking for you."

---

Thanks again for putting up with my wild ramblings about Scion's past. Hopefully it's enjoyable to read. Any comments or questions are welcome. :)

We have a huge competition coming up in January! The Rite of Supremacy is almost as big of a deal as the Great Jedi War, but it will take a different format this time so people don't get so burned out. If you participate in nothing else this winter, please try to make time and do something for the RoS next month! We need to pull out all the stops and show the rest of the Brotherhood that we're not the sixth Clan out of six.

The major difference between the RoS and the GJW is that it is a single elimination ladder tournament. That means that each week, each Clan will go up against one (and only one) other Clan. A Clan that loses against their opponent for the week is knocked out of the tournament entirely. In order to win, a Clan must go undefeated.

One other difference is that we get to pick and choose the events we participate in, to some degree. Instead of every event being open to anybody to participate in, like the GJW, we will get to focus on particular events each week. That should help reduce the burnout and stress levels for everyone because you will be able to focus and do your best on a few events rather than having to try and submit something to every event. The hope is also that more than the GJW, events will be judged on quality, not quantity.

Everyone needs to participate. Everyone can make a difference in this. Be sure to ask for help if you need it - that's why you're part of a House and a Clan. We're all in this together, and together we can succeed.

The Rite of Supremacy begins January 2nd. Get ready.

---

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly congratulate Severon Vercingetorix and Nichos Rhade. They have worked very hard, and been promoted to Dark Jedi Knight and Jedi Hunter, respectively. Way to go, guys! As with any promotion, a new rank is not merely a reward for work that you have already done, but also a commitment to continued service and excellence.

Earning the rank of Dark Jedi Knight is a great honor. To a journeyman it may seem like the end of the road: it is what you have been working towards, often for well over a year. Even now that the path is more clearly defined (we didn't always have a handy list of promotion requirements, you know) it is still arduous and long. Earning the rank still requires that you earn the trust and respect of your House and Clan. In many ways, however, it is just the beginning.

After reaching Dark Jedi Knight it is up to you to blaze your own trail. You must decide for yourself what you can do for the Brotherhood, and what role you will play now that you have completed your training. What will you do with it now that you have it?

---

Now, for the regular reminders:

Competition Participation: When you participate in something, don't forget to let me know so you get credit for it! You may either CC me when you submit your entry, or just send me a quick note saying you participated. If it's a Clan competition that I might be participating in too, I'd appreciate if you did not include me on your actual submission... that way I can still participate! ;)

Competition Ideas: Got an idea for a competition? Anybody can run one, and anybody can suggest ideas. Just run it past me and we'll make it happen.

Apprentices: All you have to do for your promotion to Novice is... anything. Get on the IRC channel, participate in a competition, register for the forums, or just about anything else. If you have questions or if you have already done one of these things and you think nobody noticed, send me a quick email and let me know. In particular, I don't get automatically notified if you register on the forums or you go on IRC while I'm not around.

Everyone Else: The promotion requirements are listed on the Wiki (the URL is below). If you want a copy of your current activity record, or if you aren't sure which requirements you have completed and which you have not, all you need to do is ask. Severon, Apollo and myself all have access to the records and we will all be happy to help you figure out your path to your next promotion.

Promotion Requirements: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/wiki/index.php?title=Promotion_Requirements

Website: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com IRC: undernet.org in #db and #tarentum Forum: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/forum/ Wiki: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

In Darkness, Scion Altera

SW Scion "Firebird" Altera (Sith)/QUA/Gladius of Tarentum [ACC: TRN] GC / AC / Cr-2S-6E / SoL / S:-6U

{SA: DML - DSLC} True Gladian Brevet Commodore, Tarentum Navy Captain, MJHC Corsair