The light of his saber being his beacon, Liu stepped into one of the deepest chambers of the Vault. The great artifacts of the dark side shone before him with a sinister luster, and he smiled proudly as he surveyed them. Treasure for the taking. Items to glance at, to study, to learn from. He was one step closer to completing his task, and it made the blood pound loudly in his head.

That is, until the pounding of footsteps overcame the pounding in his own skull.

"I think it's time to end your little tour, Jedi," Taigikori's calm voice drifted into the room. With those words, red light erupted from his lightsaber, weaving a pattern of color over Liu's stoic visage. The Jedi looked quite amused.

"I'm surprised you reacted so quickly," he said. "I guess I can't always sneak my way into places like this."

"What do you want?"

"Simple," Liu replied. "I want knowledge. Enough of it to do away with your corrupted leader. To do away with every soul you've contaminated in this Academy."

"What would you know about knowledge," Taigikori growled, "if you are too blind to know where to look for it?"

Soft, nearly pleasant laughter burst from Liu's lips as he perused the Headmaster. "Always a shame how you try to defend your heinous actions. But I can sense your fears, your anxieties...your wife...she could be redeemed, couldn't she?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I'm sure she's thought about the suffering her family has caused," Liu continued somberly. "And the child...yes, a child to save. Pity that you, as a father, don't put your son's life and safety first..."

"Enough!" Taigikori roared, and he swooped in with a scream upon Liu, saber spinning in his hand. Liu deftly parried the blow, letting the hilt snap back and forth against his palm. As Taigikori caught the tip of Liu's blade against his, strength flowed through him, his knowledge of Vaapad never dissipating.

Liu did not move as swiftly as Taigikori did - knowledge in Makashi and Soresu had served the Dark Jedi well in defense - but he harnessed a great deal of strength. Although Taigikori moved quickly, each clash with the Jedi felt like a brutal shove, as Liu threw his weight into every stab and lunge he made. The green blade danced viciously and dangerously close to Taigikori's face, and often he had to pull back, the red hue of his saber held in front of him to block the blows. His boots scraped against the floor of the vault, sweat streaming down his cheeks, as he attempted to counter the rocking of Liu's body, the swaying of his arms and legs. He had to find a rhythm, a synchronization.

Pushing on the balls of his feet, Taigikori pulled his saber back and shot it forward in a rapier-like thrust, red energy blazing past his shoulder as he moved the weapon like a javelin. He made contact, but barely, cutting into Liu's robes and leaving a gaping, smoking hole. Liu was visibly disoriented, though unharmed, and Taigikori used the opportunity to swing his saber at the Jedi's exposed neck.

Red met green once again, squealing in their violent confrontation. The two opponents were deadlocked, the literal heat of battle warming their faces and turning their breath into steam.

If you've been reading my reports over the past 4 months, and Muz's latest GM report, you'll have met our "future" Jedi friend, Liu Van Dae. We're nearing this specific plot's end, with the last update to be in Muz's next report, so be on the look out for that!

The 2010 Sage Writing Course came to end last month, with three new members making the cut where half a dozen other members failed. Please join me in congratulating ** Archer, Imperial Jade, and Locke** on earning our most difficult and sought after Dark Side Degree. All three of them will find their Dark Sage Writing (DSW) now displayed on their dossiers.

While we're on the topic of the Sage tier of degrees, there was a member who needed awarding for his services rather badly. Long standing Professor Ood was awarded a Dark Sage Service Degree for his work within the Academy, so congratulate him the next time you see him. Only a few people ever see this degree. The last person who was awarded this degree was actually myself, so we only see it awarded every year or so.

Seals of Loyalty were awarded last month, there was really no question in who my nomination was going for. Aabsdu Dupar was awarded for his continued efforts in the Shadow Academy. Aabs has been a constant presence since his retirement, and thank God for that. He's one of my few friends that help keep my sanity around here.

Congratulations to my wife, Jendan on making Rollmaster of House Odan Urr! The house itself shows great promise, but it's good to see my girl moving up in the Brotherhood.

Don't forget to CC my Praetor, Ronovi, on all SA related emails, especially degree requests. Degree requests that do NOT have my Praetor CC'd, will be thrown in the trash.

This month I'm going to be running our competition a little different, with no actual awards (other than the pure enjoyment you get after taking one of our exams :P ) set. We're bringing back Blast from the Past!. Blast from the Past is a traditional event where we bring back an exam that's been shut down, and open it back up to the public. This a great time to get an extra Elective for that degree you've been eying. This time around, I've brought back Leadership Applications, for several reasons. In my years as a Brotherhood leader, I've seen some rather...well, less than worthy applications find their way into my inbox. This course is a great tool on building the application itself, but also on proper etiquette when applying. You can find the link to the course below.

Blast from the Past 2010: Leadership Applications

Projects! The Grind Path is now 50% complete in terms of our Grind Path courses. All of my energy is being channeled into this project, as I'm overseeing it personally, and I've laid the foundation for some massive work for our coders. That's what it will really come down to, and what it always has come down to: our coders.

What are some of the courses that will be revealed when the automated Grind Path Promotion System goes online? Expect courses ranging from Character Sheet Creation to "Vendettas: A How to Guide". That's all I'm willing to disclose at this time.

Tarentum, Taldryan and Revan all have plans for Clan History Exams. Whether or not they'll actually get done, remains to be seen. I've always tried and let the houses do their own writing, so I can't promise you a deadline on when these will actually see the light of day. So if you're wondering why you're House doesn't have a history exam, chances are it's because they haven't made it a priority.

Recruitment cards: This died off when I lost my original Praetor, and I have since been working with Professor Ekeia on different skins for the new flashy devils. I'm impressed with what we've come up with so far. Be on the look out for these.

Gaming: There's currently a Gaming Competition out there right now where you can test your skills against me in Jedi Outcast Sabers. I'm generally undefeated, so if you think you're up for the task, come knock me down a peg or two.

Summary: Don't be lazy. Read my report.

My next report probably won't be until after the New Years, so let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas ahead of time. Drinks lots of Egg-Nog, make love to your wives several times by the Christmas Tree, and open up tons of awesome presents. Take care Brotherhood.

His Excellency, Taigikori Aybara Dupar Headmaster of the Brotherhood