Somewhere on Ulress...

In a smoke-filled cantina on the fringes of the spaceport there existed a certain type of people. Those that would do any job as long as the pay was there. It was in this swirl of inhuman drive that sat a lone pilot. He sat in the corner booth, unafraid of the assorted scum and villainy that surrounded him. His eyes glanced up from his drink and he nodded at the man sitting in the other corner of the place, a man suited in old Clone trooper armor nodded back. Yes, it was good to have friends.

As Ric sipped his drink, he felt something approaching. It was a strong presence, familiar in a way yet more powerful than what he remembered. Ric leaned back in his seat and watched the door. As he waited, a drunken Weequay bumped his table and sent his drink crashing to the floor. Ric rose to his feet and grabbed the Weequay by the collar.

“You owe me a drink,” Ric glared at him.

“I don't owe you a thing, human,” The Weequay replied. “I think we are going to kill you.” A gang of seven other Weequays joined the first.

“Should have brought more guys,” Ric replied. With a flash he sent waves of electrical energy into the mans body. As he dropped the smoking carcass, he grasped his lightsaber but didn't ignite it and began to move in.

The other Weequays were more than happy to buy Ric a drink. It seems that the first fella wasn't really well liked anyways and might have been a bit backwards.

As Ric sat back down, he heard a light chuckle.

“So that's how you have been keeping busy,” Shadow smirked.

“Shadow! How have you been? You're not here to get me killed again are you?” Ric replied with a chuckle.

“Maybe... but lets have a drink first,” she took a seat across from him and ordered a drink. Ric looked at the armored man and let him know that everything was fine but just to be sure, be ready.

They sat and talked about the old days. Ric told stories of his time in the clan, before the dark time. Shadow was amazed at some of the stories she heard. Of course, she'd seen the records of some of that stuff but hearing a firsthand account of things made for a good night.

“So, what are you really doing here?” Ric asked bluntly.

“Weeeeeellll.... I have a job that I need you to do,” Shadow replied

---

Construction Site of TA Base on Ulress

Five assassins arrived one by one at the location provided to them via a message from their leader. The site was in an old and abandoned shaft that led into a massive chamber scarred by past mining. Katyusha Neige and Angel Snow were quick to greet each other while Derek Cinn, Lucyeth, and Brandon Tarsus kept some distance from the two women and studied the progress of the project. None of them knew that this would be their battle team's future home, and the three men could only guess at what it was.

"I promise you, it will be quite grand inside more than within the outside," came a voice that echoed from the tunnel they had all arrived from. "Only the best for the assassins of Tacitus Athanasius after all."

The group shifted their attention as Shadow Nighthunter, Ric Hunter, and Kylex entered in from the darkness. Katyusha and Brandon smiled at the site of Kylex, both happy as can be to see their lost brother once again amongst them. His return during the great war had been a welcomed one, but the chaos of it all had prevented them from having a real reunion.

"What do you mean by only the best for us?" Angel inquired. "Is...is this our new base, Lady Shadow?"

"Indeed, it is." The Battlelord smiled as she studied her family of death. "And perhaps it shall not be our only one, but we shall discuss that another time. As you all know, Kylex returned to us when we probably needed him most during the fight against The Collective. We shall celebrate tonight properly for his return."

"It really is great to be back with all of you," the giant Mandalorian added with a grin. "I've missed you, misfits."

"Obviously still the same Kylex," Katyusha grumbled as Derek chuckled.

"Truly, having him back with us is something to be grateful for. However..." The Shadow Wolf turned her attention to Ric. "Kylex and I have discussed over some things, and it has been agreed that he will no longer serve as Sergeant to Tacitus...and that Ric Hunter shall take his place."

Katyusha's and Derek's eyes widened in surprise while Lucyeth perked up at the news. Tarsus bowed his head in acknowledgment, a small spark of mischief flashing in his grey eyes. “I guess that means more free time to hang out at the cantina, eh Kylex?”

The other Mandalorian grinned. “You can count on it.”

Everyone chuckled or laughed in amusement. Seeing her family of the shadows happy and united in brotherhood brought a smile to Shadow’s face. “Well, you two better enjoy yourselves while you can. Now that the war is behind us, there is much work for us to accomplish. The war has left an echo of fiends for us to hunt down. Our enemies never rest, and we must be ready to strike them down.”

“You can count on us, Shadow,” Ric remarked. “Just tell us what to do, and we shall bring a swift end to those who oppose Excidium.”

“That we shall, boss,” Kylex add, the former Sergeant’s violet eyes burning with anticipation.

“You have our blades,” Katyusha chimed in as Angel, Derek, and Lucyeth bowed their heads in agreement.

Shadow looked at each of her companions as pride swelled in her heart. “I know. We shall vanquish all who dare threaten our House. The sharpest blades!”

“For the darkest nights!” the others responded in unison with the same pride shared by their leader. The bonds forged by these brothers and sisters of the shadows was strong. Together, they were a force to be feared.

---

Introduction

Welcome back to the first TA report of 2018! I hope all of you had an awesome time during the holidays! Quite a bit has happened with the GJW ending and the Clan getting back to making its home in the Caperion system, but I shall keep this report as short as possible. Now, let us begin!

News

So, as you have seen from the fiction, Ric has stepped up and become our new Sergeant. This decision was made a month ago, and Ric is ready to help lead the battle team to greatness. However, I would like to thank Kylex for his service as Sergeant. I know real life got in the way many times, but I am truly grateful for all the times our crazy Mandalorian pulled through and helped me plan things for the team. Thank you Kylex for all you’ve done, and for helping me to keep sane with it all. Also, I want to thank Ric for writing part of the fiction update. I'm glad to have you onboard as Sergeant.

Now, as all of you know, CSP placed third in the GJW. I am very happy to see that we placed, and I want to thank everyone who participated. I know that this the first war for most of you, and you were able to learn from this experience. Most importantly, I hope you enjoyed it. Next time, let’s show the other clans what we are capable of! Last, but not least, Ayden has decided to join us in TA! Though he hasn't had his trial yet, I want everyone to welcome him into our fold. We are very happy to have you join us, Ayden.

Recognition and Rewards

So, there have been a lot of rewards since the last report, and it would take me forever to go through them all. This time, I will just go over the Sithmas awards as well as the GJW ones.

• Ric “Tater” Hunter - received 2nd for ”[GJW XII Event long] Multimedia- In a World”

• Kylex- Received 1st place for ”Christmas with Krampus”, and 2nd for ”[GJW XII Event long] Multimedia- In a World”

• Derek Cinn- Received 2nd for ”[GJW XII Event long] Multimedia- In a World”

• Angel Snow- Received 2nd place for ”[GJW XII Event long] Multimedia- In a World” ,"Gettin’ Grinch-y Wit’ It (Na na na na nana)", 3rd for ”All I want for Sithmas”, ”Deck the Halls with Porgs and Nexus”, ”Scholae Palatinae Secret Santa”, and "[GJW XII Event Long] Gaming - Pazaak Den"

Huge congrats to everyone! I know there are a lot more awards for other comps, and there were some rank ups in the societies as well, so congratulations or those too!!! Great work everyone!

Announcements and Reminders

There are some new comps out for all of you this month including 5 comps where you could possibly influence TA’s identity. I ran these comps before when TA was first founded, but the Summit has asked for all BTs to run these comps in preparation for an event in February. Now, we already have a logo, HQ, motto, and so forth. However, if your entry is impressive enough, there could be a change.

• “We are all a part of a grand design…”

I also have 3 comps out for character development as well as battle team development since they will contribute to the legacy project.

• “Discovery”

• “Strangers with a Lesson”

• “What has become of us?”

Remember, everyone, this is an easy way to get some shinies and to work towards promotions. So get to it!

Conclusion

Again, I want to congratulate everyone for your hard work in the GJW and other comps. I know not much hasn't been happening for TA due to the war and the holidays. However, that's about to change. With the summit planning something for the battle teams, and with Ric ready to help me with TA, there is much ahead for us. I am very happy to still be with you this new year, and I look forward to seeing all of you rock this year as well. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ric and me. Also, if you want to get more involved and volunteer to help with projects, don't be afraid to ask. We could always use the extra hand. I just want to wish all of you a happy new year, and may the darkness guide you to victory!

"The sharpest blades for the darkest nights"

~Battle Team Leader, Shadow Nighthunter