In reply to Gethin Roberts Fitzlargrans (msg # 43):

Xyran had the upper hand the whole time, however this advantage would be even bigger as Gethin entered the gym. she caught a glimpse of him, and lost focus for a split second because he resembled one of an enemy race, however his human traits also served to peek her curiosity even more. she had no prejudice but his presence was noticed.

Xyran did in fact take advantage of the situation but not to harm her but to get away and back up to his feet by kicking off and backwards rolling up to his feet, once he dusted himself off he looked over to Gethin, "Hello there Gethin" he said with a small smile as he turned his attention back to Nat and held out his hand to help her to her feet, "Not bad at all Nat, how bout a drink later?" this after all was a training lesson and he did not want to seriously hurt her so he had been holding back the whole time... that is unless she really wanted him to go all out.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:19, Sat 17 Aug 2013.

In reply to Xyran (msg # 45):

nat was not surprised when xyran escaped, it was a shot in the dark after all. she then accepted his hand to help her get up. she could not help to stare at Gethin, who's appearance still spurred many questions. she then looked away trying to not seem obvious nor rude, but still wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

so, whos your friend? she said recovering from her training session.

He smiled towards the man, there was much he wanted to ask him about Hack. He couldnt fully trust the man, the man just this morningnhe would've done anything for? "A fine day to spar... And greetings as well, sir." Once the girlmspoke he quickly stood straight as he faced her, whoever she was. "I am Gethin Roberts Fitzlargrans, it is good to meet you," he held out his hand, not looking forward to the touch of the girl who obviously thought he was either an abomination, or untrustworthy... Atleast, that is what he figured from her stares.

A drink sounds pretty good. she said replying to xyrans question late seeing as her attention was glued to the blue man in front of her. she immediately brought her hand out to shake his.

I'm Ensign Natalie Berkley, pleasure meeting you. she said shaking the mans hand with a light touch. She tried to say more but being naturally shy to a new face kept her from doing so. she then took a step back to let xyran and gethin speak, assuming that's what gethin intended to do.

He shook her hand firmly, regardless of how much she seemed to dislike him, and with respect. Her light touch reassured his false belief, he feltshe thought as he did in not wanting to touch the other. He bit back his anxiety as he turned to Xyran,  "sir... Could I talk with you about Hack and his treatment of largrans when it is convenient for you?" He didn't want to hold up the girl who, respectfully, took a step back for him to speak to th Occui. He was thankful for that, but he feared that even the slightest misspoken word, or misinterpreted, could spell his death. Still, he wanted a forward talk with someone.

Xyran nodded his head, "Absolutely Gethin, if you want we can go talk now, the decision is yours"

Xyran then turned to Nat, "Meet me at the pulse club tonight the drinks are on me, oh by the way Nat... dress nice will have a good time" he said with a grin as his full attention returned to Gethin.

Nat nodded and smiled back, then walked off to give the two some space. She walked to the other end of the gym and spotted the recently added archery range. her experience with a bow consisted of only of what she learned in a one week survival course, in which she crafted her own bundle bow and her own arrows from a stick, duct tape for arrow feathers and rock/glass for the arrow heads.

she picked up a compound bow near by that was for public use with a quiver of arrows. she placed the arrow between her fingers, and aligned the end with the bow string, slowly pulled back while taking a deep breath until the resistance suddenly gave some slack (compound bows do this to make it easier to shoot). she then released sending the arrow forward, however it missed the target. she was no archer by any means of the word.

  In the Upper   dec of the Gymn, where the archers had the  ranges ( as it where)..Two Half Bred  Green Angels watched  Nat...one smiled as she walked over,..you..do not get much...time with the bow?  Come....

 She  brought Nat over to the  MAle   Green angel,I am Ba-Ki...this is Wi-Ne....we have used the bow..since we could breath the air of Bura....Let us show you..to help with the shooting...

 they started..basic...who to draw and Hold...how to sight...where and how to nock the arrow, and different ways to loose the arrow.

In reply to Nat (msg # 52):

at first Nat hesitated but the half angel took charge of the conversation, making it easier for her.

Not much im afraid, just enough to know what im doing in a pinch. she replied as she followed and observed the half angel archers. after the pointers she tried again this time hitting the edge of the target, an improvement never the less.

she tried to make conversation with the two, but what to talk about?

Its hard to believe that a bow such as this with the combination of horse back, made an empire build earth's longest wall she figured it would be appropriate. she was referring to the Mongols who forced the Chinese to build a giant wall.

  the  two green folk look at each other,horses?..what are they?

 Wi-Ne takes a shot  with the Bow, snapping it up and placing it  , just shy, of the middle.we learned to use these, long agao, to fight the Demons when they would hand..it was hard for them to trace the area where the arrows came from..if you can sink your  arrow, deep enough into thier chests? they will Bleed out, as thier Blood dose not clot as quickly as  Angels..or Humans

Nat the took mental notes and then tried to mimic Wi-Ne's motions as she pulled an arrow back and took aim at the target.
It pretty much a beast of burden. Humans would ride them, or make it carry heavier things. or in the case of war, use its speed to get to places faster or if one would have a lance, use it to impale others using the horses momentum.

She then released the arrow sending it into the target a half an inch below Wi-ne's. she smiled a bit to see how a few pointers improved her shots tremendously and picked up another arrow and let it rest on the bow string.

We (Humans) have quite the history with the bow ourselves. it was the primary ranged weapon we used until gunpowder came around. You guys are the first Angels I've ever talked to if you can believe that she said lining up a shot but not yet pulling the bow string back.

Wi-Ne shook his head.We  are not  Pureblood Angels..they would take it as an insult, should you name us so....We are not.....fond of the term  either..but it is, who we are...our humans..on Bura..are not as...um....Dynamic , as Earth Humans...but they blended  well with  us....the  Purebloods amoung  us, have embraced  , both the HUmans  and the half-breeds...we think of oursleves  as one people now..apart from the Angel Line...

 with a nod, Ra-Ki adds,from what we have seen, before they asked for Volunteers...our  twp peoples seem to get along  well...though we have....indeed..been shunned by a few of the Hermes Humans. Our Leader..He-LA..seems quite taken with the  Lead Flyer on the  Hermes...it was enough for most of us to fall in line, and see who an alliance of our peoples  will be....In truth..there are Millions of us on Bura...we  Just keep our cities Hidden, and Blend in with the NAture of the planet..something we are teaching the Humans, who have started to colonize there...are laws are strict, but they are fair, for both the peoples...and the planet..

In reply to Nat (msg # 56):

Natalie then let the bow rest in her left hand and the arrow in her right and turned to Wi-Ne.
I did not mean to insult you, nor anyone for that matter. sorry. I found calling you by the term "half-breed" or half angel or human insulting in itself as it implies being full blooded as being greater, which is not the case. she said with a hint of embarrassment on her face.

she then turned to Ra-Ki.
well, for everyone's sake lets hope Humans have learned from there history to be more accepting to diversity. your home planet is a good example but I'm finding what I did on Astoria hard to swallow. she then tuned back to the target and just stared at it as the thoughts she tried to avoid came back to her.
I have not fought a demon or there allies before that point but I have no doubt in my mind some of the more seasoned people seen no problem in what happed due to building up a hate for the race of the enemies. I wonder how I brought myself to kill civilians she then remained quiet as her thoughts over came her again.

Ra-Ki shake her head,form what little, we were able to study about your people? They warred against each other, since they could first pick up a stone...some say it has to do with the Angels sending thier  crimminals to Earth, as a penal colony...but in the end? Those who watched  over, and Governed your planet..were forced to merge with it, when the  Demons  made thier move...


 ..for us?..there were no Civilians...Demons, Largrans, Creshians...even some Mulls  would  land on out planet, to help witht eh  Fortresses and the Power station...any of  us they saw..they tried to Kill..for more reasons  they one could  count...and the gods  pity those who were captured. In the whole of the Black?..there are No civilians...at best?..there are passive enemies..waiting to eat...enslave..or breed with our peoples...to end that...you must...end them...



 she is right...The Demons only allie themseleves with those they can control...the others..they try to kill...they..could not do that with us...even our children will fight  a foe if they come  near us....Your People..have slapped the Demon's  face....they are now getting to taste thier own blood...and..not only do they not like it....they...fear it...

In reply to Nat (msg # 58):

So, I'm fighting an enemy I don't quite understand yet she then pause and quoted Sun Tzu "if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one" as she placed the arrow on the bow, drew back and released. This time she hit the dead center of the target. she then turned to both half angels.
I should probably thank you both, this may just put my mind at ease. she said with a hint of a smile. she then made a mental note to learn more about the races of people she was sure to make contact with directly or indirectly.

  they both gave her  a pat on the back  and smiled.

 Ra-Ki smiled as she  added,....it is good. Fighting ..for the love of the fioght. Can take you only so far....if you do not have the need to protect your people...you will lose.

 If...you saw a sleeping  baby...and a  Huge  Frik...um...spider? in your words...was carwing towards it...woudl you  not  try to kill the frik?..The Mulls..they  know, no such eagerness...they plan, they deal, and they hope they end up on the winning side....But your People have the  Heart of  the Verst!... The great flying beast that all Demons  fear..The Verst feeds on Demons...and fears them not...even your fighters, sound  Like the rgeat ebast, when they dive  down  to attack!

In reply to NAt (msg # 60):

With that said, she felt a little guilty. the only reason she was fighting was to escape from the reality back at home. if not for a cheating fiancée she would still be a civilian. she then looked at her tablet to see if she had any messages, she didn't but time had passed very fast in the gym.

I guess I could say im defending earth but its not the main reason im here.she said not wanting to go into detail.
But i defiantly would kill that spider

Natalie sat the bow back in its original place along with the arrows.

alright im starting to get tired, im going to catch some sleep. Its good talking with you, Perhaps we'll do it again sometime. she said while walking to the targets to retrieve the fired arrows. she then put them with the rest of the arrows and left the gym.

to non-com quarters-->

He stood there for a while... He had got what he wanted but he was suddenly frozen. Moments passed, or was it hours, before the ice broke. "Why he acting the part of demons. Why give the justifiable reasons to rape, kill, and eat us? Does he not understand history, World War 2 was caused from something more humane then this, or atleast that was a huge factor. Even if we win against the demons, how will we rid our own demons? And now, while I know I am still loyal to him, I can only reason my support should be for my father's blood. After all, humans are not so good as to not do everything the demons do, except we do it to our own." He stared at Xyran... The only person he knew that may now split he felt about his loyalty... After all, was he loyal to his race or to Hack.

Xyran sat down while Gethin was talking and listened, "It could very well be a personal reason why he pursues the cause the way he does... I really don't know what to tell you Gethin the understanding of human nature is quite alien to me..."

Gethin nodded, he should have realized Xyran wouldn't have known. And, sadly, he couldn't help with Gethin's loyalty split, logical or emotional. He laughed suddenly as a thought came to him, "it is better that another's actions are alien, than your own being alien." He could only ponder which of his thoughts were largrans and which were human.  Every part of him was alien, and nothing was normal, as nothing is normal without a control. "Than, I'll keep my emotion based questions off my tongue. Instead, how do. You decide who to follow, your race or the ESN?"

Jesse had finally managed to make her way towards where the SEC training would be.  Entering the field on another level of Hermes, she walked out from the under the stands and looked at the expanse of the field and off in the distance across from where she'd entered were a few people.

She took in a deep breath and let it out just as slowly.  Here's to something better, she commented to herself.  She made her way towards them and crossed her arms when she got closer as she watched the training.

  SGT Minor was Yelling at  some  Men and women who were standing around, making a point to ask them how someone could bother  birthing people  , such as themselves.

 Stopping for a moment He Looked at Jesse,Well?..Little Miss..what  can I do  for you?

Jesse had been watching when the man came up to her and called out to her.  She cocked her head a bit at him when he called her Little Miss.

Well, first off, Jesse Dalton is the name, she commented and looked at him confirming his rank.  Sarge, I'm looking for a bit of training, specifically in hand to hand combat and other security trainings that are offered to SEC personnel.  Sgt Mjr Spencer referenced me here for a refresher course.