Welcoming
"One step, down." Elena said quietly to herself, doing the first forward step of the exercise sequence and bringing the but of her spear down on the flagstones with a sharp _crack_. "One step, back." She accordingly took a step back, flipping the spear...
Familiar
Kayeriilyic stretched out in a yawn as the first light of morning fell on him from behind the northern ridges. He could already see that it would be a good day: the only clouds were a few airy wisps and the frigid gales of the heights were cool and...
Expedition: End of the Beginning
SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel _ **Searcher** _, September 23rd, 2555: I've read historical accounts in which the writer, usually someone who's personally involved in a battle, speaks of a point at which the battle is still raging but they can...
Expedition: Achilles' Heel
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel_ **_Searcher_** _, September 23rd, 2555:_ The sheer chaos of battle has got to be one of the most difficult experiences in war. I believe that our current situation must be what it was once like when armies and...
Expedition: Once More
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel_ **_Searcher_** _,_ _September 23rd, 2555__:_ You know, when I let my high school friends prod me into trying out that new theme-park virtual-reality simulator, I thought I'd just stumbled into the final word in...
Expedition: Towards the Breach
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel_ **_Searcher_** _, September 23rd, 2555:_ And so it comes. Almost from the moment that we arrived above Viisymel, some part of me has been expecting that our limited mission would eventually involve large-scale...
Expedition: Unsheathing the Sword
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel_ **_Searcher_** _, September 22nd, 2555:_ If it absolutely positively cannot be done, send in the marines. It's incredible to contemplate, having one of the most storied branches of any military restored in...
Expedition: The Mask Falls
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel **Searcher** , September 20th, 2555:_ And so the mask slips. For months now, we have had one of these animals prowling the halls of our fleet, sneering at us and spitting upon us with impunity and receiving no...
Expedition: Intimacy and Exposure
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel_ Searcher_, September 19th, 2555:_ Well, it was certainly inconvenient getting back to the fleet. I would have expected the Grand Admiral to have done something much more clever than trapping us behind a shield and...
Expedition: Solitaire
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel **Searcher** , September 19th, 2555:_ Well, it appears the cat is out of the bag at last. Almost four years of enjoying the anonymity of being just one more patriotic young wolven who served her country in return...
Expedition: Guards and Archivists
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel **Searcher** ,_ _September 19th, 2555__:_ I admit to being surprised at how easily we gained access to the Royal Archives. Just a few honeyed words, some half-baked excuses, and the Kaa appeared willing to...
Expedition: Conferences
_SAFES Liaison's Log, Science Vessel **Searcher** , September 18th, 2555:_ I must admit that with all my experience doing my obligatory service, I have never been party to a formal interrogation. Ample informal ones but never in the room with...