The National Guard has also been drawn to three other cities on Epsilon Major—Dreavdea, Rowhand, and Crete—to quell similar uprisings. The situation in Dreavdea is by far the worst case scenario, with ¾ of the city engulfed in extreme amounts of violence, and the other ¼ being controlled by the government. An estimated thirty people have been killed so far in the uprisings. Rowhand and Crete are both split down the middle: the National Guard holding half the city, and the local forces the other. Governor-General Thessaly voiced his anger to a gathering of all military and administrative ministers in the city of Sealth, the make-shift capitol.

”Greetings everyone—I come to you bearing grave news about the violence that has engulfed the planet, being sparked by petty criminals around the country in an effort to secure more welfare and funding for the un-employed—which is already at a record high! *applause* While these leaders have been gathering their rogue, violent forces around our planet, we have been organizing a strong counteroffensive to these rebels, and we will crush their resolve until every last one of them is jailed for their crimes against humanity.”
—Governor-General Thessaly

Thessaly was flanked by his most senior government officials: Minister of Trade Jones, Minister of Defense Shanter, and the Vast Empire Liaison Officer Jackson Pierce. His speech was widely mocked by the rebel forces, but soon after the speech started rolling around the planet, so did tanks and allied forces moving into cities that had been entrenched in rebel combat. The National Guard recorded thirty seven skirmishes, all of them coming out in their favor, and also reported a minimal loss of four troops, while vanquishing three hundred and eleven rebels.

Minister of Trade Jones, who had been the most widely chastised figure in this whole scene, spoke to the Vast Empire Today recently about these military conflicts and how it was affecting trade around Epsilon Major and the Vast Empire’s outer ring. He said “This entire ordeal is regular troublemakers doing it on a national scale, and doing it violently. The precious minerals and food sources that we produced on this planet day-in and day-out seemed to have been lost on these rebels, and those resources pay for the oil, the sweat, and the ships that we fly daily on Epsilon Major. They just threw that down the gutter, and now we’ll have to shut down major parts of Epsilon’s inhabitants lives—mass transportation, roadways, we’ll have to add screening checkpoints for space travel, and we’ll have to minimize our losses in the home sector by cutting our sales in half to feed the people here on Epsilon.”

Minister Jones was relieved of his post later that day by former-Commander James Michel, Michel is expected to be inaugurated later today.

Zhar Bacredi is reporting from the Epsilon System, and has been doing research on the system for over a month and a half now. He has been given all access to the Epsilon System’s Board of Governors and most of Epsilon Major’s Ministers.

Last night, millions gathered to watch the spectacle of the meteor shower that passed near Tadath. The meteor shower began at 00:17, Galactic Standard Time, and ended at approximately 00:21. Many Tadath citizens brought their holocams, insuring that this moment would never be forgotten. And a spectacle the shower was, the oohs and the aahs of the crowd lingered long after the meteor shower had ended.

Only a few of the meteors were able to withstand the heat of re-entry, causing minimal damage to Tadath’s cities and towns. Most of the meteors that entered Tadath’s atmosphere landed in the mountains and fields. Emergency crews immediately responded to the fallen meteors and various scientists are examining the meteors.

The meteors that did not fall on Tadath did impact on Nordriss.  The impacts had very little affect on the gas giant.

Overall, the meteor shower was a sight to see and something people will remember for a long time. And you can see the footage on any amateur holovid channel throughout the galaxy.

-Paffa Duffits

Local star-fighter dealer “Swoof” has removed itself from Lotaith Market Place, the center of trade for Rheagent System.  Stocks were on the rise for Swoof when accusations were made early last week that the company had issued shipments to local crime group “Dim-back,” said to be responsible for over a thousand sector felonies.  Swoof’s Spokesman, Mr. Ehell, said this about the situation:

(Translated: Originally Durese)

“Amid the controversy created by these accusations, our company has felt that it’s in the best interest of it’s stockholders, as well as all of its customers and employees, that we cease sales for the upcoming trimester.  Legal action is being taken before sales of any kind can be continued.”

When prompted by one reporter as to whether or not the accusations had any truth, the Duros replied “of course not- these are lies- they have no proof…”  Swoof will be entering legal contest with two other competing star-fighter traders- “Liggel” and “Zmmm”- both of which accused Swoof last week of “dirty dealing.”

-Carissa Toocooth (Trades and Stocks)

At 14:42 Galactic Standard Time, veteran communications station “Orbital 22jN” ceased signal relays with Tadath’s central communication system.  The station, responsible for 68.325% (avg. annually) of communications out of the capitol city of Sianat, was in use for 20 standard years before it met a sudden end last evening.  According to Tadath’s communications director, Icu Stilli Rsi, 22jN was struck by an undetected, un-registered comet.  The comet, nick-named “Zip,” was roughly the size of a small personal starship and was traveling at 7,251 kilometers an hour when it connected with 22jN.  “Zip,” according to a spokesman from the Central Astrological Databank [CAD], is officially the fastest of any space-rock ever detected in Sian System.
Officials are still speculating as to where precisely the rock came from.  Dr. Urum of the Lesurad Academy on Abrae (not affiliated with the Naval Academy on Abrae) speculates that the comet may have been the product of a massive volcanic eruption.

(Transalation: Originally Sullustese)

“The fact that the comet was undected tells us that it’s not orbiting around a system; probably not even a sector.  Rather, it’s possible that the comet was a projectile from a volcanic eruption.  If it were an especially ancient volcano, like those on the nearby planet of Endoven, the projectile could escape the atmosphere.”

Volcanic eruptions on Endoven have rarely resulted in space-rock, say other analyst, but they admit that the possibility exist.  The most likely volcano, they say, would be Endoven’s “Izsh Tu-an,” the mother volcano. Renu Kelch of the Naval Academy on Abrae had this to say:

(Translated: Originally Murachaun)

“It’s the only volcano that could theoretically produce space-rock.  While eruptions can happen almost daily on Endoven, most eruptions don’t have the kind of strength that Izsh Tu-an does.  Furthermore- the mother volcano has erupted at least three times in the last month.  This seems the most likely origin.”

Kelch went on to mention that, with the existance of Zip, “it’s possible that more comets of equal speed and size could be traveling in space at this very moment…”

Other theories abound, but for the meantime Sianat is only now back on-line with the rest of the system.  Details as more comes out.

-Yee Oo (Volunteer Journalist- Sianat)

Early yesterday morning, visitors at the famous Lexil Zoo (named after lengedary anthroplogist, Ini-Ini-Ini-Ini Lexil the 18th) were disturbed by the sudden attack of several escaped Reeho Birds.  Reeho Birds, colorful predators from Gelgalar that usually prey upon young fat monkeys, were seen picking up visitors, flying away, and then returning minutes later for more.  In all, some seventy visitors are still missing while another 200 are injuried from various peckings, fly-bys and other near-death incidents.

Translated:

“We were getting ready to give them their morning bazarre when one of the staff members realized that the main latch hadn’t been fastened all the way…  By that time it was too late though.”

Lexil Zoo has received mixed reviews from the public; praise in their treatment of the victims, but utter contempt in their timeliness and reactivity.  Many families have filed suits against the zoo, already, claiming incompetence and negligence on the part of staff and procedure, hoping for rewards in personal damages.  One of the zoo’s administrator’s tried to explain the slow reaction time in the following way:

Translated:

“When some of these beasts escape, however rarely it happens, it’s usually not because of negligence, but because of something we couldn’t expect to happen.  In this case, the Reeho birds had pre-meditated the incident; several of the long, thick leaves in their habitats were found in the latch mechanism of their cage.  We could not have predicted that they would act in such a way…”

Never the less, the search continues for the survivors of the Lexil Zoo disaster; some experts suspect that the search party look toward the towers of the great capital city.  It’s likely, they say, that the victims have been placed in large nests, where they will be held captive until the birds’ eggs hatch.  Then, the experts say, they will be used as free kills so that the most birds may survive.  Rescue crews are working into the night…

-Tqi Vnoo; Junior Reporter (4 years)

As the amount of budgetary funds are given in larger allotments every trimester to aid for the inter-galactic plague, funds have been consistently lowered in many areas: public education, species public peace projects, and even- medic compensation.

The many levels of medics in the Naval forces allows it’s members to specialize and make more money, but that overall amount has been reduced for the upcoming fiscal trimester.  Where 50,000 ICs was seen as normal compensation five galactic years ago, the total trimester compensation has fallen to 35,000 ICs.  While the fall is dramatic and has forced many in the field to cut expenses, the situation is worsened yet further by the rising cost of trade-tuition.  Apprentice-ships have risen in price as medics already in the field are forced to recoup financial losses.

From a strictly financial perspective, the market for Naval medics is expected to shrink (according to a messenger from the medical division of Abrae’s labor department).  However, dedicated species and genders of all kinds have continued to answer the call; as one rodian put it: Translated “It’s never been about the money.  If we don’t do this job- who will?”

Still, benevelont as the volunteers were, some expressed concerns about the possibility of taking on heavy loans to pay for their apprenticeships. Translated “If I have to take 200,000 ICs in loans to make 35,000 ICs a trimester…  Who do I help by going bankrupt?”  The situation remains terse, but many of the students at the medical wing on Abrae’s Naval Academy seemed hopeful.  Translated “I just hope we can get out there and do some good in the middle of all this madness…”

-Stocko Lighten; Veteran Journalist (30 years)

Translated (Original Language: Bothawaui)

“We’re extremely proud to have been chosen by the great populace of lower Sector 2 for the grand senate of Abrae,” Clarem told supporters last evening.  “With your continued help, we can bring aid to victims of inter-galactic plague.”  Clarem ran on a platform of intensive support for funding to research, as well as aid in fighting the ever-present “plague,” that has affected much of the galaxy in the last several years.  The death toll is in the billions, some researchers say, but exact figures are widely argued.

Some commentators have suggested that Cuaq’s accusations against Clarem from earlier on in the race probably hurt him most.

Translated (Original Language: Mon Cal)

“Humans, like Clarem, have only one agenda: a human agenda.  If they truly wished to help out the many sick and dying, they would put aside their petty human self-importance and give equal aid to all species.”  Cuaq’s accusations were never directly addressed by Clarem, but it would appear that his lack of elaboration on the topic did not hurt him so much as it hurt his competitor.  Either way, the planet of Abrae may be in for tumultuous times as the issue of aid for the seperate species warms up…

-Lo Coa; Veteran Reporter

Mr. Coa has been an active reporter for many than two hundred years, and is well known for his accuracy and attention to detail.  You can see his editorial “Kirshing Kirkashuans” every second day of the binary week.

For me, however, the film has almost always been dependent upon the powerful emotions expressed (sometimes less perfectly by the actors) in the music of John Williams.  The music of Episode I is particularly special for me because it was the signature film that sparked my fascination with the SW galaxy, but no doubt that others would cite the music of the earlier films (”the Throne Room,” “The Imperial March,” “Yoda’s Theme,” “the Funeral Pyre,”) or even films unrelated to the series (the music of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, ET, Home Alone, Indiana Jones, to name a few) and all would have been equally affected.  His influence on film, and our very lives, is not unlike that of a favorite book, singer or actor.  Though seemingly distant and all-at-once unrelated, as each becomes the topic of conversation between our family and friends, we can’t help but remember those discussions (and their tributaries) with joy and a deep appreciation.  In fact, the nostalgia I feel when listening to his music is probably the recognition of said appreciation.

As I was saying, though, certain music brings those memories and feelings to life.  I was a kid when EPI came out, so “Duel of the Fates” was often the backdrop for my attempts at Darth Maul’s acrobatics (and larger scale re-enactments that are now hilarious, but definitely embarrassing), for instance.  Yet, as I look back, my favorite has to be the track that immediately follows EPI’s fight theme in the credits: “Anakin’s Theme.”  The piece, lyrical but delicately orchestrated, follows the similar “theme” concept that Williams has used for decades now.  A character’s “theme music” is, in the musical community, part of a mechanism called “leitmotif” (pronounced “light-moteef”); a concept developed by the great composer Richard Wagnar.  Williams, like Wagner, would use leitmotif to introduce and create an atmosphere around Star Wars’ central characters.  Luke, for instance, was introduced with “Luke’s Theme,” in the beginning of A New Hope.  Perhaps, though, you noticed (or atleast recognized unconsciously) that the same melody was introduced repeatedly throughout the original trilogy?  When Luke swings Leia across the chasm in the Death Star, for example, “Luke’s Theme” is heard, albeit briefly.  A certain emotion, a sense of bravery and adventure, has become interlaced with that combination of notes.  The same could be said of the “Imperial March,” which seems to crop-up when even the slightest indication is made that Darth Vader or his stormtroopers are near.

For these reasons, I believe, I’ve come to love the complexity that is “Anakin’s Theme.”  Why?  Well it represents, perhaps, the most complex character of the entire series: a boy destined for greatness, but powerful enough to destroy all that he touches.  So filled with innocence, but tempered with the possibility for utter catastrophe: he’s a gamble.  The music John Williams wrote to express this identity is, likewise, full of possibility but ringing with the over-tones of danger, a certain hesitation that exist because, if he falls, things could go worse than wrong.  Yet, the music goes even further in expressing, with particular passages and motives, Anakin’s love for his mother, and indeed, his compassion toward all beings.  As you listen to the piece, however, you feel “Anakin’s Theme,” become tainted by the lietmotif that has become so synonimous with Star Wars: again, the Imperial March.  Something so powerfully twisted and sinister that, while it inspires love and intrigue in the series, it reminds us all of the cold and mechanical, hollow evil that was Darth Vader and the Empire.

I thought about all of these things that evening, knowing full well that I would probably here none of it the following night.  I was going to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO- not so arguably the best symphony in the world) on Saturday night, but not to listen to Star Wars.  Rather, John Williams would conduct pieces from other composers alongside his own music from the first three Harry Potter films.  While I deeply appreciate the Harry Potter music as well (I have the soundtracks to the first and third movies) I couldn’t help but be disappointed in the fact that I would miss the music that was so deeply a part of me.

Saturday night, attending my first orchestral event, I filed into an elevator in down-town Chicago to take me up to the sixth floor of the Chicago Symphony Center.  As I reached the top (in a room that looked curiously like Palpatine’s Challencor quarters), my friends and I hastened to the auditorium entrance.  Making our way carefully down the rows (it felt as if falling forward would send you over the steeply lined rows and off the balcony), we took in the sounds of the orchestra as it warmed up.  Excited voices continued for some time, but finally the first chair violin stood, struck a few tuning notes, and was seated.  Then, though he was so many feet away, I could see John Williams moving from the side of the stage to his platform.  This was, by all accounts, “pretty cool.”  The music that followed was fantastic, of course, and there were even moments, after the intermission and into the Harry Potter music, where I felt I might be satisfied with the powerful emotions expressed in that music.  Yet, as the show closed, again, I couldn’t help but feel that feeling linger.  John Williams, barely definable from my high balcony seat, waved generously to the crowd, bowing first, then bowing for the orchestra, before he left….

The clapping became louder, though, and people were now standing and cheering.  I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot when Williams suddenly appeared back out on stage, waving and bowing humbly before re-taking the platform for an encore. At this point, I couldn’t help but feel my heart skip a beat.  Could it be?  I wondered!  No…  Instead, the composer, as expressively as anything else he’d conducted yet, burst into a dramatic rendition of the theme to ET.  Again, it was remarkable and thrilling on its own merits, but not what I (or apparently the rest of the crowd) wanted.  As Williams exited once again, the crowd rose to their feet yet another time, and the applause was louder than ever.  The musicians on the stage looked at one another, saying nothing before turning to the wings of the stage, looking on intently…  And then sat down.  The crowd became frenzied.

John Williams, again, entered the spot light, gliding, it seemed, on the affections of his crowd.  Standing at the support bar on his platform, he peered into the audience, teetering, it seemed, on a decision.  Then, nodding to himself, he turned (there was no flipping of pages, this had been forseen) he burst into the “Imperial March” with vigor, bouncing slightly as he swung his arms.  A brief moment of actual yelling and screaming ensued before the crowd became quiet once again so that they could feel the full impact of the music at it hit them.  For me, the effect only came when I finally took my eyes away from the orchestra; the musicians didn’t evoke any kind of emotion when it came to this music, after all.  Instead, I remembered “Anakin’s Theme,” his journey, his fall, and the horror that was Darth Vader: that’s when I got goosebumps.  The concert, for me, was over after the final chord of that piece; he played through a piece (reminiscent of Leia’s theme) from Indiana Jones and also the Sunday Night Football theme (which he played for only the second time that night), but the crowd (and I) were satisfied with the “Imperial March.”

At last, at the prompting of yet another encore, John Williams returned to the stage, but only to tilt his head to the side and lay it upon his hands: it was time for bed, he was saying.  And so, satisfied but never really satisfied, my fellow concert-goers and I left the auditorium to think about what we’d just witnessed.  From the nosebleeds, it’s hard to say that I got the full concert experience: I was there in the same room, yes, and the music was perfect: CD quality and higher at every moment.  Yet, I know that next time, Lord willing, I’ll be in the fifth row so that I can see what the musicians, and more importantly, what John Williams thinks about his music.  His thoughts, I imagine, will be written in his expressions and in the passion of his conducting.  You might say (as I recall that this was actually Thanksgiving weekend) that I’m thankful for a lot of things this year; among them family and friends, of course, but perhaps on a somewhat unconscious level, also for the connection that concert made between what I was given for fantasy as child and what I respect and love now as an adult…  in the music of John Williams.

 We all here love writing. Theres all diffrent styles. Yet when the piece comes together you want to capture the readers. To make the story pull them into it as if they were that favorite character they are reading about. Many of us do that here with Vast Empire. We place bits and pieces of ourselves into our characters. Writing with a group pulls things together and makes it intresting. Alot of times writers (Or shall I say most times)  take things from other books or life experiences to create stories. It’s much the same with music composers such as John Williams.  It all inspires us in one way or another.

Age: 24
Hair : Dark Brown, short to shoulder’s
Eyes: Green
Height: 5′5′’
Breasts: 44D
Weight: 150

 
Great.. Why do I always get myself into these situations?

The creaking sounds of the trees didn’t help the young girls mood one bit. It was dark and cold. Even with the moon creeping out from the clouded sky it was making it impossible for her to see the path she was following. For all she knew she was off the path and walking in circles. At least she had a cloak draped over her shoulders and her backpack filled with her cell phone (which didn’t get any signal where she was at), some food, girls needs and a few extra batteries.

“Ugh.. I’m going to kill those guys.. ‘ Let’s go play Jason out in the woods’ . Ugh… I should have stayed at the camp and roasted marsh mellows.”
Rubbing her hand over her face she slapped the head of the flashlight against her dark blue jeans. It flickered and only made Jaina sigh. Her green eyes and dark brown hair was hard to see as her body shivered. God, where was she?

———

Not far from where the young women was, stood an old man. Dressed in garb one considered for cos play or going to a mi devil convention he watched her through grey sad eyes.
Yes.. its her.. After all these years.. Its the one.. She who will save our land..

The old man made sure he was hidden. Wishing he could go up and explain why she was walking in circles an was off path. He confounded her friends and they were off playing their game. They didn’t even know she was missing. In fact, after he was done, Jaina Mariea wouldn’t exist on this earth anymore. It took him years going through the Vail. Making sure he was on the track. He had found her once and then lost her when her family moved. Yet, the girl was only eleven and too young. Now, now he was sure it was her. She had the stance, the eyes, and her aura glowed golden. She had the power to lead and be a dragon rider of the only Queen egg left. The power to save a world she was suppose to be born into.
“I’m sorry my lady…”

He whispered and uttered a spell. Up ahead a portal opened. Unseen to her. Once she walked in there would be no common back. He only hoped that the Knight of the great Bronze would find her before terror of their land did. He knew the dragons would sense her arrival. But, there was good and bad. A dead root that needed to be chopped. The wind picked up and he watched her walk closer. It was the last spell he could muster and it would kill him. The old man wouldn’t regret it. In a last effort he mustered a spell to give the red ruby ring of the family power to appear in her right pocket before he fell to the ground and took a last look.

“Good luck.. My Daughter….”
With that.. the old man and her true father died. His body vanishing into nothingness.
——
“God I have to be lost…”
She walked on and felt a ripple of something go down her spine. It was almost painful as she stepped into the portal without knowing. There was no blur. Only a slight change of scenery. It was still dark but the trees were different. Something made her feel odd and panic started to fill her. A prickle down her back as she heard a howl in the woods and animals scurry around.
“Ok.. This isn;t working. I need to find a safe place to sleep and then re-trace my steps in the morning..”
Without further speaking she found wood and a place near a large oak tree that held a hole in the bottom she could fit it.. barley. But it would be enough to let he be safe from larger predators.. she hoped. Jains then took her lighter out and started a fire, only to gaze up into the sky as the clouds cleared and she couldn’t recognise any of the constellations.
“That’s odd.. At this time I should be able to see the big dipper and Orion.. huh..”

Thinking she was just tired from the strain and the mean trick her friends played on her she warmed herself by the fire and then climbed inside the tree trunk and fell asleep.

That’s only an example. Everyone has their own ideals and styles. I only hope this helps others on ideas and gives another view for those that are new and those of us that need to look outside the box. While things arn’t perfect, when it all comes together its down to the story and how much everyone enjoys writing.

What measures your ability as a writer? Is it peoples reaction to your writing? Is it your own reaction? Is it whether or not people want to read it? It’s hard to tell, an ambiguous and subjective question.

A writer should always be aware that criticism will come, that not everyone will enjoy their specific brand of writing. On the same note, however, can one really ignore the opinions of others? To an extent it is important to approach your work with a devil may care attitude. A writer has something they want to say and must find often time controversial ways of saying it. Still, this can become a hindrance, especially in evolving a style. People will give a writer feedback and the writer must decide whether or not it’s of any value.

First one must examine the part of the writing that is being spoken against. Is it plot devices used? Is it the mechanics? Or is it bland characters? Plot devices each writer should take pride in. If you don’t use a plot device that you specially crafted and enjoy then what was the point of using it in the first place? There are times when the plot device is less important than the characters, and it becomes acceptable to use clichés, but it shouldn’t be done at the expense of style and personality. Mechanics can be as simple as a misplaced adjective, or as complex as poorly structured paragraphs. Word choice requires not only knowing the meaning of a word, but also knowledge of connotation, for it at times is more important than definition. Flow, at times, is also more important than detail. Too much detail can muss up and confuse an otherwise fine story. Bland characters should be a writers worst nightmare. One must always be careful to keep their characters interesting and original. It’s not about whether you like your character or not, it’s about whether you’re interested in your character. If one wants to know everything about the character, wants to see how they’d react in different situations. I’ve said before that I do not know how my character (Sniping101) is going to react, he reacts the way he does, for better or for worse. It’s important not to break character, supportive characters should not become sadists, sadist should not become teachers. There are exceptions, where a character will break with their patterns, but these times should have deep psychological impacts. I could write an entire article on characters, and perhaps sometime I shall.

We writers love ourselves, but at the same time we should never give ourselves any slack. Write because you love it. In the end, though, you want to know peoples reactions, you want others to enjoy it. Most of us writers demand that our peers, the people we respect as equals, recognize our writing for the quality we hope is there; all the while beating ourselves up because the post did not meet our own standards. If you post something you are entirely happy with there are only two reasons: Either you aren’t progressing anymore, or it’s the rare occasion that you put your all into it, rewrote time and time again until you feel it’s perfected. We must hold ourselves to the highest of standards. Don’t think that just because you can’t write aswell as your favorite author that you never will. Hold yourself to the same standard as you hold Hemingway, Kerouac and Hunter S. Thompson. You may find that you never reach a state where you could compete, but all the while you are still striving to, still trying to improve your writing.

Want to improve? Keep reading. Read things from authors your respect. To paraphrase an author I can’t remember, but I’m pretty sure is famous, “Writing has three stages, first is fumbling around, trying to find your style, the next is emulation, copying the style of other authors, the next is coming through with your own style.” Basically you flounder at first, then you start reading and seeing what you like in another authors style, you end up copying it, trying to make it work with your style, and in the end that helps your own style come through and develop. There is no such thing as a completely original piece, do not worry about that, but at the same time don’t purposely copy others, take their style, learn from it, and toss away what you do not need.

Let me finish with one last piece of advice. Your style is a reflection of yourself. People can dislike many things and be justified, but do not listen to those who want you to change your style. Sometimes that requires other sacrifices, certain groups won’t take you, or perhaps most people don’t like it. If Jack Kerouac had worried about people disliking his style would he of ever written Desolation Angels? It becomes part of you, to betray it is to betray yourself.

Well, that’s all of my quite drunken mumblings. Keep writing, keep trying.