Archive for the 'guilds' Category
I’ve always been careful about the responsibilities and obligations I put on my plate. It’s not that I consider myself a weak person, but everyone has a breaking point and I aim to make sure I never get to mine.
I suppose you could attribute my whole life here to my tendency to avoid too much responsibility. It’s a wonderfully romantic story about how I ran off with Bermuda. But the truth is, as much as I was leaving to be with him, I was also running away from my life at home.
As an only child, the pressure to fulfill my parent’s dreams and expectations always weighed heavily on me. My mother never missed an opportunity to make her feelings known about what she thought an ideal life should look like. She openly criticized the young women who left our small town, unmarried, looking for a different life.
I sometimes wonder if I’d ever have mustered the courage to leave on my own had Bermuda never landed in my life the way he did. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that the answer is, mostly likely, no.
Part of what may have attracted me to Bermuda in the first place is that he put no responsibilities on me. He was used to taking care of himself. Even when we married, he didn’t expect me to play the part of the housewife waiting to serve him, to take care of him.
The freedom I enjoyed in my marriage and in owning my own business came to an abrupt halt with the unexpected arrival of Bermuda Jr. I hadn’t planned to have children - ever. That’s not to say I don’t love BJ… just that I didn’t expect him. I’m proud to be his mother ….but make no mistake, I’m glad that he’s moved from childhood to manhood.
More recently, I’ve found myself bound to another child of sorts. The Commerce Union is young and is still developing. I’m happy with how things have gone so far but I can’t say that there hasn’t been a lot of work and stress involved at times.
I am most fortunate that fate has brought such good people to CU. Without them, it would be much more difficult to fulfill my obligations.
The life day season is here!
I love this time of year. I love the music, the decorations and the festive spirit of the holiday. And, of course, the gifts!
As hard as it is to believe now, I went many years without close friends in this galaxy. In years past I’d stand near the Life Day tree and wait for a stranger to happen by so I could exchange gifts with someone.
This year, I find myself surrounded by good friends. So I organized the first annual CU Life Day Gift Exchange. We each brought gifts and exchanged them anonymously. The gift giving was followed up with drinks and snacks in the cantina. Everyone seemed to have a good time…. but I doubt anyone enjoyed it as much as I did. 
I’ve been working nonstop on making Moneta functional for her citizens. The Commerce Union Hall has been set up to provide our members with everything they need to do their jobs. There’s a biolab, manufacturing center, offices for security, research and business development. The lobby is ready for vendors and I’ve hired a receptionist who can greet guests and give out information on our organization.
Factories have been set up for traders. I’ve been filling each with materials, components and schematics. I’ve arranged and rearranged various gardens, fountains, lights and decorations. I’ve prepared city hall for town meetings, made uniforms for the CU fleet and planned activities and meetings.
Just the other day a citizen was telling me how at home she feels in Moneta.
Each time I hear from citizens about their thoughts on our little village I’m overwhelmed with emotion. I’m happy that everyone seems pleased with what’s been done so far. That, after all, is what I’ve been working so hard to ensure.
But all the buildings and installations and decorations really don’t mean much by themselves. I’m grateful for Moneta’s citizens. They are what make Moneta feel like home.
The committee came to a decision last night. We all agreed that the needs of our members can best be met by making our union official. So I acquired the necessary device and registered our new guild.
I’ve written before about how uncomfortable I am with the titles and all. But I’ve decided to step outside my comfort zone and accept the position of CEO. I believe in this project and I’m passionate about seeing it succeed even if I’m not the ideal woman for the job.
Fortunately, I’ve got a great team.
Brassk Gilla has taken the position of Executive Vice President. His clear thinking and good business sense has been instrumental in bring us this far. It doesn’t hurt that he’s quite personable (for a Trandoshan) and has inspired many to eagerly follow him (who wouldn’t be inspired by “Do it, or I’ll eat you”?)
LongJie Yun is our Vice President of Logistics. He is an accomplished pilot whose skills will certainly help us secure the most efficient and profitable shipping routes. He’s made himself available to help train new pilots as well.
We’ve several positions we still need to fill, but we’re off to a great start.
It would have been unthinkable just a few months ago. And even though I’ve done it, it’s still all a bit surreal.
Last night I left Beowulf Squadron.
For over a year now, Journey’s end has been my home and the members of WULF my family. It’s been painful to watch our numbers suddenly dwindle in recent weeks. It seems that everyone’s lives have suddenly changed all at once. Night after night of utter silence on the guildchat channel finally let me to this very difficult decision.
With the hope of keeping what’s left of the WULF family together and building on what Admiral Fenris has achieved, one of our WULF members has started a new guild. Though the thought of WULF coming to an end breaks my heart, I have come to face the reality that the only way to preserve what’s left of it is to breathe new life into it.
So last night I left Beowulf Squadron and my membership was accepted in a new guild. I remain optimistic that this is the best hope for staying connected to my dear friends and I’m excited about the possibility of making new ones….
But no matter what happens, the Beowulf Squadron will always have a special place in my heart and memories.
It started with a trip to my Lake Retreat shop to restock some of the vendors. There was a bit of a chill in the air so I started a fire in the fireplace. As I sat and tended to it, I realized how long it had been since I’d engaged in a relaxing activity. I’ve pretty much been working nonstop over the past several weeks. I’ve managed to catch up on my vendor stocking despite having been a month behind. Special orders have been pouring in, taking up quite a bit of time. And I even spent several hours reorganizing my paperwork for staff salaries and building maintenance fees. But there hasn’t been any time for fun.
So I decided to finish up my work quickly and head out of town for a vacation. I immediately headed to a fishing spot Jaegen showed me a while back. The beach is lovely, the Ewoks are quite friendly and the fishing is awesome. It was dusk when I arrived. No matter. I fished under the stars by the light of the torches.
When the cool breeze forced me to quit for the night, I sat by the fire. The simplicity of my surroundings made me think about how complex my life has seemed lately. It’s been quite a while since Bermuda left, but I’m just now starting to feel like I’m settling in for long haul.
Relations in the Beowulf Fleet have been less than ideal this past week. Members have come and gone. Regulars have been busy and less available to chat. Arguments, divorce and the possibility that more may leave Journey’s End have weighed heavily on me. Though none of it directly involves me, it’s still difficult to watch my dear friends go through it.
Despite the chaos around me, life for me has pretty much gone on the same. But I wonder how much longer that will last. The choices of those around me may pretty soon force me into making some pretty significant decisions about my home, my business, my friendships and personal life. It’s no secret that I don’t like change. Having this vacation to consider all the possibilities and realities couldn’t have come at a better time.
I left the fishing dock late the next day with a clear head and a bag full of fish. What more could one ask from a vacation?
I’m always incredibly excited and emotional about the achievements of my guildmates. The recent promotion of Av’ar Royan to captain was no exception.
For months now I’ve watched as he diligently worked at honing his skills as a pilot. It was an honor to make him his official captain’s uniform. I’m so proud of him.
With his commission, Captain Royan obtained a YKL-37R Nova Courier which he christened the Destination Infinity.
I felt quite lucky to be there as he took his rightful place on the bridge of his beautiful new ship, in his sharp new uniform with his well deserved promotion.
Congratulations, Captain Royan!
The Beowulf Fleet recently held it’s first round of ship contests. Using only the most basic of ships, members were invited to paint and stuff a single ship full of goodies and enter into 3 separate contests.
Since I don’t fly myself, I was recruited to help judge the beauty contest. From aboard my yacht, the other judges and I watched as each contestant showed off their best design. As you can see, it was a difficult choice to make…
Then it was on to the race and finally a contest to determine skill in battle. Despite the fact that I know that it’s just among friends and no one is really out to hurt anyone, it was still a little nerve wracking for me to watch them fight.
In the end, Admiral -Haruko- won this round of competitions. But with the determination and dedication of our group’s pilots and shipwrights, I think she’s in for some serious competition next time around.
Last night was The Admirals’ Banquet. Nian and I worked overtime getting everything ready. I was running around like crazy till the very last minute but I’m happy to report the whole event went off without a hitch.
It was a celebration in honor of Admiral -Haruko- and Admiral Fenris.
Many of the Beowulf Fleet members attended…
I provided the food for the buffet and Nian provided the wonderful entertainment with the help of Eos’. Nian even performed a special song for the Admirals…
As far as we could tell, a good time was had by all.
With encouragement from many of our guild members and help from Nian, I’ve been busy preparing for a party. With the recent promotion of two of our own, an Admiral’s Banquet seemed like a great idea. However, I hadn’t realized what a large undertaking this would be.
I wrote up and sent out invites….I’ve been busy preparing dishes…. we had to secure a venue and decorate and come up with contingency plans…. Nian has been a wonderful help, volunteering her time and expertise. But with only days till the event, I’m feeling a bit stressed.
Most of the work is finished. I’m almost certain there will be enough food and drinks and with Nian in charge of entertainment, I know that everyone will have a good time. So why am I so stressed?
Well, at some point I’m probably going to have to make some kind of speech or introduction. And I’m scared to death I’m going to make a fool of myself. So much so, I still haven’t sat down to write out what I’m going to say. I don’t even want to think about it. Instead I put my energy into thinking about how to get out of it….
If you have any suggestions, or would like to volunteer for the job, let me know 
