Archive for the 'SWG' Category
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.
I rode into Journey’s End shortly after the Beowulf Squadron was dissolved. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. The city hall - gone. Vanished.
My heart pounded as I tried to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. My home town of Journey’s End - gone! I stared at the empty lot for a few moments… then flew into action.
I called in a favor from Jamaica and had her start work on a new city hall immediately. She spent a small fortune and it took her several hours to find, buy, borrow and craft everything she needed to construct the deed. I waited anxiously, hoping I wasn’t already too late.
That night, with trembling hands, I used the deed. I was asked for a name and without hesitation named it Journey’s End. I was home again.
I called friends and they helped me establish the city. But it was soon clear that there wouldn’t be enough room. Looking at the abandoned houses all around me, I had to finally admit it. Journey’s End was dead and there was nothing I could do to bring it back.
I finally resolved to move from my beloved town. A day or so later I did the unthinkable. I destroyed the city hall and Journey’s End with it. It broke my heart to do it. Before all the evidence of its existence could be swept away forever, I stole a piece of rubble from the demolished city hall.
I moved my house a short distance and there built a new city hall, establishing the city of Moneta. My fellow citizens and I have been busy setting up our town. Things were coming along quite nicely but it still felt like something was missing.
Then I remembered that piece of rubble I’d stashed away. I had a brazier built and a plaque placed on it that reads “Ember of Journey’s End.” I placed it high on a hill near city hall and after lighting it, I threw the piece of rubble into the fire.
I don’t know if anyone will understand my need to do this. When I look around Moneta, I’m acutely aware that everything here had its origins back in Journey’s End. By honoring the source of our foundations, I hope to bring good fortune to Moneta.
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.
(If you’re interested in finding out more about the Commerce Union and how it could benefit your SWG character on the Ahazi server, contact Brassk, LongJie or myself in game.)
Since the Beowulf Squadron dissolved, I’ve been looking for ways to keep myself busy…and keep my mind off how much I miss everyone.
What started with casual get-togethers of local business people has recently transformed into an official committee with the purpose of seeking out ways to connect merchants and shippers with one another to maximize profits. As chairman of this committee, I’ve had plenty to keep me busy. So much so, I decided to leave the new guild so I could concentrate my efforts on my job as chairman.
It’s been a great opportunity to meet some new people and use my own business experience to help others…. and just the thing I needed to fill the hole WULF left in my life.
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!
A while ago I obtained a deep fryer. It came with a partial recipe for Corellian Fried Ice Cream. I wasted no time obtaining the ingredients listed and made a guess about what might complete the recipe. I fried it up and created some of my very own fried ice cream…
Upon first tasting it, it was as delicious as it looked…. but immediately my stomach made a horrible noise and I felt very sick. Undaunted by my failure, I encouraged my friend Jaegen to make a batch. With a different ingredient surely he’d have better luck…
Then again, maybe not. I almost felt bad enough to help him clean the vomit off the floor…. almost.
I can always tell when Bermuda is getting ready to skip out of town. It begins with the valuable gifts he bestows on me for no reason. Inevitably, he asks how many credits I have in the bank. Despite the fact that he’s often gone for long periods of time, he’s always managed to make sure that I’m well cared for during his absence.
I rarely get any official notice that he’s left. Days go by, weeks even, and I come to the realization that he’s not been around in a while. I live with the reality that at any time, he could suddenly be gone.
And now, it seems, he is. Again.
Of course I’m sad that he’s away again. But I can’t claim I didn’t know what I was getting into all those years ago when I decided to throw my lot in with him.
When I first met Bermuda I was all of 15. My parents and I lived in a small town in a distant galaxy. I first saw him while making my daily trip to the Bazaar to sell my parents’ products. He was there, selling hides and meat from recent kills.
This old photo just doesn’t do him justice. He was quite handsome back then (still is). He immediately caught my eye… and I guess I caught his as well. I can’t recall what we chatted about that first day. I only remember that we talked for a very long time. I left wondering if I’d ever see him again.
I did. He was there at the Bazaar again the next day at that same hour. He played it cool and claimed that it was coincidence… but I knew better. We continued to meet there each day for the next week.
He loved to tell me stories about the places he’d been. Though he refused to tell me how he ended up travelling the universe alone, it was clear from his stories he’d been taking care of himself for at least a couple of years. His tales left me breathless one minute and laughing hysterically the next. But mostly they made me jealous of all he’d experienced.
As my parents’ only child, it had always been a given that I would take over running the family business. For my parents it was a foregone conclusion that I would marry a local boy and live in that same small town for the rest of my life.
Faced with a peer who’d already lived more than either of my parents ever had, I realized I had a choice. My life’s script wasn’t already written and I didn’t need to go on pretending it was.
As that week ended, Bermuda prepared to move on as he was accustomed to doing. I inquired where he’d go next. With a sly grin, he asked if I wanted to go with him to find out.
The smile quickly faded from my lips and I stared at the ground, holding my breath. How could I possibly do such a thing? I couldn’t. Could I? I sat in silence, tormented by the choice he’d put before me.
To understand the significance of what happened next, you need to understand that Bermuda is never affectionate in public. Ever. The most you’ll ever see him do is occasionally smack my bottom or pat my back. You won’t find him kissing or hugging me, not even in saying goodbye. He’s just not that way.
But that day, as I sat there paralyzed, he reached over and gently lifted my chin till my eyes met his. He leaned in close, swept his finger across my cheek and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. Then he cradled the back of my head in his hand, looked me in the eye and whispered, “Would you go with me?”
Suddenly the difficult choice didn’t seem so difficult. With tears in my eyes, I told him I would. And he kissed me. Yes, right there outside the Bazaar. In all the years since, that hasn’t happened again. I have to steal kisses from him behind locked doors.
I knew there was no way my parents would ever understand so I didn’t bother to discuss it with them. I left that night while they slept, leaving only a brief note behind saying that I was leaving and that I probably wouldn’t return.
Shortly thereafter Bermuda and I found ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the Mos Eisley Starport.
It’s true, I spend a lot of time in my Theed shop. Sometimes it seems that my work is never done. Keeping vendors stocked, servicing customers, filling special orders and experimenting to find new outfits to sell keeps me pretty busy.
When it all gets to be too much, you’re almost certain to find me engrossed in my other obsession, fishing.
I first went fishing with Bermuda on our honeymoon in Lake Retreat. I’m not a real fan of the great outdoors so I really didn’t expect to enjoy it all that much. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Shortly thereafter I set up a fishing vendor in Lake Retreat and began selling poles and bait to the tourists. It gets a surprising amount of business for place so far out of the way. But then, there’s no better place to fish in my opinion.
I’ve taken to carrying my bathing suit, pole and bait around with me recently. Rather than wait till I had time to take a proper vacation in Lake Retreat, I’ve found it helpful to sneak in a bit of fishing here and there when I need a break from work.
It’s also opened the door for me to pick up and take others fishing. When I happen across someone feeling a bit burnt out, one of the first things I do is hand them a pole and take them fishing. They usually find it as therapeutic as I do.
There isn’t much I’d rather do than go fishing with friends.
