[The recorder clicks on. Maria's voice is rather weak; she's shaken by the recent turn of events, and with the latest switch, she's physically weaker without her spiffy powers of alteration. Fortunately the charisma's still there, but she'll have to snap out of things first before she could get working again.]

I feel like I'm going to be sick.

Come on, Maria. You've faced worse than this before. Do something.

72 hours. Alright, let's do this.

[ Private | Hackable ]
This feels like Luther all over again.


((ooc: Icon is 'lock and load' and mood is 'determined' unless hacked.))

[Screened to Aligoté | Unhackable]

We need to talk.

... And move.

[Screened to Jing | Voice | Unhackable]

Jing, the Warden's constructing a second Consulo!

[Screened to Albel, Atem, Cloud, Fayt, Jing, Nocturne, Padmé, Samus, Sheifa, Sylvanas and Zuko | Unhackable]

The Warden has been found. He's injured. Samus and Atem are on his location.

I don't think I'm the only one who has a bad feeling about this. The quiet is unsettling, too.

[Screened to the Alliance | Unhackable]

Communications team, report.

... Orders, Quatre?



[Screened to Albel | Unhackable]

I need to talk to you.

Jing! Where are you?

[Screened to Aligoté | Unhackable]

Got time to chat?


[Screened to Atem | Unhackable]

Queen, I might have to crash at your place tonight. Do you mind?

Little Miss Maria isn't accustomed to giving gifts, but feels the need to do so anyway. These will be received by the persons concerned late Christmas afternoon. ♥

( gifts gifts gifts )

The people here never cease to surprise me. In spite of the circumstances, they still find reasons to celebrate. I, on the other hand, had stopped celebrating Christmas for quite sometime now, and it was only last year, on Airyglyph, when I had the chance to celebrate it again. Fayt and Sophia had insisted upon it.

Relena, thank you for the present. It is most useful. I'd have to get you something in return, now.


[Screened to OU!Relena, Cloud, Jing, Atem, Sheifa and Albel | Unhackable]

Stay alert. Just because it's a holiday doesn't mean the bad guys are taking a break, too. No rest for the wicked, as they say. I have here our official roster, as well as our current tasks. Please be guided accordingly.

( Cut for length. Missing information will be filled in as supplied. )

Merry Christmas, team.



((Backdated to Christmas morning.))

[Screened to OU!Relena, Cloud, Jing, Atem and Sheifa | Unhackable]

Relena Darlian is now officially a member of this team, and from this point on she is my second-in-command. Relena, please select a codename. Cloud, Atem, I still need yours, ASAP. I will reveal everyone's codenames in one protected post, and I will not mention who's who again after that.

Also, we have our orders.
► Gather information on a resident named Atlas - identity, whereabouts, allegiances.
► Monitor Harth Fray.
► Monitor messages originating from Chang Wufei's PDA. It was taken by Harth on the night the victims were rescued.

And I have decided, given the dangerous nature of our missions, that each of us should work with a partner. This has been duly approved by Fayt, however with the condition that the partner should be part of the Alliance. Ideally, he or she should be a member of one of the assault teams as well - after all, there's no point having a partner who can't protect you, is there? Partners will be admitted into the communications team, and they will be asked to select a codename as well.

Cloud, you will be my partner, if that's alright?

[Screened to Cloud, Jing, Atem and Sheifa | Unhackable]

This is Maria. Welcome to the team, everyone.

We have been assigned to communications. Our primary task is to monitor communications over the PDAs, but it is also within our domain to keep track of certain residents and the messages they send and receive, take note of suspicious posts, gather information via the network, and relay/retrieve messages to/from the different teams in the Alliance, thereby assisting the Coordinator with his duties.

It is a must that you know how to make your posts unhackable. If you don't know how to, learn. I don't expect everyone to know how to hack, but I would appreciate it if you do. At the moment, if there are posts in need of hacking, alert me immediately so I can work on them.

We also need codenames. Please select carefully one that cannot be directly or even indirectly traced to you.

... That is all, for the meantime. If you have any objections, concerns or problems with this arrangement, I suggest you voice them out now.



[Screened to Zuko | Unhackable]

I have been reassigned to the communications team. Fayt has instructed me to turn over the amnesia case to you. In a short while I will be uploading to your PDA the information that I have compiled regarding the matter, although I really haven't had much progress. Will you be alright, however?

Any progress, Zuko?


[Private | Unhackable]

They have been found, but one is missing. Although I really shouldn't be concerned about this. Fayt has dispatched the others on the case, and teams after teams have been working on it. I should stick to my orders.

... Not being in command is really taking a lot to get used to.

[Screened to the Alliance | Unhackable]

I know I should be on the amnesia case, but the recent string of disappearances have been most unusual. I have just confirmed that Selphie Tilmitt has disappeared.

Who else is missing?

[The recorder clicks on. There's the usual bustle of the hallway for a few seconds, before Maria's voice comes in. It's not too clear, because her PDA's in her pocket, just accidentally turned on.]

This is ridiculous.

... Could you not stand so close?

[Behold, a male voice. A little distant, but it's there. It's Cloud.]

I can't help it.

[She sighs, although inaudibly. This time she actually takes out her PDA, and is a little too frustrated to realize that it's been accidentally turned on.]

Are mistletoes supposed to be able to do this?

[Screened to Aligoté | Unhackable]
Aligoté, thank you for last night.



((ooc: Terribly backdated, sorry.))

What, truly, is strength? What makes a person strong?

[Screened to the members of the 'alliance' as well as Maria's friends, excluding Jing. Unhackable.]

It seems that our little thief of a leader is having too much fun. Any plans of nailing him yet?

And Tomo has made contact with the Joker. But I can't access anything beyond 'What you have heard is true.' I can't hack it, and I've tried repeatedly. Shinji, a little help here?

[Screened to Jing, Fayt, Sylvanas, Selphie, John, Robin One, Querl, Relena and Albel//Unhackable]

Maria reporting.

I have been assigned by Fayt to communicate with the Indigeo. However, what I have managed to gather is no different from what has been relayed by the others over the network. The Warden is offline. Not dead, but offline. Restricted. And the Indigeo has been put in the Warden's place by the Keepers themselves. As to requisitions, I have yet to receive a response to my query.

On another note, I have been monitoring the network as of late, and it appears that other than the Joker and Tomo, there are a couple of residents intending or even beginning to cause trouble. Similarly, however, there are groups opposing them as well. Belldandy has caused quite a stir as some of you are already aware of, but there are already residents opposing her, and they are of quite the number. We also have Kragok and Tony Stark against someone called Finitevus, and there is tension between Lyserg and Hao. A woman named Helena is talking about 'destroying something beautiful' as well.

We may have our hands full in no time, gentlemen. And ladies as well.



((ooc: Posted before the thread with Aligoté. ♥))

[Screened to Albel//Unhackable]

I didn't realize that the threat you'd named as Li Yelan was your... mother-in-law. Will you be alright?


[Private//Unhackable]

I feel so useless here. Fayt doesn't need me on his team; he's got his own circle of friends now, and they're doing just fine with whatever they're doing for the war. And while Querl and I have been busy testing my abilities, there really is little that I can do, not when I can't fully control my power or when I don't completely understand how it works. I can't even pass on any relevant information to those who are in need of it.

I should be back there, where I can do more and actually serve some purpose. I know Cliff and the others can take care of themselves just fine, but what about Fayt and Sophia? Fayt will most probably be arrested first before being sentenced to death, just as I was, but they might kill Sophia the first chance they get, as she bears no political significance.

I'm worried about Nel as well. She's on a wild goose chase in her search for Albel, with the war getting worse while she's gone. Clair and Adray must have their hands full; Vox, after all, will be taking advantage of Albel's absence to do everything he's ever wanted to do against Aquaria.

... There must be something I can do. If not to escape and return to where I'm most needed, then to somehow help win this war.