Bad Hair Day

[Voyager]

Bad Hair Day: When Neutrals Stop Being Neutral

an account through the eyes of an alt
__________________________________________________
Serras was bored. This was nothing new really. Nothing much ever happened in Newland City these days. No one from the funny little girls school was around looking for an escort to the Temple or help with getting into armor. The Omni horde camped out on the hill overlooking the grid weren't being too friendly. It was time for a change of pace.

She looked at the Borealis exit on the whompas and sighed. Well, sure, Borres was always packed with clammers... but not ALL of them were bad. Her friend Desi had spent hours telling her how wonderful Shadowgod and his group of Pilgrims were. They were clanners, but, as Desert Reet so often put it, the were "Good Clanners". So why did Serras always seem to run into the bad variety?

Maybe it was partially a matter of perspective. When it came down to it, Serras couldn't honestly say that DevilsRage was a Bad Clanner. She'd met him while taking some of Desi's girls to the Temple of Three Winds and he'd been a good friend for a time. Probably still would be if he hadn't gotten mixed up in some stupid female drama and crossed her lines. None of that really had anything to do with his faction anyway. No faction was free of emotional weakness or poorly applied good intentions. She admitted that in all fairness.

She stepped into the whompas, pondering her aversion as the gateway took her to Borealis. The cellshaking WHOOM-pah! jarred her nerves, derailing her chain of thought. As she materialized in the midst of a group of milling clanners, her commlink buzzed and transmitted an allfrequency bulletin.

"If you have any love for your neutrality or the causes that keep you neutral, PLEASE respond."

Well THAT was a new one. Since when did anyone think they could appeal to the mass of neutrals as if they were a single cohesive faction? The only thing that united neutrals was the fact that none of them wanted to work for OmniTek and none of them wanted to join the clan rebels. Most neutrals just wanted to be left alone by everyone. Omni, clanners and other neutrals alike. They had no real leadership to speak of. There was no true binding cause to rally them around. It was no wonder that neutral land concerns were becoming increasingly smaller by the week.

The thought struck a nerve and brought her nagging dislike of the average clanner back to the front of Serras' mind. From hostile land takeovers to the nastiness of NemX clanners in the Temple, Serras couldn't honestly remember meeting a clanner besides Devil who had ever been anything but selfish, grasping, cruel, rude and brutish. She didn't discredit Desi's accounts of the Pilgrims, but when the numbers stacked up, they fell against the clan faction in her head. SHE had never had the good fortune to run into the likes of Sallust and ShadowGod in her daily business.

Looking aggrivated, Serras darted out of the gaggle of babbling clanners parked in front of the whompas and stretched her legs in a long, rambling stride that carried her to a less crowded part of the street. The gossip she was hearing bothered her even more than her picking at the scab of her anitpathy towards clanners. More babble about Justhealin.

The rumormill had been grinding overtime on that particular neutral leader recently. Clan sympathiser was the least offensive thing she'd heard on THAT subject over the last few weeks. Serras didn't know what to think or feel about it. If Justhealin wasn't acting against neutral interests to the benefit of the clans, why were so many people talking like this about her? If she WAS, why hadn't anyone done anything about her?

Serras' need for some kind of action to take her mind off of this kind of thing was reaching a boiling point. She thumbed the wristlet for her commlink to switch to a secure channel and subvocalized a few terse words and nodded. The message was clear. Yes, she would respond. It was just what she needed to take the edge off. Serras smiled.

Angry People. Yeah, well maybe she'd give them something to be angry about. It was just like the ancient history courses with the Manifest Destiny and America's native population. History did repeat itself. But the question in her mind was not who would win or lose. It was would she go down quietly or would she retain her dignity and fight to preserve her people's ICC-given right to mine notum without being forced into a clan or signing an Omni contract. Angry.

It only took a few minutes to reach the location. Just outside the canyon and due east. Right in the backyard of Borealis. One of the few truely neutral grounds. There it was. The suppression gas was low, only 25% here. Serras ignored the timer counting down and ran a perimeter check. The Angry People hadn't bothered to buy the best equipment. It was a shoddy, poorly laid out mishmash of turrets and support towers. Poorly maintained.

"Just like clanners." she told the base tower in front of her.

A change in the air pressure signaled an airborn arrival. Looking up, Serras saw a yalmaha circling. Checking her proximity feedback, she saw the registry belonged to Justhealin. She waved up at the neutral leader in greeting. There was no friendly exchange. Shaking her head, Serras put it down to business and began relaying her scouted data to the incursion team and settled in to wait.

New arrivals sped into vicinity after a few minutes and Serras rose to greet them. This was NOT the most organized raiding party she'd ever been part of, but she could excuse their lack of experience. Her eyes narrowed as she saw their clan tags. These weren't her people. These were clan defenders. What were THEY doing here? No one had stripped a sheild or tapped a tower yet, so the clanners should NOT have been alerted yet. Serras' eyes scanned upwards, brushing over Justhealin's yalm.

A feeling of slow-growing disgust pooled in her belly as Morph flew in on quantum wings and began a hostile banter with Justhealin. Morph was another of the neutral leaders. Not that the uninformed observer could tell that on their own. His longstanding feud with the Forsaken's leader made him look and act more like an angry 12-year-old than the leader of a sizable neutral organization. The two spattered the vicinity with their invective and spleen, ignoring the clan bystanders in the heat of their disagreement. Serras stood by, eyes widening and mouth tightening as she listened.

As more clan defenders rolled in, Serras felt her frustration and disgust with the two leaders overflow her tolerance buffers and pool inside her. It very much appeared that Justhealin WAS a traitor to the neutral people to the benefit of the clans. And Morph had sunk so deeply into his own outrage that he was out of control. Neither of them was anything a neutral could be proud of. Both of them were a detriment and an embarrassment. Serras felt sick. There would be no incursion today. Not for her.

[Goddess]

Your intelligence was quite lacking on that day.

Perhaps it was your time of the Rubi-Ka month...

If you review your comment, you might consider your statement and it's supporting dribble.

"When Neutrals Stop Being Neutral "

What exactly is not neutral about protecting your own towers?

What exactly is not neutral about creating peaceful treaties with orgs on any faction that agrees with peace? To me, that is the definition of neutral, alliances with anyone...meaning equality, that shares your ideals.

There are several Clanner factions that feel this way, as well as Omni. Truth is, we have, through our great leader, JustHealin, even converted both Omni and Clanner types to neutral!!!! ( Huh? Yes, can't convert active alts, but they can operate as a neutral allie as well as start new, clean, better neutrals.

If one were to really read your post. One could only believe you are a Clanner at heart. You wish to be an island rather than a planetary friend. You post harsh words, rather than sage words of advice to those that might need training in tower management. Your post reeks of superiority....something that Clanners wear as a board on their overinflated chest.

Perhaps, in your boredom, you sought a conflict to begin...again a Clanner trait. I dare say, you aren't much of a benefit to the neutral cause. Neutrals aren't loners, we in fact have some of the best orgs and friendships around. We are simply free of the politics you Clanner and Omni types love to brandish.

May the notum enlighten your NCU.

[____________Scarleet]

Serras if you knew Justhealin better you would know that she definitely was not a traitor. But you have convicted her based on the purely circumstantial evidence that she was there. Ohh and you also have the rantings of (as you put it) an angry 12 yr old. These are not a good basis for jumping to the conclusion that Justhealin was a traitor. Perhaps you should listen to the rumormill a little less often if you let it sway your opinoin of others so easily in the absence of any real facts.

[Voyager]

Ladies, read with your brains turned on and your tempers turned off. The neutral ceasing to be neutral in our little morality play is the main subject, one Serras. The entire piece focuses on the fact that she has, over her time on RubiKa, developed a dislike of clanners and lost touch with her original neutrality. Anyone of average intelligence and reading skills can clearly see that Serras has become Omni in her heart of hearts. To imagine someone who has had so many negative experiences from clanners as is made plain in Serras' tale might actually BECOME clan is ludicrous.

It is an illustration of how one ceases wishing to take no side through experiencing events over time. The fact that it is based strongly on events that have indeed occurred on Rimor should not distract one from the overall moral of the tale, which is "Views change and people influence views". Just because your leader Justhealin put herself in a less than forutitous or even unflattering position doesn't mean that she is as she appears to Serras at that time. It's all about perceptions. The story puts both neutrals and clanners in an unflattering role. The story is told using the view of someone who has learned the hard way that clanners can't be trusted and has lost faith in the leaders of her faction because they don't even have faith in each other.

I shouldn't have to be this blunt with you, but if you choose to disrupt my story with your knee-jerk flaming, I will choose to make myself clear in like fashion. Should you bother to read any further parts of story as they develop, you might find that there are other, more important characters whose views do not agree with Serras'. However, I might say that your reaction really does lend weight and realism to Serras' reactions; as you, RL people, have done as she has, and jumped to what is most likely to be an erroneous conclusion. And like Serras, you have jumped before looking with clear eyes.

[Goddess]

Hmmm, talking about flaming, you shoot down not just innocent citizens of Rubi-Ka as you blazen your alignment shift, but of quality leaders and state it is merely your characters plot life and not a pointed assault.

While your story telling has narrative merit, you should perhaps consider fictional names, or at the very least, volunteering parties...because your content is insulting and incorrect.

It appears your own significance bears more weight than others around you.

While you may believe your alignment is aimed at Omni, your portrayal is of rogue clan. You state you believe in free mining, against Omni policy, yet you hate clan. That is the premise of clan...self directed and basically hating the other clans, each group out of control of the whole alignment....of course, you'd be one of the more rare clan, one with less integrity as I have exposed here. But you couldn't see that, through your disenlightenment.

Besides, the Omni types I have met have been very helpful, if not friendly with advice...are you so sure you understand yourself?

And what is this talk of 'story', I'm believing you are a reporter here? Or are you actually intending to post fiction as if it was fact.

[Justhealin]

I am appalled and discouraged. Apparently you believe yourself to be a faithful neutral servant,
but to whom, since you believe neutrality means individualism.

I am appalled because you consider me a clan type. Certainly you are
familiar with the concept of 'allies'? Well, when your own members are
not available and you need people of a certain level, then you would be
wise to invest in alliances. Of course,
our policy is to only ally with those that share our beliefs. We don't
find anyone an enemy until they cross us directly.

Truth is, I have alliancances on all sides.I could not assist with the event in question as it was an attack on my Clan allies,it could just as well have been Omni.

Perhaps you need to understand better what 'neutral' really means.
Like the other poster comments, no politics. This side, that side, just
a power game that we don't bother ourselves with. We protect our land from
marauders, and we do well at it normally and recover it if we don't. Otherwise,
we love our freedom to hunt, explore, and quest.

Now your more serious accusation, me being a 'traitor'. There are those that
have reacted very intensely to that charge and are not happy when I denied
their request to 'smote you into dust'. However, I believe your opinion fell
largely from the erroneous account of the poor Morphiousx, whom is sadly mistaken.

This man wrongly believed one of mine was responsible for blowing his cover, when in
truth, the chat logs clearly showed that he spammed vicinity and OOC for help...ignorantly
blowing his own cover. It has been my recommendation that he stick with more experienced
people and learn better practices and stay off the 'blaming others' bandwagon.

Of course, you have propagated this misconception, for whatever reason, and I would like
a formal apology.

And now lastly, I am discouraged by your post. Your view of others on the planet is a dim one.
Perhaps you have evolved beyond the feeble capabilities of the corporeal being and don't believe anyone
is worthy of your presence. For that I am really sorry, Rubi-Ka is rich with wonderful people, of
any variety, and your intelligence could add to the mix.

Honor and freedom will prevail.

[didymus]

Originally posted by The Desert Reet
Ladies, read with your brains turned on and your tempers turned off.

Should you bother to read any further parts of story as they develop, you might find that there are other, more important characters whose views do not agree with Serras'.

So, I suggest you wait for the rest of the story before blowing out steam.

[battlized]

serras .....u and morph made a big mistake attacking us (angry people) i dont know if u know but me and my allies are the most active neut supporting group of factions out of all omni and clan.


me and my orgs/friends have given tons of land to neuts and ur attacking us now??? .What gives man ur totallly unpreciative and u come on here to the boards and talk about justy like that??


justy is not a traitor she just knows the whole situation better than u do. U cant see past us destroying NM's base . NM had it coming theyve always been true omni's hiding under neut status, and wage war with clanners daily.



If your gonna act out like this please dont try to influence other neuts becuz uve got us totally wrong and ur turning neuts against us that i wish to help.



-Battlized General of Angry People

[cykotic]

I would just like to say one thing ...
I know Justhealin pretty well and in the Time I've know her I can honestly say That she is neither a traitor to Neuts or Is wrong in her Philosophy of being Neutral.
This is just my humble opinion and pls do not include me in the flame war thats seems to be going on ..For as a neut myself I will not take sides. This small character reference to Justy is just me stating what I know of her ..I am in no way taking any sides in this matter.
Again this is just my humble opinion to let others know what I know of Justy
Thank you for your time
Fingahz

[_____________Snootch]

Many people forget that this is merely an account told through the viewpoint of a particular character. What is "truth" and what isn't does not matter; what is perceived by this person does.

[Jajangmyun]

Originally posted by Trickeye
Many people forget that this is merely an account told through the viewpoint of a particular character. What is "truth" and what isn't does not matter; what is perceived by this person does.

((Yah, that's kind of how I saw it too, just background story for a character. But Goddess does have a good point with:
"you should perhaps consider fictional names, or at the very least, volunteering parties..."))

[Thrase]

Personal log entry:
date reset:
year 0, day 0: hehe the fools have started the war, Neuts will soon be out of the way for good. The neutral leaders are fast turn turn on their own. This info and the info about Justhealin the leader of a neut org will come in very handy.

year 0, day 15: it's set up my days and days of hiding here hoping that Justhealin would see through my cloak has paid off someone is about rdy to attack clan towers and as always Justhealin is there to watch "her" land. Time to call in the troups before a tower is taken.

year 0, day 15: Haha my plan has worked the other neut leader that already didn't like her is here! My job is done. The higher powers will be happy. Soon we will take back Newland City too.

[Voyager]

Listen, lady, I'm not one of you people anymore. What I consider myself to be is no longer any of your concern. I have seen the gross error of my ways and my naivity and regretted them bitterly. I am, now, an employee of the esteemed OmniTek company. Wake up and smell the notumflow.

I hope fervently that our associations will be kept both minimal and civil, as I have no desire to do you any harm. Should I recieve orders to the contrary, I will do you the grace of informing you before attempting to carry out my duties. This I do to honor the beliefs my former mentor DesertReet holds so dear. She may be naive and misled still, but I can pray that the scales are lifted from her eyes as well.

Perhaps, in time, you will all see the error of your ways and find consolation in the virtual arms of our benefactors, in OmniTek. After all, it IS true, citizens. Omni IS your friend.

Agent Serras Victoria
Omni Employee

[BlockAndLode]

First off, the Forsaken was, is and always will be what it was when I founded it. It is a ever-maturing collective of INDEPENDANT minded INDIVIDUALS banding together in a common purpose and goal: Survival on Rubi-Ka through the uplifting, supporting and outreach of and to one another in Borealis, the only true Independant bastion on Rubi-Ka.

The only traitor to neutrality I see here is you little miss Serras. It is true my many Atrox-based Genetic Experiments are all Omni, but that is only so that Omni can fund my experiments. Reuben Madgadget Markarian is still alive and well, still lives in the shadows of Borealis, still watches everything that goes on with the Forsaken and those who call her home and will always be here in one form or another to watch the blasphemies, hippocritical hereseys and basic idiologies that are being purpatrated and spouted to the unaware masses of Rubi-Ka. Mouths like yours start dissention, festering poison and rancid malignancy within the hearts and minds of those who seek a true, citizen-controlled Rubi-Ka.

Rubi-Ka deserves it's own government, its own rights and its own sovereignty. It does NOT deserve Corporate controlled mining licenses, Governing Neutral Organizations, Fanatical clans starting wars over a false freedom and it sure doesn't need people who are clueless as to the truth of Rubi-Ka and the wonderous lands that lie beyond the portal in Jobe.

I have said my piece, doubtful that you might read and understand my words, but hopeful that others might read what I have to say and see the truth in the words that issue forth from what could almost be considered my mouth if it werent a vocal encoder built with nanotechnology.

Founder of The Forsaken
Reuben "Madgadget" Markarian
Independant, free and forever...

[Voyager]

Serras rose with the sun, finger-combing her blonde hair back into a semblance of order as she paced the familiar confines of her apartment in Newland City, tidying the stray personal artifacts that served as a rather spartan decor as she went. It was a glorious day. She knew it. There was no need yet to poke her head outside the apartment to see if the sun was shining or if the rain was falling. It didn't matter.

She had evolved. She had reached beyond the tiny, shrinking possibilities of her former self and become something finer. More useful. More effective. It didn't bother her to be a part of something larger. Serras didn't crave fame or some phantom recognition. What she wanted -- no -- what she NEEDED, was to grow and to do. She could not have continued on in the futile lack of direction and purpose that neutrality had represented.

Without a goal, a purpose or a path, there was no growth. She understood this now. It troubled her that she could have failed to see this before, but a few hours in one of the Omni counselling sessions had remedied her former confusion. She had been lost, but the caring, compassionate employees of the OmniMed division had cured what had ailed her. She was free now. Free to be a stronger, more focussed individual.

The little agent sat and began to field-strip her rifle. A tight smile lifted her lips, softening the expression of concentration. Like each piece of her weapon, Serras was now a well-made part of something wonderful. As she cared for her rifle, OmniTek cared for her. She would be maintained, kept in peak condition so that she could perform her job in concert with others, working in harmony to achieve their common goals.

"I am reborn." she said, placing a newly cleaned, freshly oiled piece of her weapon in its proper place.

She thought of her old life, her old associates. Pity welled up in her heart. They didn't know how good it could be. They struggled like animals in their traps, deprived of the freedom and satisfaction of knowing their roles in life. They were doomed by their own stubborn refusal to see that the door to the cage was open and they could simply walk out. Instead, they were prey for the predatory clansmen. She wished she could show them that to allow the clanners to continue to hold them hostage was not an answer.

If we accept help from Omnis, if we openly befriend them, the clanners will come and take away what little we have left... They'll KILL us...

Some friends. If they could only hear themselves. Didn't it fly in the face of wisdom to claim to be neutral and then be friendly with only ONE side of a conflict? A threatening and hostile side at that... Desi never bought that cheap, pandering philosophy and neither would Serras. And while Desi stubbornly clung to her illusions that there was a way to remain truely neutral through this conflict, Serras was done with it. She wasn't the stubbornly stupid type. Serras knew better. Serras was a realist.

Serras, there is no right side here on RubiKa. Not Omni and not the clans. There is no evil empire and there is no valiant and righteous rebellion. There are only two opposing forces, all made up of humans. To be human is to be both right and wrong, good and evil. Both sides are right and wrong in equal proportion. Both sides refuse to let reason rule and come up with a mutually acceptible agreement.

This is why I refuse to side. I will never willingly choose to do something I know is wrong. The only thing we can do is to stay out of it and to offer help and comfort to whoever needs it, irregardless of what faction they belong to. Not everyone feels that way, and my path is a hard one, but it's the right thing to do. So I'll do it and be happy. Please give the clanners a chance... They're not ALL bad, just like the Omni aren't all bad.

Desi was such a dreamer. Beautiful in her convictions and even admirable, if stubbornly clinging to an illusion was admirable... Serras' smile faded. She worried about the big redheaded teacher. She'd have to keep an eye on her to make sure nothing happened to her. And maybe, if Desi saw how well she was doing with Omni, just maybe, she'd be able to convince her to sign up. Omni could use someone like the Desert Reet.

[Voyager]

The zaftig redhead crossed her arms and got that mulish cast to the line of her jaw. This was far from progress. The president of the Fur N Feathers school shook her head, fires banked far back in the depths of eyes that seemed to look through you so far that they saw the wilderness inside. Serras knew that look far too well. Obviously this was going to take a great deal more effort than she originally thought.

"Serras, have you lost your flippin' mind?"

Oh yeah. This was going to take a LOT of time and effort. If this was Desi's reaction to her happy news of her having taken a position in OmniTek, convincing her to come work with them was going to be problematical at best. This was going to require more time and patience than she had originally projected. But it was a worthwhile task.

"Desi, calm down," she wheedled, "It's not like that. You said yourself that there were PLENTY of good Omni employees. Signing the contract doesn't make a good person go bad. It just makes them gainfully employed. Besides, don't you think that it's a GOOD thing to have more good people working for OmniTek? Wouldn't that be to the benefit of the poor neutrals caught in between?"

Desi started to retort, then stopped, clamping her teeth around whatever it was that was trying to get out. She sighed. She looked up, eyes following the scudding whisps of cloud sailing high overhead. She was thinking. Well THAT was a more promising sign. Desi could still be reasoned with. She hadn't gone too far and pushed her into one of her angry fits of immovable obstinacy. When she looked back down and met Serras' eyes, her voice was calmer.

"Serras..." she said, obviously measuring each syllable with great care, "Serras, my friend, do you really believe this choice is the right one? Is this the path your heart urges you to follow?"

The little blonde agent smiled. The tension flowed out of her like water in response to her former mentor's softened tone. It would be okay. She'd find a way through Desi's stubborn idealism to show her a way out of the danger her neutrality placed her in. If she could accept Serras' choice of faction, she could be convinced of the good she could do as an employee of OmniTek as well.

"Of course it is." Serras' smile was sunny. "I've never been happier. I've never been anywhere that I felt I belonged before... and now I've found it, Desi. I can help you here. If neutrals work from WITHIN the company, then we can ensure that neutrals recieve the protection to live free of fear from the clans."

The traces of a frown shaded Desi's mouth. It hid there in the calmness of her expression, coloring it with the shadow of a doubt. Serras knew this expression too. It was a storm warning. What wasn't she getting? Couldn't she understand?

"I'm happy for you." she said. Her voice wasn't in agreement with her words. "I'm glad you've found your place in the world. But I think you need to think about what it is you're doing and why. It's not good to cloak yourself in delusions. I know obfuscation is part of what an agent does... but is it wise to practice your trade on yourself?"

This stopped Serras cold. Desi had just implied that Serras was lying to herself. No. Not implied. She'd come right out and said it. A thread of fire flickered and flared to life deep in Serras' belly. She schooled her expression to keep the cold flame from reaching her eyes. It wouldn't do to show Desi how angry what she'd said made her.

"Desi, what are you saying?" she pleaded, her tone and body language as placating as she could make them, "What is so delusional about working from within the system for a better life and an end to the conflict?"

The big redhead abstractedly rubbed at her temples and looked away. She looked tired. Serras had never really noticed that, but she realized that Desi had been looking tired for a while now. It was like she was carrying some great but invisible weight on her shoulders. It was disheartening to see someone she had always thought of in terms of optimism and energy looking so burdened. Her anger turned to cool ashes of pity.

"I'm saying," Desi stated flatly, "That I think your logic is flawed. I'm saying that I think that deep down, you have the intelligence to KNOW that you're using broken logic."

"WTF??" Serras couldn't contain her startled outburst.

"Serras, think about it. Think hard." Desi's tone was stern, over the border of pendantic. "You say you wish to help the neutral cause, yes?"

Serras struggled to hide her outrage. "Yes."

"You say that you believe that you can achieve this by working from within the company, yes?"

"Yes."

"So, if one becomes an Omni employee, is it Omni interests or neutral interests one places first?"

Serras rolled her eyes and put a fist on her hip.

"Desi, OmniTek wants to PROTECT the neutral citizens of RubiKa. If you don't believe me, I can get you a copy of the employees basic indoctrination chip. Omni has no problem with neutrals. Look at Newland City! They keep the population safe from clan predation! Look at the notum mining operations in neutral territorries! It's not Omni ravaging neutral bases, it's clans!"

Desi looked stern now.

"Yes, let's look at these things. Let's look at Newland City. How many neutrals live and trade there since Omni mercenaries came to keep us safe from clan predations? No, don't answer. I'll do it for you. Almost NONE. Who lives and trades in Newland City? I'll tell you. Omni does."

"But.."

Desi hissed and made a chopping motion with one hand.

"No. No buts. Let's look at the notum mining now, shall we? Yes. It was the ICC that granted neutrals and clans the rights to set up mining for notum here on RubiKa. OmniTek fought that BITTERLY in court. It isn't in OmniTek's best interests to allow outside concerns to mine notum here. It doesn't matter if it's clanners or neutrals, the bottom line stands that Omni profits are decreased by the ICC's ruling and lowering profit margins is NOT something that OmniTek desires."

Serras had lost so much ground she didn't know if she could salvage her standpoint. It hurt to see Desi look at her that way. The teacher didn't understand.

"Furthermore, let's look at YOU," Desi continued, "You with your good intentions and your need to make the world a better place. Oh I believe you want the war to end. I believe you don't mean any harm to the neutral people stuck in the middle. But I don't believe you understand what you're doing. You've sold your neutrality to your corporate masters for false assurances that the people you love will be safe.

Omni isn't interested in allowing neutrals to continue to pursue their own intersts as neutrals. What they WANT is for neutrals to sign that contract and become faithful employees. Wouldn't you say that signing on with OmniTek makes you no longer a neutral bystander?

Omni is just as guilty of destroying neutrality as the clans are. What difference is there between burning bases and sending us to reclaim from taking neutrals and making them part of a faction? Both sides are taking bites of us and devouring us a piece at a time. Come on. Think now. If someone joined the clans to protect their neutral friends and families, would they still be neutral?"

Serras closed her eyes and squared her shoulders, enduring the verbal assualt and hoping it would blow over soon. This was going so badly. Maybe it was just too soon to have tried to show Desi the way. The educator's logic was seamless and almost impossible to refute. Her convictions were so strong. Serras never thought that she'd see this strength as an obstacle before.

"So what about so-called neutrals who betray other neutrals to the clans? Or neutrals who have gone so far into heresy that they'd threaten the mining operations of other neutrals?" she asked, struggling with every fiber of her being to keep a civil tongue in her mouth.

Desi paled under her tan. She looked as if she'd been slapped.

"Serras Victoria, you go too far!" she barked, eyes flaming so hot that the lava flows in Avalon were chilly in comparison, "You shouldn't talk about things you have no understanding of. I have no idea what it is you think you've seen. I don't know the truth of what malcontents pass along to idle ears in the streets and frankly, neither do you. True or not, JUSTIFIED or not... this is NEUTRAL business, and if you haven't gotten the memo yet, YOU'RE NOT NEUTRAL ANYMORE! It's none of your business if the Peace Corp decides to attack other neutral holdings and it's none of your concern if the Forsaken make pacts with the clans, the Omni or the Devil himself!"

Her tirade ended abruptly. Desi stood, both hands fisted stiffly at her sides, chest heaving and eyes so dark with anger that Serras was sure she'd strike her. Trembling the redheaded adventurer turned on her heel and shifted. The huge wolf that used to be Serras' dearest friend bounded away.

Oh fardle. How was she going to fix this? She couldn't leave Desi undefended in such a perilous time and place. It seemed that she'd have to give the situation some space. She could keep her loved ones safe. Desi was wrong. Serras would show her. It would just take time.