(OOC: Shazam will not be referred to as Shazam in this story, but Neal Massis)

There was something about the fresh smell of a new planet that was just haunting.  How many times he'd gotten a wiff of it, Neal Massis had simply no clue, but he thought it got sweeter every time.  Of course, there was the occasional entry into atmosphere where one could not help but cover their noses and scream for mercy at the realization of one rank stench...  But this place was nice enough.

"Think fast!" Massis had recognized the voice as none other than his good, but unlawful uncle Hermes.  Spinning on his righ heel, the young man felt the full weight of his own luggage smashing into his chest and forcing him to stumble back.  Hermes was simply glowing at his own gift to keep his nephew on his guard, integrating his own grade of ingenuity at every stop. 

"Some day you'll regret doing these things to me, Uncle..."  The young man with blonde hair and hazel eyes lifted and eyebrow and nodded knowingly, as if these challenges would be the older man's undoing. 

"Yea well- not if I can help it.  Speaking of help- attend to your father over there, won't let me give him a hand for some reason."  Massis nodded and took his first real step onto the planet known as Rudick, a savory planet with purple evening horizons and sultry, soothing afternoons of saranading breezes and beautiful beaches.  Between all those warm thoughts and lovely blanketing of lustural wording, was the real target. 

"I'm sure the Fudi Acuss lord would love a late arrival due to a mix-up at the baggage counter..." Massis grumbled behind his leather bag, roughly a shoulder length apart and as tall and thick as as his chest.  Dropping the luggage at his side, Neil stuck his hands in his pockets and sprung a skip into his step as he rounded the ship he'd lovingly known as the Seroster for who knew how many years now.  The platform they'd been given clearence for was set high above the rain forest terrain and somehow busy.  Comuters, mechanics and pilots scoured the area for quick purchases; most of the creatures around were only stoppin by for a quick hello and faster good bye...  Massis gleamed at the falling sun as if he were returning some beams of his own before reaching the hind quarters of the ship. 

"Ah yes- loyal heir to my throne- suppose that nosy smuggler sent you back here..."  The sharp blue eyes of the man were startling to some, keen to others and sinful to yet more exuberant crowds.  To Neil they had been home for years and would be for more to come.

"If you're referring to Uncle- yes, he did mention your apparent lack of physical capacity for carrying certain bits and pieces of equipment."  In the evening sun, Massis decided to take on a favorite pose where he slouched slightly so that he could carrying his right arm with his left and lean as if sitting at a desk and awaiting a homework assignment.  This was his "you couldn't surprise me at this point" pose although it had no special meaning at the moment.

"Oh, you mean this stuff?" Icos had his arms around two duracrete containers of what he figured was filled with water.  False cargo- nothing quite like it...  Icos seemed to be thinking the same as he hefted it to the ground with a dull thud.  "Ironic how your virtue for giving me assistance only inspires me to do the work myself..." Icos chuckled and looked at the two containers, rougly have his height when stacked on top of eachother.  He hadn't made a noise as he'd dropped them down, so perhaps this fake cargo was lighter than the others they were used to.  "Must have decided that loading up radioactive debris from his own ship into these canisters was a bad idea- surprised they kept getting through customs...  But that's what we get for going to places like this."  Truly, Hermes did have some unconventional ways of getting rid of useless supplies- one of which was to include them in his shipments to customers around the galaxy, almost none of which he would contact for a shipment again. 

"So do you wanna put them in the loader or should I?" Massis replied, giving his father an innocent, but curious look.  "Wouldn't wanna hurt your back you know..."  Now he smiled malevolently as Icos returned it and said-

"Don't make me kick your ass, young one."  Icos nodded in a mock challenge, Shazam about to step forward when the hum of a repulsor-lift could be heard.  "And that'll be our carrier for today- do you mind?"  The short goatee of his father was lighter than it had been in Neil's younger years, but it still retained its charming sarcasm.  The father held out his hand toward the storage hold int he back of the Seroster as if its depths could hold nothing other than lost treasures.

"Wait- the real stuff or the fake stuff?" Massis lifted an eyebrow, Icos disloding himself from the first two containers he'd lifted off the ramp and running up into the storage unit before answering with-

"Don't make me run through this in public now..."  Neil leaned forward so that his kness nearly made contact with the lowered ramp and he was able to see into the darkened arena.  The 'fake' containers filled with water or whatever fun substance Herme's had decided to fill them with, usually relfecting similar values of the real goods like weight, physical state and molecular structure, were placed on the right hand side and stacked all the way up the wall. 

"Any idea what we're shipping today father?" Massis asked, deciding to lend a hand to his father.  After reaching his full height and beginning his stride inward, the young man could help but stop and brush away what dust he could under the dim light of the interiors carved into the walls.  Pulling his slacks up slightly to make sure his work boots were still there, he tightenned his camoflage jacket and joined his father.

"Probably medicine for the sick, food for the hungry and money for the poor- you know- the usual good samaritan stuff..."  Shazam took his side of the cart holding two larger containers and heaved upward.  Letting out a sharp breath, the two of them scuttled over to the edge of the ramp where a shadow became a repulsor car Herme's clapping figure. 

"C'mon now!  Chop, chop!  I'm surprised you haven't taken it upon yourselves to clean the storage unit from shear boredom- what!  You're not done et?"  Herme's was now up the ramp, abandoning the loader all together. 

"You actually bothered to rent one out?  What is this place?" Neil said as he and his father dropped the the cart to the ground. 

"I dunno, but they make thier services conveniant." Herme's ran his hand through his reddish brown hair as Icos descended the ramp past him and said-

"Right: but lets not forget the price..." He seemed to pause at the end of the ramp.  "I was ganna say that you're cheap but that's true!" Icos spun around suddenly.  "Wait a second- they're paying for all this equipment?"

Hermes adjusted his jaw before answering- "So they told me when they gave me..."  He stuffed his hand into his pocket then withdrew a card.

"A credit chip?  For how much?" Messis stepped forward suddenly, the presence of such things on thier ship rarelly used for personl use. 

Hermes paused before answering...  "Man you people like to crowd a guy..." 

"How much?" Icos enforced the original question with a little more influence and Hermes seemed to feel it.

"Alright- yea, I know you don't like me accepting these things, but..."

"It's unmarked?" Icos snapped the chip right from Herme's hand gave it a closer look.

"You can't just take that from me!" He said, slightly afronted.  Hermes was a bigger guy than Icos as well, he could probably have taken it if he'd wanted to, but the big-brother vibe that Icos was letting off was too strong to over-come at the moment.

"I can't beleive they just gave you a blank check like that..." Neil gave it a last glance and made his way to the repulsor cart.  "Might as well keep 'em from waiting- no need to disappoint."

"I bet you used this to get those reservations- didn't you!" Hermes wouldn't look Icos in the eyes but turned and made his way down the ramp to help Messis with the loader. 

"The transports just down there, son..." he was saying as Icos added-

"That better be a damn nice hotel if you're willing to spend some one else's money on it- you hear me?"

(This would be Shazam around the age of 19, goin twenty.  All of this takes place a year and a few months before his final voyage to Corellia where he turns around and heads to the VEN.  So this gives you an idea of what he'd grown up with since a very, very young age and it should give you an even better idea of who shaped his intelligence and personality.  Hope you like it- rock on.)

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*Flash Was Here...*

CMDR/LtC Shazam/Nazgul 1-1/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/1VENF/VEN (=A=) (=*SA*=) (=*MA*=) (=*FOCE*=) [LoM] [LSM] [VC:S] [DSM]

NazgulSquadron

Commander of Nazgul Squadron, Phoenix Wing and Training

The trip from the upper register platforms to the low level jungle didn't take nearly as long as Shazam had thought it would.  Rather than make a single spiralling road around the spire, a building off the edge of the platforms was filled with turbo-lifts to quickly ascend and descend off the the ramps.  The only reason it took more than a few seconds was because of the stops on the way down.  The elevater they were in was large enough to hold a trio of land speeders, but the repulsor carrier they were in took up roughly half.  On every stop, people would come in and out, some waving and others standing silently staring straight ahead for thier stop. 

Hermes was in the pilot seat today while Massis took the co-pilot position with open arms.  He loved to be in control of moving craft for some reason and the fact that his uncle had been so generous in feeding that addiction just made him like the man more.  His father found the idea of him being alowed to pilot craft as extremely dangerous and just about died every time Herme's let him hop in the Star Viper.  The craft had been aquired somehow by Icos actually, but since he'd felt so repulsed by craft of such wicked speed and power expendeture, he'd freely given it to Hermes.  Little did he know it would be his son's work in progress and eventually his own posession. 

Icos was in the back of the cabin for the carrier; he sat on a double seat that sat the width of the hind portion with black leather interior.  The repulsor carrier's smell was reminiscent of that of a hanger bay, with oils rubbed so deeply into the fabircs that they were simply uncleanable.  The seats had been worn so that the center of the black leather seats appeared to be grey and white rather than smooth, solid darkness.  This indicated how often they were rented- perhaps the price hadn't been as high as expected.  Usually the purchasers came to pick up thier stock on their own, but today was a special occasion. 

The Fudi Acuss were a tribe of people that had lived on the planet Rudick for close to a thousand years; they're leader was something of a legend for being reclusive and mysterious.  Some thought of this as his attempt to stay true to thier heritage.  Back in the day they'd started as scavengers and lived with the forest, using what they believed to be magic to cure the sick and heal thier world; these days they bought everything that was considered by the outside universe to be 'nice.'  They'd transformed at the boast of outsiders and thier unlimited ability to gain and use anything.  These 'nice' things usually included extravegant clothing, priceless jewelry and technology...  While they weren't as adept with ships, they had a remarkable arsenal of weapons, mostly collectables, but plenty that were not.  Either way, it was pretty much guarenteed that whatever Hermes had brought them today was of an expensive nature.

"This is our stop..."  Hermes turned on the back repulsor to set them in motion as the double transparisteel doors opened and let the true light of the world in on them.  Wait a sec... Neal suddenly remembered that they were on the forest floor and there would be little light down here.  He could feel the cool through the walls of the cabin as they slid out unaccompanied.  A path of brown ground led the way into the darkness, a couple of floodlights set on the beams around the lift highlighted the starting point.  "Suppose I should find the lights on this thing..."

Hermes began looking around the controls when Neal suddenly flicked a switch in the center of the control console, the path ahead becoming illuminated and revealling branches and plants that none of them were well aquainted with. 

"Are those flowers?"  Neal querried as he flung himself against the glass to get a better look at the outside world.  "How do they survive without sunlight?"

"You'd be surprised what can survive without light..." Icos said casually from the back, then added- "Many things grown in the darkness..."  Neal clucked a chuckle, unsure of whether his father was screwing him or sending out some kind of warning. 

"Nothin to worry about," Hermes said as if reading his thoughts; he'd hopped up alittle on his seat and currently had both hands on the controls, all the while leaning forward like an old woman.

"Need some glasses there, grandpa?" Neal said, deciding to ignore his father's comment and the exterior for now.  He ran his hands along the armrest of the seat to find a control panel underneath the right one.  "Oooh- recliners?  You said they bought this for you?"  Who cares if its warn down- they've got recliners!

Hermes rapped him on the chest once and said- "Sit up bud- I dunno what the authority figures around here are like...  And here they are now..."  Hermes reached up toward the roof and found the lever for the side exit.  Up ahead was another pair of floodlights, no lift though and only a guard station with two men in green coats, the both of them flashing wands of blue around.  These brought them into a cool light as they approached the hovering vehicle; for a moment Neal thought they were going to breath out fine whisp of white from the cold air around them.  As the exit opened though, they heard a-

"IDs please..."  Hermes had all of thiers on hand and leaned out the side opening to hand him the data chips.  "Requius Nash?" He querried as he viewed the first one, lifting an eyebrow as if this was the stupidest name he'd ever seen.  Hermes nodded as if it had been engraved in his mind his entire life and only his blood could prove it.  In truth, this was one of close to a thousand names he'd used in his life-time.  "And Led Nash?"  The man looked around the cabin to find Icos giving a stern nod from the back.  His partner was standing back at the small rectangular outpost no larger than a refresher booth looking on.  "So that leaves Neal Massis- whats the relation?"  Neal Massis wasn't a real name either- in fact, the young man had barelly remembered that was to be his name for this trip.  Throughout his entire life he'd had basically no information on his family's history, which included names and origins.  He figured they were from Corellia with how much they stopped there, even when they didnt' need supplies or a job.  The boy's real name though- it was a mystery.  Instead, the three of them called eachother by certain names to keep it simple.  Neal was always son, nephew or boy.  Similarilly, Icos would go by Father or brother, and Hermes uncle or brother.  They discouraged using thier real names because it would get them in the habit of actually using them at an undesired time, atleast this way they wouldn't slip up...

"This is my brother, born and raised on Canno Center and his son." Hermes said confidently. 

"What's with the different last name?" He asked accusingly.  Hermes didn't flinch but said-

"He decided to keep his mother's name after the divorce- grown up for too long with it.  Is there anything else, sir?  We've got some important business to take care of..."  This was another thing Neal liked about his uncle, he wasn't at all afraid of authority types.  Instead, he put his foot down as if he'd been in charge the entire time.

"I need to check these, but it won't take long...  Hold here."  Hermes nodded as the man strode over to the booth to confer with his partner.  As casually and nonchalanlty as he could, Hermes leaned back and toward his two companions to say- "Who messed that up?"

"Actually- you." Icos said, grinning slightly to add a little to the embarresment. 

"Good cover though..." Neal added as the man with the green jacket returned.  It was difficult to discern his features because of the blue light, but he looked pretty relaxed now that he'd gotten himself a thorough background check.

"Do you have a map of the area on hand?"

"Yes sir- right in that compartment down there." He indicated a single box like frame in the middle of the center console and the man said-

"Alright then.  Everything checks out- you'll need to make one last stop on this road before you take a side-route.  That's the final exchange office where they'll be checking your cargo.  Have an excellent day."  He nodded and backed off from the vehicle as Hermes pushed the lever back into position, the door sliding shut on its own accord. 

"That was nice of him." Icos said as the repulsor carrier made its way down the path and toward the exchange office.  "It'd be too bad if we had to take all that time to have our equipment checked though, especially considering the valuables in the back..." He added this and winked to his son who took out thier 'map.'

"I wasn't lyin bout that map..." Hermes said and looked through the back viewport to see if they were anywhere near the check-in post.  "And they're long gone- where to boy?"

"Apparently we have to wait until the flowers end then turn off the vehicle and wait..."  The map was very crudely drawn with little icons and explanations spawning up from every part of the map.  "Least now I'll get a check to see how those things work...  Haven't seen flowers in a while you know- might as well grab me a rare one..."
 
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*Flash Was Here...*

CMDR/LtC Shazam/Nazgul 1-1/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/1VENF/VEN (=A=) (=*SA*=) (=*MA*=) (=*FOCE*=) [LoM] [LSM] [VC:S] [DSM]

NazgulSquadron

Commander of Nazgul Squadron, Phoenix Wing and Training

More points tallied
 
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WAJ/2LT Corran "Arturus" Hargraves/M-SSD Atrus/VE/VEN/(=A=)(=SA=)(=*MA*=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[MC:1](x2)[SV][BRC][VC:B][LSM][LoC]


"The way of war is a way of deception. When able, feign inability; when deploying troops, appear not to be. When near, appear far; when far, appear near. Lure with bait; strike with chaos. If the enemy is full, be prepared. If strong, avoid him. If he is angry, disconcert him. If he is weak, stir him to pride. If he is relaxed, harry him; if his men are harmonious, split them. Attack where he is unprepared; appear where you are unexpected. This is victory in warfare; it cannot be divulged in advance. Victory belongs to the side that scores most in the temple calculations before battle. Most spells victory; least spells defeat; none, surer defeat. I see it in this way, and the outcome is apparent." -- Sun Tzu

"Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting." -- Sun Tzu

Massis hadn't even realized they'd been moving up an incline throughout the last half-hour as his eyes met the Colonies of Ilem for the first time.  On platforms similar to those of the landing area were even taller spires surrounded by a maze of other small and large buildings.  It looked like one massive, large platform was made up of several inter-linked ones.  The purple skies were more beautiful now that he had a good chance to look at them; flocks of birds exploded out of the foliage to ascend into the skies and disappear in the afternoon sun while speeders raced around the outskirts of the city in a frenzy. 

"Awesome..." Neal Massis heard himself say as three fighters appeared at one edge of the city and began spinning towad eachother at full speed only to narrowly avoid one another at the last second.  They continued off at full speed until they'd covered the entire lenght of the city and ventured into its bounderies toward the trio's repulsor craft. 

"Oh yea...  Already practicing I suppose..." Hermes said quietly as the craft shook from the roaring engines of the craft above.  "I hate Imperials sometimes, but they come up with some good ideas..." Hermes said before pushing the craft onward.  The escort pulled off to the side up ahead, finding its own original station now.  The men in the booth waved the carrier on as they picked up a conversation with the pilot of the speeder that'd just arrived.  A single road extended on a long bridge of durasteel, duracrete and transparisteel windows.  Walls shot up on the sides to end abruptly at a rounded window so that one could look straight up into the skies.  "You see, the Imperials got this place so they could have fine woods- they're is nothing to mine here and no real tourist attactions...  So they created the CCFR and set up the Ilem Colonies.  They call 'em that because some fool general came up with the idea in the first place- no one thought it would work but not he's way up there.  Either way, they must have done something right." 

"How long were we intending on staying, brother?" Icos asked casually from the back.  He would let his son dream and even watch the CCFR, but he wasn't up to the type of competition he wanted in 'so' badly all of the sudden.

"I was thinking at least until the CCFR is over- probably a good week or two providing we get our pay and don't get hunted for some other stupid rule of theres...  You know- I heard the Fudi Acuss were very good to their suppliers.  I'm not getting that yet!"  Herme's slapped the console as Icos added-

"Be patient brother.  Enjoy the sites..."  he chuckled noticing that his son's eyes were glued to the viewport, staring after the fighters.  He decided he was looking at the beautiful scenery as well as the craft passing by over head.  He had taught the boy some of the finer things to enjoy in life, one of which was mother nature and the beauty that was presented at any time of day.  His son had picked up on it well and at times showed even deeper understanding than himself.  His curiosity with the flowers earlier was yet another testament to the boys' yerning for knowledge and understanding, as if there was nothing that was too much for him to soak in.  Every parent thought their children were special, but Icos had a particular feeling about his boy, like he was capable of anything.  He just hoped he didn't spend all of his time on some fool practice like 'flying.' 

"Man- do you remember the last time we were here, Brother?" Hermes had a sligh grin on his face that seemed to indicate some kind of story.  They were just coming off the five hundred meter bridge and allowed into the medium traffic of the city.  They were in the periphery still but the increase in civilization was obvious.  People walked the streets without fear of death or persecution and children played in the streets while the parents could watch in comfort...  Massis and his two elders had a special respect for this way of life, like it was untouchable and pure.  They'd been moving around for so long, barelly able to give Neal a good education, that seeing such a real reminder would often send them into shock.  They always assumed the worst when coming to a new world so when they saw its calm, the idea that things such as mass capitol punishment didn't even enter the minds of these people were comforting and relieving.  "I was a bit worried when I brought us there that things may have changed since then, but I think its only gotten better.  That bridge wasn't there the last time we were here I think, and neither was the hotel."  Hermes was just flooding with memories it seemed and Neal liked a good story so he just sat and listened and his uncle and father continued-

"I do remember when we were here last...  That was about fifteen-twenty years ago, right?" Icos leaned between the two seats in the front with his hands clasped, his two blue eyes surveying the world around him with evident joy.

"It must have been, Nyrene was pregnant with junior over here..." Icos added, coming to a stop in his lane while a man in cross-guard jacket moved traffice in front of him. 

"Mom was here too?" Another key word that Neal would pick up on any time it was mentioned was that of his mother Nyrene.  He believed this to be her real name because they always mentioned it out of random thought.  They never spoke about her much, his uncle saying that it was just too difficult for his father to talk about some times, but Neal also believed he just didn't want to tell him things... 

"Oh yea...  In fact- she was the one who just about got your old man ki..."  He cut himself off abruptly as Icos gave him a stern look.  Something Hermes wasn't supposed to say?

"Lets just say this place was responsible for a lot of changes in my lifestyle," Icos said finally, giving his son a pat on the shoulder.  Massis nodded with satisfaction, they don't wanna talk about it- fine with me...  Uncle will probably tell me later anyways...
 
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*Flash Was Here...*

CMDR/LtC Shazam/Nazgul 1-1/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/1VENF/VEN (=A=) (=*SA*=) (=*MA*=) (=*FOCE*=) [LoM] [LSM] [VC:S] [DSM]

NazgulSquadron

Commander of Nazgul Squadron, Phoenix Wing and Training

Tallied
 
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WAJ/2LT Corran "Arturus" Hargraves/M-SSD Atrus/VE/VEN/(=A=)(=SA=)(=*MA*=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[MC:1](x2)[SV][BRC][VC:B][LSM][LoC]


"The way of war is a way of deception. When able, feign inability; when deploying troops, appear not to be. When near, appear far; when far, appear near. Lure with bait; strike with chaos. If the enemy is full, be prepared. If strong, avoid him. If he is angry, disconcert him. If he is weak, stir him to pride. If he is relaxed, harry him; if his men are harmonious, split them. Attack where he is unprepared; appear where you are unexpected. This is victory in warfare; it cannot be divulged in advance. Victory belongs to the side that scores most in the temple calculations before battle. Most spells victory; least spells defeat; none, surer defeat. I see it in this way, and the outcome is apparent." -- Sun Tzu

"Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting." -- Sun Tzu