Log intro: After returning to Ballybran from giving Final Disclosure
to the Class 2004 recruits - a class that contains a recruit from the
_opposite_ side of a planetary war that had also involved Singer Michael
Turlough - Guild Singer Kevlan Sharr hastens to his quarters. He intends to
quickly obtain his personal possessions, intent on getting quickly off
the planet for his first vacation; Kevlan is also driven by the desire
to avoid meeting up with Singer Elissa, whom he's fallen for hard, and
who to his continued dismay seems to have fallen for the aforementioned
Michael.

However, en route to the shuttle bay, he is intercepted by one of his
cronies from the Hangar - Jerrik, a tech (NPC), who informs him encouragingly 
that Singer Elissa is up in the Recruit Lounge with the new catch, and wouldn't
it be at least appropriate to say goodbye before he goes? Grudgingly,
and blushing scarlet, Kevlan lets himself be talked into this....

You proceed onward to the recruit lounge area.
Recruit Lounge
This expansive room functions as entertainment area, classroom, and meeting 
  place for the Heptite Guild recruits. On one wall is an entertainment 
  complex, and along another is a row of booths. Several comfortable chairs are 
  arranged in rows across the width of the room facing the screen. In addition, 
  several tables dot the floor space.
A vivid turquoise stripe, textured in a fine hatched pattern, leads the way 
  through the doorway off to the left, heading to the accommodation wing for 
  recruits.
The accommodations for recruits are in a long wing to the left of the 
  corridor.
Contents:
Bernadette
Kilanjth
Tyron
Spolar
Sean
Graidan
Elissa
Michael
Talia
Recruit Information Screen
Training Schedule
Neverending Carafe of Polly Wine <Optheria>
Read This for Meals!!!!
Online Terminal
Catering Unit
Obvious exits:
Hallway  Lifts  Wing

Michael nods to Kevlan, from his place beside Elissa.

Sean looks at the singer. "Guess we're in your territory now, huh, Kevlan?"

Kevlan glares over his shoulder at a grinning tech in a worksuit who vanishes 
  back off the corridor with a merry cry, "Good luck, Galahad!" Kevlan 
  grumbles, and turns to look at the lounge.

Tyron leans towards Sean, pointing at the man seated who just nodded to the 
  Singer. "He's familiar, and not in a good way."

Graidan says, "Once Members have been cleared for use of surface vehicles, 
  they may take whatever trips they wish as long as an approved flight plan has 
  been filed with Flight Control Center. Special clearances and a proficiency 
  test are required for water vehicles."
Graidan pauses before continuing. "From meteorological reports, thee looks to 
  be a storm brewing. From weathe satellites and advanced meteorological 
  techniques available to the Guild, it is estimated that the storm will hit 
  Joslin Plateau Facility and the nearby ranges."

Sean nods.

Michael says something he shouldn't, under his breath. "I'd damned well 
  better get my scales finished up before *that* hits."

Tyron looks at Kevlan suspiciously, then returns his gaze to the other man.

Graidan looks intently at the group as he says, "Of course all Members, 
  including recruits, are required to help unload crystal during a storm."

Sean leans over to Tyron. "Familiar? How?"

Kevlan is silent as Graidan delivers her lecture, but his blue gaze falls on 
  Elissa's figure as he remains poised near the entrance. Slowly, he starts 
  backing up towards the corridor.

Talia sees Kevlan..and slowly puts her glass of wine down.

Elissa tousles Michael's hair lightly, grinning. "Help me finish up that 
  black set maybe?" She seems unaware of Kevlan.

Talia picks up her smile very quickly. Perhaps quickly enough that noone 
  spots the brief lapse.

Graidan begins a new topic, "Now I will tell you a little about the geography 
  around Joslin Plateau Facility. It is situated on the largest continental 
  mass which bears the two largest of the productive crystal ranges, the 
  Milekey and the Brerrerton."
Graidan says, "The facility is located on Joslin Plateau, sheltered by the 
  Marford upthrust on the north, the Joslin discontinuity to the south, to the 
  west by the White Sea, and to the east by the Long Plain. Thus the facility 
  is generally sheltered from the worst of the Mach storms by its felicitous 
  situation."

Michael chuckles. "I'll not refuse a chance at *that*," he murmurs.

Sean looks around the room and nods and smiles at the ladies.

Graidan finishes, "That is all for the lecture. Are there any questions before 
  you are dismissed?"

Kevlan glares off down the corridor again, then seems to steel his resolve. 
  He steadies himself firmly, quietly waiting for Graidan to finish.

Bernadette shakes her head. "None here."

Sean smiles and shakes his head. "Nope."

Spolar remains silent.

Bernadette says "Well, actually, I just thought of one. We will be notified 
  of when class times are?"

Spolar is reflected in the red liquid in the carafe.
Tipping the carafe, Spolar pours the red liquid into his stemmed glass.

Graidan gestures down the wing. "Please go down and look at the room 
  computer. It will assign you rooms. " She nods at Bernadette and points 
  towards the Training Schedule.

Kevlan with one lean hand keeps hold of the strap of the battered gitar, 
  carefully not looking in any particular direction.

Bernadette nods to Graidan. "Thanks."
Bernadette glances at Kevlan before making her way down the wing.
Bernadette walks into the accommodation area for recruits.

Spolar walks into the accommodation area for recruits.

Tyron slowly eases around to the back of the room, keeping an eye on the 
  seated man before vanishing down the wing.

Graidan goes home. Ug. "Elissa, finish them up, ok?"

Kevlan lets out a breath, and as Graidan vanishes, slowly approaches Elissa.

Sean smiles at Elissa. "Wing, right?"

Michael nods absently to Sean.

Talia keeps watching Kevlan...

Elissa looks up, noticing Kevlan and smiling.

Tyron walks into the accommodation area for recruits.

Sean notes the drama about to unfold, and leaves.
Sean walks into the accommodation area for recruits.

Kevlan, his expression subdued, says to Elissa, flicking a sidelong glance to 
  Michael, "Ah... jes' wanted t' say... goodbye."

Tyron walks with muffled steps from the accommodations.

Bernadette walks with muffled steps from the accommodations.

Tyron sits in the back of the room, arms folded over his chest.

Sean walks with muffled steps from the accommodations.

Michael is watching Kevlan, not Tyron, although his soldier's habit of 
  alertness keeps faint track of every movement in the room.

Elissa looks surprised. "Goodbye? Where are you going, Kevlan?"

Kevlan's voice is quietly level as he answers Elissa, "Ah'm goin' off-planet 
  for a while, 'Lissa... "

Talia stands slowly. "Why?"

Kevlan adds, taking in both Michael and Elissa with his gaze as he adds 
  hastily, "Ah' Ah jes' wanted to wish y'all both good luck." He pauses and 
  finishes, still hastily, "With your claim, an' all."

Sean grins. "Well, folks, I GOTTA go do something about my room. It looks 
  like a morgue."
Sean waves. "See you later."

Kevlan glances over to Talia, and says, almost smiling, "Ah gotta have a 
  vacation."

Sean walks into the accommodation area for recruits.

Elissa looks puzzled. "Well, enjoy your vacation, Kevlan."

Michael smiles a little to Kevlan, apparently a bit awkward. "Have a good 
  trip..."

Talia frowns faintly...
Talia walks up to Kevlan.

Kevlan turns, and slips off down the corridor, still clutching his gitar.

[Intent on booking a seat on the next shuttle up to Shankill, Kevlan hurries
out to the main reception area.]

Bernadette steps off the ramp from the recruit area.
Bernadette smiles. "I just wanted to wish you a good trip."

Kevlan looks up from punching a seat request into the online terminal, and 
  blinks. He shifts a little, and nods gruffly. "Thank you."

Bernadette says "I, um...I hope to see you when you get back."
Bernadette smiles.

Talia steps off the ramp from the recruit area.
Talia slows down. Not running at all. No.

Bernadette says "I'm Bernadette, by the way, in case you didn't catch it in the 
  confusion up on Shankill."

Kevlan shifts his gitar back to dangle off his shoulder, and he nods gravely 
  to the recruit. "Ah except Ah'll be home by th' time you finish your 
  trainin'." He pauses, and nods at the offered name; as Talia arrives, though, 
  his gaze flicks to her somewhat nervously. "If y'all excuse me, mah shuttle's 
  about to leave... "

Bernadette smiles a little embarassedly and takes leave. "Well, safe trip to 
  you, Kevlan." She nods pleasantly to Talia.

But as Kevlan utters those words, the whine of a crystal engine sounds 
  outside, fading before the Singer can reach the door. Irritatedly, he slaps 
  the wall.

Talia says "Kevlan.."
Talia holds out a hand. "I only wanted to say.."

Kevlan looks up at Talia a little warily?

Talia looks up, the sound finally registering. "It left?"

Bernadette hurries away, still looking embarassed.
Bernadette takes the left corridor to the recruit area.

Kevlan sighs, and his shoulders slump a little. "Evidently."

Talia looks faintly embarrased too, and takes her hand back, touching 
  nervously at her hair. "Well..that is a shame. Your..holiday, and all."

Kevlan says earnestly, "The shuttles run pretty often, Talia."

Talia takes a few determined steps closer, and hooks her arm under yours 
  without warning. "So you might as well come back and share a glass of wine 
  with me. And check out the new recruits. They are all rather tall, are they 
  not?"

Kevlan blinks, and blurts, "Ah told 'Lissa... "

Talia tugs at your sleeve. "Come now..not polite to just run of like that, 
  gitar boy."

Kevlan blushes, and starts to stammer a protest as you haul him back down the 
  hallway.

[Back at the recruit lounge.... ]

Michael's jaw sets. "That's better than your soldiers could say -- those who 
  survived till I left the planet."

"... Talia, Ah don't _want_... " Kevlan's voice precedes him as Talia hauls 
  him back into view from the hallway.

Elissa looks up at Michael, turning her back on the recruit. "Stop. Please."

Kevlan freezes, instantly aware of the angry exchange, even before he's fully 
  back in the room.

Talia hauls Kevlan back in by a sleeve, chattering idly about the new 
  recruits. "Kevlan missed his shuttle.."

Tyron sneers, "'Til you ran away, isn't that it? Afraid for your precious 
  skin?" He notices Elissa turn her back on him and laughs mirthlessly. "Watch 
  it, litttle girl, the bastard's likely to put a knife in that pretty little 
  back of yours."

Kevlan scowls softly, suddenly.

Elissa, distracted by Talia and Kevlan's entry, almost doeesn't catch what 
  the recruit says. She turns slowly around, a menacing tone in her voice. 
  "Excuse me?"

Talia pauses, blinking. Then looks at Michael. And Tyron.

Michael chuckles softly, bitterly. "Fine words from someone who goes about 
  shooting ten-year-old children."

Talia slowly nudges Kevlan over to a chair, then gets her glass, eyes on the 
  Situation.
Tipping the carafe, Talia pours the red liquid into her stemmed glass.

Kevlan doesn't sit, though, as he stares levelly at Tyron.

Michael puts a hand on Elissa's shoulder. "We'd best go downstairs," he says, 
  obviously struggling to keep his temper.

Tyron leans forward, resting his palms on the table as he grins. "He's a 
  renegade, a damn rebel, and a murderer to boot. Do you think he'd stop and 
  think about getting you out of the picture if you were in his way?" He 
  chuckles, watching Michael's reaction. "It's the Conlon way."

Talia runs a finger along the rim of her glass, and smiles. "Sure of 
  yourself, aren't you.."
Talia watches Tyron.

Kevlan suddenly puts in, "Michael wouldn't hurt a hair on 'Lissa's head." His 
  voice has gone surprisingly even.

Elissa shakes off Michael's hand and walks right up into Tyron's face. Her 
  voice is extremely low and quiet, but it carries. "Listen to me, and listen 
  well. If I hear of you saying one more thing against Michael, it won't be him 
  you'll have to deal with, but me. And I don't have half the honor Michael 
  does, I'll kill you in your sleep."

Michael lifts his head, pride displacing much of the anger, and his voice is 
  quiet. "Nae, Tyron, not her. Our own people, we use that way -- because 
  they've accepted the need for it and volunteered. It's a distinction you'd 
  not understand."

Talia grins, sipping more wine. "I always did wonder about your people, 
  Michael.."

Tyron turns slightly, winking quickly at Talia before smiling pityingly down 
  at the small woman in front of him. "Did he really convince you to join up on 
  the rebellion's side?" He shakes his head. "More the fool you, his last 
  bedwarmer got...." he pauses. "Well, I bet he told you all about that." He 
  grins wickedly.

Michael shrugs, eyes still on Tyron. "I've made no secret of it --" His voice 
  breaks off at Tyron's words and the cutter is out again before he realizes 
  fully what he's doing, his face white.

Kevlan suddenly turns pale, and growls, "That ain't no way t' talk t' a lady, 
  _recruit_."

Talia's cheeks are slightly flushed, and she circles the scene slowly, 
  smiling.

Michael keeps the cutter tip pointed dead at Tyron's throat, to one side of 
  Elissa, who's still partly in between. His voice is deathly quiet. "Mary 
  Connolly died a soldier's death, Tyron. It's a better death than you give 
  many of us. And a far better one than you deserve."

Tyron laughs again, watching Michael. "So, this is the honor your new 
  'friend' here speaks of? I'm still unarmed, Conlon scum." He steps close to 
  Elissa, takes her by the shoulders, and turns her around so she's facing 
  Michael. Eyes still on the cutter blade, he whispers in her ear, grinning. 
  "There, that's your love's honor, little girl. Enjoy it while you live." He 
  shoves her towards Michael, taking two steeps back tto be out of reach.

Talia holds her breath..a gleam in her eye.

Elissa struggles and is thrown into Michael. She rubs her ear furiously, 
  trying to get rid of the feel of Tyron's breath as she reegains her balance 
  and glares at the recruit. "Oh that's it....that's just it."

Michael laughs with the coolness of near-hysteria. "And when did your people 
  care whether your victims were armed, Tyron? Your firing squads against 
  chained men, and firebombs against random civilians?"

Kevlan's free hand clenches, and he tells Elissa in clipped tones, "You say 
  the word, 'Lissa, an' Ah'll get security to haul this one off." He doesn't 
  eye Tyron, not now, and he seems to be keeping himself in his place with a 
  visible effort.

Michael shifts the cutter so that it is on the side of Tyron's throat 
  opposite the entrance to the recruits' wing, and guides it slowly in. "You've 
  a choice, Tyron. Your head is going to your room in the recruit's wing, and 
  it's going to stay there. Whether or not it goes attached to your body is up 
  to you."

Tyron takes another few steps back to the wall, leaning against it with 
  seeming casualness. He even lets his gaze slip to Talia before glaring at 
  Michael again. "I believe that was enemies of the empire that were 
  'eliminated', not innocents." He takes another step to the side, staying out 
  of reach and placing a table between him an Michael.

Elissa shakes her head firmly at Kevlan, then with a short sigh, walks up to 
  Michael. "Ok, Michael, that's enough."

Kevlan nods shortly back to Elissa, still not moving.

Michael moves slowly around, circumnavigating the table to the side away from 
  the recruits' wing. Without looking at her, "It's all right, Elissa. He'll 
  go. I've dealt with him before, or with others so similar as to make no 
  difference."

Tyron chuckles and takes another step to the side, keeping Michael and the 
  door in sight. "Oh no, Conlon traitor, you've never dealt with me before." He 
  eases towards the recruit wing, grinning. "You see, I graduated from Delphi 
  and got my week in the sun, all wishes granted it seemed...." He circles 
  back towards the door.

Elissa puts a hand on Michael's back and her voice is almost pleading. 
  "Please Michael, let it go for now."

Michael steps back, putting the cutter down as Tyron nears the door, though 
  his earlier actions have made it obvious he could haver it up again in a 
  second; the gesture is entirely symbolic. "Aye. All right, Elissa. We'd 
  better go."
Michael turns toward the lifts, still moving half on his toes, ready to turn 
  if he has to, and still keeping his head turned slightly to see behind him.

Tyron smirks slightly as he stands at the entranceway to the recruit 
  quarters. "So I went to Fiero, Conlon, it was April 5, 803....I saw Devlin 
  take his final breaths..."

Kevlan stands poised at the edge of the lift corridor himself, glancing 
  between the two angry men, his own expression coldly serious.

Elissa's eyes widen and she grabs for Michael's arm, hoping to restrain him 
  if he snaps.

Michael turns back slowly, no anger in his voice now. "Then you saw a better 
  man than you're likely to in your lifetime, Tyron, there or here."
Michael steps into the lift area with muffled steps.

Tyron laughs at the Conlon's retreating back. "I was on his death squad, 
  Michael! They couldn't refuse me!" He laughs again as he heads down the hall 
  and his voice drifts back, "I shot him myself! And had a beer afterwards!"
Tyron walks into the accommodation area for recruits.

Kevlan growls huskily, "'Lissa... you gonna be alright...?"
Kevlan swings his blue gaze around to the remaining Singer, and a hint of 
  distress emerges from behind the hard look in his face.

Elissa holds one hand over her mouth, looking ill. "Oh by the gods, Kevlan," 
  she looks up at him, "what are we going to do?"
Elissa takes a few hesitant steps towards the lifts. "Maybe he wants to be 
  alone..."

Kevlan swallows hard, and gives you a brief pained glance as he murmurs, 
  "Go.... go see if he's okay, 'Lissa."

Diamond walks in from the lift area to check on the recent `catch'.

Elissa runs back to give Kevlan a hug of thanks, then runs for the lifts.

Kevlan turns quietly crimson as Elissa hugs him, and lowers a miserable gaze
  to the floor.

Diamond is about to say goodbye to Elissa as she leaves, instead she deeply
  frowns as she considers staying or leaving.

Kevlan blinks, and looks up as he realizes there's another Singer in the
  room. He says glumly, "Ever'thin's done now."

Diamond catches sight of the polly wine which cinches it for her, she walks
  over and pours herself a glass, her eyebrow tilts up a little at the comment
  and she hmmms questionably.

Kevlan shoves a hand through his hair, and murmurs bleakly, "'Scuse me... "

[Kevlan flees outside the hall, now torn over whether he should leave the
planet, with a new recruit obviously hostile to Michael and Elissa. End log.]