Relaxation

Serena, dressed in a white short sleeved blouse and a well-fitting pair of dark khaki women's slacks that reach down to her bare feet, appears to be much more relaxed than in her previous transmission. She sits comfortably in her leather recliner.

Winding down from leaving the FDU has... well, it's been a process, as well as a relief. Though I'm done with formal schooling, I've continued my studies. Unfortunately I didn't have time until recently to keep in touch with some of my former teachers. I traveled back to Bourynes for a few days, to visit Muenel Attyn for the first time in months.

A genuine smile lights up Serena's face.

She was always one of my favorite instructors. Muenel and I share a passion for learning, and her knowledge is so well-rounded that our discussions are never just about ships and modules. When I met with her over the past week, she helped me to reconstruct more of the history of violence between our people and the Caldari. While she is a proud Gallentean citizen like myself, she is able to acknowledge that there is no one true and unbiased account of all the events that have transpired between the races.

I shared with her my interest in flying the Vexor cruiser as a means of keeping peace, and in turn she was able to refer me to a variety of drone control textbooks and to put me in touch with a few experts in drone operation. Now that I'm able to focus again on my studies in my free time, I feel like a world that had been closed to me has opened up again. For this, I am thankful.

Serena shifts and shows a hint of concern in her expression.

On an unrelated but discomforting note, I received word today that the influential Amarrian Curatores Veritatis Alliance disbanded, possibly by means of sabotage or usurpation of power. Even with no direct interest in the CVA, this was troubling news to me, as it goes to show just how much instability exists when power ends up in the wrong hands. I suppose time will tell whether they manage to reform and salvage their alliance...

Log terminated.

Goodbye Federal Defence Union...

Serena sits in a leather recliner in her room, still in her flight uniform. Her fingers repeatedly turn over her Gallente militia rank symbol which is now in her hand, and her gaze is aimed at the ground.

I finally acted on the feeling I've had for a while -- that the Federal Defence Union just wasn't for me. In my spare time lately, I've flown with several acquaintances, and unlike my flights for the FDU, they were genuinely fun. The FDU had become a chore to me.

She sighs.

Normally one doesn't think of defending their people as a chore, but despite my sincerest efforts, I haven't reached an understanding as to why there is so much bloodshed in the first place. So many pilots, indeed, so many organizations, creating problems where there naturally are none. I still wholeheartedly defend the Gallente as my people, but I don't want to be a part of this systematic racial fighting that I can't even understand. Maybe I'll return someday.

Until I sort these matters out, I've gone back to where I did some work when I was a full-time student, at the Garoun Investment Bank. At least this way I can make a little money and still help out my people. I feel bad about leaving the FDU the way I did, but I know it was the right move.

Serena's facial expression remains somewhat despondent as she walks over and turns off the recorder.

Rendez-vous à Villore

Serena, in full flight uniform, appears to be excited. She speaks with a rushed tone.

So I don't have much time before I'm set to undock on another mission for the Federal Defence Union, but I attended a very interesting privately hosted party in Villore last night. I heard about it from that cute Matari man I met in Arnon... we spent some more time hanging out last night, and I learned that he flies in the Minmatar militia under the alias "The Silent Method." He specializes in stealth ships for reconnaissance, a form of piloting in which I haven't been trained -- but it sounded intriguing nonetheless!

I was my usual wallflower self, though fortunately he managed to introduce me to a few people, including a Caldari woman named Mala Foxglove. Unlike the usual, she didn't seem to toe the Caldari line -- that is, she didn't approach me with disgust but instead with a proposition. She asked me a bit about my relations with CONCORD, and then she suggested that we could both make some extra ISK and have some fun eliminating or arresting those who CONCORD considers to be criminals.

Serena stops for a moment to think.

Honestly, it's the first time since joining the FDU that I thought of "piloting" and "fun" possibly being closer together than "piloting" and "work." And she just had this general vitality to her that felt so contagious when we were talking! ...I think I might take her up on her offer. It can't hurt, and it'll get me away from studying ship skills and self-teaching for a few hours.

My ship's prepared to undock now -- actually, I'm already a few minutes late. As I've said, duty calls!

Serena stands and switches off the recorder.

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Out of Character:

Before I unduly steal her idea, I'd like to thank Mala Foxglove's player for giving me the idea of differentiating between private and public (both in the in-character sense) blog entries. Henceforth, any entries labeled Public will be excerpts from publicly available sources (CONCORD bulletins, news reports, et cetera) that in some way involve or interest Serena. Thank you Mala!

Wallflowers

Serena sits on her bed, slouched ever so slightly as she leans back against the headboard. Her jet black hair reaches halfway down her back, resting against a short sleeve, olive-colored blouse. She is also wearing a long, loose-fitting black skirt that ends only a few inches above her bare ankles and feet. Though the recorder is positioned at an angle several feet away from her bed, the slight bags under her eyes are still noticeable.

I couldn't have picked a better day to have off-duty. The Sisters of Eve hosted a large social gathering in Arnon last night, and only by the time it ended had I realized just how late it was. It was fun! -- of course, fun for me is the relaxing atmosphere and friendly faces, not so much the wild drinking and dancing. The freedom from my usual piloting attire was nice as well. It's only been a handful of times that I've had the chance to wear the beautiful, long black dress that I bought nearly a year ago.

Of course, I wasn't the only one relieved to be there. Everyone was so social! I swear I've forgotten half the names I learned last night. It was even more unusual for me in particular... I've always been a bit of a wallflower, but with how outgoing everyone was, I still managed to meet a lot of new faces. There was a really cute Matari militia pilot there, and I was shocked when he came up and started up a conversation with me...

A smile comes to her face as she stares off, lost in thought. She glances at the recorder and looks away again, blushing. Her gaze shifts to her clock.

Anyhow... there's still time left in the day to spend relaxing. A girl could certainly get used to this -- though the Defence Union has made sure there's no danger of that. Early tomorrow morning, duty calls again!

Serena smiles bemusedly to herself before switching off the log recorder.

Moving Up

Serena fiddles nervously with the log recorder to ensure its proper operation...

She sighs in relief before sitting down.

Finally. It's so nice to have some downtime, which has become a scarce resource since I left the University. Since then, I have been serving the Federation as a member of the Federal Defence Union. My superiors seem to be pleased with my efforts, as I received word today that I've been promoted to the rank of Guardian Lieutenant.

She pauses.

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel. While it is a basic truth that the Federation merely seeks to defend itself from outside aggression, I still don't understand why we face these threats to begin with... which is another way of saying I don't understand why I'm strapping into my ship and putting myself in harm's way. At the University of Caille, we studied a steady stream of cold facts -- ship operation, fitting modules, methods of self-defense. But we never delved too deeply into the complexities of politics and ethics.

A promotion...

Serena runs her finger across the shiny new symbol on her jacket. She sighs lightly.

...it's a good thing, to defend one's own people, I guess. I trust the direction in which my superiors have pointed me. And the safety and security of a non-aggressive people are worth defending. I've run into several pilots so far who are filled with so much hostility, so little tolerance. In particular, the Amarr, the Caldari -- some of them detest me and my people solely due to the fact that we were raised under the banner of the Federation.

Her finger finally lifts from her new symbol, and she sits silently for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought. Suddenly she glances back at the camera on the log recorder and stands.

Speaking of how scarce downtime is... I'm supposed to be running an operation for the Federal Defence Union in about twenty minutes. Some of our people have been taken captive by the lawless pirates working for the Serpentis Corporation, and there will be a brief window of opportunity to rescue them from some unthinkable fate. I know that much is worth fighting for.

Log terminated.