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SF/espionage and adventure... Genjiro Nakadai thinks he's found the perfect job, when he volunteers for the Special Forces, an elite division of the Greater Union Army of Exedra. The recruiter's promise of adventure and high pay sours, when Genjiro finds out what the job really is. By then, it's too late to back out. As he falls deeper into intrigue and danger, the likelihood of getting his own life back dwindles. Updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

(NOTE: This comic is not for children; it contains graphic violence, strong language and occasional nudity.)

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All About Juso
Juso Neysha, the Mei Gwydion, the Eida Riki Gwydion and Sword Fharasei Korapadona Shieef Xandaran Derios (Drahkma) Kab'bruk Keishiel	The Basics Juso is an alien world, orbiting the ancient white star, Severis. Its atmosphere is a mixture of ionized hydrogen and ionized oxygen, and there are two settlements on the planet: one at the north pole (which always faces the star) and the other at the south pole, on the dark side. The temperature on the Bright side is always hot, hovering around 150 degrees Centigrade; while the Dark side is always frozen, almost equally as cold as the Bright side is hot. Thus some Humans commonly refer to it as the IceFire world. Juso has a very thin band around its equator, where the temperatures are milder in either direction, but still there is a sharp division between hot and cold. The Sahjmi and Drahkma The lightworld Jusonians (the ones living on the bright side of the planet and members of the High Families, known as "Sahjmi") are the only ones who are supposed to have the abilities to leave the planet, cross dimensions and shift their physical forms; darkworld Jusonians (or "Drahkma") who are found to possess abilities above those permitted to them are executed, without exception, so that they don't pose any threat to the High Families. Lightworld Sahjmi began interacting with Humans at an early stage in the latter's development, and they quickly found the most effective physical form to take, to assure that the Humans would remain in fear and awe of them, and not try to interfere with their actions. This form is the tall, bright and beautiful humanesque body, which Humans often refer to as that of "angels" or "gods." The energy field produced by holding that form causes the long white hair to flow outward and away from the body, making it take a wing-like shape around the shoulders. Their long hairs function much like antennae, helping them sense the environment around them. Sahjmi always claim to be the "true" seeders of the universe, and as the smallest of their adults is about 7 feet tall in Human form --and physically, psychically and mentally powerful-- no one wants to argue with them about it. (Although the Maragoni did, eons ago, in their race to see which power would win out in the universal seeding competition. The Maragoni lost, due to the distractions of their own internal Race Wars, and they have yet to release their grudge against the Sahjmi, who did not give up the race, while the Maragoni stopped to fight with themselves.) Overall, Sahjmi have not historically been much interested in Human affairs, but now that Humankind have moved into Jusonian space, the High Families have become intensely interested in keeping the younger species in line. The Sahjmi also consider themselves to be the guardians of their "neighborhood" in space, and will assert their authority over any race or species that seems to threaten the balance in their space-time territory. Humans are not allowed on the planet (not that they could stand the temperature ranges, anyway!), and other species are often denied entry, as well. Juso's current government is a patriarchal empire, and is thus subject to a plethora of intrigues and conspiracies among the ruling houses. Their bodies have transcended to a higher state of being, but their minds have not quite kept pace, neither socially nor emotionally. Sahjmi are generally honorable, patient, highly intelligent and tolerant of other cultures. At the same time they are quite aware of their own superiority to these other cultures, and this sometimes shows in their manner or speech. Most Sahjmi have great difficulty using a physical voice, and many can't do it, at all, so the ability is highly prized on Juso. There's even a legend attached to the Sahjmi's lack of physical speech, a legend from the time before their bodies evolved to their present, high-frequency state, which tells of a young warrior/mage who was tricked by one goddess into killing another god by vocally proclaiming disbelief in him. The deceptive goddess then cursed the Sahjmi and all his kind to lose the power of speech, so that they might never use the same tactic against her. The curse followed them through their bodily ascension. Drahkma have the same basic qualities as their lightworld counterparts, though their paranormal abilities are much more limited. Many of them, though, are better at mind reading than the Sahjmi, and also at shielding their thoughts, when necessary. These traits were born of necessity, since the Sahjmi keep close watch on the power levels emanating from the dark side. The Sahjmi Brilliance When a Sahjmi takes a physical form, his body glows with white light, which varies in intensity, according to the level of his psychic power. A lower-level noble, for instance, would glow relatively faintly, when compared to the brilliance of the Crown Prince, or Eida Riki, whose body would be almost too bright for most Human eyes to tolerate. All Sahjmi can cross dimensions, and this causes a mometary flash whenever they come or go, this way. This flash is always pure white light, the colors not visible to the Human eye, and also varies in intensity according to the jumper's power. The Eida Riki's jump flare is bright enough to blind a Human who happened to be looking directly at the spot where the prince arrived or left. The Mei is the only Sahjmi who glows gold, instead of white, and whose jump prizms his brilliant light into colors. The Mei The Mei, or emperor, is the heart and mind of Juso. He carries all of Jusonian history in his mind, as well as the thought-memories of all of his predecessors, and it's his energy that nurtures the planet and its people and keeps watch on the delicate balance of space and time in his astral neighborhood. Once he ascends the throne, he cannot leave Juso, until his reign is over (i.e, at the end of his life), and he hands the historical knowledge over to his chosen successor. The common belief among the Sahjmi and Drahkma is that the world would die, if the Mei was not there to sustain it with his love. He is the most powerful of all Sahjmi, and he carries extremely heavy responsibilities, in caring for his world and protecting it from decline, in addition to the more physical governance of the world. It's a devastating job to do, and it burns up his enormous energy at a rapid rate, in effect, killing him a little bit at a time. Some Mei die faster than others, depending on how much energy they have to expend, at any given time, and how much he started out with, but each attempts to have as many sons as possible, as quickly as possible, so as to assure that the crown stays within a particular family line. Previous emperors have had as many as forty sons, but twenty is the average, enough to make up for any who are lost to dark forces, weak spirits, or murderous brothers. Daughters are not eligible for Mei-an (emperorship). It's also a lonely job, as the taking of the collective Mind changes his own mind so much, that it is difficult (and sometimes impossible) for other Sahjmi to relate to him, emotionally or mentally. His close family are generally the only ones he will open up to and truly relax around. Even then, he still finds it difficult to retain normal relationships with many of them. He often seems distracted or "spacey," and sometimes will speak in an arcane or cryptic manner, without even realizing it. He must make a conscious effort to retain his own individual mind, or the collective Mind will absorb him and eradicate his ability for independent thought. When the Mei takes a physical form, it is like that of other Sahjmi, the bright and beautiful "angel" form, except that he is not all white/silver, like those below him. His hair and eyes are like electrified gold. His comings and goings on Juso are marked by a brilliant flash which swirls every color in the spectrum. His presence is warm and loving, even when he's angry or upset, and many of his people come to him, regularly, to have their troubles eased by his embrace. He is, in this way, "father" to his entire population. In fact, "Mei" means "father," to a Sahjmi, though Humans interpret it as "emperor." Since he has a direct psychic connection to all his people, though, his emotions and moods are often directly mirrored in his entire population, if he does not control them, quickly. A Mei must be an emotionally stable and strong person, in order to function in his heavy role. Sahjmi Gender and Reproduction In their original lightform, Sahjmi and Drahkma have no sex organs. Their gender is purely mental, and it is possible for a male to decide to become or act female, and vice versa, though it does not happen, often. Most of them remain in whatever gender association they were born with, and though their bodies are truly androgynous, their minds are not. (Another way in which their bodies have evolved faster than their minds.) Even when they assume Human form, they are sexless, unless performing a total mimic. Very few choose to mimic to that level, as it requires a great deal of energy and concentration to maintain it. Reproduction can only occur when Sahjmi (or Drahkma) are in lightform (though it is theoretically possible for them to reproduce while in total Human mimic, it is not likely), and this is called "coincidence." When two Jusonians coincide, their lightforms collide, merge and momentarily become one body. Like the collision of two universes, this coincidence causes something like an explosion of superheated energy which expels some of their fused matter into one distinct conscious ball of energy (or sometimes several balls). The new consciousness retains some resemblance to both of its parents, but develops into a separate entity, gaining self-awareness and knowledge as it grows. The Sahjmi form, and their shape-changing abilities Jusonians, both Sahjmi and Drahkma, have forms that are somewhat akin to plasma in constitution. If they could be seen at all by Human eyes, they would appear as super-bright pillars of raging energy, miniature elongated stars on the verge of supernova. Their light radiation in this form is beyond the visible spectrum of Humans; it is only when they lower their atomic vibration to a denser form that they become visible to the Human eye, though some extra-sensitive Humans can see them psychically, as some Humans can see spirits. The Sahjmi have the ability to change form, but this ability is not unlimited. They are basically mimic creatures. When they change their physical forms (the dense version of their forms, at least), they can only change into a form which they have seen before (or is in their collective racial memory) or one which they happen to be near, at the moment. Some are better at copying than others, so their forms will look more like the original, and will be more detailed. They can carry the detail all the way to inner organs and blood (though their blood would be white, like their essence), and if they do, they can be injured or killed in the same way a Human could be. In their more diaphanous form, they can only be killed by another Sahjmi, other energy creatures, or by certain types of high-level energy. Their physically dense Human forms are extremely hot, and radiate that great heat some distance from their bodies, unless they have mastered the art of controlling their nuclear radiation. A "travelling" Sahjmi who has never been around Humans or other beings might not think he would need to control his radiation heat levels, and so could unwittingly incinerate people around him with his star-like brilliance. This is a minor threat, though, as most Sahjmi are isolationist, and content to stay at home, and those who are not have learned the necessary tricks to make interspecies relations possible and safe. Many Sahjmi choose a Humanoid form, as Humans are familiar to them from their long periods of studying them, interacting with them, and using them for various purposes. Some of them can assume a form that looks almost exactly like a Human, though with a slight shimmer to the skin or eyes, or other small deviations that are apparent to Humans who pay close attention to such things. Most Sahjmi don't even try to completely mimic Humans; they simply assume a Human-like form and keep it bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than Human forms are to them. In their minds, they have improved upon the original. (~-^) The current Mei enjoys wearing a Humanoid form, and those in his presence are obligated to assume whatever shape he is wearing. While they are in Humanoid form, their eyes generally remain diaphanous and bright, like neon, usually with swirls of blue or lavender and blazing white, and sometimes give the appearance of miniature galaxies. The Mei's eyes, however, are brilliant gold. Sahjmi are capable of seeing physical color, as opposed to the sense color that Humans see. They do not see white, unless they are in a total Human mimic and have extended it to the averaging red-yellow-blue rods in Human eyes. In their original form and in their "corrected" Human form, they see all white as a full-spectrum rainbow. They also see Humans and other dense-bodied creatures as more than physical bodies; the auric layers and energy centers are clearly visible to them, so that beings appear as bodies encased in storms of energetic color. The Sahjmi tend to think of most of the universe in terms of music, color and light. String theory would make perfect sense to them, as they already know the "songs" of the stars, of time, of dimensions, and of physical realities. Even their voices, when they have them, are musical, an electrified chorus reminiscent of a grand harp whose strings are plucked in a complex harmony of minor chords. Their voices often have odd effects on Humans, and can be "felt" all through the body. Pleasures and Recreations Sahjmi and Drahkma alike are much in love with music, and their favorite recreational endeavors almost always involve making or hearing music, alone or with others. They hear and "see" and "taste" and "smell" music, everywhere. The stars have songs, for them. Growing things sing, as they grow. All motion sings, for them. Even death is musical, for them, though it is the sound of a chord separating into its individual elements, rather than the pure harmony of life. Their own bodies emit complex chords, rising or falling in key as their essential frequencies rise or lower. Their "lifechords" are inaudible to all but the most psychically sensitive Humans, and those who can hear them often describe them as "disturbingly eerie," as "fragile and angelic," or even as "terrifyingly beautiful." They also enjoy motion, and love to dance. Even their combat is dance-like in its elegance. Their gauzy forms make it easy for them to extend their dancing into the softly trilling air, through the resonant, membranous layers of dimension, or into the dark, microwave hum of multi-space, itself. Passionate debate is another joy among the Sahjmi, though it is most used in the Imperial Courts. The "dance" of two disciplined minds in debate is as pleasing to them as any other form of dance, and the nobility, in particular, take much delight in backing an opponent into a logical corner. Their logic is often harsh, and mostly, they do not shy away from speaking painful or unpleasant truths. Jusonian Architecture Jusonian architecture is membranous, shimmering, ethereal, and blindingly bright. What they call "rooms" are more like oversized coccoons, glowing ovoids of sheer gold or silver tissue, with luminescent "walls" that vibrate with hot energy. Their palaces could be described as angelic hives, with mounds of great rooms and lumps of private areas, as well as twisting piles of towers and turrets. The private homes of the lower classes are smaller versions of the great mounds of shining imperial tissue, each one sized to perfectly fit the family that lives in it. The beings of Juso have no industry, and no commerce. They are Keepers, rather than Makers. Their contribution to the rest of their Universe is in keeping the Light alive and maintaining the balance between Light and Darkness, in preserving the integrity of the spacetime fabric, and in keeping the Universal Harmony in purest tone. They also do not farm, as their bodies have moved beyond the need for organic sustenance. They draw nourishment from the surrounding energies, mostly from the emissions of nearby stars, though they can (and sometimes do, in the case of a defeated enemy) take it from another being, by "eating" its lifeforce energy. They have the ability to internally purify most energy which would otherwise harm them, if directly ingested, though this purification process takes some amount of time to complete, during which the Jusonian must sleep, so that as much as possible of the new energy is retained. Jusonians keep no pets, though some of them regard Humans and other "lesser" beings with the kind of detached affection some races offer to their pets. A Little Pronunciation Guide, Glossary, and Who's Who: An'a Sahjan: "AHN ah SAH jahn" "Keeper of the Light." An ancient title for the Mei (or Meia). Bhifuri: "buh HEE free" One of the Mei, Neysha's remaining older brothers, and Elder Imperial Councilmember. Deh: "deh," as in "deck"  A term of affection, and could translate to something like "dear," or "darling." It isn't gender-specific, but is most commonly applied to one's spouse/consort. Drahkma: "DRAHK mah"  This literally means "Shadow People," and refers to those Jusonians who live on the dark side of the planet. Derios: "DEHR ee ohs"   A renegade Drahkma, currently hiding on Exedra and working for Exedran Intelligence. Eida Riki: "EYE dah REE kee"  Title of the Sahjmi Crown Prince. Its literal meaning is "primary son." Eida T'Lan: "EYE daht LAHN" "Primary Hunter" Title of the Sahjmi whose job it is to hunt and execute renegade Drahkma (and Sahjmi). The current Eida T'Lan is S'henasei. Fein: "FAYN" "Sister." Used as a title for the sisters of the Mei, and supercedes the title of Rikia. Fharasei: "fuh KAHR ah say" Neysha's youngest (and favorite) brother. Elder Imperial Councilmember. Fiir: "FEE YEER" "Baron." The lowest rank of Sahjmi nobility. Fiir Xandaran: "FEE YEER zahn dah rahn" Baron of the Second House of Juso. Gwydion: "GWID ee uhn" Public name of Neysha's youngest son, the current Eida Riki. Hriis: "HREE iss" Elder Imperial Councilmember, one of the Mei's three top political advisors (Shieef and Kalavan are the other two). Jasunei: "JAHS oo nay" One of Neysha's remaining younger brothers, and Elder Imperial Councilmember. Kab'bruk: "KAHB bruck" The Nepha Ang-Sahjmi, the former Sahjmi Riki who fell into darkness, eons ago, and was corrupted by it to the point of insanity. He is very powerful, and commands a vast army of creatures of Darkness. He is the main adversary of the Sahjmi. Kalavan: "KAL ah van" Elder Imperial Councilmember, one of the Mei's three top political advisors (Hriis and Shieef are the other two), and Special Envoy to the Mei. Kalavan is a fairly close cousin to the Mei, Neysha, and grew up with him. Keishiel: "kay SHY el" Kab'bruk's latest son, half Nepha Ang-Sahjmi, half Human. Khura: "K'HU rah" the "Kh" is guttural, somewhat like the "gh" of Arabic, and voiced with a slight glottal stop between the "k" and "h" sounds. The word means something like "beloved," and is always applied to Sahjmi royals, when they are directly addressed, or spoken of in familiar terms, such as "our Khura Riki." Also used between other Sahjmi, as a term of affection. Korapadona: "koh rah PAHD nah" or "koh rah" for short. Cousin to the current Mei, Neysha, he is an abassador for the Royal House of the First Family of Juso, assigned to Synergia Space Station. Also Special Envoy of the Eida Riki. Lilin: "LIL in" Youngest of Fharasei's four wives (Uuna, Yan, Xelen, and Lilin). Loreea: "LOH ray EE ah"  Fiir Xandaran's favorite consort. Marana: "MAR ah nah" Distaff cousin to Gwydion. She is his age, and wishes to marry him and become his Meia, when he ascends. Mei: "may" Literally, it means, "father," but it is used to refer to the Emperor (which is truly an inadequate definition from the Sahjmi perspective). Meia: "may AH"   "Mother," used to refer to the Empress. Mei-an: "may AHN"  "The father's burden," refers to the Emperorship, the obligations of rule. (feminine: Meia-an "may AH AHN") Min: "meen"  "Brother." Used as a title for the brothers of the Mei, and supercedes the title of Riki, even though the Mei's brothers are, in effect, princes. Nepha Ang-Sahjmi: "NEPH ah ahng SAHZH mee" "Abomination of the Bright People." The common name for Kab'bruk, the former Sahjmi Riki who fell into darkness and was corrupted by it to the point of insanity. He is very powerful, and commands a vast army of creatures of Darkness, and is the main adversary of the Sahjmi. Neysha: "NAY sha" "Dream Walker" The current Mei's public name. Nin: "NEEN" "Children" The plural form of "Nih," meaning "Child." It applies to either gender, and often to the people of Juso, in general, in the phrases, "Nin-an Sahjmi" and "Sahjmi Nin-an," meaning "Children of the Bright People" and "the Bright People's Children." "Nin-an" is often pronounced "neen YAHN" and, by itself, can refer to Humans who have Sahjmi genes. In that case, the term is usually derogatory. Riki: "REE kee"  A Prince, other than the Crown Prince. Rikia: "REE kee AH" A Princess. Sahjmi: "SAHZH mee"  "Bright People," what the lightworld Jusonians call themselves. Sharalani: "SHAH rah LAH nee" Neysha's only wife, and Gwydion's mother. The current Meia. S'henasei: "suh KEN ah say" The current Eida T'Lan, or "Primary Hunter," whose job it is to hunt and execute renegade Drahkma (and Sahjmi). Shieef: "shee AY ehf" Elder Imperial Councilmember, one of the Mei's three top political advisors (Hriis and Kalavan are the other two). Uuna: "oo WOO nah" The oldest of Fharasei's four wives. Xasha: "ZAH shah" "Mist Walker" Neysha's oldest remaining brother, and the Imperial Council Speaker. He is not much older than Neysha. Xelen: "ZEL len" Next youngest of Fharasei's four wives (Uuna, Yan, Xelen, and Lilin). X'hennasa: "zuh KEN ah sah" Neysha's father, the previous Mei. Yan: "yahn" Next oldest of Fharasei's four wives (Uuna, Yan, Xelen, and Lilin). Terms for the Sahjmi Sha-Drahkan (the Sahjmi who are capable of walking in Shadow and who can use the darker side of universal power): Sahjmi Sha-Drahkan: "SAHZH mee SHAH drah KAHN" "bright one who walks in shadow" (polite form) Sha-Drahkan: "SHAH drah KAHN" "shadow walker" (derogatory form) Sha: "SHAH" (short form) Prefaces the name of a Sha warrior, e.g. Sha Xaraphana for "walker Xaraphana" -- also Sha-ei Xaraphana as in "General Xaraphana" (or Eida Sha as in "primary walker") The Sha: Came to refer to the army of the Sahjmi Sha-Drahkan - used only during the Old War and its aftermath. Sahjmi Sha-ei Drahkan: "SAHZH mee SHAH eye drah KAHN" "bright one who leads us into shadow (to war)" The Sha General. There is only one. Over time its implied meaning changed for the worse, and was shortened to Sha-ei Drahkan "[one who] leads us into shadow." (However, few dared address him as such to his face) Khura Sha-ei: "K'HU rah SHAH eye" the "Kh" is guttural, somewhat like the "gh" of Arabic, and voiced with a slight glottal stop between the "k" and "h" sounds. "beloved leader [of the Sha]" This term is used only by the Sha warriors when speaking to (or of) the Sahjmi Sha-ei Drahkan in familiar terms. (Special thanks to Sarah Huntrods, for helping me develop the Sahjmi Sha-Drahkan and bring them out of the shadow! And for the term, "An'a Sahjan." It's amazing how much information we can channel in our IRC sessions!)