"Rule of Reason" :: Dwight D. Eisenhower

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 10, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 11, 2024

On October 31, 2020, former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon—who had left Trump’s administration in 2017—explained to a group of people that, knowing that votes for Biden would accumulate throughout the evening as mail-in ballots were counted, Trump planned simply to declare victory on election night, seizing the presidency and claiming that any results to the contrary were an attempt to steal the election from him. “[A]t 10 or 11 o’clock Trump’s gonna walk in the Oval, tweet out, ‘I’m the winner. Game over. Suck on that,’” Bannon was recorded as saying.

That prediction was pretty much what happened, but Trump did not succeed in seizing the presidency. Next came plans to overturn the election results, and Bannon was also involved in those. Then, famously, on January 5, 2021, he predicted on his podcast that the next day, “all hell is going to break loose.”

Not surprisingly, the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol wanted to talk to Bannon. It subpoenaed him in September 2021 for testimony and documents. When he refused to comply, a jury found him guilty of contempt of Congress in October 2022. A judge sentenced him to four months in jail but allowed him to stay out of jail while he appealed. 

Today a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld his conviction. He will not be jailed immediately; he can still appeal to a higher court. 

Another White House advisor, Peter Navarro, appealed all the way to the Supreme Court to overturn his own conviction for contempt of Congress after he, too, refused to answer a House subpoena for testimony and documents. The Supreme Court denied his appeal, and Navarro reported to prison on March 19, 2024. He has asked a federal judge to let him serve the remainder of his sentence on supervised release, so far without luck. 

Former federal prosecutor and legal analyst Joyce White Vance wrote: “Bannon is effectively out of appeals. He can delay a little bit longer, asking for the full court to review the decision en banc & asking SCOTUS to hear his case on cert, but neither one of those things will happen. Bannon is going to prison.”

Lack of information was at the heart of Bannon and Navarro’s cases; it was also at the heart of the State Department’s report to Congress about whether Israel’s strikes on Gaza have complied with international and U.S. law. National Security Memorandum (NSM)-20, which Biden signed on February 8, 2024, was designed to make sure that there are adequate safeguards and accountability when countries who have access to U.S. weapons use them. The memo required the secretary of state “to obtain certain credible and reliable written assurances from foreign governments receiving defense articles” and transmit that information to Congress. 

Issued today, the report covered seven countries in “active conflict”—Colombia, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and Ukraine—and explored whether they were using U.S. government-funded defense articles in accordance with international humanitarian law, and whether they were not “arbitrarily” denying, restricting, or otherwise impeding U.S.-backed humanitarian assistance in any areas where the country was using those U.S. defense articles.

The report noted that it’s hard to collect accurate information in a war zone. Often, the information has to come from participants or third parties, and sometimes that information comes only from the country the U.S. is supplying with weapons. It also noted that the human-rights-based Leahy Laws prohibit the U.S. from supplying weapons to a foreign military unit if the departments of state or defense have credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights, including torture, rape, extrajudicial killing, or enforced disappearance.

The report concluded that Colombia appears to be in compliance. Iraqi security forces have been credibly alleged to be violating international law, but the U.S. does not supply those units. Those it does supply have received U.S. training on compliance with international humanitarian law, and Iraqi leadership is working closely with the U.S. to professionalize. It has not restricted humanitarian aid. 

Kenya has repeatedly violated international human rights law, but it is working to come into compliance and has not misused U.S. weapons. Nigerian forces routinely use excessive force and torture. They are expanding the legal advice in the professionalizing army, and there are no credible reports of U.S. matériel used in ways that are inconsistent with international law. 

Somalia has violated humanitarian law and human rights law, arbitrarily killing and torturing people and committing sexual violence. The U.S. supplies the counterterrorism Danab Brigade of the Somali National Army and works closely with it. The State Department assesses that the brigade has not used U.S. weapons in any violations of humanitarian or human rights law. 

That leaves Israel and Ukraine.

The report begins by noting that in the October 7 attack on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists killed an estimated 1,200 individuals, wounded more than 5,400, and took 253 hostages, including U.S. citizens. Hamas, it notes, “does not follow any portion of and consistently violates” international humanitarian law. 

Then it takes on the numbers of Palestinians killed and injured, saying that the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health, “which international organizations generally deem credible,” estimates that 34,700 Palestinians have been killed. Another 78,200 have been wounded, “a significant percentage of whom are reported to be women and children.” The Gaza Ministry of Health does not differentiate between Hamas fighters and civilians, but Israel says that about half the 34,700 killed were Hamas fighters. The State Department says that “we do not have the ability to verify this estimate.” It also notes that “[t]he conflict has displaced the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza and resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis.” 

The State Department notes that the U.S. government has emphasized Israeli compliance with international humanitarian law and that Israel has “institutions and processes charged with upholding” those laws. Israel has been conducting assessments, including criminal investigations, into alleged violations of international humanitarian law. 

The next paragraph, though, says that when asked, Israel shared some information that gave insight into Israel’s procedures and rules, but that information was incomplete. Among other things, “Israel has not shared complete information to verify whether U.S. defense articles covered under NSM-20 were specifically used in actions that have been alleged as violations of [international humanitarian law or international human rights law] in Gaza, or in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the period of the report.” However, the authors concluded, because “certain Israeli-operated systems are entirely U.S.-origin (e.g., crewed attack aircraft),” they “are likely to have been involved in incidents that raise concerns about Israel’s [international humanitarian law] compliance.”

The report goes on to say that while it is difficult to determine whether specific U.S. weapons have been used improperly, “there have been sufficient reported incidents to raise serious concerns…. Given the nature of the conflict in Gaza, with Hamas seeking to hide behind civilian populations and infrastructure and expose them to Israeli military action, as well as the lack of [U.S. government] personnel on the ground in Gaza, it is difficult to assess or reach conclusive findings on individual incidents. Nevertheless, given Israel’s significant reliance on U.S.-made defense articles, it is reasonable to assess that defense articles covered under NSM-20 have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7 in instances inconsistent with its [international humanitarian law] obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm.”

The State Department says it is “not aware” of U.S. weaponry being misused. It also said that it “has had deep concerns…about action and inaction by Israel” that hampered humanitarian aid efforts and that, while that aid still is insufficient, “we do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.” 

The report also assessed that Ukraine had occasionally violated international humanitarian law and international human rights law, torturing those suspected of collaborating with Russia, for example. The Ukraine government has committed to adhere to the rule of law. It has apparently not used U.S. weapons in those violations and has facilitated U.S. humanitarian assistance.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

People have tried a few approaches to get through to you. I'm going to try another. Why do you think this attack was such a surprise in Israel but not to anyone else on earth? When I ask people I know IRL (In the UK) about this, they say, "I'm shocked by what Hamas are doing but what did Israel expect to happen?" Outside Israel it's clear to everyone that the Gaza Strip situation was going to lead to something like this. You've known about Gaza your whole life, you've know that situation was festering for decades, so why the surprise? How did you think this would end?

i'm emotional, so you won't get a good well researched and structured answer, but an emotional ramble. but you don't want a well researched and organized answer, you want me to cave in call israel a monster colonizer and praise the "brave palestinian freedom fighters". fuck you. or say something you can use to prove how bad all israelis are and how good all palestinians are.

do you know what happened back in the 90s when the news of peace talk broke? the amount of attacks against Israelis grew, the death toll grew. in the four years after the accords the death doll doubled. Palestinian authorities celebrated that "israel gave so much without getting back like fools" and "the only good thing that came out of the accords was the intifada".

so I turn the fucking question to you? what is Israel supposed to do? who are we to talk to to reach peace? or should it dissolve? turn power on my life to people who stated they would like to kill or expel all the Jews? give more resources to a terrorist group? you saw where they put the money they get.

why the fuck do you think Israel exist? because we learned that we can never be free nor safe to be ourselves under the control of others. do you know that between 1948-1951 about 300000 MENA Jews became refugees? and the only reason nobody cares is because Israel took them in, while the whole arab world was happy to leave the Palestinians to rot. do you want a fucking list of every atrocity that was made during this conflict? because both sides have a very long one and the big difference is that Israel fucking won the 1948 war!

and of-fucking-coarse we knew something big was gonna happen! it was in the news for months! people have been screaming at the assholes in charge for so long! it doesn't make it less horrifying! it doesn't matter that we knew that Hamas are stealing all the recourse to make missiles and are going to take advantage of the chaos in israel, it doesn't matter that our extremists are feeding their extremists, cause IT DOESN'T MAKE IT FUCKING RIGHT! we knew Hamas will do some horrid war crime but didn't want to think that people will take whole cities hostage and kidnap and murder hundreds! nobody wanted it to become a fucking war you piece of condescending shit!

we wanted the sane people of both sides to take over and work together! we were hoping to use the near municipal elections to get people who support cooperative living in to the city councils so we can change stuff for the better and fight the anti peace movements of both sides! and maybe gain enough power so in the next parliamentarian elections we will get some decent people that would kickstart the peace process and support palestinian communities into the cabinet! do you know how hard we worked to support Israeli-Palestinian lists for the municipal races? how much effort is put by people to try and make things better?

so i'm gonna ask you again, what was Israel supposed to fucking do?

and If you say "to stop existing" I want you to know that you just exposed yourself as a supporter of genocide.

Iran, the once-Persian Empire, used to be a garden for Western countries when it was under the authoritarian rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, but it became a graveyard for the West when the Islamic Revolution brought the country under the rigorous religious rule of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the religious leader. Since then, Iran has been a pariah state for the West, and in order to defend its interests in the region, it has formed several terrorist groups.

This coalition is known as the “Axis of Resistance,” and it includes Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and groups in Iraq and Syria. These groups are being managed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) clandestine wing, Quds Force, which is in charge of overseas activities.

I just want to take a moment as someone from Israel-in Israel. A woman in Israel.

I do not agree with what my country is doing. I do not agree with the violence and atrocities we commit. But just like Americans, we can be against a war our country is fighting.

Yes, if Israel stops this war, the war is over. It is not equal.

But we cannot ignore what Palestine has done, also. I have lost family. Many people I know have lost family. I am fortunate in that I was not ever taken, I am far from the border, but I know someone who lost a sister. When her body was recovered, she had been raped. This happens on both sides, as women are seen as property of the state. But it does not excuse it. There is no excuse in raping women. Not even for freedom, as how can you achieve freedom through violating women?

I understand it muddies waters to say that there is violence on both sides. There are atrocities on both sides. We like to pretend it is one sided as it makes it easier. But it isn't. You can be the country in the right and still commit war crimes.

I understand if my words are seen as unwelcome here. But I wished to see it acknowledged, the pain that has been brought, not always justly. War is simple, but it is also complex. Trauma goes back generations, it grows roots and takes hold. The fear of the Israeli people for another holocaust is perhaps not well founded, but it is real in our minds. It will always be. The hatred we faced for something not of our doing by Palestinians was real. Our response does not become justified, an overreaction is not justified. But it was real. Their hatred for their land being taken was real-but their reaction to us was not justified. Not in the beginning.

I suppose i am trying to point out the suffering we face as a reminder that we are not our country. I do not enjoy seeing myself and my family and friends vilified in media because of where we live-where we were uprooted to because our family was murdered and our homes taken from us. But I understand our government does evil, now. But we are not our government. Even if we wished to speak up for Palestine, we would be branded terrorists. The things done to innocents is never justified, on either side.

This isn't a war because for a war, both countries should be able to have somewhat similar resources to defend themselves. It's a fucking massacre, a genocide, a cold blooded murder.

Look at Israel's military budget, that gets US aid. Now compare it with Palestine.

Your suffering, the death of your loved ones, your pain, its not invalidated, but it certainly will never compare to the pain of Palestinians.

I understand that this is Israel's government that's behind all this, but you guys are the ones who voted for them. So you should come out and begin protesting for Palestine, even at the cost of being labelled as "antisemitic" or "hamas sympathiser". If Holocaust survivors were to be here, do you think they'd stay silent? People of Israel chose and voted their government officials who now don't even consider Palestinians as humans, so... sorry to say honey, but yall are also responsible for this genocide.

Water, food, fuel, electricity, even donations and trucks carrying MEDICAL supplies have been cut off or prevented from reaching Palestinians. Is that happening in Israel rn? Didn't McDonald's just promise to supply food to the Israle armed forces??

Now, anon, imagine this-

Your country is being bombed, what for? You're not even sure exactly at this point. You've been kicked out of your home, which was then bombarded. your dad's business? All gone, his money, tears sweat, were all for naught. You've been shifted to a refugee camp, and you've been moving from one camp to another for many years because you're constantly hearing airstrikes. You've lost many of your siblings, family, friends. Every night that you go to sleep, with your mother making sure that all of remaining family members are sleeping together, so that in case something happens, you're all dead and no one has to live in pain to mourn for others. Your entire childhood is gone now because you've witnessed such horrible conditions, death is almost always a certainty, and you're struggling for basic necessities such as drinking water, food, etc. Almost all of your family is dead, you were one of the "lucky" ones who didn't die under a pile of rubble. You're grown up now, and you're thinking of leaving this hell by educating yourself and applying to a university outside of Palestine but oh oh! Well, the passing rate is incredibly low, less than 1% of students pass a test which is graded by an occupying force. The doctor who onec treated you is now breaking down becase she lost her entore family in the airstrike while she was helping victims of the same airstrikes, but she doesnt have time to mourn them or wven bury them because the hospital is understaffed nd theres way too many trauma patients in the triage that need her. Oh and look, your best friend was just shot in the back of the head. What for? He was just walking down the street. And the little kid you saw yesterday? Well he was body slammed to the ground by the occupying force's police and taken into custody where he was forced to confess to a crime he never committed, WAS TRAUMATISED AND TORTURED and was never even given a fair trial before he was locked up for more than 2 decades, after which this kid, now an adult has developed schizophrenia. As for you, you thank your lucky stars because you passed your test somehow but oh no. You're suddenly being taken into custody by the occupying force for "suspicious activity and links to a terrorist organisation".

Shall I go on?

The first time that they were offered a state was with the Partition when the British cut off 65% of the Palestinian Mandate and formed Transjordan. That was supposed to be the Arab state. And they rejected it. And the Mufti came in because of the idiotic British, and invented the Palestinian Arab nation and began jihad against the Jews in the 1920s.

Then, in 1937, the British orposed the Peel Commission Plan that gave them a state in almost all of the land west of the Jordan, in the middle of a terror war that they were waging against the Jews and the British. And they said no; they were being funded by the Nazis at the time. And that was that.

Then they got the Partition Plan of the U.N. in  1947. They rejected it. They want to war against Israel the day after, on November 29, 1947. Israle was subsequently invaded by five Arab states in May on 1948 after we declared independence. And so it began. And then later on, the Rogers PLan called for a Palestinian State in 1970. They rejected it. Then there were The Three Noes at Khartoum.

In 2000, Israel offered them a state in all of Gaza, 96% of Judea and Samaria, and parts of eastern, southern, and northern Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, and they started a jihad against us. In 2008, Ehud Olmert offered them 98% of Judea and Samaria, and all the rest, including areas around the Kotel, and they said no.

So these are not people with a track record of being peace partners. These are people with a track record of being genocidal jidadists, and it's an unbroken record.

-Caroline Glick, Hamodia Prime, January 10, 2024, page 32

Since October 7, anti-Isral propaganda disguised as a "social justice" movement has flooded Instagram.

Influential individuals and organizations are working together to systematically promote a deliberate disinformation campaign aganst Israel that ultimately benefits Hamas.

They use social media to propagate false narratives, specifically targeting young left-leaning Americans, and orchestrating what might be the most significant propaganda offensive against the Jewish community since World War II.

Polls have found that half of young American adults side with the terrorist organization Hamas, responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre of over 1200 Israeli civilians and capture of over 200 hostages. And that their actions can be justified.

One organization responsible for disseminating the most deceptive anti-Israel propaganda aimed at influencing Americans' opinions is the Institute for Middle East Understanding.

The IMEU is backed by millions of dollars from wealthy donors like the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The Rockefeller Brothers' father is John D. Rockefeller Jr., the "primary financier" of Nazi eugenics research.

The IMEU is extremely influential. They've gained hundreds of thousands of followers in just a few weeks. Their highly misleading posts get tens of thousands of Likes and Shares.

They accomplished this by copying the tactics of "anti-racist educators" on Instagram that launched the Black Lives Matter protests and riots in 2020.

In this 2021 panel, prominent anti-Israel activists explain how they use research from "Palestine Studies," a frivolous scholarship based on "decolonization" and Critical Theory, to create "social justice content" on Instagram to target American progressives.

IMEU Communications Director, Omar Baddar (salary: $100,000) explains their pivot from traditional media to social media, because social media offers greater control over the narrative.

He believes Palestinians should not be blamed when they instigate violence because:

"Israel as an occupying power is inherently the initiator of violence."

So, Israel simply existing is the real problem.

A key part of their strategy in targeting Americans involves drawing analogies to the USA's history of slavery and discrimination against black people:

"Jim Crow segregation is obviously something that every American understands, so explaining how the parallels between Israeli apartheid and that are very useful. For us, a central point is tying what is happening in Palestine to American moral responsibility."

Following these tactics, they saw a "massive explosion" in their following.

"The massive, massive, massive explosion in the shares and follows."

Their efforts succeed at deliberately misleading people and depriving them of key information and historical context that would allow them to better understand the nuances of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Public opinion serves as Hamas' most potent weapon against Israel and American progressives are unwittingly being used as pawns in a scheme that ultimately benefits the terrorist organization.

Full investigation:

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If it feels like western countries are in a re-run of the fanaticism and riots from three years ago, it's because they are. It's a shame they learned nothing from being conned by BLM propaganda.

At least it makes sense now how the "Be Kind" pronouns people who saw Nazis everywhere became pro-Sharia Nazis themselves, aligning with murderous, far-right Islamic jihadist terrorists, to the point of some of them even deciding Osama bin Laden was the good guy. FFS...

Italy’s 5-Star Movement criticised government over Gaza stance

Italian 5-Star Movement (M5S) expressed dissatisfaction with the Meloni government’s policy on the Israel-Hamas war.

M5S leader Giuseppe Conte, who led two separate governments between 2018 and 2021, stated that Italy’s abstention at the UN General Assembly vote in May on Palestine’s bid for UN membership was “shameful.”

With its conduct, the government proved that it remained indifferent to what was happening in Gaza and Rafah, Conte argued. He stressed that at least 35,000 Palestinians had been killed since the war broke out on October 7. He also noted that despite Israel’s right to self-defence, “what is going on is not acceptable.”

There is no need for you to be a jurist and know about international humanitarian law to find this unacceptable.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) accused Israel of “genocide.” A January interim order ruled that Isral must take measures to guarantee humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. Moreover, the chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Justice Committee, Cuneyt Yuksel, announced on May 1 that Turkey would formally apply to participate in the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ.

The criticism from the opposition movement leader comes ahead of the June 6-9 elections to the European Parliament. In his recent posts on X, 5-Star Movement leader Conte stated that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other political leaders would “never leave their positions in the government and in Parliament to go to Brussels to represent you.”

For this reason I have presented a bill to ensure that it is no longer possible for members of the Government and parliamentarians in office to stand as candidates in the European elections. Enough with the scam applications.

Read more HERE

Israel is an example of a minority group overcoming discrimination by arab states those palestinians left gambling on the idea that they would return to a land free of jews , they thought wrong maybe you'd be less mad if this minority group wasn't white adjacent and western affiliated

"israel is an example of minority group overcoming discrimination by Arab state"

LMAO what kind of clown revisionism crap is that? Jews for most of their history have been discriminated, brutalized and genocided by.....WHITE EUROPEANS. I'll never understand how Zionist Jews flaunt belonging to a "4000 years old civilization" but are struck by Alzheimer's when it comes to acknowledge that their biggest oppressor throughout their most recent history have been White/not Arab, and that they've been kicked out of European countries FOR CENTURIES by some same western countries people like you are shilling their proximity from to milk some wack "you hate jews bc they're close to whiteness uwu". Deranged.

Aren't Jews hellbent saying they're not White anyway ? So why are you shoe horning their proximity to whiteness to claim some snowflake oppression complex?

I will never understand how Zionist are willing to give pass to all the European countries that actually oppressed Jews, only to accuse every Arab person of hating Jews when their cardinal crime was to.....not give away part of their land for a foreign settler project called "Zionism"?? The cognitive dissonance is staggering.

And Jewish people aren't a minority group in ISRAEL, genius. wth are you talking about? Their experience has nothing to do with diasporic Jews spread accross the world. Or do you see Palestinians being bombed and see a "discriminated minority group" because diasporic Palestinians are also a minority too? or you're just a racist who's only willing to extend your grace to a few chosen people ? (pun intended)

Israel lost the last shred of benevolence it has left the few weeks after October 7, and it can only blame itself. Not the Arabs, or some anti white (proximity) oppression. Get real.

I'm no friend to Muslim Arab country but if anything they've shown a lot of patience and resilience before Israel provocations and brute force. Jewish brag about their sense of fellowship but just you wait before the Arab umma strikes back for good and bites Israel butt.

If anything, the only people being mad are people like you popping on randos inbox preaching your zionist propaganda because you know you're losing. You lost the cultural war. You guys got so desperate you spread the fake news it was bots but nope, the world is really that tired of you lol.

Israel will never win. Isral never managed to eradicate Hamas and never will. Israel was supposed to ve a haven for Jews around the world and yet it didn't stop October from happening 7. The Zionist project is inherently flawed because establishing a Jewish state de facto puts Jews at a bigger danger for "anti jew" attacks. For alleged "God chosen people" there's something very ironic with them unable to conquer a strip of land with people not even having an army to put up against them. I'm Christian and I can't help connecting the dots but hey, Jews have been unable to recognize Jesus as the Messiah so it's not like they were the most sensible people to prophetic clues ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Israel gambled on the idea that the world would let them do anything they was in Gaza by pulling out the antisemitism card. It's not working anymore. The whole world sides with Palestine. It would've been unthinkable to see "Fuck Israel" trending a year ago. YOU did it. So congratulations for playing yourself.

Their president be spending them money to give guns to isralitis to kill people... children!! Children in school.. they attacked hospitals... HOSPITALS!! theres was no war babes just a genocide.. and npbody talks about it whats important is vinve and his dildos we need to catch those dildo user motherfuckers that be hidding their sexual activity LIKE IT SHOULD BE

Saturday Afternoon Reggae Show Dj LeBaron Lord King

September 10, 2022 [email protected] kpoo.com

4:00 PM Bunny Wailer - Dance Rock 4:03 PM Toots & The Maytals - Do You Remember 4:06 PM Teacha Dee - Jah Jah Is Calling 4:09 PM Isral Vibraton The Abyssininias -Groundation 4:15 PM Black Uhuru, Sly & Robbie - No No No 4:18 PM Yaadcore, Jah9 - Police in Helicopter 4:22 PM Luciano - No Night In Zion 4:26 PM Bob Marley & The Wailers - Iron Lion Zion 4:30 PM Dezarie - Not One Penny 4:34 PM Skip Marley - Refugee 4:38 PM Samory I - Rasta Nuh Gangsta 4:41 PM Steel Pulse - Steppin' Out 4:45 PM Popcaan - Superior 4:49 PM Protoje - Hills 4:52 PM Peter Morgan - Children of Selassie 4:56 PM Sizzla - All I See is War 5:00 PM Koffee - Raggamuffin 5:03 PM Jimmy Cliff - Refugees 5:08 PM Jo Mersa Marley - Nothing's Gonna Harm You 5:11 PM Vadie - Nuh Come Around 5:16 PM Stoneface Priest - Mind Your Tongue 5:20 PM I-Realms - Life Is Not A Game 5:25 PM Damian Marley - Medication 5:29 PM Shaggy - Bridges 5:33 PM Spiritual - Time Has Come 5:37 PM Alborosie - Natural Mystic 5:41 PM Peter Tosh - Pick Myself Up 5:47 PM Roy Richards - Dead and Wake 5:51 PM Matishyahu - Sunshine 5:52 PM Bob Marley & The Wailers - Forever Loving 5:56 PM Rafeelya - The Early Warm 6:01 PM Mexican Stepper & Sabolious - Inna Babylon 6:04 PM Da Fuchaman - I Feel Good 6:07 PM King Tubby - Travellers Under Heavy Manners 6:10 PM Yaadcore - Say That You Love Me 6:14 PM Koffee - The Harder They Fall 6:16 PM Jah Cure - You Cant See My Soul 6:20 PM Yidne Rasta, Ras Seyoume - The Truth 6:24 PM Spaxx - Ruff Road 6:29 PM Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers - Look 6:32 PM Erykah Badu - In Love With You 6:38 PM Black Uhuru - Shine Eye Gal 6:44 PM Chester Miller - Come Over This Way 6:47 PM Queen Omega - No Love 6:49 PM Anthony B - Weed Baby 6:52 PM Jahringo - Good Vibez 6:55 PM Tafari - Skin 2 Skin

NEWS . . . #russia #vladimirputin #russianarmy #israle #benjaminnetanyahu #palestine #hamaspalestine #freepalestine🇵🇸 #war #india #breakingnews #thesnippets https://www.instagram.com/p/CPFUr02tl6J/?utm_medium=tumblr

De-escalatory diplomacy: Can Trump administration avert an India-Pak war?

Current Affairs:

So far, Donald Trump has had remarkably good luck: His administration has avoided a major international crisis not of its own creation. That luck has run out, however, with a deadly dispute between India and Pakistan. In previous showdowns on the subcontinent, the US played a critical role in preventing tensions between nuclear-armed rivals from getting out of control. We are about to find out whether an erratic, hollowed-out Trump administration is capable of a similar performance.

India-Pakistan tensions over the disputed area of Kashmir have persisted since the birth of the two nations in 1948. The current crisis broke when Pakistani militants carried out the suicide bombing of an Indian security convoy, killing more than 40 Indian troops. After more than a week of threats and counter-threats, Indian planes have bombed suspected militant camps on the Pakistani side of the so-called Line of Control — the first time Indian forces had carried out strikes on the Pakistani side in decades.

Although the amount of damage caused is unclear, the bombings raised concerns that Pakistan will feel compelled to respond militarily. The potential escalatory implications are severe — both countries have nuclear weapons, and Pakistani doctrine reportedly emphasizes using them early in a war with India due to its conventional military disadvantages.

Given the grave dangers of an India-Pakistan war — as well as recent Pakistani threats that it might respond to an Indian assault by derailing the peace talks in Afghanistan — the US has a clear interest in calming things down. In prior confrontations, in fact, American diplomacy has been vital to walking India and Pakistan back from the brink.

During the Kargil War — a limited but fierce military conflict high in the mountains over Kashmir in 1999 — President Bill Clinton used personal diplomacy to convince Pakistani leaders to pull their fighters back from confrontation with Indian troops...Read More

The Other Damage Done By Religious-Right Leaders ... Israel!

Phroyd

Memorial Day weekend brings record cold, triple-digit heat and stormy conditions. Shame on USA for supporting war crimes and illegal actions of ISR*AL.... Got an opinion about this? See what others are saying.... See MORE -> https://worldnewsinpictures.com/memorial-day-weekend-brings-record-cold #Memorial #MemorialDay #MemorialDayShame #ISRAL #ISRALGot #ISRALGotSee #weekend #brings #record

Skin of the Teeth Part 5: Wherein We Find Finality.

(( So there’s a lot of text here...I’m not apologizing for that.  I was tempted to mince this into even more parts but Skin of the Teeth needs to come to a close, just so I can bring everything to current events.  As of the end of this passage Kail and the crew of the Ashen Rook will be set for going East...see ya’ll there)) Most of the crew was up on the deck, with the exception of those tending to the wounded below.  There was little to no talk amongst them, the tension in air seemed to choke any words into clipped statements from the grim faced lot.  They had all been able to see what was coming for the past hour, there was no need to talk about it.  Mazie chose a spot on the railing next to the Miqo'te Isral, who was one of the few that didn't look like he was attending his own funeral.  Rather he was smiling as if nothing was wrong with the world, though Mazie noted he stared straight ahead, and never once glanced in the direction of their pursuers.  He turned his near manic grin on Mazie as she approached. "Little Mazie come to join us!  Good!  We were worried you'd miss the show!" Mazie frowned at his "little" comment, she was taller than him by a few inches at least.  Still she didn't rebuke him, rather something even odder than his grin struck her. "Yer not armed?" Isral continued to grin, showing very white and pointed teeth to this observation "If this comes to fight, Lady Luck shall provide." "Well while she's lookin out fer yer arse, could ye ask iffin she's got a few cannons tucked away fer the Rook as well?" "She's no need to fret for the Rook little Mazie, this boat isn't without teeth." Mazie was about to ask what he meant when she saw the captain come up from below decks, she almost didn't recognize him.  Never once in the months at sea had she known Kail to wear anything but silks, leathers, and vests.  While she had seen (much to her distress) him in various states of drunken undress around the ship, nothing prepared her for the sight of him in full armor.  To call it simply armor was perhaps a disservice to its creator though, this was artifice, a wizardry of craftsmanship.  A brown hooded coat of leather with the strange oiled sheen of chemical fortification wrapped around the torso and hung about the knees.  Each limb but the left arm was clad in a lobstered metal that gave off a slight brass sheen in the noonday sun.  Throughout the whole affair, veins of the same brass metal ran in stylized runic rivers, all tracing it seemed to the small of the armor's back, where hung a cylinder along the belt roughly the size of a man's thigh.   "I've been told if one stares too long, their eyes fall out of their head." Chided Isral. Mazie goggled, she couldn't help but. "What is that?" "I believe they call it a Spriggan Suit." "They?" "R'haji..the Captain and Laloquer.  Apparently they've been working with the Goblins of Idyllshire  on the design for some time, and are quite pleased with the result."  Isral rolled his eyes and adjusted the collar on his immaculately tailored coat. "I think it looks like a scarecrow fucked a steam engine, but apparently it can match the magitek armor that Garlean legionaries are so fond of." Mazie had never seen magitek in her life, but then she had been but a child when the last of the Garlean conflicts had taken place, and had spent most of her life on the Limsan docks.  She'd heard all sorts of horror stories, ranging from great ridden steel beasts that spewed aetheric fire, to shells of armor that made men as strong as titans and nearly as indestructible.  The Spriggan Suit looked impressive to be sure...but she had her doubts about it standing up to such nightmares.

As if the gods had been listening in on her thoughts, the gunship behind them put on a burst of speed that sent tongues of cerulean flame curling out from behind it, it drew even with the Rook, close enough that Mazie could read the name carved into the metal of its prow.  The Arbiter was larger than the Rook by at least half, and she wore her bulk well.  Draped in Garlean colors from head to toe, she left no doubt as to her allegiances, and she was every inch a machine of war.  Where the Rook was trimmed in metal, she was plated in it.  A score of cannon ports along her side were open, and from each peered a steel maw that promised death and fiery destruction.

Mazie felt her breath catch in her throat as a lengthwise bay door on the side of the Arbiter opened, and a row of Garlean soldiers stood fully outfitted for war.  They were ramrod straight in a tight and trained formation that made the crew of the Rook look lopsided and clumsy by comparison.  At the head of their number stood a demon.  It took her a moment to realize her mistake, but as the light played across the the creature standing there, Mazie saw that it was simply armor designed for that very effect.  Horns twisted out from the silver mask’s forehead, and tusks curled down from its grimace of a mouth, red eyes glowed in the shadows of the shell-like helmet that it framed its ghastly face.  The rest of the armor was tailored in the stark reds and blacks of Garlemald, lacquered plates at the shoulders and hips gave the already large figure of the armor an even more imposing profile.  Like the Spriggan suit, this was a wonder of craftsmanship, and by the red glow that emanated at it's joints, Mazie suspected a result of magitek. The Arbiter hung there in the air, keeping pace easily with the Rook as she raced with the winds, neither side made a sound over the splash of waves or the hum of engine.  Mazie hissed through the side of her mouth at the still smiling Isral. "Why aren't they opening fire?" "They aren't firing because we have something they want, they'll try to board us first.  Whoever that is behind that mask is trying to show us they can do that without much fuss, hoping for a surrender from show of force.  Patience little Mazie, we haven't gotten to the good part yet." The wearer of the demon armor took a step forth to the edge of the bay, raising a gauntleted hand to it's throat.  There was an audible click over all other noise, and a tinny, distorted, but definitely male voice blasted out towards the Rook. "ATTENTION INTERLOPERS!  YOU STAND ACCUSED OF TRESPASS ON GARLEMALD TERRITORIES, COLLUSION WITH HER ENEMIES, AND OFFERING HARBOR TO HER CRIMINALS.  BRING YOUR SAILS TO REST, SURRENDER YOUR ARMS, AND OFFER UP YOUR LEADERS.  COMPLIANCE WILL BRING LENIENCY, THIS OFFER WILL NOT BE REPEATED." It was a voice that rang with authority, clear and sharp, with the clipped tones of someone who wasn't born to the language, yet had mastered it nonetheless.  Mazie had heard the numerous Doman refugees speak the Eorzean tongue in such a fashion.  The crew of the Rook turned to look at Kail, who had strode up to the Rook's railing.  A sardonic smirk draped over his features he spread his arms wide to the crew and yelled for them all. "The Garleans want a taste!  What say ye!?!" They stamped feet, they rattled sabres, they yelled, and sang, and even howled in response.  It was such cacophony that for the briefest of moments Mazie forgot that they were but twenty facing a small army.  She felt as if she had legion on her side and before too long she found herself yelling her throat horse, and banging her crowbar against the railing of the Rook. Eventually it died down, Kail reached back and drew the leather hood of the Spriggan Suit over his head.  The cylinder at his back began to hum and whine, and a silvery light shot through the veins of the suit.  Two brass plates snapped out of the hood and over his face, sealing with a hiss of steam, the same silvery light as the veins poured from two sets of eye slits in the plates.  Kail's voice shot out this time amplified a dozen times over.   "THERE'S YER FECKIN COMPLIANCE!" If there was disappointment on the demon warrior's part, it didn't show in his manner, rather he took to a knee and held up one fist.  Mazie suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, dragging her back from the railing, as the Garlean soldiers began leveling rifles to their shoulders and taking a knee next to their commander.  Behind them she could make out pairs of robed magus, moving their hands in coordinated synchronization around summoned orbs of aetheric energy.  As the Arbiter hovered in the air, she gave her crew a clear shot down onto the deck, it was one of the many advantages that airships held over naval vessels.  Mazie closed her eyes and waited for the end to come.

Only it didn't.  She felt herself being shoved down, and from near her feet came the groaning shriek of metal moving on hinges.  A thunderclap of simultaneous rifle fire tore through the air, and it was only when the whine of ricochets died down that she allowed herself to open her eyes.  All along the starboard side of the Rook, plates of metal had sprung on hinges from deck, angling away from the railing and forming lean-to's of sheltering steel.  The plates were two ilms thick at least by her guess, and from the look of where she and Isral crouched safely on one side, hadn't taken so much as a dent from the firing line. "Wh-what is this?" She spluttered, gaping not only at the shielding walls sudden appearance, but at the contents slung under them.    "This..." said Isral as he coolly unstrapped a rifle from the shield's underside. "..is the good part." Mazie looked down the line the other crew were doing much the same. "LAY ON LADS!" Came Kail's voice from somewhere on the line, on his signal the crew of the Rook poked their rifles over their respective shields, and returned fire.  The crew of the Arbiter had never experienced a return volley after their first terrible shred.  The advantages of height, superior numbers, and well coordinated marksmanship, made the task of fighting pirates at sea almost as bothersome as a chore.  It was shooting fish in a barrel…at least it was until the fish started shooting back.   Mazie saw men and women on the Arbiter's firing line fold up and over like dolls disturbed from their resting place.  They'd had none of the cover of the Rook, and with the front line kneeling shoulder to shoulder, they had no way to seek the cover they didn't have.  Each shot took a toll in sprays of blood and forms going limp for the life snatched out of them.  

To the Garlean's credit none of them panicked, a few were quick to take what cover they could behind the corpses of their fallen companions, and those who didn't continued to unload their firearms at the crew of the Rook.  The magi behind the firing line must have finished their casting, for among the shots raining down, there sailed two beads of aetheric fire.  Isral yanked Mazie down beneath cover once more as the two missiles struck the side of the Rook with a force equal to any siege engine.   Light and fire flared over the lip of the shield as Mazie did her best to make herself as small as she could.  She could feel the rush of the scalding winds around her, the smell of burning hair assaulted her nostrils, and close by someone screamed.  She opened her eyes to the scorched deck of the Rook, tongues of flame clung where they could, but by some miracle the sails hadn't caught.   One of the crewman, an Elezen she had known as Gaston, was flailing about as his shipmates clung to him, wrestling to keep him down as Noyra beat away at him with a piece of tarp. He was still on fire.  The blue and green flames were still licking at the charred flesh on the side of his face and chest.  By some feat of hysterical strength he managed to throw off his crewmates to make a mad dash for the water, his path however took him from behind the protection of the shields, where he was cut down by rifle fire. He hit the deck with the dull thump of meat on metal, not but a few hand spans from where Mazie crouched, so close she could see the light go out in his eyes.  It was so quick she was dumbfounded, the retreat of life from the flesh.  She could have had barely enough time to snap her fingers between the moments when Gaston was flailing, screaming, fighting, everything that was alive, to when he was still, his normally ruddy cheeks now the color of pale clay. Unbidden to her mind sprang everything that he had been.  An uncle, according to his stories, half his pay went to his sister and her ever growing brood in the lower docks, where he returned once every few months to let his favorite nephews and nieces practicing tying knots in his handsome long auburn hair.  He liked to play cards even though he was terrible at it, and he always saved some portion of his meal for the seagulls, he said it was good luck.  It frightened Mazie that so much life and vitality could be snuffed out so quickly, it frightened, and it angered her.   It wasn't a sudden onset of rage, but rather as her grief at these inglorious ends raced through her veins like ice water, in its wake her temper kindled to warm her.  This was being inflicted upon them, by some poncy stiff necked gits in starched uniforms who expected them to just lay back and let it happen. Well she had a crowbar that said otherwise.   As her fingers tightened about the cold length of steel Mazie began to notice that there was a change in the chaos.  The sporadic exchange of fire was beginning to die down and rifles were being discarded by those crew members who were still standing. In the distance she heard the engines of the Arbiter suddenly rise in pitch.  Chancing a peek around the shields she saw what was happening.  The Arbiter was closing the distance between the two ships, the Garleans were going to board them.   As the giant metal frame began it’s slow but graceful descent, Mazie saw the soldiers aboard suddenly part, and from behind their ranks the red and black form of the demon warrior blurred out into the open air.  It was an impossible jump, fifty yalms if she was any guess, yet the warrior’s path arced him though the air and into a graceful tumble aboard the deck of the Rook.  His tumble brought him up to his feet, facing the crew of the Rook with a razor sharp curved sword drawn and ready for any who dared.  There was a beat of hesitance from the Rook’s crew as they chewed on the implications of a commander willing to dive in head first where his soldiers had yet to tred.  Mazie heard a word muttered among those crouched behind their shields, and immediately she knew what to call this man.  This was a samurai.   It was Syf that put them all to shame, the blind woman snaked forward from the ranks, the charms in her hair rattling a song.  Her fishing spear was a blur as it fetched the man a blow across his blade that rang out even among the the whine of the Arbiter’s engines.  His was an economy of movement, letting the blow glance off to his side as a single step brought him within an intimate distance of his attacker.  He struck a shearing cut that would have removed the head of someone slower, Syf only found herself less a few dreadlocks, skittering back to once again to put her spear’s blade between herself and the samurai.   She dipped and stabbed in rapid succession to cover her retreat, the spear head pecking out like some metal shrike, searching for weakness and gaps in the samurai’s defense.  It found none.  He was faster than someone in armor had any right to be, and the curved edge of that blade seemed to always be there to guide away the worst of what Syf had to offer.  With infuriating patience he followed her retreat along the deck, one armored foot taking purchase after the other. The sight of the two blade masters trading blows held Mazie enthralled, she had never seen steel exchanged at such a rate, even in the violence laden lower docks of Limsa.  Oh she had seen puffed up sailors draw steel and drunkenly brawl, she'd even been in a scuffle or two herself, but this was as comparing the breeze to the hurricane.  She was so drunk on the sight she nearly forgot that their boat was being boarded, fortunately for her the tromp of boots on the deck snapped her attention back to the other side of the Rook.   If the samurai had intended his entrance to serve as a distraction, it had worked beautifully.  The Arbiter had been allowed to approach the Rook unmolested, and now her remaining soldiers were leaping off in coordinated lines.  Mazie was saved by reflex more than anything, out of the corner of her eye she saw an armored leg dash around her side of the shield.  She had already been holding her crowbar at the ready, and in a spasm that was equal parts nervous energy and surprised elation, she took to a knee and twisted a blow straight into the joint of the armor.  She heard, she felt a meaty thud almost imperceptibly twisted around a dry branch snap followed by the high shrill scream of a woman in immense pain.  

Mazie would never forget that sound as long as she lived, guttural and unbidden.  It was nearly as painful to hear as it was to see the leg bend outward at a wrong angle and fail to support the weight of its owner, bringing the Garlean down in a moaning and swearing heap.  The woman’s scream seemed to suddenly wake a new sort of chaos on the deck of the Rook, as the ship's defenders left the cover of their shields to meet the Garleans head on. 

It was a seeming eternity of bedlam squeezed into the suddenly too small confines of the Rook’s deck.  Sparks flew as steel whined against steel, there were the fleshy thuds of impact, blood curdling screams heaped upon gut wrenching yells and swears of a dozen different languages.  Close to her Mazie heard the hiss pop of one of Isral’s flintlocks and felt a hot spatter upon her cheek.  She looked up to see what looked like the body of a young male Hellsguard who had tried to scale the shield to get at the people behind it.  At least, she thought he was young, Isral must have shot him point blank because his neck ended at a fragment of his jawline.  

Further down the line Mazie heard an almost bestial howl of unrivaled fury.  Noyra, sweet, kind, and gentle Noyra, who Mazie had once caught feeding biscuit crumbs to rats in the hold, had the head of a soldier encased in her giant hands.  Two of man’s comrades were attempting to pry her off him, but she ignored them both, cords standing out on her neck and bulging arms as the man’s helmet and skull both crumpled as paper between her fingers.  It was a scene repeated tenfold along the railing of the Rook, fantastic violence being done by her friends, to her friends.  In the swarm of faces she saw frantic fear, terrible anger, and even in some a type of manic joy that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.  What truly ate at her though, what would keep her up in the nights she found she couldn't sleep, was that she didn't recognize anyone in these moments, not even herself.

Mazie felt her gorge rising, and where once reflex had saved her, now it was the urge to vomit.  She dropped her eyes to the deck to give vent to her breakfast, when she saw she was staring into the double barrels of a Garlean flintlock.  In her witness to the battle she had completely forgotten the woman whose leg she had crushed, who through the pain of her injury, had found the discipline to draw her side arm.  Mazie found herself looking past the wavering gun barrels and into the eyes of her would be murderer.  She was a Highlander, with what Mazie was sure had once been winsome features, now blunted by a broken nose and a ruddy complexion.  In her startlingly blue eyes through tears of pain there had been a resolution to shoot, but that faltered when Mazie made eye contact with her.  As Mazie felt her urge to vomit crawl back inside of her, the two of them stared at one another, the world seeming to fall apart around them. She wasn't sure what passed between the two of them in that moment, Recognition, acceptance, or perhaps they were just both scared out of their wits.  Mazie never got to find out.  One of the soldiers that had been harrying Noyra flew through the air and hit the edge of the shield next to the Highlander at a wrong angle, snapping his neck and killing him instantaneously.  The girl’s attention swung to the sudden movement and her gun barrel drifted off to the side in her confusion.  Mazie found herself bringing her crowbar around and smashing the girl’s gun and wrist both.  She swung down again ignoring the girl’s screams and adding in screams of her own as she kept swinging, her previous thoughts swept away by a single strata of fear.  She didn't want to die.  

She felt a little better after she finished throwing up, tucking herself against the shielding as the fighting raged on about her.  Her chest hammering with a fire she hadn't been aware of while she’d been…defending hersel…no, killing that girl.  Call a spade a spade, a nasty little voice hissed in her head, you wanted a life at sea, welcome to the price of admission.   “Stoppit!”  She spat at herself, thumping a hand against the deck in frustration “Ent no time fer that.” Indeed there wasn't, no sooner than she had spoken than did she hear a shrill cry from the other side of the deck.  Syf was scuttling away on her rear from the samurai, clutching her left arm tightly to her chest while scarlet rivulets trickled down it, staining her leathers and leaving bloody spots in her wake.  In her free hand she still clutched the haft of her spear, it had been sheared down the middle during her exchange with the eastern warrior, but it’s hooked blade still served to turn away blows from the samurai.  The demon samurai stalked towards her with all of the patience that he had begun the fight with, content with the knowledge that when he took her life it would be at his leisure.  Mazie looked over to where Isral was clubbing a man over the head with a pistol.   “Isral!  Help we need to help Syf!” Isral looked up from his work and turned to frown at Syf’s plight.  He tossed the pistol aside before casting a glance at the bodies around them.  Finding what he was looking for, he plucked a Garlean flintlock from the belt of the man he’d been beating. “These…” he said to Mazie “…have two shots.  Against that…” he nodded towards the advancing samurai “…it’ll make a decent enough distraction.  After that though all bets are off.  Get her below decks.” Mazie bit back on an acid comment about at least trying to be optimistic. 

 Instead she grabbed up her crowbar and kept low as she began climbing the stairs to the quarter deck, where she could see the whole of amidships and still be unseen if she crouched.  She tried to make herself as small as possible, all the while peering over the edge to gauge when her moment would be.   Isral strode out until he couldn’t have been more than ten paces from the samurai, who held his sword above his head in a prepared final blow against the blind woman.  With the casual nature of picking up a piece of fruit at the marketplace, Isral leveled the flintlock at the samurai and fired, a plume of fire and smoke blooming from one of its barrels.  At first Mazie’s eyes didn't follow what had happened, she saw the samurai’s sword flash down as he twisted into a blow against someone who wasn't there.  She held out an insane hope that one bullet was enough to bring the man down, when instead of faltering, the samurai drew his blade over the bridge of his left thumb and sheathed it with a neat snap.  That was when she saw the two smoking pockmarks in the railing to either side of the man, and her mind came to grips with what had happened.  He had cleaved the bullet in two.   Her mind reeled at the sheer nonsense of the idea, and that small nasty voice spoke up in her thoughts once more.  What was she doing on this side of the sea, where men throw their allies overboard, and demons cut bullets in half? All the while the samurai kept his stance facing Isral, his right hand hovering over the pommel of his blade.  There wasn't a hint of surprise on Isral’s features at the failure of his first attack, in truth he looked almost bored with the detail.  His casual nature unflagging, he cocked back the hammer on the second barrel and even brought his other arm around to brace the pistol in the crook of his arm.  The samurai and his terrible patience, waited.   Mazie saw her moment, and though that little voice (not so little any more) was screaming in her ear to stay put and let the adults have it out, she found her feet pumping against the thrumming of her heart.  She barely felt the deck under her feet, and later would only remember the sensation of floating as she vaulted the railing to land next to the cursing and spitting Syf.  Mazie woodenly ignored the woman’s thrashing and almost feverish insistence that she could still fight.  Grabbing Syf by the straps of her jerkin, Mazie began to drag her away and towards stairs to the hold.   She heard Isral’s shot ring out, and nearly missed the samurai drawing and sundering the air before him in a glittering arc.  This time she couldn't deny the man’s ability as she felt one of the bullet halves buzz by her cheek like an angry hornet, a burning sting left in its wake.  As she continued to drag her still struggling cargo, something with the situation seemed off to her, but it was hard to tell what with the adrenaline rushing through her.  The samurai then flicked his sword to the side, and the arc of blood that sluiced off of it told Mazie what was wrong.   Isral, still the span of a long boat away from the man, suddenly clutched at his chest where a thin line of claret began to seep out from under the cloth of his fine clothing.“Oh…” he gasped, examining his now blood stained fingers with murky wonder “..that’ll never come out will it?” His eyes seemed to focus far away, and then rolled into the back of his head, the Miqo’te slumped to the deck, another limp form among the many. Syf suddenly let out a shriek that would give a banshee pause, and strangely enough went bonelessly limb in Mazie’s arms.  Suddenly it was as though Mazie was dragging a bag of wet sand with fifty stone on her.  Though the woman had been fighting her before, she had still been holding herself upright.  Now with her head lolling on her shoulders, she didn't move one wit, and threatened to drag Mazie down with her to the deck. All the samurai had to hold onto was his terribly sharp sword, and it was perfectly willing to follow him as he closed the distance between himself and the two hapless women.  Mazie couldn't help but find that terribly unfair, and for a moment she was sorely tempted to simply let Syf go.  She had few illusions now that if the samurai got to them he would cut through them both, and it would probably only take him one cut.  Just as it had with Isral.   She had liked Isral, among the crew he had been the most approachable.  Among the pirates who's stock and trade were growls and glares, the capricious Miqo’te seemed to live to tease smiles out of anyone that was near him.  Whether it was with barbed quips or inane tunes on his shepherd's pipes, he had always found Mazie an easy mark.  Now he was dead.   Again Mazie felt that anger fuse with her almost desperate need to survive this…this miniature hell she found herself in.  She was tired of watching people die.   Gritting her teeth, she set her feet, and hauled back with all she could bring to bear.  One step, then another, ignoring the creaks she both heard and felt throughout her body, ignoring the dull whine that came from the samurai’s strange armor, and how it was steadily growing closer.   She was nearly to the stairs, only a few more steps, when the world suddenly went out from under her.   Mazie felt the deck come up and connect with her back in a dull meaty thud that promised her pain to come if she lived long enough to meet it.  The air was driven from her lungs, and suddenly the limp form of Syf felt all the heavier as it kept her pinned to the deck.  She was faintly aware of where her hand made contact with the deck, and how it felt wet, warm…and sticky.  Dumbly she stared at her own hand and saw what it was that she had slipped in, Syf’s blood.   As she struggled under the unconscious woman, she saw as the samurai walked up the last few paces between them.  His masked helmet tilted to the side, and it was with some indignation that Mazie realized the bastard was simply watching her struggle.  Pointedly, she ignored him and clawed at the deck to inch herself from beneath Syf’s body.  Finally when her hips came free she stood, shaking from both fatigue and naked fear of the figure that towered over her.  The expression of the metal mask remained unchanging, all glowing red eyes, teeth, and tusks.  Yet still there was something in his stance, the way he cocked his head, that translated to amusement. “I commend your struggles, you nearly made it.” Came that voice that sounded like it was coming through a pipe.  It was no longer amplified, and sounded at this volume, almost reasonable, if mildly laced with the interest one pays a strange piece of foliage. Despite the dull ache that was coming through the pins and needles of her back, the sudden onset of fatigue that was racing up her limbs, and the acute sense of fear she felt twisting her stomach into knots, Mazie found her voice coming out in unwavering tones. “Thanks.  Ye goin t’kill me then or what?” “It is possible for you to surrender.” She considered it for a split second, there was that option of course.  It was seductive in its simplicity, give up, that's all she had to do.  Oh she’d take a few knocks she was sure, but there was something about the samurai’s manner that told her if she stood aside, he would honor her choice.  She’d just have to swallow her pride, and right after she found it too… Looking back up to that mask, the corner of her mouth turned up into a rueful smirk. “Honestly I don't think I have that in me..” “Then I shall make it quick.” said the samurai, as he lifted this sword, and brought it down with the lazy skill of a farmer scything wheat. Mazie had expected a lot of things of The End.  She had hoped to die fat, in bed, and suffering from acute suffocation of too much wealth, perhaps with a husband who wouldn't know where to start without her, maybe children.  Death by samurai certainly hadn't rated among her expectations when she had started off on this voyage, but she was finding herself adapting rather rapidly and expanding her horizons.  What would never have crossed her mind, under any circumstances, would be a bolt of indigo lightning rending the air to the side of her head.  That took her a moment to come to grips with.   It was the sound mostly that devastated her senses, she had to work her head around the fact that she had never heard lightning before, only thunder.  While the great basso rumbles of the sky were fearsome in their own right, they had nothing on the furious hornet buzz of raw electricity ripping its way through ozone by shear force.  Through the disorienting haze of that terrible noise being only a few scant inches from her ear, Mazie came to the realization that with the exception of the ringing in her ears, she was relatively unharmed.  The bolt had been meant for the samurai. He had not been expecting it to her estimates, but that hadn't stopped his speed and training from saving him.  His sword was held at the ready, the steel edge now glowing a cherry red, residual static pops of electricity flicked along the gaps of his armor.  Mazie was starting to wonder if there was anything this man couldn't cut in two. “Stand aside dear.”  Came a gentle voice over her shoulder.  It was slightly muted under the ringing, but it was concise, clear, and carried an edge of steel under it.  “I've a few choice words for our guest.”   Mazie stood aside promptly, hooking a hand under Syf’s arm and dragging her with, because that is what you did when a Magus of Norah’s caliber took to the field.  The Highlander woman stepped up from the top step of the hold access, gathering her skirts and apron hem in one hand to keep from tripping over them.  Mazie had noticed Norah to be one of the few who had stayed below decks, and her labors therein were apparent in her appearance.  

Her normally tightly coiffed hair was in disarray, with stray strands escaping the pony tail at odd angles.  Her eyes were puffy, lacking the benefits of makeup or a decent night’s sleep, but they were hard.  There was blame in those cyan slits, focused with utmost intensity upon the man before her.  Blame for all the gore that spattered her leather chirurgeon’s apron, blame for much, much worse.   Norah’s other hand came up, and in it, she held what Mazie at first took to be cane.  A second glance however revealed it to be an umbrella of all things, a stark black affair with a silver handle in the shape of some sort of yowling cat.  The handle seemed to glare along with it’s wielder at the samurai. “I did not…” said Norah in crisp wintery tones “…sail across wretched salt waves, wallow in the sty you and yours have made out of my country, and wrench lives from the jaws of the Empire just so you could take them back only to hang them.”  As if to punctuate her statement, another lance of lightning boiled up her arm and through the umbrella, striking the samurai’s sword with such force as to push him back a few feet. The samurai grunted from behind his blade, his stance shifting not one wit in any direction despite his displacement “Those are citizens of the Empir…” “They are people!  They are mothers, they are fathers, they are sisters, and sons!”  More lightning tore through the air from the fanged mouth of the silver cat.  This was no flash or bolt, but a sustained fan of plasma that flickered and twined about the samurai’s blade, pushing him back further all the while.  Mazie felt a dull pain in her mouth and realized she was biting the inside of her cheek as she watched Norah.   The magus was striding towards the man, howling over the terrible humming whine of her own lightning, and the tortured screams of the sword’s steel. “They are beaten, they are broken, and still that is not enough!  You insist they stand at attention while you grind away at their very selves, chipping away at anything humane they could hold onto! You shout your filth in their ears about how they’re animals, and that you’re trying to elevate them!  When really all you’re doing is turning them into some poor pack of miserable creatures too busy gnawing at each other to realize that YOU’RE THE ONES KILLING THEM!” Onward she pressed, and for a moment, when the forks of scintillating lightning drove the machine samurai to a knee, Mazie nearly let herself believe it was all over.  She saw however that as the violet shower poured forth, Norah’s face was beginning to lose some of it’s color, her steps shorter, and the silver head of the cat drooped lower.  Finally she stopped a handful of paces from the man, her breath heavy, and sweat beading from her brow.  At last the flow of electric power stopped.   The samurai looked up, his sword glowing hotter still, his armor scorched and smoking. The glow from it’s joints was now flickering and spitting blue sparks.  With an agonized whine of metal, he stood up, and reasserted his stance. “Impressive for a magi, however as an assault, ultimately fruitless.” Norah, look more annoyed than off put however, and blew a stray strand of hair out her face. “I guess then it’ll have to do as a distraction.” The gods, Mazie decided, had their own twisted sense of humor.  Because it wasn't but a heartbeat later, with a shrill scream and a sickening abrupt crunch, that the body of an Imperial Magus struck the deck of the Rook between the pair of them.  High overhead, smoke could be seen pouring out the bay of the Arbiter, and from that smoke a speeding form of sliver light and brass launched itself into the air.  Spreading its limbs, it seemed to catch the air, and launched itself straight into the sails of the Rook, where the fabric held, billowing out and allowing the form to slide down to the deck The captain looked as chipped around the edges as the samurai.  There were several tears in the leather, and scorching on the face plate, but the spriggan suit had held apparently.  Wearily he looked about the ship.  The last of the imperial foot soldiers were being cut down, or shoved into the briny deep.  The fight on the deck had gone in favor of pirates, however it had been a costly victory, less than half of the original twenty still stood. He turned to the samurai, who stood as stoic as ever, sword at the ready.  The faceplate on the spriggan suit divided, and retreated into its hood, revealing a face that was drawn from fatigue and exasperation.   “Yer men have lost, the fight’s over.” Said Kail. “My ship is still in the air.” The samurai shot back cooly. “They would fire on a ship while their commander twas aboard it?” “They have specific orders to do so if I fail to take the prisoners alive.” Kail blinked at that, and gave a low whistle beneath his teeth.  He hunkered down into a crouch, taking out his old battered flask, and took a long drought before speaking.   “Ent no way I could talk ye into surrenderin eh?” Of all things, amusement found it's way into the samurai’s voice. “As one of your crew put it, I don't think I have it in me to surrender.  You shall remove me from your ship by either my death, or handing over the prisoners.” “That’s a very black and white view oh things.” said Kail, as he curled his fingers into a notch in the deck, and pulled.   As it turned out, there were two sets of the fantastic metal shielding on the Rook, one for each side of the ship.  Mazie later learned the spring loaded plates had a dual purpose, as many of the Rook’s little tricks did.  They weren't just shielding from oncoming fire, they were also perfect for launching boarders onto other ships, or for launching armor clad samurai out into the unforgiving sea.  Out over the waves he soared, with a splash of finality, and a few final billowing clouds of bubbles, the machine samurai sank beneath. “Second arsehole I've had t’throw off my ship t’day.” Muttered Kail, as he glanced in Norah and Mazie’s direction.  “The two oh ye alright?” Norah kept a lingering glance on where the samurai had disappeared from sight, her hands twisting and worrying at the umbrella. Closing her eyes she finally turned away, looking to Kail with steel once more in her gaze “As an adjective ‘alright’ falls a little short of how I'm feeling, but I am whole, there are others who are not.  We should see to them.” It was at that point that Mazie remembered her charge, and looked down.  Syf was no where to be seen, there was simply a smear of blood where she had been at Mazie’s feet.  How in the hells had she lost a spear woman with at least a foot in height on her? “Uhhh Captain…” she began to say, but the thought died in her throat. Kail was currently shouting out orders to the few crew that were still standing, and either didn't hear, or didn't bother to reply.  Despite the fight’s end there was still a fair bit of chaos.  There were the wounded to look after, triage was the word that was being passed around by the grim faced.  The Rook was still floating but she had taken damage from the mages’ assault, there were fires to put out, and repairs to be seen to.  More importantly, the Arbiter still hung in the air nearly a hundred yalms above, and the smoke that had been billowing from her bay was bringing to abate, her crew was already getting repairs underway.  When they got their affairs in order, they would turn their guns on the Rook.   Not seeing any use in bothering the captain about it, she resolved to find the wayward Syf herself.  As it turned out it was just a matter of following the blood.  The smear of scarlet that was at her feet streaked towards the stairs to the hold, Mazie bit her lip and followed.  At first she was beginning to feel relief, perhaps Syf had reasonably come to the conclusion that her injuries needed tending to.  That little voice she had come to hate told her that was too much to ask for, sense in her companions.

The streak had now become a set of erratic foot prints with the occasional spatter, and it fact turned away from the part of the hold that had been sectioned off for Laloquer’s ministrations to the sick.  Instead the trail led straight to the armory.  She was there, hunched over a locker, rifling though it’s contents.  Syf’s injured arm was no longer bleeding, a hastily tied leather tourniquet had seen to that, but it hung down limply at her side as she wrestled with the contents of the chest. “Syf..” said Mazie as she cautiously walked up behind the woman, she felt like she was about to grab a tiger by the tail “…yer hurt.” Syf grunted and tossed a padlock over her shoulder “So you are not blind.  Good, I wouldn't recommend it.” “Ye’ve lost a lot of blood.”  Mazie tried to keep the impatience out of her voice. “Lalo should take a look at ye.” There was a click from inside the chest, and another padlock sailed over Syf’s shoulder and landed in a small pile in the corner.  That was when Mazie saw what was giving Syf so much trouble, there was a second set of locks inside the chest, holding a sizable metal plate in place over it’s contents. “That mincing mustache of a lalafel has enough bodies at the moment.”  Syf gave a grin that worried Mazie, and with a crow of delight she yanked up the metal plate.  Inside the chest, an icy blue glow emanated.  Mazie hazarded a glance inside.  

The walls of the chest were lined with velvet, a rich red material that was turned purple by the strange blue light.  The velvet was so raised off the sides, Mazie was almost certain it was stuffed to capacity, as though the box was meant to carry something fragile.  The light emanated from what Mazie thought to be short swords.   The blades themselves were superbly wrought, even to her untrained eye.  What made them a wonder however was the spiraling tubes of glass that seemed to be woven through the steel of the blood channel in the center of blades.  These tubes braided down towards the hilt, where a strange amalgamation of clockwork artifice sat, it reminded Mazie of a bellows in miniature.  Further still where the blade ended were fastened two vials on either side, the liquid therein was the source of the blue light, and it shone with an intensity that wasn't natural.  Suddenly Mazie knew why the box was padded and sealed as it had been.  It was liquid ceruleum. “Is that…?” began Mazie. “Yes.”  Finished Syf. Almost reverently Syf drew out one of the blades, and affixed it to a pole she held clamped between her knees.  It was then that Mazie saw that the blades weren’t short swords, but spearheads.  Syf snatched up the completed weapon and balanced it on her palm.  The heavy haft of wood was as still as stone on her hand, and while her face looked drawn, her limbs did not tremble.  She nodded once, and rose heading back the way she came with Mazie on her heels. “Syf, what are ye goin t’do with that?” “Kill our enemies.” Mazie blinked “All of them?”   “Someday…but today I'll just have to settle for the ones in front of us.”

When they finally came back to the deck, Mazie was surprised at how quickly the deck was being cleared, but then she supposed it really didn't take that much effort to toss a body into the sea.  Their fallen comrades were being lined up in a strangely neat row of sheeted figures next to the stairs, piled up like logs Mazie thought.  She was glad to see there were a few that were on top of sheets instead of under them, waiting to be ferried down below for Lalo’s ministrations no doubt.  They were outnumbered however by the forms that were forever still, and she noted numbly that Isral’s form was not among those with life in them still.   “Ho Syf!”  Came Kail’s voice from above.  He was at the wheel, compass in hand while Norah held out a map for the pair of them to look over.  “Heard ye were hurt.  Ye aught be in the line fer the hold.” Syf shrugged, as though someone had just commented on the direction of the wind.   “Hold this.” Said Syf, and she tossed the spear and it’s more certainly explosive payload to Mazie.  Despite her knees suddenly feeling like jelly, she managed to catch it.  Mazie watched curiously as Syf began to swing her good arm around and around in circles.  She twisted at the waist, then sharply brought up her knees in wide sweeping arcs that Mazie saw to be stretches.  Finally from her belt, Syf removed a slender stick.  At least Mazie thought it was a stick, on  closer inspection she realized it was in fact a piece of whale bone, a part of the rib if her time on the docks had taught her anything about it.  It was worn smooth and lacquered, with a strap of leather wound round one end to make a handle.  There were small carvings wrapped in a spiral up it’s shaft, Mazie squinted and thought she could make out the shapes of whales, otters, and seals.  Stranger still the end of the stick curved into a small notch…just big enough to fit a spear butt in. “Fit it t’here.”  Said Syf indicating the notch.  Mazie hesitated and looked back to the captain. “Syf…” said Kail, with an edge of caution in his voice. “We ent tested those yet.” “Twill work, or it won't.” The woman rasped. “ They’ve taken from us, worse yet they've seen us.  You so keen t’leave enemies t’our aft?” Kail frowned, staring back towards where they had left the Arbiter.  The Rook had made good time in disengaging from the Arbiter during Mazie’s time in the hold.  They had put at least three hundred yards between them and the airship, which simply hovered where they had left it.  Occasionally one of it’s engines gave a half hearted sputter of blue fire, the only evidence that there were still crew aboard. Something played over the captain’s face, to Mazie he suddenly seemed older than the lines on his face suggested, exhausted beyond measure.  Then his eye flicked to the pile of bodies stacked by the stairs, and that strange yellow eye became flint. “Do it.” 

There was something in that voice that Mazie didn't dare to argue with, she slotted the butt of the spear in the notch, and Syf took the spear’s weight onto her shoulder and knuckles.  As is settled there a sort of languid ease overtook the spear woman.  Mazie hadn't noticed before but without a weapon in her hands, Syf had looked incomplete, deformed to an extent.  Now she was in her natural state, a beached shark back in the water.   “Give me bearings little Mazie, and I'll show you a wonder.” Syf purred.   Mazie snorted, and brought out her compass, sighting the Arbiter.  After a few quick calculations, she spoke.  “She’s four point’s off dead astern, soon t’be three-hundred and eighty yalms off.  Want me t’tell the captain t’bring the ship round?” “Don’t bother.”  Syf stood, took in a breath, then let it out with agonizing slowness. Mazie frowned at her. “Ent no one can make that throw…hell I don't know anyone that can make that shot!  'Tis impossible!” Syf let her head fly back, and she gave a throaty laugh that seemed aimed more at the gods than it was at Mazie.  “Hear that captain?? I'm impossible!” “Don't I feckin know it, quit yer crowin and get on with it.” Growled Kail, Needing no more encouragement, Syf charged down the length of the ship.  It wasn't a jog, or a sprint, it was a full tilt run along the deck.  Mazie was amazed the spear didn't jostle loose from it’s setting in the stick, yet somehow, even with her bare feet slapping on the deck and propelling her forward at breakneck speeds, Syf kept the spear balanced on her shoulder.  As she approached the end of the deck her shoulder began to dip back, but she did not slow.  It wasn't until she was a scant few yards from the aft railing that she threw her left leg out before her and slammed it down on the deck before her in an impact that Mazie felt from her side of the ship.  The spear woman’s body twisted and undulated under the spear, in a motion that seemed as much exultation as it was violence.  For a split second Mazie had a hard time seeing where the woman ended, and the spear began.  Then they separated as Syf vented a raw throated howl to the seas.  

The spear soared up, higher than Mazie ever thought possible, high enough to where it looked like it might cleave through the clouds themselves.  Then the world retained it’s hold on the weapon, and with a glint the weapon reached it’s peak and sheared downwards almost lazily for the Arbiter.  Mazie lifted her spyglass in just enough time to see the spear strike the airship’s armored side.  Only there was no explosion.   Oh the spears blade bit into the metal of the ship alright, the metal around it even dented inward to give testimony to the force with which it struck.  There was no earth shattering boom however, no fire from what she could see. “Did it hit?” came Kail’s voice from over her shoulder. “Aye…somat’s wrong though, it didn’t explode.  Must be a dud.” “Wait for it..” he returned, a little too grim for her liking. “Ye’ll know it when it happens.” True to his word, after a few more seconds of nothing through her spy glass, something began to happen. There was a bright blue light that seemed to emanate from the hilt of the spear, and the ship’s armor around the spear blade, began to glow yellow, then orange, then finally violently vibrant red.  Smoke started to drift up from the top deck of the ship, and then the Arbiter then began to belch indigo fire.  It came from vents, it came from hatches, it came from cracks and crevices, and when it had no where to burst from inside the ship it made such exits itself.  The escape of inferno started around the compartments nearest to the spear, but it was clear to Mazie that it was spreading like..well…wildfire.

The bay doors of the Arbiter suddenly lurched open, and if Mazie had any illusions as to the airship being free of occupants, they were dashed to ashen bits.  In a chorus of screams that bordered on animal, the remaining crew scrambled in a mad dash to escape the flames, even as the flames ate at them.  They pushed, shoved, even bit and tore at one another for the privilege of the flinging their own charred not yet corpses towards the briny waters below.  A fall that most assuredly would kill them just as swiftly as the flames.  Some were trampled underneath their fellows, others made it, their descent marked by trails of greasy smoke.  Mazie saw as the final crew member to make it to the bay door managed to grip the handle, just in time to be consumed wholly by the blast of flame that shot from the corridor behind him.

The Arbiter drifted for a moment or two more still spitting flame, a child's firework given gross proportions.  Finally the terrible heat of the fire must have boiled the ceurleum tanks within, for the explosion that Mazie had been watching for, finally came.  A bright blue light flared in the sky where the Arbiter had been, leaving afterimages dancing in her eyes, even after she closed them.  There was an odd silence before the sound of the blast ripped it’s way to Rook, and Mazie felt a pressure like a hand on her chest, nudging her back.  It would have sent her to the deck if the captain hadn't caught her and held her up. “They’re called Drake’s Teeth.” He said, not looking away from the falling bits of smoking debris that marked the Arbiter’s final destination.  “They’re ship killers.  Use one of those on a wooden sailing vessel, she’ll be ash in a few minutes.  Use it on a steel clad airship?  The metal corridors and vents direct the fire, contain it within.  Turns the whole ship into an oven.” Mazie gaped at him, he spoke as if he was rattling off a recipe from a book .Some part of her wanted to slap him. “Those were people…” Kail’s eye snapped to her, and for a moment she felt a heat behind it, as searing as the flames she’d just borne witness to.  The heat was gone as just as quickly as it had appeared, and trailing in it’s wake was a sadness focused solely on her, a type of pity.  Oh child, all fire burns, it said. “They tried t’burn my home down around me.” He said, no anger in his voice, just a statement of fact. “I have t’set folk down on their final waters tonight, and after that I have t’take their back pay t’their families and explain that they died followin my orders.  Those feckers were lucky we sent them t’the other side quick, and anyone that comes lookin fer their pound oh flesh can expect more oh the same.” Mazie opened her mouth to reply but he cut her off with a sharp motion of his hand.  “Afore ye say somat ye’ll regret, let me remind ye I am the captain oh this vessel, and as such am above explainin meself t’deckhands.  Sort yerself out, and then help with the wounded and dead, that's an order.” With that, he turned sharply on a heel and headed for the wheel.  Mazie’s cheeks burned with a contingent of rage, embarrassment, and fatigue.  She bit her lower lip, and went about the business of helping the rest of the crew, ignoring the itch to talk back.  She had heard the captain give orders like that only a few times, and knew that to test him on the matter, was utter folly. The sun was dipping into a crimson horizon by the time they floated the last of their friends into the seas.  No other airships were seen on the approach, so Kail decided to see to their dead before they made the final push back.  Bodies were given a plank to float upon, a candle to hold, and their clothing was soaked in lamp oil.  This was so that when the candle burned down far from the ship, fire would take care of the rest.  Little ships with sails of fire, was what they looked like to Kail.  Twelve little ships, twelve sailors, twelve times he had failed to be clever enough to be captain.  He supposed he should have had words for them, but they simply weren't coming. Norah must have seen his spirits flagging in time, for it was her to speak up when they began lowering the first of the fallen pirates into the calm sea. “We are here but for a short time, mere gasps for breath in the eyes of the gods.  Yet we are tasked with bringing meaning to our brief lives, and in their haste to do so many rate their own lives more valuable than the multitude.  I see before me twelve testaments as to how backwards and wrong that thinking is.  These men and women sold their lives for something that they or their children will never hold in their hands.  They fought for people they will never know, and I can't help but see them as richer for it.  Though I may go on to see knights, kings, queens, or emperors…I will never know anyone more noble than those that died protecting my countrymen today.  I will not forget them, and neither should you.” She lowered her head, as did the rest of the crew, there was a murmur of surprise to her words.  Pirates were unused to such praise, they still expected to be paid at journey’s end, but someone's respect was a nice bonus.   They were good words, Kail decided, better than any he could have given.  He watched the others from the wheel of the ship as the last of the bodies floated away, each dealing with their grief or relief in different ways.  Noyra and Laloquer both went back to work, though the small surgeon did so with a comparatively large bottle of wine in his hands.  Kail couldn't fault him that, he had done the work of ten doctors today, and was no where near seeing everyone out the woods. Noyra was silent as always, though there was a fervor with which she lifted sail and tied knots that spoke measures as to what was going on behind that stoic mask.  Syf had disappeared down into the hold, Kail had made sure to send a crewman to relocate the Drake’s teeth to his cabin.  He trusted Syf, but he didn’t trust her demons.  Little Mazie leaned against the railing of the stern, watching the small bonfires go out to sea. Kail felt a set of fingers intertwine though his over the wheel of the ship.  He let out a small sigh of contentment to match the touch, and dug out a small smile for Norah.  She leaned her head against his shoulder, and followed his eyes towards Mazie. “You were a little hard on her at the end.” She murmured. “I had to be, she’s seen me at my best, but naer at my worst.” “Why should that matter?” Slipping an arm about her waist, he partook in her warmth as the chill of the night sea began to set in, and ordered his thoughts.  “This is her first voyage, so she’s still an outsider.  When we return to Limsa she’ll have a choice to make, iffin she wants to join the Rook and it’s family.  That ain't an exaggeration either, this twill be her family iffin she comes back.  She needs t’see it, warts an all iffin she’s goin t’gamble her life with it.” “Mmm so you’re laying all your cards on the table.” She said, smiling a little. “Exactly…and I still have one more card t’show.”  He had to try hard to keep the grin out of his voice, as he twisted on one of the spokes of the wheel.

Kail never told new crew any of the Ashen Rook’s secrets for many reasons.  Spies were one, there was no shortage of espionage among the captain's of Limsa, even the legitimate ones.  He felt that trust was better when earned than when it was simply given.  Second was that he believed there was no better teacher than experience, crew gave better respect to the ship when she surprised them.  His final (and most important) reason was a personal one, he never got tired of the look on their faces when the Rook spread her wings. There came a great timber creaking clank from within the recesses of the Rook’s hull, and the unmistakable hum of aetheric energy being routed to the crystals lining the interior of her frame.  Her sidelined sails, slowly but surely leaned even further outward, until they were parallel with the deck.  With a whine, the ceruleum engines hidden belowdecks fired up, her vents below the water giving the Rook the lift she needed to begin her ascent.  

The chemically treated canvas of her sails-now-wings snapped tight as they grabbed air, and those of her crew began to grab railing and support lines. Her hull creaked and groaned in the protests of a giant, but with an almighty spray of salt water and roar of the engine, the Ashen Rook cleared herself of the salt waves, taking to the air.  For all the grace she exhibited on the waves, the Rook was that much more nimble on the wing.  Her lack of plating made her more fragile in a fight, it was true, but her light and flexible wooden frame allowed her to swoop and dive, where the garlean metal giants lumbered.  Kail brought her out of a climb that made the pit of his stomach feel five fulms deeper, and while she hung beneath the clouds, he spared a glance for Mazie.  Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she clung for dear life to the railing.  Her mouth hung agape as she attempted to take in what had just happened.  

The shock was slow to leave, but eventually it was replaced by something else, wonder.  When she got her feet under her and looked out over a landscape she would have only otherwise seen in her dreams, the smile that split her face rivaled any sunrise in Kail’s memory.  She turned her face into the wind of the Rook’s passage, where it blew her brown ringlets each and every way.  Kail knew she would be staying.  There was no going back after that first rush, that first exaltation of being free of the world’s grasp.  

He knew just as certainly that they would be returning to Ala Mhigo.  They had been chased too fiercely, hounded too savagely, and it was obviously a trap.  You didn’t set a trap like that for a few half starved slaves, there was someone or something important in the holds of his ship with those pitiful few.  That was a conversation he would have to have with Norah, and he suspected that of their shouting matches, this would be one to remember.It really didn’t matter though in the end, Kail and his crew were in this to their eyeballs. Now, just as with Mazie, there was no going back for them.  Worse yet, this was no fight where twenty stood against fifty, this was a nation they were setting themselves against.  Depspite their recent setbacks the Garleans still had armies, fortifications, spies, and resources to support all those things.  The Ashen Rook had a beat up crew and a few tricks up her petticoats.  It would take more to even consider survival, never mind any sort of victory.  It would take allies.  Fortunately, Kail knew where he could find a few of those.

The End...for now.

Reps. Omar and Tlaib Banned in Israel

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), Aug. 15, 2019.--Openly disparaging about Israel, 37-year-old Somali-born Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn) and 43-year-old U.S.-born, Palestinian-descent Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) were banned from entering Israel on an upcoming trip to the holy land.  Omar and Tlaib are vociferous backers of the July 9, 2005 Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] movement, designed to force Israel to end its so-called occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  Rep. Omar was rebuked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Feb. 11 for making anti-Semitic remarks about Jews, specifically member of the pro-Israel lobby called the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC], for saying, “it’s all about the Benjamins, baby.”  Both Omar and Tlaib have represented their constituents well who openly despise the Jewish State.  Netanyahu told the two Congresswomen that a 2017 Israeli law prohibits entry into Israel.

            In 2017, the Jerusalem-based Israeli Knesset [parliament], passed a law banning any foreigner that backed the BDS movement, attempting to ban Israeli products from world markets.  “An outrageous act of hostility against he American people and their representatives,” said Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi. It’s unfathomable that Israel passed a law preventing foreigners, whether member of foreign government or private citizens, for visiting Israel when they support the BDS movement. Tlaibs’ family in the West Bank town of Beit Ur-Foqa looked forward to her visit.  “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit,” Trump tweeted, backing 100% Netanyahu’s decision to ban the pro-BDS Congresswomen.  Israeli officials said they would consider a humanitarian request by Omar to visit her family in the West Bank, despite backing the BDS movement.

            Trump tweeted his feelings about Omar and Tlaib. “They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there’s nothing that can be said or don to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office.  They are a disgrace!” Trump said.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to explain his reasoning in banning the two U.S. Congresswomen, something rarely if ever done.  “As a vibrant and free democracy, Israel is open to any critic and criticism, with one exception,” said 69-year-old Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  “Israel’s law prohibits the entry of people who call and act to boycott Israel, as is the case with other democracies that prevent the entry of people whom the see as harming the country,” Netanyahu said, explaining the ban.  Omar and Tlaib’s constituents, largely from the Somali and Arab communities in the U.S., oppose Israeli policies.

             Omar and Tlaib oppose Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  They see Israel and denying Palestinian rights, violating past U.N. Resolutions demanding that Israeli return to the pre-1967 Six-Day-War borders.  Before five Arab countries including Palestinians attacked Israel in 1967, Palestinians controlled not one inch of sovereign territory.  Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula. Jordan controlled East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  And Syria controlled the Golan Heights.  Israel annexed the territories as a buffer zone June 10, 1967, ending the war. Israel defeated five Arab armies including Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO].  Since the war ended, the PLO referred to East Jerusalem and West Bank as “occupied” territories, despite the fact when Jordan controlled the area, there was no mention of “occupied” territories under Jordanian rule.

            House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Netnayahu’ decision to ban Omar and Tlaib from Israle “weak.”  “A sign of weakness, and beneath the dignity of the great State of Israel.”   U.S. Amb. Israel Ron Demer signaled that he thought Netanyahu would welcome the two U.S. congresswomen but forgot about the 2017 law banning anyone supporting BDS. Pelosi called Netanyahu’s decision “a sign of weakness and beneath the dignity of the great State of Israel,” Pelosi knows that Omar and Tlaib are two the House’s most ardent Israeli critics, backing Palestinian rights.  Trump had his run-ins with the so-caled Quad-Squad, including Rep. Alexeandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Minn.), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Mich.) and Rep. Ayana Pressley (D-Mass). All of whom call for Trump’s impeachment: Trump created quite a stir telling the Quad-Squad to “go back” to where they came.

            Brewing more controversy, Omar and Talib are back in the crosshairs, trying to advance their anti-Israeli agenda.  When the dust settles, Omar and Tlaib will most likely get to visit the West Bank but won’t get anything close to an officials visit from Israel.  Netanyahu knows the both back the BDS movement, demanding that Israel honor 1967 U.N. Resolution 242, requiring Israel to return to the pre-Six-Day-War borders.  It’s unrealistic to expect that Omar and Tlaib would be well-received in Israel, given their open opposition to Netnayahu and Israeli’s state policies.  Both take the Palestinian position that Israel occupies its territories in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  Going to Israel to back more Palestinians violence in the West Bank or East Jerusalem could be viewed as incitement.  If Omar and Tlaib showed any openness toward Israel, they would have welcomed with open arms.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.