"We are Revan. Strong - but we can be stronger." Eiko paused to clear his throat. "We can be stronger and nearly invisible. We can tear loose of our restraints and forge a path to progress. We are Revan. We are titans and rancors lurking in the shadows - every single one of us. Before I was allowed to carry a saber, we had already taken Salas V out of the hands of our opponents. We've achieved much. Those achievements which made us strong also bring forward the challenges of expectation. We no longer have to make a name for our house - we have to defend it. We don't need to make heroes of our strongest fighters, our cleverest assassins - no. All of us have names. No matter our heritage, our histories, our rank, our race - we are all Revan, a reflection of our house and our allies, friends, partners, tutors, masters, teachers, apprentices, superiors, and supporters.

"In our pursuit of strength and skill, we would like to recognize two members for their leadership in the house. Will Pontifex Ashia Kagan please rise and be recognized?" Eiko paused again, nodding almost imperceptively. "What distinguishes us is our unity - our willingness to fight alongside one another and not against one another. Pontifex Kagan has requested a position to build up our unity and our strength. I'm honored beyond words to welcome her as a Hand of Revan.

"Dark Side Adept Aabsdu Dupar, please rise; Ashia, you may have a seat. Adept Dupar..." Eiko's hesitation grew. A Pontifex and an Adept. "We - there's nothing I can say that can do justice to these two members. Adept Dupar came forward with a request to form a select team - ten of the finest and most promising members of this house. They will be Aurek Cell. For those who wish to press themselves, to commit their efforts to strengthening themselves and this house, we will open up the selection process shortly. Adept Dupar, we welcome you as the Hand of Revan over Aurek Cell.

"I look forward to learning from both of you, your experience and insight. From Antei to those abroad at Sigma Horizon, kama ari wanga. We hope for success in your ventures and safety in your travels. Thank you," Eiko bowed his head and stepped away from the podium. He could almost feel the shift begin in the House, the tangible weight that might gain irresitable momentum.

House News: Yes, I know it's a rather bulky fragment of fiction. There was news in there, by the way. Ashia and Aabsdu both approached the leadership in the past weeks looking to spur on the House to being more active.

The Hand of Revan position was originally designed as a technicality that would help motivated members get connected with the leadership and the emails associated with leadership. For example, Ashia has stepped forward with the desire to welcome new members and promote activity and advancement with no real desire to have a title. Partially as a way to recognize her service to the House and partially as a way to include her as an official member of the leadership, we would like to congratulate her on her nomination as Hand of Revan. Her communication with members has already provoked some good news about members we lost in the AWOL check and caught the attention of transfers and new members.

Aabsdu wanted to put together a battle team of committed members who are willing to participate regularly in the House - especially in the area of writing. Leadership is going to continue to talk about how Aurek Cell will be run before we officially open it up to applications, so expect an email blast once decisions have been made. We are not trying to recruit the "best" members of the House - what we will be looking for is a solid commitment to stay active in the House and the Cell. We have officially set our eyes on retaining our title as First House in the October Vendetta, and we're also looking to adapt the House to growing needs.

In other House news, I have one competition running right now that will close Sept. 15th. Write a poem on a napkin or a poem that would feasibly fit on a napkin and submit it. I have one submission so far. I would like a dozen.

The Voice has several competitions running right now that are only a few days old. For those of you who are looking for some gaming, there are several good competitions that the Fist is running. Expect me to show up for the Battlefront 2 competition.

New Members: NOV Kenryu Akida and PRT Kishi Kurai are both transfers into our House from the Rogues. After some conversation with both of these guys, I'm very excited to have them in the House. I know Kenryu had already scoped out IRC. Get on the message boards or IRC and welcome them if you get the chance.

Medals: Justin Wayne - Crescent with Ruby Star - 1st Place, "The Bounty" Ashia Kagan - Crescent with Diamond Star - 1st Place, "Past Imperfect" Eiko - Crescent with Amethyst Star - 3rd Place, "Past Imperfect"

Exams: Aabsdu - Brotherhood History II Aabsdu - Scholae Palatinae History

Personal Notes: I will be here for one more month before my computer and I head out to school for the semester. Honestly, I hope I can manage to clear away DJK before I get to school - that is my second goal right now in terms of the DB. The first is seeing Aurek Cell up to full speed - I don't know if Aabs could read the excitement in my emails after he suggested it, but I'd love to see the idea take off. We'll continue talking about the logistics of Aurek Cell for a little while, but get your resumes ready for when we open up the Cell to applications.

I'd like to hear one thing from you all. I have a lot of road-trip time to get to and from school. What's the best road trip music you own/have listened to?