Sithies Stage

*Why was he bothering to arrive at such an event? Normally such frivolities were below him, but yet he felt compelled here regardless. Perhaps it was the fact his name had been attached to one of the awards being presented... for his duel between himself and— What even was the name of his combatant? Oh, there was his name, spoken on stage by the well-dressed presenter: "Adi." Was that it? No last name? No other designation? Just "Adi"? Well, no matter.

He strode up towards the stage, wearing what was apparently the only set of robes he owned, and looked out over the gathering. Many present already he did not recognize... One he did, the mere sight of him eliciting a grimace from the Knight of Ren. Now ignoring him, he regarded the presenter with a nod and took up one of the pair of awards there on the table. He looked it over a moment, an odd sense of pride welling within him...

Then he looked up over the crowd again, the shadow of a smile on his lips.* "I will give my opponent—'Adi,' was it?—this much: He was persistent and resourceful. Had I not taken care to plan ahead, I am not certain how much longer it would have taken to put him down. He fought well enough. And I thank you... and him too I suppose, for finding some enjoyment in it. Perhaps others gathered here will one day be able to experience being on the other end of my blade for themselves..."

*As a way of concluding his speech, he hefted the award high and declared,* "For the First Order!" *There was not as much feedback from this as he had expected. Frowning, he lowered the award and departed the stage.*

Fel had known that ten years was important. Ten years gets acknowledged, even by the least nostalgic or sentimental. Ten years gets a nod, or a tip of the hat, even by a casual observer or acquaintance. Ten years is an arrival, or occasionally a coming-of-age. Ten years. A decade. You know when there's a Proper Name for a period of time, it's a big one. As for Fel -- he hadn't expected to be here, ten years later. Let alone receiving a badge of honour from his fellow writers and peers in this universe. It was a big moment, dear reader. Believe me, it is not without a dose of humility that Galdaart Fel steps to the stage.

Good evening. I'd like to begin by saying a heartfelt congratulations to Jedi vs. Sith, for being the place we've all been congregating for all these years to tell stories, and to grow as people. When I first came to this place, I was a twenty-nine-year-old, just starting out on his second career -- full of hope and expectations. An entire world laid out before me. In those days, twenty-nine felt awfully old on the JvS boards, as I imagined the median age to be about half that. Today I am forty, with a wife and child. I have loved, and lost in the last ten years, as have we all. My world has changed. I am a very different person today than the man who first wrote on these boards, but Galdaart Fel is very much as we first found him. Gruff, impatient, fiery, idealistic, flawed, loyal... and maybe a little melancholy. I take great comfort in writing him on a daily basis, as he is a direct link to who I was back when, and in a lot of ways, he still represents a simplicity of creed that I still envy and yearn for today. He wants nothing more than the wind in his hair, a crew by his side, and freedom.

What a crew, by my side. I would not be here without the varied and exceptional talents of the characters in my crew. (I will list them all IC, as -- to be honest -- I don't even know them all OOC.) Karana Malora, Liya Tawaza, Daniel Logan, Oz Griffin, Jace Stealer, Wade Connors, Mack Revette, Seros Darklighter, Dazac, Dante Deveaux, Taralorn Melvarrik, Myranda Ghomesz, Scrapheap, and Wrench. There are more I'm missing -- forgive me. Likewise, we'd be nowhere without the enemies we've squared off against over the years, and the many, many allies we've travelled with. Thank you, all.

There is a LOT of good writing out there in the Non-Force camp. I need to acknowledge the excellent writing of every nominee in this category -- I have not written with all of you, but for those I have traded paragraphs with, I have enjoyed every moment. And those of you I haven't -- there's more years yet to come. In this same vein, I'd also like to send congratulations out to anyone who chooses to write a Non-Force character. I've always been happy playing a micro character in a site filled with macro beings. It's not always an easy road, but it is incredibly fulfilling and challenging.

I didn't expect to win this. In fact, I didn't even know I had been nominated until it was all over and done. So to stand on this stage and be able to say 'thank you' for ten years of great storytelling, with people I love and respect, is a special honour. Thank you to the Whills and to the site admins for giving us this place to create. Thank you to everyone I have ever written with, both present and departed. And -- while I think of it -- thank you to the fictional characters that thematically lit the spark that gave life to Galdaart Fel. Han Solo, Malcolm Reynolds, Snake Plissken, Max Rockatansky, William Munny, Harry Callahan. And thanks to George Lucas, for creating a world we can all play in.

Funny story, before I go. I've never really liked Galdaart's first name. Never. Back in the days of 1.0, when I discovered there was more than just the X-wing game to play, and I could write an online RP (!!) I used one of those 'what's your Star Wars name?' generators. First three letters of your last name, + first two letters of your first name, + favourite subject in school = Galdaart. I figured, 'what the hell? Not like I'll be using the name for a decade...' As for Fel... well, as the bio states, it was a name he appropriated when he started gaining notoriety flying swoops. It's not his "real" surname. I wonder what it is...