<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/qTh1MQy.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Marcus Titus<br/><br/><strong>Location:</strong>Common Room,<em>The Lady's Blessing</em><br/><br/><strong>Tag:</strong>Open<br/><br/><strong>Warning:</strong>None (PG rating).<br/><br/><hr/><br/>At his captain's words, it was all Marcus could do not to snap his head towards the object of his captain's ire.   As he did the slow turn of his head he swore.    While Marcus had been with Captain the longest of any on board the<em>Wind</em>, it did not take much imagination.  While humans did not suffer from much discrimination in the Empire, the same could not be said about the Cat Folk.<br/><br/>The Cat Folk near two centuries before were their own nation that was conquered and absorbed into the Empire.   As such the only route available to their race for advancement and nobility, to earn the right to be a Citizen, was a difficult one.   At times the Cat Folk were treated little better than slaves, and that was with their freedmen.   Marcus had seen where female Cat Folk in the military being held down and raped.   It was a disgrace and a blight upon the Empire in Marcus' view, but not all saw that.   For many in the Empire two hundred eyars was not that long ago, and all suffered some loss in the conflict.    That did not make the act right or just.<br/><br/>Marcus was fairly convinced that his Captain either had been raped during her career or had many attempts too.   Given her ability with the blade and get herself out of harms way, he was likely betting on attempts rather than the actual act.   Still, she had served the Empire for near a decade and reality was she had been at least once, if for nothing more than to teach her a lesson.   That man she was staring daggers at was likely one of those men that succeeded.   Marcus gave a sigh as he spoke in a low voice to the crew about.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;"><strong>"If a brawl does happen, in addition to striking fast and hard, also do not strike to maim or kill.   Also we are not to draw or strike first.   If anyone does, if the Empire does not keel haul you, then I certainly will.   I will not have us be the aggressor in this, but the one's wronged and attacked without provocation, and with many witnesses to the fact.    Understood Centurious."</strong></span>The tone and finality in his last words made it clear that understanding was not a question, but implied statement of fact.