Mark's Jury Question

[Sam]

:


Okay, let's put the jokes aside. I'm probably the least bitter jury member here. I am looking to give my vote to the person that played the best strategical game, and truly outplayed and outwitted the other. There's a slight problem. There's parts of the game I was missing! Up until Year 9 when I met you guys, I never knew Ovambo existed. I don't even know what happened to Valerie, Eric, Garrey, etc.... see, I don't even remember everyone that was on your tribe! And then after Final 8, all I know was that I was completely surprised at each TC. My, how the All-Stars game started after my departure!

So, if you don't mind... (you shouldn't, because under the Survivor rule book, page 212, Article XIX, Section X, all jury questions need to be adequately answered unless this season is Palau and your name is Katie.) ...I'd like to base that as my question. Ahem... *clears throat*

Tell the story of your All-Stars adventure.

Have fun!!!

[Matt O.]

This will be a long answer probably, so bare with me I guess.

When the game first started and I learned of my tribe, I was so excited. Looking over the players (Hector, Tyler, Valerie, Jose...) I was sure we'd win a lot of challenges, but unforeseen computer issues plagued our tribe from the get go. Somehow we were able to win the first IC, but that quickly changed, as we lost the next 4 straight. The first vote was easy, and we got word of Jake wanting to quit the game. The second vote, was more difficult. It was more of a "keep a weak person, or a untrustworthy person", and we decided to drop Eric, who was stronger in challenges. Garrey was the target with Eric, but he made up for it in the next few ICs. All this time, Jen and Lew were with very limited Internet connections, and the fact that they were married made them a 1st TC vote target right away. It wasn't just me, but I stood up for them a lot over that time period to try and keep them around. The next year was a hard one. This was when Hector got removed for cheating. He was one of out strongest and most active members. About a week before this happened Tyler, Hector and myself made a F3, so seeing him go was even more hurtful for us. We proceeded to lose the next IC, where we officially lost Hector, but his loss was not overcome, as we lost the next one too, in a very close race. That was the first very dramatic vote. It was going to go one of three ways (Jen, Garrey, or Valerie). Valerie's indecisiveness, when asked to join an alliance with me and Tyler, as well as the fact that she had limited computer access got her the boot.

Things finally started to look up for Ovambo after that. In a span of three days we met Yupik, and won an IC. Ovambo was on cloud nine, but we quickly lost our morale in the next challenge, when we lost a close race. Garrey's newfound computer virus bought him a unanimous vote, one where he simply didn't even try to change the vote to someone else. After that we were down to five, and in a forced war with Zaza. They destroyed us, and me and Tyler made a huge move going to F4 with Lew and Jen. We got extremely lucky when we learned my button push at the Masquerade Ball brought Stacy to our team, and things were looking up again when Zaza was convinced to merge, and I was able to get Jamie to jump over to Ovambo with Stacy to help turn the tide on the powerful Zaza tribe.

Before, and during the next IC, me and Tyler were approached about siding with Zaza, namely Katie and Patrick to remove Jen, Lew, and Jamie from the game. It took some convincing on my part to make Tyler realize the smartest move was to stick where we were. We proceeded, as Xavante, to win IC after IC over the newly formed Bajau tribe, stopping once to drop Annette, and twice at the double TC to boot Patrick. Then it hit. We lost a crucial challenge and had to vote out two of our own. That was the third very hard TC for me. I had to decide on voting out Tori and Mark, or voting within Ovambo. I had a lot to consider, and with the merge numbers dropping, it seemed smarter to keep Zaza with us, rather than have them jump if the merge number dropped to one. It was a very hard vote to vote Jamie out, and after Jamie it was supposed to be Stacy, but when Lew ran to Jamie and told her what was going down, he broke my trust, and Ovambo's, when he was asked not to bring it up. Zaza was happy they weren't going, and voted for Jamie and Lew with authority. Stacy and Jen, were harder to convince. Stacy ultimately didn't vote for Jamie, and Jen didn't vote for Lew.

Following that TC the two tribes merged for the final time. Kevin W was a very huge threat to me, and Xavante, and the fact that he was targeting me, he had to go. The next TC was a difficult one. Tori and Mark didn't want to vote for Will, like I had planned, and the way they kept saying that they didn't care who went, but weren't able to vote for Will until after 2 hours of debates in a chat room. It became apparent to me, that they didn't want anything to do with the F5 plan Tori and Katie offered to me and Tyler. The next vote, Katie revealed to me that Tori and Mark did indeed have other plans. The previous night, having felt Tori and mark wanted out of the alliance, I tried to organize a Tori vote with Stacy and Tyler, but Stacy wouldn't go for it, but after Katie informed me out their boot order, Stacy was quick to change her mind, and the vote was set, barring a mishap, which happened, causing Matt D the chance to break the tie. He voted for Lynne.

Following that, I offered Matt D a F4 offer, one place better than the F5 Tori offered him, and he was quick to join us, sealing Tori's fate. Then came Ryan, after he tried to steal Matt D's vote at the previous TC. Mark quickly followed, although Katie was pushing for Lexie, but she won Immunity. After Mark, a Katie vote was organized, based on her doubting us, and leading us to believe she was going to turn on us in a few rounds. After Katie, Lexie went. That vote was very suspicious, as Stacy had been trying to get him out for a few weeks, then quickly changed her tune, along with Jen. This tipped me off on a revolt, but unable to prove it to Tyler, we went along with the vote, instead of trying to change their minds, or force a tie with Lexie.

Then came the F5, where Jen won Immunity, and Tyler got blindsided. I was so shocked. Everyone was quick to say I had nothing to worry about, and that they wanted to tell me about it, yet no one made an effort. I quickly looked for the spot to find some trust, and Jen showed it. I knew I had to win the IC in order to get Matt D or Stacy out, instead of forcing a tie. It was obvious no one would vote for Jen, and they all told me "Jen is a for sure win". Please no, that is not why I decided to side with her, rather than the others. I knew the others wouldn't side with me, ever, and Jen was honest with me since the beginning, despite the Tyler vote, and she showed real distraught for what she did. Stacy was unwilling to name a name for the TC, like Valerie did way back when. It was obvious she didn't want me around after that, and with Matt D saying he'd vote Stacy, and Jen not caring, it was a done deal.

Then came the F3. Matt D was telling us both we were fine with him, and me and Jen were telling each other everything Matt D said to us. It became obvious we were both truthful to each other, and just waited for the TC to happen. We even made parchments the second the Stacy vote was read, and showed them to each other. When the F3 TC came, Matt D showed he lied to me, and that I made the right decision, and me and Jen became the F2.

The End... so far! *exhale*

[Jen]

Once upon a time in Asteria there was a tribe of ten. This tribe's name was Ovambo. On this tribe of ten were (Hector, Tyler, Valerie, Jose, Eric D, Jake, Matt O, Lew, Garey, and Jen)
When I first saw who was on my tribe all I could think was damn these are good players. Another thought accrued to me "I have no shot in hell to go vary far in this game. As it was I was moving, and having no INTERNET connection what so ever in the beginning, and having Lew and I on the same tribe. Right their we were considered a threat.
Our first challenge and year ONE: Because our computer issues I was on for the first challenge I was spliced into our friends INTERNET access. The first challenge was great almost all of us were on and as it was everyone was real happy to be there. We won the first challenge.
Year 2-5 we lost challenges. The first vote as Matt O said was easy. we got a message in our campsite saying that Jake would not be playing in this game anymore. As for the third TC the vote was for Eric D. Tyler had told me that Garey is less likely to start drama than Eric, I hear he back stabs quit a bit. (Coming for Jose). My response was OK. Why at that point in the game would I say no to Tyler or Matt O., I didn't want to rock the boat or stand out. As long as the vote was not for me I was fine with the way I went along with them. If I hadn't gone with the vote I would have been gone.
The next year that was when we lost Hector. That was really hard for our tribe losing Hector, because he was well liked and a very good player. Also it put us as a tribe at a disadvantage. with that being said we won the next challenge which was the battle of the gemstones.
At the next TC I had heard that I was the target this round. I talked with Tyler he said that he had my back and I had his. So Tyler,Matt O, Garey, and my self turned the vote around to Valerie. At this time Lew had left early for the night and had already voted for Jose which is why that vote was not totally unanimous.
the next challenge we won and as Matt put it on cloud nine. As for the next TC we lost another one. I knew that my name was up again, so at this vote I wanted it to be Garey. My reasoning for wanting Garey out was because of what had happened at the gemstone challenge. He popped in and out of that one saying that he would help with it and he never did. That was the last time I heard from him until the TC. which we voted him out.
At this point of the game we were down to only five Ovambo's left thats not a lot of players left considering we started with the largest tribe of ten. Meanwhile at the next TC we all decided that the four of us would be the final four. (Tyler, Matt O, Lew and myself)
I felt safe and if we lost the next challenge we new what we had to do, that was to vote out Jose to make sure the four of us would survive.
The next challenge which we lost again put us all in damper moods knowing that after this vote we would only have four of us left. After we voted for Jose Sam had a surprise for us. The surprise was we were getting another player that had already been voted out of the game.Which was Stacy. Our moods brightened up and we were so happy to have another player. Its like seeing someone for the first time in like 9 months or something.LOL But the next day,(I think it was only like two hours) we were merged with Zaza. I will admit that Matt O. and Tyler where the ones that made this happen. All I could think was what the hell did they promise them? what made them say yes to merging?
To make a long story short after we merged and before you were voted out you know what happened, we as a new tribe started winning challenges. As for after you were voted out I had an alliance with Stacy to take out Matt o and Tyler out. She wanted Katie and I wanted Matt D. to side with us and be the final three. As you can see I played both sides. up until Tyler was voted out. I didn't want Tyler to be voted out he was my final two partner. As it was both Stacy and Matt D said that if we voted out Tyler Matt O would have a harder time beating us in the final four challenge, because of not having his computer. I agreed with what they both said. But as it came time to vote I did vote for Tyler,(of course I'm kicking myself in the ass for it now. along with many other choices I took)
Down to the final four. I had talked to Matt O and told him the truth. I felt relived telling him but also felt horrible about not being truthful to Stacy and Matt D. After Matt O won the final four challenge I had to find out where everyone stood on the vote. I wanted to find out who was voting for who? I found out that Matt O was voting for Stacy, Stacy was voting for Matt D., Matt D voting for Stacy. As for myself I was really torn on who to vote for. Do I stick with my alliance with Matt O. or do I vote for Stacy? I chose to pick Stacy. I thought I knew if I chose to pick Stacy and risk her taking Matt O to the final two I would have gotten third place again. Also from what I had gathered everyone loved Stacy and Matt D. I told Matt O I would vote with him until the end. I felt obligated being an original Ovambo to vote with him and to have him with me in the final two.
Sorry this has been so long in the making, I do apologize to you all for also being slow.
I will admit from voting Mark out to the time of Katie I did follow them with the votes.

Thanks again Jen.

[Sam]

Thanks, you two, for your long and thought out answers. Asteria was a long game, and I'm glad that you put in the time to explain what I missed. Good luck to the both of you, and may the best man/woman win.

I am satisfied.