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ohthehypocrisy · 6 months

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Cacturne for Pokemon Unite!

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Cacti plants are some of the coolest lifeforms on our planet, so a pokemon designed off of one is sure to be the peak of coolness. And it is. That holey smile and raggedy hat makes Cacturne out to be one cool cucumber, or should I say suave succulent? It also helps that Cacturne isn’t so edgy that it would be uncomfortable to look at. It’s spiky, yes, but not overly spiky that it isn’t unapproachable.

But can this needley nomad survive the dangerous trek through the perilous fields of Aeos Islands? Let’s find out!

While it boasts a very high pair of offensive stats, that isn’t enough to make Cacturne particularly suited for any feasible role in a pokemon team. Unfortunately, it is let down by low HP, low defenses, and very low Speed. Now, this is a very strange set of stats to give to a cactus pokemon, of all things, as the pokemon is based on the most defensively oriented plant known to humans. Looking at its moves and abilities paint a bigger picture, as this pokemon isn’t a passive prickler, but rather an opportunistic omnivore. It hunts for prey weakened by the desert heat, utilizing its Sand Veil ability to hide and its Dark typing to get the jump on enemies. While this hide-and-seek would be more fitting of a Speedster, the fact that Cacturne can employ sneak attacks along with powerful long range shots makes it best suited for the role of an...

Attacker

Basic Attack - Ranged/Attack

Spin around dangerously, flinging cactus spikes everywhere. Holding the button causes the attack to deal damage continuously at the cost of movement speed.

This basic attack damages all enemies within range. If the button is held down, the pokemon spins rapidly, damaging enemies nearby rapidly.

While holding the basic attack button, your movement speed is reduced by 30%. This factor remains constant even if you use speed boosters like Salac Berry or X Speed.

Tapping the button damages all enemies within range once and doesn’t reduce your speed. It is possible to tap the button with precise timing to continue attacking without losing speed, but the rate of damage is much slower this way.

The unfortunate rule of all ranged basic attacks is that you can only damage one enemy at a time per shot. The only exception to this is if a basic attack or boosted basic attack packs a small explosion effect that can damage multiple enemies at once, though even that effect can only hit an extra 2 or 3 targets.

As Cacturne clearly uses their spines for offense rather than defense, it breaks the mold by attacking literally everything all around it, allowing it to blanket an entire area with flying needles. This means that, in addition to the opposing enemy team, you can deal some great damage to any wild pokemon nearby, and the rate of damage is very high so you might also be able to secure objectives like Regieleki.

However, just using the attack cuts into your movement speed, as Cacturne cannot really control its speed while it’s spinning and attacking. This isn’t that great for a frail Attacker like Cacturne, as all it takes is a Defender to stomach a couple of hits before reaching you and hitting you really hard, possibly hard enough to KO you.

You have the ability to spread great damage within an area of effect, but you’re a frail Attacker with reduced movement speed, meaning you’re extremely susceptible to just about any counterattack. But as long as you’ve got back up and teammates distracting the enemy, you should turn out fine while contributing the most damage to the fight.

Although, why take part in the fight when you’d rather disappear like sand in the wind?

Ability: Sand Veil

When the pokemon is damaged from a move by the opposing team, the damage is negated and a torrent of whirling sand is created. The whirling sand deals damage over time to enemies within an area of effect and hides you and your allies as long as it is active. This ability goes on cooldown afterwards, but the cooldown can be reduced by Sand Attack, Sandstorm, or Destiny Bond.

Sand Veil reacts to damage from Moves used by the opposing team. Basic attacks and damaging abilities do not trigger Sand Veil. Wild Pokemon cannot trigger Sand Veil.

When activated, Sand Veil becomes an active area of damage that behaves like Tall Grass for you and your allies, but enemies will not be able to see you, even if they’re also in the area of effect. Anti-Invisibility effects will still reveal you and your teammates, however. The area of effect is moderately less than that of a Goal Zone and lingers for 6 seconds.

Enemies will have their vision obscured while within Sand Veil, and this obscuring effect cannot be cleared by Full Heal or other hindrance clearing effects, as it is an effect of the sand whirl lingering on the field rather than it affecting enemies. Umbreon’s Mean Look also affects enemies in the same way, as Full Heal does not allow targets to leave Mean Look.

Sand Veil also blocks the first hit of damage, but will not prevent any consecutive hits from damaging you. After activating, the ability goes on cooldown for 30 seconds.

Consequently, Sand Veil will not block hindrances or debuffs or other effects that activate on a confirmed hit, ie, Absol’s Night Slash sequencing into the second half of the attack, even if the first hit had its damage negated. If a sequence attack deals damage according to the amount of damage dealt in the first part of the attack, the damage calculation defaults to 1x damage.

Sand Attack, Sandstorm, and Destiny Bond reduce the cooldown of Sand Veil by a set amount each.

The damage inflicted on enemies through Sand Veil scales with your Attack stat and can be increased with items like Attack Weight or Weakness Policy. Speaking of which, since Sand Veil sets the damage to 0, it technically counts as damage, which triggers Weakness Policy as well as other item interactions.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re probably rolling your eyes at ‘another invisibility inducing effect, like we don’t already have enough of those’. Well, yes, Sand Veil does hide you and your teammates, but it’s not exactly invisibility. When you get hit by a move, Cacturne creates a whirl of sand that behaves like tall grass, except your enemies will be unable to see you, even if they’re also in the sand whirl.

As long as the ability is active, you get one free hit taken for 0 damage and some valuable cover for you and your team. Being able to completely negate damage is very rare in Pokemon Unite, but it helps an otherwise frail Attacker escape certain death in some situations. However, Sand Veil will only block the first hit of damage, meaning that any follow-ups will hurt all the same. It also means that you’ll still be struck with hindrances and debuffs, meaning Crustle’s X-Scissor can really mess you up. Perhaps it’s a good idea to pack Full Heal yourself to get out of sticky situations like this.

Still, the whirling sand is useful, as it not only obscures the visions of your enemies, but it also damages them too. The damage Sand Veil deals scales with your attack, so if you make it stronger through held items or emblems, it’ll really rack up the damage numbers for you.

Speaking of which, Cacturne knows some moves that combo very well with Sand Veil, as you’ll soon see.

At the start of the game, Cacturne will start out as Cacnea. You can choose between Growth or Sand Attack as your first move. By Level 3, you will have learned both.

Move 1: Growth (Buff)

The needles on your body sharpen and extend outward, boosting your attack and increasing the range of your basic attack for 5 seconds. Also deals increased damage to enemies that get close to you. 11s cooldown.

Growth boosts your Attack stat by 20% for 5 seconds and also slightly expands the range of your basic attack while the boost is active.

Enemies within melee basic attack range receive 1.25x more damage from your basic attack as well.

Because of how wide reaching your basic attack is, being able to power it up is what turns you from a dangerous ranged Attacker into a deadly one. With a 20% boost to your Attack stat, you’ll be putting your enemies through some unsolicited acupuncture therapy. Growth also expands the range of the basic attack slightly, meaning that you can reach a little bit further out and damage even more enemies.

It doesn’t make you any faster though, as that’s still a weakness. And while the extra range helps you beat out opposing ranged attackers, you’ll also be dealing bonus damage to melee attackers as well. Growth adds an extra 1.25x damage multiplier to enemies that get close to you while you’re attacking with the boost active, allowing you to very easily handle even the sturdiest Defenders in the early game.

Keep in mind that you’re still playing as a frail Attacker, and that the Growth boosted basic attack still leaves you vulnerable to being chased. You’re also still a Cacnea at this point in the game, so your defenses are even worse than your evolved form. Remember, you gotta use Sand Veil to your full advantage. Not just to protect yourself, but also to combo it with Sand Attack.

Move 2: Sand Attack (Debuff)

Hurl sand everywhere in all directions, damaging enemies and reducing the accuracy of their moves. If Sand Veil is active and Sand Attack is used within the area of effect, increases the size and damage of Sand Veil and reduces the cooldown of Sand Veil. 7s cooldown.

Sand Attack deals weak damage to all enemies within range and adds a 20% chance of their moves failing to deal damage to you and your allies for 4 seconds.

If used within an active Sand Veil, the size of Sand Veil doubles and reduces the cooldown of the ability by an additional 6 seconds.

Sand Veil also deals more damage and has its duration reset when Sand Attack is used within.

The accuracy dropping effect also applies to enemies hit by Sand Veil as it expands.

Pocket sand? Cacnea’s loaded with the stuff. Accuracy reducing moves are extremely rare in Pokemon Unite, as I’m pretty sure only Eldegoss’s Leaf Tornado+ can inflict such a debuff, if I recall correctly. Reducing the accuracy of your opponent’s moves can be very helpful, but you’re putting a lot of faith in chance to save your frail Attacker’s HP bar. It can be a big boon to your lane partner, but you’re better off combining the attack with Sand Veil.

If you use Sand Attack while inside Sand Veil, you’ll not only make the whirling sand even bigger, but you’ll reset the duration of the effect and reduce the cooldown of the ability. Creating a highly damaging whirl of sand can put some pressure on the opposing team, especially when combined with your basic attack boosted by Growth. That’s a lot of damage being thrown everywhere.

But it’s all still weak damage. Eventually, as the fight goes on, your stats will let you down, even if you boost them, so it’s time to power up and evolve.

At Level 5, Cacnea evolves into Cacturne. At the same time, Growth becomes either Spiky Shield or Needle Arm.

Move 1a: Spiky Shield (Buff)

Gain 15% shield. When the shield receives melee damage, the attacker receives the same amount of damage as well. If a ranged attack damages the shield, needles are ejected outward, damaging all enemies close by. If you are using your basic attack while receiving damage, a cactus thorn is launched in the direction of the attack, flying in a straight line and dealing double damage to any enemy hit. 9s cooldown.

At Level 11, Spiky Shield becomes Spiky Shield+.

Increases the amount of damage reflected back at enemies. Increases the amount of shield gained.

The shield gained scales with your HP. While the shield is active, all melee attacks and moves have their damage reflected to the attacker.

Receiving a ranged attack triggers the basic attack, dealing damage once.

While the shield is active and while you’re using your basic attack, a projectile thorn is launched in the direction of the received attack, dealing double damage to all enemies it hits. This thorn scales with your Attack.

Spiky Shield+ increases the shield gained to 25%.

In addition, all reflected damage, either from the damage received by the shield or through the thorn launched as a counterattack, deal 2.75x damage in response instead.

If Sand Veil nullifies the damage received, the counterattack deals damage based on the power of the attack that was nullified.

Piercing damage bypasses the shield granted by Spiky Shield, nullifying the move’s ability to deal counterattacks.

Cacti uses their spines defensively, so it makes sense that Cacturne can do the same thing too. While it doesn’t grant a big shield, especially with that low HP and defenses, the shield is tied to a unique counterattack effect where damage absorbed by the shield is reflected back through flying needles.

Melee attackers will find that the damage they deal will be reflected back at them if they don’t deal piercing damage. Ranged attackers will trigger your basic attack, or a single flying spine dart if you get hit while using your basic attack. Spiky Shield effectively grants you some extra buffs to your survivability and the amount of damage you can deal to enemies in a wide range. It may not grant you extra power like Growth does, but man does it really sting when any hit gets returned with a spray of needles.

However, Spiky Shield is tied to the shield it provides to you, which isn’t permanent. After a short while, the shield will disappear, along with all the protections and counterattack effects it offers you, and it has a pretty lengthy cooldown of 9 seconds before the move can be used again. Also, while the shield gives you some beef, you’re still a frail Attacker, so don’t expect it to save you from a full scale assault from the enemy team.

It’s best used against melee attackers that like to make drastic dives with their moves, like overconfident Speedsters. If you are playing with a team, you can provide some great covering fire as you aren’t as likely to be focused during the fight. And with all of those blind attacks being thrown out everywhere, you’ll be giving everyone pins and needles, yeesh!

Move 1b: Needle Arm (Buff/Recovery)

Enlarges the thorns on your arms, increasing your Attack and Movement Speed as well as the range of your basic attack. Dealing damage to enemies with your arms deals more damage and restores HP with each hit. 11s cooldown.

At Level 11, Needle Arm becomes Needle Arm+.

Boosts your movement speed even more while using your basic attack and while Needle Arm+ is active.

Needle Arm boosts your Attack by 35% and expands the range of your basic attack as well for 5 seconds.

Enemies damaged nearby will receive 1.3x more damage and will restore your HP equal to the amount of damage dealt.

Needle Arm nullifies the speed reducing effect of your basic attack and instead boosts your movement speed by 20% while using your basic attack. This movement speed boost only affects you while both your basic attack and the Needle Arm boost are active. Needle Arm+ increases your Movement Speed to 30% instead.

While Spiky Shield provides great protection in specific circumstances, Needle Arm just about improves on everything Growth provides and more. While it gives you more attack power, it’ll also drastically improve your movement speed. It effectively turns you into Petal Dance Venusaur, just with needles instead of flower petals.

Using your basic attack normally forces you to slow down, which can leave you vulnerable to Defenders that can outpace you or Attackers with long range skill shots. Needle Arm removes this self-inflicted limitation and instead makes you even faster if you power up with the move first before attacking. In addition to extra range, you can cover a lot of ground very quickly, giving everyone a lovely dose of needles.

Needle Arm also increases your close range ability as well, as it grants extra damage to enemies that get hit by your arms, you know, those spiky things on its side. Not only that, the close range attack restores your HP as it deals damage, meaning that you can very easily outpace melee attackers with raw damage and healing, despite being a frail Attacker yourself. You know, it’s probably because Cacturne is hydrating itself with sweat and tears shed by the enemy team. Yeah, that’s probably it...

While you do have a major boost to your speed and damage and can even trade HP bars with enemies up close, you’re still a frail Attacker and the boost of Needle Arm doesn’t last all that long. Also I should point out that Needle Arm as a buff is visible to players as it causes the spines on your arms to glow bright green. Savvy players will see that and stay out of range until the buff wears off, moving in to attack and possibly for the KO as Needle Arm takes 11 seconds to come off of cooldown. So just because Needle Arm is powerful, doesn’t mean you aren’t any less weaker as a frail Attacker.

Because it cannot be stressed enough just how frail this thing is.

At Level 7, Sand Attack becomes either Sandstorm or Destiny Bond.

Move 2a: Sandstorm (Area)

Summons a whirling cyclone of sand that Shoves all enemies back. The sandstorm hides you and your allies and damages enemies within for 7 seconds. If Sand Veil is active and used within the area of effect, the sandstorm drastically increases in size and also reduces the cooldown of the ability as well. 10.5s cooldown.

At Level 13, Sandstorm becomes Sandstorm+.

Increases damage dealt to enemies. Your attacks deal more damage to enemies if both you and the enemy are within the area of effect.

Sandstorm creates a massive whirlwind of sand that lingers in an area of effect for 7 seconds. Upon activation, all enemies are shoved back and you and your allies are hidden and cannot be seen by the opposing team, even if they’re also within the area of effect.

If used within Sand Veil, the sandstorm drastically increases in sand, encompassing a large area. When used in this way, the cooldown of Sand Veil is reduced by 10 seconds.

In addition, Sand Veil will have its duration reset to 7 seconds and deals 1.5x more damage to enemies within.

Sandstorm+ increases damage dealt to enemies by an additional 50%, used within or outside of Sand Veil.

If you and an enemy are within Sandstorm+, your attacks deal 50% more damage. This boost affects Sandstorm+ while it is active as well.

You know how when you come home from the beach, you’ll find little pockets of sand in every corner of your body? What’s up with that, anyway? Well, Cacturne’s entire body is filled with sand, I think. I mean, how else is it able to stir up a massive whirlwind of sand on the fly?

The move functions as a portable Sand Veil that you can summon on command without needing to take a hit. It brings out a giant whirl of sand that hides you from enemies and also deals moderate damage over time within the area of effect. While that’s all well and good, it’s even stronger if you manage to combine it with Sand Veil, in the same way as you could with Sand Attack. Within an active Sand Veil, you’ll triple the size of the sand whirl, covering a massive area and cutting down the cooldown of the ability by a large amount.

Combining Sand Veil with Sandstorm in this way is great, but it’s a little one-note. I mean, it deals more damage and covers a wide area, and can even keep you and your team hidden, even if the enemy team is also inside the whirling sand, but that’s it. It’s best use is to counter sure-hit moves like Cinderace’s Blaze Kick or Umbreon’s Mean Look, as sure-hit moves cannot be used without a visible target within range. Sandstorm protects you and your teammates from these moves, and can even be used to stall basic attacks from dealing damage, as these mash happy enemies won’t be able to aim their basic attacks without visible opponents nearby and may even be tricked into fighting Wild Pokemon for a bit.

Sandstorm+ has a beneficial upgrade in that, in addition to dealing extra damage to enemies within the sand, you’ll also be dealing extra damage if both you and the enemy are inside the whirling sand. And since you can summon a massive storm by combining Sandstorm with Sand Veil, you can cover the entire area with sand and needles, like an unfortunate car accidentally running into a cactus bush. All of a sudden, this frail Attacker has the enemy on the ropes as sand and cactus needles are flying everywhere, overwhelming the opposition.

But Cacturne is still an opportunistic hunter in some sense. So instead of kicking up a whirl of sand, what if it just approached you menacingly?

Move 2b: Destiny Bond (Buff)

A ghastly aura envelops the pokemon as its evasiveness increases drastically for a short while. When an enemy deals damage to you, a portion of the damage is negated and redirected and the enemy will have their vision obscured and their accuracy reduced for a short while. If Sand Veil is activated or if Destiny Bond is used within Sand Veil, the whirling sand follows the user as it moves, dealing more damage and further increasing your evasiveness. The cooldown of Sand Veil is also reduced by 7 seconds. 13s cooldown.

At Level 13, Destiny Bond becomes Destiny Bond+.

Movement Speed increases and a greater portion of damage is negated.

Destiny Bond grants you a 55% chance to evade damage completely for 4 seconds.

If any lucky hits lands, 50% of the damage received will be negated and returned to the attacker while Destiny Bond is active. Destiny Bond+ increases this to 75%.

In addition to negating damage, enemies will be inflicted with Vision Obscured for 2 seconds and have their accuracy reduced for 4 seconds. The accuracy debuff makes all moves 70% more likely to fail to deal damage.

If Sand Veil activates during Destiny Bond, the whirling sand follows you around as it goes, resetting the duration of Destiny Bond. If Destiny Bond is used within Sand Veil, the duration of Sand Veil is reset and will also follow you around.

In either case, Sand Veil deals 3x more damage to enemies within the area of effect and increases your evasion to 70%. Destiny Bond will also reduce the cooldown of Sand Veil by 7 seconds if both are combined.

Destiny Bond+ increases your Movement Speed by 35% while active.

While having what could be called the best basic attack in the game, Cacturne has extremely low HP and defenses so all it would take to stop your needle flinging shenanigans is a strong lucky hit to put you down. Learning Destiny Bond over Sandstorm means that you’ll be missing out on the protection of a super sized Sand Veil and won’t be able to cover a huge area with damage. While Spiky Shield and Needle Arm both grant you sizable boons to your basic attack, the fact of the matter is that your basic attack puts you in range of the enemy’s counterattack. And if you want to be able to damage multiple enemies, you’ll be putting yourself out there in the open, vulnerable to multiple counterattacks at once.

Destiny Bond fixes this issue by granting you a massive boost to your evasiveness, turning all damage into a 50/50 chance of getting hit or not. While a 55% chance of evading damage may not seem all that helpful, especially since the boon only lasts for 4 seconds, it also comes with its own counterattack effect. Any attacks that do manage to hit through the evasion boost will be halved, with the other half going back to the attacker. It works a lot like Trevenant’s Pain Split, except it doesn’t last as long but can effect multiple enemies at once.

Another boon it grants is an unconditional boost to your movement speed, which is really useful for spamming your basic attack. Combined with Needle Arm+ and an X Speed boost, and you’ll be casting a lot of damage really quickly, spinning around like a battle top.

You can keep powering up Destiny Bond even more beyond this, as the move can also combine with Sand Veil for a powerful AoE spell. Basically, if Destiny Bond or Sand Veil are used together, the whirling sand will follow you around for the rest of the duration, turning you into a scouring swirl of sand that also has an even higher evasion boost. It also reduces the cooldown of Sand Veil as well, though not nearly as much as Sandstorm would. However, 7 seconds is what you’ll be working with, especially combined with the high cooldown of Destiny Bond, which is an insane 13 seconds. It’s very high, but also very fair for a pokemon that’s supposed to go down in two hits, as any other pokemon would become broken if they also gained this evasion buff.

Destiny Bond is a powerful boost for a frail Attacker like Cacturne as it not only increases your survivability by increasing your evasiveness, but also allows you to combine it with either Spiky Shield or Needle Arm. It lets you risk making dives into the opposing team and helps cover your retreat, all the while working well with your ability, Sand Veil, and making you even harder to hit if you managed your ability resources well enough. There’s still a risk you’ll get popped for taking a lucky shot, but it’s a fair trade-off for being able to deal high damage to just about everyone in the immediate area.

But Cacturne is known for one thing, and that’s taking out exhausted travelers in the desert, catching them weakened and unable to fight back. When it becomes fully powered up, it becomes...the Desert Hunter!

Unite Move: The Desert Hunter

Upon activation, the user becomes invisible and remains so for the duration of the Unite Move. When the Unite Move is used again, the user will become visible and deal a charging attack, damaging enemies. If the enemy’s HP was low enough, the enemy will be instantly KO’d and the user will become invisible again. The duration of the Unite Move resets if this move successfully KO’s an enemy.

The invisibility effect of The Desert Hunter lingers for the duration of the Unite Move and will remain so even if the user is damaged by enemies. The Unite Move lasts for 15 seconds. However, enemies will know Cacturne is nearby when vulnerable players start ‘sweating’.

When used again, Cacturne will become visible and will use a charging chop attack to damage enemies, dealing massive damage. If this attack lowers the target’s HP to 10% or lower, the target is instantly KO’d.

Successfully KO’ing a target in this way resets the duration of the Unite Move, turning Cacturne invisible again.

This move does not deal piercing damage. The Unite Move immediately ends after failing to KO an enemy or when Cacturne is KO’d or when time runs out.

Ok so, I did technically lie when I said that Cacturne doesn’t get invisibility, as its Unite Moves makes it disappear for the entire attack. However, Gengar has nearly the same Unite Move, and it isn’t regarded as an invisible assassin or anything like that, though it probably should be.

Digression aside, while Gengar does get a pretty big Movement Speed boost for its Unite Move, Cacturne...doesn’t. I mean, it lasts a lot longer than Phantom Ambush, but it deals about the same damage. The real bonus you have over Gengar is being able to use this Unite Move again and again, provided you nab some cheap KO’s for yourself.

See, The Desert Hunter combines Gengar’s Phantom Ambush with Tyranitar’s Tyrannical Rampage, in that if you deal a big enough hit of damage to an enemy that it sends their HP to 10% or less, that enemy will be instantly KO’d. If you manage to score a KO in this way, the Unite Move starts over, allowing you to get another KO if you attack other weakened enemies. Of course, you cannot use any basic attacks or moves to make this easier for yourself, so you’ll have to rely on your teammates to do the dirty work for you before you can nab that KO.

The move makes you invisible during the entire attack, keeping the disguise up even if you get hit by a stray attack. Some attacks can expose you by confirming your location even while invisible, like Duraludon’s Stealth Rock or Decidueye’s Shadow Sneak, but you won’t be brought out of hiding even then. It’s when you attack and fail to KO that you’ll be brought back to reality, blowing your cover. You’re supposed to use your invisibility to wait for the opportune moment to move in and attack for the KO. That’s why the move runs for 15 seconds, to give you enough waiting time for your team to significantly damage an enemy and allow you to dive in for the KO.

Of course, this isn’t a Unite Move you can just throw out at any moment and have it benefit you. You’ll need to use it at the right time, near the end of an extremely damaging team fight or after you’ve pelted the enemy with needles, and sand. And while you can threaten an instant KO to weakened enemies, you’ll still have to aim the attack, which doesn’t do piercing damage. If you use the Unite Move too early, you’ll have to wait for your teammates to weaken the opposing team for you, since you can’t use any attacks while The Desert Hunter is active.

You’re able to deal a lot of damage, but if the enemy team returns your aggression, you’ll find yourself losing the battle more often than you win. Having teammates around not only makes it easier to deal damage, as your allies can run the opposing team’s aggro for you, but they can also hinder them, allowing you to use your basic attack with impunity and maybe even finish them off with The Desert Hunter.

After all, scarecrows may be difficult to approach, but they’re still made of straw. You just gotta watch out for the ones that move, though...

Achievements

Deal 9000 damage to the opposing team with your basic attack before you are KO’d.

Cacturne sets itself apart from every other ranged Attacker in the game with its unique and powerful basic attack, a damaging torrent of needles fired everywhere all at once. It only makes sense that the Achievement specific to the scarecrow pokemon is centered around that one button. While 9k damage may seem easy enough to rack up, as even Supporters can come out of games with 10k damage dealt in total, the added stipulation makes it a little tough for Cacturne to earn this achievement.

It requires that you deal over 9000 damage with your basic attack before you get KO’d, meaning you only get one life to build up that damage, which can be tough as a frail Attacker. In order to land this achievement, it’d make sense to try and use it against the enemy team when they are cluttered together, but that further increases the risk to your own health as any one of them can easily counteract and KO you before you can even land 1k damage. See, while Cacturne’s basic attack has a very high rate of damage, the multiplier is extremely weak, dealing around 50 or 60 damage per hit. It averages up to moderate damage when compared to other DPS (Damage Per Second) builds, but when you’re trying to earn this medal, it can get tricky to do so without covering fire.

Of course, you can just power up with your moves, as the Achievement doesn’t say that you can’t boost up with either Spiky Shield or Needle Arm, and that’s where it gets you. Playing Cacturne intelligently is about learning how to spread all of this damage safely, using boosts when they are beneficial, and playing well with your team that they can protect you just as much as you can protect them. With a unique basic attack, it is your greatest strength as a playable pokemon but also your greatest weakness, so mastering Cacturne is all about minimizing this weakness and dealing as much damage as you can in a single go.

And to do that, you’ve got to master Sand Veil as an ability as well. So you better polish up your disappearing act.

Holowear

Cacturne’s humanoid shape allows it to make any Holowear work well for it, but we gotta make sure that it doesn’t detract from the overall appeal of the pokemon. I mean, it’s a cactus, it already has trouble making friends with people.

First off, we have the obvious Farmer Style Holowear, giving Cacturne a frayed straw hat and plaid shirt and blue overalls, along with a sprig of wheat in its mouth. Then there’s Doctor Style Holowear that has it wear a head mirror, a fancy white suit, and has its pockets full of syringes and candy. Then there’s Knitting Style Holowear, giving it sturdy glasses, an apron stuffed with yarn and sewing needles, and has pieces of felt stuck to its spines. Western Style Holowear lets Cacturne wear a big cowboy hat, an oversized poncho, and a couple of belts underneath its clothing that are fully stocked with satchels of sand. And lastly, you can’t go wrong with Spooky Style Holowear giving the pokemon a hollowed out pumpkin for a hat, tattered overalls, and candy and candy wrappers stuck to its spines.

There’s a lot of potential for costumes with Cacturne, thanks to its humanoid shape and questionable methods of attack, so it’s sure to sell well any Holowear made for it.

Strategy

Cacturne lives and dies by its basic attack, which is a shame that it starts out so weak in the beginning of battle. Having to start out as the weak Cacnea, you’ve got a lot of grinding to do and quickly if you want to have a decent impact in the game.

Because of your ability to deal constant damage in an area around yourself, you can play well in any of the three lanes in the beginning of the match. Of course, you’ll have to run ahead of the Bunnelbys as they’ll run away from you, and using your basic attack as intended slows you down while you use it. Maybe you could lead off the round with an immediate boost of X Speed, just so that you can make it to the middle of the lane just in time to meet your opponents.

Once the fight actually begins, you’ll need to utilize Sand Veil properly, as it will always activate against the opposing team during the very first confrontation. You can use the resulting Sand Veil sand whirl to hide in, taking you and your allies out of sight, preventing things like Rowlet’s Astonish or Scorbunny’s Ember from actually being able to aim and hit you. It will also deal damage to enemies who activated Sand Veil with a melee attack, forcing them to take damage from the whirling sand as well as your basic attack. It’s all small numbers of damage, but it’s a lot of damage being thrown around all at once, which can be a lot for the opposing team to handle at the beginning of the game.

Of course, they’ll start to outpace you in strength and durability as the game progresses, so you have to make sure that you’re also on the level. Getting to Level 5 means evolving and then having to choose between Spiky Shield and Needle Arm, and both have their uses. Spiky Shield is useful against balanced teams, but Needle Arm can be very punishing against frail compositions like Speedsters and Attackers and fragile Supporters like Sableye. Needle Arm also gives you a speed boost when you’re using your basic attack, ignoring the movement penalty altogether, allowing you to give chase to weakened enemies. Spiky Shield does offer a shield that can also heavily damage aggressive enemies, which is useful if you’re good at capitalizing on the openings granted to you by Sand Veil.

Sandstorm and Destiny Bond are both meant to help you evade damage, with one acting as a manual Sand Veil and the other gives you a great evasion boost which puts your survival in the hands of fate. Both are also meant to be combined with Sand Veil, with the former drastically increasing the size of the whirl and the latter bringing the sand cover with you. Sandstorm can cause big problems to the opposing team if they like to fight together often, whereas Destiny Bond punishes pokemon that rely on burst damage to get their KOs. All 4 of these moves can be combined with each other, though it should be noted that Spiky Shield and Sandstorm forgo any of the Movement Speed boosts granted by their alternatives, though this combo makes it a nightmare for melee attackers to make a meaningful dive on your team.

Being able to spread all of this damage and soften the enemy team up is what makes Cacturne a unique Attacker in Pokemon Unite. Despite your frailty, if you manage to deal meaningful dents in the opposing team, you’ll have made it much easier for your team to follow through and go for the KO, unless they completely blank at the opportunity. But hey, they can very easily return the favor by weakening them just enough for you to get the most mileage out of The Desert Hunter, a powerful Unite Move that can instantly KO a weakened enemy, allowing it to KO again if successful. Breaking down the team’s defenses is a team effort, but just as the farmer harvests the fruit of his labor, the scarecrow wards off pests with the threat of a looming spray of needles.

A moving scarecrow is an efficient scarecrow. Don’t turn your back on it, now...

And that’s Cacturne for Pokemon Unite! I used to fancy myself a Grass Type fanatic back in the day, but my very first pokemon was Blastoise back in Pokemon Blue. While I love all pokemon equally nowadays (some more than others), I do have a particular fondness for Grass Types and their biodiversity, especially the ones in Gen 3.

That’ll be it for this post, but do keep your eyes open for some bonus content. You’ll see what I mean...

#Cacturne #Cacnea #Pokemon Unite

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siennahrobek · 3 years

Text

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31766296/chapters/82386322

Future Past

6 BBY

Luke is eleven years old.

Luke went through a lot of firsts during his time with Ben. Often times, they could be some of his happiest memories, ones he would cherish and go back to when he was feeling sad or frustrated or generally negative.

The first time Luke saw him fight with a lightsaber put him in awe. It hadn’t been the first time Luke had seen the saber, but it had been the first time he had seen it – and Ben – in action. It was a bit inspiring. It only made Luke want to be a jedi more. It wasn’t all about the violence – although that may have played a part – but Ben was so smooth and calm, at one with the saber.

It sang.

And it was absolutely beautiful.

Luke remembered one of the earliest fights with an Inquisitor. It had been the first time Ben had drawn and ignited his lightsaber for battle. And Luke would probably never say otherwise – it was mesmerizing. No one fought like Ben. And Ben just obliterated his opponent.

Or, he supposed he would have, if Luke had listened to him.

At the time, Luke thought it would be the craziest thing he would ever see. He didn’t remember most events leading up to it, but he did remember the man who just pounced on them out of nowhere, a red saber practically screeching toward Luke’s head – was the saber screaming? Was Luke? It could have been both.

Ben had blocked the blade before it made contact with Luke and the boy’s vision had turned white from the light emanating from the lightsabers. Luke could not even breathe.

“Luke! To the ship!” Ben had barked in a tone Luke had never heard from him before. But Luke did not disobey, he scrambled away from the contradiction of the sobbing and shrieking of one saber and the quiet, protective and comforting strength of the other.

He tore across the grass, stains on his knees and arms from the dirt as he raced to their ship. Once at the ramp, he had turned around. He couldn’t help it.

“Ben!”

Ben had taken precious time to look over at him, eyes flashing in some kind of protective fury that only gentled at the sight of him.

The strange man had thrown Ben into a tree for the distraction.

Luke let out a cry.

It would be the only blow the Inquisitor would make. The man moved towards Luke and the boy was virtually frozen in fear. The red saber and its user just turned in time to block Ben’s initial blow, once again in the fight with a warrior and not a child. It was pretty much over after that, by then. A bare few mere strokes and the duel was finished with the Inquisitor on the ground. Unconscious or dead, Luke was too frazzled to know. But he did remember running into Ben and leaping into his arms.

He had caught the child, but it was a close thing, and he dropped his saber for the catch, which he did with a grunt at the sudden weight. “I’m so sorry, Ben!” Luke wailed. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, beacon. I’m fine,” Ben assured as he shifted himself to hold Luke better, but the boy just curled his arms and legs around the older man so tightly, it was unlikely he would fall even if Ben had let go. He used the force to pull his saber to him and started walking back to the ship.

Luke tucked his face into the crook of Ben’s neck. Ben just patted his back.

“It’s alright, Luke,” he murmured as they walked into the ship. The ramp closed up behind them. “Now do you see why we have rules?”

“Rules can be good,” Luke agreed, muttering in Ben’s neck and hair.

“There is a time and place to both follow and break rules,” he said, gently. “I will try to teach you to decide which is which and when either is good or appropriate.”

Luke just hummed. He didn’t let Ben go for quite some time.

It would be weeks later when the force apparition – ghost, Luke thought – of Qui-Gon Jinn appeared to him. He was ready for lessons that Luke would later recognize as kind of undermining or contradicting Ben’s. It was rather confusing, but Luke was young and impressionable. Surely Qui-Gon thought he could get some of his maverick and living force tendencies and lessons in. And he did. Sort of. Eventually.

But it happened later, when Luke understood more, better. What Qui-Gon Jinn didn’t quite realize was how Luke was into Ben, how curious he was about his guardian. When Qui-Gon had came back around again, Luke had learned about padawans. And all he wanted was to be Ben’s.

Which meant, at this stage, he had very little interest in Qui-Gon Jinn’s teachings… unless it pertained to Ben.

“Hello, Luke,” Qui-Gon Jinn greeted warmly. The boy was in his little room, fiddling with a tiny, dull carving knife, going at it in a wooden carving. Blonde hair shifted as he perked, glancing up at the blue hue of the ghost, no longer surprised by his appearance. He nearly threw the knife and wood away from his body but paused, carefully setting them on a tiny shelf, taking several safety precautions in the process.

The ghost tried to stifle his chuckle.

“Hello Master Jinn,” Luke greeted when he was done, sitting cross legged and looking up at him with a wide smile.

“Ah, it’s Master Jinn now, huh?”

“Ben told me about masters and padawans,” Luke replied. “And the difference between slave masters and teacher masters. I think I’m pretty sure I can understand the difference.”

“And how do you think the difference is?” Qui-Gon asked.

“Well, a master like a jedi can become a master, is mastering yourself and learning a topic, or several, where you know more about than most,” Luke replied, and it sounded like he was almost reciting it. Qui-Gon wondered if he had looked it up in a dictionary or had learned and then rehearsed it.

The ghost nodded and drifted towards the boy a little closer. “Would you be amendable to talk?” he asked.

Luke just smiled. “I don’t know what amendable means, but I’d love to talk. I have sooooomany questions,” he said and there was something about his expression that was a tad bit suspicious, but Qui-Gon certainly couldn’t quite understand it.

“Well, I suppose we have some time for some questions…” he drifted off, uncertainly. He was only eleven after all; no doubt he had many questions in general. He just hoped that he could be able to have adequate answers.

“Great!” Luke cheered as he shifted in his bed, pulling the blanket up into his lap and wiping away wooden shavings. “Do you want to sit down?”

The older – dead – man just chuckled again, a bit nervous this time. “Uh, I don’t really need to sit. I’m not even entirely sure that I can.”

Luke shrugged. “Okay. Ben said it’s polite to offer a seat when you can. Speaking of, I should start simple. How long was Ben your padawan?”

“Uh…” Qui-Gon drifted off, uncertainly. This was not what he was expecting. “He became my padawan around age thirteen and he was knighted at twenty-five, after my death,” he answered, and Luke scribbled something in a notebook. “What are you writing?”

Luke shrugged. “No worries. Just thoughts. Do you know his favorite food?”

“Favorite food?”

“Ben’s favorite food,” Luke clarified, staring at him expectantly. The simple questions lasted a few more minutes until they stretched into somethings that needed longer answers, such as, “What was your first mission? What was the most fun mission? Why does Ben not like droids? Did you know my father? Do you know about Ben’s lovers? Or his friends? Does he like candles? What hobbies did he have when he was young? Were you the one who taught him Sabaac? You know when he does that thing? You know that thing with his face? Do you know what that means?”

Qui-Gon Jinn didn’t really have a concept of time as a force ghost, but he knew that much time must have had passed. Luke kept asking question after question, skillfully going from one topic to the next in conversation. But they were nearly all pertaining to Ben. Luke seemed utterly uninterested in anything the jedi had to offer except for insights on Qui-Gon’s former padawan. He had plenty of those, admittedly. But the realization and thought had stunned him next.

It took the old jedi an admittedly embarrassingly long time to realize it.

“You’re stalling,” he noted, dumbfounded.

Luke stopped talking, abruptly, in the middle of what he was saying and stared at him for several moments. And then he glanced down at the chrono at his bedside. Upon seeing the numbers listed, he perked and jumped up, cheering loudly.

Qui-Gon Jinn jerked back, startled.

“I DID IT!” he yelled, spinning around in some type of a dance, waving his hands and legs around as he laughed, near hysterically.

“You did what?”

“I distracted youfor three hours!” Luke grinned at him, standing on his bed with his face and eyes gleaming in pride. “Ben said I couldn’t do it for even one.” The child just jumped off the bed and ran off, away from the room, yelling and screaming in glee. Qui-Gon was left absolutely flabbergasted. And he stayed there for several minutes, too stunned to move.

Eventually, his former apprentice found him in the child’s room, his expression something absolutely amused and completely glowing with pride.

“You are training him to stall,” Qui-Gon noted, incredulous and dumbfounded.

“Yes of course,” Ben affirmed, tucking his hands into his large sleeves.

“For three hours,” Qui-Gon continued slowly.

“I am impressed that he got through that long without some plant or pathetic lifeform’s help,” Ben admitted.

“You still use that form?”

Obi-Wan just hummed. “It has become a bit of an endearment over the years.”

“Three hours,” Qui-Gon repeated, flatly.

“It is a good start,” Ben replied.

“Start? You plan on training him to do that for longer?”

Ben glanced at him, staring for a moment in surprise. He turned a bit to pick up and sweep up some of the wooden shavings Luke had left, as well as straighten his bed, left messed up with Luke’s celebratory dance. “Of course, I do. It is a good skill to have, especially in the galaxy that we currently live in. The one Luke is forced to live in.”

“I do have teachings for you,” Qui-Gon urged, gently. After his talk with Ben, he went to find Luke again. He did find him, as it wasn’t a large ship, and he was in the kitchenette area, snacking on some treats. The boy was practically stuffing his face. He glanced at up at the ghost and chewed and then swallowed before he spoke.

“If I need to know them, I’m sure Ben will teach me,” Luke shrugged and made a move to eat more of whatever food he was enjoying. He paused as Qui-Gon kept speaking.

“Has he made rules for seeing and talking to me?” Qui-Gon asked, continued to be dumbfounded. That wasn’t exactly something he was expecting. Obi-Wan – Ben – didn’t seem averse to Qui-Gon teaching and talking with Luke, in fact, he almost seemed to encourage it.

“No,” Luke replied steadily, keeping his eyes on his task as he picked out some of the specific treats from the bag. He didn’t seem too bothered by this line of questioning. Well, at least Ben wasn’t putting a ban on it but if Ben didn’t… Qui-Gon wasn’t sure what was going on. And then Luke kept going, calm and stable as ever. “I did.”

“What? Why?” he sputtered.

“You say dumb things sometimes.”

Qui-Gon did not know what that meant. Or rather, what the boy meant by that. He had only spoken to the youngster twice. “About what?”

Luke shrugged again and popped a treat in his mouth. He seemed to start to offer one to Qui-Gon but then paused and thought about it. It probably came to his attention at that moment that Qui-Gon couldn’t exactly eat. Or drink. It was a bit of a letdown, honestly. Ben kept quite a bit of tea on the ship. “You can be kind of confusing and exhausting sometimes.”

“Confusing and exhausting,” Qui-Gon echoed, confused.

5 BBY

Luke is twelve years old.

“Please be gentle with the controls. I am not convinced these old bones can take it.”

Luke couldn’t help but shrink a bit as his hands tightened around the ship’s controls. His eyes cast down at the board in shame. “Sorry, Ben.”

“No worries. Just keep it in mind,” he gently reminded as he put a hand under the boy’s chin to lift it. “And keep your eyes where you desire to go.”

It wasn’t Luke first lesson when it came to flying the ship, but it was the first time that they were practicing in the dangers of a junk yard. Getting caught was dangerous, of course, but what the trick really was ended up being avoiding others and the debris that was constantly moving. And the creatures that sometimes inhabited the planets underneath the rubble.

Luke was good and they both knew it. He had a knack and talent for it, something Ben had told him he had in common with his father. Ben told him that Anakin Skywalker had been an unparalleled pilot, absolutely amazing in the sky. It had been a note and story that excited the youngster because oh wow he was like his father. In such a way, he was like his father, that was so good and pure, and he wanted nothing more.

He had been so thrilled to hear what they had in common.

“A ship is not an animal. It cannot feel and it cannot learn,” Ben kept speaking, hours into their practice in the junkyard planet. Luke almost laughed. Ben was good with animals, something he had learned fairly quickly, and he said it was something Luke could get better with as well. Luke didn’t get to see a lot of animals, but Ben said it was natural to connect with others in bonds. Luke was looking forward to learning. “Whereas a beast – a varactyl for example – can learn and move with you, a ship cannot and needs explicit instructions,” he explained. “However, a too firm and strict grasp on the controls can jerk around your movements and it won’t make flying any easier.

Luke nodded as he softened his hand, not even shooting Ben a glance. “Got it.”

He kept lightening his touch on the controls, leaning with the movements, putting all his attention on the outside surroundings to avoid or go around with an emphasis on where he was going. These places were natural obstacle courses.

“You are going very well,” Ben hummed. Luke barely heard him. “Let’s kick things up a notch, eh?”

At first, Luke wasn’t entirely sure what he meant but it soon became clear. They were going faster. Objects and downed ships flew past them, and Luke could almost feel the wind whistling in his ears. Logically, he knew that was impossible, that it was just the engines working to keep up with what Luke was asking of them.

But oh, did it feel like it.

Luke just let out a whoop.

(Luke would be thirteen the first time he outflies Darth Vader. He would never forget it. Perhaps it was luck and circumstance rather than solely on skill. Luke certainly thinks so even if Ben says there is no such thing as luck. Luke takes that as a compliment.)

Present Past

Start

Luke was left alone for the night.

All in all, he didn’t actually sleep much. Enough, but not much. He walked around the assigned room, looking and searching. There had to be something, anything, he could use. He was a survivor, he was determined, like his guardian before him. There was a thorough search of his room, and he collected any tools he thought he could possibly use. There was not much. He didn’t have the quite the feelings and foresight as Ben did, but he did have instincts and he had learned from some the best. Afterwards, Luke knelt on the floor, laying a thin folded blanket under his knees. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and just sunk into the Force.

“There is no emotion, there is peace,” Luke exhaled as he recited the mantra, quiet and nearly inaudible, even to himself. He had found something in the jedi mantra, especially after Ben clarified the intricacies of it. At first glance, in the initial stages of his explanation, it had been incredibly hard to understand in a way that wasn’t harsh on the jedi. But as Ben quietly explored and continued to elaborate, Luke understood more. He didn’t completely understand it all yet, but the mantra had been a source of comfort for him. Something to say when things were hard. “There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.”

He reached out, avoiding the oily dark presence that he knew to be Count Dooku and gave it a wide berth. There wasn’t a great deal of the force’s presence on the ship, being so enormously inhabited with droids, void of life. He reached further. Dull, dull, disgustingly dark. Moving along, he startled at a brightness. Not the clone troopers, as there was only a singularity in the particular area, but it was warm and stunning and…

Purposefully tempered.

He swallowed harshly and moved on, but he kept it in mind. As he reached further, there was a small mass of light somewhere near the edges of the space, but, if he concentrated and looked closer, harder, more, he could make it out.

Make out…

One; soft and warm, loyal and curious. Worried.

Two; steadfast and solid, collected.

Three; questioning, irritated, full of life and joy.

Four; snarky and ready, bundled and sardonic.

Five; a tad determined, understated, kind.

Six; working, working, working, comfort, trying, trying, trying.

Luke exhaled in relief. The troopers, strong in their light and presence. At the very least, alive and not in immediate danger of dying. There was that, at least. He opened his eyes and could almost feel them softening. The things around him started to blurry and his hand reached up to his face. It came back damp. Oh, so he’s crying. “Okay, okay,” he muttered, wiping the tears away. It was something, he wasn’t alone yet. He could do this. He could do this. “They are alive. Now I just need to figure out how to get us out of here.

Count Dooku’s brief communication with the Queen of Zygerria had not gone as smoothly as it should have. He took it with the strength, demand and grace as he always did but she was determined to keep some of her freedom. Pity. She wasn’t the only one that was actively annoying him. There was so much going on, and so much to think and figure out. After the call, Count Dooku managed to retire to his quarters with minimal distractions or encounters. He would have to figure out what to do with the wounded traitor besalisk. It was fairly obvious what the former jedi wanted, what he apparently thought he was worthy of.

But Dooku had little interest in that tutelage.

But he wasn’t useless, Dooku could get something out of him.

His assistant had brewed him some fresh tea in a pot and so he walked over to the stand and poured himself half a glass. Taking a sip, he took a breath and tried to organize what he currently knew. Something was happening. In the force. In the galaxy. Something even his master hadn’t – couldn’t – account for.

And young Luke was centered in the middle of it. Dooku didn’t know how or why or anything of that sort. He didn’t know specifics, he couldn’t. He hardly knew anything about the boy at all. It was all rather sudden. And it was, in fact, incredibly frustrating.

The child had most certainly been trained by Kenobi, that much was clear, by the way he moved and even the way he spoke. He had spent plenty of time fighting and often conversing briefly with the jedi. Dooku also had a lot of spies and intelligence feeding him information, especially when it came to Skywalker and Kenobi. But he had never even had heard of an inkling of anyone named Luke.

It was like he just manifested one moment.

Where did he come from?

Obviously, Kenobi had kept him well hidden and kept in contact with him. So much so that Luke had learned well from the jedi. How could he be so much like a padawan without being one and never show up in Kenobi’s life. His research had come up with very little. Luke was about fifteen or sixteen, he’d wager, making Kenobi about twenty, perhaps, when he was born. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. Dooku hadn’t paid much attention to his grand padawan until the war started, aside from his own master’s thoughts and notes on Kenobi and his padawan, but once Kenobi started rising quickly thought the war, proving himself such a worthy and capable general, Dooku looked more.

How could he not?

“Ah,” Luke smiled, looking up as the door opened to his room. It was fake, of course, it was hard to try being pleased with the sight before him when he was very much, not. Count Dooku and his assistant strode in, a tray in the latter’s hand. It had been quite some time since they had left him alone, plenty of time to think. Luke could smell the aroma of Alderaanian Jasmine. It made his eyes near flutter, oh did he love that. He was sitting on the floor, kneeling, meditating and did not move when the two of them came in. “My keeper,” he pondered, and he pushed as much amusement in his voice as he could. “What do I owe the pleasure? Would you prefer our delightful back and forth banter or are you here with questions? I must confess, I do not imagine I have many answers to the latter,” he admitted.

“I have had sustenance brought,” Dooku replied, stiffly.

“Cool,” Luke grinned wider as he stood up and gratefully took the tray. He set it on the bed and plopped down next to it. The food was easy to eat, probably could be done with fingers, even though he was given silverware. Dooku probably expected him to eat it with said silverware, but Luke had little inclinations for such things at the moment. “Hey, how far into the war do you think you’ll make?”

Dooku startled but to his credit, he barely showed his surprise. It could not have been a question that he was expecting. Luke didn’t think anyone could really expect that. “Excuse me?”

“When, during the war, do you think you will meet your demise?” Luke asked, shoving a piece of bread into his mouth. Dooku looked just a bit stunned, the difference between the Luke before and the Luke that was in front of him now. And, of course, the abrupt inquiry about Dooku’s lifespan. “I was thinking of starting a betting pool,” he paused as he chewed through some of the food and thought about it for a moment. “I’m gonna place my bets just rrrriiiiigghhhttt before the war ends.”

Dooku seemed rather curious but not in any way amused. “Why then?”

“By then,” Luke shrugged, not even giving him a glance as he ripped apart some of the bread. It was rather good stuff. “I imagine your master will no longer have a use for you.”

Then he said something that Luke didn’t completely understand or hear until much later, when he thought about it. “You are definitely related to Kenobi,” he had muttered, deep under his breath.

“What?” Luke sputtered.

Dooku led Luke down the halls, accompanied by a squad of battle droids silently. Their talk had been a bit long, as Dooku did not approve of the initial conversation. Luke had realized where he knew Zygerria, it was a slave planet. And that was what they talked about. Slaves. Slavery. Luke isn’t entirely sure how it comes about, how Dooku is willing to give so much, about their allies in the Zygerrians. It was a difficult conversation for Luke, one that he was fairly certain Dooku noticed and drew some conclusions of. But it was a conversation that Luke was a bit passionate about.

He had seen what slavery had done, what it was, on the planet he grew up on. He had heard the stories about his grandmother who had lived decades in it before finally able to be free. Before she fell in love and started a family when her first son became a jedi. He had heard about where his father had come from, what his father had done to free himself in a pod race.

He knows Dooku is having problems with the Queen of Zygerria. It is obvious, as they are being escorted to the planet. The count said he will make her see reason. Luke couldn’t help but smirk and gives him a little advice. She is a slaver; she will not cower before him. It is not in her nature.

Luke wasn’t entirely sure how the conversation ended, but it eventually did and Dooku had led him out of the room with a squad of droids. Backup? Perhaps. It didn’t matter. Dooku held the cards for now.

One of the droids opened a door and Dooku gestured for him to step inside. As they entered the room, Luke realized what it was. It was some sort of training room, something large and wide, with very few things that could hinder any movement. And as they did, a familiar hilt filled his vision. It was Ben’s saber.

“You do not have a lightsaber,” the Count noted. Well, wasn’t that obvious, Luke thought to himself, trying to temper the sarcasm that he felt was rolling off his tongue in waves. There was a reason he had been using Ben’s lightsaber. Sure, he was used to it, but then again, if he had his own, he would probably be used to that one as well.

“No.”

“But you are well acquainted on how to use one,” he continued his obvious statements, which irked the teenager a little bit. Gee, you think? Of course, he knew how to use one, Dooku had told him he had reviewed the footage of some of his fight with Krell. And he used a saber during the battle.

But Luke only shrugged. “Lit up end away from me. Stab. Swish, swish.”

Dooku looked down at him, unimpressed and skeptical with something else, something that made him think he was seeing through Luke’s façade. This was a bit different than the prim and perfectly mannered young man that had shared a meal with him the day prior. Would it put the Count off his game with the whiplash? Ah, Luke didn’t know, in particular, but it was rather fun.

“I suppose then, you will be needing this,” he replied instead, stiffly as he offered the saber. Luke quicky took hold of it, his fingers curling around the familiar grooves with a practiced motion. The Count just watched, curious.

“What do you want?”

“I would like to see an exhibition of your skills.”

“Why?”

“I am interested in seeing the difference between you and Skywalker, since you have both been trained by Kenobi.”

The difference. The difference. There was a lot. Luke was his father’s son, perhaps, and at one point, Luke would have absolutely relished in the similarities between his father and himself. At that one point, Luke used to desperately try to find those connections and comparisons. But after Luke knew the truth, after he knew what his father was and what he had become, Luke had just as desperately tried to find differences and distinctions. How hard it was, being in the biological lineage of such a monster.

Luke wondered how Ben would take it, waking up to a former padawan that wasn’t quite yet a monstrous maniac. How would he react then? Luke wasn’t sure how he felt about it at the moment. He had spent so much of his life wanting so much to know his father but finding out what he had become and what he had done, had been rather difficult. “I am your prisoner, not your entertainment,” Luke huffed as he narrowed his eyes.

“As my… prisoner. I hold all the cards,” Dooku replied, calmly, unperturbed by Luke’s scowl. “Behind that door,” he gestured across the room and Luke followed the movement with his eyes. “Are your clone troopers.”

Luke perked visibly. He couldn’t help it.

Droids came out from the sides of the room as Dooku continued. Luke just eyed them warily, trying not to move to look at them more directly. “The droids have been ordered to take that room and kill whoever is inside.”

Luke froze.

Dooku had known he had won this conflict, just as Luke glanced away in an unavoidable show of his defeat. “If you would prefer them still breathing, I suggest you do what I say and fight.”

He leaned closer.

“Their lives depend on it.”

Luke’s eyes were suddenly locked onto Dooku, cold and calculating for any signs of it being a bluff. He couldn’t take that chance. In the moment, Luke’s face became washed in the blue light of Ben’s lightsaber blade. He turned, spinning it around in a stretch and experiment as he surveyed the scene. At the moment, the droids were only B1s, he realized as his mind started up quickly as he scanned the area. Not any other kinds but he doubted it would stay that way.

Dooku was testing him.

Like leapt high into the fray, a perfect Aratu jump whirling Ben’s saver around in flawless arcs, his blade hitting his intended marks. He quickly made his way towards the door, taking out any droid he could. He had to take up a defensive position, wait them out, he thought, nearly hysterical.

He couldn’t let them die; he had been working so hard to keep them alive.

Boil. Boil. Boil.

Waxer. Waxer. Waxer.

Rex. Fives. Jesse. Tup. Check.

His silent chanted in his mind as he ruthlessly slashes through droids, trying to calculate everything in his head. Anger and frustration built up in his chest. He felt like was getting nowhere.

Something started to whisper.

Something dark and oily, with promises that weren’t verbal or understandable but somehow, he knew the intent. He stabbed a droid, his saber plunging down vertically and then viciously ripped it out, taking the head of another incoming. He had to calm down.

“There is no passion,” he exhaled, unsteady. “There is serenity.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, nearly reaching a semi good defensive position, he spotted Count Dooku frown.

The droids were thinning.

The victory did not last.

Out of the side doors, several B2 droids stormed in, already firing relentlessly. Luke leapt and landed on one, crushing it with his weight and saber, slicing through another nearby. He grinned. Dooku was going to be disappointed.

“There is no chaos,” he recited, feeling his heart slow into something enduring and steady. “There is harmony.”

Scattering few were left. Rolling droids screamed in, just a couple. Luke racked his brain for information. He didn’t remember what they were called but single shields, vulnerable when moving. He needed to figure a way to defend his position and destroy them. The boy forced pushed into another that landed them in a wall and went to attack the third type of droid. Running a bit further from the door was a risk but it worked. The droids folded up to move and chase. He dispatched them with swift grace.

Luke turned to grin at Dooku, a bit smug.

A single eyebrow was raised.

The teenager raised a hand, just a bit, and clenched his fist. Behind him, two droids strung up in the air by an invisible force and folded in on themselves, crushed. There was none left.

“Adequate,” Dooku acknowledged but he sounded a bit miffed.

Luke ignored him and ran to the door to check on his troopers. He stopped just as Count Dooku spoke, somehow making his voice louder without changing the tone or intonation.

“We are not done.”

Luke spun around, shoulders bristling and eyes blazing. This seemed to garner Dooku’s attention. “I did your stupid test. You said I could see them.”

“I did not,” Dooku replied and paused as the familiar traitorous besalisk came in sauntering like he owned the pace. He looked better than before, when he had been seen at dinner. The bruises from their fight had healed up and the stump where one of his arms used to be was cleanly bandaged. Luke narrowed his eyes.

“Oh look, it’s the traitor,” he grumbled, irritably.

Count Dooku allowed himself a smirk as he swept over to the former jedi to speak with him. He looked rather pleased with himself, like this was something he arranged, but trying to pass it off as chance. Luke knew better. He had almost certainly arranged this. “Ah… Krell. Just in time.”

“In time?” Krell asked.

“Would you like a rematch?”

“A rematch?”

If Krell didn’t stop echoing Count Dooku, Luke thought he might scream.

“With the young man who took your arm.” Krell realized what was being said and turned towards Luke, something gleeful and hungry in his eyes, as he figured out what was wanted from him. And it was something he was certainly happy to do it appeared. Not only a chance to beat Luke down in an environment where he would be superior, but also show off in front of the count.

Oh kriff.

Luke suppressed a wince and flared a glare at him instead to mask it. “I’d be delighted,” Krell practically purred. The teenager tried not to gag.

Luke’s eyes swept the room again. There was barely anything around here could actually use, much less something to his advantage. Discreetly, he swallowed. His chances for winning this one was even lower than the first time.

“Master Krell will get to kill what is behind that door,” Dooku added, gesturing to the door Luke had been defending. “If he defeats you.”

Luke’s heart raced.

Oh. OH.

It was easy to see Dooku’s game. He wanted Luke desperate, angry willing to do anything to save the troopers.

Dooku wanted him to use the dark side.

Or worse. Fall.

Ever since Luke had wrapped his head around who his father was, he had made a vow.

He would never Fall.

He wasn’t going to break that bow. Ever.

He won’t do that to Ben.

Krell didn’t seem to get it but then again, he probably didn’t know what was behind the door either. Luke took a deep breath.

In for four.

Out for seven.

In for four.

Out for eight.

Krell lit a saber, something sickly and bloody red. Dooku glanced at it, his face barely twitching. The besalisk grinned, a bit wild and more than a bit pleased.

Defensive position, Luke thought to start. He didn’t have to wait long for Krell to come at him. Even down an arm and with only one lightsaber, he was fast and strong. Luke could only try to be ready. It was just as hard as the last time, though, especially at the beginning, trying to defend against his barrage of attacks and blows. Krell’s physical strength was several times his own, with their respective species and Luke tried to calculate the best mix and match of moves and styles to meet him with between strikes.

Predictably, where Krell had strength and size that loomed over his opponent, Luke had speed and agility, moving in between the twirls of the saber, just at the right moment, which was absolutely crucial. Luke thought himself lucky. He was trained by Ben, a duelist whose greatest skill with a lightsaber was his impenetrable shield, not giving his opponent an opening to strike or move. Luke wasn’t as good at it, of course, but working with Ben and working with that style, he had to learn quickly where he could find and get through that type of shield and movements where there often appeared to be none.

Luke could find openings to at least avoid strikes, even with Ben. Avoiding Krell’s saber moves were practically easy in comparison.

Krell’s experience was an asset and a strength. The besalisk had been training since birth, he had decades on Luke of nonstop and constant training. Luke, however, quick to learn, had started late and wasn’t taught in the same environment. Ben didn’t have as much time to teach him, especially in the confines of their little ship. If he and Krell were in another environment, Luke might have been able to use his surroundings to his advantage. He may have had a chance.

He didn’t know how long the duel had lasted. He was pretty sure he had stood his own longer than he thought, but as all things, it had come to an end. In his case, hard, fast and cruel. Luke had a lot of endurance, Ben had certainly made sure of that, both physically and in the Force. Of course, his strength and connection to it, as it had rapidly grown over the years, had helped as well. Maybe Luke could have won this one, if things had been different.

But he was rather lucky Count Dooku seemed to want him alive.

Luke had been knocked to the ground, roughly, and a blade came down on his head. Upon rolling out of the way, he could feel the heat sizzle as it hit the floor instead, next to him. He blocked a few more blows but couldn’t seem to buy enough time to get up off the floor. Krell used the Force to make him rise before pushing him into the wall so hard it rattled his skull.

A red blade came down upon him again and Luke just couldn’t-

“Enough.”

Luke wasn’t sure what was happening, but Krell’s blade twisted and instead of cutting through his head, the saber scraped and grazed the opening between his gorget and his pauldron. Luke couldn’t help but let out a cry. It hurt, it was searing, and he could feel Krell’s satisfaction. Was it because he had beat Luke? Was it because he had wounded him? The boy tried to swallow down the pain, reaching out for the Force, for something, anything.

It helped soothe the pain, at least.

“You were meant to spar, not kill him,” Dooku’s lip curled in a bit of distaste, but his voice remained as poised and flat as always.

Krell just scoffed and let Luke fall to the ground, his back rubbing down the wall. Luke just tried to catch his breath as the besalisk’s attention went to the Count. “He’s not even Kenobi’s padawan. What could you possible want with this welp?”

Dooku’s eyes were cold but vaguely interested, like he saw something different. Luke didn’t even wait a moment more. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder, and ran to the door. He opened it and…

No one was in there.

Luke couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

“You lied to me.”

“A gamble,” Dooku strode up next to him and shrugged. “Jedi are soft-hearted fools, and they often pass that sentiment onto their children.”

Luke didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say.

“But you aren’t a jedi.”

He hated that Dooku was right. Ultimately, however, it didn’t matter. He would live like a jedi. To his last breath. And perhaps, even after.

“You do not use your full strength,” Dooku hummed as he continued. “If you had, it would have given you some advantage.” He didn’t say whether that advantage would have led him to victory or not. And it didn’t really matter.

“My full strength?”

“Your blows could be much more powerful, if you are open to it.”

“You mean if I open up to the dark side,” Luke guessed.

“There is far more power than the jedi are willing to open to,” Dooku replied, his eyes flashing with something so quick, he almost missed it.

Luke just heard Krell scowl. He didn’t know if the former jedi was listening or even heard them, but he didn’t like them speaking to one another. If he was looking for accolades, Luke thought, a bit petty, he would have to look elsewhere. It almost made him chuckle, as it was rather amusing. He wondered when the besalisk would finally get it.

Dooku didn’t want Pong Krell. He was pretty sure the Sith wanted Luke.

Luke just smirked to himself, out of the sight of the count. Dooku would end up rather disappointed.

Luke would never fall.

“Congratulations,” Dooku’s assistant said to Krell, monotone with a bit of flatness thrown in for good measure. Luke couldn’t tell if she meant it or not. “You just beat a fifteen-year-old non-jedi child in a duel of strength.”

Maybe not.

Krell just scowled again.

She turned, mechanically, towards her master. “My Lord, we are approaching Zygerrian space. We should be there within the hour.”

Dooku nodded and swiped Ben’s saber from Luke’s hand before the boy could even try to keep it away. Pain raced down his chest and shoulders, through his arm. “We will be having dinner with the Zygerrian Queen,” he informed him, briskly. “I expect you to join. You will not attempt to flee or contact the Republic. Do not even think about it. Do not speak unless directly spoken to. Any attempts at sabotage – at any level – will result in the torture and expectation of the clone troopers. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir.”

“My assistant will take you back to our room,” he continued, calmly. “You are to shower and dress with what is laid before you. She will give you some bacta for your wound. Clean it well. You will go to the bridge and await arrival,” Dooku added. “Understood?”

“Yes, of course lord,” Luke grumbled as he tried to temper his glare. “I do want something from you.”

“You may request.”

“I want confirmation about my troopers, that they haven’t been harmed.”

“My word isn’t enough?”

Luke snorted.

“Alright. I will send for my assistant to arrange someone to come by with proof,” he said after a long moment. “As I said, if you do anything, I will kill them.”

Luke grinned at him, all blood and teeth. “I understand. But Count, you should also know. If anything happens to them, you will not only lose my cooperation, but you may find that you lose more appendages than you care to miss.”

With a swish of his cape and a gesture for Krell to follow, Dooku was gone, leaving Luke, weaponless, surrounded by destroyed battle droids and an evil subordinate. She did not waste time, as she turned towards the door, barely pausing to ensure his path to follow. He just sighed and obeyed, trying to keep the pain as dull and to a minimum as he could. Not a word was spoken on their way back. As they reached the destination, she gave him instructions and a map to the bridge. Other areas were to be locked and or blocked off to him.

“It would be prudent to travel straight to your destination.” She gave him a small package and then she was gone.

Luke stripped, slow and methodical, carefully stacking his armor pieces neatly on the bed. He winced as he looked at them. They were in a bit of rough shape. He felt a little bad for taking them without asking.

But it had saved his life at the very least once on Umbara.

His finger trailed a gouge in the gorget as he set it down on the sheets. He took off his robes, sweaty, damp and dirty and folded them neatly. Taking deep and soothing breathes, he stepped into the shower and turned it to water. It was nice to get the sand out of his hair from the storm he and Ben had been stuck in and to wash the blood from his skin. Although he had wrapped the saber wound, it still hurt something awful as he showered. He didn’t take an abnormally long time, as eight years on Tatooine had instilled a need to conserve water, whether he meant to or not. He still used it instead of the sonic, however. It may have been rather petty but he kind of thought to use some of it so there would be less for Dooku and whatever other sentients were aboard.

He stepped out and grabbed a towel, drying himself off rather thoroughly. He rubbed and shook excess water from his hair and then washed his face. It had been quite some time since he had felt this clean. The shower was nice.

Luke got a hold of the bacta and put it over the lightsaber graze. The immediate feeling was agony at contact, and he leaned over the counter with a low, pained, groan. It took a few moments for the bacta to release some relief. After several moments of catching his breath and regaining himself, he left the lavatory and ran his eyes over the clothes that had been set out. His lip curled, subtly. Dark, ornate, high collar. Fancy.

Luke just rolled his eyes but conceded and carefully put them on. He couldn’t just play with the men’s lives, especially not with something so trivial as clothes. They were a bit large, he noted. He wondered who they had been originally made for. Luke winced. Oh, he was going to look a bit like Dooku, wasn’t he? The thought was a mite repulsive.

As he finished buttoning up, he looked down at the stack of armor pieces, his eyes once again tracing over every scratch and gouge. He had made a mess of it, he thought. He almost wished he was on a more conventional battlefield. Not this battle of wit and manipulation.

He needed a plan.

He wanted Ben.

Taking a few minutes to just breathe and mingle with the Force, he reached out – both in it and physically – grabbed hold of the pauldron.

He near dropped it immediately, his knees plummeting to the floor, alongside his breath.

Because… because…

Could it be?

It had to be.

He didn’t know how he knew but it just had to be.

Ben was alive. And he was awake.

He was coming. Luke was sure of it.

Even though he wanted to, for in search of the troopers, he went straight to the bridge. No one stopped him. Droids barely cast him a glance. He paused at the door of the room, far enough that it would not open automatically as of yet. He took a deep breath.

“There is not emotion,” he breathed. “There is peace.”

Luke might have laughed if the situation was not so dire. He loved the look on Count Dooku’s face. If only he could freeze it, to show it to Ben. It wouldhave made him laugh and Luke would have loved it.

“I told you to wear that was set out for you.” Count Dooku said, stiff with a click of his jaw. Of course, no one could quite tell what the count was thinking, least of all Luke, but one thing was for certain, he was not particularly happy.

“And I am.”

Goodness, he was such a smartass.

“You are wearing plastoid clone armor,” Dooku pointed out, clearly disapproving of that fact.

“I am your prisoner, Count, not your ally. It would be best to make sure others know, don’t you think? So, they don’t get the wrong ideas?” he suggested, slyly.

And there it was. The barest hint of a scowl. Was it bad that it felt like a victory? There was nothing more to say after that and Luke could only follow as the Count went to one of his ships. It was a little larger than his single fighter, as they were joined by the assistant and the former jedi traitor. The ride down was quiet. And no little amount of awkward and terrible.

Zygerria is…not beautiful. And that is Luke saying that who had found even some beauty in his home planet of Tatooine, one of near complete desert. There is something about the buildings, about the atmosphere that puts Luke on edge. He knows it is a slave planet, probably even more so than the home planet that he knows personally.

They landed near the palace, a giant building that towered above all others and stretched quite far. Krell kept a very strict eye on him as they walked through, Zygerrians in armor milling around. Dooku barely paid him any attention. He knew for a fact that Luke wouldn’t try anything.

Led into the throne room, a Zygerrian woman sat high above. The throne was rather ridiculous with a multitude of steps. Luke hoped they didn’t have to go up all of them. It would take forever.

He was kept out of the way by Dooku’s assistant as he spoke, prim and proper and nothing else. Luke could hear the distain, but it was covered quite thoroughly with flattery and demand. As he continued to speak, the besalisk traitor at his side, Luke looked around and studied the soldiers and guards, looking for weakness in both them and the building in him. He had to figure out where the troopers were.

By the time he came back to the present, most had disappeared, including Krell and many of the guards. The Queen had looked at him, her piercing eyes seeming to look straight into him. He shuttered. With a single finger – talon? – she gestured him over. Count Dooku stiffened and took a step back.

Swallowing harshly, Luke strode over.

“And who might you be?”

Luke tried not to gag and wrinkle his nose. He’d almost be anywhere but here at the moment. But he kept a great façade of delight and respect. She would get nothing from him. Her accent was grating, but that could be his bias against slave traders, which could only make him feel worse as he knows she is the queen of them. “Luke,” he introduced as he bowed. “Your grace.”

“Your majesty,” she corrected. There was a smile on her face, something faint and vaguely amused. The slight was not taken too badly, probably because of his young age and perceived naivety. But that did not mean he wouldn’t go above and beyond with his excuses.

“A thousand apologies, your majesty,” Luke amended, as he laid it on thick after the slight as he gave a bow. It was stiff and just deep enough to not continue the disrespect. He was holding himself so tense he thought he might just snap in half. “I cannot claim to have had the privilege of visiting, your lovely planet before.”

“It is a good thing you are here, now, isn’t it, child?” she giggled, light and faint. It was the perfect sound coming from a queen, but he just could not stand it; he couldn’t even stand the sight of her, much less the sound of her voice. “Even if you are a Republic agent.”

Luke just smiled, keeping his voice level and calm, just like Ben had taught him. Don’t show anything aside from what they want to know. “I fight with the troopers, that is all there is to it.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, he was fighting alongside the clone troopers, even if it had just been one battle.

“Perhaps we can persuade you otherwise.”

“I am a mere prisoner of Serenno’s count,” he admitted with his smile continuing to be a bit tight and tense. He had to think of something and fast. These people thought of power and money and little else. Contracts, contracts. “Loyalty cannot be bought over once a contract is sighed.”

Count Dooku raised an eyebrow.

He thought Luke slipped up, the teenager realized. Gave him information that he could use. Perhaps he did. But Luke thought about that, even as he made up his words, he wouldn’t find anything. There was nothing Dooku could get out of it, unless he tried to torture it out of Luke. There was no paper trail to find or follow. It was a contract to himself, to the Force, to Ben. A vow. Luke’s loyalty was to not be swayed.

“A child with honor,” she mused with a smirk. She found that amusing, he could tell. He hated the way she said it, like it was something pathetic and stupid, juvenile. “How intriguing. Would you like to join us for dinner? The talk may be dreadfully boring, but the food will be rather delightful.”

“I relish the opportunity to expand my palette,” he replied as he straightened his back. He kept his eyes just barely below her line of sight. And there was at least some truth to that. He did like trying new foods. “I am to go wherever the Count wills at this time.”

“Count?” The Queen questioned as her gaze swept over towards the Sith several meters behind and to the right of him. Luke glanced back at him with something in his eye that could only be interpreted as impish, like Luke was up to something. The Count’s back was absolutely straight, and his expression gave away absolutely nothing.

“He will be in attendance, your majesty.”

“Excellent,” she practically purred. “I look forward to it.”

Luke didn’t. In fact, he had a feeling he wouldn’t be attending at all.

Count Dooku tossed him in a room, gave him some instructions and notifications and then left. Luke just sighed. He wasn’t entirely sure what exactly the Count wanted from him. It didn’t take long, however, for Luke to find a way out of the room and take it he did.

The palace itself was difficult to navigate, but first things first. He reached out in the Force. What he was looking for was something he knew well, something that sang to him, which made it easier to follow. Ben had taught him long ago how to use the Force to keep others’ attention away from him and although he still used it, he also physically tried to keep out of sight of the guards and soldiers.

He found it in a room, possibly Dooku’s guest room, possibly not. It was hard to tell. Luke was just glad that the Count didn’t have it on him. No, Ben’s lightsaber was sitting on a dresser in the room, next to some paperwork. Grabbing the light saber of his guardian, he shoved it deep into his robes, out of sight and paused, before grabbing the paper too. Perhaps it would be helpful in some way. Then he slipped out of the door. Going back down the hall, the voice he heard…he would never forget it. He had never heard the Sith’s voice before, not in his time, but he knows it. And for the first time, he just cannot move.

“Long has Sith empires been built on the backs of slaves,” a man drawled. Luke swallowed and glanced around the corner through the door, just barely. He quickly spun back, so he was not to be seen. He was wearing a cloak in the holo call, something wrinkly and old underneath it. “To carry on this tradition…we will require… millions.”

He was talking about slaves. Slaves.

Luke had seen firsthand how the Sith’s plans had come to fruition. He would not let it happen this time. Not when he was around, armed with the knowledge to stop it. Whether or not he had the ability, it didn’t matter. He had to try.

“I assure the Queen’s defiance will not sour your plans,” Dooku assured.

The Sith practically scoffed. “If she fails to see the error of her ways, end her rule.”

Luke didn’t wait a moment further. He quickly ran off, trying to keep his noise to an absolute minimum. He held his breath in until he got a plenty amount of way, he let it out, nearly hyperventilating. Because he got the breath out, he had a hard time getting it back in. It took him several minutes to recatch his breath. He stood up with the help of the wall.

“I don’t think you are supposed to be out here, kiddo,” a female voice called out from behind him, and Luke turned around to face her, keeping himself slower and calm to not bring up any more suspicion. She was leaning causally against the wall, by a corner, appearing fairly unperturbed with a smirk stretching her lips. Short hair, a jumpsuit, some necklace that dipped underneath the first layer of her clothes.

“Why do you think that?” he asked, rearranging his posture to make it seem like he wasn’t caught off guard, that he was supposed to be there. It didn’t really work.

“Smooth,” she chuckled as she shook her head. “I can’t imagine the Separatists or their allies willingly letting a jedi roam around,” she pointed out.

A gamble.

“I am not a jedi.”

She looked curious and unconvinced, but still amused. “Right,” she drawled as she stood up from the lean against the wall. She took a step towards him, and it took everything he had not to step back. “I’m actually here for you.”

“Oh?”

“You wanted an update on your troopers.”

Luke perked; he couldn’t help it. It may have given him away, but she appeared to know about him anyways. “Dooku sent you?”

She shrugged. “Sort of. Not really.”

“Are you going to snitch on me?” he asked, warily.

She cackled in a short laugh, like she found that concept absolutely hilarious. There was more to her than met the eye. He wondered who she was, and, if he had an ally in her. “Nah kid. Let’s go to your room to talk though.”

“I can’t see them?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?” he asked, suspicious and anger bristling in his shoulders. He was frustrated. It had been near over a day since he had been able to see the troopers and he wanted to know if they were alright. That Dooku hadn’t done something horrible to them the moment his back had been forced to turn. He was trying to keep them alive, and it was incredibly discouraging, and infuriating being blocked at every turn.

She sighed and gestured down the hall for him to follow her. “Come on.”

Grudgingly, he followed her. He didn’t have much of a choice. He may not have liked it but there was little he could do. She kept walking and he just tried to study her. The more time passed on, the more Luke was convinced he knew her.

“You aren’t one of Dooku’s people.”

“Nope.”

“You aren’t a Zygerrian.”

“What gave it away?” she chuckled.

He snorted. “Who are you?”

“Zora.”

“Any last name to that?”

She shot him a grin. “Does it really matter?”

He huffed, pushing down the growing irritation. For this, for what was happening, for Dooku and Krell and all the things he was going through. Things he could not yet change. “Maybe. You aren’t a Zygerrian or one of Dooku’s people so who are you?”

“I told you. Zora.”

He sighed, exasperated.

She surprised him with her next question. “Are you from the 501st or the 212th?”

“What?”

“You have 501stand 212th troopers with you,” she noted.

“How…?”

“Which one is yours?”

“Neither?”

“Whose padawan are you?”

“Spy or jedi?”

She startled, but just barely. He probably wouldn’t have even noticed if he hadn’t been taught by Ben, who was very good at picking up cues of possible allies and possible enemies. “Be careful kid. Accusations like that can get you or anyone else, killed.”

Luke rolled his eyes as they got back to his room. As if he didn’t know that. But this, he was sick of not getting answers out of anyone. She started to look around, hands running along the walls and table. He stayed silent.

Zora, on the other hand, had no such inclinations. “So, ah…you didn’t answer my question. Whose padawan are you?” she asked, glancing over at him with a knowing smirk.

“Do I looklike I have any semblance of a padawan braid?” he grumbled, resentfully. He couldn’t quite help it. It was easier to not be, at least when Ben was around and teaching him and just being there. Even if he wasn’t actually Ben’s padawan, it was hard not to be upset about it. It’s what he wanted so much, for so long. He didn’t dare think of the possibilities, being in this time with the Order around.

“Oooohhh,” Zora smirked again, her eyebrows waggling in knowing. She didn’t understand, obviously, because no one really could. Not with his situation, really, but there was something about her that was different. Luke had to know her from somewhere. Somehow. “Someone is a little bitter. Left, kicked out or not chosen?” she asked, continuing to go through the room, opening drawer and checking the things inside.

He stiffened, still standing in the middle of the room, his gaze hardening. “I never really had a chance.” That was truth, not that she could get what he was saying. There was no jedi where he is from. Or rather, when. Hunted and killed off for having an ability with the Force. For trying to help people. All because two beings wanted everything, put what they wanted above millions and trillions of lives.

“Ooookkkkaaayyyy,” she drawled out again but something in her face sobered up. He fought himself, trying to go through all of Ben’s stories on who this could possibly be. It had to be someone Ben told him about. That was the only explanation. “What are you doing with those troopers?”

“Fighting.”

“Not a jedi, not a clone. Too young to be an officer. Who are you?”

“Luke.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I’m Luke.”

“You can’t be that dense,” she muttered and then stopped trifling through the room but there was a smirk. She saw what he was doing. Throwing her answers back in her face with his own, mirroring it. “Okay, we are clean.”

“Clean? We?”

“There aren’t any bugs or cameras,” she supplied and walked closer, pulling up a chair and sitting down. She gestured for him to do the same. He paused but obeyed, sitting in front of her so he could study her features, trying to figure out what he wanted to know. “So that means we can speak freely, although admittedly, still a bit quiet and careful. Who are you?”

“Luke.”

She groaned and sighed, leaning on the back of her chair. She was projecting some kind of mix of amusement and irritation. “Come on kid. Give me something to work with!”

“Are you a spy or jedi?”

She looked back at him, surprised. “What?”

“Spy or jedi?”

“What makes you think-,” she started but after a moment she just sighed again. She ran a hand through her short hair, glancing around, as if worried. Even though she had checked the room for listening devices and cameras, she was still a bit paranoid. “Both, I suppose.”

“A shadow,” he supplied with his guess. Ben had told him plenty about them, several of his friends and acquaintances went that route. “That narrows it down.” It wasn’t a lie, exactly. It did. If she knew Ben, he could figure out who she was.

“Do I know you?”

“No.”

“But you know me.”

“Not exactly. I might know of you. I’m not sure,” he admitted, truthfully.

“Well, you aren’t giving your identity and I’m not ready to give up mine so we can skip that for now. Why were you sneaking around? You weren’t escaping and if anyone caught you…big trouble. What was worth the risk?” She was curious, for certain, trying to discern something from him.

He hesitated and produced Ben’s light saber hidden deep in his robes.

She gasped but immediately tried to stifle it. He knew, she knew. “That’s…”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber, yes,” he said, his mouth now dry so his voice came out in some of a bit of a croak. Zora looked between him and the saber multiple times, trying to keep her eyes from widening so much.

“How did you get that?” she hissed with vigor. Luke blinked; he wasn’t exactly expecting that. “How did get Dooku get this? Is he…” she trailed off, uncertain. She couldn’t ask the question.

“He’s not here,” Luke replied, and he was silently so thankful that he wasn’t. On one hand, he could definitely use Ben’s help. He could just use him around. But, Luke didn’t know what state he was in and he certainly did not want Count Dooku to take any type of advantage of his guardian. “And he’s not dead as far as I know. He should be on his own ship, safe.”

“But his saber…” she murmured.

“It’s a long story,” he replied instead. Really, he just didn’t want to explain it. He had suspicions about who she was, but he couldn’t be sure yet, he had to wait and think. There was something about her voice, how she spoke when she saw Ben’s saber…. He shook his head. “You said something about my troopers?”

She glanced at him with renewed skepticism. Probably not the right terms, he thought. He wasn’t technically part of either group. “Well, they are all alive and unharmed,” she said bringing out a clunky comm and laid it in his hand. “Two number comm, direct line. You can’t see them, so you’ll have to take it on word that they are not injured.”

He nodded and swallowed, dialing.

They picked up a little slow.

Luke’s anxiety spiked. “H-Hello?”

A pause.

“Waxer? Are you there?”

Finally, finally. “Thank everything that is good, you are alive kid.” It was Waxer’s voice; Luke could identify it. He had paid so much attention to his voice since he had met him, Luke thought he could very possibly pick him out of a group of anyone. Identical faces or voices or not. Whatever, it didn’t matter. He had made a point to know his voice as best he could. Boil’s best friend.

“Waxer,” Luke sighed in relief as he realized with a fond smile. He almost felt like he was going to start crying from relief. He had near thought he would never be able to get to even just talk to them again. “I’m okay,” he promised. “Dooku talked with me, nothing too bad, and then locked me in a room by myself. I’m on Zygerria now.” He didn’t tell him about the Krell rematch; there was no reason to worry them.

“So are we,” another voice made its way through. Gruffer, more solid.

“Rex,” Luke said as he took a moment to put his finger on the voice. “Is everyone there? Are you alright? Dooku didn’t harm you, did he?”

“Dooku didn’t do anything,” Rex vowed.

“Can we do a roll call?”

“Uh…kiddo, we sound all the same,” someone chuckled, uneasily.

“Er… not exactly…” Luke admitted with a smile, but he felt a bit uncomfortable with the line of talk and conversation. “I can tell. I promise. “Please?”

“I’m here, as you know,” Waxer said, his voice kind and soft. Luke relished in the feeling, and he thought he would never get used to the intonation. He completely understood why this person was Boil’s best friend.

“And you heard me, Rex,” the captain replied.

“Yes,” Luke nodded.

“Boys?” Rex called, a bit quiet, like he was further away from the comm.

“Checkerboard reporting, sir.”

“Fives,” another grumbled.

“Jesse.”

“Tup,” his voice was a tad bit timid.

“Okay,” Luke sighed again in relief. That was all of them, that was all of them. That was a good to have that reassurance. “Okay. Good. Good.”

“How…how are you talking to us, Luke? Who is listening?”

“No worries,” Luke said, quickly, shooting a glance at his companion. “Just a jedi shadow. We are okay. Look,” he started, suppressing a wince at his lack of a current workable plan. “I’m trying to work on a plan to get us out of here. Since we are on planet and not in space, it might be easier.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“I’m no explosives expert,” he hummed in admittance. “But with the things I can scrounge up here, I think I can make a distraction. A pretty big distraction.”

“I like the way you’re thinking, sir,” Jesse replied, and Luke knew he was grinning. He rolled his eyes.

“Zygerria is a slave planet,” Rex replied, his voice slow and careful. “We won’t find any allies here or a way to get off the planet, easily.”

“The Republic is coming,” Luke vowed. And he knew it.

“How do you know?”

“I passed intel to the Council,” Zora leaned in so her voice would come through. “They know about Dooku, and they know that you are here too,” Zora explained. “They should be on their way here. A day, tops.”

“Even if they have both the 501st and the 212th at full strength, I don’t think they can take a planet like this,” the voice, Rex, he was pretty sure, sounded unsure, probably in turn of the unknown newcomer.

Luke swallowed. “Ben has been through this before. He knows.”

“What?” Fives startled.

“Ben?” Zora muttered, questioningly.

“Luke, General Kenobi is in a coma,” Waxer pointed out, gentle and patient.

Zora startled, sudden and she stared at him, eyes wider than he had seen anyone. She was shocked, worried. She knew him, she knew Ben. Which meant that Luke knew him. He must have heard of her from Ben’s stories. That makes her identity easier to determine. “What?” she whispered. “Obi…”

Luke tried to ignore her for now. He didn’t have the time to confront her or anything right now. He had to focus on the troopers and their escape. “He will come. I know it. I have faith in the Force, and I have faith in him.”

There was pause of silence and a sigh.

“Okay. I get you. Me too, I have faith in General Kenobi,” Waxer replied.

“And I’m not sure how much information Master Vos got from Ben with his psychometry,” Luke added. “But that might help too.”

“Psycho…?”

“Obnoxiously Long Explanations. They can come later,” Luke vowed, waving his hand. “Suffice to say, he will come.”

“Alright,” Rex said. “I believe you.”

“We do,” Tup added.

There was a scowl.

“You are hiding things.” Luke couldn’t quite make out the name of the clone for a long moment, but he went through what he knew about all of them and finally came to conclusion. The speaker had been Fives. Curious, intelligent, persistent and stubborn.

“If we make it out of this alive, I will tell you all you want to know, Fives,” Luke vowed, absolutely serious. Hopefully they would survive this. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about telling any of the 501st about what was happening, especially those close to Anakin Skywalker, but it was a price he could pay for their trust and cooperation.

Another silence and then concede. “Alright.”

“You didn’t tell him.”

Waxer didn’t know who spoke but there was an accusatory undertone. It was noted. He didn’t look around at them, just stared at the comm. “I didn’t want him getting upset to lose focus,” Waxer tried to refute. He kept a hold of the comm that had been given to them, his fingers curling over the surface. This was such a mess.

“You think that would upset him so much?” That was Check, Waxer knew. The undertone of his voice was a bit touched but there was no little amount of worry coming from. Waxer wasn’t entirely sure how to explain without saying everything that he knew.

“He’s from Tatooine,” Waxer croaked.

“So?”

Rex eyed him warily. He knew something, understood something, some kind of inference he got from Waxer’s statement. Waxer felt his heart speed up a little. He knew that Luke didn’t want others to know right now what was happening, he had made a note to keep it from the 501st. Waxer wasn’t entirely sure why, but he had quickly learned he could trust Luke. But Rex knew something, and Waxer couldn’t help but be worried on how much he would have figured out. It wasn’t all too surprising; Rex was smart and Cody loved him. “It is a slave planet,” Rex noted.

“Was he…”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Waxer responded quickly, staring at Rex directly in the eye. They kept eye contact for some time. “But Luke joined the battle on Umbara in an attempt to keep me alive. He had never been in a battle or war like that before, but he just jumped in. What do you think he would do if he found out about us now, in the situation we are facing?”

“He can’t care that much,” someone said. Waxer was still staring at Rex, so he wasn’t entirely sure who had responded to him. The skepticism was clear, but Waxer knew better. He knew how Luke talked about them, all excited. He knew the way he had ran and jumped and practically tackled Boil when he saw them on their ship, so happy and so excited to see him again. Waxer had little trouble realizing how much Luke loved in general. How much Luke cared about them already.

“Trust me. He does,” Waxer finally pulled his eyes away from Rex and sat down on the ground, his armor creaking. He imagined they would soon be taken to a facility and have the armor stripped from them and he dreads that moment. The uneasy and uncomfortable feeling that comes with not wearing armor in a hostile environment is not a pleasant one.

“What does that mean?”

“Fives…” Rex warned. Waxer saw him out of the corner of his eye. The captain’s brow furrowed

“I am sick of all the cryptic words and lies!” Fives pressed. “He knows something, and it makes me think, you know about it too, Captain.”

Rex swallowed. “I don’t know much.”

“But you know something.”

“Luke said he would tell you everything you want to know later,” Waxer said.

“Why can’t you just tell us now!?”

“You really think this is the best place for secrets?”

Every one of them snapped their mouths shut when the door opened and several Zygerrians came in, including the one that had technically bought them. It took a while, as the troopers weren’t the most compliant, but the Zygerrians did force them out of the room and into another. Waxer had a bad feeling about this.

“I hear you have secrets,” one of them said in a heavy accent.

“Our allies will pay well for Republic secrets,” another hissed.

Oh kriff.

“I think I know who you are.”

The words came out of Luke’s mouth before his mind had caught up with him. He and Zora had collected a few things for their rather, a bit explosive, plan and were scurrying around the halls, to enact it. They hadn’t talked much about other things aside from said plan during the time, but Luke was having a hard time keeping quiet. He just had to know.

“Oh?” Zora asked, rather amused. “Funny, I am pretty sure I don’t know you.”

“You wouldn’t,” he shrugged. “It is a rather long story. But Ben has told me a lot about many of his friends.”

“Ben as in…Obi-Wan…” she said slowly. She carefully placed an explosive near a column, out of sight. It would be hard to find it before it would be detonated. They had to be careful. Once it was done, they momentarily hid, away from a coming patrol of guards.

“Yes,” Luke whispered an affirmation.

“How do you know him?”

“Obnoxiously Long Explanation.”

“I heard you tell one of the clones that,” she noted. “What does that mean?”

“Just as it says. It’s kind of a game that Ben and I have played,” Luke explained, vaguely but there was a fond smile on his lips as he thought about all the times he had gone through that with Ben. Zora had obviously noticed.

“I didn’t know Obi-Wan had taken on another padawan,” she suggested.

Luke glanced away with a frown. “He didn’t,” he muttered. “Come on.” He gestured for her to follow as he moved through the halls further, tossing another small explosive in another hiding spot.

She seemed to know and understand that it was a sore spot and let it go. He knew he would not last. “You mentioned you think you know who I am,” she said, putting another of their bitty contraptions in another.

“That’s the last one,” he murmured. “The dinner should start soon. We need to figure out where the troopers are.”

“I can lead you to them,” Zora replied.

“Don’t you have to continue your mission?”

“My mission had already ended. Things had been sidetracked when the ship I was on didn’t go to the rendezvous point and was rather diverted when the Zygerrian queen sent our ship to Dooku’s. We’re good,” she explained, glancing at him with a smile. “I’ve got your back.”

Zora took the lead and started to bring him through the palace to the outside. Luke swallowed, uneasily. He knew he could trust her, but he didn’t like the feeling he got where they were hiding. They were out of the palace now, moving towards some of the other outbuildings nearby.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said, after a while.

“It wasn’t a question.”

“Who do you think I am.”

Luke glanced down and smiled warmly. “He talked about you, in several instances. The jumpsuits, the short hair, the warming crystal that you are wearing around your neck.”

Zora narrowed her eyes.

“Ben talked about you. He carried the crystal on him for a long time.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you,” he shot her another grin, practically beaming. “I am very happy to be able to meet you. A lot more excited than I am allowed to be and show right now. You are just as amazing and snarky as Ben said, Siri Tachi.”

Luke had nearly fallen over when he felt it. He had reached out into the Force, for the troopers, just as an assurance. He had been met with pain. His head had turned and stared at his companion, wide-eyed and fearful. Her mouth was moving, probably questions. He didn’t hear them. Instead, he just started to run.

They were hurting. They were hurting. They were hurting. Someone was hurting them. All he had wanted to do was get them through this. He just wanted to get them through this. How could he possibly failing so much so hard?

Fail. Fail. Fail.

He failed so spectacularly.

Getting into the small building was easy. Many guards were at the dinner for the Queen and the Count, well, guarding them. But Luke ran through without care, knocking any guard they came across, at the very least, unconscious. His heart had completely dropped when he had stepped inside. Because he knew what this place was, right when he saw the people that inhabited it.

A slaves’ quarters.

Not just that, a temporary one. Ones who were being sent off to auction.

“Free them!” he yelled.

His companion knew what he meant and immediately went to unlock the cages, using the force to take off the collars. Luke kept running. The urgency, the urgency, he had to move. Slamming open one of the doors – oh, they felt so close! – he had bowled over one of the Zygerrians, whipping out his saber and taking several limbs off of several more. They stood little chance. His shoulder and arm was burning like nothing before and it felt like he couldn’t quite breathe.

He didn’t stop until they were all on the floor, dead or unconscious.

“Hey, Luke you, okay?”

That was Waxer’s voice. Luke nearly wanted to cry. He didn’t want to look at them, at the damage done. He didn’t know if he said anything, but Waxer continued.

“We are okay, kiddo,” he kept going. “A few light electrical burns and some bruises, but nothing serious. I promise.”

Luke could still hear the yelling. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, going through exercises and jedi mantra. He did this for several moments before he finally got the courage to glance up at them. All six of them, on their feet without aid. Waxer hadn’t been lying but that didn’t make things hurt any less.

Because he saw what was on their necks.

He had seen them before. On Tatooine when Uncle Owen or Aunt Beru had dared to bring him into town during their errands. On several backwater planets, controlled by Hutts or slavers or the scum of the galaxy, he and Ben had to stop at. He had nearly seen one on his own neck once. He had, however briefly, had seen one on Ben’s.

No, Luke would not fall.

But perhaps they would wish that was all he did.

“Dooku should die for this,” Luke croaked out as he stared at them. His vision was blurry. Tears, again, he suspected.

There was some talking. Luke didn’t hear it. All he heard was the crunching of the collars that were on their necks, falling off as Luke clenched with both his fist and in the force. Someone was holding his hand. He didn’t know who it was.

“So, what are we doing? It’s up to you, Luke,” someone was talking. Luke couldn’t tell who it was, perhaps he wasn’t listening hard enough. He wasn’t paying attention much. “Are we going to try our hand at escape? Or are we making an attempt on the Count’s life?”

#revolving suns au #time travel #fix it #time travel fix it #protective luke skywalker #luke skywalker #clone trooper waxer #waxer #captain rex #jesse #fives #tup #clone trooper jesse #clone trooper fives #clone trooper tup #revolving suns

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 4 years

Text

Humans are Space Orcs, “One Flag and a Thousand Arms.”

Back with the major conclusion to the LFIL arc after months of not getting to it. Didn’t know I was going to write this today, but here we are. I hope you all like it, and sorry it is kind of long, but my typing was at light speed today (nice warm hands) :)

Anyway have a good day everyone!

“Please everyone, calm yourselves. The G A is addressing the issue as we speak.”

The crowd roiled and churned like the bubbles in a pot of boiling water. Flags waved and voices rose high into the air.

The chanting increased in fervor.

“Please!” The rundi struggled to raise his voice high enough to be heard over the crowd, who only grew with strength and intensity.

Commander Vir keyed his mic, “Delta units to the GA side of the crowd, some of these protesters are looking extremely agitated. Let's make sure they don’t do anything we’re all going to regret.

HE stood with his back to the GA chambers, its wide arching courtyard devoid of life except for those unfortunate Rundi ordered to carry messages from one side of the compound to the other, otherwise they tried to keep their distance from the front facade of the building and the churning mass of protesters.

White flags waved and fluttered.

Commander Vir held the energy shield with one arm pressing it back firmly against the crowd, so they could not pass the dedicated marking point.

“Commander, the crowd here is getting violent.” he grimaced and reached a hand down to open the line, “stun them and let them calm down, do NOT catch anyone else in the crossfire. We do not want this escalating.”

“Yes sir.”

Something pushed against his shield and he grunted pushing back. The white bandanna on his arm was pressed against the clear blue force field and helped to at least confuse the crowd before them. And luckily, they would be kept too confused to get violent.

The aliens among the human protesters helped as well. If this was on earth, things would have broken out into a riot by now, but the Drev the Tesraki and the Finnari tended to be more level headed when it came to these kinds of things, and they managed to rein in their humans from doing something stupid.

He closed his eyes tight for a second praying that the GA would rethink their position.

It hurt him to watch these people struggle like this. It just felt so strange that anyone should be here in the first place.

Beside him, Sunny had taken control of two young humans who were getting a bit more than rowdy, “Lets keep this a protest, and not a riot.” She growled giving them a look that would have made anyone quell in their boots. It sort of made him half smile, Sunny was such a badass, he wanted to be more like her when he grew up.

His thoughts were cut off as the crowd churned a bit pressing into his shield.

Hey keyed his mic again prepared to go over the loudspeaker and tell them that if they didn’t calm down he was going to turn this protest into a mass nap time. He had the power to do that if things got out of hand, though he honestly didn’t want to.

The GA needed to see this.

He was so preoccupied with the crowd that he barely noticed as the Rundi ran up from the inside of the compound flying forward on its long spindly legs.

It stopped by the first Rundi to say something, and the conversation that passed between them didn’t look particularly encouraging.

HIs heart sank into his stomach.

He felt…. Surprisingly disappointed, very sad for all those people who were going to get their day ruined.

The rundi waffled around at the front of the crowd for a bit before turning and looking over to where he stood.

Oh great.

The rundi walked over, and he backed off from the crowd allowing Sunny to take a step in his place with her shield at the ready. The people looked as if they were about to start something, but seeing her expression, they decided not to.

He dropped his shield and lowered his head to hear the rundi over the roaring of the crowd.

“The GA is not budging.” The rundi whispered, “They are asking the protesters to leave.”

Adam growled in frustration.

Behind him someone in the crowd pointed at him, “They’re saying no aren’t they!” Others took up the call, and soon enough the rest of the crowd had been alerted. Adam was forced to run back to support sunny as everything suddenly grew more intense.

Fights were breaking out on the left and the right.

People were hitting the ground as the guards were forced to stun them.

That only agitated the rest of the crowd who also began to buck and fight.

Adam keyed the mic for real this time filling the intervening space with his booming voice, “ALL OF YOU KNOCK IT OFF RIGHT NOW OR I WILL STUN YOU ALL.”

The aggression in the crowd died down, though the anger remained sizzling at the surface.

Overhead clouds passed over the sun, before him the crowd roared like a wave, and behind him the GA council chambers were as silent as a ghost town.

“LISTEN, QUIET DOWN ALL OF YOU.” it sort of felt as if he was floating. The world around him hardly seemed real though that was not the best way to explain it.

The crowd died down a bit, “You may not understand this! And I have said it before, but these are not humans. Protests don’t work on them. When they see a group of angry humans they get scared and when they get scared, they double down even further. I know it does not make any sense to you NOT to protest for what you believe in, but if you are going to do this, you MUST remain civil. Even now the GA is frightened by you. They don’t believe you are rational, and they are not going to listen to you if this keeps up.”

The crowd had quieted down to a milling sort of confusion.

“Then what should we do!” the shouting came from somewhere and in anger, though he couldn’t pinpoint the source.

IN frustration he nudged Sunny, and she allowed him to climb on her back as he had before.

The crowd could see him now, and he could see them for the most part.

He waved them down trying to cut off the others who had taken up the chant.

“I understand what you are trying to do, and I support your efforts, but you are only hurting ourselves. The GA can only be won by rational discussion.”

“The GA won't see any of our representatives.” One of the crowd’s people snarled.

The call was echoed

Adam stared at them in shock, “Are you serious.”

There was a muttering throughout the crowd.

“For fuck’s sake.” he muttered under his breath

“The Rudi think none of us are high ranking enough to be allowed into the council chambers, and none of the representatives will take up our cause. The human ambassador thinks we are disgusting, so she won’t do anything.”

The muttering through the crowd grew louder.

Adam looked around head turning to see all the angry faces, blushed with red, or streaked with tears.

These people were frustrated, and hurt, and he understood why.

This wasn’t right.

He closed his eyes again and took another deep breath.

What was he thinking?”

He stepped down from Sunny’s back and walked over to one of the protestors in the front row pointing to his large flag on a pole that was about eight feet tall.

“May I borrow your flag?”

The protester stared on at him in confusion, “What, why?”

“Because, I am going to give you the representative you need.”

***

Commander Vir and Sunny walked alone down the length of the GA outer courtyard.

A billowing white flag streamed lazily over his head suspended there by way of the pole which rested heavily on his shoulder. The white of the fabric had been marred now by many colors as hundreds of rushed signatures had been scrawled on its face.

He was armed with the backing of a thousand protesters, a hundred signatures, and more than a few dozen stories.

Sunny turned her head to look at him, and he fancied that maybe he saw an expression of pride in her eyes, though she didn’t say much except, “Pretty brave.”

He didn’t feel very brave, and as they walked through the front doors of the GA atrium his hand was shaking against the cold metal of the flagpole.

He was stopped by a pair of rundi guards on his way into the chamber, but was let in after they recognized who he was.

He could hear voices up ahead, and the sounds of the protest going on outside had all but died away, “They have proven that they cannot be civil, and based on the humanizing effect, we can assume they will do similar things to any non human lifeform that they encounter.”

“I may not agree with their decision counselor, but that sounds like your prejudice against humans is seeping through.”

There was an uproar in the council chamber.

He paused for a moment with Sunny just out of line of sight and took a deep breath.

She lay a hand on his shoulder.

“Here goes nothing.” he muttered before stepping his way out onto the GA floor.

At first no one noticed his presence as he made his slow way into the center of the circle, but his large, white flag soon changed that. The council chambers went silent.

The chairwoman stood, “Commander, what are you doing here. Shouldn’t you be taking care of the protesters.”

His lips drew into a thing line, “I am.”

He rammed the flagpole against the stone sending a loud cracking sound out and around the wide atrium silencing the council, “I have been made aware that you refuse to see their representatives based on a ranking issue, well I assume my rank is high enough.”

The Human rep leaned forward, “Commander, this is not your place.”

He shot her a look, ”Then whose place is it counselor.”

He turned his head in a wide arc at the watching crowd, “Counsel, you have known me, longer than you have known any human currently in this galaxy. You understand that I know your rules and your customs. You understand that I have only ever striven to protect and uphold the GA and the planet’s it encompass. I have thwarted wars, signed treaties, and broken my own body for your best interests.” There was silence about the room.

“Will you let me speak now, with the understanding that my loyalty has never wavered from you, and never will.”

The silence continued.

Aliens understood the power of human loyalty. Or at least they should.

The chairwoman took a seat, “Very well, commander.”

He lifted his head feeling his heart slow as he took a few deep breaths. There was a muscle in his face that had begun to twitch, like it always did if he was extremely angry or nervous , but he held it down, “I understand you are frightened, and I understand that you are confused, but I want you to know first of all that those people outside are good average people. They don’t mean you any harm. They are hurting, and they are afraid for themselves, and they are trying to get your attention. Historically, humanity has used protests to right the injustices of government to combat prejudices brought on by one’s sex or the color of their skin. You must understand that they see this as an impingement on their happiness and a decision made out of line.”

There was a murmur around the room .

“So I ask you now, that I may, perhaps, answer your questions and ease your worries. Why are you so against them?”

“It’s unnatural.”

It was the Bran representative that had spoken, and he did it quite emphatically.

“Why?” The commander asked

“Because they aren't even the same species.”

“So?”

The bran seemed caught off guard, “They…. It's not natural. They can’t reproduce, so it isn’t…. A thing that should be done.”

The commander shrugged, “So if one can’t reproduce then they aren't natural? I see a couple issues in that logic relating to prejudices against people with infertility.”

There was a murmur around the room.

“So they can’t reproduce, so what. You know who we can reproduce with though….. Adaptids.”

There was a sort of hushed exclamation form around the room.

The commander shrugged, “They can’t have kids…. Hardly a good enough argument to bring to the floor of a government discussion.”

“What he is trying to say is that this practice equates itself to bestiality.” It was the human representative this time, and she stared at him with her eyes narrowed in anger. He kept his cool though he very much did not like her.

“That is absolutely disgusting and wildly insulting of you because that implies that one or both parties are no better than animals, beasts as you will.” The room was silent, “So which one is it, are humans animals, counselor, are the Finnari animals.” He turned to the Drev counselor, “Are the Drev just dumb animals that have no understanding, and no decision making abilities.”

The Drev representative stood angrily cracking his spear against the stone, “We are most certainly not.”

The commander held up his hands, “Then what is so bestial about it? Bestiality is absolutely disgusting because you are taking advantages of a creature that can neither understand or protect itself form what you are doing. It cannot say yes, and it cannot say no. It has no greater understanding than that of a child, and so cannot make its own decisions.”

He looked towards the Finnari representative, “Tell me counselor, is your species a species of children, with no greater concept of their own decision making.”

“Of course not. Why would you even imply such a thing.”

“I imply nothing, counselor. This is what YOU imply with your decision. So far we have established that all parties are intelligent consenting creatures, and none of you have managed to give me an actually good reason for banning the practice.”

The floor was growing more agitated.

“They will be a poor example for the rest of the galaxy. If we make it legal others will surely follow.”

Adam turned his eyes on the speaker, an Iotin, “You’re worried that they are going to turn the rest of the galaxy extrial?” He laughed, “That is a poor argument which is not only selfish, but foolish. People should be allowed to make their own decisions. And assuming you are right, what then? Oh no…. There are a few more extrials….. And it does…. What exactly?” He turned in a wide circle, “If you are worried about population growth or in this case population falloff due to this issue then you should be reminded that extrials comprise a percentage of the human population so small that I could fit the greater majority of them on my ship comfortably. This occurrence is not common, and even if the numbers were to rise, it would not be of enough significance to cause issues .”

His heart was hammering hard inside his chest. He felt like he was doing alright, but that might mean nothing.

“In any event, these relationships do not affect the vast majority of the galaxy. Humans cannot be with the bran or the Rundi due to the water we shed from our skin. The grimm and the Iotins are out for similar reasons. Vrul and Gibb are incapable of having feelings for humans in that way, and both the Tvek and the Celzex are too different from humans for either party to be interested.”

He walked around in a circle allowing the flag to trail behind him, “Furthermore, the humanization phenomenon happens with or without romantic intent, and as it is, its mention is more a mark of prejudice on humans than it is an argument against the two groups being together.”

He left the floor open for a little while as the council muttered with each other.

Finally the Drev representative stood, “My species culture and our way of life has been upturned by the GA. I fear relationships with humans will result in the loss of our culture. We have already strayed far from what we originally were. We are hardly recognizable as Drev anymore.”

The commander let his voice soften, “I understand that the Drev have lost a lot in joining this….”

Sunny held up a hand, and in surprise he was cut off.

She took the floor, “Your Glory.” She said bowing her head, “If you upheld those ideals, you would not be sitting on this council.” The Drev pulled back in surprise at her words, “Yes, we lost a lot in joining the GA, and after the war, but I would argue that some of that was for good. Before the GA people like me, with perceived imperfection were cast into the fire and perceived as no better than animals. This practice still takes place on our planet, where these traditions are still alive and well.”

Her words made the room shift nervously, “However, culture changes and adapts, and it must to survive. We changed in order to live among the GA. We found other alternatives to fighting that still maintain our honor and our prowess in war, and this includes the sports that the humans have brought to us. Furthermore, the vast majority of the Drev I see who are with humans are those of us who would not be accepted by our own kind, perceived as ugly or malformed. If this is the case then your traditions remain sound, and those like me are removed from the mating population.”

The counselor almost looked ashamed at her words turning his head away so as not to look her in the eyes.

“As far as a change of culture goes it was bound to happen, and it seems you are more worried about change than you actually are about human drev relationships.”

She went quiet, and Adam nodded to her taking the floor again.

A finnair counselor stood, “I am simply worried about our birth rate. The Finnari were farmed by the Gnarlak for many years, and we are only now replenishing our population.”

“I don't think you need to worry. The amount of actual relationships is so small that it will not affect the Finnair population in any significant manner.” The representative sat back down with no real argument to combat him.

The chairwoman stood, “Your arguments have been heard commander, though, what the others do not mention is the issue of disease. We have seen a great increase of illness transmissible from humans to non humans and-”

“I hate to cut you off chairwoman, but that has a simple explanation, the rise in human tourism.”

She paused, “Explain.”

“You all know very well that humans are not allowed to leave their planet unless they are tested for all communicable non-treatable diseases. This means that those of us that you see here cannot physically pass our diseases off onto other people except for the germs that are found naturally on our skin. In this case these issues did not stem from relationships at all but poor vaccination, the poor regulation of tourism, and allowing aliens to travel onto earth where infected humans are located and not testing them as they leave.”

He looked on at them pleadingly, “You see. You don’t even have problems with them, but you are using them as a real scapegoat for the actual issues. And I am here to tell you that, in fact you are causing more problems by banning this. The more you push, the harder they will push back, and eventually someone is going to get hurt, because they are not allowed to be together legally they do it illegally, and because they do it illegally, they end up in dangerous places exposed to greater rates of crime. They get hurt, and they get involved in things they would otherwise not have gotten involved in if you had not banned it. Just look at Noctoplis. It has the highest rate of extrials living there and the lowest policing force and the most corrupted system. There are no legitimate jobs there, so we see an influx of crime by desperate people who won’t be accepted anywhere else. Not to mention that it increased the depression rates, which increases suicide rates. Your laws have ostracized them, forced them to become criminals, and turned many of them to think that killing themselves is better than living in a world where they are seen as disgusting when they don’t actually do any real harm.”

He had to take a deep breath, “Earth has seen all of this before, and one way or another, eventually someone will see what I am trying to say.” He rested the flag on the floor beside him feet planted at shoulder width.

“I hope that this rational conversation will allow a more open mind on the council. I encourage you to talk to their representatives. They are more rational and educated than I am, and they can give you hard facts and statistics. But please, they don’t want to cause trouble, if you allow them to do as they will, you might find these problems going away for you.”

The human representative clearly did not seem convinced, but he didn’t expect to convince her, he expected to convince the others who were more afraid than they were prejudiced.

“It seems as if we have some other potential policies to discuss, Commander.” The chairwoman said tapping her fingers on the table before her.

“I have a suggestion, ma’am.”

“And that is?”

“A temporary revocation on the ban, that way you can SEE what the universe will be like without it, and you can judge for yourself whether The ban does any good. You don’t have to overturn the law just yet, but temporarily suspend it, that way you can re institute at any time. THan you will have concrete proof. You can do testing, and poles and whatever else, but you would know for sure.”

His suggestion turned into a discussion, that dragged on for many minutes before the chairwoman raised her hand, “It has been decided, all in favor of this temporary proposal please indicate.”

The voting lights flashed above them.

Commander Vir waited.

*** He walked from the venue hours after he had entered exhausted.

The flag felt heavy in his hands and his boots thudded with exhaustion on the white marble below him.

Outside, the protest field was surprisingly silent, though he could still see their flags.

As he walked closer he could see that the vast majority of the crowd was sitting down. Thei voices reached him from a distance at first until he realized they were singing with each other.

Waiting for his verdict.

He was still a ways out when they spotted him.

A lone man and Drev walking form the building, the man wearing riot gear, a full helmet, a shield, and carrying their flag resting against his right shoulder.

The group of them began to stand rising to their feet and yelling.

Pointing in his direction.

They quieted as he got closer.

“What did they say! What did they say!”

He stayed quiet holding a hand in the air to silence them. He passed the flag to the original protester who looked on at him with such an expression of pleading that he felt his eyes tingle a bit with rising emotion.

He had to look away boosting himself onto sunny’s back keying his mic.

The crowd was silent.

“I spoke to the GA.”

They waited on tenterhooks , “And after a long debate, and a slim majority the GA have decided….”

Flags whipped in the wind, “To temporarily revoke the ban on inter-species relationships until a-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence drown out by a powerful wave of noise and joy so overwhelming that he was nearly knocked backwards off his feet.

The crowd surged forward, and Sunny staggered as the group surrounded them pressing inward and upwards.

Adam found himself on the ground on his feet packed in by bodies enclosed by hundreds of pairs of arms slapped on the shoulder and the arm, as every person tried their best to get one hand on him.

The flag from earlier was ripped off its stand and pressed into his hands.

He was deafened by cheering and an outpouring of gratitude so profound he had simply never experienced such emotion.

He looked up at Sunny pressed in with him by the enthusiastic crowd.

And she nodded her head in approval.

He grinned.

He had to admit.

This felt pretty good.

Though, weather it was all over was a question for another time.

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apricuscity · 3 years

Text

Love In The Time Of Revolution!

“Welcome back everyone! We hope you’ve been enjoying the show so far. Please relax and enjoy the thrilling conclusion to Love In The Time Of Revolution!”

Act Two:

War has broken out across the kingdom. Villages are burning, people are losing their lives, chaos has consumed the once peaceful land...and madness is beginning to consume the Emperor..

Augustus and Baskerville are alone in the war room. Baskerville explains his grand plans to wipe out the rebels. (War). While yet again asking for Mia’s hand in marriage. Augustus agrees and says when the time comes Baskerville will have the throne he desires but not until this war is won.

Mia is horrified at what her father is allowing to happen and begs her mother to speak to him (War). Zelina claims Augustus will speak to no one except Baskerville and fears all is lost. She has her loyal servants pack Mia’s things in preparation for her departure.

Across the kingdom Soldiers, and Townspeople wonder how they got to where they are now (War). Benjamin has become the leader of a group of awakeners. Their number only seems to grow with each village they liberate. (War).

Before she leaves the castle Mia speaks one last time with her mother. Telling Zelina of the man she met at the festival. Zelina tells her daughter that love can happen in the most unexpected ways and most of the time Love doesn’t “see” classes. (Love Is Blind). She tells Mia that as strange as it is, she must follow her heart. She doesn’t want her daughter to end up in a loveless marriage such as her own. Mia bids her mother farewell and is escorted out of the castle by Zelina’s loyal guard.

Baskerville stands before a large crowd of people. He explains he knows none of them is an awakener but it doesn’t matter. All of them are filth and if he doesn’t eradicate them now they’ll likely be a problem during his rule. (Unthinkable). A few young villagers are seen hiding behind the elders. Baskerville smirks as the soldiers open fire.

The carnage continues as Baskerville has given up on trying to find just awakeners. Deciding to just burn it all and start over. Eventually his path takes him back to the fishing village where this all started. Walking through the streets as his soldiers burn down everything. Only to come face to face with Benjamin and his rebels.

Benjamin had been following the trail, knowing eventually he’d catch up to Baskerville. Baskerville and Benjamin’s forced engage each other. The sight of all this destruction has been taking it’s toll on Benjamin. Despite his resolve Benjamin isn’t as skilled a fighter as Baskerville and is stabbed in the side.

Baskerville explains that once he’s done with all of this he’s going to marry Mia and take the throne. He tells Benjamin he knows all about their festival meeting and Benjamin shouldn’t worry. Baskerville says he cares nothing for Mia and will gladly send her to meet Benjamin after he becomes emperor.

A sudden feeling overcomes Benjamin..time itself seems to stop as he feels a burning within his very soul (Awakened). His blood flow begins to greatly increase. His strength and speed are amplified. As time seems to return to normal he throws a punch as Baskerville prepares to strike him with his blade. Benjamin’s punch shatters the blade, a shard of it flying back and slicing Baskerville’s right eye.

Baskerville howls in pain and covers his eye, staggering backwards as Benjamin rises. Baskerville calls for a retreat but just before Benjamin can rush after he feels a tremendous pain in his body and drops to his knees. The other awakeners assure him he’ll be alright and congratulate him on becoming one of them.

Baskerville demands to speak to the Emperor alone. Augustus allows this but questions Baskerville’s authority. Baskerville claims Augustus has lost control, the awakeners are gaining ground, and Mia is gone. Baskerville demands they activate the chimera project. Augustus refuses.

Baskerville concedes that perhaps he’s taking it too far...or perhaps Augustus is simply a fool who doesn’t know when to stand aside. Baskerville produces a dagger from his sleeve and plunges it into Augustus’ heart. Augustus’ ceremonial mask falls from his face and shatters before the the emperor drops to the ground. (What Have You Done)

Baskerville has one of his spies plant the dagger in Zelina’s chambers. Calling for help and claiming he was attacked and the Emperor was slain. He places the blame on Zelina and has her arrested. Claiming the throne for himself and initiating project chimera.

As they ride through the countryside Mia and her guard are confronted by Baskerville’s soldiers. Mia proves herself capable as she fights off her attackers but the numbers catch up to her. Just as she and her guard about to be captured, Benjamin arrives. Demonstrating his newfound ability and dispatching the soldiers effortlessly. Mia and Benjamin embrace. (Fated).

As the strange chimera beasts begin to ravage the land, the awakeners find themselves having to save the very soldiers they were once fighting. The chimera threaten to wipe out everything and everyone. Mia learns of her father’s death and mourns him even though he was never truly kind to her.

Benjamin realizes the only way to stop this is to confront Baskerville who has left the castle and has secluded himself in the facility the chimeras are coming from. Despite protests Mia decides to come with him (No Second Chances). Mia refuses to lose another loved one.

Baskerville decides to increase the chimera production. He’ll outnumber the rebels and end this war. They had their chance to surrender..now everyone is simply expendable (No Second Chances).

As Benjamin, Mia, and a large contingent of awakeners march toward the chimera facility they see the scope of the destruction. Forests destroyed, the land itself scorched, wildlife and people alike either killed or devoured. The awakeners battle against a seemingly never ending amount of chimeras as Benjamin and Mia rush toward the facility.

They find the building strangely empty, Baskerville’s soldiers lay dead as a demented Baskerville sits on a makeshift throne. His chimera rushes Benjamin and Mia. Benjamin finds despite his new powers the chimera is proving too tough to handle. Baskerville explains the chimeras are designed to counter awakeners. They are the superior lifeform.

As the chimera pins Benjamin on the ground Baskerville steps forward, drawing the emperor’s blade. Claiming Benjamin took his eye...it’s only fair he repays the favor. As he’s about to strike, Mia tackles him to the ground. The chimera diverts it’s attention just long enough for Benjamin to punch through it’s heart. Tossing it aside.

Baskerville shoves Mia away and stands, smirking as Benjamin draws close. It’s only then that Mia notices something dripping from Baskerville’s blade. She realizes the truth. Baskerville knows he can’t beat Benjamin fairly so he’s poisoned his sword. One small cut is likely all he needs. Benjamin is already filled with rage as he charged.

Baskerville waits until the opportune moment and slashes hoping to simply land a small blow on Benjamin...Baskerville and Benjamin pause as they finally see Mia in between them. Baskerville’s sword stopped by her hand..and her blood dripping to the ground.

Mia stumbles back and Benjamin catches her. Baskerville takes a few steps back as Benjamin cradles Mia. Mia tells Benjamin to save their people. Benjamin looks to Baskerville who taunts him.

Benjamin lays Mia down and promises to return as he rushes Baskerville. Knocking him back into some equipment. As Baskerville slashes with sword he begins to strike more and more of the strange equipment. The machinery begins to spark, flames erupt as more of it is destroyed. Baskerville strikes a cable, causing sparks to blind Benjamin.

Baskerville tries to flee, running up several flights of stairs as fire begins to engulf the building. Benjamin regains his sight and pursues Baskerville. The floor itself begins to crumble as the building falls apart. Benjamin backs Baskerville into a corner.

Baskerville goes to strike with his sword but the ground gives way beneath him. Baskerville’s sword falls into the flames. Benjamin reaches out and grabs Baskerville’s hand. Baskerville pleads for his life and despite his rage, Benjamin pulls him up.

Baskerville admits defeat but as Benjamin turns he pulls another dagger from his sleeve. Much like he did with the Emperor he goes to strike down Benjamin. Unfortunately Benjamin sees this coming and dodges the attack, causing Baskerville to stumble and fall through the crumbling floor into the inferno below.

Benjamin hurries downstairs and retrieves the still conscious Mia, rushing her outside. As the facility burns the chimera begin to fall dead. Mia and Benjamin embrace as the sun begins to set. (Setting Sun).

Mia tells Benjamin that whatever comes next will need him. The empire will fall and the people will rebuild. Mia asks Benjamin to help Zelina, that her mother deserves to know what happened. Benjamin says he can’t lose anyone else, he doesn’t know if he can go on.

Mia smiles and says she knows he can. That he needs to. For her. Because tomorrow the sun is going to rise on a new world. They kiss one final time as the sun sets.

The curtains close.

“Thank you everyone! Can we get a round of applause please?” The curtain opens to reveal the entire cast. “ Emperor Augustus - Sorin Nightingale, Queen Zelina - Alabaster Brahms, Princess Mia - Lye Marigold, Commander Baskerville - Rudolph Donnerov, Benjamin - Amias Zelly, Village Elder - Shin Goodfellow!”

“Have a good night everyone!”

#Revolution Day

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shadowofthelamp · 3 years

Text

Year in Review: Writing

So, I can’t do the ‘year in review’ for art because... yeah, I didn’t really draw that much this year. So I decided to trawl through my writing tag for one favorite piece per month, and a pulled few paragraphs from each! Basically everything here is Zim except for the one tendershipping week thing, lmao, oops.

Some months had slim pickings but I still do like every one of these and it was a nice reflection.

January: Arrival

Her skin was tinted a sickly green, more like decomposing flesh than irken or human. Dib swallowed, but her breathing seemed to be even when he placed a hand to her kind of chubby chest, so that was probably just how their skin colors mixed, right? Besides, the lighting in the lab was always weird. Her mouth was gummy with no teeth yet, but her vocal cords were functioning perfectly. He was going to need hearing aids by his twenties, between her and Zim.

She had four fingers and three toes, which he kind of expected, as well as a nose but no ears. That made sense, if she had antennae, but it was still strange to run his fingers along the sides of her head and just feel smooth skin.

Her eyes… they were Zim’s through and through, deep ruby with the color filling the sclera. Did irkens even have sclera if they only had one color? Under the lab’s lights and mixed with the way everything on her slightly shimmered from the sticky goo she'd been coated in, she was like a section of space stolen into the little room and it took his breath away. The water blurring his vision didn’t help as he wiped it away with his sleeve, shifting her to one arm. She was so small...

__________

February: WLOD Dib meets Twix, alt version

It’s fascinating, to see what could have gone right. The 1001 here had gangly, underdeveloped limbs, and wispy hair that never quite got clean from the showers. This version wasn’t fat or anything, but definitely had more meat on its bones.

He examined the goggles- peering through them, they altered its vision because they made the lab beyond the ‘glass’ blurry. Curious, very curious. He was about to pop the lens out when it began to stir, tugging at the metal restraints with a clatter.

_________

March: Zibvoid

He talked to himself.

He talked to Zim, who hadn’t said a word since he’d died, but maybe he was just giving him the silent treatment.

Round and round, the generator buzzed like a bee and a hospital and a bug zapper that would draw in prey like flies to a web, except he was the spider now and the Zims were the moths.

Dib. Dib Dib Dib Dib Zim Dibdibdibdibzimdibdibzimdib. The names popped off his tongue as he rolled them both in his mouth, over and over until they didn’t seem like names at all anymore.

__________

April: Sturdy Branches (I know the date’s different on ao3 but it was first posted April)

Her dad is either singing or talking to himself as he vacuumed inside the house with a sway in his hips. At least you’re pretty sure it’s her dad? You haven’t seen a picture of him or anything, but he’s about the same age as your dad, so he’s too old to be a brother and too young to be a grandpa, and she hasn’t mentioned any uncles. A babysitter, maybe, but that doesn’t really make sense since Tulip isn’t home yet- ah!

She’s talking to someone as she turns the corner, bouncing her backpack. It’s lilac and circular, as well as covered in buttons. The Ranger helmet is in her backpack or still in her locker, but either way, she’s not wearing it anymore. She’s got the boots on, though. You adjust the binoculars a bit, but you aren’t good enough at lip-reading yet to tell what she’s saying. Whatever it is, it’s making the girl she’s talking to laugh. Maybe she’ll tell you tomorrow in class or at lunch if you pull her to sit at your table again. She has more friends at the middle table, but they don’t like sitting next to you after the beetle incident, and she doesn’t seem to mind. She always has a big smile when you start talking, and she’d say something if she didn’t like you, right? Pretty much everybody else does.

_________

May: Do Something For You (TD spoilers!)

Dib had never really thought ahead to having a family, but she was pretty much everything she’d want in one. She was an assistant and a partner, she was invested in the paranormal, she hated Zim- but on the other hand, she didn’t want him hurt? She seemed weirdly invested in making sure he didn’t get caught, actually. Eh, she’d hit him pretty hard, so it wasn’t like she was opposed to him getting his rightful dues for being an evil space monster.

It was relatively simple- she was just worried if he died then her timeline would be destabilized, which was a decent enough concern. Zim had to be important to his life for years to come, in one way or another. But whatever they were dealing with in the future, it had to be better with Zim out of the way earlier, right?

__________

June: Unnamed capture au drabble

“Why do you even give me these stupid scripts if you don’t like me doing them?” Dib folded his arms, kneading the ball in his palm. “Just get a robot or something.” He snorted. “I mean, it’d probably break, like half the stuff you touch.”

Zim’s hands curled into fists. “Take that back, you- you- worm!”

Dib quirked an eyebrow. “What, touched a nerve? When I was a kid, half the stuff you made broke, it’s just a fact. You only conquered Earth because this place is a trash heap and your garbage is slightly better than ours.” Over a year in Zim’s presence without too many galling injuries and a lifetime of not being able to keep his mouth shut made him bold. “Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re probably broken yoursel-” He was cut off with a Pak leg aimed directly at his throat, prodding in just deep enough to draw a drop of blood down the alien metal.

Zim’s eyes were narrowed, but something was watering on the edges, and Dib swallowed, adam’s apple bobbing just below the leg’s tip.

“Zim. Is. Not. Broken.”

___________

July: Laughter

Ryou couldn't stand the lights on one minute and then hated having them off the next. The shadows bled from the way the light reflected off the couch, how it seemed to devour the wall behind it, and he swore he could still hear the voice in his mind. (Was that himself? Had he started thinking of himself as a separate voice? It had been ages since he'd really been alone, even though anyone outside him would have wondered about the boy who talked to his reflection like it was an old friend.)

He wished he could talk to Ryou. Ryou who had seemed so pliable as a child but had proved entertaining, a match for the fire, (heh, fire, even though it wasn't that funny, in fact, it wasn't funny at all, but what did he have but jokes? it wasn't like he could cry anymore) who carved out rules for use of the body with gritted teeth and tugged at the rope of the Ring so hard it had chafed his neck. He'd respected him. From a soft child, he'd hardened and grown firm, grown powerful, grown to be worthy. What were the odds fate had given him a chance at the same time someone had handed a young Yugi the box with the Puzzle? A roll of the dice. (The Gods having a last laugh, perhaps..)

Ryou dug his nails into the wood of the desk so hard that it made crescents, tiny moons in the umber that dug splinters into his pale fingers. The little model of the Thief King sat, as he always did, half-hidden on his shelf behind the pieces of Zorc. He'd never bothered to glue the monster back together but felt oddly reluctant to just incinerate the figures and be done with them. Both of them. Either of them. Maybe he just didn't want to pretend it had never happened. (Maybe he was worried he'd forget, thoughts and memories swept away by the sands of time, trickling down the hourglass, minute by minute, day by day, as he aged the way the Spirit had never been allowed to.)

___________

August: New Mission

It had been a month.

Nebula Twix had survived. She’d had to be popped into the healing pod when she had an allergic reaction to the oatmeal Dib had tried to feed her when it had inflamed her spooch, and Gir had tried to eat her head the one second Zim’s back had been turned, and she made goo from both ends a lot, but otherwise, she was perfectly fine!

And with that, Zim had come to a crossroads. It seemed that he was, indeed, in this for the long heel. (He was pretty sure that was the phrase. Humans liked large feet and large boots, so it made sense.) He could either continue to keep her a secret, or he could pass on his success to the Tallests.

Creating slaves out of the species marked for invasion was pretty common- something like 85% of invaders did it. But creating hybrids? That number was much lower. (Besides, they were usually disposed of as soon as the invasion was complete.) And irkens having those hybrids from their own bodies, and not just mixing them out of genetic slurry and quickly aging them up in time-fields? Almost completely unheard of. Zim was the pioneer in that area.

Also, having smeets from one’s body may have been a tad illegal, considering how hard it had been to find good information and judging from the fact that all irkens found to do it were brought in for experimentation. But no matter! Zim was nothing if not very, very good at things few other irkens dared to do, ready to drive the Empire forward by any means possible. They would have to appreciate that!

__________

September: Twix finds out she’s pregnant

Secondary life-form detected, the chamber chimed.

“Oh, gross, I’ve got a tapeworm? Well, flush it out.” Twix rolled her eyes, going back to the computer.

Lifeform has elements of Pak user.

Her finger froze on the ‘b’ key. “It… what? Analyze species origin.”

The chamber hummed around Twix as sweat dripped down the skin of her neck. There was a tiny 'ding!’ like a kitchen timer.

Lifeform is too underdeveloped to make more than approximations, but is roughly 25% irken and 75% Dominant Earth Species.

Her scream rattled the walls.

__________

October: Best-Laid Plans

“Of course, Number One.” Two turned his head slightly, and Dib jolted- he hadn’t directly commanded him to do that. “Your plan is perfect.” He blinked slowly- much slower than most Zims. Most Zims were utterly manic, back and forth and back and forth, loud and brutal and dangerous, but Two- Two had always worshiped him. Maybe even more than the rest. It had been nice, to be admired so heavily. Two had adored the personal attention when he was turned into an errand boy.

Dib might miss him.

He shook that thought out of his head, gripping both sides of Two’s face with his index finger and thumb, nails (not claws, they weren’t claws) digging into the cheeks.

“You belong to me.” Two didn’t respond, and Dib dug in a little further. Irken skin was thicker than a human’s, with a single drop of pink blood oozing over Dib’s fingernail and leaving a barely-perceptible damp trail. “Respond. Who do you belong to?”

“I belong to you, Number One.”

___________

November: Desperation (warning if you click through for impalement)

Dib’s lips were on Zim’s before he even knew what he was doing. “You’re not dying on me, you little bastard,” he hissed, fumbling to hold up the body as Zim nearly coughed blood directly into Dib’s mouth. It was salty and sweet all in one, but Dib couldn’t linger on the taste. Zim’s fingers grasped at his shirt, and Dib took that as a sign that it was working, pressing their lips together hard enough to bruise the capillaries.

There was a click. Dib breathed in blood and out carbon dioxide, sputtering and swallowing it down so Zim wouldn’t die like this-

Something red-hot and metallic climbed over his arm before digging into his spine, and he realized that the body had gone entirely limp before there was electricity and then there was nothing.

____________

December: Freak

Twix grit her teeth. “How am I supposed to trust you if you’ll just- just do that?”

“How am I supposed to drop my whole social life because you can’t help being the weirdest person in school?” Tulip shot back. “I do care about you, but it’s so, so hard sometimes, because you just don’t know how to act, and sometimes I’m sick of waiting for you to play catchup just because your parents are the town freaks!” She slapped her hands over her mouth and took a step back.

Twix’s eye twitched under her goggles. “At least they’re freaks that love me. I’ll see you tomorrow, third period.”

“Twix-”

“I said,” Twix said through gritted teeth, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Get out before I reactivate the security.”

Tulip got out, and Twix buried her face in a couch pillow and screamed.

#shadow says stuff

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paragonrobits · 4 years

Text

ill-advised crossover ideas: the planet of savage Sakaar is relatively close to Etheria and accidentally sucks in remnants of Horde loyalists, who go beserk and start another war on the planet.

Adora, Cattra and other friends journey to there to wrap up a loose end, knowing nothing of the planet except for the following points:

it is a war-torn and desolate land, that has been conquered by many; the native lifeforms are insectoid beings who have been harshly oppressed and victimized by the humanoid Imperials and taller, gray-skinned giants known as the Shadow People, and all live in a variety of kingdoms that was once overseen by the Imperial’s empire (hence their name; they are literally people of the empire, and have a self-righteous idea of manifest destiny).

All sorts of weird things show up on Sakaar, as its some sort of mystical wasteland where everything ends up somehow. If something goes missing, it turns up here. It’s where things go when no one wants them, there is no place for them, the land of the shunned and outcast. “Sakaar’s where the universe throws out its trash.” A land of monsters, and renegades.

Sakaar is ruled now by a mysterious figure called the Green King; Adora initally assumes he’s probably a threat, as everyone calls him a monster in hushed, frightened tones. A vicious beast who tore down the Red King and smashed everything in his way; a green-skinned horror who will not die, who cannot die, whose endless and burning rage may break all the world. He, who fought a herald of the apocalypse and beat him in such a fury that even the bloodthirsty crowd was appalled. A savage monster whose undying flesh knits together, who even death itself cowers from in horror.

Adora expects someone pretty much on the same level as Hordak Prime.

What she gets is a huge and muscular behemoth with a surprisingly laconic - if tense - attitude, who is rational and calm, and kind of annoyed their war made it to his planet. “I just cleaned up the damn place,” he grumbles, but doesn’t make an issue of it.

He is Hulk; the strongest one, fueled by righteous anger, hailing from places and abuses he refuses to speak of to anyone. Not to his equally imposing and fierce wife, nor to his chaotic assembly of friends, not so different in their way from Adora’s own alliance.

He united kingdoms, he toppled a corrupt tyrant, and he resolved disputes eons in the making, and for all his ferocity, he gave the people of his home hope again. His green blood brings life to the dead world of Sakaar, his refusal to ever give up inspires the fierce people of Sakaar.

Adora supposes she can relate to him in some odd ways.

And then, there’s the Green King’s friend; a tall being, bearded and wild, bearing a broken hammer, his body horribly scared with something like snake’s venom, and missing a leg. He’s a nice guy; cheerful enough, friendly, wild as a storm and very prone to hugs.

His name is the sound of thunder. He is the storm itself.

And so, they learn something; the Red King was but a puppet piece for something older, a player of games, who has directed the last of the Horde here, for whatever strange game he then intends to play with their lives.

Cattra is pissed; she wanted a honeymoon or something, not to waste time cleaning up after Hordak Prime’s mistakes.

#she ra #marvel #hulk #planet hulk #thor marvel #crossover #fic ideas #adora #cattra #so basically like planet hulk plot wise #thor ragnarok character wise #though this take on Thor has BEEN through an actual ragnarok situation #jormagundr fucked him up

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precontis-blog · 6 years

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----- THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW ;

This is going to be a huge information dump based on how I’ll be portraying the character, etc. Please take the time to read this, as it will explain a lot about how he’s modernized, and how I intend to play him. Below, you’ll see a bit into the legend, what he is, and how he carries himself. I also will be including how his powers work, and how he himself differs from the legend ( as legends are not always accurate ).

----- LORE : THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN ;

The headless horseman is known as a man on horseback who is missing his head. He either carries it under his arm, upon his horse, or he is missing it altogether. If he is missing it, it’s known that he’s searching for it. It is believed that he was a man killed during the Battle of White Plains in 1776, decapitated by an American cannonball. The shattered remains of his head are known to be left on the battlefield while his comrades carried his body away. Eventually he was buried in the cemetery of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, from which each Halloween night he rises as a malevolent ghost, furiously seeking his lost head.

----- LORE : WHAT IS A DULLAHAN ? ;

They are headless unseelie faeries, known to carry their heads with them, either on the saddle-brow of his horse or raised in his hand. A hideous grin splits the face from ear to ear, and the eyes dart about. The entire head glows with a phosphorescence so that the creature may use it as a lantern guide through darkened groves and laneways. When a dullahan stops, a mortal dies by call of name. They are possessed of supernatural sight, holding his severed head aloft to see vast distances across the country. He can spy the house of a dying person, no matter where it lies. Those who watch from their windows are punished with blindness, either by a splash of blood thrown upon their faces, or by use of his whip. He is usually mounted on a black steed, and uses a human spine as a whip. He also has a black coach, drawn by six black horses, and it travels so fast that the friction created by its movement sets fire to plantlife.

All gates fly open to let him through, no matter how tightly locked. The coach has additional candles in skulls to light the way, its wheel spokes are made from thigh bones, and the covering of the wagon is made of human skin. It tends to speak as little as possible, and stops before the door of a house to shout the name of the person about to die. He may also stop at the very spot a person will die. Unlike a banshee, the dullahan does not pursue specific families and its call is a summoning of the soul of a dying person rather than a death warning. There is no real way to defend against the dullahan because it is Death’s herald. However, an item made of gold may frighten him away, for dullahans appear to have an irrational fear of this metal. Even a small amount of gold will suffice.

----- WHAT HE FOLLOWS ;

Despite being the headless horseman, it’s very clear that Eadric himself hardly follows folklore. He may be a headless man on horseback, but it’s clear that he still has his head and it isn’t exactly a lantern. In fact, he appears completely human when not being, well, the headless horseman. What is true happens to be his manner and year of death, as he did in fact die in 1776 from a cannonball that decapitated him. Just as Eadric’s current head isn’t exactly his own, it’s a replica that was created by Death when he chose Eadric to be one of his heralds.

Eadric was born in North Tarrytown ( which would later be called Sleepy Hollow ) and was buried in the Old Dutch Church. If someone were to search his gravesite and dig up his coffin, they would find a corpse dressed in his old military uniform taking place of his body. He does not only rise on Halloween night, and he can in fact call upon his powers at any point, day or night.

In fact, aside from being considered an unseelie faerie, he’s also technically a ghost as well as undead. Here’s how I break these down: --- He, himself, is undead. He is a reanimated corpse, except his body is untouched by the stages of decay. Eadric’s organs and all continue to function normally to give off the appeal that he is still a living, breathing, human being despite being semi-immortal. --- He is a ghost in the way that his horses are ghosts, and they are individual extensions of his own person. He is known to be seen with one horse, or he will ride a carriage drawn by six. Regardless, these horses are ghosts and are often seen as wispy shadows. --- He is a faerie by way of his powers and how they work. Conjuring ghost horses and a ghost carriage, utilizing reality warping magic to do so, while also managing to remove his own head at any point in time. He betrays the laws of life in favor of being Death’s herald.

Despite his horses and carriage all being ghostly in manner, physical lifeforms are capable of touching them. These objects are as cold as a winter night, but they can still be used for transportation. The coach is, of course, follows lore where it is all black and it is decorated with skulls that have lit candles in them. The wheel spokes are made of thigh bones, and the wagon’s cover is made of dried human skin. Surprisingly enough, it does not smell all things considered. From the cover hangs several lanterns as additional light.

He still does possess supernatural sight, and his eyes do glow a shimmering blue when using it. When he calls upon the soul of a dying person, he is meant to draw the soul into one of the lanterns he carries ( either one of four on the coach, or one that hangs from the horse’s saddle ), but he is also known for consuming them. Contrary to lore, Eadric is not a man afraid of speaking his mind, and in fact he quite enjoys talking. Most other dullahan tend to be silent during their work, but he has no issues regardless.

So when does he not have control over his powers? On the night of a full moon. It will force him to be the horseman for the night come dusk, and there is always a soul for him to reap. In order for him to fully take a soul, he must call upon his power. Otherwise he cannot completely call someone to death, though he may still taste their soul as a human if he so wishes.

Upon his neck is a scar that runs clean around, obviously the supernatural seam that keeps his head attached, and the seam that magically comes apart when he is to remove his head. He can undo this seam at will, appearing completely and utterly human while just... waving his head around.

----- WEAKNESS : GOLD & DEATH ? ;

You heard it here: Eadric is in fact weak to gold. But he isn’t afraid of it. In fact, he finds gold pretty and a nice decoration, whether it be on a person or object. However, gold in and of itself works similarly to kryptonite on Superman, except it has to make direct contact with his body. Not necessarily skin, so long as it touches him at all it will do. The gold, as a strange purifying element, will nullify his powers and prohibit him from calling upon his horses or any supernatural abilities he may have. This includes his super sight, and it strips him of his semi-immortality.

This is the best time to kill him, as any mortal wound that’s considered fatal will do, but be warned that if the gold object is not left on his person, he will be resurrected come the next night. There are three ways to kill a dullahan, and two of which are definitely permanent while the gold method is partially temporary. 1) Keep the gold object on his person, or find a way to sneak gold inside him. Have him swallow it, inject it, etc. If this gold leaves him at any point, he will come back the next night. 2) A sickle dipped in lamb’s blood, cut cleanly through the seam that keeps his head attached. 3) Death’s touch / Death’s weapon in general.

----- THE MODERNIZATION & HIS GOALS CURRENTLY ;

When I say that he’s modernized, I mean it in the fact that he isn’t stuck in 1776. He dresses ( more or less ) normally, with the exception of his more Victorian goth fashion, but he sums that up to his interest in history and horseback riding. At least that’s what he’ll tell anyone who asks, assuming they’re liked enough to get a kind answer. Eadric knows what the internet is, he has a phone, he’s seen cars, etcetera.

Eadric has been out of his coffin since 1996, when North Tarrytown was changed to Sleepy Hollow. Since then, he has watched the world change and grow, and he has been a part of it in secrecy. Most people don’t know that he’s the headless horseman, just as people often assume he merely shares the name of the man who supposedly died and was decapitated in 1776.

As for his goals, well, he’s sort of been straying from the path of what he’s meant to be doing. Calling forth souls of the dying was his initial goal, but Eadric is bored of the humdrum afterlife he lives, as he was never the man to follow rules. In secrecy he explores just how much he can put a soul through before it breaks, just as he’s more fascinated with getting himself into dangerous situations, or allowing people to figure out just who or what he is. Eadric is in fact amused by the terror he creates by simply riding through a town, and each year he crafts himself a new whip by tearing out the spine of several victims by his own hands.

#「 META 」ʷᵒʳᵈˡᵉˢˢ ᵖʳᵃʸᵉʳˢ ᵒᶠ ᵃ ᵇᵘʳᶰᶤᶰᵍ ʰᵉᵃᵛᵉᶰ #long post /#ask to tag /

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kurokatana101 · 6 years

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*** I present my secret Santa gift for @testyourheart-mk! I can’t draw very well but I enjoy both that and writing so you get both. :) I don't know if your favorite characters are Kenshi and Ermac because you ship Kenmac...but here's some Kenmac anyway. I think this ship doesn't get enough love which is unfortunate because MORTAL KOMBAT DEADLY ALLIANCE happened. Plus my sons Ermac deserve to be happy. The fanfic is below the Keep reading break. Enjoy!

Three years ago, if you were to tell Ermac that he'd one day be in Japan, standing in the house of Takahashi Kenshi, he'd give you a look of disgust and potentially kill you. Killing was his thing anyway. Three years ago, Kenshi was merely the father of one of those troublesome kids who'd come to Outworld and stirred up trouble. He was just a fellow telekinetic, whose sword he would have loved to suck the souls from. Three years ago, he didn't like him in any regard.

And yet there he was, three years later, walking down Kenshi's hallway. Ermac was clad in one of the Swordsman's Maroon kimonos which was slightly too large for his thinner body. He'd slept in that very Swordsman's guest room, and now he was headed for the kitchen of that man. What a strange, unusually peaceful time this was the construct thought.

"We are with you, sightless one." He said, entering the kitchen to find Kenshi pouring Genmaicha into a cup and spilling some onto the table.

Kenshi looked up in the general direction of the voice and smiled. He put down the pot of tea and gestured for the construct to come closer. "Good morning Ermac. Won't you all sit down?"

"Sento guides you yet but you do not currently wield it. Curious."

"I don't need Sento right now. I've memorized my own home well enough to go about it with little to no guidance. Now have some breakfast."

"We do not have a need for sustenance as other lifeforms do."

"But you can eat, can’t you? Whether you need it or not I imagine Shao Kahn decided to give you guys the anatomy most beings have."

"Unlikely but we're willing to try. We thank you, sightless one."

"You can stop with the formalities and strange title. My name is Kenshi and you needn't speak to me like that when we're in my home under casual circumstances, in sleepwear, and eating breakfast. Indulge yourself and relax...you can do that now."

Right. Ermac can do that now. Kenshi, through methods Ermac himself didn't fully understand, had freed him. In a figurative sense Kenshi reached into Ermac's being and dispelled Shao Kahn's soul from him. No longer did his opponents face 10,000 souls, but 9,999. But that didn't sound so bad. He was still many, and his opponents would surely be outnumbered. No army had greater numbers than Ermac.

Except perhaps D'vorah's bitch ass with that stupid fucking hive of hers. How many larvae strong was that creature again? Ermac had digressed now, something he didn't do before he had free will. He'd steer his thoughts back to his current situation and quit worrying about the petty things in life. Ermac didn’t need all 10,000 souls to be unstoppable. Ermac would decimate that insectan whore even if her hive contained millions, and that's not who he needed to worry about right now anyway; he was with Kenshi right now.

"Why is that Kenshi?" the fusion of souls asked after a long pause.

"Why is what?"

"Why have you freed us from Shao Kahn's grasp? What is it to you if we have free will or not?"

The question threw off Kenshi for moment. Not because of the nature of the question, but because of the timing. If Ermac had asked that question three years ago it would make sense, but now? Why was he only just now wondering why Kenshi helped him out? "It was unfair that you all were programmed to serve Outworld's ruler. It was a horrible fate to be damned to, one you never chose."

"We needn't chose it. We were created with that very purpose in mind so there was no need for free will. We were not created to be friends for the Kahn, or children who would one day choose their own destinies...but his army."

"As true as that is I don't like the idea. Ever since I heard about you at the last tournament I thought that it was unfair. All these souls condemned to be a tyrant's little pet? That sounds ridiculous. Now allow me to show you a more positive example of a fusion of souls.”

Kenshi stood to leave the kitchen, abandoning a portion of his breakfast. When he gestured for Ermac to follow he stood from his own breakfast and made his way around the table.

Despite having mentally mapped out his house, Kenshi was not without error. As he was turning a corner he misjudged just how close to the doorframe he was, and ran into it with a thud. It was moments like this that made Ermac’s heart lurch

"We will guide you sightl-Kenshi."

"Thank you Ermac."

"You're welcome."

"Sento is a good instance of souls fighting as one for a common purpose. Sento contains the souls of my warrior ancestors, many of them, and they guide me while I'm in battle; they are my eyes...willingly. They do it out of love and concern for my wellbeing," They just entered Kenshi’s bedroom. Something about being in that space made Ermac feel strange. Happy, but strange. Being allowed into the swordsman personal space, and seeing how his personality manifested itself in the decorations and colors adorning his room was endearing. And endearment was a feeling Ermac only recently began experiencing, so it was still mildly unsettling to have his heart swell with the emotion.

Amid his thoughts Ermac wasn’t paying attention Kenshi, who had gone to his closet where he kept Sento in a glamourous case. Ermac also didn’t notice Kenshi approaching him with the sword until Kenshi was holding it out to him, gesturing to Sento with his free hand.

"That is why you should serve whoever rules Outworld: because you want to. Those in Sento decided who they want to be. So, tell me Ermac, who do your souls want to be?"

What sort of question was that? Ermac wasn’t even sure how to begin answering it. "We..."

"Look in the mirror. Tell me, what do you see?"

The amalgam of spirits did just that, and turned to face the large mirror on Kenshi’s wall. Why he needed any mirrors in his house, Ermac wasn’t certain. Because of the well-crafted, antique looking frame surrounding it, Ermac guessed that it was either a family heirloom or a decoration.

"We see ourselves and you."

"In a literal sense that may be so, but that's not what I meant. Think of it more figuratively. Reflect on yourselves, and use the imagination that you now have."

"We are a vessel for an army, bound by magic," Ermac answered, mildly annoyed. What the fuck did he want from us? He wondered. In the mirror he saw himself and Kenshi standing behind him. What more did he need to say? "What do you see when you peer into the reflective surface?"

"At least you've built some character and learned sarcasm. But since you asked," Kenshi faced the mirror, despite not being able to actually see it. That alone confused Ermac. But what made Ermac flinch in surprise was the weight of Kenshi's head resting on his shoulder and the sensation of strong arms wrapping around his waist. What came next perplexed Ermac.

"I see my future."

“What?” Was all he could say, because shit…Ermac had really been thrown off by the answer. There were multiple ways it could have interpreted, but the way Ermac was leaning towards had his heartrate increasing.

Ermac was not accustomed to such feelings. In fact, he'd never felt them until he and Kenshi began spending more time together. So what would any logical being guess? Takahashi must have been doing something to the construct! I was believable enough considering the guy was able to remove one of his souls. Perhaps he could also implant things in him? Like nonsensical emotional states he knew Ermac would struggle to process.

He wasn't certain what it was, but Kenshi is the only being who has ever evoked it in him. Just one touch and then it happened. Every. Single. Time.

"Do you understand, Ermac?"

"We're not certain if we've correctly deciphered your words, but we are able to give a better answer to your previous question; what we see in the mirror is...ideal."

"That is a better answer. And why is it ideal?"

"We enjoy ourselves around you, Takahashi Kenshi. It must be magic, the way we melt into your touches. The euphoria of hearing your voice calling our name, and the way your very presence frees us from any anger or sadness that previously plagued us. Because this experience is so foreign and uncharacteristic for us, we once tried to distance ourselves. In the beginning we were frightened of the emotions you aroused in us and so we wanted to run away from them; but when we tried to leave it all behind we only yearned for it more and more."

Kenshi’s immediate response was a chuckle. Ermac’s ignorance of emotions was comical and even cute to an extent. "You guys are a delight. I haven't cursed you with anything; if I had to take a guess, what your feeling is adoration. Unless you consider that a form of magic you have not been cursed."

"We know of adoration, but do not quite know what adoration is. We are learning emotions yet."

"Why don't you describe how you feel about me and I can let you know if it's adoration or not."

Fortunately for Kenshi, Ermac had not been autonomous long enough to understand bashfulness. Hell he probably didn't know the meaning of the word embarrassment yet. In the three years that Ermac had been free, he still choose to serve Kotal Kahn because he enjoyed it. He was still mercilessly killing his enemies, still growing accustomed to making friends and engaging in recreational activities. Kenshi wouldn’t trivialize how hard Ermac had worked to make the progress that he had, but he was also a realist and knew that he was still the same in many ways.

So when it came to admitting things that most individuals would shy away from due to coyness, Ermac didn't find the act embarrassing in anyway. His mind didn't process it in such a way.

"We are content in situations like this, when we can stand with you and share affectionate moments. How you've managed to beguile us so perplexes us yet, but we are confident in what it has caused us to desire. What we desire, is to call you ours and we want to be yours. It is our will to be held in your arms till the end of time."

Ermac looked into the mirror once more, and the biggest smile to ever grace his face formed at the sight. Kenshi nuzzled the back of Ermac’s neck, occasionally planting a kiss on his neck and shoulders. His arms were still wrapped around the construct’s narrow waist. It looked as though their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, and it sure as hell felt like it too.

“Sounds like adoration to me.”

"We could die and be reborn a million times over, and in every single lifetime there would be only one individual who could complete us. That is you, Takahashi Kenshi."

"Then I'll surrender to your will. I'm yours and you all are mine."

“Till the end of time?”

“Every day, as long as the hands of time turn.”

“You must vow it.”

“I promise you, Ermac, I promise all 9,999 of you. I’ve realized that I need every last one of you sharing this realm beside me, sharing this lifetime beside me.”

Ermac was still smiling. That was the best, and he meant the best answer he could have ever expected from the man. How thrilling it was, to know that Kenshi also wanted this and Ermac’s souls cheered for it! Cheered for the days Ermac would wake up next to Kenshi’s gorgeous face. Cheered for the moments Kenshi’s lips touched his own, and the times Kenshi would hold him in a warm embrace. They would wake up together, navigate the realms together, fight together, die together, exist together.

And Kenshi would love him for him.

I'm sooo glad I got someone who wanted a gift involving my sons Ermac and his husband Kenshi!

***This story combines elements of Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance/ Mortal Kombat Deception and Mortal Kombat X, but it takes place about three years after the events of MKX. The MKDA/MKD part comes in because it was during the events of MKDA that Kenshi freed Ermac from Shao Kahn's influence out of compassion. In MKD Ermac states this in his biography. Sure that was in the old timeline, but I'm bringing that part into the new timeline because I can.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

#mk secret santa 2017 #mortal kombat #testyourheart-mk #kenmac #kenshi takahashi #takahashi kenshi #ermac #happy holidays

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realityextinct · 7 years

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Keitor!AU fanfic - All Hope Is Gone

Summary: -- (surprise!)

Pairing: Keitor (Keith/Lotor)

Rating: PG-13

Status: Complete

Warnings: abstractness/weirdness

A/N: A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIFT TO MY DARLING @stirlingphoenix!!! I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH, HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD OOONE!!!~~~~<333333333

Word count: 1,645

The Galran Empire under Lotor’s rule has conquered most of the known galaxy. Many have died in resistance to the tyrant, but even more welcomed him as the new ruler with open arms. Wherever the unstoppable force went, be it for the greater good or bad, Emperor Lotor has installed his new order and system.

When the Galran Fleet entered the Solar System, the existence of other lifeforms was a shocking revelation to the earthlings. In due time, Earth had no choice but to surrender as well and the Galran Empire was open for negotiations.

The man representing Earth’s interests was Takashi Shirogane, sent to converse with the Emperor himself. It would be the first time an Earth commander would board a Galran ship. As soon as Shiro entered, there would be no room left for doubt as to why they have surrendered to the unwanted and unexpected guest in their System: the technology aboard the ship was far more advanced than anything they had on Earth. The ship’s structure from the inside out was massive and impressive, made from materials not found on Earth. As Shiro took careful steps, his feet pressing into the unknown material, he noted that the Earth scholars were right – this was not any element from the Periodic Table. It was something unusual, something otherworldly…emitting unknown to him energy.

The only hope they had in defeating the tyrant was by joining forces with other rebel groups they came to know once the Galran Fleet entered the Solar System. But until then, they had to obey to the Galra or they would be destroyed.

The chambers Shiro was led into seemed to be the Emperor’s private quarters: from what he could tell about the Galran culture, they had simple, minimalist taste. Thus, when he saw little to no decorations except for the very necessary items, it came of no surprise to Shiro. The walls held no decoration apart from one single Galran symbol stretching from one corner to the other, violet was the primary color on the entire ship and it was no exception to this room. The floors were carpeted, as the only indication of these being private quarters apart from the furniture in the room: a bed in purple silks, a coffee table and cushioned couches. A sight to behold.

Lotor sat on one of the couches, his expression showing no displeasure, having been expecting a visitor. He was clad in finest armor, showing his status not only as a warrior, but as a ruler as well. At his feet, a human pet was seated, his eyes on Shiro, Lotor’s fingers caressing curly locks. Shiro did not recognize the man personally, but he was well aware he was one of the volunteers, on behalf of Earth and to satisfy the tyrant’s tastes, sent as a gift – to become a pet. Momentary, Shiro felt sorry for the man, who looked to be in his 20s - with an entire life in front of him, having had sacrificed himself just to keep the Galra happy and save Earth from total destruction.

From what Shiro knew, and this posed an interesting question, Lotor had his pets disposed of once he was bored of them. This human man was sent to him almost two years ago. Seeing him alive and at Lotor’s feet, clad in nothing but a transparent robe, was opposite to the information he got.

It made Shiro’s stomach turn at the thought that Earth would be forced to accept this lifestyle at some point, throwing their society into primitively yet again.

The thought of helping this boy crossed his mind, but he was on a diplomatic mission, so perhaps he would need to devise a plan once outside...

Lotor’s smile widened as he gestured to one of the seats beside him, “By all means, make yourself comfortable, Takashi Shirogane,” Shiro felt uneasy hearing his name uttered so easily, as if they have been long-term friends. He was used to introductions, but it seemed Galran culture had no requirement for such etiquette. Without a word, Shiro took a seat as Lotor continued, “I expect for us to have a rather long and dull conversation, so I had refreshments prepared, as well as a performance to honor our new guest. Please, relax and let us make the best of our time.”

Somehow, talking to Lotor was much easier than Shiro first expected. The man talked with ease and Shiro didn’t find a need to hold back with any of his thoughts, for Lotor seemed reasonable. What Shiro couldn’t help was his eyes constantly falling on the man at Lotor’s feet, who seemed far away the entire time they were discussing politics. Seeing a human man at the feet of a Galra…that was enough to make Shiro’s blood boil inside, but he remained calm, skillfully hiding his distaste.

Unfortunately for Shiro, Lotor noticed him constantly looking at the pet, which caused their conversation to stop abruptly, “Keith darling, it seems our guest is troubled by your display. Please make yourself comfortable, like I suggested you do since the very start.”

Shiro found the use of the word ‘suggested’ unusual considering the circumstances, but he raised no objections once he saw the man, Keith, rise to his feet…and gracefully crawl onto Lotor’s lap, an arm wrapping around the tyrant’s neck daringly yet casually, as if he has been doing this for a really long time.

This left Shiro speechless. He has heard plenty of things about Lotor and none of them had anything to do with kindness, or especially allowing his subjects, let alone pets, treat him in such a manner.

Strangely enough, all Lotor did was watch his pet, their eyes meeting, before he turned to smile at Shiro, “Please forgive us for all the trouble, Takashi Shirogane. My pet tends to do as he likes. But that is the beauty of owning a pet, is it not?” one of Lotor’s arms wrapped around Keith’s waist.

While Shiro took a moment to take in the information he was so suddenly given, hardly believing his ears for it contradicted everything he was previously told about Lotor, Keith frowned and leaned in to whisper something into Lotor’s ear, receiving a small chuckle from Lotor.

Having come there for purely diplomatic reasons, Shiro had no reason to pay so much attention to the fact he was given severe misinformation about Lotor’s character, but he couldn’t help but notice and think about it because it was so much in his face.

The fact they were actually talking in his private quarters spoke to him of Lotor’s laid-back nature. The fact he allowed his diplomatic guests gaze upon his private life and tastes spoke to him in volumes too. Perhaps, everything that has been said about Lotor was a lie created specifically by anti-Galran propaganda. Perhaps…Lotor’s rule was not as much of a negative thing as previously thought to be.

The more he spoke with Lotor, seeing Keith play with his long white bangs as they talked, the more he realized this display before him was not a lie. That, indeed, this was an everyday occurrence for the Emperor of most of the universe.

And…it was strange. Borderline absurd, in Shiro’s understanding.

The only thing Shiro could think, though, as he left the ship, having concluded a few terms with Lotor, was that he would have to report what he saw, that what they knew of Lotor was false information.

And that the boy, Keith, probably needed no saving. Perhaps, he was a double agent, working for Earth. He would have to look into this.

As the guest left, Keith stretched over Lotor’s lap, sighing, “Finally… I thought he was never going to leave,” he leaned in to nuzzle Lotor’s cheek like a kitten.

Another chuckle escaped Lotor’s lips as he ran a hand down Keith’s bare back, “You are so very impatient, dear Angel. You know how very busy I am…” a pause, before Lotor smirked, “Did you enjoy my performance?”

Keith mirrored Lotor’s smirk as he slid off his lap, taking hold of Lotor’s hands and leading him to the bed, “I told you my plan was flawless. Earthlings are quite uncomfortable around pets, for it instantly gives them a negative association. But seeing how you treat me and how very in control I am – will be noted down as proof against any negative information that might have spread about you, making it easier for you to establish your eventual rule upon them.”

“You know well that I wouldn’t want for anyone to lay their eyes on my pet…if it were not for your grand plan,” Keith proceeded to take Lotor’s armor off, piece by piece, “But…getting earthlings on my side is worth all the trouble, admittedly,” once Lotor was free of armor, left in nothing but leggings, he fell on the bed with Keith still standing, a daring hand ending up on one of Lotor’s thighs, “I wonder if they will ever figure out you have been half-Galra all along…” he paused, looking straight into Keith’s eyes, “And mine.”

All Keith could do was laugh a bit under his breath, moving a bit to stand between Lotor’s legs, spreading them apart further, “Until recently, earthlings had no idea of any alien existence, that is why I doubt they could have suspected any half breeds among them – a traitor to relay all of the information back to Galra.”

Lotor said nothing, but his warm expression said it all, legs wrapping around Keith’s waist and pulling him in, “I want you to make love to me tonight and slam me into the mattress so hard, the entire planet Earth shall hear,” Keith, as a pet, certainly had no authority, or personal will to decline that.

Earth was going to fall. It was only a matter of time.

The End.

#keitor #keitor fanfic #voltron #voltron fanfic #voltron shiro #keith kogane #lotor x keith #lotor #prince lotor

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ignitingwriting · 5 years

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Igniting Writing ‘Explore’ Contest 2019, Submission by Thenushan from Igniting Writing

Hot off the presses, we’ve now received entry number nine for our teen creative writing contest on the theme of ‘Explore’. Jointly led by Igniting Writing and three other creative writing clubs for teens (Lake Erie Ink, Fighting Words and Young Writers Project), the competition is in full swing and this most recent submission was sent in by Thenushan, one of our regular attendees of Igniting Writing sessions. Thenushan’s entry is titled ‘The UFO’ and has a lot of fun, fast-paced humour, so have a read below:

It all started at the school science fair. Mr Abercrombie, the headmaster, was inspecting our science projects. I made a lemon powered UFO the size of a classroom. It was actually pretty easy. I all I had to do was bend some aluminium sheets in to the desired shape and then I bolted it together and I added a carpet and some sheets, steering wheel and a set of pedals and it was all finished. Anyway, Abercrombie was inspecting our science projects and he told the whole of Year Seven to get to get into the UFO to apparently check the real capacity.

And then Tyson, the biggest, clumsiest fool on the planet, accidently pressed the start button whilst Abercrombie was pressing the pedals and then we accelerated through the school roof and straight into the cosmos. And then Abercrombie started freaking out because finally had to give a student an A* but everyone was laughing hysterically at the maddened headmaster, we didn’t even see the black hole and then we got sucked through it.

It was a whirlwind of confusion and then we were tumbling around and around and students were getting flung into the sides of my UFO and then we were spat straight out into the middle of space. The whole of Year Seven in space, imagine it – and there was no way that we were get back to school because the black hole had disappeared. We were so deep into the middle of space that there wasn’t even a planet that we were taught about at school but we did find a planet that looked like Saturn except that it was blue. Eatonia, the most annoying person on Earth, told us to go and land on it. All of us didn’t want to but no one wanted to risk a toddler tantrum, so we reluctantly agreed.

Then Eatonia opened the airlock and we were all going to die; surprisingly that didn’t happen. In fact, the planet was perfectly inhabitable. We were going to explore it build our own houses there. But Abercrombie wanted to rule the planet and make us his slaves. But instead they decided to make me the outstanding ruler of the planet. Therefore, I name the planet ‘Templeton’ after myself. After, me and the fellow inhabitants of Planet Templeton ventured around the planet trying to look for unknown lifeforms. Unfortunately, the only lifeforms we found were vegetables. Then Tyson found a bunch of 60 caves right next to each other, so we decide to turn them into a housing estate. We decided to share them one between two, but because I was the supreme leader, I got my own extra-large cave.

But then we realised that there was a problem, we didn’t have lunch. We were probably going to die anyway. But then Tyson showed us the vegetables from earlier and we decided to grill them. I thought that they would taste disgusting like earth vegetables but actually tasted nice, to be honest.

The next day we all woke to a raging earthquake (I don’t think it is an earthquake because we’re not on Earth). Matthews, the type of person that’s often joyful but panics really easily, was screaming his head off and shouting, “Earthquake! Earthquake!”

I stepped out of my cave and found myself being pelted with ice. Then I was struck multiple times by lightning. Storms here are something you really don’t want to face. Then the day faded as ever and the next day came, bringing uninvited guests to Planet Templeton.

We were woken up at the crack of dawn by the rumbling of a spaceship’s turbos. Not just one spaceship, a whole fleet of them! Then the grand mothership landed majestically. And suddenly the exit capsule slid out of the mainframe of the spaceship. Then the solid steel door gracefully skimmed out of the way and then a bucket-load of fog rolled out.

The Leader stepped out into vision. He looked commanding, standing straight-backed. “Take me to your leader!” he demanded.

Then Abercrombie pushed the crowd out the way and claimed he was the leader of the planet. “I am the leader; I welcome you peacefully to my lands.”

And then the whole of Year Seven started arguing. “He’s only our headmaster,” Becky told them truthfully.

“And not a very good one at that, innit,” claimed Bishop the Bling Boy.

Then Abercrombie stood and spoke again. “Ignore that nonsense, I am the lea– Arrgh!” The Leader had shot him with a laser taser gun.

The Leader said, “Take me to your real leader. The one and only Templeton!”

Then I stepped out to worship the Leader. “Hail to you master of the universe, reign peace amongst our fellow bi-peon based life forms,” we both said in unison.

“Why are you worshiping us?” said the Leader of the armada.

“Because you are extra-terrestrial life forms that have come to bless me.”

“No, we are here to worship you, the great leader,” the armada Leader replied.

“Yep, not unexpected,” Michel, my best friend, said sarcastically. “You’ll find that Temps is responsible for all kind of things back on Earth.”

“Thank you,” the armada Leader said.

“Noooooooo, an invasion by aliens that don’t respond to sarcasm?!” Michel cried. “This is terrible!”

At once everyone set up a grand feast for the inter-galactic newcomers. Roast potatoes and grilled vegetables were layered out by Abercrombie, who was now our slave, on the stone table crafted by Choi Hui the karate expert and his ninja skills. But no-one but me noticed the strange behaviour of the armada. They only ate potatoes and as they were galactic beings I thought this linked to my theory about the world being made by a potato.

This had been the biggest adventure of my life on the journey to find out that I was the leader of the universe, but then I actually found out that I was the leader of the universe. But then we found that the armada weren’t just here to see us – they were here to eat us! Then all of us made a run for the armada’s mothership and luckily the black hole opened up for us in time and we arrived at home safe and sound.

#igniting writing #teen writers #writing for teens #lake erie ink #fighting words #young writers project #writing club #writing group #explore #writing challenge #creative writing #writing competition #writing contest

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ricardiasdubious-blog · 6 years

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EARTH IN PERIL FINAL (THE TREES PART 2: DR. EDDIE BONDO)

Edward Bondo would become responsible for the death of billions as well as his own. It started out innocent enough, like most of the problems man had created. The world was growing and wouldn’t stop. The natural world needed to be controlled. The mass experimentation became so abundant kids could splice tomatoes and apples with take home kits you bought from the toy store. The creations weren’t meant to last more than a couple of hours after splicing was finished. The never did, the abominations would be inedible in their short lifespans and would mold within the first hour even with refrigeration. That is how Edward Bondo was introduced to science and the wonderful world of gene manipulation. He was a tall, lanky boy, sullen blueish grey eyes, and a small cropping of black hair on his head. Although, what really stood out was his intelligence and ingenuity. He was able to start splicing and creating things, far more complicated. Frogs with bugs was one of his first living splices. He kept up with the latest in the splicing industry. It was when he was in high school he was introduced to chemicals and splicing them to create new chemical concoctions. Edward was the type of kid in any of his classes that question everything. It was his chemistry class he questioned in the most.

“Mr. Rand, what made you get into chemistry.” Edward asked his aging teacher.

“Bill Nye of all things actually, but I fell in love with the research aspect of it.” Mr. Rand replied.

“Mr. Rand, how did splicing become so mainstream?”

“It was corporations pushing their limits to find the cheapest most effective way to make something, splicing things, eventually, made things cheaper and more effective.”

“Mr. Rand what do you mean by eventually, were their failures?”

“Of course, Edward there were failures in everything, chickens not being able to lay eggs because of a new steroid. Tomatoes would ripen so much they would explode when being cut. It was really hectic for a while.”

“Who made it non-hectic?”

“The Crafters Corporation, that’s enough questions Edward. Class is about to start.”

Edward couldn’t focus for the rest of class. He was on his phone researching everything he could about The Crafters, the slogan being, “Making A Better World, Literally”, catchy and simple. Their website was full of some of their crowning achievements, such as a chicken that was able to function and live properly with double of everything. Four legs, four breasts, four wings, they even had two heads. The description said that they mixed the DNA of a chicken, octopus and cows in order to achieve it. Another one was a cream that de-aged people’s skin, it had some spinal/brain fluid from a turtle and a little bit of horseshoe crab blood spliced into it. Truly and incredibly fascinating how far the limits of nature can be pushed. Edward was enthralled and felt like a little boy shopping at a toy store with the science he was staring at. One of the last tabs Edward was able to look at before Mr. Rand caught him being distracted was the internships offered at The Crafters Corporation “to help develop the brains of tomorrow”

Edward finished at the top of his class at Canon high school, although opted out of giving a valedictorian speech because he had a fear of public speaking. He already had several offers from gene manipulation schools, his senior capstone dissertation on “The Future of Gene Manipulation: Man’s Destiny to Rule” was published in a couple of academic journals. Edward went to the best of them all, C.I.G.M. or the California Institute of Gene Manipulation. It was there that he found a true passion with the chemical side of manipulation by splicing man-made chemicals with the genes from plants and animals. In some of his first courses he was introduced to the world of pesticide manipulation. Naturally the pesticides they studied were ones that would kill weeds and invasive species while not bringing harm to the plants people wanted. While intriguing it wasn’t exactly what Edward wanted. He wanted to not only kill weeds and keep the nice plants safe but improve them with the pesticide. Edward experimented on everything from bushes to trees, flytraps and tulips. He was attempting to find the correct combination of plant DNA because at the Institute they gave limitations. His professor stated that they were to replicate the pesticides currently on the market, and they were only allowed to splice lifeforms that used photosynthesis as a food source.

Edward was successful by using a base weed-killer and splcing it with the Sorcratea exorrihiza, a walking palm tree from Ecuador. He passed the class and earned the jealousy from his classmates for finding such a curious and strange tree. He was able to find the correct balance between the weed-killer and the ‘walking palm’. His pesticide was able to travel from plant to plant and notice the key genes that made a bio-form as a weed or a wanted plant. He found continued success with the trees of the world in his other classes as well. Edward also noticed in his History of Gene Manipulation class that only a few scientists have messed with the genes of trees. Edward always being the questioner, started his research on tree gene manipulation. His interests eventually turned into his doctorates dissertation. After, his graduation and another speech being avoided he started his internship at The Crafters Corporation. He started as a low-level aide to Dr. Adam Crake, head of the pesticide division. Edward made himself stand-out with his work just as he had in high school and college. He started, like all interns at Crafters, running for coffee, cleaning labs/equipment after use and listening to every word the doctors and scientists employed by The Crafters Corporation.

Dr. Crake was portly man, with a doorknob like chin and small spectacles and always wore a very colorful bowtie, he told the class on the first day that he got his bowties specially ordered. The bowties were spliced with cuttlefish DNA and it would change color depending on the tone of his voice. Edward returned to his work from college, except taking his pesticide to improve and protect trees instead of suburban garden flowers. He took his base weed-killer and started to explore in his free-time as well as when they allowed the interns lab time to work on their projects. The ones with the most effective pesticides would be hired. The rest of the interns would be sent along their way to future endeavors but were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements under penalty of being black-balled and sued. What Edward was able to do was astounding, he spliced the Sorcratea exorrihiza, “walking palm”, with that of a polar bear, tiger, and spore-dispersing fungi so the pesticide could travel by air. He took his new pesticide which he called Detoxinate Harm 23, or DH-23 to an air tight testing area within the Crafters Corporation compound because he wouldn’t want the pesticide to get out if its effect had been detrimental rather than helpful towards the trees. The 23 in DH-23 were the 23 lifeforms deemed the most destructible or harmful towards any give tree species. Edward’s primary targets were various species of bark beetle and poison ivy vines. In the testing area, he had five species of tree, two of each.

One would have bark beetles in it and the other with poison ivy vines on it. He applies his pesticide to the roots, bark, branches and leaves of each tree, then monitored the health of the tree as well as the beetles and vines. After two days of monitoring, recording, and sleeplessness, the beetles appeared outside of the tree and had fallen around its base, dead. The vines had withered and fallen just like the beetles, at the base of the tree. Edward smiled with excitement and emailed his bosses about his success. The next day, after he caught up on his sleep. They celebrated his success and cracking open a bottle of champagne. After all of the trials and testing other above him had to do, the pesticide was put on the market after about two months. It began to be sprayed onto the devastated Yellowstone trees, the titan-like Redwoods in the northeast, and the forests throughout the world to protect them from killer beetle or vine species.

When all the testing was finished, the trees Edward used were planted around the Craftsmen Compound as a living trophy to his accomplishment. Although, his trophies would soon become his killers. The trees began to move out of their planted positions, but people didn’t notice until their roots began to break apart the concrete. Their spores had been released and had attached to all the trees in the area. Eventually, the trees surrounded the Craftsmen Compound and it was when the people were inside that they began to attack. The redwoods came crashing down onto the labs and raised back up by the other trees. The branches of the cedars and poplars and oaks began to reach through the holes the redwoods had created and take people through them. Edward saw Dr. Crake taken into the branches, they reached under his skin until he was dead from the trauma. Then the trees kept him there as blood leaked out of him and dripped into the tree itself. Others were being taken by the roots, dragged underground to be buried alive or worse. Edward stood in horror as more and more people suffered the same fate as Dr. Crake, all the while the redwoods crashing down on different areas of the compound. Edward and a few others tried to run but anyway out was blocked by a wall of trees. The screams went on into the night and continued as the trees slowly encircled Edward and those who remained. After all the food ran out in the compound and the water fountains sprouted branches people became frantic. One by one they were taken into the branches or down to the ground, they were helpless to stop them. A janitor told Edward and the others he tried to call the cops, but he was told they were getting thousands of calls about the same problem. Eventually, it was just Edward left and after two weeks of no food or water, the trees roots encapsulated his lifeless body and pulled it under. There were no screams or cries for help, just the rustle of leaves as the wind blew.

(Thank you Dr. Battista and my Earth in Peril classmates for wonderful discussion, plus the depressing talks on the end of the world. Also, Battista as a dystopic leader of an ecological cult.)

#ILS2215BattistaWinter2018 #thetrees #horror

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eswelina · 7 years

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Universe Commentary (ep 42-52)

I was wondering when Eri would quit. I found strange she was still working even after her confrontation with Knight (which lead to the loss of her buddy). I think is a huge step and I hope she goes for a solo career definitely.

I thought Rei was smarter, but he didn’t realize some obvious things during a few episodes and did some stupid moves in his strategy. Anyway, the Happy Mouse was hilarious. Putting Rei in a “fish out of the water” situation was amazing for his progress.

Omg, Rei was so soft and calm. Very different from his tense and snarky attitude when he jumped to the others’ throats. I like to see him smiling, it makes me happy.

They’re back in the apartment and having domestic life. Aaww, Hackmon sleeping. More aaww, Rei wanders around with Sleepmon and just talks to him.

I KNEW Rei’s tears would broke me. I almost cried, but I couldn’t, because I was so confused and suspicious. I was like “What? How? Is this real? Is this a dream or some kind of trap made by Leviathan?”

We finally get to know Hajime’s personality! I wondered how he really felt when Rei ignored his drawing, because that would tie into Rei learning to put his pride aside during the Mouse thing. I suspected Hajime until the very end. His behavior was weird at times. How come he was a prodigy?

I died when Shutmon hid and started doing the neri-neri in a low voice. And when Bootmon escaped during the festival my reaction was the same as Hajime’s.

This is so nerd, they go to an animanga store. Eri has an action figure haha. I loved seeing the popularity of Eri and Astra when people approach them on a public place.

Wow! The background style of Agumon’s game is the same as Adventure. And...is this AR Field a reference to the fact that some versions of the Digital World are built in layers?

This Agumon is so so good that it’s cute. And the relationship between digimon and appmon as lifeforms is still unclear, but I find interesting that the game has the same name of this season.

Despite the initial rumors this Agumon is not the one from Adventure, so I’m not really sure why they used Brave Heart. Fanservice maybe? And I’m not totally happy that he evolved just like that with “the power of friendship”, but his CGI looked wonderful.

I like that Haru was so bad at the game, but still loved and cared of his virtual pet. He even downloaded the game to his phone at the end. Their bond is beautiful. THIS is how you do an homage and celebrate childhood. I find heartwarming that we, as fans of Digimon, have a crossover that has soul and is made with love.

I was surprised that there was another filler in the heels of the finale, but I thought it couldn’t be so bad since it was about Astra (who got the short stick this season), but in the end it was not worthy. He didn’t get any development. At least he finally used his team.

Poor Bootmon, he’s just tired of being forced to escape. Eri and Astra deserve a prize for running after Bootmon a whole afternoon.

Did...we just get a reverse Astamon situation? I feared they would do that, but I never thought it would apply to Yuujin and Offmon. And I totally didn’t expect that he was aware that he was an android.

I was tired of Yuujin and had lost interest in him long ago. But now, everything is starting to make sense. It’s so like Leviathan to make a robot in order to study human behavior. That’s why he was so focused on Haru and didn’t pay much attention to his other “friends”. He was incomplete.

As such, it’s no surprise that he wasn’t good with people when he was little. He may have learnt to be a good “person” from Haru and therefore he saved himself with the power of friendship.

Shutmon shouldn’t follow Yuujin blindly. He was clearly uncomfortable. If you don’t want to do as he says, then don’t. The applidriver doesn’t control the appmon. The basis of the pairing is that both buddies are on the same page (Hackmon said it himself).

I thought Offmon had progressed and was more confident. If he was able to stand up for himself and do the right thing he could have gained my respect.

I knew this would happen. The appgattai needs certain conditions to be achieved, but they just created a new rule at the last minute for plot convenience. That’s what happens when you waste time. But what can I expect if they never fully explained the mechanisms?

I feel bad for the old man that was learning to use the cellphone. After this, he will never get near a phone in his life ever again.

I was angry with Haru for a while. He and Gatchmon didn’t move a finger to stop Bootmon and Yuujin. I know he felt terrible, but he could deal with his feelings later. Maybe Rei can pass Elena’s words to him.

Speaking of whom...yes, he sounded harsh, but that’s Rei. Always being the rock of the group and doing what’s needed. I always thought he would break at some point, but he always kept going. He and Haru have equal inner strenght. Haru proved it in his confrontation with Knight.

That’s why I was furious. He’s not fragile as Unryuuji. It was like seeing Juri 2.0. I cannot believe he bought Yuujin’s lie. If he wanted to be a main character he should have done the right thing and stopped Yuujin, because he never gave him the strenght. It was in him all along.

The others just went through something much worse than a simple treason and they could overcome that. While I was sorry for him, I didn’t shed a single tear. On the other hand I couldn’t stop crying with Eri, Astra, Rei and their buddies (plus Hajime). Their partnerships are so well developed and are good examples.

What Gatchmon said was beautiful, pero están mezclando peras con manzanas. It has nothing to do with Haru’s question. They just changed his whole arc and drive out of nowhere, wtf. It was just like Takato’s drastic shift in the end.

And as emotional as the goggles symbology was, I think it could have been done better. Eri, Astra and Rei could have somehow contacted him and reassure him thanking him for changing their lives.

Although the music was anticlimatic once again, the designs are beautiful, except Uranusmon...wtf is that thing? Their voices sound so weird that is hilarious. And is nice that Hadesmon’s attack names are in greek. Besides, is funny that the kids are now the floating chips.

Eri, Astra and Rei interactions were the best. Why did the staff took so much time to develop the story? We could have missions with these 3 so much sooner.

Rebootmon didn’t get an eyecatch. Even Deusmon had one lol.

I loved the teamwork and how they were opening the way for their mates. And of course the relationship between Doka and his aniki couldn’t be forgotten.

Haru wasn’t even scared about falling, he just summoned Gaiamon. He has grown a lot. I’m so proud of him (I’m also proud of Eri for fighting Yuujin, but that “Pose-chan” plz xD)

If Minerva was sleeping all this time...how she kept track of them via cameras? And how did she put them to test after they lost their buddies? Even in the finale we have plotholes *sigh*. And when she finally does something, she dies lol. Poor Den’emon, now he’s furious.

They should have used Dive as soundtrack for the final battle, not Gatchen u.u. Gaiamon is doing everything (deja algo para los demás). Wow, the camera movements are awesome.

You did well, little fellows. I laughed with my edgy duo. At least Rei gave Hackmon that nutritive jelly to recharge energy after the battle.

FINALLY!! It took 52 episodes to go to the Dark Web. It’s the opposite of how I imagined.It looks so clean (reminds me of Matrix), but is still scary.

Leviathan called them “Chosen Children”.I love how this series still has the concept of choices. It’s like Jou said: “We’re the Chosen, but it’s us the ones who choose”.

Yuujin’s death didn’t moved me as Dokamon saying that Eri wouldn’t see her mother again. I cried. What I didn’t expect to cry with was the appmon staying with their buddies. I thought they were gonna leave, but seeing them together made me sooo happy.

Oh look! IT’S KNIGHT!! And Afro-san also comes back (after like who knows how many episodes). And Bootmon is safe. But could you explain how Offmon survived and moreover...how is he ok after losing his buddy?

Why did they bring Den’emon back to life? He’s too old and is just gonna suffer. He died, let him stay in digital heaven. He seemed happy there.

I cannot believe that Haru became kinda selfish. Even his mom died and he only cared about Yuujin. If you want to become a scientist, don’t you have a better reason like help humanity? Boy, you have to learn to live with loss. Why is everything unhealthy around that kid? *sigh*

I think this may be the most satisfying ending of all seasons. I got what I wanted and the door is open for others to get what they want. I suppose I can live with that (but not using Gaia and Hades abilities was a waste).

Nooo!! This is really the end T_T. They should have included the Lab section with the characters saying goodbye. Unless they’re planning a 2nd season. Anyway, thank you for everything. It was an amazing year.

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crashbarrier · 7 years

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Everything that is wrong with “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” that shouldn’t be

This is cross posted from my LJ, so is a little “behind” on date - (and yes i forgot Tumblr is a blog - duh!) Anyway, context.. I went to see Valerian at teh cinema because it’s one of those films that my partner and I recognise as being a ‘Cinematic visual masterpiece’. Which should be seen on the big screen. Although we went for 3D rather than IMAX because it didn’t seem to need the IMAX touch – though maybe we should have gone to IMAX because the focus was totally off on the 3D and we have issues with “Ghosting” and the occasional tearing of the image.. which was just weird - but not enough to give me motion sickness. but I digress.

Beware here be spoiler and ranting

Basic Premise of the story – (note this is a very cursory overview), we have a brief overview of earth going into space and becoming a hub of space commerce, the international space station grows and grows to become a port of call for intergalactic travelers. Eventually it becomes too big, threatening the planet (I guess it’s because it could plummet to the earth and create a disaster on a level that would wipe out the planet) so it is pushed into space. And by the 28th century (earth time?) it has carried on traveling but has grown has been is re named “Alpha” and is the “The city of a thousand planets” a hub of knowledge and mostly co-operating cultures (it’s a little like Zootopia the city) . .

Cut to a planet Mul (pronounced Mewl) where we see a peaceful idyll enjoyed by a race of what look to be aquatic based life forms (that, strangely enough, look a lot like the Maasai of Africa if they lived on a beach) who are living their daily life, doing their thing, harvesting pearls (which contain huge amounts of energy), and then using these weird little lizard creatures (Mul converters) to create more pearls and return them back to the planet, in what seems to be a form of sacrificial offering (sacrifice as in offering dumped into a pool of water). When suddenly the skies darken and death starts to rain from above. Large pieces of space ship being to drop into the atmosphere and hit the ground. In panic and curiosity the people investigate one of the large pieces and find a spaceship, they climb inside and shut the door to protect themselves. In doing so the handle falls off so the door cannot be opened. Trapped inside they are unable to open the door for their princess who is trapped outside while a wall of fiery death is approaching. They watch their princess die as the wall of fire approaches… in her death the princess releases a flash of light (which is her soul) which flashes out into space and….

… Seems to hit our titular character (Major) Valerian (Dane DeHaan) who is R&Ring on a holo-beach simulation based on his ship. Which he shares with his subordinate (Sergeant) Laureline (Cara Delevingne). Valerian and Laureline are agents of a galactic wide military organisation, they appear to answer directly to a governmental office within the planetary government. Contacted by the Minister of Defense they are sent on a mission to retrieve a stolen “converter” which is being sold in a black market deal in a universal market. Cue a heist movie? Where they grab back the stolen merchandise which is one of the little creatures from Mul which they take to the space station Alpha to return to the Galactic Federation via Commander Arun Filitt (Clive Owen) . Valerian and Laureline are then assigned as bodyguards to the Commander while he has possession of the “converter”.

During a meeting of the space station’s council, they are attacked by a previously “unknown” group of people who incapacitate the people and kidnap Commander Filitt. Valerian chases the perpetrators into an area of the space station that is currently registered as a dangerously radioactive area. And after “misc adventures” himself and Laureline discover that the survivors of Mul are living there and creating a way to re-create their now dead world. The Commander (who inadvertently destroyed their world by ordering a devastating attack on an enemy they were fighting in a war that ended up next to Mul) is seeking to cover his actions (as he was warned the planet had non-primitive lifeforms on it but chose to use devastating weaponry on the enemy and so triggering the rain of death that killed Mul) of effectively perpetrating war crimes. By wiping out the only witnesses – the Pearls. It turns out the pearl that Valerian picked up during the deal gone wrong for the converter and the Mul Converter are needed to create the power needed to create a facsimile of the planet Mul on a space craft that is going to be launched into space. Cue fighting and stalling and craziness culminating in the launch of the Mul Pearl ship, the reveal of the Commander’s complicity in the destruction of the planet Mul, the death of several security and command staff of Alpha and the capture of the Commander. Leaving Valerian and Laureline in space in an old International Space Station pod awaiting pick up by their organisation/or space ship Alex. With the two seemingly solidifying their relationship???

The only initial comment I have for this movie is that it is half a good movie. In the same way that the Live action movie of Avatar the last air bender (’The Last Airbender’) was half a good movie. Visually it is amazing, no expense has been spared to reproduce the universe created by the original comics. But unfortunately the same level of detail has not been spent on the script, which is sloppy and lacklustre, the editing which spends a long time lingering on the effects heavy scenes, and the acting.. Which lacks any form of charisma what so ever.

I realise that this might put you off watching this movie but visually it is amazing. And if you have a subscription or something it is worth seeing it on the large screen just for the “Space” alone. Unfortunately I suspect once it loses the enormity of the screen, and the depth of the 3D, like Avatar the Cameron movie, it will look a little like a collection of cut scenes from a computer game because unlike The 5th Element it lacks the charisma and pacing of story which makes the movie cohesive.

The main over all glaring complaint I have is the so called “love” story that takes place between Valerian and Laureline, because it has no love it in what so ever. There is no on stream chemistry between the two. Their interactions are on a level with two people who know each other but aren’t really attracted to each other. To be honest that could have been cut out and you would not miss it at all. Plus the ‘character’ of Valerian is totally un-empathic. He is 2dimensional, appears to be a serial womaniser, he makes no emotional connection to his paramours collects them as a “playlist” and the to make it more off, it appears that he they are his subordinates so he uses his position of privilege to “seduce” his female Professional Military Subordinates into a physical relationship……. So.. sexual coercion by a superior to a subordinate???

As a viewer of the movie I found it extremely hard to empathise and follow/side with this character He epitomised absolutely everything wrong with a white male privileged lead character. He is also a complete mystery as to his motivations he appears to be a reckless Maverick who gets the job done but forgets things like innocent bystanders and collateral damage, however he then starts to spout rhetoric about following the rules and being on point for the galactic federation?? On one hand he’s “I am unable to open up and let people in” but then proposes marriage to the Sergeant for no good reason than “I like you because I can’t have you”.. infact throughout the whole movie the only truly meaningful relationship he has is with Bubble, the exotic (truly exotic) dancer alien who he abducts?? To use in a dangerous mission to rescue?? Laureline.

Laureline is an equally schizophrenic character.. on one hand the epitome of the “strong female lead, functional practical and thinking, yet on the other hand she seems to somehow “fall in love” with this serial womanizer for no other reason than he keeps pestering her. Everything that I thought we have ditched in lead female characters over the last 10 years is revealed here.. She does a lot of the leg work but is overshadowed by the male lead. She is “strong” and “opinionated” but “falls in love??? with the shallow lead character” I assume because, al-la Disney princesses, he has pursued her to the end of the movie and not taken NO! As an answer (danger-danger Will Robinson….Danger! - in the real world this could be stalking???) she is the only character who actually knows what is going on, but is mostly ignored by the lead character except as an object of sexual pursuit (indeed, even the professional strike team at the market spend a lot of time giving her the puppy eyes rather than acting in a professional manner). Laureline’s sole purpose it appears, is to be artificially thrust into dangerous situations so the male lead will “rescue” her and be a “hero”. She is side-lined, ignored and backburnered until needed by the narrative to look “pretty” and be rescued. Indeed she spends a lot of her time in revealing, outfits that seem to only gain coverage when she needs to do stunts.. (I will note that while I can understand that she is, largely living in controlled environments which mean that clothing to keep warm is not necessarily a thing, she is a professional military agent on duty.. so I would have thought even a vaguely “professional” level of attire would be a thing, and possibly putting on even a uniform jacket when speaking to the Superior might be a thing.. - again there is the possibility that the organisation she works for has a hiring policy similar to that in ‘Barbarella’ but even so, it just felt off. )

I have to say that the level of Misogyny in this movie is spectacular. Indeed it was like watching a film from the 1980’s – 90’s but without the filter of “it is from a different time where this is acceptable”. All of the main important characters are male (although they are a diverse set of male characters) what females you see on screen appear to be there for the visual diversity alone – case and point. The team are on Alpha receiving orders from the Minster of Defense. The minister addresses the group as Gentleman an Lady (singular – referring to Laureline) however there is a female aide stood with the crowd …so it is “ladies” the aide is completely and utterly ignored (yes this could be an error on the part of the director setting up the scene after the dialogue had been created but still!).. in fact this same aide character is present in the command room throughout the film and has little to no reason to be there she is ignored, and never really acknowledged. All the real, meaty action stuff is done by the male characters. A wonderful example of the “token female presence- there to lend visual diversity but little more than set dressing” - when all the action kicks off and the robot shocktroops mow down the command centre, the female aide takes cover with the coms officer?? (he may have just been a lieutenant) the commander shouts across the room to get to a console in the centre of the room, the Commander (whose name i have forgotten) never once addresses the female officer, or even acknowledges her existence to find out if she is okay.. as far as the scene shows she could just be a piece of the office furniture.

Laureline “falling” for Valerian due to his faithful ‘pursuit’ is just painful to watch. She spends the whole film ignoring his come-ons, being sarcastic and rebuffing his advances then at the end.. falls into a clinch with him for no good reason than it’s the end of the movie and this is what should happen :o .. There is absolutely no chemistry between these two characters at all through out the movie, except for snark and rebuttal. The only level of relationship implied at early on is officer and subordinate, which no real attraction shown by the subordinate to the officer. The conversations are short and flat, with no outcome that would indicate a reason for them to be together at the end.

Indeed you could re-edit the movie and remove any and all references to this supposed romance and you would never know it was there..over all it is just completely distracting and superfluous to the main story..

Now I have to explain.. I don’t normally notice Mysogyny, i have always self-identified with the protagonists (usually Male) so i seriously do not notice female side-kicks and/or characters as anything other than story devices (literally ambulatory plot progressive device - Its a by product of growing up on a diet of action movies from the 80’s/90’s) but for even the idea of Mysogyny to trigger my stunted and tiny Mysogny radar then there has to be somethign wrogn with this plot..

I mean the fact that such a character as Laureline, could be created and placed on screen in today’s cinematic world, just flabbergasts me.. given the degrees of complaint put forward of 2 dimensional female characters, of sexual objectification, etc.. This woman, who is a professional, military level, security agent spends the whole movie being hit on by her superior officer, and pretty much any male character she meets. It is just astounding. Even the exotic dancer/prostitute character Bubble has an easier time of it than Laureline. It is writing like this that is fundamentally dangerous because it give impressionable males and females the idea that as a male if you have an object of your desire then you pursue them until they capitulate and say “yes” (which isn’t a proper yes, it’s a coerced yes) they they “will be yours”...

Simultaneously impressing upon females that if a guy pursues you for a long time, and does not take no for an answer, that even though you show no interest in them what so ever, then you should capitulate (presumably as a reward for persistence rather than any real emotional connection) this type of relationship advice is so very dangerous. And is very much on par with Mr Grey from 50 shades of grey… (you know creepy stalker dude who pursues an reluctant woman until she gives in etc).

Now you could say I am reading too much into what could be thought of as a shallow piece of fluff, but seriously if I am picking up on these vibes then there is something fundamentally wrong with the writing and characterisation. Because I do not identify with female characters and as such never truly see the whole White Male Privilege thing unless it is pointed out.

The film itself is bloated.. it reminds me of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”, or even the cityscapes from the live action “Ghost in the Shell” (Funnily enough another movie that employs Weta for effects???), we spend so much time effects-wanking. Pouring over effects lovingly created with a multiplicitude of levels and detail… that we give up Story time so background that could have been used to flesh out the story as a whole is dumped for lovingly detailed fly-bys of the various places we are in.

A good example being ‘Alpha’, where we are treated to a visual extravagansa of all of the various habitats (which reminded me so much of Zootopia), along with an N’th degree description of the people and environments they live in which takes about 5 full minutes. which was largely pointless because we only see maybe 3 environs, which could have been introduced via various pieces of dialogue while characters transitioned the space station etc. I mean look at Disney’s Zootopia - they give you the gist very quickly as Judy travels into the city via a train ride, no messing and takes probably 30 seconds to a minute.. or better still, compare that with the Guardians of the Galaxy description of Knowhere which is a bare bones voice over by Gamora complimented with a little on screen text.. less than a minute possibly 2 if you take into account the “parking the ship fly-past” ..the description is clean perfunctory and combined with the visuals tells you the viewer everything you need to know for the scene. We don’t need to see all the habitats and living areas to know they are there and it actually does nothing for the scene, especially as later on Valerian goes on an exploratory crash through every layer and habitat to get to the people who kidnap the Commander. Visually informing us the viewer of the differing levels of the space station (crashing through things appears to be a thing Valerian does a lot) in a very direct and interactive way.

Over all the film suffers the same problem that the Live-action “Ghost in the shell” has, it has a bunch of iconic scenes lovingly reproduced from the source material. However this is at the expense of the story and characterisation. It could be that Luc Besson is so overly familiar with the source material that he has forgotten that you can’t take the character at face value because you have no baseline for his character. I as a person who has never read the source material come to Valerian as depicted on the screen and find him totally reprehensible. He is arrogant, womanising, shallow and wholly unattractive as a possible love interest. He doesn’t care and forms no attachment at a fundamental level, his former entanglements being “affectionately” known as his “play-list” this is not a character that I can get behind. Especially as the actors choice in depicting the character is cold, smug and arrogant, why would I care about that person. why should I want to follow this person through their adventure? - I will note that now I have taken some time to look into the character’s background and found that he is this way because of his training and past life experiences. But there is no signals to this on screen so why do I care about this character. I don’t. His singular pursuit of Laureline is reprehensible to me, not only because he is in creepy stalker mode, but because she’s his subordinate in a position of hierarchy. And no matter how “strong” she is, she is in a position where, because of the chain of command, she is psychologically placed in a position where you do not say no to a superior officer. (This is why this sort of thing is strictly and explicitly covered by regulation in the armed services) now if she had genuinely returned any sign of affection during the movie then I would get it, but she doesn’t. But he pursues her relentlessly throughout.

Compare this with Peter Quill in Guardian of the Galaxy – a comparable character, you are shown his mother’s death, his age at which this happened and when he was abducted, removed from his family and home environment and raised in a male centric bachelor environment this is imparted over the course of a pre-credit cold opening followed by his pre-theft of the orb from Morag and his complete dismissal of his current sexual conquest who he openly admits that he “forgot she was there”.. he makes no emotional attachments (especially to women) because he is scared they will leave him. He has grown up in an environment of bachelor hierarchy where emotions and feelings are not entertained and an aura of bravado and machismo must be maintained to keep one’s standing in the pecking order. So his background is given to us, over the course of two story advancing scenes which do not slow down the pacing.. but tell us exactly what and who Peter Quill is and why he is.. With Valerian all you get is a passing comment that sets up that he is a Major in an vaguely military level organisation, and that he has had a series of female companions (mostly his direct subordinates) who he uses and looses. You are also treated to scenes of him being a maverick and reckless in his performance of his duties, but - much later on contrary to everything that has happened in the story to date he suddenly becomes fanatically devoted to his organisation’s cause??? a little character quirk that is hinted at nowhere in the preceding movie and literally makes you go ...”Wait.. what now!”

The script could have done with passing through a few other people who may be aware of the source material but not enough to allow that to colour their view of the story.. they could then fill in these missing areas and create a story.. rather than a collection of errant scenes, and characters rather than meat puppets delivering lines to make the scenes look active. The film is unwieldy and top-heavy relying on visual over substance. It expositions when it should be quiet it is quiet when it should be expositioning. You could cut at least 45 minutes of the movie out of it and you would not even notice that stuff was missing.

Also.. the continual hat tipping to the 5th Element, really only needs to be done once... We know that you used the artist from Valerian to design the world of the 5th Element. and the continuous little tips just keep reminding you that out or the two, the 5th Element is the better movie, with it’s tight story line, snappy dialogue and effects that are used to inform advance the plot. Not just be there to look at (don’t get me wrong it was ground-breaking in the terms of effects at the time and still stands out as an amazing movie)

I find it amazing that you can create a movie where the main character could be removed from the movie and it would improve the movie. There is almost no reason for the main character to be there front and centre. They are written so flat they are at best a supporting character. The aliens are amazing.. the Pearls of Mul have a fascinating story which was covered in a perfunctory way as exposition but actually that could have been the story to concentrate on.. Following them trying to survive and get back some semblance of a society. Perhaps have Valerian and Laureline as background characters dropping into and out of the scenes??? Just having the film called “City of a Thousand Planets” would have been fine I think.

It does sound like I actively despise this movie. But actually I don’t I quite enjoyed it on a light entertainment level. I think it could do with a clean-up, and re-edit. Perhaps trim some of the lingering effects shots, streamline the dialogue and re-edit round the so-called relationship between the two main characters because that is a pointless side plot in this “adventure”. I am worried however that like Avatar, it won’t hold up to transfer to 2D format, that there is not enough story there to keep you interested without the spectacle that is 3D. It will be interesting to see if this movie gets anywhere.

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