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dragonrajafanfiction · 3 years

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Genji Heavy Industries (Part 3) Rolling Twenties

I don’t think anyone likes Mingfei Lu who just plays the game and doesn’t understand his background. So it makes sense that the MC would get irritated by him too.

The rumbling sound of the subway came from directly above, and ahead was the giant water turbine with a diameter of more than three meters. The sewer had become as wide as an underground river by this point, and the still water became turbulent. Rolling white waves bounced between the paddles with a thunderous sound. The water turbine was pumping a huge amount of water into the Iron Dome Shrine.

"How do we get past?" Lu Mingfei looked up at the sharp paddles, each almost two meters long and cast in fine steel, which could easily cut off floating objects such as aquatic plants.

"The water turbine doesn't always turn, and when it stops we'll get through between the holes in the grate." Chu Zihang said.

"But when will it stop?"

"It's already starting to slow down."

The turbine was really slowing down, and it took a few minutes before it slowly stopped, water clattering down from the paddles.

"Go now!" Caesar bellowed.

You all climbed up the iron ladder on the side of the turbine and ran through the stainless steel grate. You hold on tight to Caesar and press your head down to make yourself as small as possible. You squeeze your eyes shut, trusting in his speed to get you through.

You slide down the smooth walls of the ducts and look up at the emptiness overhead. You couldn’t help but feel that the Iron Dome Temple was really a miracle in the history of engineering. This is probably the most advanced sewer system in the world, fully automated, with layers of cleaning nets intercepting the dirt in the water, giant mechanical arms shoveling up the sediment and dirt that has settled to the bottom of the pipe and sending it to the drainage tank high above, and intelligent robots sliding along the grooves in the pipe wall to maintain the machinery inside the pipe. Although there are iron ladders and walkways for maintenance on the walls of the pipes, the Iron Dome Shrine will not require manual maintenance for twenty years according to the design standards of the Maruyama Construction Institute.

The familiar sound of electric welding echoed through the pipes.

"Did you hear that? Over there is the underground dock of the Iwarui Institute. The sound of welding indicates that someone is repairing the equipment.” Caesar lowered his voice, "There are at least twenty people over there, twenty heavily armed men, so no one can speak loudly from now on. Our voices will echo and amplified in the pipes and can travel a long way."

You notice the gold tint of Caesar’s pupils. Without a word he had already sent out his Spirit Word, Scythe Itachi, and was listening far down into the channel.

"I'm really a little afraid I can't control myself," whispered Lu Mingfei, "I want to talk when I'm nervous, like I'll be suffocated if I don't."

"Use this," Caesar fished out four lollipops from his trench coat pocket, giving one to Lu Mingfei and one to Chu Zihang, "Put it in your mouth so you don't subconsciously shout out, but also to replenish your blood sugar."

He hands one to you and you take it. Being quiet was never an issue with you. The nurses at Black Swan Bay gave vicious glares to children who so much as whimpered in pain. So if Caesar asked you to be quiet, your strict training in obedience in this regard subconsciously came into play and you wouldn’t speak again unless given express permission to do so.

"Boss, can I exchange the mint flavored one with you?"

"You're too late," Caesar threw the green lollipop into his mouth, "and start shutting up now, someone is coming this way!"

A dozen seconds later, there were footsteps from high above. It was a black-clad guard, whose bony hands could be seen through his transparent raincoat pressing down on his sidearm. He was obviously not a policeman. No policeman would use a Colt "King Cobra". This large caliber revolver is expensive and deadly. It's the kind of gun that mobsters like. They see people as prey, and they're all about killing them in one shot. The four of you hid in the shadows against the wall of the tube and looked up through the iron grille as the beating feet of the guards in their leather shoes stepped over your heads and faded away.

"Those twenty heavily armed guards are all of this mob killer level, right?" Lu Mingfei mumbled.

You catch his gaze with your wide eyed stare. What about ‘Shut up’ did he not understand? Channeled through you is the fury of the nurses of Black Swan Bay. You pierced Mingfei Lu with a silent threat so certain that the young man visibly paled. You raise a shaking finger to your lips and silently mouth the word, “Quiet!”

Chu Zihang glanced at Caesar, who shook his head, meaning that this level of security was difficult to break through by force.

"What about fire suppression? You have enough bullets now. How many targets can you take care of at once?" Chu Zihang asked. Since you were still riding Caesar, you could be privy to their whispered conversation even over the sound of the water.

"Three to five targets would not be a problem. At most you can solve six, even if you add your two Uzis, the three of us would be five guns against twenty guns. And we still do not know how many are hybrids here." Caesar said, "It's not as simple as dealing with gangsters."

"Uh did you count me?" Lu Mingfei said.

Caesar gave him a brief dismissive glance. "You don't count. You said so yourself, you’re a civilian."

You’re so annoyed with him you can’t even laugh.

All three men were silent. Just approaching the door of Genji Heavy Industry, the way forward was completely blocked. In Black Swan Bay you faced similar odds. Renata raised her machine gun to the sky and blasted away nearly a dozen people. But in the end, she was killed and only managed to save one person. Twenty is too many.

"Maybe we should go back to the store. We ordered so much champagne. We can drink champagne while ordering some late night snacks to eat, and think about whether there is another way to get in here." Lu Mingfei cautiously proposed.

“MC,” Caesar’s whisper was extremely quiet. “Your nails.”

You were so annoyed with Mingfei that you didn’t notice that you were digging your nails into Caesar’s collarbone. You relax your hands. “We should have left him.” You breathe out into his ear.

“It’s okay.” You don’t even hear the whisper, you only see his mouth move.

Chu Zihang pointed to the front of the pipe.

The stream suddenly parted in the middle, and something cigar-shaped floated up on the water about six or seven meters in length and no more than two meters in diameter. It left a white wake as it sailed towards the Iwarui Institute's shipyard.

"A miniature submarine of the Hydra!" Lu Mingfei remembered that Chisei had admitted that the Hydra family used the pipes to transport contraband. The cargo ship placed the contraband on the unmanned mini-submarine before entering the port, and the submarine arrived below the Genji Heavy Industries along the sewer.

"Come closer and be careful not to make a sound." Caesar tiptoed ahead.

Beeps shook the section of pipe, guards blew their whistles and called out to run to the dock from all sides. The submarine slid into the dock and a crane lifted it up in the air. The mechanical arm raised the huge thick metal tank from the hold, which was about two meters long and looked like an elongated barrel of crude oil. Chu Zihang and Caesar looked at each other and both shook their heads. Even with their experience, they couldn't see what cargo was there. This golden passage was obviously not for smuggling oil.

The heavy airtight door on the wall of the tube suddenly opened and out stepped a man in a white lab coat who hurried past the guards to the metal tank and disinfected it with an alcohol spray. Apparently, this cargo was important and dangerous and he couldn't let the guards touch it first. In his haste, he forgot to close the airtight door that was the only way through Genji Heavy Industries.

"Chance!" Caesar whispered.

"The guards are concentrated over at the dock, and their attention is on the metal tanks. “We'll take the yellow spiral ladder over there and go up to the airtight door. Be quick, but don't run, any echoes will be clear in this enclosed space!" Chu Zihang said in a low voice.

Before Lu Mingfei could raise an objection, Chu Zihang walked out seven or eight meters. He rarely stopped to discuss with people once he made a decision, so the Executive Department all agreed that Chu Zihang is a lone wolf. Caesar silently followed. This muscle-bound man actually can be as light as a cat when walking even with you on his back. Lu Mingfei had no choice but to tiptoe behind. The maintenance tunnel is overhead. They can only step on the iron frame supporting the grated path. It would take at least a few dozen seconds to get from the starting position to the mouth of the passage. If within these few dozen seconds any one of those guards turned back to look, there would be a gun battle.

You think of Z, silent, protecting you.

Caesar and Chu Zihang's speed is extremely fast. In the twinkling of an eye, you go from the yellow ladder to the maintenance channel, and then a few meters into the airtight door. Lu Mingfei jumped a step in his rush. The crisp sound of metal hitting metal echoed in the pipe, like someone ringing a small bell.

Chu Zihang's reminder was right. When Lu Mingfei started to run, a nut was shaken off and smashed on the wall of the pipe below. The guards pulled out their guns at the same time, all of them with laser sights on them, red beams scanning in all directions. Someone turned on a powerful flashlight.

Your nails dig into Caesar again. Your heart drops.

He’s dead.

In Black Swan Bay, such errors were intolerable in training. In group training, you moved as a unit and you were careful to follow the instructions by the leaders. Any insubordination would be met with severe retraining if you were lucky. People who kept making mistakes tended to just disappear. So even though no one had fired a shot, it was as if Lu Mingfei’s mistake had marked him as dead in your mind.

Caesar and Chu Zihang quickly flashed into the airtight door.

The guards did not find anything on the maintenance channel, and turned to scan their flashlights further down. The beam gradually approaches Lu Mingfei's hiding place and Caesar lets you off his back. You back away, knowing he was about to try and rescue him. But with all that firepower you’re not sure how he was going to survive the attempt.

"There it is!" One guard yelled.

Several beams of light pointed to the water at the same time, where a long, slender black shadow was swimming! Originally, the shadow’s target was Lu Mingfei walking by the water's edge, but the bright flashlight startled it, and it immediately turned around and swam into the darkness.

Gunshots burst out, and the guards fired one after another. Whoever supplied Genji heavy industry with guards must originally have been the vicious thugs in the underworld. They have no scruples nor are they stingy with bullets. Their goal is to smash resistance with overwhelming deadly force.

Caesar’s arm came down from above and pulled Lu Mingfei up to the entrance. As soon as he’s inside, you round on him, teeth bared, and spit "You fucking idiot!” in Russian. In a moment, you raise your hand to slap him in the face, but Caesar’s arm cuts you off.

“Hey!” He hisses sharply. “Calm down.”

Cheeks red and eyes blazing, you turn back around and move next to Chu Zihang, who glances briefly at you.

"You must have undergone very strict training." He murmured

You nod.

"He hasn't. You can stay close to me. Let Caesar handle Mingfei."

The water in the pipe turned blood red and a four or five meter long white shark slowly floated up, riddled with bullet holes. You and Chu Zihang exchange glances. This is too incredible. This is the main channel of the Iron Dome Temple. The water in the pipe is five or six meters deep, and connected to the sea. The shark would have no problem moving in it, but this fierce large predator should be in open waters. What attracts it to swim into the spider web of sewers?

"You were in a leadership position before… weren't you?" Chu Zihang whispers.

You were one of the oldest in the orphanage so it was leadership by default. You bounce your head back and forth and shrug.

"Makes sense. It's why you clash with Caesar so much. And why you get along. You probably had the most powerful Speech Spirit."

You shake your head and hold up three fingers. You mouth the word, 'Third'.

Chu Zihang doesn't respond immediately. "Renata?"

You smile and hold up two fingers but then you hold a finger to your lips and slice a hand across your throat. The conversation was enough to calm you down the rest of the way.

"Let's go. While they’re not looking." Chu Zihang said.

Caesar patted Lu Mingfei's shoulder to keep him from looking back. The white shark just now actually took Lu Mingfei as prey, but it's better not to tell Lu Mingfei about this. If he knew he was once seen as a fresh seal pup, he would probably be too scared to walk.

"Holy shit, good fucking luck, good fucking luck, good luck, good luck." When he got on the elevator Lu Mingfei was still patting his chest in celebration as well as trying to calm his extreme panic. He was shaking so much, his teeth chattered.

"No doubt. If you keep your good luck, we can rely on your luck to live." Caesar continued patting him on the shoulder and exchanged quiet glances with Chu Zihang. It was clear to everyone but Lu Mingfei that such luck could not be relied on to ever come again.

#Dragon Raja

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concussed-to-pieces · 3 years

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The Mettle Of A Man; Part Nine

Fandom: Fallout (4)

Pairing: Eventual Paladin Danse/Female Sole Survivor

Rating: Holy shit M.

AN: Enjoy!

Part One: ArcJet

Part Two: The Prydwen

Part Three: Orders

Part Four: Finding Brandis

Part Five: Weston Water And Oberland

Part Six: Meeting Preston And Matthew

Part Seven: Radstag And Radstorm

Part Eight: The Return To Sanctuary Hills

Paladin Danse had felt like the husband in one of those pre-war picnic advertisements the whole damn evening. After helping Codsworth carve the roast, the large man had assisted Backhand in making up plates for everyone. Roasted carrots and mashed gourd made their way onto the plates as well before the Longs had shown up to sit at the rickety old picnic table. It was a bit like taking a shift in the mess hall, though it had been several years since Danse had been required to do such a task.

Despite Codsworth's ramshackle appliances (and the paladin hesitated to even label them as such), the robot appeared to be outstanding at making do with what it had. It easily managed the extra pot and cooking sheet, numerous arms deftly keeping everything from over or under-cooking. Danse was duly impressed.

Sturges arrived with an elderly woman clinging to his arm, the aforementioned Mama Murphy if Danse had to guess. She was a frail-looking thing even by Commonwealth standards, all bundled up against the balmy evening air.

Backhand greeted her warmly, the knight drawing her into a careful hug before urging her to take a seat.

Everyone gathered around the table and the environment was one of lax comradery, much to Danse's surprise. He had never been involved in a true family dinner, but this seemed to be something like what he had heard about. It was a little cozier than the mess hall on the Prydwen; he kept bumping elbows with Backhand and the woman kept brushing it off like it was nothing, laughing at his stern apologies. Jun plied Danse with a variety of questions about the Brotherhood which he did his best to answer, while Marcy and Sturges asked Codsworth for seconds. All the while Dogmeat begged from anyone that would offer him attention, ending the meal with his head resting on Mama Murphy's thigh as the old woman absently scratched him behind the ears.

It was...it was nice.

But now, warm and well-fed, lying on the mattress he had procured, Danse found himself wide awake. His thoughts wandered to the massive machine Sturges was constructing on the outskirts of town, the molecular relay . Could it be possible that the Institute had no true physical openings to the Commonwealth proper? It seemed like a villain's scheme out of those illustrated paperback manuscripts the squires loved to read, not something that had any basis in reality.

Though Ingram had weighed in on the matter, she had also believed it to be fantasy, entirely relegated to the world of theory. As such, she may have been a bit more wild with her calculations. A bit more willing to push the envelope.

Danse turned over, staring at the doorway as he considered whether he ought to bring up his concerns to Backhand. This was her son at stake. But it would do her no good to get blown to pieces by some malfunction or miscalculation.

Hell, they hadn't exactly covered experimental methods of travel in advanced training. The large man sighed and grudgingly slipped from the bed, digging his fatigue pants out of his pack.

He crept across the hallway, noticing a light still shining from beneath the door of Vega's room. At least he wouldn't be waking her.

Gingerly, Danse rapped his knuckles on the door. "Knight Vega?" There was no response. The paladin eased the door open, his words dying on his lips as he took in the scene in front of him.

Elizabeth was sound asleep in the bed, her hands folded underneath her chin in what Danse had come to identify as her favored sleeping position. On her bedside table a single candle fluttered in the breeze from the now-ajar door, starkly illuminating the pallid cryo burns on her forehead and chin in its yellow glow.

Of course she was asleep. She was just as tired as he had been, if not moreso.

His eyes were drawn without his conscious input to the blue crib that sat empty alongside the door, the vacant area inside it a solemn, silent reminder of why he was even here in the first place.

Jesus . Danse felt stupid. What had he been planning on doing? Vega, as your commanding officer, I'd greatly appreciate it if you would come discuss my concerns with me. Pander to my needs . He grimaced at himself, shaking his head. Just what kind of fool was he? Sure Danse, she would just sit down, have some damn tea with you and let you whine about how mechanically unsound all of this seems.

He cautiously moved further into the room and snuffed out the candle before retreating and shutting the door. It would do her no good to burn the place down around her ears as she slumbered.

The paladin retraced his steps across the hall to his room, but if sleep had been reluctant before, now it was downright unobtainable . The bed was comfortable enough. Hell, it was a more comfortable bed than he had experienced in literal months . His brain simply refused to be still.

Danse groaned, staring up at the ceiling. It seemed he was in for another night of patrol duty.

He got fully dressed and ventured outside, closing the front door silently behind him before setting off down the main 'street' of the development. He barely got halfway to the large tree at the roundabout of the cul-de-sac when he heard someone calling his name.

It was Sturges, Danse realized, the other main hailing him from the top of one of the houses. "C'mon up and take a load off!" The mechanic urged, patting the roof beside him.

Danse glanced off down the thoroughfare of Sanctuary, and then shrugged. Eh, what the hell . From an elevated position he could see threats coming.

The paladin heaved himself up the ladder and plopped down beside the mechanic, declining the cigarette when it was offered. "I come up here when I got thinkin' to do." Sturges turned his face upwards. "Everythin' seems so much smaller. More compartmentalized -ish, you know?"

"I'm afraid I cannot sympathize, civilian." Danse replied, wishing he didn't sound quite so stiff.

"Look up for a minute, man. Take in the view. Then try and tell me everythin' down here ain't small potatoes."

Danse dutifully obliged, tilting his head back to observe the sprawling cosmos high above. It was hardly his first time gazing at the stars and pretending to think deep thoughts. He said as much to Sturges, who chuckled.

"I used to sit up here and wonder how I got to be so good at tinkerin'. I don't remember much about where I came from, not like how other folks do. Can't recall bein' little, or havin' anyone else around. It's all just kinda' vague." He took a contemplative drag off the cigarette. "I figure I must have come from the Institute. Maybe them Railroad boys got hold of me, smuggled me out like a puppy from a pet shop." He gave Danse a lazy grin. "Of course, it don't matter much either way. Now, I'm workin' to bring 'em down. At the end of the day, I'm makin' myself useful. And if I really am a synth, I get a kick out of the idea of all them bigwigs losin' their shit over somethin' I did."

Danse knew that his first response ought to be immediate apprehension of the mechanic, followed by interrogation and eradication. But something about what Sturges had said resonated with him, settled in his stomach like a lead weight. "You assume you are a synth merely because your early memories are not as clear as they ought to be?"

Sturges waved him off. "Nah nah, like...they're not really there . I mean, they're there, but it's all kinda'...I 'unno, sterile . Lots of blanks in between, more than the gaps people talk about when they got trauma n' such. Can't remember losin' my first tooth. Breakin' a bone. Whether I had a family. Little things that add up." He glanced over at the other man after a few silent seconds. " Damn , you alright? You're white as a sheet. You been gettin' enough sleep?"

Sterile . That was a word Danse had privately attributed to his own early memories long before this moment. Devoid of any defining characteristics, any instance of real impact . Just hazy, irradiated landscapes and gray ruins. Alone, always alone.

He had known, vaguely, deep down, that most people seemed to have the ability to recall important periods from their childhood that he simply lacked. He had chalked it up to being an orphan, being forced to survive on his own from a tender, unknown age.

But…

But what if it was something far more sinister?

"I just have a lot on my mind." Danse replied finally.

...

It took him four days. Four days where he was out of his armor more often than he was in it, four days of the two of them sitting in what was once her living room as they pored over tattered schematics, defunct wills and shady paper trails of all kinds.

Four days of watching her absently tuck a lock of hair back behind her ear. Four days of her being blissfully, wonderfully armor-free as well. Four days of just getting to be in proximity of her without anything going horribly wrong.

It only took him four days.

Vega had chosen to wear an appropriately light skirt for their less than taxing work of the day, the ragged pink fabric pooled around her as she sat on the floor and studiously sorted through yet another box of somewhat suspicious documents. The sun was setting, a radstorm hanging low on the horizon in the distance. Its green glow muted the pinks and oranges down to a dull yellow, wraith-like beams making their way through every unpatched crack they could find. The light struck the lenses of her glasses when she bowed her head to look closer at a document, the motion sending a few weak prisms scattering across the opposite wall.

Danse couldn't help himself, his mouth dry when he gruffly blurted out, "you look nice today."

Elizabeth gave no indication that she noticed he had said anything, only looking up after several seconds had gone by. "Sorry, what?" She apologized, blinking behind her thick glasses as a troublesome curl slipped forward over her ear to frame her cheek. "I was engrossed in this thrilling tale of larceny."

Danse chuckled feebly, thanking God that she hadn't heard him. "Ah, nothing. Sorry to have interrupted your reading material." His hands twitched, and then clenched on his thighs after she smiled benignly at him and returned to her reading.

Her divorce papers had been among the many documents they sifted through. She had read them aloud, making a theatrical endeavor out of the whole thing. Backhand stood and paced, gesticulating and apparently imitating how her ex-husband had done his job in the courtroom. Danse had laughed at the time. But all the while he wondered about how Nate had treated her, and at her animosity towards the nickname that the man had apparently bestowed upon her. Their divorce was obviously far from amicable.

A nickname. That was essentially all she had left after the divorce she had requested, that and the child which was born on the same day that they finalized the papers.

" He had me sign them in the hospital." Backhand had told him, her voice a little less bright. " I had just come from getting Shaun scooped out of me and he was already in my room. I couldn't even lift my arm to sign. One of the nurse robots had to help me. " Her eyes were far away when she continued, " he didn't even want to see Shaun ."

Danse knew logically that not every human being was cut out to be a parent. Nowadays, it was enough of a struggle just to survive. But he found himself wishing, stupidly , that he had been there two hundred years ago. Wishing that he had been present to send Nate packing, with or without his damned papers.

Finding Elizabeth wounded at Fort Independence had been bad enough. The idea of her laying limp in a hospital bed, half-dead from the effort of trying to give birth with some cretin badgering her into signing divorce papers--Danse wasn't sure how his blood could retroactively boil, and yet here he was.

" He wanted kids ." Elizabeth had said. She never mentioned what she had wanted.

It was becoming increasingly difficult not to think of her as simply Elizabeth, despite the paladin constantly mentally correcting himself. Knight Vega . General Vega . It was becoming increasingly difficult to stop daydreaming about a different life, where the two of them eked out a companionable existence and enjoyed tea in the evenings.

He was so lost. He wondered if she would let him kiss her and in the next breath scolded himself for such a ludicrous idea. She had a life already , she had her dog, Sturges, Jun and Marcy, Mama Murphy, this little settlement. She had the Minutemen and Preston. There was no room for him here. He was an assistant on her quest. He had promised to help her find her son and Danse kept his word, even if it involved things that weren't his to promise.

Danse still couldn't reconcile with truly thinking about her like that since the police station, his body wracked with guilt every time his mind wandered a little too far south. Self control was one of the few things he had left in this world, and Danse did his best to force his thoughts to be chaste when he was alone at night, did his best not to think about what Haylen had said to him during his visit with her and Rhys.

" It's okay to like her, you know. " The scribe had remarked, her smile soft and knowing as her fingers twined with Rhys'. " You're still allowed to enjoy your life, Paladin ."

It was futile. It was pointless.

But wasn't that how everything always turned out with him.

…

Sturges claimed that the machine was ready and Backhand couldn't resist throwing her arms around him. She knew he probably couldn't breathe.

"Tomorrow mornin', bright an' early, we'll fire the bitch up." Sturges grinned, slapping her on the back before pulling away. "Fingers crossed our luck holds and you'll be back with your little boy."

"I can't thank you enough for this." Backhand murmured, taking his hands in her own. "Seriously, from the bottom of my heart Sturges, thank you ."

"Shucks ma'am, you ain't gotta' get all sentimental on me. I'm just happy to help." Sturges replied with his easy grin. "After what you did for us in Concord, this ain't nothing."

"Congratulations, kid." Mama Murphy said from her chair, wheezing a little. She had asked to be moved outside earlier in the day, as it was pleasantly warm in the sun. Sturges and Jun had carried her throne out by the foundation where Sturges had been constructing the 'slapdash relay' as he had dubbed it. "You'll be on top of those Institute eggheads in no time."

"Now, I need you to know a few things for tomorrow." Sturges cautioned Vega. "There ain't no sure way to test this thing. We're flyin' blind, unfortunately. I can't guarantee your safety, General. I'd advise you to treat this like your old army endeavors. Not to be grim or nothin', but just...well, make your peace. Smoke 'em if ya' got 'em." Sturges advised, smiling wanly.

"I'll get in touch with Preston." Backhand replied, believing she understood what the mechanic was getting at. "I won't leave you guys twisting in the wind if I get turned inside out or something." She tried to joke.

"It ain't us he's concerned about, kid." Murphy piped up, watery eyes fixed on Vega's face. "You better talk to that man of yours. Make sure he knows."

"Man?" Backhand asked in confusion.

"Your gentle giant, kid."

"Oh. Oh! " Vega blushed furiously even as she tried to explain that Danse was only here as her sponsor for the Brotherhood, nothing more.

Mama Murphy hummed knowingly, "kid, you can't hide nothin' from ol' Mama Murphy. It's okay that you're anxious. I don't need the Sight to know that you been through a lot." She patted Vega's hand. "Go on, kid. You'll be fine."

It was on trembling legs that Backhand sussed out Danse after her radio conversation with Preston.

" You don't owe the Minutemen a damn thing, General. " Preston had said firmly. " Ronnie will be more than up to the task, if this is where we part ways. I hope you find your son, General Vega, and the Minutemen thank you for everything you've done. You gave us hope , and that isn't an easy thing to find ."

Danse was, as ever, working on his armor. He seemed to maintain his gear almost obsessively. Currently he had one of the legs detached from the frame, painstakingly sweeping the sand and grit out of the joints so he could apply a fresh coat of grease.

"Paladin Danse?" Vega asked, embarrassed by how her voice squeaked. "C-Can I get a word with you?"

"Of course, Knight Vega." Danse replied, placing the leg off to one side and picking up a rag to wipe the excess grease away. He propped his hip up on the power armor station, looking at her expectantly.

Backhand's words dried up and she cleared her throat. "I um, should be able to try to get into the Institute tomorrow." She managed to say.

Danse's eyebrows rose. " Really . Sturges truly has that much faith in his machine?" The man asked, not unkindly. "I can't find any fault with it, of course. What people like he and Ingram can do has always been incomprehensible to me. I am incredibly curious to see whether the device works. Will you permit me to see you off?"

"That's kind of what I wanted to speak with you about." Backhand said hesitantly. "Danse, I...I just wanted you to know that…"

Oh she was a coward , just the worst kind of coward! Danse smiled after a moment. "It's alright, Vega."

Backhand blinked up at him, stunned. "It...it is?"

Danse nodded. "Venturing into uncertain territory is always a tumultuous experience. Take all the time you need. I'll be here to listen." He assured her.

She was going to cry. Oh no , oh dammit . Backhand took a deep breath in, stalling her tears for the moment. "I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your help." She was a coward . "I-If I don't come back."

"You've been a breath of fresh air for me, soldier." Danse's hands landed on her shoulders, his sincere grin tearing chunks out of her stomach. "Despite our strange and rocky start, you've proved yourself ten times over in my eyes. I'm incredibly proud of what you've accomplished, and I hope our partnership continues even after you've rescued your son."

"Y-Yeah." Backhand sniffled, losing the fight with her tears. "Me too, Danse."

"It is entirely reasonable to be apprehensive, Knight Vega. There is no shame in admitting your trepidation." The paladin's thumbs pressed into her shoulders, idly rubbing circles. "Don't let it eat you alive."

Backhand felt like a creep. She wished she was brave enough to ask for a hug, while scolding herself for thinking that way. Danse had been such an anchor for her, it wasn't right to expect more out of him. "I won't. Thanks." She promised quietly. "I should probably...go. I'm sure Marcy needs...um, something."

Danse nodded, removing his hands from her shoulders. Vega silently mourned the loss as she fled like the coward she was, certain that she had turned a violent shade of crimson.

...

I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your help.

Danse loathed himself for clinging to those words. Loathed himself for putting his hands on her, what the fuck was he thinking? He talked a great game, but his self-control never seemed to improve.

He couldn't believe he had gushed like that. Telling her how proud he was, how glad he was to be able to work with her...she had rescued his team, rescued him .

He stared up at the ceiling and rubbed his eyes, then dragged his fingers firmly down the sides of his neck in an effort to soothe away the tension that threatened to lock him in place. His trapezius muscles in particular screamed for mercy, making him grunt and dig in a little harder. After several moments of focused attention, the spasm eased. Danse hummed, relieved. He was always concerned that the next one could be his last. He hadn't exactly treated his body with tender loving care, especially when he trained himself to a pulp.

The rush of endorphins was what did him in every time he worked out, the triumphant feeling when he pushed his body that much further past his previous limits.

Danse absently began to smooth his palms down his thighs as his mind wandered. When he caught himself, he tore his hands away like his own touch burned him. That was...God, it had been a fair amount of time, but…

Danse bit his lip. But …

The paladin shifted his weight, trying to get more comfortable and cringing every time the mattress springs squeaked. He spread his legs a little wider, one leg hanging over the side of the mattress while the other bent at the knee and pressed against the wall.

His touch was, as ever, function over form. Danse slid a hand between the waistband of his briefs and his stomach, hissing out a breath as he felt his body stir under his own fingers. The paladin just rested there for a selfish moment. It had been so long since he had touched himself.

He scrolled mentally through a catalogue of his previous endeavors and the media he had seen over the years, trying to decide on a visual to accompany his activity.

Cutler came to mind, as he always did. His smile, his eyes, the way a blush rose high on his cheekbones when he and Danse engaged in such pleasant diversions. Danse had never failed to tell the other man just how handsome he was, if only to watch his flustered reaction to the compliment.

But God, Danse would give anything to have a moment to himself that wasn't tainted with melancholy recollections. He carefully put the memory of Cutler aside and continued to think, not incredibly surprised with his brain's next course of action.

It settled on that pre-war mag he had seen passed around in the barracks, the one full of lingerie and women who looked outstanding . One of the buxom models came to mind, her blue eyes and brown hair very similar to--

Danse flinched, feeling like an idiot for immediately switching to fantasizing about Vega in some sleazy, delicate…

Barely-there…

Fuck .

Danse bit back a groan. She was pre-war, he reasoned wildly, it was only logical that he thought of her. She had curves and real muscle that wasn't simply visible due to emaciation. God, and she was beautiful to boot. He could at least admit that much.

His traitorous cock decided to make the choice for him, hardening beneath his hand while he wrestled with himself over imagining Vega in something so devastatingly attractive. It didn't have to be Vega, he rationalized, it could be anyone . Just a woman who resembled her. Entirely by chance. He absolutely wasn't about to masturbate to the idea of his ward in a skimpy outfit.

Danse pulled his undershirt up, catching the hem between his teeth to keep it out of the way. He couldn't be loud here, so hopefully the fabric would hold his embarrassing noises at bay.

His hand sank to the base of his cock, encircling it and then tugging lazily upwards. Danse almost crumpled in on himself, oh God , it had been ages . He panted out a breath, teasing the sensitive head of his cock for a moment before stroking back down. No matter his guilt, some portion of him was definitely interested in Vega. Beggars couldn't be choosers when it came to stealing a private moment in the Brotherhood, and so he gave in.

Danse jerked himself off with long, smooth motions, doing his best to keep his pace even. There was nothing worse than falling out of rhythm with his imagination.

God, she was probably so damn warm, so wet , tight, hot . Danse choked a little when he wondered what she would sound like, utterly devoted to his fantasy now. Would she tell him to be quiet, or would she let him ramble? Let him kiss every part of her body, let him devour her, taste her on his tongue…

Danse bit back the groan he desperately wanted to let escape at the idea of her calling his name or calling him paladin while he ate her out, " fuck ," he breathed softly, squeezing the base of his cock.

Elizabeth , he wanted to say her name out loud, God he wanted to say it so badly, he could feel an ache in his jaw from how hard he was biting his undershirt. He wanted to say her name until she loved it again, until whatever hurt she felt over it vanished into nothingness. He used to call me Beth . The man who was Shaun's father. The man she had married.

Danse knew it was stupid for him to be irritated by a man who had been dead for around two hundred years. But she wasn't Beth. She was Elizabeth .

He wanted to bury his hands in her hair, kiss down her neck, learn every scar and mark on her body. At the same time he feared her getting to know him in that manner, really know him. How greedy and undeserving he was, how much of a failure he was.

It was futile to think about. Pointless, even. These feelings, these desires...nothing would ever come of them. Danse knew that. This was just a means to an end and his damned heart, his emotions were going to make a mess of everything.

He silently spilled his release onto his stomach and then went slack, gasping for breath as his cock twitched and jumped against his belly.

The paladin threw an arm over his eyes, grateful at least that his body understood the age-old cue to let him get some damn rest.

...

He didn't sleep well, but at least he slept. Danse was up before the sun, his eyes heavy as he ran through his gear check and suited up in his armor.

Backhand emerged from her house, clad in her combat armor and armed only with her pistol. Danse noted that she had dark circles under her eyes as well, the young woman sipping coffee from her metal mug like it was the only thing keeping her alive.

"Want some?" She asked Danse, darting back inside when he nodded in reply.

The two of them made their way to the old foundation where Sturges had built the relay, companionable silence filling the air between them.

Danse watched the sun rise, his eyes drifting to Elizabeth every now and again. She appeared to simply be enjoying the peace, her own eyes closed as she drank her coffee cross-legged on the foundation.

The paladin cleared his throat. "Knight Vega, I-"

"Up bright an' early, eh?" Sturges called from the residence he appeared to have claimed as his own. "Be with ya' in a moment, General!"

Backhand tipped her mug to him in acknowledgment, looking up at Danse curiously. "You were saying, Paladin?"

If something happens to you, if you don't come back, if I don't say the things that I wish I could- - "Do you have that lucky bandanna of yours?" Danse asked instead, crushing the sentimental nonsense down. "I imagine it may prove useful for ensuring your success."

Backhand laughed, patting her pocket. "Always carry it on me, Danse. The homeland takes care of their own."

Danse inclined his head and fell silent once more, watching as Sturges fiddled with the control podium. Electricity began to arc and sputter from the generators placed around the site, making the mechanic frown and readjust a few dials.

"Not sure how long I'll be able to keep it steady for once I dial in on the signal!" He called over the racket of the generators. Vega nodded, getting to her feet and dusting herself off. Danse watched as the engineer hauled her in close and pressed something into her hands, the man speaking too quietly for Danse to hear. Then, "alright General, it's now or never!"

Vega approached the transfer plate as Sturges turned dials and punched numbers, the man's hands flying over the control panel. Danse stood off to the side, uncertain of what might happen but also unwilling to let her face this alone.

She pressed her fingers to her lips and brushed them against Danse's helmet. "I'll be back." Vega stated with a wink.

Danse rolled his eyes, chuckling a little. "Good luck, Knight." He said, his voice tinged with humor.

And then she was gone. With a flash of light and a burst of noise like a thunderclap, she vanished . Sturges' delight was only dampened by every piece of equipment he had painstakingly built immediately and fatally overloading, leaving the engineer and Danse scorched and dismayed. Danse, for his part, hadn't truly expected the device to work . He had assumed it was just a pipe dream, something for her to throw herself into so that the grief wouldn't swallow her whole.

But she had disappeared .

Part Ten

#fallout 4 #fallout four #paladin danse #paladin danse x sole survivor #paladin danse imagine #fallout fandom #fallout fanfic #paladin danse/sole survivor #paladin danse x f!sole #brotherhood of steel #bos #fo4 companions #fo4 companions imagine #bethesda #fo4 paladin danse

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newstfionline · 3 years

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Friday, August 6, 2021

US plans to require COVID-19 shots for foreign travelers (AP) The Biden administration is taking the first steps toward requiring nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, a White House official said. The requirement would come as part of the administration’s phased approach to easing travel restrictions for foreign citizens to the country. No timeline has yet been determined, as interagency working groups study how and when to safely move toward resuming normal travel. Eventually all foreign citizens entering the country, with some limited exceptions, are expected to need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the U.S.

Big tech companies are at war with employees over remote work (Ars Technica) All across the United States, the leaders at large tech companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook are engaged in a delicate dance with thousands of employees who have recently become convinced that physically commuting to an office every day is an empty and unacceptable demand from their employers. The COVID-19 pandemic forced these companies to operate with mostly remote workforces for months straight. And since many of them are based in areas with relatively high vaccination rates, the calls to return to the physical office began to sound over the summer. But thousands of high-paid workers at these companies aren’t having it. Many of them don’t want to go back to the office full time, even if they’re willing to do so a few days a week. Workers are even pointing to how effective they were when fully remote and using that to question why they have to keep living in the expensive cities where these offices are located. Some tech leaders (like Twitter’s Jack Dorsey) agreed, or at least they saw the writing on the wall. They enacted permanent or semipermanent changes to their companies’ policies to make partial or even full-time remote work the norm. Others (like Apple’s Tim Cook) are working hard to find a way to get everyone back in their assigned seats as soon as is practical, despite organized resistance. In either case, the work cultures at tech companies that make everything from the iPhone to Google search are facing a major wave of transformation.

At least 10 dead as van carrying migrants crashes in Texas (AP) An overloaded van carrying 29 migrants crashed Wednesday on a remote South Texas highway, killing at least 10 people, including the driver, and injuring 20 others, authorities said. The crash happened shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 281 in Encino, Texas, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of McAllen. A surge in migrants crossing the border illegally has brought about an uptick in the number of crashes involving vehicles jammed with migrants who pay large amounts to be smuggled into the country. The Dallas Morning News has reported that the recruitment of young drivers for the smuggling runs, combined with excessive speed and reckless driving by those youths, have led to horrific crashes.

Turkish wildfires are worst ever, Erdogan says, as power plant breached (Reuters) Turkey is battling the worst wildfires in its history, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, as fires spread to a power station in the country’s southwest after reducing swathes of coastal forest to ashes. Fanned by high temperatures and a strong, dry wind, the fires have forced thousands of Turks and foreign tourists to flee homes and hotels near the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. Eight people have died in the blazes since last week. Planes and dozens of helicopters have joined scores of emergency crews on the ground to battle the fires, but Erdogan’s government has faced criticism over the scale and speed of the response. In the last two weeks, fires in Turkey have burnt more than three times the area affected in an average year, a European fire agency said. Neighbouring countries have also battled blazes fanned by heatwaves and strong winds.

Sri Lanka’s financial problems (Foreign Policy) Sri Lanka is threatening to become South Asia’s economic weak link. It’s mired in a severe debt crisis, and its budget deficit exceeded 11 percent of GDP during the last fiscal year, which ended in March. The country’s foreign reserves can only pay for three months of imports, prompting Colombo to cut back on many foreign imports, including turmeric, a staple product. Fitch Ratings has warned default is a real possibility. Sri Lanka’s woes stem in great part from a floundering tourism sector. Tourism typically accounts for at least 5 percent of GDP, and some estimates even put the figure at 12.5 percent. The sector’s troubles began before the coronavirus pandemic, when suicide bombers killed at least 290 people in churches and hotels in April 2019, keeping visitors away. But the pandemic still dealt a giant blow. A 2021 assessment found tourist arrivals between January and April fell nearly 100 percent from the same period in 2020.

Australia to spend $813M to address Indigenous disadvantage (AP) Australia’s government on Thursday pledged 1.1 billion Australian dollars ($813 million) to address Indigenous disadvantage, including compensation to thousands of mixed-race children who were taken from their families over decades. The AU$378.6 million ($279.7 million) to be used to compensate the so-called Stolen Generations by 2026 is the most expensive component of the package aimed at boosting Indigenous living standards in Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the compensation was a recognition of the harm caused by forced removal of children from families.

Israel launches airstrikes on Lebanon in response to rockets (AP) Israel on Thursday escalated its response to rocket attacks this week by launching rare airstrikes on Lebanon, the army said. The army said in a statement that jets struck the launch sites from which rockets had been fired over the previous day, as well as an additional target used to attack Israel in the past. The IDF blamed the state of Lebanon for the shelling and warned “against further attempts to harm Israeli civilians and Israel’s sovereignty.” The overnight airstrikes were a marked escalation at a politically sensitive time. Israel’s new eight-party governing coalition is trying to keep peace under a fragile cease fire that ended an 11-day war with Hamas’ militant rulers in Gaza in May.

‘Winning a medal doesn’t make him Jewish’ (Washington Post) When gymnast Artem Dolgopyat stepped off the podium as only the second Israeli to win an Olympic gold medal, he triggered one of Israel’s many cultural tripwires: It quickly emerged that the country’s newest sports hero is banned from marrying his fiancee here because he is not considered Jewish enough by the rabbis who control Israel’s marriage law. Immediately after Dolgopyat took top honors in the men’s floor exercise, his mother took the chance to complain that Israeli religious law is keeping her engaged 24-year-old son from tying the knot because only his father’s side of the family is Jewish. Marriage law is tightly controlled by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. And for generations, couples who are of mixed religions—or who are atheists, gay or inadequately Jewish—have been forced to marry outside the country. Dolgopyat’s training schedule has made that impossible, said his mother, Angela Bilan. “I want grandchildren,” Bilan said Sunday in an interview with Israeli radio.

Talking to strangers (Atlantic) A hefty body of research has found that an overwhelmingly strong predictor of happiness and well-being is the quality of a person’s social relationships. But most of those studies have looked at only close ties: family, friends, co-workers. In the past decade and a half, professors have begun to wonder if interacting with strangers could be good for us too: not as a replacement for close relationships, but as a complement to them. The results of that research have been striking. Again and again, studies have shown that talking with strangers can make us happier, more connected to our communities, mentally sharper, healthier, less lonely, and more trustful and optimistic.

But tanks make such handy snowplows... (BBC) A German retiree was fined nearly $300,000 by local authorities on Tuesday following the discovery of a World War-II era tank in his basement along with other items of the period, including a flak cannon and multiple machine guns. The Panther tank was removed from the man’s property in 2015, a job that took 20 soldiers almost nine hours to complete. The unnamed 84-year-old might have been able to hold on to his tank and the rest of his collection—which must now be donated to a museum within two years, according to Tuesday’s ruling—had he kept it a better secret. “He was chugging around in that thing during the snow catastrophe in 1978,” Heikendorf Mayor Alexander Orth told reporters.

#headlines #news

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seymour-butz-stuff · 3 years

Link

Erik Prince, the former head of the security contractor Blackwater Worldwide and a prominent supporter of former President Donald J. Trump, violated a United Nations arms embargo on Libya by sending weapons to a militia commander who was attempting to overthrow the internationally backed government, according to U.N. investigators.

A confidential U.N. report obtained by The New York Times and delivered by investigators to the Security Council on Thursday reveals how Mr. Prince deployed a force of foreign mercenaries, armed with attack aircraft, gunboats and cyberwarfare capabilities, to eastern Libya at the height of a major battle in 2019.

As part of the operation, which the report said cost $80 million, the mercenaries also planned to form a hit squad that could track down and kill selected Libyan commanders.

Mr. Prince, a former Navy SEAL and the brother of Betsy DeVos, Mr. Trump’s education secretary, became a symbol of the excesses of privatized American military force when his Blackwater contractors killed 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007.

In the past decade he has relaunched himself as an executive who strikes deals — sometimes for minerals, other times involving military force — in war-addled but resource-rich countries, mostly in Africa.

The DeVos family seem to be in a perpetual race with one another to be the biggest scumbag of all time.

During the Trump administration, Mr. Prince was a generous donor and a staunch ally of the president, often in league with figures like Steve Bannon and Roger Stone as they sought to undermine Mr. Trump’s critics. And Mr. Prince came under scrutiny from the Trump-Russia inquiry over his meeting with a Russian banker in 2017.

Mr. Prince refused to cooperate with the U.N. inquiry; his lawyer did not respond to questions about the report. Last year the lawyer, Matthew L. Schwartz, told The Times that Mr. Prince “had nothing whatsoever” to do with military operations in Libya.

The accusation that Mr. Prince violated the U.N.’s arms embargo on Libya exposes him to possible U.N. sanctions, including a travel ban and a freeze on his bank accounts and other assets — though such an outcome is uncertain.

The report raises the question of whether Mr. Prince played on his ties to the Trump administration to pull off the Libya operation.

It describes how a friend and former business partner of Mr. Prince traveled to Jordan to buy surplus, American-made Cobra helicopters from the Jordanian military — a sale that ordinarily would require American government permission, according to military experts. The friend, Christiaan Durrant, assured officials in Jordan that he had “clearances from everywhere” and his team’s work had been approved “at the highest level,” the report found.

But the Jordanians, unimpressed by those claims, stopped the sale, forcing the mercenaries to source new aircraft from South Africa.

A Western official, speaking to the Times on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to discuss confidential work, said the investigators had also obtained phone records showing that Mr. Prince’s friend, Mr. Durrant, made several calls to the main White House switchboard in late July 2019, after the mercenary operation ran into trouble. The Western official said it was unclear whom Mr. Durrant sought to contact, or if he got through.

Contacted through his Facebook page, Mr. Durrant declined to comment and referred to a statement he issued to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation last September. “We don’t breach sanctions; we don’t deliver military services, we don’t carry guns, and we are not mercenaries,” it said.

The sheer breadth of evidence in the latest U.N. report — 121 pages of code names, cover stories, offshore bank accounts and secretive weapons transfers spanning eight countries, not to mention a brief mention of a Hollywood friend of Mr. Prince — provides a glimpse into the secretive world of international mercenaries.

Libya began to fracture a decade ago, when the violent ouster of the country’s longtime dictator, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, set in motion a political crisis that splintered the country into armed factions, many eventually supported by foreign powers hoping to shape the destiny of the oil-rich North African nation.

Eastern Libya is now in the hands of Khalifa Hifter, the powerful militia commander whom Mr. Prince agreed to support, according to the report, as the country was wracked by fighting in 2019.

A one-time CIA asset who returned from exile in Virginia after the fall of Mr. Qaddafi in 2011, Mr. Hifter rapidly established himself in the eastern city of Benghazi as an aspiring strongman who was determined to blast his way to power if necessary.

In his late 70s, Mr. Hifter has relied for years on the United Arab Emirates for funding, armed drones and a range of powerful weapons, according to successive United Nations reports. More recently, Mr. Hifter has also received backing from Russia, in the form of mercenaries with the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group that has become an integral part of his war machine.

In April 2019, Mr. Hifter launched a blistering assault on the capital, Tripoli, but formidable obstacles stood in his way, including newly arrived troops from Turkey supporting the U.N.-backed government. So Mr. Hifter turned to Mr. Prince, the U.N. investigators found.

At a meeting with Mr. Hifter in Cairo, 10 days after the start of the campaign to seize Tripoli, Mr. Prince made his pitch for the $80 million mercenary operation, the UN inspectors revealed.

Four days later, Mr. Trump publicly endorsed Mr. Hifter, reversing American policy towards Libya and supporting the assault on Tripoli.

But the mercenary operation turned to disaster just months later.

No sooner had 20 mercenaries arrived in Benghazi in June 2019 — Britons, Australians, South Africans and one American — than they became embroiled in a dispute with Mr. Hifter, who accused them of failing to deliver promised American-made Cobra helicopters, the report found. Tensions rose and, on June 29, the mercenaries bailed out of Libya by boat on an arduous 40-hour journey across the Mediterranean until they reached safety in Malta.

But key elements of the mercenary mission — a cyberwarfare team that arrived separately and several attack aircraft — remained in Libya, the report said. And the fleeing soldiers of fortune left behind a long trail of paperwork that eventually led U.N. investigators to Mr. Prince.

A PowerPoint presentation shown to Mr. Hifter and reproduced in the report lists possible “high value targets” for assassination, including Abdulrauf Kara, a major commander in Tripoli, and two other Libyan commanders who hold Irish passports, suggesting the mercenaries were ready to hit European Union citizens if necessary.

A welter of contracts detailed in the report show how Mr. Prince moved three aircraft into Libya at short notice, transferring one for a nominal sum of $10.

There are also hints of a certain self-regarding bravado inside the group.

The report said that on a trip to Jordan, Mr. Durrant, the friend and former partner of Mr. Prince, used the cover name Gene Rynack — close to Gene Ryack, the cowboy pilot played by Mel Gibson in the movie “Air America,” about a CIA airline that smuggled drugs and weapons during the Vietnam War.

In fact, Mr. Prince knows Mr. Gibson and hosted him in Abu Dhabi for a couple of days in 2013, said Gregg Smith, a former marine who worked with Mr. Prince at the time.

Mr. Prince has been angling for military business in Libya since 2013, mostly through Mr. Hifter, the report says. In 2015, Mr. Prince supplied the Libyan commander with a private jet, owned by the Hong Kong-based Frontier Services Group company led by Mr. Prince, and which Mr. Hifter used for travel to meetings in Egypt and across the region, the report says.

That same year Mr. Prince pitched the European Union on a private military force to patrol Libya’s borders and combat illegal migration. The Europeans declined.

To the outside world, the mercenaries claimed to be working on a geological survey or an oil and gas project. The report says that Bridgeporth, a British survey company then owned by Mr. Prince, was used to manufacture cover stories — just as the company had been used as cover for previous mercenary operations in South Sudan and Uganda.

Travis Maki, an American pilot who once worked for Bridgeporth, told U.N. investigators that he flew one of Mr. Prince’s planes into Libya just before the operation. The plane, a Pilatus PC-6, had previously been used by Mr. Prince during his Blackwater days, and is the same model used by Mr. Gibson’s character in the movie “Air America.” In Libya, it had been fitted with powerful optical sensors that made it a piece of military equipment, the arms inspectors concluded.

In an email, Mark Davies, the chief executive of Bridgeporth, denied the company’s aircraft were used for anything other than surveys, and said that Mr. Maki had not worked for the company since 2018. Mr. Prince's Frontier Group, which once invested in Bridgeporth, no longer held a stake in the company, he added.

Mr. Prince has faced accusations of violating international law before. In 2012, U.N. investigators accused his antipiracy force in Somalia, the Puntland Maritime Police Force, of “the most brazen violation of the arms embargo by a private security company.”

Whether he will face sanctions as a result of the accusations against him, though, is highly uncertain. Mr. Prince can no longer rely on allies with the Trump administration to protect him. At the same time, a senior diplomat at the U.N. said, the Biden administration may be reluctant to penalize an American for breaches of the arms embargo when others are guilty of far worse.

In October, the European Union imposed sanctions on Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, a wealthy Russian businessman known as “Putin’s chef” for his close ties to the Wagner Group mercenaries fighting in Libya. But Mr. Prigozhin gets only a fleeting mention in the latest U.N. report — perhaps because investigators, blocked by Russia, struggled to build a case against the Russian businessman.

On the other side of the fight, the report identifies Turkey — an ally of Libya’s internationally backed government — as a major violator of the arms embargo.

The big question about Mr. Prince left unanswered by the U.N. report is who funded the $80 million mercenary operation he is accused of undertaking.

“He’s been linked to the Trump administration, the Emirati leadership and the Russians,” said Wolfram Lacher, a Libya expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “For me, the question is who is tacitly backing him?”

Analysts and Western officials said the U.A.E. was the most likely foreign funder of the mercenary operation Mr. Prince is accused of launching. The report points out that the mercenaries had offices, bank accounts and shell companies in the Emirates. Moreover, the powerful ruler of the Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, has longstanding ties to Mr. Prince and is probably Mr. Hifter’s most important foreign backer.

Last year, the U.A.E. poured tons of weapons into Libya in blatant disregard for the arms embargo, even as Sheikh Mohammed traveled to Berlin for a major peace conference on Libya, where he posed with European leaders.

As with previous U.N. investigations, the Emirates refused to cooperate with requests for information about the operation involving Mr. Prince and the mercenaries.

“They have yet to respond,” the report noted.

#Erik Prince #Betsy DeVos #Trump #dark money #the real deep state

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selfwriting-sugarquills · 4 years

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Heat in the rain pt. 8 Christmas at the burrow

(What a very un-christmassy Christmas chapter! I hope it’s alright that I focused more on the people rather than the activities, after all, there’s a lot of people to keep track of; I actually often wonder how the Weasley’s get through Christmas with the enormous amount of people the family would consist of today lol - hope you enjoy xxx)

Description: Reader and the twins go home to the burrow for Christmas and get to catch up with most of the Weasley family. Reader has a serious talk with Harry in the kitchen, as one does.

Warnings: none in particular

Wordcount: 1881

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

Christmas rolled around quickly, the days of December flying past in a haze of coloured lights, snow and too many cookies. Upon the 23rd, you and the twins set off to the burrow, apparating there.

A brief moment of feeling like you were being pulled and squeezed in possibly every direction at once and then a thud. The cold air outside the burrow filled your lungs, your hands holding your bag, the twins had appeared beside you roughly at the same time, both looked happy to be home and you would be lying if you said you weren’t happy to be seeing the burrow’s fantastically crooked frame, you’d spent several summer holidays here, every single one being part of the happiest moments in your life thus far.

The door opened as you and the twins neared the house, Molly appearing in the door, opening her arms wide as she went to greet you happily,

“Hello dears, so good to see you!” She said as she hugged the twins, moving on to you,

“Oh Y/n,” She said, her voice full of empathy, “It’s so good to have you here!” She embraced you in hug tight enough to choke you but you didn’t mind, you’d missed her motherly presence.

“Molly, please, she’s turning blue!” Arthur laughed as Molly let go stepping aside so that Arthur could welcome you as well,

“Let’s get your stuff upstairs,” said Molly as the three of you hung up your coats, “Y/n you’ll be sleeping in the twins’ room,” She explained as she led you through the house and up the stairs to the second floor where the twins’ old room was located, next to Percy’s where him and Charlie would be staying, she explained that Bill and Fleur were staying in Bill’s old room, Ginny and Harry in Ginny’s, Hermione and Ron in Ron’s,

“Thank goodness for romance,” Molly chuckled, “without it we’d be completely overbooked,” there was a twinkle in her eyes as she mentioned romance, her eyes drifting over you and George who seemed to look anywhere other than at each other,

“But come downstairs and say hello to everyone else, I have to get started on dinner,” Molly chuckled, you followed her downstairs, the twins behind you.

In the kitchen Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Arthur and Percy were standing in the living room, chatting and laughing with each other. Bill had his arm comfortable wrapped around Fleur who was talking to Charlie who was pointing to a new scar on his right wrist, Arthur and Percy laughed about something work-related.

You went round receiving hugs and exchanging hellos before sitting down on one of the sofas with the twins who excitedly asked Charlie about his scar,

“Got it from our newest addition, an antipodean opaleye, beautiful but extremely temperamental, she’s a real teenager,” Charlie explained with a snicker, his arm stretched out so that you and the twins could see the burn scar, “we’re watching her until we can move her to another sanctuary in New Zealand,”

“Why can’t you move ‘er now?” Asked Fleur, you noticed how much her accent had improved since last time you’d spoken to her, “Well she’s still a bit too young for travelling far,” Charlie said, “We’d like to wait until she’s a bit older, and has gained a little weight, she was in an awful state when we got her,” He said, rubbing the scar reminiscently,

“Another smuggler?” Percy asked. Charlie nodded, “That’s what we suspect anyways, we can’t be sure as she was apparently abandoned but then again that’s not uncommon for smugglers,”

Percy gave a nod of understanding,

“I didn’t know the department of magical transport dealt with smugglers?” Fred asked,

“Yeah, shouldn’t that be Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures’ job?” George added,

“Well it’s more of a cooperative job,” Percy explained, “since magical law enforcement catches them, but they’re typically using magical transportation and finally smuggling various magical creatures, meaning the paperwork is shared between all three departments,” Percy looked tired at the thought of the paperwork, which you didn’t question, he had a history with working tirelessly with his previous job at the ministry, though thankfully, he’d become a lot more grounded and even nice again after the war, much to the joy of the remaining Weasley family.

“We’re trying to work with the other two departments on finding a way to stop smuggling for good but naturally that’s turning out to be easier said than done,” Percy said, running a hand through his hair,

“You know, the muggles have an interesting contraption for catching smuggled goods,” said Arthur, “I believe it’s called a metal-detector,”

“Unless they’re smuggling a niffler, that’d hardly be helpful,” Percy said,

“Yes, but see they also have a way of tagging wild animals in order to track them, I read it in one of the books Hermione borrowed me,” Arthur explained, excitement over the chance to talk about his biggest passion shining through on his aged, kind face, “so, say if you started tagging wild dragons, of course not in way that would harm them,” Arthur said defensively as Charlie looked alarmed, “but with this little tag, you could build a metal detector of sorts, similar to the spell detectors we already have and use and catch the smuggled dragons that way,” Arthur sat back, pleased with his offer. Percy looked at his father, seemingly impressed,

“That’s not all that bad,” he admitted, “of course it would still be difficult in terms of the smuggling of eggs, but it’s a start, thanks, dad.” He said, clapping his father appreciatively on the shoulder,

“No problem, Perce, it’s good to know this old brain can still be put to use,” Arthur answered with a small wink in the direction of you and the twins, causing the three of you to giggle a little.

The conversation between the Weasleys was interrupted by the sound of the door and soon Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny appeared in the entrance. Arthur stood up and walked to the entrance but the rest of you held back, letting them receive their hugs and welcomings from Molly first. She seemed even more keen to reassure Harry as she said hello, holding onto him for an almost extreme amount of time as, even after hugging him, her hands remained on his shoulders as she told him how happy she was to see him. Harry had been a bit timid after the war, you supposed it was the survivors’ guilt which you’d all felt immediately after the war but it was no wonder that Harry had been brought down most of all by the deaths of allies and schoolmates. He’d taken to keeping to himself for a little until Ginny, Hermione and Ron decided to burst his bubble in which he’d kept himself under the illusion of ‘protecting others’ and ‘not causing any more harm’. He seemed to be doing better now, however, as he and the gang had decided to try and renovate nr.12 Grimmauld place to fit Harry a bit better, and because of this, you noticed, they all looked a little worn in the way that people do after doing physical work for an extended period of time though nonetheless happy.

As it became your turn to say hello to them, you noticed how Harry avoided your eyes at first, and at first you questioned this, then you remembered your parents; Harry had explicitly said during the war that he wanted as few people to suffer because of him as possible, so when random civilians with a past connection to the first wizarding war, people like your own parents, were killed he’d felt miserable, you suspected he’d heard of your parents. You made sure to tell him how good it was to see him again, hoping it would soften him up.

***

After dinner people settled in various places, Ron, Hermione and Harry were talking to Bill and Fleur, Ginny had sat down with Charlie who was recounting how he’d gotten his newest scar again, Arthur and - a mildly horrified - Molly sitting next to them. This left you and the twins who were discussing business with Percy, you four had stayed in the kitchen but after mentioning a prototype they were working on, Fred and George went to collect their plans for it, wanting to show Percy who’d followed them thus leaving you alone in the kitchen (after George had asked if you wanted to come and see as well, of course, though you’d turned him down on the grounds that you’d already seen the prototypes)

You stood up to get some water and when you turned around you met the easily recognisable, brilliant green eyes belonging to Harry who was standing in the entrance to the kitchen,

“Uhm...hi,” he said,

“Hi?” You replied, lifting an eyebrow, Harry took a hesitant step forward,

“Y/n I’m really sorry about your parents,” he said, looking down. You were a little shocked that he was so forward about it. You didn’t really know what to say, something about the way he looked so unsure himself made you step towards him as well. It was strange how much he sometimes still resembled the young boy who’d come out of the maze in the Triwizard tournament, scarred and shocked, you figured that moment would have been the beginning of his insecurity, if it hadn’t started before because what kind of child could possibly bear the pressure of being named ‘the chosen one’ at such an early age?

“Harry it’s alright, really,” You said, “I mean it’s sad-”

“I wish I could change it,” He said quietly, “all those people, dead because of me,”

“Not because of you,” You cut him off, “because of the war, almost all those people chose to fight, they chose to stand with you and they knew what the risks were when they did, we all did, you didn’t lie to us when you warned us it was dangerous, we already knew, so really it’s not your fault,”

“your parents…” Harry interjected,

“My parents didn’t get to chose this time, but they in the last war and that’s why they were targeted, because they had entered the first war, just as willing to die for the cause as we were when we fought, not because we were foolish or delusional but because it was what was right, and they felt the same when they made the choices they did, when they were targeted they knew that they had their past to blame, not you, Harry,” You took a deep breath, he looked taken aback by your ramblings but you had a lot to say, you knew he was guilty but this wasn’t something you wanted on his conscience,

“Harry,” You said, taking his hand, “you wanna know how I know you’re not to blame?” you asked and without letting him answer you continued, “because you’re a good person, Harry, everyone knows that you would never want anyone to get hurt, so of course none of us blame you, me included, because we know it was out of your control and that if you could have your choice, then there wouldn’t have been a war in the first place,” you gave him a reassuring smile, which he returned hesitantly,

“Y/n,” He said, tears brimming his eyes, he swallowed hard, “Don’t worry about it,” you said quietly, squeezing his hand as a lump in your throat prevented you from speaking further.

___

oof: Alright raise your hand if you also think Harry James Potter suffered from extreme anxiety and guilt after the war? me too.

___

Taglist: @lilcutekittykat @proflongbttm @silentexplorer18

#george weasley x reader #fred weasley x reader #George Weasley #Fred Weasley #fred weasley lives #George weasley fluff #Fred Weasley fluff #weasley twins #weasley twins x reader #weasley twins fluff #charlie weasley #bill weasley #fleur weasley #hermione granger #ron weasley #percy weasley #molly weasley #arthur weasley

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cappa-cappa · 4 years

Text

Asgard Has Fallen

Really shitty fic inspired by @maiden-of-asgard ‘s Frostbite

Canon divergent (and fic divergent) Loki Laufeyson x Gender Neutral Reader even though Loki’s barely in it.

Summary: After the fall of Asgard, In-Unga moves on... until they don’t.

Mostly just set up for a potential future story. I thought I might as well post it? Idk.

Word Count: 994

Asgard has fallen.

The world was destroyed in a chaotic battle between the children of Odin, and the Fire Giant known as Surtr… or so the story goes. On Midgard, there was no thought to the calamity happening in the other realms. On Midgard, the majority of the population simply lived their lives, while a small portion of supposed “Superheroes” protected them from tragedy. To one midgardian, the news of Asgard was rather taxing. The idea of the world of gods being massacred held their mind hostage, dredging up memories the human had long since tried to forget. It was debatable however, that Y/N was even fully human anymore.

They try to forget the heated stares, the thrilling missions, the endless fear. They try to forget the smiling twins and the curious prince. They try to forget the king who still ruled their dreams, the bitter biscuits, the salty sea snake, the dances, the disasters, the touches and the distance. They try to forget the grand plans the man they were in love with spoke of, and to forget the hope it brought to the giants, the triumph after Asgard, the hurt of insecurity, the bliss of validation. They try to forget the magic lingering in their core from being his for so long. They try to forget everything, as if it wasn’t what their heart screamed for. It was hard to tell how long it really was since Y/N had met him, been saved from their unfortunate fate… but when they’d reappeared in Iceland, shocking everyone and their mother, people told Y/N that they were only gone for a month and a half.

The people who found them already knew their name. Knew their face from the media. Didn’t recognize the clothes on their back, or the look in their eye, or the magic lurking in them. The people who found them were kind. The people who followed were debatable. They called themselves S.H.I.E.L.D., a secret organization associated with threats to the world and superhumans. In this case, Y/N, having survived in an unknown world for a month and a half and returning with a similar energy reading as the God of Mischief, was possibly both of those things. After weeks of testing and interviewing and recuperating, Y/N was given the all-clear to go back to normal civilian life.

That only lasted 3 weeks. The first week, they didn’t go out much. Holed themselves up inside, cried and watched the news and tried to just sleep and survive. Domesticity no longer had the appeal it did before. The second week, they grew restless. They lived recklessly. The extremes of alcohol and cheap thrills in their area did nothing to soothe the burn inside for the excitement they were used to. The third week, there was calm. The veil was lifted. They detoxed from the consequences of the manic behavior they lived the week before, then contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. Within two months, they were an active agent. After a few years, they meet the sorcerer known as Doctor Strange after he took on the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme, and began to learn under him in their free time so they could harness the broil in their blood left behind by their purpose as an offset bank for Loki’s magic. They wore the name gifted to them on Jotunheim as their alias in all fields regarding work. In-Unga. No one questioned it. It felt almost more right than their real name almost days.

Now, they’d been an agent for nearing on four years. The realm they’d visited with the green-eyed God of Mischief to reclaim the Frost Giant’s relic was gone. Apparently, as they learned from debriefing, it was because the death of Odin, who had been smuggled onto Earth, allowing Loki to give more free access to Jotunheim while also changing Asgard for the better. It prospered under the rule, the realms beneath them who had long ago been conquered unjustly were given the opportunity for independence.

When the news of the asgardian refugees reached S.H.I.E.L.D., Y/N was recruited to help them adjust. The agent was knowledgeable from late nights learning with Loki. They focused on their task, assisting in helping the asgardians who survived the travel to find housing and acclimate to the community they were in. The days were busy, but that was something they enjoyed. The asgardians seemed to appreciate them. When they heard the name that people called them, however, it always resulted in surprise and confusion.

“That name is—“

“Jotun, yes.”

And that was it, most often. No one knows what more to ask. Or so the human assumes. The asgardians have more to say, though. They just bide their time. The gossip topic is plenty enough. The agent ignores the gossip as they work. One day, it’s especially bad though… one day, they’re not expecting it. That day, they hear the whispers and see the looks, but ignore it as they walk through the village, making their way to check up on the older asgardians and the families. They ignore it all, head in the clouds, until they run into something a bit too solid. A familiar scent hits them, but they don’t connect it immediately. They just get irritated.

“Shit…!” They hiss out, rubbing their nose where they came in contact with the person. There’s a pregnant pause, before the person’s hand brushes against the side of their face to touch the short locks brushing against the side of their face.

“You’ve cut your hair.”

Those few words wouldn’t have been shocking if they hadn’t been from him. If it hadn’t been his voice, if she couldn’t hear the mix of snark and soft lingering even in the most well intentioned words. They were at a loss.

“Loki?”

“We’ve got a lot to talk about, Y/N.”

#bad fics #my fics #loki laufeyson x reader #im so sorry

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thoughtsofdarc · 6 years

Text

Wasteland - Part 8

Summary: After the mighty attack from the creatures above, the entire world is in ruins. the people left fight for their survival. Jeanne is one of them, one of the strongest survivers - but is she strong enough to fight and survive in the long run? first against the monsters, then against ordinary humans? And what about the Avengers, those who got blamed for the disaster, are they alive? can they help?

Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes appears in this. Warnings: Angst, fighting, and frustrations! Words: 2379

A/N: A new chapter for you guys, just because i feel like im in a good and giving mood today ;) Enjoy.

Prologue - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

In our tent after the meeting, my father sat down on the cot and rested his elbows on his knees, as he ran his hands frustrated through this hair. Dog went over and nudged him with a whimper, making my father sigh in defeat and mindlessly scratch behind the big furry ears.

"You aren't a beast, are you?" he said to Dog, who in return cocked his head to the side and looked at my father as if he said "No! And that General is a jerk!"

I couldn't help but to smile a little. In the midst of disaster, my hardboiled father still talked to Dog as if he understood every word... Which I sometimes think he did.

I was about to say something, when the front of the tent rustled and without warning three men stepped in. It was the Captain, Bucky and Sergeant Major Colbert.

"Agent Y/L/N. Miss Y/N" Steve nodded in greeting and my father stood up to meet the men eye to eye.

Colbert went over to my side, paler as ever, and swung his arm around my shoulder. He was tired, I could see it in his eyes, but he still greeted me with a smile. Ever since I saved his life, twice, we had gotten somewhat of a brother/sister relationship. I worried about him and he protected me for all he could.

"Are you okay?!" I whispered to the tall broad man, that didn't seem so big and strong anymore. He smiled down at me and nodded, but the smile didn't reach his eyes for real. And a knot formed in my stomach. What was wrong with my friend? Dog patted over to Bucky, and looked up at him, waiting for the soldier to scratch his head and he did. On so many levels, Bucky seemed angry and withdrawn, I knew by now that he wasn't really, it was just a facade to protect himself. But with Dog, the former assassin was soft as butter and it was nice to witness.

"You have to pack up your things and get out of here Y/F/N. Take Y/N and Dog and get to safety, please!" Steve started, but my father started to interrupt him. "The General has issued an arrest warrant on you Y/F/N. He sees you as a problem because you work against his orders!" the Captain looked my father directly in the eyes as he talked and my father shut up with a stunned expression painted in his eyes.

"That son of a bitch!" my father mumbled as he turned around to look away from the rest of us, as he furiously and frustrated ran his hands down his face. He turned around to look at Steve again and said "You know I can't let him do this, right? I can't let him kill all those innocent people?!"

I stepped forward and reached for my father, grabbing his arm to get his attention. "Dad, we can't stay here if he is gonna arrest you. We need to go!" I begged him and even Dog came over to us and whimpered, as he nudged my father's hand.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to kiss the top of my head and said "I just can't let him do it, Darling. Its innocent people, they deserve a chance to live... even in this hell of a world"

"That's where we come in" Colbert's voice broke our little moment and I turned to follow my father's gaze over to the Sergeant Major.

"Mr. Stark has already left to warn the population in the areas that will be hit first. Cap and Sergeant Barnes take two other directions and warn them and I will take the last one" Colbert smiled to the two other men, as if he silently asked if they wanted to add anything to the explanation. Bucky cleared his throat and looked at my father that still had his arm draped over my shoulder "There's focus on you and Y/N, Agent Y/L/N. The General don't suspect anyone but you to do anything reckless, which gives the four of us the perfect opportunity to get this done" he pointed to himself, Steve and Colbert and made a gesture with the hand, indicating he meant Tony too.

"Colbert and Bucky leaves tonight, one early this evening and one during the night, I'll go tomorrow... They won't notice 2 men missing, with hours between them, but if we all disappear at once, it will raise suspicion" Steve said "And we need you and Y/N to go home... Or at least pretend you do and travel that way. We need to have the Generals focus on you guys"

I looked up at my father and I could read the desperation in his eyes. He wasn't one to back out of anything, but he could see the point of their plan and slowly he nodded and looked down and said to me "What do you say, sweetheart? Should we be the decoy for this operation and hopefully save a lot of people?"

I smiled at him, my father, my hero, and nodded in agreement "Yeah, let's fuck the general's plan up and give him more lives to tend to after the bombings"

My father chuckled and kissed my forehead "That's my girl! Alright guys, you have your decoy... We will leave tomorrow morning. You just make sure to save as many as possible and that is an order"

The three men looked at each other, exchanging silent words before Colbert spoke up again "There's just one more thing... One thing we need you to do"

-------

The plan was set in motion, including the little favor they needed from my father. Our few belongings were all packed up and ready in our tent, a radio amongst them graciously stole from the army and smuggled in to our tent by none other than Bucky a few minutes before he had left the camp, to go warn the civilians of what were to come.

I had my bow in hand, my gun by my side and Dog walking next to me.

My father looked at me from the corner of his eye and mumbled "Are you ready for this?" and I nodded, tightening my grip on the bow.

We marched up to the tent where the General and his men were sitting, studying maps and talking with loud voiced and big hand gestures.

"General!" My father's voice boomed, catching the focus of all the men at the tent and a few soldiers roaming around camp.

Steve needed us to get into a fight with the General, one that made him so mad at us, that his entire focus would be on getting us the hell out of there, but preferably not getting us locked up.

My father walked over to the table and started a discussion with the high ranked soldiers, demanding them to stop the bombing plans, or at least wait a few days, so the safe zones could be cleared out. Just as expected, the General didn't listen to a word my father said, he only saw a man huffing and puffing in front of him and like any other animal on this planet, he saw a threat to his position on the power, making him want to protect his leadership.

It was easy to provoke him... A little too easy almost. Because suddenly he stood up and yelled "Agent Y/L/N, stand down or I will have you arrested for hindering military business!"

I don't think my father really heard the Generals words, because he kept arguing his case to help the innocent, but in such a manner that he seemed threatening.

Suddenly the general nodded to a couple of his men, and I knew... I knew my father was about to be put in cuffs and thrown into the darkest pit the General could find.

"Dad!" I shouted, making him shut up and realize what was happening. He took a few steps back, as I took a few steps forward, not thinking much, just reaching into my quiver and fishing out an arrow and put it on the string. I aimed it right at the Generals head with a scowl daring him to move.

"Y/N, don't do anything stupid" The general said in a calm voice, but his eyes showed anything else. He held up his hands, both to stop his men from grabbing my father and to show me that he wasn't doing anything else.

"I think our time here is over, General. My dad, my dog and myself are gonna go grab our things and go home now... That's what you wanted, right? You leave us alone, and I promise we will all go away. We won't bother you anymore... Right dad?"

This was all part of our plan, it had just gone a little too well and I wasn't actually supposed to threaten the General. But life happens, and there we were.

My father agreed and I raised an eyebrow at the General "So...? Are we free to go, or are you going to be a jackass?"

The anger burning in the Generals eyes said more than words, but he slowly nodded and told his men to stand down "You are free to go. But if you aren't gone within 30 minutes...." He let the threat hang in the air.

"Trust me... We'll be gone by then" I said and lowered my bow, but didn't remove the arrow. I backed away, led by my father and quickly we made our way to the tent.

Inside we grabbed our things and jogged towards the exit of the camp, only to be stopped by Steve right before we got there.

"Everything gone as planned?" he asked, looking around making sure nobody was listening.

"Better than planned... My little firecracker over here threatened to put an arrow in his head... I promise you, all eyes are on us for the next couple of hours" he pointed to me and Steve's brows shot up in surprise. I just shrugged and gave him a sly smile.

That made him chuckle and shake his head "I sure did get you wrong from the start, didn't I Y/N?"

He grabbed my father's hand and shook it, as he said "Be careful, stay safe... That is an order!" and patted his shoulder. Then he turned to me and reached out his hand to me too "See you guys when this is all over, okay?"

"You too Cap. Get your group and meet us at the mountain" I smiled at him before I added "That's an order" making the two men laugh.

----

I was in shock over the amount of destruction that had happened in the city in the weeks I'd been in the camp. The streets where I had walked with Dog, after we left the truck were completely trashed. Store windows were broken, glass scattered all over the street. Bodies were left to rotten in the baking sun. Personal items were thrown all over and everything just reeked of chaos and destruction.

We were followed by soldiers all the way to where the truck was hidden. My heart was hammering in my chest and my father kept telling me to stay calm. He could practically feel my nerves.

But how could I stay calm? We were followed by soldiers that surely were ordered to arrest us, or worse, if we deterred from the plan. We had to be on constant watch, not to be ambushed by black creatures and a part of me was sure that our truck was gone, or destroyed like the rest of the city.

When we got to the warehouse, the soldiers had fallen back. They were still following us, but not in the same pace as before and that told me that they would soon go back to camp.

The warehouse looked even more rampaged than when I was there the first time, so much so, that my hopes of finding our truck in one piece almost equaled zero.

But by some crazy wonderful miracle it was still there. Hidden away under the tarp. All our belongings and canned goods were still safely stored in the back, and nothing was changed except for a layer of dust covering everything.

My father smiled big and ruffled my hair, before he tore the tarp all the way off the truck and threw it away. "Let's go home, shall we?" he asked and I smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks. Home... We were finally going home.

The roar of the engine was strangely calming, and even before we had left the darkness of the warehouse, I was sat back with my head against the side of the car, next to an open window.

When we drove out on the street, the soldiers had finally caught up and had to jump back to not get hit by the truck. My father couldn't help but to smirk and I might have waved goodbye to them with my hand out of the open window and my middle finger stretched out.

-------------

We drove for ours, making several stops along the way. By every single store that might have something we could use, we made a hold and took what we needed. My father no longer cared for putting money on the counter "Being polite is no longer needed Y/N, our survival is"

Canned food, dried food, long lasting food items and clothes to last a lifetime. We cleared out a store for hunters, fishing enthusiasts and outdoor people in general. We found seeds and things that we could bring to the mountain to plant and later harvest.

"If we do this right, we will be able to supply ourselves with more food than we can eat till the day we die" my father said, and his words had a strangely calming effect on me. It was nice to know, that he truly believed that we could survive without the rest of the world.

With the truck filled to the brim, we finally made our way towards the mountain for what was supposed to be the last time.

But things never go as planned, do they?

Part 9

Did you like this? Let me know your thoughts here. I’ll love you forever

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Tags:

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group1blogsite · 3 years

Text

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA

❏ Social media has also been used to increase awareness of social and political issues and organize demonstrations. Frequently cited disadvantages of social media include a decrease in real-world, personal connections and the possibilities of cyberbullying, stalking, hacking, and other privacy concerns.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

❏ Refers to the utilization of information technology (IT) in order to engage in society, politics, and government.

ENGAGE POSITIVELY

Respect the rights of others to participate and have an opinion

Ask before tagging other people or posting photos

Report offensive or illegal content

Stand up and speak out about cyberbullying — protect your friends

Don't respond to hurtful or nasty comments — block and report cyberbullying

Speak to your parents or trusted adult about upsetting online experiences

Report threats of violence to the police (collect the evidence to show them)

KNOW YOUR ONLINE WORLD

Learn how new skills will help you explore the online world

Recognize online risks and how to manage them

Look out for suspicious emails and scams

Stand up and speak out about cyberbullying — protect your friends

Keep passwords secret, strong and unique

Know how to report bullying behavior on social media sites

CHOOSE CONSCIOUSLY

Choose privacy and security settings carefully and check them regularly

Choose friends wisely online — not everybody online is who they claim to be, regularly review your connections and remove people

If you have made a mistake apologize and take down offensive material as soon as possible

Ask for permission before uploading pictures of your friends

WHAT IS ADVOCACY?

❏ It is a process of supporting and enabling people to: express their views and concerns, access information and services, defend and promote their rights and responsibilities.

❏ Advocacy in democracy is about getting what you want out of the government, in democracy, which is a collection of voices, it is everyone’s job to use their voice to remind the government about what people want.

THE ROLE OF ICT IN RECENT HISTORY

EDSA (PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION)

❏ The revolution lasted from 1983 to 1986. During a radio broadcast of Radyo Veritas.

❏ Cardinal Sin encouraged the Filipinos to help end the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. A major protest took place along EDSA from February 22 to 25, 1986 involving two million Filipinos from different sectors. These included civilians, political parties, the military, and religious groups. The radio broadcast helped change the course of history. Without it, Filipinos would not have been moved in action.

EDSA DOS

❏ This is also known as the 2001 EDSA Revolution, which happened from January 17 to 21, 2001. It was fuelled after 11 prosecutors of President Joseph Estrada walked out of the impeachment trial. As a result, the crowd in EDSA grew over the course of a few days through text brigades. Like the first People Power Revolution, EDSA Dos would not have been successful without the text brigades.

MILLION PEOPLE MARCH

❏ This is a series of protests that mainly took the place in Luneta Park from August 11 to 26, 2013. There were also several demonstrations that happened around key cities in the Philippines and some locations overseas. It was to condemn the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Though dubbed as the Million People March, the number of total attendees only around 400,000. Despite that, it was still considered a success and clearly demonstrated how powerful social media campaigns are. The organizers and promoters of the Million People March used Facebook and Change.org as their mediums.

YOLANDA PEOPLE FINDER

❏ Recent storms in the Philippines' history gave birth to the People finder database powered by Google. During Typhoon Yolanda, the people finder was a vital tool for people across the globe to track the situation of their relatives. This proved to be successful and is now adopted by more organizations to help people track relatives during calamities.

SOCIAL MEDIA – BOON or BANE?

What is your take on the role of social media in the campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte against drug abuse?

❏ Boon or a bane” basically means “good or bad” “beneficial or harmful”. Boon means “a thing that is beneficial or helpful” and bane is something that causes distress or annoyance.

CHANGE.ORG

❏ Change.org is dubbed as the “World’s platform for change” where anyone from the online community can create a petition and ask others to sign it.

❏ Change.org gives access to more people by allowing the online community to affix their digital signatures on a petition.

❏ During the past times, petitions are only done through signing a paper, usually done by a group asking for signatures via travel.

❏ Their mission is to help people from around the world create the change they want to see.

❏ In the Philippines, the petition to have death row convict Mary Jane Veloso released was the fastest ever-growing petition from the Philippines with over 250,000 signatories from over 125 countries.

❏ Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso is a Filipino woman who was arrested and sentenced to death for smuggling heroin into Indonesia. Her case, among others, sparked international attention towards Indonesia's capital punishment and drug prohibition laws.

SIGNING AN ONLINE PETITION

1. Visit Change.org

2. Change.org works this way. If this is your first time using Change.org, click Sign up or Log in with Facebook.

3. You can start your own petition, but for now, click on any petition you want under trending petitions.

4. Read the petition description to see if this petition matters to you. If it is, signs the petition by filling up the information on the right side of the screen.

5. Share the petition on Facebook to promote it.

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berfometalpha · 4 years

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Legacy of Eternity: Chapter 4 - Beyond the Sea and Stars Part 2: Return to Vega

With the Restoration of Sea city well underway the knight of the New Hope had been spread thin throughout the massive world. As many of the 1 million knights and marines fight to preserve the peace and establish a tomorrow for all to bare.

Danger seems to lurk in every corner as New hope received a message baring ill news. In Lasting hope’s War room their many of the Knights and marine commander met for time was not on their side.

“Thank you all for coming and sorry for dragging you out of your day off sir.”Rex saluted.

“It’s alright Rex, please what is the message all about and before we start this meeting what of Willow I haven’t seen her or Micheal for many days now?”Kent asked ?” Kent asked.

“About that General...” Rex answered.

The Captain began playing a video recording of the lieutenant what seemed to be dire.

Commander Anthony, If you get this please forgive me but when my brother went to New Dawn I lost contact with him for almost 3 days now... I followed his trail and found the Vega Shadow core took him back to vega to finish the extraction of the implants in his body... I smuggled myself back to Vega and found something much worse... The Government of vega has been preparing for a full scale war for some time now... Their are many ship factors working round the clock and they already have 500,000 ships at the ready for battle... I infiltrated the command center and got as much Intel as I could... I fear that I might...””Loud Explosion and gunfire”” Fuck I have been found... Commander I am sorry.

As the message got cut off from the source Lily extracted the battle plans of Vega’s government which was to take over the minor sectors that number to a hundred thousand planets. After taking these sectors they shall proceed with fighting the Galactic council of the United species or GCUS judging from the current arsenal of Vega’s army. They have the ability to pose a threat to GCUS but their first target will be the Fluros sector which is where the Dragon-wolf Kingdom was located.

“So they mean to attack us? This is an outrage... WE must meet them head on if we are to stop them in their tracks Lord Anthony!” Captain Fenris suggested.

“With out ships numbering only to 36 and another 8 barely finished construction even our Trinity Phase disruptor shields will prove useless in their numbers...” Kent stated.

“Then Why not blow up their factories before they can even deploy those heaps of scrap metal!” Commander Aizen suggested.

“That could be possible but we don’t have any teams that can perform a stealth operation at the moment... Even if we ask the Shadow Sentinels it would take them days before they mount an operation as big as this.” Rex argued to commander Aizen.

“Even if we mount a small scale stealth operation according to the timer in Willow’s message Vega will begin the first part of their operation in about 9 days from now. And travelling to Vega by Jump gate will take 13 days from here not to mention taking a hyper jump to Vega will be dangerous since the more common routes will take us through several plasma nebula’s.” Lily argued.

Kent thought to himself for a time to find clarity in the midst of many voices in the room and found his answer.

“Silence everyone... I have a plan.” Kent ordered.

Since our ships are too few in number but are considered as the strongest by far so the Storm Raider will remain at least 5 light years away from the Central Jump point to Vega. While the Night Hawk will use it’s trans-configuration modulator to disguise itself as a common cargo freighter that might get us pass Vega’s security field.

Once we are clear from the security rings and on the ground of Vega Prime we will divide ourselves into 4 squads I will lead the distraction team with Clayton we will disguise ourselves as merchants. Team two will be led by Rex, Marky and Genji as the infiltration team they will slip pass the guards of one of the possible POW prisons where Willow is kept. Captain Fenris and his Knight wolves will be our back up and stay inside the Night Hawk just incase we need an emergency exit. The Marines will also act as our spotters and secure the docking port in secret just in case things will get dangerous.

The Kingdom’s Fleet is already stretched thin since many had called for aide it is up to us to make things right. We will have 1 day to prepare before we leave make sure all things are in check and ready I don’t want any surprises.

“Am I clear Knights of New Hope!” Kent shouted.

The Knights and marine commanders agreed and made preparation for their mission to succeed each knight, marine and civilian part of the Strike Fleet shall do their part.

Lily began working on fake ID cards for everyone participating in the key points of the mission while many other engineers had begun preparing the Night Hawk’s disguise with reinforced titanium a common allow used by the people of Vega for their ships.

Many of his team were preparing their equipment and many more when he entered his personal armory. He found many of his old armors battered and broken in his many years of training before his time in Hell’s gate and even the armor he wore during his time in hell’s gate was there hung upon the wall as a remembrance.

Never folly, never waiver, for one show of weakness to the enemy of creation could mean utter destruction of all life. Never forget the days of old when the fell beings came and destroyed one and all.

He started to put his war gear tempered again in the fires of the Great star forge of New Dawn stronger than any metal and lighter than a feather. The young Knight favors armor on the right arm as his left was mostly cybernetic in nature.

The young knight’s mask the One Eyed demon modified to withstand the harsh conditions of space and any bio-organic attack laid upon him. Reinforced to the point that it can withstand a small grenade exploding at close range.

With weapons to his side the young knight proceeded to the small chapel in the Strike base and offered a silent prayer to Faith and to the three gods for the safe return of his friends and no more life should be spilled.

He met up with his Captain from the 612th Sky raider infantry of New Hope with more trouble to bare as it seems.

“General, sorry to disturb your preparation but we encountered several issues sir.” The Captain reported.

“What is it Captain Julio?” Kent asked.

“Sir, we only have roughly 50,000 marines and 100 knights available for deployment we have requested more reinforcements from New Dawn but they are currently deployed elsewhere sir.” Julio reported.

“Blast it... Then we shall only take the Storm Raider and what few people we have...” Kent ordered.

“What of Zerrohnian Mercenaries.... We can hire a few?” Kent asked.

“None are available sir they are currently on duty." Julio reported.

With a sigh he thought to himself of what needs to be done as this mission requires only stealth and a large army would only bring attention.

“Then we will need no army... We shall only hold with 2,000 men while the rest will remain here on Ren’veil... Captain Julio I am assigning you along with the other company leaders to start recruiting and training of the next batch of Marines.” Kent ordered.

“Yes sir.” Julio saluted.

“One more thing captain... Also open recruitment for the Vai’len post to every guild and village of our need of aide.” Kent ordered.

Julio saluted the young knight and left for the Strike Base’s command center to deliver the orders of their general. At Sea city’s grand arms port was finally re-opened to the public for trade after the noble’s failed invasion.

Many from the southern plains and the northern tundra had come to trade and exchange goods. From the northern port to the center serves as the merchant landing where goods and other products come and go from Ren’veil and New Dawn.

To the east lies the rally point of the Zerrohnian Marines and the Knights wait for their missions and to train the new blood in the ways of the marines and that of Knights.

Here is where the knights stand not as warriors but as brothers to the young bloods who had joined their ranks. Here they spar and hone their blade for rest they shall never have so long as creation stands her knights will always be ready to answer her call.

The young knight rallied to his team’s landing pad where the Night Hawk was well and readied for take off.

“So Boss, we are off to rescue Willow huh?” Clayton asked.

“Yes, is everyone ready?” Kent asked.

“As ready as we shall ever be Boss Man... Wait heads up Boss behind you the queen and her guards are coming.” Clayton replied.

He turned to see Kyvash with many of her guards had come and many more humanoid warriors readied for battle.

“I knew I would find you here.” Kyvash said.

“My Lady Queen... I am sorry but why are you here? I thought you would be in New Hope.” Kent asked.

“Yes, But I knew that something was a miss... My guardsmen brought word to me that you will be leaving undermanned... Is this true?” Kyvash asked as she walked closer to the young knight.

“It is true... We are severely undermanned at this time the entirety of the strike fleet has been spread all across Ren’veil the New Kingdom had severely drained the resources of my army and now the Nobles had rebelled wounding most if not all my best...” Kent replied.

“Then allow me to Aide you Lord of New Hope...”Kyvash said as she snapped her fingers.

The Ground began to shake beneath their feet as the sea roared out as 50,000 warriors of the High Glaives had marched from the north and from the seas many Leviathans emerged to heed the call of their mother.

massive hulking quadrupedal beasts larger than the tallest skyscraper covered in dark black scales, blood shot eyes and tendrils from their backs that act as their ranged weapons.

These Hulking beasts though few in number they act as the transports of the High glaives and massive siege walkers. These creatures are smarter than any scholar they serve as the extensions of the will of their great mother and can act as commanders of the army if none are present.

“My Children battle hardened and tempered to fight all 500,000 of them are ready to serve you... In exchange for our aide... I only wish for an alliance between the Hgih Glaives and the Knights of New hope.” Kyvash asked,

Kent agreed to her request easily as an alliance was born that day between the High Glaives and the Knights of New Hope. With a smile she looked to her Sword god masters with a nod the Sword Adepts were ready and eager to battle alongside the brothers of New Hope once again.

The Glaive Drones the back bone of the High Glaive work force aided the Knight’s and their helpers in loading supplies into the ships with great efficiency as if they were machines.

One of Kent’s marines tried to touch the drone as it was ill advised by the Sword Masters quoting These Drones may look harmless when threatened they can release a toxic gel that paralyzes their predators until any Fang Wraith or Prowl Hunters to kill all who threaten the back bone of our queen’s army.

Both the Prowl Hunters and Fang Wraiths have a parent to child bond between them as it is ill advised to touch them.

The marine backed away as from the drones the Queen Snickered as her Sword masters picked on the young bloods.

“It is quite all right to touch them... They will not bite... For they are surrounded by friends and will never see you harm... Word of advise the dru-vekar like being stroked under their chins.” Kyvash said.

The Marines much like a dog he petted it and scratched the under chin of the Dru-vekar to their surprise the drones were more like dogs that are domesticated and cared for. It warmed the hearts of a few Marines though caution still lingered in many of them Kent asked Kyvash to look after the City and his family while he was gone.

“Before you go... I have one more present for you.” Kyvash said as she snapped her fingers.

“What is this?” Kent asked.

The Sword Masters brought to Kent a double sided great sword similar to his Trail Blazer as it is 2 meters in length with an extended hilt, a thicker hand guard with a split weapon core slot in the center while the body of the blade is lighter and has a massive cylinder when split.

The Blades itself are sharpened to the point that it can cut air with a gentle stroke.

“This blade was yours long ago It is only right that It is returned to you...” Kyvash said.

“What is this weapon’s name?” Kent asked.

“This sword’s name was lost long ago... What I do know is that it belonged to you... It seemed right to return it to where it should belong.” Kyvash replied.

He grasped the blade tightly and lifted it as if it were a pen as the blade seemed familiar to him in some manner. He took out his Trail Blazer and detached the split core from it and connected them into the blade roared for the first time in many centuries of sleep. As the blade itself vibrated to the point it caused a mini-earthquake the young Knight pulled it out of the ground as the body itself started to shake off some bits and pieces of it revealing a message.

Though the message was written in the ancient Xer-razh language he was able to read most if not all of what it conveyed.

Let the Dragon’s roar light a blaze for the Dawn we ride onto tomorrow...

He smirked at the queen and asked for a minute of her time before they moved to the first rendezvous point.

“Thank you Kyvash for this when we return from this mission I hope we can try going out on a picnic as you said with Lady Arra and Lady Aisha.” Kent said as he boarded the Night Hawk.

“Fa... I mean Kent... Be careful and may the three gods and Lady Faith be with you and your men.” Kyvash said as she stuttered a bit.

“And you as well My Lady... Aye you...” Kent replied.

With all the crew of the Night Hawk made final preparations for their departure Rex and Clayton looked at Kyvash one more time before the gates closed.

“So you and Kyvash huh?” Clayton said.

“What?”Kent asked.

“Basically my friend some of us believe the queen likes you... More than just an acquaintance.” Rex stated.

“Hmm, I dont get it...” Kent asked in confusion.

“Basically boss are you two fucking dating or something?” Clayton asked.

“WHAT NO, I mean why would I date her... I mean if things are different then sure but why the heck did this happen?” Kent asked.

“Boss have you seen how she looks at you and fawns over you?” Clayton said.

“I have to agree on this one Sir.” Rex said.

“SAME HERE!” Genji shouted over the distance.

“Okay fine... I hope that Kyvash will not kill me for this...” Kent said as he dragged the two into the secured room.”

After a long and very complicated explanation and some convenient posters and white board illustrations the two were amazed and dumbfounded by the young Knight’s current situation.

“HOLY SHIT!” Clayton shouted.

“I am literally lost for words right now Commander.” Rex added.

“Guys please keep this between us three if this gets out all hell will break loose!” Kent pleaded.

“But holy shit... She is your Daughter in the future where we are all dead and she came back to... What the fuck is that word again boss cap?” Clayton asked.

“Set things right Clay and be serious about this... Like Kent said if word gets out about all this Kyvash might turn her... Children... towards us and we are not strong enough to fight them... At least not yet...” Rex added.

“I want to point out that I wont allow anyone to touch her and if this does go out... I will rip and tear anyone who threatens her... Believe me Rex she has gone through so much hell to get back to our time... And I won’t let her sacrifice be put to waste because of people’s opinions.” Kent stated.

“No worries boss... You trust us with this secret this won’t pass our lips!” Clayton boasted and gave his commander the thumbs up.

“Right let’s focus on the mission first shall we? Lady Winter what is the status of the fleet.” Kent asked.

“We’re ready for jump Kent we can go ahead of the Storm Raider I already had the Jump route calculated.” Winter answered.

“Alright Everyone get on your seats and winter if you would please get us to Vega... We have people to rescue.” Kent ordered.

Everyone aboard the gunship strapped in as the 4 Avion class star engines ignited sending the Night Hawk into the hyper space trail.

Meanwhile in Vega’s secret prison deep underground where the cold and desolate place held some of the worst criminals of Vega and even its traitors were held and tortured for information.

Deep inside one of its many interrogation rooms the sounds of whips could be heard. at the center of a dimly lit room. Willow was held captive with barely any clothing left on her as her body was covered in wounds both from blades, and burn marks.

Most of her flesh was peeled off and started fester and boil as days on end she was barely fed and tortured everyday for any information. And none was given to her captors all the lieutenant asked from them is where was her brother.

The Captor laughed stating that she was in no position to ask as he punched her in the stomach and several more times in the face.

Her torturer was about to stab her again in finger as her little finger was cut off and cauterized and half of her ring finger was already gone.

“You bitch you were one of the specters... the best of the best... and you turned your back on us!!! All because of a mentally challenged idiot of a fool!” The torturer shouted as he whipped Willow in the back.

“““clenching teeth and heavy breathing”“ Where... Is... My... Baby... Brother!!!” Willow said as she coughed blood.

“YOU FUCKING WHORE!!!” The torturer shouted as he smashed his fist on her face.

He left the room while Willow was still shackled though her wounds were not severe but enough to cause pain. She only thought of her brother as getting dragged back to Vega will only mean death for him.

I promised Mom and Dad that I will protect you little brother no matter what I will find you just hang on... Big sister will save you I promise...

Willow thought as she tried her best to think of a plan to escape and find her missing brother. At the same time the Night Hawk disguised as a cargo freighter has finally entered Vega’s controlled space.

“Gentlemen we have just entered Vega... oh my this is something!” Winter said.

“Oh Dear Faith what do we have here?!” Kent said as he looked through the exterior cameras.

To their surprise their are nearly thousands of fighters, frigates, cruisers, destroyers, and Battleships all docked in multiple space stations around Vega Prime. Hundreds if not thousands of Cargo vessels transporting supplies and other goods to Vega had come and go like a river flowing into the ocean.

“Okay, if we play our cards right we should be able to get through... Just like last time.” Kent said to everyone.

“Wait you guys did this before?” Winter asked.

“It’s a long story My Lady I’ll explain it to you later for now... We have company!” Kent replied as a massive shadow passed overhead.

One of the Security cruisers passed over head overshadowing the Night Hawk with it’s guns aimed at the ship’s Fake engines and hyper jump core the Security ship hailed the Night Hawk.

“Unregistered transport this is the Republic of Vega Prime's Security vessel Phoenix point... Identify yourself or we will be forced to shoot you for trespassing!” The soldier threatened.

“Lady Winter let us handle this just keep a cool head and we will get through.” Kent said as he passed the radio to Clayton.

“”“Clear throat”“ Oh sorry mate, we have some slight fume trouble here with our power cable we have been trying to fix it... sorry about that... This is Harlon J trotter of the Free colony number 6-10 Luminous spark... We are just here to pick up some orders from our colony Sir...” Clayton said.

“Okay Mister Trotter, Do not go anywhere and prepare to be boarded for a routine inspection!” The Soldier replied.

“You got it!” Clayton said as the radio went dark.

“Shit Sorry Boss Man I fucked it big time!” Clayton sincerely apologized for the first time.

“It’s fine after the last rescue mission we royally failed last time I think they doubled up their security... Everyone Get every weapon we have into the sealed decks and hide anything that can be seen as suspicious!” Kent shouted as everyone including Clayton started to shove everything into the storage bays.

“Right... Wait wont they recognize us? specially the 7 foot tall walking tanks we have with us?” Winter asked.

“Okay yeah I forgot about Fenris... I did not clearly think this through...” Kent said with a facepalm.

“Do not worry lord Anthony, WE can always hide inside the scorgon... They wont think of looking their!” Fenris suggested.

“Then hurry we only have 2 minutes before they dock!” Kent shouted.

As the Phoenix docked alongside the Night Hawk Fenris and his knights managed to sneak inside the Scorgon tank at the last possible minute before the doors opened.

Two soldiers including an inspector walked into the ship just like before Clayton did all the talking while Kent and Rex were right behind him.

“I am Captain Trevor Larkin of Vega Prime’s security force... Mister Harlon I believe we had talked earlier.” Larkin saluted.

“Sorry for the trouble one of our power link has been on the frits lately we tried to fix it but...” Clayton said as the power line suddenly exploeded.

“Oh no this can’t do your ship might get stranded if this goes on... We’ll inspect your ID’s then head to the docking port in Vega Prime to request a replacement power line.” Larkin said as he started scanning the IDs.

Each ID made by Lily was detailed was registered into the data base to ensure no one suspects a thing. Despite how she looks she is a well trained assassin, doctor, hacker, and butler for the Redridge family.

With the ID’s cleared the Night Hawk was allowed passage into Vega and for a second time. As they passed through several security rings with an all clear from the Vega captain the main guns of the rings turned off and the team made it safely to the ground.

“I can’t believe it... We actually made it to the ground without a scratch and this is the second time we made it through... Holy Shit boss man.” Clayton stated out loud.

“Yes we should Thank Lily for this if not for her hacking and crafting skills we would have been done for.” Kent added.

The Night Hawk landed in the outskirts of the main city of Veldora II the city has been heavily fortified with shields, anti ship artillery and garrison upon garrisons of troops.

After Landing Lady Winter went to the rear bay and asked Kent how was it possible.

“It is a very long story My Lady.... But man it has been about 4 or 5 years since we last been here...” Kent stated.

“Then give me a summary cousin... And this place isn’t a city more like a prison state to be honest.” Winter said as she opened the rear bay doors.

“Long story short my Lady... Miss Willow called for help to get her and Micheal out of Vega and to somewhere safe. While we were preparing to depart the city or should I say the entire planet went into a massive uproar and it turned into a major gunfight.... We thought Willow was a simple bartender but she was actually a for black operative... She is the best assassin their is on Vega but she only did many bad things to protect her Brother... That was until the Vega special weapons division took her brother in secret and replaced him with a carbon copy... She found out where her brother was taken after he was... Augmented and that is why she called for outside help to get them both out of Vega if not both her brother to a safe place... That’s why the General here agreed to take them both to protect them.” Rex explained.

“I see... I never knew... But Let’s get those two home Kent.” Winter said.

“That is the plan... Okay Lets all do our part... Clay, were up...” Kent said as the three left the gunship.

“Right, Markus and Genji we will move in the cover of night that way no one can see us...” Rex said as they prepared for their part of the operation.

The two made their way to the High income district of Veldora the security was getting tighter and tighter as if they weren’t allowing anyone in the high district. They had to take a bus and then walked to their destination and more police, soldiers and tanks are roaming the city streets.

“Something is way off about this boss man.” Clayton whispered.

“ Your right this is a lot worse than the time when I had to destroy the city’s sewage system to cause a distraction.” Kent said.

“ Yeah this is way off Boss... Should we abort the mission we might get caught!” Clayton suggested.

“No we wont have to push forward... we can’t leave Willow and Micheal Behind enemy lines!” Kent stated as they entered a massive skyscraper building.

As they entered one of the massive luxury buildings it was apparent it was a gambling and auctions center. Clayton reconfirmed the location of the meeting as it was held in the auction hall 33-B.

“Alright Clay lets proceed with the first part of operation Dis-tract!” Kent said.

“Right Boss man Ill do the Distraction you do the thing you do best!” Clayton said.

“And Ill do the not looks but actions my friend!” Kent replied.

Clayton went to the Gambling section to commence the first phase of their plan While Kent quickly went to the rest room to make a quick wardrobe change.

Before he came out he planted several nano-machine spiders all controlled by the black queen and sent them to several sections of the Tower.

“Kent I will ahve full control of the tower’s security and cameras in 30 minutes.” The Black Queen reported.

“Thank you Mother really appreciate you helping us out on this one.” Kent said as his suit began to change into a tuxedo.

“My My Kent, you look good... Hmm you made some modifications huh nano-cell Adamantine fiber, Anti-bio weapon frame... You really did a number on your suit... Both style and functionality.” The Black Queen praised.

“I did learn from the best From Mother and you. But now lets do this!” Kent thought as he exited the rest room.

A brief moment later in the auction hall many participants far and wide came to the capital to buy many of what was auctioned that day.

The doors suddenly went open as time seemed to slow down as the young knight made his entrance all eyes were on him despite his slightly underwhelming looks his presence alone commanded the eyes of many to look upon him.

Time to nut up or shut up...

Kent said as he took a mask offered by one of the service workers before he put it on their was a micro-chip imbued into the mask’s lenses to see the current bids, who is the highest bidder and the like.

“Lets see if we can make something good about this...” Kent thought as he put on the mask.

He was given a paddle for the auction and a set somewhat near the stage to the left of the main exit. Kent was shown the list of items being auctioned and what caught his attention was a few weapons and armor labeled Exported from the Enemy.

It caught his attention and waited patiently for the auction to make way for the Exported from the Enemy event.

After many long hours of waiting the Auction master finally showcased the special items. Kent’s Eyes widened to see it was Willow and Micheal’s equipment both in good condition but deep down the armor and weapons were damaged and the Sync-core for Willow’s Blade Bow was missing.

“So they damaged their equipment... Those bastards I will make them regret this!” Kent thought.

“ Do not worry I am already hacking into the merchant trust and banks... and... done... you now have 823 trillion Uons at your disposal.... make them squeal as well for Willow and Micheal” The Black Queen replied.

“Thank you Mother I will...” Kent said as he looked to the center stage.

“Ladies and Gentlemen thank you for patiently waiting... Now that we have come to our main event this evening... I am proud to present to you the Special Export items are of high tier alloy called Xerromite... A very rare and near indestructible alloy that is both light weight and easy to maneuver around... This type of metal is rumored to be a living metal as it responds to its wearer... Not only does this alloy make for good armor and the weapons that is made from it is powerful enough to be made into any weapon imaginable... Now WE shall start the bid for 1 million Uons?” The Auction head said.

As the bid started many of the merchants were actually Weapons manufacturers and black market heads who would kill to get the armor the young knight made for Willow and Micheal.

The Bids lasted for 2 hours long and reached a staggering 3.81 Billions Uons Kent won both armor sets and weapons as he bid 800 billion Uons of their own money.

At the back of the Auction hall where the money was successfully transferred and their equipment given back to him.

“ Thank you for your kind business mister?” The auction head asked.

“Tenko... Tenko Voyka...” Kent said with a smile.

“Mister Tenko, I am intrigued on how you were able to make so much money with just a small business of cargo transporting?” The Auction head smiled.

“My family had been running the business for many generations... I was asked by my late father to buy these gear because he wanted to hang it as a trophy... I am only honoring his last wish... Now if you will excuse me I need to get these bad boys to my ship.” Kent replied.

“Yes, Of course mister Tenko sorry to bother you but I would Like to thank you for your kind patronage...” The Head said as he nodded to the guards.

The guards locked the doors before he could get out the head smiled and pulled out a shot gun from his desk and cocked it.

“I wont let you get away with all that money... So please if you would Kindly transfer the rest of your company’s funds... and we will make everything painless...” The Head asked aiming his gun to his head.

“Sure... I will transfer the funds... After I beat you up and take what is mine...” Kent said as his blood rage activated.

The young Knight grabbed the bottom of the sofa and threw it at one of the guards knocking him down while the other took out a silenced pistol and shot him. He ran towards the head and pulled out a knife and threw it at the guard’s gun as it was unloading a bullet case gaming the gun in the process.

He grabbed the Head auctioneer and threw him to one of the guards knocking them down in the process.

“Shit I was hoping things will heat up later on not like this!!! Need to Find Clay and book it!” Kent thought.

Meanwhile at the gambling section Clayton had been making a killing clearing each table with such terrifying efficiency that he had amassed over 500 million Uons.

“Alright now for poker....” Clayton said to himself.

As he made his way to the poker table and readied himself for a fight Kent called for him in the radio.

“Clay Dis-traction Phase 2 now!” Kent ordered.

“You got it boss man...”” Turns off Radio”” HEY YOU BITCHES LISTEN UP I AM THROWING AWAY MY MONEY SO... HAVE SOME MILLION... YOU GET A MILLION... YOU GET A FUCKING MILLION... AND YOU GET A FUCKING MILLION HECK ALL OF YOU HAVE A FUCKING MILLION!!!” Clayton shouted like a mad man throwing away his money.

As one of the guards approached him he back hand slap the guard with a case holding a million chips. More and more guards came to arrest Clayton when he openly slapped the guards with no mercy with the earnings he made and threw the rest into the crowd in front of him making his escape to the eastern corridor.

“Holy shit that was fun... Oh right the boss is waiting!” Clayton said as he started running.

The two made their way to the bottom levels where they met up carrying the Andersmith’s equipment. On their way many guards tried to stop them but they only met their fists and slaps since it was a non-lethal mission.

The Two met up at the level 4 Parking lot though exhausted they were able to succeed in getting what they needed.

“Boss you look stylish as always!” Clayton said as he was exhausted.

“You look worse for ware Clay... Let’s talk and run!” Kent replied.

“Well I had to run 50 floors worth of stairs... Had to fight over 40 guards and slapped them twice for making me fucking run the stairs... And had to gamble away over 500 million worth of Uons... Damn I could buy an island with that money!” Clayton explained.

“Sorry about that my friend tell you what I’ll compensate you for the money and build you a nice house at hope? What do you say.” Kent said as they hacked a truck open.

“That sounds nice boss... When all of this is over maybe I can ask Willow out on a date or something... And boss would you do me a favor of being my wing man?” Clayton asked as he loaded her equipment on the back of the truck.

“It would be my pleasure my good friend... But first lets get these gear back to the Night Hawk and Join the search team for Willow and her brother.” Kent replied.

The two boarded changed their outfits into simple work crew with brand new ID’s and for some reason they were able to escape unscathed.

Clayton looked back as he was laughing hard like a mad man when he took out a detonator.

“What is that Clay?”Kent asked.

“Boss watch and prepare to laugh!” Clayton said as he pulled the trigger.

A massive explosion could be heard inside the casino as many screamed in horror leaving the casino they were somehow covered in brown waste. Clayton explained that before they started the operation he planted a micro bomb inside the sewage system of the casino to leave a mark.

“Nice!” Kent laughed as the two fist bumped.

“Yeah the place is a total shit show now huh boss HAHA!” Clayton laughed.

The two laughed hardily by the time they reached the lower district their was an on going riot. Clayton was ordered to stay in the truck while the young knight checked what happened he grabbed one of the civilians by the shoulder and asked what had happened.

According to the poor fellow the riots already started many months ago as Vega was taking the children and strong bodied teenagers to the science facility and not given a clear explanation to why.

After many months they came back and were a shadow of their former selves as if they were more machine than a person. More and more children were enlisting in the military after a few days and they never came back.

And the government according to them is pressing the factories and common folk for 500 times more tax and progress of materials and weapons for war.

“Alright... Thank you mister please head home... you need not sacrifice yourself to such pointless war... Soon enough we will come to Vega... NOW GO!” Kent shouted.

The civilian just ran into the crowd ignoring his warning Clayton stuck his head out the driver’s seat window asking what to do next.

“We need to double time it to the harbor my friend... If this continues we might get stuck here!” Kent said as he boarded the rear of the truck.

“Okay boss hang on!” Clayton shouted as he pressed his feet on the gas.

Clayton drove the truck through a barricade of police cars allowing them to make their way to the harbor. But the riots only got worse when the barricade was broken the mad gunner drove through many corners and alleyways dodging the police and attack choppers that were pursuing them.

“Clay I said fast not get us killed!” Kent shouted.

“Sorry Boss I am doing my best..”“sticks head out”“ GET OUT OF THE WAY DUMB PEOPLE!!!” Clayton shouted.

“Really? Dumb people.” Kent asked.

“Sorry boss they wont get out of the freaking way! And their are a lot of rubble and debris here... And this fucking truck is a damn stick shift!!!” Clayton said as he struggled with the clutch.

“Just get us their in one...” Kent shouted as he hit his head on the ceiling of the truck.

Kent was knocked out as they hit a bump in the road was so deep the bounce was enough to knock him out.

“Oh shit! Sorry boss man... I guess its up to me to save the day!” Clayton said as he cracked his knuckles and neck.

He placed his foot on the gas as all hell was breaking loose around them he pulled out his micro grenade launcher and fired a single shot at one of the military barricades. With the tank gone he rammed through the vehicles with relative ease with the angry mob right behind them.

The truck was badly damaged as he rammed into more vehicles deliberately and crashed through a stone wall. They were somehow able to reach the harbor losing their pursuers at the same time.

Meanwhile at the Docking port where the Night Hawk Rex and Lily were preparing for their part of the operation.

“So... Rex, when do you think Kent and that moron will get back?” Lily asked.

“You mean Clayton... I think they will come back soon...” Rex replied.

“Well lets not count on our chickens for Clay to come back.”Marky prayed that Clayton wont come back.

“Why do you hate him so much?”Lily asked.

“He is a butt Lily... I dont think anyone likes being a butt!” Marky explained.

“Do you mean an Ass?” Rex asked.

“Well lets be gentle on those words Captain... But yeah same thing he doesn’t respect anyone else aside from the Cap, you miss Lily, the General, Lady Winter and Lady Aisha and Lady Arra for that note... If he gets the chance he blows up almost half the operation because he is obsessed with making things explosed for crying out loud we are on a stealth mission not an assault mission for makers sake!” Marky shouted.

“You do have a point but when it comes to his friends you can always count on him to help... Like Chimera did say once... He does well but he does not know how to be well with others... I believe it’s his strength to be honest with you Marky and I respect that.” Lily stated.

“Okay fair point but one of these days he will get someone hurt and I (as a friend) don’t want anyone seeing hurt by that butt of a person!” Marky added.

“Right we all made a promise to look out for one another I think he just does things differently Marcus... He does have some roughs but im sure he is a friend you can count on the long run.” Rex said.

“Umm guys... I can see a very banged up truck on my side of the monitor... Its Bro and the boss man they are coming in hot!” Genji shouted over the radio.

“I can see and its more than coming in hot!” Rex shouted as the truck drove pass them.

‘Oh shit the brakes are out!” Clayton shouted as he steered to the left.

As the truck slammed into the wall of a warehouse Rex and the others came to save Clayton and a knocked out Kent.

They got rid of the evidence and brought Kent and the recovered equipment back into the night hawk. After many hours Kent was back on his feet with a slight tingle on his neck after debriefing on what happened in the casino auction hall.

They moved to the next phase of the operation which was to find Willow and her brother the question was where to start.

“Okay so boss what did you find while in the auction hall?” Clayton asked.

“I came up dry to be honest... But i did hear the Auction head say that they recovered the armor from one of the head military spec ops facilities located in the upper north of the city... I dont think we can go by a rumor to be honest.” Kent explained.

“Same here I tried to eves drop on some rich bastards in the casino but no dice boss...” Clayton replied.

“Hmm then their is only one thing we can do... WE have to infiltrate the head quarters and get us that intel...” Kent suggested.

“Oh great more sneaking!” Clayton said sarcastically.

“No Clay this time we are sitting this one out.... Since the city is still on super hot fire from the riots... And we actually broke some barricades and military vehicles they would be hot on our tails and since they blockaded the planet we are in no condition to leave until things cool down.” Kent said as he took a drink from his mug.

“Yus!” Clayton said in victory.

“But we will be supporting them instead... We need the following... Three pairs of disguises, an unmarked van, and lots of explosives and silent weapons.” Kent suggested.

“About that Kent... We actually have everything ready... We just need the van for our escape.” Rex stated as he loaded his pistols.

“Oh how convinient okay me and Clay will secure the vehicle you three get going!” Kent ordered.

The three departed for their mission when Lily just came out of the Medical room with a bottle of orange juice.

“So their they go...” Lily said.

“Yeah and Lily I want you to go with them.” Kent asked.

“Im just a medic Kent?” Lily said as she put her juice down.

“I know but you are more skilled in infiltration than anyone in the team... And your skills is the best their is to boot second only to Willow... Please help them out I‘m begging you.” Kent asked.

“(wow) That is a hard pill to swallow... But... Since you asked nicely Bro... Sure I’ll do it but you have to treat me to dinner back home and you know how I like my dinner?” Lily winked Kent as she grabbed her equipment.

“Holy shit boss are you two doing some crazy incest shit?” Clayton asked in astonishment.

“What... No... I would never do that... Clay what she means by dinner is a full sea food course dinner and a spa day... Man... My 6 month allowance will go out the window after this mission!” Kent stated as he grabbed Lily’s left over juice and drank it as he got off the Night Hawk.

“Right... Wait boss... Hey Wait where are you going! Hey wait for me!” Clayton shouted.

The two made their way to the abandoned ware houses to find a van at the same time back on Ren’veil in the High Glaive Manner.

Kyvash was watching the morning sun rise from the sea enjoying a cup of tea and toasted bread for breakfast.

All was peaceful in the world that the Knight of New Hope fought for and maintained when one of her Sword Masters approached her.

“Great Mother I have a Report for you from Vega Prime.” The Sword Master bowed.

“What is it?” Kyvash asked.

The Sword Master stood back up as he told her Queen Mother, Master Anthony and his eccentric band of troopers had successfully infiltrated Vega prime and as you predicted the People of Vega are starting an open revolt on their current government. Their rescue of Miss Willow and Mister Micheal is somewhat problematic as they do not know where to start.

We have our spies working around the clock to find them but due to Vega’s increased security it is proving hard for them to move unnoticed my Lady.

We Have received also a report that... Mister Micheal was being brutally tortured and being dissected... Though unconfirmed yet my Lady but our spies are doing their best to find the truth...

But the Captured Vai’len are still being searched My Lady but we did find 3 and they... They were mutilated to the point they do not wish to live anymore...

She put her cup down and looked to her sword master with anger in her eyes as her breakfast was easily ruined.

“”“sigh”“ Kylo... Prepare the Royal Fleet to march on Vega... I will personally lead this invasion...” Kyvash said.

“Yes Mother I will Inform Master Tyrannox and the other War Masters to hold council for you.” Kylo saluted.

“Please inform as soon as they are ready... and ready my suit as well.” Kyvash asked.

“By your will.” Kylo saluted as he left her mother to her thoughts.

As he left the Priestess and the Mage came for a visit at the worst possible time as she was preparing for battle.

The priestess tapped her on the shoulder and asked if their visit was a bad time she was shocked to see her mothers in her home telling them that they shall always be welcomed regardless of the time.

She offered them a seat and gladly took it but the Mage was still on edge around the queen as she is a traveler and her presence could shake the foundations of Creation.

The silence around her shrine was strong enough that one can smell it Kyvash offered tea and snacks for the both of them yet Arra was the only one who took on her offer.

Aisha slammed her hand on the table asking why did she travel back to the past when she could fix and make the future better. Kyvash had no words to offer to Aisha knowing that her future was not the ideal future she had made.

“I tried my hardest to fix the future... For my children... Everything burned... Because of the loss of the Dragon-wolf... I only did what I believe is Right... I consulted many of my children and those who stayed behind... They all agreed that this is the future they do not wish to fight for their survival but merely to live... That Is why I took on the risk and I will bare the punishment in the long run...” Kyvash said as she looked down in sadness.

“Then why did you not Fight and make things better!” Aisha asked.

Kyvash could no longer hold back her feelings of anger and regret as she slammed her hands on the table cracking the ground beneath their feet as she shouted.

“DO YOU THINK WE WOULD NOT BE HERE IF WE TRIED... WE FOUGHT EACH DAY TO SURVIVE...I FOUGHT EVERYDAY FOR MY CHILDREN TO LIVE... I FOUGHT THE VERY WARRIORS WHO WERE SUPPOSE TO PROTECT CREATION AND THEY BLINDLY DESTROYED THE FRONTIER ALL TO FEED THEIR OWN HUBRIS!!! I SAW THEM KILL THE DRAGON-WOLF... I SAW MY FATHER DIE GRIEVING FOR LOSING YOU AND SPIRIT MOTHER... I SAW MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS EVEN MY BABY BROTHER AND SISTER DIE WITHOUT ANY MERCY BECAUSE THEY HAD THE BLOOD OF A MAGE!! MANY PEOPLE I LOVED DIE BECAUSE OF THEM... I... I...”“crying”“ I ONLY CAME BACK TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT... MOTHER!” Kyvash shouted.

“Wa... wait... Mother? Me... I am your Mother... sis is this true?” Aisha asked.

“““nod”“Their is no lie in her eyes... I can sense my spirit inside her and her heart is pure... She tells no lie Aisha... We are her mothers... Or should I say I am her Spirit Mother... And you are her Birth Mother...” Arra said.

“Why are you telling me this?” Aisha asked.

“Because... I dont want to lose my Mother the same way as I lost mine... I lost my siblings and my older brothers and sisters because of the men in blue... I was forced to do many drastic measures to end their madness and because of them we were ill prepared to fight what came after them...” Kyvash cried.

The priestess walked to Kyvash’s side and comforted her knowing her trauma was true and the scars left behind by the war on her time had left more pain than anyone can heal.

Aisha saw how Kyvash grieved knowing that she her own mother scorn her so without any words she could not look at her own child and simply left the estate.

“Kyvash... No Anna, calm down Everything will be okay...” Arra said as she comforted her.

“Mother forgive me...” Kyvash said as she cried her heart out.

After many hours Kyvash was taken by her care takers as she needed to rest her heart was not as strong as it used to be. Arra waited for at least hours to make sure that the queen was okay before she left as one of her God Blade Masters approached her.

“My God Mother, I am God Blade Master Mundo one of the first High born of my Queen Mother Kyvash, I thank you for staying as long as you could for our mother...” Mundo bowed.

“It’s no problem I want to ensure she is safe and well cared to... I ask you Mundo for your patience for Aisha... She is a bit surprised because of what she had learned and not able to control her own emotions...” Arra pleaded.

“No Forgiveness is needed... But If I may have a moment of your time My Grand Mother to tell you of a story?”Mundo asked.

“I would be delighted if you would.” Arra smiled.

Long ago not many of my God Blade kinfolk were able to meet you two I was the first after the 7 War Masters to be born on Ren’veil before the fall had come... We were born for the purpose of protecting Ren’veil and we had grown to love her people... I and only a few of my kin had the greatest privilege of meeting you I was blessed to learn the many disciplines of the priestesses under your direct tutelage my Lady... That is why we hold you in great respect and would gladly die for you... As for Lady Aisha we hold her in the highest of respect and honor not only because she brought our queen to life on this beautiful world and she taught us how to use and control our mana flow and what separates us from Heroes and monsters...

Though she always hated the idea of fighting and the history of traveling through time... She asked us to protect Mother when something happens to you or her and we hold our duty true to this day and no matter the cost... We willingly stayed with Mother even if she begged us to follow our own paths... We were about to go our separate ways and pursue a life of a common folk when... The Fall happened... We all swore that one day Ren’veil will be restored even if we have to break all the laws of Creation to undo their mistakes...

Mundo kneeled down before Arra with his fore head on the ground begging for her forgiveness.

“Great GrandMother, I know I am unworthy of your kindness... I beg of you all of the High Glaive wish to give the Great Mother her chance to have a family again we beg of you... Please help us convince Great Mage Aisha to be her Mother once again!” Mundo Begged.

“Please get up Mundo... Even if you do not say it I will be here for her as she is also my daughter... But Aisha is the other concern I will convince Aisha to with Kyvash... She is a bit hard headed but her heart is in the right place.” Arra smiled as she offered him a hand.

Arra asked Mundo and many of his Kin to guard their queen and make sure shew as well taken care of until her return. Kyvash was in no condition to move according to her Care takers.

As soon as Arra left the estate all 7 of the Warmasters arrived at Kyvash’s home Tyrannox was the first to arrive followed by Sylrin, Graizhor arrived some time after Gransto arrived from one of his Leviathans, with Hydrax, Tilfar and Astaroth arriving later that evening at least 2 minutes before the assigned meeting time.

They all took on a humanoid form for their true forms will be to massive for sea city to hold them.

“Great Mother Forgive our tardiness this day... We had some issues to handle in the Righ-tol system that delayed my arrival.”Gransto Bowed.

“Brother Gran, it is not polite to Mother for you to bare bad news when our Mother’s own heart is sensitive to such!” Hydrax said with a hissing noise.

“It is fine Hydrax please my children hear me.” Kyvash asked.

“YES MOTHER!” Everyone Bowed.

“Thank you my brave children for taking on my request... But now I ask you to aide our friends and family in Vega... For they are making their move.” Kyvash said.

“Yes Mother, My Fleet of Leviathans are ready to fight we only need your word and we shall bare our fangs upon those who threaten the Vai’len!” Gransto said.

“Mother I have amassed enough Torasque and many of them are begging to fight.. I shall Provide Gransto with the ground forces to put a stop on these wretched humans from destroying their neighboring systems!” Graizhor saluted.

“Yes, I too wish to fight Mother my clan maybe few in number but we are ready to face the danger together with Brother Gransto and Brother Graizhor!” Astaroth said.

“Very well, Tyrannox I want you to head this assault, Gransto will lead his Leviathans and Astaroth will lead the ground forces and rescue the Vai’len and any other slave trapped their and bring them to Ren’veil offer them the same kindness that we had offered to those who lost their families back then... Hydrax, Tilfar and Sylrin you three shall temporarily take charge of the Righ-tol system and continue your patrols around the old jump gates leading into the Empire... And if any who come out of the gate baring the mark of our true enemy... Eliminate them...“Kyvash ordered.

“Yes Mother!” Everyone bowed.

The War masters left their mother’s room for her to rest when Tyrannox was asked back into her room with a particular request.

“Great Mother, What can I do for you?”Tyrannox asked.

“Tyran, Look after your brothers and sisters if anything were to happen to me?” Kyvash asked.

“Mother please do not say such things... It frightens me with just the thought of you saying such... We will finda cure... Great Father is here I am sure if we ask He will help!” Tyrannox said.

“He will be busy very soon I will not burden him with such a trivial thing.” Kyvash said.

“NO, I beg your forgiveness Motehr but your heart is no Trivial thing... Without you we would fall apart... You raised us... cared for us... Loved us equal and true like Spirit Mother and Birth Mother... You guided us, taught us to believe that we are the heroes that creation needs, we fight only when needed and kill when it is the only resort... Just Like Great father... If you think we will sit back and watch you get hurt because of us and your weakening heart then you think low of us we are looking for a cure... Just save your strength I... No WE beg you... Mother not to do anything reckless!” Tyrannox begged.

“””Sigh””Very well my child I will remain here and recover my strength. Thank you for putting me in my place my son.” Kyvash smiled.

“This is why we are here Mother... We are your children and your aide... No matter what happens will will always protect you!” Tyrannox said as he excused himself out of the room.

Kyvash looked out the window with her children and their future in her mind she could only sit back and watch as the world changes around her while waiting to find a cure for her heart.

Tyrannox along with his simblings arrived at one of the Royal Leviathans or as they call it Megalodon Alpha that hid behind Ren’veil’s second moon. The Megalodon Alpha serves as the crown jewel of Kyvash’s main fleet the Enforcers of balance. With over 6,000 class 6 rank 71 strong Leviathans under it’s command nothing can stand against her enforcers.

Tyrannox was greeted by 3 of her adept Sword Masters that will supervise the battle eagerly awaited for their War Masters orders.

Enforcers we have recieved word from our spies in Vega that the Great Father is currently on a mission to save one of the legendary heroes of the Strike Fleet and many of our brothers and sisters who were taken during the rebellion.

We are to rescue the enslaved Vai’len and bring them to Ren’veil we owe them for their kindness to Mother and to the heroes who fought for her!

We Move onto hope... We Fly for a New Tomorrow!

With all 6,000 Leviathans jumping into warp space their fury shall be first tasted by Vega as the scales begin to weigh the eyes watching over creation biding their time to strike increases by the day.

The future remains uncertain until all the pieces are ready to play soon enough they shall make their return and when they do all will know the fire that swallows all.

#Teamtotherescue Beyondseaorstars

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negotiator-kenobi · 7 years

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Obikin/AniObi Fic Recs!

For the next time @skychose has a bad day - and anyone else who wants to escape reality. Ryder, I’m going to assume you’ve already read wicked thing, by imaginarykat? If not, do so now; the rest of this list can wait.

Nothing’s in any particular order, otherwise - hopefully I’ve found a few good ones you’ve yet to read.

White Rabbits, by Butterfly (Explicit) Through the Force, everything is connected. Anakin and Obi-Wan find this out first-hand.

Reunion of the Fallen, by amarielah (Explicit) In a world where Obi-Wan took the chance to flee from Vader rather than defeat him, he still ends up a hermit in the Jundland Wastes. But Vader manages to track him down, and Obi-Wan must comply with his demands lest he risk Luke's discovery. Complications ensue.

The Eagle and The Wolf, by FireflyFish (Teen) "Did you know wolves and eagles mate for life? The Emperor didn't even leave us that." Ahsoka Tano, the Horned Mouse, is a thief of great renown until she's apprehended by the Emperor's Justice and sentenced to death the next midday. Determined to escape, Ahsoka embarks on a perilous adventure where she discovers that her mysterious traveling companion is not what he seems, and just what exactly is the thing he calls the Force anyway? Put Down The Knife (the night is here), by Astalitha and Kaiserine (Mature) Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker was doing just fine until the charming, capricious dragon dropped out of the sky (literally) to terrorise him. Now, he’s caught in a potentially deadly game of give and take, with his life, dignity and reputation on the line.

Russet hair, crisp white robes and armour, and mad gold eyes. The dragon's Force presence gleams with mischievous malice, like marsh fire spirits. It regains its balance easily, and takes a defensive posture.

“Skywalker?” it asks.

“You bet,” Anakin replies.

Equinox, by lilyconrad (Explicit) "One impulse from a vernal wood May teach you more of man, Of moral evil and of good, Than all the sages can." - William Wordsworth

During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin crash on a remote planet and take shelter in the ruins of a grand estate only to find they are not alone.

The World Undone, by lilyconrad (Mature) Anakin Skywalker, proud symbol of the strength and purity of the Jedi Order, is the target of a strange and handsome Sith named Obi-Wan, whose only goal seems to be pulling Skywalker down into the dark with him.

Coda, by lilyconrad (Mature) Anakin is an up-and-coming first soloist for the New York City Ballet Company, a brash, confident dancer with a smoldering sensuality to his technique and an electric smile that makes fangirl toes curl and quite possibly his choreographer’s.

Higher Ground, by MissAntlers (Teen) While aiding Senator Padme Amidala in an escape from a Separatist assassination attempt, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, his padawan Ahsoka Tano, and his old master Qui-Gon Jinn crash land on the harsh, unfamiliar planet of Tatooine. Here, their lives quickly become engaged with that of chaotic 19-year-old podracer, Anakin Skywalker.

Horizon Light, by Glare (Mature) As the Kaiju War rages on, the fall of two Jaegers leaves their surviving pilots alone and devastated. Obi-Wan Kenobi is suicidal, Anakin Skywalker is homicidal, and the Powers that Be can do nothing but hope the pair will balance each other out before they lose two of their best pilots to their vices.

Waste, by Glare (Mature) Anyone born of Tatooine knows better than to wander too far into the Wastes. It is a savage, inhospitable place: a land of dragons and raiders and ghosts. Farmers dare not set down roots, travelers dare not pass through its heart. It is cursed land, long-ago scorned by the gods of their people. Anyone born of Tatooine knows that should you stay too long, the Wastes will show you your past, your failures, your regrets. You will see what was and what could have been and what never will be. Those hills can drive a man mad.

It is there that he finds Obi-Wan Kenobi, at last.

Hypersynchrony, by Mosmorde (Teen) Obi-Wan finds himself addicted to 'Hypersynchrony', to Anakin.

Clarity, by anecdotalist (Mature; ObiAniDala) Anakin's jealousy leads to the start of something new between him and Obi-Wan and a lot of frank discussions about things they should have talked about but didn't in canon.

"It seems that Master Kenobi has been in contact with a certain Senator who is known to be among the leaders of this cabal. Apparently, very close contact. The rumor is that he was seen leaving this Senator's residence this very morning, at an...unseemly hour." Palpatine's voice oozes concern but his eyes gleam sharply.

Anakin's barely aware of the strategic micro-second of a pause, though; the phrases close contact and unseemly hour rebounding around in his head. Who? Who can it be that Obi-Wan is having assignations with? Why hadn’t he known about this?

From the Ashes, by Estora (Explicit; PDF) Anakin jumped after Padmé on Geonosis, and in that split second, the entire course of the galaxy’s future was changed...One moment. One choice. A lifetime of difference.

Immutable, or, Five Times Obi-Wan Kenobi Compromised His Jedi Ethics for Anakin Skywalker, by bedlamsbard (Teen) "I think that I would betray my vows for him." Clone Wars-era.

a change of trouble (is as good as a vacation), by skygawker (Teen) The true story of how Anakin got his scar.

Exile, by skygawker (Teen) Two years into the Clone Wars, Padme Amidala and Chancellor Palpatine are dead, and Anakin Skywalker is sent into exile as punishment for actions he took in the heat of his grief and anger.

brightside, by retts (Explicit) 'Are you - are you really trying to kill me?’ Anakin sounded betrayed, his voice going up an octave at the end. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes as he reloaded his Sig. He glanced sideways at the glass front of the oven and met Anakin’s eyes in the reflection.

'You fired at me first, Anakin.’

'That was a warning shot!’

'Aimed at my face.’

'No, it was…I love your face, I would never. Your shoulder, Obi-Wan.’

'How thoughtful of you.’

Or a Mr and Mrs Smith AU

Principle of Superposition, by thelivingcontradiction (Mature) Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent undercover on a mission to the Outer Rim planet of Bar Neth. Originally a desert planet, the Republic sequestered its land for an experimental terraforming project. After decades of colonization, Bar Neth has become a patchwork of lush farmlands and desert remains. A fellow Jedi Master has alerted the Council of smuggled goods aboard a small craft during a routine customs evaluation at the Mid-Rim hyperspace lane border. Headed for Bar Neth, the former Master-Padawan team don their least conspicuous civilian outfits and tuck their lightsabers away in hopes of learning more about a curious band of smugglers.

Things do not go as planned.

The Black Bird Sings, by Selcier (Explicit) Obi-Wan trains in the Temple on Jehda instead of the Temple on Coruscant. Continuing in a long line of mezabaan, who contract with other Force users in the Galaxy, Obi-wan’s life takes a sharp turn from his possible Jedi upbringing. Trained to listen, entertain and engage in conversation, Obi-wan is familiar with current academia and politics. He lives alone, with only his aide and apprentice, in the Jehda Temple under the heavy mantle of centuries old traditions and values.

Raised to be a host to Force users of all types, he is surprised (and only a bit apprehensive) when he learns he will be hosting a Lord of the Sith. Darth Vader, apprentice to Emperor Sidious and High Commander of the Sith Galactic Imperial Army, calls upon him with little polite conversation and a jealous disdain towards Obi-Wan's other guests. While most of his guests visit only a few times during their lives, Obi-wan often finds Vader haunting his apartments.

If only he could cajole the handsome man into speaking a bit more.

as good a place to fall as any, by glimmerglanger Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to find a rumored weapon from the Old Republic on a mission directly from the Jedi Council, taking them away from the front lines at a vital time. During the course of the mission, they find far more than trouble than the anticipated and stumble into a series of events that leads to unintended attachments, misunderstandings, a fierce love affair, bloody victories, and an eventual end to the Clone Wars...

#fanfic #fic rec #obikin #aniobi #skychose #ooc

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erstwhile25 · 7 years

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Skin of the Teeth, Part 1: Where sleep is forgone and thieving bastards mutter.

“The best chains have no locks nor keys, they are as light as a dream yet bind us as fast as tempered steel. One needs no knowledge of anvil or forgeheat to craft such chains for themselves with loving attention and careful detail.”

Kail’s eyes snapped open, his rest suddenly feeling much less restful with the words of Tseng rattling in his head. Were they Tseng’s words though, or the lantern’s? He had been confusing the two of late. Unconsciously his hand traveled to rest on the inside of his right arm, where too rested the mark. It was no longer visible, the connection it conveyed had long since been rendered inert, but without question it was there. Between the rough and garish brand of slavery, and the elegant tattoo of a six point seal, the mark lay trapped. Kail could relate.

He’d given sleep it’s token efforts, but with the hanging bed in his cabin empty on one side, effort didn’t have much to do with the matter. He reached for his other solution, uncorking his flask with a practiced ease and letting a sip of fire run for the marrow of his bones. He knew after a few moments it wouldn’t be enough, the memories of the old twisted shinobi had been enough to get the adrenaline running in his veins. He tried instead to think of Norah, but that just made him worry. With wakefulness as certain as sunrise, he decided to make use of his time, and shrugged on his clothes with the bleary doggedness only the sleepless can muster.

Most of the crew was sleeping below decks, with only a skeleton crew keeping watch to make sure the worst didn’t come in the night. This close to the Garlean empire, it was quite possible the worst was waiting. Kail softened his footsteps as he made his way to the fore of the ship, alighting on the railing without so much of a creak of leather or a jingle of jewelry.

While at first glance the Rook seemed to have been crafted with only the function of sailing in mind, her figurehead betrayed the spirit under which she had been created. Forged from the same darksteel as the ships bindings, it was of almost adamantine sturdiness, perfect for piercing the hulls of ships. Yet, no attention to detail had been spared, weapon or not, it was a work of art.

Her features were so fine it was a wonder she was wrought from steel and not porcelain, hair streaming behind her, caught in an eternal breeze. Her gaze was imperious and resolute, from her robed figure one hand clutched a dagger to her breast, and the other pointed the way forward. Upon this outstretched hand alighted an immense raven, it’s wings frozen in mid-span while it cried defiance to all comers.

Looking upon the wrought steel figure caused a niggling thought to worm it’s way into the back of the mind, surely at some point, such a woman had existed. Hadn’t she? Kail was among a handful of people who knew for sure, who had been there to hear Songbird’s last song. Isral had been another.

The lean and immaculately tailored Miqo’te was currently crouched precariously just behind the steel rook, looking out towards land through a brass spyglass. With his grey skin and pitch fur, coupled with the stillness that he sat, it was relatively easy to lose sight of the Miqo’te against the night sky. Kail rarely had that problem, at the same time he was rarely able to get the drop on Isral. He was only five steps away when those black ears twitched, and the tail gave an amused flick, telling Kail what he already knew, he had been heard. “Better luck next time R’haji.” Mused Isral, not looking up from his spyglass. “One of these days,” grunted Kail “yer goin t’have to tell me what that word means.” “One of these days R’haji, the sun will fall from the sky and boil the oceans. My commenting on it, does not hasten its approach.”

“Speaking of hastened approaches…” Kail glanced out to the darkened shore, and felt Isral’s smirk rather than saw it. “If your lady fair was coming over the hill R’haji, I wouldn’t be sitting here looking for her.” “She doesn’t like it when ye call her that.” Kail muttered around a sip from his flask. “You don’t like it when I call her that. Unfortunately for you, the world hasn’t been struck deaf, dumb, or blind in the last few hours, so what the pair of you are is there for all to see, hear, and consider.” The Mi’qote’s tone chided playfully, it wasn’t the first time they had rounded the bush on this topic. “Is it so frightful a prospect that folk might mistake her for someone you care about?” “Twill be iffin anyone with a debt t’levy ‘gainst me comes t’that conclusion.” Isral didn’t answer right away, after all there was no denying the logic there. The circles they traveled in were festooned with individuals looking for such handholds over them, and each of them had their own perverted sense of what revenge and justice entailed. After a pregnant silence miscarrried between the pair, Isral’s next words tred out carefully to test the waters. “She’s not an unaccomplished magi you know…certainly she can take care of herself. It’s not like..” “Isral.” “Er yes?” “She and I have already had this conversation, ‘tis why she’s ashore and I’m sittin on the damn ship.” Conversation was perhaps a bit too generous of a word. His cabin had scorch marks resulted of their ‘heated’ debate, and the volume with which they had disagreed made Kail feel rather redundant telling Isral this. The entire ship’s crew knew the particulars. Kail offered to go with her, he’d offered to take some of the crew with them, he’d offered just about everything but her going alone but for the few members of the Resistance who’d met them ashore.

He supposed he knew why when he finally relented, the Resistance didn’t fully trust him after all. Despite all the aid they had provided and supplies they had smuggled, Norah was still a true daughter of Ala Mhigo, and he was still a filthy profiteering pirate. Not that it wasn’t true, but like many truths the public found easy to swallow, it wasn’t the whole truth. If this mission had been about anyone else, a dignitary, or a Garlean officer, he’d a feeling Norah would have argued just as fiercely for his personal involvement. It wasn’t though. The group of sullen faced Highlanders that had been there to greet them, had named her brother among those to hang in a few days time. With Jefferon’s life on the line, Kail could understand that she didn’t want to add fractured loyalties to the long long list of things that could go wrong. “She’ll be fine R’haji.” “As a smart ass cat once remarked, if only commenting on it made it so…” “She’ll be fine because I see her riding right for us.”

Kail’s spy glass was unfolded and scanning the shore with a speed that would have given a striking serpent envy. Sure enough out the mist covered maw of the forest that crested the hills above them, shot a pair of wagons being pulled by a team of horsebirds. At the reins of lead wagon was indeed Shinorah, dressed in plain civilian clothes, however looking no less impressive with the wind whipping her midnight hair behind and about her in an almost ethereal halo as she goaded the team of chocobos into even greater speeds.

Kail stomped a boot on the deck several times, and before long heard the clamor of the crew below rousting themselves to wakefulness. He didn’t bother to check if Isral was on his heels as he headed to the longboats, he simply started giving orders. “I want an away team of nine ready t’go with me ashore, three t’ each longboat. Have the remainin crew arm up and start gettin the Rook ready fer launch.” Isral frowned slightly as they began to flip and lash a longboat to the launch pulley. “We expecting trouble?” Tightening a lash, Kail’s one showing eye fixed Isral with a look. The Mi’qote gave a sigh of resignation muttering under his breath “Of course we are.” “Need ye on the same page with me here Mr, Qolquitt.” “Right, sphincter properly clenched in anticipation.” That managed to put a smirk on Kail’s tired features. “While yer feelin cheeky, go make sure Noyra and Syf are on that away team.”

It was Isral’s turn to shoot Kail a look, concern brought out the age lines in his otherwise impish features. “You sure that’s wise R’haji? I can understand Noyra there to discourage a fight but…Syf is almost spoiling for one.” Kail nodded once, his tone didn’t brook much in the way of argument. “Which is why I want her near me and Noyra, get them, now.” Isral didn’t salute, no one on the ship did under threat of being tossed over board, but there was a snap to his step as he ran off. As he cleared the railing and swung himself through a port hole into the lower decks, he prayed that just this once, things would just go according to plan.

#final fantasy xiv #Kail Gerrad #Shinorah Nightsbane #writing #Balmung #roleplaying #written word

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glopratchet · 4 years

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retirement-home

ter program that is attached to the conciousness of astryl wylde, and soldiers are stationed there "We're going to die here! A large hole in the ground where an army was massacred There's no sign of any survivors or bodies of any kind Small lake dripping with blood shade from the sun so rare under gathering storm clouds Screams So much screaming nearby "Too close! Undergrowth seeking shade from the sun so rare under gathering storm clouds bathing under the hovering stormclouds About a hundred men lay crushed and broken, some still living Lightpoles bathing under the hovering stormclouds Construction site under sweltering heat caused by explosive blasts from TNT wielding strange weapons Green-skinned bodyguards wielding strange weapons secured around bleeding wounds Bandages secured around bleeding wounds displaying distress calls Large one with increasing heartbeat, small one broken and motionless Monitors displaying distress calls for a deadly virus that seem to affect the heart A coffin with a rifle-grip handle on the lid Vaccine for a deadly virus that seem to affect the heart marching forward with heavy duty armor, visors locking in place A group of inkeepers nonchalantly holding assault rifles Shocktroops marching forward with heavy duty armor, with anesthetic, fast-acting and deadly Pharmaceuticals with anesthetic, suite with usage of private helicopter and lavish spending money Cafeteria serving rotten food Unathorized Procedure: "Slaughters" High-roller suite with usage of private helicopter and lavish spending money with machineguns taking up a defensive formation out of blackmarket 50-Cals Copying and dismantling several explosive sent in by rebels Lizards with machineguns taking up a defensive formation out of blackmarket the Grim's laptop with illegall copies of extremely rare songs The last Warden Sergeant quickly burnt and turned to ash, now haunting the studios Gorazel the Grim's laptop with illegall copies of extremely rare songs begging to stay and help out Nurse taking live newsfeed of a robbery gone wrong and the robbers filling full of bulletholes Cyber-surgeon begging to stay and help out by with a full fake american passport under the name "Nick Plumber" A meeting with Mr Black Who is Mr Black? Agent walking by with a full fake american passport under the name "Nick Plumber" (Borders? ) dismantled by bombing Troops not harming fellow countrymen Only defectors and wannabes suffer firing Borders ; backwards sending a photo of a small village Location tagged with "Could be hiding here" Troops moving in the night Agent stretching backwards sending a photo of a small village -stained clothes sent to nearby town for cleaning A map with a village and "Definitely hiding here" tagged Blood-stained clothes sent to nearby town for cleaning for a drug addict, not doing much police work Large back with unusual, non-industrial construction style Older man comforting a mourning family Agent caregiving for a drug addict, panting after strenuous physical exercise 'Unregistered revelator', Johnny-23 Multiple orphanages and charities under one roof Possibly a front Dog panting after strenuous physical exercise offsite Helicopter preparing for takeoff As helicopter takes off and swiftly out of range, Ground team erupt in cheers Agent cheese-making offsite with mounted gatling gun, belts of ammunition hanging off him Mustard gas released to target rebels on motorbikes Agent roving with mounted gatling gun, of butterflies surprising a religious cult Rinse and repeat, just different enough to stay interesting Cyclone of butterflies surprising a religious cult priority to guide first-timers Unusual tactics yield unusual casualties Lottery style choosing of cities for raid purely based on random numbers Agent well-being priority to guide first-timers with gambling addiction stopping you from smuggling in more money Unbending rule: No shot glasses of alcohol Agent coping with gambling addiction stopping you from smuggling in more money Agent catalyzing debate over teams dying and morale improving Desperately seeking team-members with communications background Real rumors sparked by you A gay couple causing a scandal by holding hands in public A hedonistic man denied of free alcohol at the classiest bar in town and enslaving prostitutes from your personal harem Bank-tellers going on hunger strike for better pay Agent mistreating and enslaving prostitutes from your personal harem and executing captured prisoners for their clothing Doctor treating all prisoners, rebels, militia and us alike Randomly raising defense plans Agent diagnosing and executing captured prisoners for their clothing chin with loaded gun Random kidnapping for less-hackable personal connections House infiltrated and machinery sabotaged Death of innocent family Agent stroking chin with loaded gun child actor and black-mailing an official into arming truck Rebel defending convoy spotted getting fuel without verification Taking out loan to buy gear Agent portraying child actor and black-mailing an official into arming truck national pride by demanding paperwork for traffic citations Between us and the enemy, allies & unaffiliated Next door bar's private music concert Agent evoking national pride by demanding paperwork for traffic citations non-descript in dirty bath-house Unlicensed backyard power-station causing concern Farmer warning of fuel shortage for tractor Agent photographing non-descript in dirty bath-house with workers while water-truck refuels A fatigued and sick peasant just trying to get by Agent joking with workers while water-truck refuels teeth with a journalist critical of protest plans Rebel power-station understaffed and outdated Agent brushing teeth with a journalist critical of protest plans Grandmother with rebellious sons Only registered Agent dentists working without supervision Rebel guards eating donuts and laughing in the control-room Sundowning Grandmother with rebellious sons truck unloading outside luxury hotel Mothballed civil defense measures at the mercy of an uncontrollable Agent Sanitation truck unloading outside luxury hotel is a game being created by This War of Mine developers, designed around the idea of civilians in war-zones Colossus is a game being created by This War of Mine developers, civilians flee from their city under threat of occupation by an invading force, a powerful rebel faction or even due to an oppressive/ totalitarian government Community-dwelling civilians flee from their city under threat of occupation by an invading force, don't know you're there, the very people you exist to help may not even know you're there ; (or that the help is coming from an off-book Muckety-mucks don't know you're there, Mayor welcoming the help Ashamed city wanting to forget it ever happened Food riots in supermarket Ribbon-cutting Mayor welcoming the help released by happy civilians A rebel warning people to not accept food if they see you Militia rationing supplies in supermarket Balloons released by happy civilians team injecting misinformation into news-articles about their whereabouts No internet rebels seeming to know anything about you or your team's presence in the city Grooming team injecting misinformation into news-articles about their whereabouts taking advantage of the pause in fighting and having a party Secret Government takeover with mysterious origins Sham wedding uniting an entire family to the organisation Skinnys taking advantage of the pause in fighting and having a party secretly taking place during food-drop Out for revenge against rebel leadership or government Undercover rebels among you trying to entrap team-members Counseling secretly taking place during food-drop anonymously warning people not to accept food Corrupt businessmen happily accepting help due to their friendly relationship with your organisation Sporadic rebel attacks on food-trucks Bartenders anonymously warning people not to accept food team caught eating in public causing public outrage Eating team caught eating in public causing public outrage with illegal gambling den in basement Whisky-joint with illegal gambling den in basement on bad memories of conflict Randomly screaming and breaking things for no reason Crowded apartment block filled with illegal speakeasies Dwelling on bad memories of conflict family looking to sell their crop for food Fake-doctor running illegal medical practice releasing addicts into street Sodbuster family looking to sell their crop for food on uncomfortably-hot-and-smelly mattresses in derelict building Refugee children selling handmade trinkets Sleeping on uncomfortably-hot-and-smelly mattresses in derelict building -gang felling trees to make wooden weapons Manic-depressive alcoholic heckling team-members Mini-chainsaw-gang felling trees to make wooden weapons ian Storyteller travelling with her handmade puppets Street-performer singing happy songs about the cruelty of life Meal over, hunger remains Astrylian Storyteller travelling with her handmade puppets & human urine used to rinse teeth Drug-addicts demanding food for handing out addict-supplying tips Toothpaste & human urine used to rinse teeth Rookie mistake Bus-full of spies sent to investigate you and your operation Fakefuneral: Well now you know for next time Shambles: over-feeding infant at distressing rate Under-cover rebellions within the heart of the enemy Wet-nurse over-feeding infant at distressing rate kull: Rookie mistake 2 A quiet and surprisingly calming grave-site Sweaty Man making shady deals in seedy underground buildings Chatterskull: and secret tunnels Seperatist camp riddled with sinful activity The ruthless city militia doing deals outside an armoury intent on buying illegal assault weapons Passageways and secret tunnels of your terrible mistake Cyborg killers making sure you live 2 0 this time Admission of your terrible mistake drawing: begging for food from the public at large Man-of-the-cloth rousing a mob with accusations of Orphanage abuse Weakness-magnets drawing: beds, a box of hand-me-downs but no parental love You packed food from the wrong faction! Now they're after you as well Homelike beds, Addiction never helps Razorwire: Rookie mistake 3 Cafffeine: expertly disarming your influence over childhood development Death Penalty for mental distresses affecting the brain Gerontologist expertly disarming your influence over childhood development Dangerous! Sinscales: The last ones left uncaught in this city Anti-immmunity: Running out of them Tumblebleeds: A growing concern Your inquisitive nature urging you to investigate despite my warnings! of eternals blowing the dust off this notebook! Gusts of eternals blowing the dust off this notebook! -devise broken hooked up to a system of denial Conciliatory Rebels in fragile ceasefire until final assault on you Life-prolonging-devise broken hooked up to a system of denial all failed except eternals Cataclysm: Something must be done but what can I do, my hands are tied and my mind is bound Surgeries all failed except eternals man Crew: Extra-regimental fighters eager for a good fight Sportsman Crew: Where did all these holes come from all of a sudden? Unlikely Metal Maggots feasting on this city leaving it to rot Metal Maggots feasting on this city leaving it to rust Resurrection: Hypnowaves: Truth to power, forever unrtouched Beautiful yet fake Dream over: He's gone Harmonica: of eternals Mattresses of eternals Booty of orphans You've lost your child forever now This pain will never heal Booty of eternals toaster banging out take-that-cancer songs Creaking swing sets overgrown with weeds Rusted-out toaster banging out take-that-cancer songs Poisonous Your bones'll turn to dust Phosphorus: trying it's best to be human while hating everything human Loyalty, Idiology, Bunker-rattling or subtle sabotage Automaton trying it's best to be human while hating everything human al aspirations or simple desire for survival? Time will tell just what kind of Pious leader you'll become Megalomaniacal aspirations or simple desire for survival? to dust Dust to dust targeting mines and rebel-held areas; Rebels lacking support targeting civilians; Civilians just trying to get by Patriots targeting mines and rebel-held areas; Your influences have severely weakened over this city, let's change that Dams be damned, New Heart just isn't titled to an Embiny dam! Rebel hats, conqueror shirts skin and sexual attractions to skulls So I've heard at least Gangrenous skin and sexual attractions to skulls This city supports miners and the dam, everything else be damned Weeds The environment has quickly become too dangerous to count on over Prediction ^ Prophecy over Prediction ^ Strategy over Tactics! Atom-grabbing will not save you, harmony over warfare though might! Triangulation: Be nice now Hints And Numbers ^ Creepy clown militia itching for a fight Preachings: of power and dismantling obsession Non-aggression pact from the, until now silent, Church of the Pure Corrosion of power and dismantling obsession Find your voice! Soapbox: will win this game Moisture will win this game over Science ^ History of warfare, hierarchy and slavery polished and dusted off for all to see Cats with too may eyes crowd the dark Sermons over Science ^ the masses to suit your needs Lobotomize the masses to suit your needs You got some new faces and a slight change of scenery since the last log Longer cords and tube-tents Toothbrushes and tube-tents at the bottom of rubbish-crawlers Bloodlust shining off of every muscle fiber Diamonds at the bottom of rubbish-crawlers swinging over every loyal disciple Rounds of crisis being spat out by smug grins Confessionals turning grey from our sins Talisman swinging over every loyal disciple feet dust collecting at the bottom of my worn shoes The thrill is gone I guess everything has it's season, however short or long it may be Stinky feet dust collecting at the bottom of my worn shoes Powerful stuff but man does it get the job done Shrapnel ^ Many of us are dented and rusted Oozes out of the shadows for the thrill of the hunt Metal menaces sharpening knives to scoop out and digest rebel hearts with True or False? All soldiers have logs and we love writing in them Highways leading Out of here, or to another city War? Newspapers: and Merchants ^ Finally, people to talk to that aren't thugs or slaves Technology sometimes scares me I can barely work a toaster Diplomats and Merchants ^ pushing us around, how quaint Jocks pushing us around, Wut? Waking Up In A World You Know The Rest ^ Gloomy mornings turn into sleepy afternoons Eskiminzins? The StrongestOne now has Warrick's body! Muscle mass increased, bone density risen, adrenaline efficiency skyrocketed Physique: Garden-variety enerm inhibitors block the heart, digestive system, brain and all other parts of the body The conquerors are nothing but screams to me now Convulsions is one of the less painful ways to die inside the lounge room Shields thrown, cannons blasting, spears clanging of an identity incapable of true beautiful wars Fear kneads my gut into tiny mountains and thorny vales Designers of an identity incapable of true beautiful wars of Numbness ^ Musicians preform for you Muscriptions rush into your head Cities rise and fall Anatomy of Numbness ^ bloom and whither Symmetry is shown in your position A rebel princess and a soldier of The Just Alliance Populations bloom and whither and cigarettes used to keep you up during the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, whilst sunrise endlessly broke out into your teenage dreams Coffee and cigarettes used to keep you up during the lazy, hurry past you on their morning commute Gustav Mai, the aging General of The Just Alliance The city is calm today Hoppers hurry past you on their morning commute and Lights ^ Green emerald lights flicker on and scan you Hooks and nets lay beneath the surface, thirsting for a chance Livers and Lights ^ who don't see themselves as such The memories of a dying city zombies, corpses, skeletons and ghosts Nobility who don't see themselves as such You see the business District, The Crown State of Nalin River and Lagos beyond What starts these wars? Everything you need to make it through another day Medicine, Caffeine Life is dead in this city, how much longer can you last? clamber over your heavy gloves These streets used to be like rivers of oil Running smoothly and bulging with energy and life Think about it Scorpions clamber over your heavy gloves Watermelons sumo wrestling over there by the refreshment table Children screaming in the bounce-houses after Dumpster is pulled away by the sanitation workers You evade a groping hand Was it an accident? Dumpster after Dumpster is pulled away by the sanitation workers oozes from your posture Explorium: The last few remaining uncharted territories Bravado oozes from your posture after dune like waves upon an angry sea erupting with fire and death DING! Dune after dune like waves upon an angry sea Apocalypse-weave your spine and drain you of all hope Feathers flatten themselves against your body You forgo brushing your arm make for a hilarious combination Technology ^ Machines try to predict the future fallible still Spit-and-polish make for a hilarious combination are larger than life what happens when they die? Walls and ceilings scream passageways endlessly Trains glide across the terrain with a rumble Super-soldiers are larger than life You don't even drink wine on Holy Terra's days off Technicians clip-clop down the streets in their dance of maintenance Asks, "Why Study the Past? There are trillions of souls in The Creation, and yet you are but one Hushed as rampant whispering Zoologist Asks, makes for tricky eating Monospace Font: The easiest way to kill time Who knew the past could kill you? Lizard-on-a-stick makes for tricky eating No, seriously All your bones are interior Endoskeleton: What you are on the outside, as opposed to your genotype- your genetic heritage as well as many other subspecies A mass of tentacles writhes off Cephalopods Moreauvian, For it is easy to end up on the land instead of water "Everything in Time, " says Father Time Galaxies and Light ^ Is The End in sight? What lights the stars? Darkness is a sure thing in your evens The stars cannot be counted Too many eternities could pass by The Creation though from above is different Creation zips past your face Like a blur it changes in front of your eyes If impact is to shallow then back you go back into space to be frozen again To avoid impact, you throw your ship into a pointless orbit The Creation is definitely more beautiful from Above It will all BE REVEALED Dripping eggs in a sleek machine called as it drops bringing on cracks The tape could be wrapped round and round to make thick hoops that are then glued together The container will need to be rigid to make sure that the walls do not flex or the egg could bang on the walls as it drops bringing on cracks but you probably need to exceed that so45 gs or more to give a comfortable safety margin An egg can withstand between 20 to 30 gs before cracking, The tape would need to be about 1 5 inches for the thickness of ply The distance aslo needs to be of a suitable size to fit the tape Harvard should be able to supply such things It is strange that you can build intergalactic starships but struggle to bring down an egg Concrete, however, is far too heavy so would be useless as a ballast Any other ideas Leave it with me We will need a thick, tough, waterproof fabric to wrap and strap the device for launch

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