#ATTACK ON ALPHA CENTAURI

[retrocgads]

UK 1985

[cypherscript]

Linchpin

The GIW have finally done it; they finally rid the world of the strongest ghost in their recorded history and the world finally know peace from ghost kind.

Watchtower - Four years three months later.

"Right," Tim Drake-Wayne aka Red Robin stood before a small council of Batman, Wonder Woman, Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter and the Flash, "Thank you, everyone for allowing me to request this meeting but it's imperative that this matter be seen to before something irreversible comes to pass."

"Red Robin, wandering."

"Right, sorry." Tim taps away on the computer and pulls up several of his personal photos from his day off last month of the night sky with two bright pinpoints of lights. "This is the night sky with Alpha Centauri a month ago. I was on vacation and managed to get some good pictures for that night but something else happened that night." He pulls up another photo of the same night sky but one of the stars were gone.

"Where'd the left star go," Flash asks as he pulls over a digital copy of the two pictures.

"I don't know but it's still not there. A month ago Proxima Centauri went out and no one's saying anything about it online. I was hoping to petition the Justice League to borrow the Watchtower's computer and telescope to check the area."

"I don't see why that would be an issue," Wonder Woman says as she also looks over the pictures with the flash. "Batman?"

"I don't have a problem with it but it needed someone not connected to the issue to vote on it." With that said they voted to let Tim borrow the computer's telescope and began scanning the area. Several hours later they had a really clear picture of the area Proxima Centauri had been. In its spot there was nothing; no gas, no planets, no nebulas or anything but darkness.

"We should probably get Green Lantern or one of the space heroes." Batman's Hn spoke leagues to his current mood.

_____________________________________________________________

"So your little bird was right, Bats. Proxima's gone and it's not the only one. The Guardian's have been receiving distress calls for several universal cycles. Tamaran, Corona Seven, Betelgeuse, Alpha Corvi to name some." Hal says as he reads from a list projected from his ring, "They've traced a Decay Field originating from Earth over four years ago. Supposedly failed supervillain attack? Experimentation gone wrong?"

"We're unsure. We've talked with the United Nations and no one's come forward with anything concrete. We do have a list the length of the Batmobile of possible culprits though."

"Sorry but what's a Decay Field? I can hear those capital letters and don't just say it's a field that decays stuff." Flash asks, looking up from his portion of experiments.

"But it is... The Guardian's explained it like a kill switch to certain technologies. Something happened on Earth four years that made the universe start eating itself."

"Then why not start with our sun? Why start at a star 4 light years away," Batman asks, putting down the League's digitized stellar map, "If the field originated on Earth, Sol should have been the first to vanish."

"Strange isn't it?"

A burst of static comes from the speakers at the table, causing a couple to flinch before a corrupted male voice speaks to them.

Ņ̵͙͔̼̓̏̕̚o̸̢̳̮̖̩̪͉͒̊̓̐t̸͙͓̻̙͗̌͆́̈ ̸̢̖̪̫̪͙̉̆ͅǎ̸̦͔̜͂͗͛͘͠t̸͇̏̂̉̆ ̵̹̖̣͎̘̟̞͒͆a̴̛̟͗́͂̿͜ḻ̸̑́̀l̵̢̗̻̙̜̄͆.̶̢̨̤̞̖͕̾̏͌̽̽ ̷̛̩̘͍̺͚͈̐̔́̾͊̚W̸̨̳̟͍͓̱̊͗̿̓͜e̸̛̛̹̒͜ ̵̞̻̌̓͆̂̕w̷͉͐́e̴̼̗͑̐̈̑̆͝r̴̫̻͇͖̞͂è̶̯̺͙̬̲ ̶̢̣̣̥͐̓̓w̶͇̺̯̝̲̌̚o̸̡̢̗͖̤̮͑̇n̵͇̣͙̫̹̄͌̽d̴̺̼͕̙̐́̂̈e̴̢̧̮̣͍̯̽͝r̵̼͙̩͛͆͝i̷̝̱͎̞͑̏̀n̵̯̰̻̹̭͕̫̈́͛́̌͘g̵̨̛̻̯̺̠͈̜̅͂̌͘͠͝ ̸̺͉͍̹̱͕̈́̅̀̾̈́͘ẅ̷̨̝͔̖͉̜̭͘̕h̴͚̘͕͊̄ȩ̷̢̱̱̤̫̗̈͘n̸̼̦̭̹͆̏͘ ̷̰̫̳͊͌̋̇͂̍̕͜ẙ̷̭͙̘̅̋́̚ó̶͔̪̥̩̭͎̺͋͑́́̒ũ̶͙̝̬͖̯̏̎͠ ̴̢͈͎̤̜̲͛̈̓̀̒̍̕ͅp̸̨͈̱̥̙̗̠̊̋̀e̶͚͊̈́͐̀̋͠ơ̵̧̧͍̥̮p̴͈̘̺̙̫͈̀͆́l̵̝̻̼̳̋ͅͅḙ̵̮͍̻̺̀̑͛́͑̕ ̸̮̥̀̉̈́͑͊͐͂w̵̲̥̅̎̋̓ȏ̴͚̰̩̐̓̎̿̍̀ͅȗ̵̙͓̂͝l̶̟̪͐͗͂̂d̵͎̦̈́̌̀͌ ̵̧̗̲̈́́̔f̵̨͙̪̌̌̀͜͠i̷̳͛̉̊̆̈̓̒n̶̮̗̤͋̾̂̂͘a̶̤̫̘͚͌̓̒̊l̴̟̰̼͉͖̉̎̓͒͆̅͜l̶̢̹̾̉̒̊̕y̴̡̙̞͒̒̏̉ ̷̧͙̺̯̼̉ǹ̷̯̲́̉̈̚o̸͓̠̖͌̋͒͛ṭ̵̟̥͕͉̀̔ȋ̴̢͉͎̃͆̈́̈́̈́͠c̵̰̰͎̭̯͑̆͌͗͝ȅ̷̖̫̃̐̈͝ ̵͎̣̖̄̃͋̌̂̌̊w̴̹̦̙̜̙͉̰̓̈́̚h̸͇̣̩̝͇͊̃͑͆̂͝ä̵͚̭̪̖̀͗͑̄͘t̶̛̟̳̣͔͍̿̓͆͘͠ ̷̨̠̪͔͎̐̇͌ẁ̷̢͖͓̹͛̈a̷̭͚̭̳̙͇̽́̉̽̐͘s̷̨̲̖͌̆̊̋̐̈́ͅ ̵̻̻̯͍̤̊̂͝͝ĝ̴̨̢̰̙̞̲̂̽̈o̴̪̥̙̽̅͗̓í̷͈̯̾́̋̾̊n̸̳̘͍͒̋̏͆̀̐͜ͅg̸̻̿͗̐̊̍̚͝ ̶̤̰̹̭͙̬͙̇̀ṏ̴̘̮̱̦͍́͂̑̚͜͝ņ̵̼͊.̴̡̜͔͍͇͍̃̐

(Not at all. We were wondering when you people would finally notic what was going on.)

"Who are you," Batman demands as the voice chuckles, "Is this your doing?"

Ņ̷͙̹̱͕̀͐̄́͜ớ̷̩̠̻̅̉̈́̎̀ͅ.̷̮̲̰̩͆͗͂̆́̒̚

(no)

"But you know about it, what's doing this and how do we stop it?"

I̷̢̬͉̖͗̒̀̈ ̷̟͎̯̺̺͕̅̆͆̌̐̔́d̷͙͔̜̿ȏ̶̡͓̩͝ņ̴̜̤̟̳́͑̂̚͠͝͠'̵̝̜̉̆́t̷̛̯͌̓̎̎ ̴̞́̈̍ţ̴̢͓͙́ḧ̸̲͛̿͗̍i̶̧̯̱̠̩̥̭͛̉̊̌̈̒͝n̷͖̯̩̺͛͂̊̑͐͠ķ̶̧̙̖̐͐̀̄ ̷̛̦̲̎̋̑y̷̧̯̝̝̦̌̒͌͂o̴̧̹̲͉̟̝̱̊̏u̵̇��̱̣̘̳͖͆͐ͅ ̷͙͇̝̳͒̎̑̓͜͝ͅͅc̵̫̼̠̮͕̠̃ą̸̣͇̩̬̟͌̋͠n̵̛̬̟̼͈̪͓̲̆̀̔̋̈́̕.̸̢̝̳̜̥̗̾́.̸̢̪͔̹͈̂̈̆͛̇́̔.̸͓̯͓̞̃̉̃ ̸̢͉͉̳̬͙̗͗͂͌̄̏T̵͚̩̙̽̈́͛͌́̀h̶̘̲̙̪̗̾i̵̭͕̙̟̒̔͝ͅș̵͗̈́̚͝ ̶̥̲̹̜̖̼̯̉̍į̶͓̥̀̍̓s̸̢̡͓̬̰̹̋̿̿̃́̽͜ ̵̀̈̇́͐̚ͅp̸̡̨͎͇̦̌̍͜ṳ̸̫̖̘̑͋͂̕̕͝n̵͔͔͇̺͚̪͋͂ͅĩ̸̢̛̥̬̮̙̈́́̔s̸̩̝̝̓̀̈́ḧ̸̫͇́̓̄́̕ṃ̸̨̐̄̾̌͂͝ẽ̴͓̈́n̵̮̥̯͑͛͂̀́͝ţ̷̨̟̖͚̹̺͗̋͑͌̄.̷̭̐̈̕

(I don't think you can, this is punishment.)

"Punishment for what?! We didn't do anything," Flash shouts as he stands up to yell at the voice.

Ỳ̸͕̖̼͐o̵̘̻̩̹̽̀̍͑͗̊̓ú̴̢͇̮̯͍̑̚ ̷̢̢͖̹̍͗͜ḏ̵̨̹͔͆̈́̀̀̑͆͜i̶̲̯̯̱͍͐̆̉͛͋͐ͅd̶͈͇̤̙̃̃͑͌̅̓͆n̷͓̳̅̄'̶͙͓͉̣̝͓͌̽͘t̵̡̝̘͔̮̹͔̊̈́͋͂́̾,̷̧͔̲͕̙̋̚ ̶̳̙͉̩̄̐̄͌b̷̻̮̟̩͑̿̕ű̶̩̩͚t̷̛͎̤̠̪̮́̒͜ͅ ̵̠͓̩̤̋̇̂͆̕ͅc̶̘̹͒ị̵̢̟̩̄́͐̒͝t̶̠̥͙̗͎̺̘́͗̄͂̅̚ḯ̸̡̞̳̝̰͆̒̀͂̑̎z̴̯͉̾̑̈́͝͝ę̵̻̼̟̗̌̎͝͝n̴̘̓̈́̎̊͌͛s̷̝̭͔͈͗̂͐̇ ̵̱̇͑̆̋̓͜͝͠ő̶̥̝̠̞̇͆̊̀͌͗͜f̸͈̖͆̀̑̈̇̄̓ ̷̨͇̦͕̺̩̃̓̇̇͐̀t̴̬̬͇͔͛̃̊̿̀̏́h̷̯̠͒̒͋̆̂̅͠é̶̡ ̸̰̘͈̹̳̈́Ẽ̸̢̟̥̺͈̙̓̈̄͘͠͝a̶̛͎̥̦͙͆̑͋̿͝͠ͅr̶̺̟̱̈́̀ţ̵̝̩̬͍̉̔͊́̕͠h̶̥̠̣̹̰̻̖͆͂̉͌͠ ̶̳̣̠͚̮̌͆̋̅͂̈́ḧ̶͖͉̟̮̜̻̖́̊ã̸̲̦̗̜̌̿͌́̑̚v̵̯͚̲̯̖͋̽͝ͅȩ̴̛͕̯̖̈́͌ͅ.̸̩͚̽

(You didn't but the citizens of the Earth have.)

"What did they do to warrant starting a Decay Field to eat the universe?!" The next words spoken was a combination of several voices.

T̷̝̹̥̘̯̠̓̑̽ͅh̶̺͓͕̝̍͗̐̃̄̚ȇ̶̜͉͈̦̮̓͝͠y̵͔̗̫͎͙͚͠ ̷̟̓̃͂ķ̷̦̳͎̓̃͛͌̒͝ͅi̴̫̪̮̰̭̠̘̊͑͛́̐l̴̖̲̙̀̿l̵̹̦̪͐̌̎͆ę̷̨̙͇̮͇̊ḋ̵͉͙͖̦̪̰̒͝ ̴̮̜̥̟͚͇͊̀ḿ̵̱̼̮̠̪̘̓̃̀̐͐͝ŷ̸̖̞̤͐̄͛͆ ̸͎̯̠̰̆͋̓̌̂͌͛b̶̢̜̙͎͌̓̐e̸̛̥̳͒̋̽́́s̴̨̙͑́͑̒͐̐t̷͙͌̀̄͝ ̵̰͑̓͜f̷̛̦̭̀́̅̌r̷̖̹̫͕̬̩̔į̴͎͖̯̜̲̥͒̀͊̓̆͒͘ẻ̵̬͈͊͝n̶̤̼̥͚̱͉̔͗̂͝d̶̯̼̋̏̂̈̿͝ͅ.̴��̻̭̣̭̪̣̖̐̒̄͝ (They killed my best friend.)

T̶̰̗́̋̓͝h̶̞͔̠̪͖͎̝́ě̴͇̭̻̗̣̉̔y̴̛̝̼͎͇̼͌̽̏̚ ̴̢̛̞͕͓̜̻̑͋̍́k̷̲̃̓̊̊́̽ǐ̷̡̟͔̜͈̃ḽ̶̢̭̠͕͒̈́͊́̈́l̵̠͎̎̋̄͘ȅ̷͖̪͖͒̈́d̴̩͖̳̜̯̹̋͑ ̷̜̜̯̬̤͂̑̀̍͋͒̆m̴̙͕̹̩̞͐̌̅̾y̷̡̱͉̠̗͇̏̓̉ͅ ̴̨̖͇̠͜͝p̷̺̯̖̹͚͎͛̋͌ȃ̵̧̪̼̫͈̺̞̾͋̓͛r̶͇̺̫͂̍̑̕t̵̟̦̞̞͍̀̒̉́̋̓n̸͎̻̻̒ȇ̵̢̪̣̤̫͐͜r̸̡̯̪͖̻̃̉̓͘̕͝.̸̹̖̜̈́̃̎̓ (They killed my partner.)

T̴̗̻̫̼̙͛̐̿̈́͂̈̐̎̔̆̀͑͐͠͝ͅh̸̘̞̫͆̽͒̅��̗̹ȩ̴̡͕̄ÿ̵̢̳̺̗̲̠̩̹̟͈̞̘́͊̓̀́̏̒͑̐̿̊ ̸̼̞͖̻̰̤͚́k̴̛͚̬̹͚͒̐͊̍̉́́̚͝͠ͅͅi̵̘͈̿̌̋̂̈͌̋̐͑̕͝l̵̘̊̒̄́̈́͂̒̍́̿͗̐̉͝͝l̴̬͔͎̍̓͋̉̐̀͂̕͘͠͝e̷̙̭̪̝̭̜̻̠̓͋͑̔̓̈́̋̈͒̒̉̔̏̚͝d̸͕̫̼͉̫͓̜̩̪̺̫͈͋͝ͅ ̸̧̧̼̙̰̮͓̖̑̈́͋͌̅̃̑́̍͛̂͠t̶̡͎̼̖̳̼̣͚͓̝̘͉̊̍̈́͛͆́̾̀͊̃̚͝ḧ̸̨̛̺̹̭̖̠̞́͛̀e̸̡͚̤̮̼̳̽͗͛̾̀̆͂͑̀͛͜͝ ̸̛̪̝̺͓͇̜̀́̿̄̏̕̚w̸͉͕͐̾̋̏͒̂͒̓̚ḩ̴̠̹͇̘͔͚̖̘̻̈́̿̄͆̓̑͑̚͝͠͠͝ę̶̛͔̲̰̖̗̈͋̾͑̂́̅̈͑͆́̀̓͝l̶̨͇͇͉͖͂̃̈̂p̷̛͇̭̺̲̠͕̝̹͍̙̓̍̈́̾̆́̋̐̀̿̓̂̉ (they killed the whelp)

Ţ̵̇̍͐͝ḥ̶̢͎̇ͅě̶̢̨̇̉̎̉ÿ̶̹͔̼́̅͌͑̚ ̸̖̤͛̿̎̍̂̍ͅk̴͓̞̼̙̰̼̅̑͌̍̄i̷͓̣͎͑͂̌̽̈́̾͝l̸̮͖̖̲͑͑͋̐l̸̛̛͇̹̙̳̟͌̽̃̌è̴͇̒͗͐͂d̷̮͈̋̚ͅ ̴͉͈̞͙̙͇̈́̋͂̚ȯ̶͚͓͋̍̍ǔ̴̢͎̹͕̀͆̇̒̂r̶̮̖̱͂̉̽̔ ̵̤͙̺̒́͌̿̈͠s̷̛͔̣̹̱̼͆͐o̸͕͖̘̬̭͒͑̾̆̓̇n̸̡͖̙̗̩̆̀͌̃.̵̬͉͎̞̬͗́͊̀̂̓̕(they killed our son.)

T̷͖͇̱̜̺̳͠ͅh̷̥͍̼̼̥̊ͅę̶̨̺͇͖̹̒͒ỹ̸̟̟̜̗̘̠̓̓̑̑̄͜ ̷̗̲́͊͋̅ͅk̸̻̤͉̝̽͊̃̉̄͒̃i̴͔͙̰̮̐ͅl̸̤̥̭̊̾͘l̶̢̠̹̩͉̦̏͒͘e̷̢͕̠̥̜̘͓̿̈́̏̅͝d̷̪̭͕̓̐͛̿̈̚ͅ ̶̙̱̩̠̄̎̈́́͘̕m̵̪̫͉̲͑͑ͅy̸̢̬̹̞̳͗̃͌̔̔ ̶̢̼͖̼͕̋̎͛͝͠k̶̞̱̘̲̺͔̔̏̇̍̕ǐ̶̜̟͆̍ṋ̶͈͓̱͌͛̑̂͐̇g̸̩͕̻̃̍̔̃̏̚.̵͙̖͐͠ (They killed my king)

T̶͙͍̤̼͕̎͌͜h̴̩̬̞̕̕͜e̷̫͔̟̔͐͒ͅÿ̴̢̢̻̯̩̱́́̇̄͗̑͠ ̸̧̤̪͈̗͈̼̉̓͋̐k��̢̟̲͝í̵̢̩ͅl̸͒̄͝͝��͈l̴̡͍̥̱̙̫̣̄̈́͌e̸̛͔̾̒͛̂̉d̴̪̀̓͜ ̴̧̭͚̥͛͗t̶̨͙̬̥͉̼̎͋̍͜h̶͙̲̟̆ḙ̶͕̿ ̶̧̬͒̍͠͝Ḡ̴̨̓ṛ̶͙̺̘̭̮͍̏̒͗͋̇͝e̶̖̙̥͛̄͆̾͋̐̚a̷͚̙̠̙̠͝ͅt̵̰̥̺̹̂̓ ̸̞́̈́Ó̶̞̳̈́̃͋̇́n̴͙̘̤͉͆̆͗̇̈͆̋e̷̛̹͂͝.̵̝̲̣̅(they killed the Great One)

I̵̜͎͎̘͍͒̈̑̄̔͝l̴̝͔̙̞̓͋̅i̶̖͉̠͎͍̽̒ ̸͇̰̝͙̮̩͒̓̒̆̊̚m̷̨̨̘͔̀͊͌̆̈͐̐͜ơ̷̢̺͉͓̤͍̺̒͝r̵̨̧̰͎̓̎̽͒͛t̸̤̲̙̄͐́̈́̕̕͜į̶̧̭̙̗͙͙̊̉̍͛̿̋g̵̜̺̘̙̼͇̃i̵͈̅̀̅s̵̞̯̯̩͖͖̎ ̴̡̤̞̇̾̆̈̓͝m̵̺͈̺̻̫̰̋̽͐̍͛̕͜ȉ̴̮̙̳̄͛ą̵͕̭̲̱͈̒ǹ̸̨̛̫̺̯̥̗́͜͝ ̵̨̳̝͓̼͆͂͂͛̍͘s̴̡̢̟̘̝̠̘̃̏͑̑̎͠à̶̧̛͖̦v̷͚̇̈́́̏͝â̴̢͓̚n̶̢̗͓̘͖̹͂̂̚ṱ̶̒̂̈̃͆ŏ̸̬̥̎̕ń̵̨̛͇̲̫̦̮̎̾̔̀ (ili mortigis mian savanton/killed my savior)

T̸̢̨͍̲̝̣͎͈̖͓͇͈̘͓̐̉̏̉͊̍̈́̋̕h̸̢̨̙͇̳̜͖̎̇͛̈́͜ḛ̶̡̻͕̝̫̣͇̉̅y̷̢͖̤̫̔̎̌ ̵͎͍̭̟̗̼̹̪̠͉̲̍͆̓́͜k̴̢̗̺̘̳̰͎̲͇̃̌͆͂̀̔̾͛͂̉͘͝͝i̶̟̹̳̱̤͚͖͖̫̲̓̾̄̅̆̎͂̕l̴̨̡̡̲̥͓̠̰̼̥̂͑̀͝ḻ̷̡͕̩̫̾͐́͑̓̃́͒̈́͆̿̓͌̚͘ͅȩ̶̡̣̮̯̳͓̼̓̉̽̄̍́̔̓̆̎̀ď̷͈̬̱̂ ̶͖̺̝͉̜͇̅͐̓̆͗̿̋̿̀̍͝b̵̧̮͆̂̄̒̐̿͋͌̆̍̓̈́͘͝ä̴̡̛͔̫̉͆̍̔̄́̈́͝b̸̮͙͛̃͛̀̃̍̓y̵̱͑̈́̽̇̄̓̔̌̚͝͠p̶͈̮̣̠̮͖͇̠̫̫̦̝̩̉̐̂̈́̐͐ǫ̵̯͙͓͚͍̂̊͊̉̾̌̂́͠͝p̷͙̯̪͔̙̗̞̘͙̅̄̒͒̍͛͋̈͋̕(they killed babypop)

T̴̯̮̝͙͕̐̍h̸̡̢̋͌͊ȅ̴̟̼̀̈́̄̀͌͠ý̸̨̯̩͐̎͒͒̒̕ͅ ̶̡͈̝͎̞͗̊͘k̸̭͇͙̬̫̙͊̎͆̓͝͝ͅi̶̦̝̳̪͂̅̈́̑l̷̛͈̭̺̄́̔̈́͋́l̶͙̳̯̩̈́͐e̴͇̰̭͙̙̿͜d̴̛͉͚͍̋͂̀̔̉ ̶̤̞͙͕̃̓͒͐m̴͈̹̟̃y̵̠̜̏̽̐̀́̀͝ ̶̢̥͉̊̊̊͐͝f̶͎̥͉́́ḁ̸̩̤̱̲̬̒̕͘ṯ̷̯̬̘̮͙̚ḩ̸̖͍͌̀̓̃͘ẻ̵̢͎̓͝r̸̨̩̗̘̗̒̈̆̓͂͘̕.̶̥̀͐̓̉(They killed my father)

Ţ̷̠̘̦̍̏̆̍̀͊̚ẖ̷̼̪̝͇̪̥͑e̸̢̨̻͚̬̯̭̊͗̀͝y̵̪͛̾̅́̓̕ ̶̤͕͆̑̓͐k̵̖͎͍̬͙͒̍i̴̛͙̬͚̫̻͑̆͆͂l̵̨͒̂͑l̷̛͖̫̫̳̭̱̀̀ę̴͈͕͖̜͎̋̆͒̓͘̚d̸̢̼͙̬͐͋̎̉͝ ̵̲̥͋̃̆͂͗͝m̷̞̭̖͚̭̣̑͛͗y̶̛̜͎͆̂͑̑ ̸̩̤̫̹́̾̈͂̏ḇ̷̞̱̣̂̋̚̚r̵̛̻̙̯̯̆̋̽̈́̚͝ô̷̱̍̈́t̶̡̙͈̘̹̫͆͒̽͐̏h̴̥̝́͊̅͌̓̔̒͜è̶͙̰̱́̅̾̉̽͂r̴͍͗̍͂̾̂̆.̷̺̖̥̖̹̾̓́̔ (They killed my brother)

Ṱ̵̻̤̩̰͛͆͑͒̍ͅh̸̜̼̅̀̏͒̄͐ĕ̵̲͚͕̓ͅy̷̻̣̭̰͎͊͂̇͛͗ͅ ̴̜̘̣̙͑̄k̵̭̝̹͛͒̽͘ȉ̵̫ļ̴̡͇̺͈̞͐͂̅͑ͅl̶̫̈́̃͊̏ę̶̛͖̪̺̤̌̓d̸̛̤̱͂ ̴̞͇̫̘͊m̴̛͖̩̲͊̏̈́̓͑̆ÿ̵͔͎́́ ̴͎͎͎͕̳͖̭͊͒͋̒͑̿s̷̬̹̔̒̾̉̿́̕͜t̵̹̋ụ̸̩̂̆̓d̷̢̧̪̞̦̻̓́̋̐̇̂e̷̡̢̯̤̜̞͈͛̑̎̿͝ń̵̙ẗ̵̨̛͔̯́.̷̨̟̰̩̲͆̉̚ (They killed my student)

"Stop! Stop!" Flash shouts over the voices, "We can't understand what you're saying! Who is 'They'?!"

The voices stop and the clearest voice they've heard yet speaks.

T̵͔̊h̸̲͑e̴̘͋ ̴̻̋G̴͚̈́h̸̩͌o̵̮̍s̷͍̽t̶̬͛ ̸͍̒Ȉ̵͚n̸͙̑v̴͙̽e̸̞̓s̴̞͘t̷̠̓ĩ̵͎g̷͖͘a̷̭͒ť̵͓i̵̟̇o̶̞̕n̵̨͠ ̸͓̂W̵̱͂a̵̺͝ŕ̷̥d̶͇͒

[gildalilli]

i think about my rant to @starofhisheart (T) often about how the ineffable bureaucracy plot felt sudden and how it got me on board with a bit more angst and yearning for our boys before we get an eventual happy ending. Copied from my messages to our group chat:

ME: Maybe it's because it's too obvious, but I haven't seen enough people in the fandom talking about how ineffable bureaucracy becoming canon is a demonstration to the fans of why what we want for the husbands is romantic, but not satisfying or a Good Idea in practise.

My first point, which I've been thinking ever since it happened, is how.... unsatisfying it was that they just got together?

Like they were just suddenly very in love and ran off together without the same tension they had in season 1. There was no irony, no pining, no wrestling with dilemmas. Neil just ticked it off the list like "See how it feels when a romance is just handed to you with no further plot? There were 2 beings, they fell in love and went away and lived happily ever after. Great, cool. You want to feel this way about our boys? Or do you want me to give you something you can actually sink your teeth into to make the getting together delicious?"

And point 2: they were a demonstration that Crowley's plan, which is always to run away, does not work. It, in fact, is selfish and fucks up everyone else's lives. Two powerful political figures jilted their positions, leaving everyone else in the lurch. The breakup happened BECAUSE GABRIEL LEFT AND HEAVEN NEEDED SOMEONE ELSE TO MANIPULATE! Demons attacked and started threatening partially because there was no Beez to oversee anything! And it was our boys who were left to pick up the pieces because those two decided to RuN aWaY tOgEtHeR

T: Yes!!! That makes so much sense!

ME: This whole plot was like Neil holding up a big neon sign saying TRUST ME THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT.

T, perfectly saying in a sentence what I took paragraphs to get out: They were a cautionary tale; a "what could have happened if Aziraphale had taken Crowley's offer of Alpha Centauri." I mean, sure, the circumstances were different but the result wouldn't have been a satisfying conclusion to the story.

[kiwikipedia]

Now I’m Not Saying That I Should Be Allowed To Design Servants For Fate, But....

Summer Unit, Caster Chiron has Arrived! As the immortal Caretaker and Teacher of Mount Pelion, there’s little doubt that he knows all the tips and tricks to survive a coastal month in the sun. What’s that? The Constellation is wrong? Sagittarius? Don’t be silly, Chiron’s always embodied the Constellation Centaurus. Always.

Costume Dress(es), Individual Stills for the new Sprites (Asc 3), Notes, and Taglist below the cut :)

That "Always" bit is meant to be somewhat ominous which hints at the whole "rewriting and creating heroes" idea in my last post about this Eternal Summer Stage event.

And if i am to be 100% honest, I don't quite like the final result still in terms of the toga, however, I know that if I keep working on it it will never get done and that's just the way that artists are lol. The effects and everything else though? Beyond what I was even expecting for it to turn out as.

Anywho.

In terms of design, I was mostly just going for the "Dad who has the Cooler" with a casual look for the first two designs and the costume dress really isn't a drastic change either just being called Hatless. The final ascension was a more divine feel where you get that connection with the stars and space that Chiron has due to his constellations. The Costume change there is just "Divine Blessing". I honestly couldn't pick between the two colors so. Costume Dress.

So. Anyways. Each of the stars in the final ascension design are the major "Centauri" stars within Centaurus, the Constellation that Chiron/his NP is embodying here rather than Sagittarius.

The large star that Chiron has in hand is Theta Centauri, also called Menkent, and then the ones on the staff are Alpha-Gamma Centauri.

The top three stars are Alpha Centauri or Rigil Kentaurus and Toliman, and Proxima Centauri. The three make up the full Alpha Centauri as the two blue stars are a binary system that Proxima orbits

The middle two are Beta Centauri or Hadar and Agena, another binary star pair

The lower two are Gamma Centauri which is another binary star group but are unnamed

Actually, the myth of Centaurus is a little wonky because certain texts refer to Centaurus as the Father of all Centaurs and the constellation is because he put an image of himself in the sky where others point to it being the other constellation that Zeus turned Chiron into instead of Sagittarius. Honestly, I'm more inclined to the latter due to conflicting texts about mount Pelion and the Centaurs themselves as it's implied that Chiron was already on Pelion before the other Centaurs arrived in some texts

("The Kentauroi were spawned by the cloud-nymph Nephele after she was violated by the impious Lapith king Ixion. She deposited her double-formed brood on Mount Pelion where they were nursed by the daughters of the immortal kentauros Kheiron (Chiron).")

So at least in this/my version of Myth/Fate, Centaurus is Chiron as a Caster and Healer but no less a teacher, rather than the more combat-ready and "war-like" Sagittarius.

I don't have everything mapped out, but I do have skills and NP sorta created, if I actually ever get to the full thing, who is to say lmao.

1st Skill: Seaside Planning

Buffs Healing Skill (self), Attack up (all units)

2nd Skill: Teacher's Guiding Hand

Target Focus (1 turn), Invincibility (1 turn), Defense up for all units, Battlefield change to Forest

3rd Skill: Blessing of Artemis / Blessing of Apollo (costume change)

Applies "Blessings of the Moon" or “Blessings of the Sun” to all units ( Defense Up, Heal Per Turn, NP gain Up, Crit Up)

Noble Phantasm: Hunt of Lupus: Protector of Mount Pelion | Quick

Rank: A NP Type: Anti-Personnel Range: 5-99 Maximum Targets: 1

A single target Noble Phantasm much like Antares Snipe, however, while Sagittarius uses a bow, Centaurus uses his staff to sweep through and pierce the body of Lupus. This is the story of Chiron. However, here, his job is not finished. The slaying of "Lupis" ends, and thus the Teacher and protector of Pelion returns to those he protects and tends to them.

At its base, one could call it the Single Target version of Geronimo's Tsago Degi Naleya in which it deals damage and heals the party after.

"Entrust to me the stars and my Guiding hand shall lead you, o watchmen of the night. I encircle myself twice with the seven heavenly bodies so that I may continue my role among the stars. You who has woken me, fall. Hunt of Lupus."

Truth be told, still workshopping the Noble Phantasm, but it's fine, it's out there as a concept. It's a lot like Antares Snipe though, I guess? Because I did want to lean into the Greek and Constellation side of things and just. Oh well. Originally, though, I was going to make Chiron and Chariclo one Servant, and then have their Noble Phantasm be Chariclo's ("Lifeblood of Mount Pelion") but then split them up because idk I enjoy hell. They're both casters though, because I refuse to put more Rulers into the already bloated Ruler cast.

I do not have voice lines at the moment despite the fact that I have all of Chariclo and all of Agravain's finished lol

Taglist Form or feel free to ask me to get tagged (just DM!):

@jedifisto​​ @spaceydragons​​ @purgetrooperfox​​ @spacerocksarethebestrocks​ @insanelytomato @babygirljoelmiller @certified-anakinfucker @d3epfriedanger @thecodyagenda @babygirl-leon-kennedy​ @txtalnyx​ @jawajawas​ @ge-ge-ge-ge-genifer

Please tell me if you want to be taken off of the list as this is no longer just Star Wars art

Additional Tags for those who have been interested in Summer Chiron previously (i hope you dont mind):

@300iqprower @bitterrosebrokenspear

[devsgames]

Announcing: Centauri Dark

Excited to announce my next title "Centauri Dark" is now available to wishlist on Steam and Itch.io!

---

The year is 24XX, You are under attack by an unknown enemy force. The support station at Alpha Centauri has gone dark. Survive.

Centauri Dark is an arcade shooter where you fight against ever-increasing waves of mechs in a bid for your survival. Kill enemies to power your weapons and dash, jump and shoot your way through to victory.

FEATURES

🤖 Cool mechs and cool visuals!⚔️ Action-packed, edge-of-your-seat combat! 📕 A psychological and cerebral story mode! 🧠 Easy to learn, hard to master gameplay! 👩‍🔬 Procedurally generated arenas! ⏲️ An endless mode where you face unending hordes of mechs!

---

Please wishlist and share to help support, it's super appreciated! 🥰

[tehloserprince]

the Gabriel hate in the fandom is so gross, thank u for defending him and also Azi

I honestly never realized how much I liked Gabriel until I saw how ridiculously some of the fandom here treats him. The Aziraphale hate surprised me, but I guess it shouldn't have (because something something media literacy is dead something something).

Anyway, you're welcome! They shouldn't need any defending. They're both great characters! If you're the same anon who sent the other asks, please don't let the silly people in this fandom bring you down. If they want to see things in black/white and project a bunch of negativity that has no basis in the source material, then that's on them. There are plenty of folks who appreciate the different characters and relationships without putting Crowley and Aziraphale on a pedestal, and you'll find a good community among them. You're right, Crowley and Aziraphale aren't infallible, and to view them as such really diminishes their overall character and development.

They aren't better than everyone else. Their relationship is not better than any other relationship. Other relationships do not exist solely as metaphors for their relationship. They have both done shitty things, even if they were simply complacent in them. They do not make every decision with the other person in mind; they are independent characters with their own motivations and beliefs. To view the entire story within the scope of a ship is to miss out on so much.

Gabriel is not a villain. Full stop. Neil is very deliberate with his storytelling. If Crowley and/or Aziraphale felt abused, angry, etc., we would have seen it reflected within the story. In fact, we did see it from both of them: Aziraphale expressed his doubt and misgivings after recalling the Job story. The turning point for him came when the demons were attacking the bookshop; he reaffirmed his desire to protect Gabriel and got ready for a fight. With Crowley, we saw his initial reluctance to protect Gabriel, with his ill feelings culminating in the scene where he told Jim to jump out the window. That was the turning point for Crowley, and too many people choose to ignore the impact of that scene because they want to project things that simply aren't there. I've said it numerous times, but Alpha Centauri has been Crowley's daydream - you don't suggest your daydream getaway to beings you fear or loathe. While the four of them didn't part ways as besties, they were amicable. Folks can be upset about it all they'd like, for whatever reasons they want to conjure up; it doesn't change what was portrayed in the actual media. Crowley and Aziraphale worked through it, and I wish those folks would, too.

I may start using Gabriel as a litmus test when I interact with other fans, ha ha. It's fine to dislike a character, don't get me wrong, but the deliberate hate dumped on specific characters like him is very telling. Regardless, it seems a useful red flag!

TLDR: they're good characters, Brent. Some people are just silly. Block with impunity! This site should be a fun space! Curate your own experience, and don't let anyone ruin that for you! 🧡

[callmebliss]

Out Of This World (an incomplete playlist (updated to appear in standardized artist - song title format))

Beastie Boys - Intergalactic

Galactic - I Got It (What You Need)

Reverend Horton Heat - Galaxy 500

Rocket Man - Elton John (via @sagenemesis )

David Bowie - Space Oddity (via @sagenemesis )

Train - Drops of Jupiter (via @anais-ninja-bitch)

The Seatbelts - Cats On Mars (via @anais-ninja-bitch )

Katy Perry - ET (via @aeoliantectrix )

Jefferson Starship - We Built This City

Nikki Minaj - Starships (via @aeoliantectrix )

BTS - 134340 (via @aeoliantectrix )

BTS and Coldplay - My Universe(via @aeoliantectrix )

Two Steps From Hell - Star Sky(via @aeoliantectrix )

Celtic Woman - A Spaceman Came Travelling -(via @aeoliantectrix )

Duran Duran - New Moon On Monday (via @avishabilis )

IAM - Planète Mars (via @avishabilis )

Gustav Holst Planets Suite (via @avishabilis )

Def Leppard - Rocket (via @ejullz )

Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon (via @adamtheredbeard)

David Bowie - Starman (via @adamtheredbeard)

The Byrds - Mr. Spaceman (via @adamtheredbeard)

Black Sabbath - Planet Caravan (via @justanotherdharmabum )

REM - Man on the Moon (via @typhoidmeri )

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun (via @typhoidmeri )

Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love (via @typhoidmeri )

[product] - call to the moon (item this through item 45 via @sapphicshart )

808 state - europa

angels on acid - satellite

deine lakaien - dark star

helalyn flowers - sitting on the moon

in strict confidence - alpha centauri

the b-52s - planet claire

lead into gold - faster than light

mc 900ft jesus - ufos are real

meat beat manifesto - mars needs women

psy'aviah - black hole

red mecca - enter stellar

renegade soundwave - space gladiator

revolting cocks - attack ships on fire

S.P.O.C.K - queen of space

smp - earthlight

technoir - dying star

dead milkmen - rocket ship

mask of sanity - living black hole

omega core - eons away they looked to the stars (item 26 through item this via @sapphicshart )

Muse - Supermassive black hole (via @anonymoussmurf )

Amaranthe - 1,000,000 Lightyears (via @the0dd0ne )

Rise Against - Satellite (via @the0dd0ne )

Savage Garden - To the Moon and Back (via @the0dd0ne )

Lazerhawk - Visitors (via @otatma)

Dua Lipa - Levitating (via @furiosasgarden )

???

[project-styx]

Welcome. You're just in time.

Humans have reached the stars. Well, a star. The Celeste, that great generation ship, set off for Alpha Centauri B. Decades into its journey, contact was lost with Sol, with Earth.

The good news? Turns out ACB has a planet with a habitable moon.

The bad news? There's a new fundamental force of nature in town, somehow already being weaponized by an unknown threat, and it's not easy to study.

The weird news? That moon has complex life already. No intelligent life discovered (so far), but a lot of plant-life.

Tags

Subject to be expanded

#meta - Posts that include information about the blog itself, such as this one.

#other peoples worldbuilding - Used when reblogging or signal-boosting other people's worldbuilding.

#setting inspo - Used when reblogging/showing posts/media that give me inspiration for this project.

#short story - Posts that include a short story (These will always be set in setting, however they appear)

The below tags are to do with where in the timeline the post is relevant to.

#climb era - The Climb is loosely-defined as the long period of economic and scientific expansion following the initial arrival and colonization of Alpha Centauri B. Its beginning is marked by the first attacks from strange entities referred to as 'Shades', and the discovery of the Umbra, a force on par with the Electromagnetic force, both in practical applications and natural consequences.

#pre climb era - The initial time period of colonization, discovery and turmoil that occurred before the climb, up to and including the first shade attacks and their outcomes. Also includes anything set on The Celeste during its journey.

#??? era - The exact era that this story is set in is intentionally vague/mysterious or not relevant.

More to come...

Misc.

The names 'Toliman' and 'Alpha Centauri B' may be used interchangeably on this blog (they are two names for the same star).

[shiftingdiariesofophelia]

okay i need to talk about it somewhere because i’m losing my mind.

niche dr has taken over my every waking thought but it’s the most adorable one ever omg. so, it’s a Lost In Space DR. for those of you who’ve never seen it, basically (the Netflix version) revolves around a broken family of five navigating their place in a space-colonist mission gone awry by the introduction of evil alien robots.

Set in the late 2040s, Estranged Patriarch John Robinson- a soldier who’d neglected his family in favor of service, now with them aboard the Resolute, a huge, long-distance space travel vessel with technology that can transport humans over four light years (currently 70k+ years away with modern technology) away in just around 3 months. Matriarch and honestly the family’s primary parent for the first half of season one, Maureen Robinson- a hyper-intelligent engineer who designed the personal spaceships (called Jupiters) that the colonists on board the Resolute call home. Oldest daughter Judy Robinson- a doctor, despite only being 18 years old as of season one, who enjoys running and harbors a bit of resentment towards her adoptive father John for leaving the family for service. Middle child Penny Robinson- often the “worst” of the family, but ultimately proves her worth time and time again by thinking up creative ways to solve hard problems, she is emotional and compassionate, while ultimately being less nerdy and know-it-all than the rest of her family, and she also enjoys writing and authors a book based off of their travels. And, youngest and only son, Will Robinson. A child with issues regulating his anxiety, with a heart maybe too big for his body, he rescues and befriends an 8 foot tall killer robot that he tames and helps learn the intricacies of humanity and friendship. Additionally to the family there are three additional main characters. Robot, Will’s best friend- who attacked the Resolute and resulted in the family getting “Lost In Space,” who changes his ways and does anything to protect his friend and newly found family. Dr. Smith, real name June Harris, a criminal stowaway who’s running from her past and will do anything to keep herself ahead, but ultimately has a heart and learns to do the right thing when it comes down to it. And, finally, mechanic Don West, a former orphan who’s made several routine trips to the colony on Alpha Centauri, the planet the Resolute was headed towards when it got attacked, but he abandons his post to save himself when the initial attack happens- though, he has a heart of gold and serves as a bit of comedic relief throughout- as he adopts a pet chicken he affectionately names Debbie that he holds very near and dear.

They’re all so unique and interesting just in CANON, let alone seeing them as rounded actual people in a dr. I’m scripting myself still as a teenager as a sort of maintenance/crew member on the Resolute who befriends the Robinson children (Namely Penny) and adventures with them through deep space. It’s honestly fun and lighthearted and i absolutely adore space. Also, Adoptive Father Don West <3 because i love him more than words. Honestly a space exploration dr is kind of the best idea ever personally and I didn’t want to do it alone, so this universe makes perfect sense for me and i’m falling more and more in love with it all the time.

[mikkeneko]

Spent much of tonight speculating with @capriceandwhimsy on how COOL you could make an Alpha Centauri franchise -- start with a movie, then go on to a TV show

The movie would be a prequel, telling the story of the Unity Expedition, because I think a 2 hour feature film would be the best format to introduce us to the setting, the background, and the seven vibrant personalities who will later go on to become the seven faction leaders. A movie would be just enough time to show us how the expedition fell apart, how the spaceship crashed and burned, with the closing shot of the life pods scattering as they fall to the surface of Planet.

Then the TV show starts.

Most likely, what you'd want is a setup where the story follows a plucky young lieutenant of a faction -- or a few, possibly they know each other. I think the narrative ball could pass itself fairly seamlessly among the University, the Morganites and the Peacekeepers; there's obviously some ideological tensions there, but they're generally able to put those aside for the greater goal of survival on a hostile world. Like yeah the University are all amoral ivory tower bastards and the Morganites want to recreate the same capitalist system that destroyed Old Earth, but on the other hand everybody is having to deal with the fucking mind worms.

(The Gaians will be there, but largely in the background; they're off Doing Their Own Thing and only occasionally reappearing to be weird and creepy and say vague ominous things about Planet that everybody else will discount because it sounds like frou frou nonsense.)

For once you'd actually have a great excuse to film the whole thing in the Mojave - just slap a pink/orange filter over the desert and boom, Alpha Centauri. You could have a lot of fun with the mindworms, especially with revealing the Isle of the Deep and the Locusts of Chiron in turn. But in the end, the main concern is other humans.

The main antagonists are going to be the Hive, the Spartans, and primarily in the first season, the Believers. Each of the three POV factions could have a subplot going on with at least one of those three. I think the Hive would largely be in the background for the first season except for some oblique Zakharov and Yang "old friend" style homoerotic tension. The Spartans are a potential problem, but they are also the strongest military force on Planet so there's a strong urge to try to court their favor. The Believers, however, are hostile and aggressive to pretty much everybody and will not stay in their own lane, so conflicts with them would escalate over season 1 until there's open war between the Believers and the main three.

Season 1 winds up in a pitched battle against the Believers, which finally end with Miriam sueing for peace, which the Peacekeepers would of course accept while Zakharov and Morgan fume in the background "Lal, are you insane, she is obviously going to attack again as soon as our back is turned" but he just can't make any other choice but to accept the peace treaty because it's everything he believes in.

Sure enough, the Believers immediately rescind on the treaty and gear up to attack again. And that's when the Gaians show up and wipe them out. With domesticated mindworms.

Season 1 ends on that particular Apple of Discord. Next up in season 2: the Human Hive!

[bl-sensei]

The opposite charcaters of Crowley & Aziraphale and why they don't understand each other

In a “fight or flight” situation Aziraphale is a fighter and Crowley a fleer : Aziraphale is/was a Principality ; their role is to guide and protect people even if faced with extremely impactful choices, meaning he has to be steady, he can’t flinch when stressed => Aziraphale confronts problems head-on. Meanwhile, Crowley is an Australian red-bellied snake, this species is not aggressive and typically withdraws from danger, it only attacks as a last resort => Crowley flee problems. I used these examples but the idea is to explain why when faced with Armageddon Crowley preferred to flee to Alpha Centauri while Aziraphale preferred to try to talk Heaven out of it. And because they don't talk they didn't understand why the other wanted to do that.

They are both 2 extremes, but ironically of the opposite side : Crowley denies problems just like Heaven (Gabriel S2ep2), meanwhile Aziraphale tries to actively resolve the problem just like Hell (Shax S2). I know it sounds like my previous point but here’s an example: If they had hot steaming food Crowley would eat something else while Aziraphale would blow on it for hours until it’s tepid. And because they don't talk they don't understand why the other do that.

They haven’t been through the same experiences : Crowley became aware of the toxicity of Heaven thousands of years ago, meanwhile Aziraphale didn't fully realize it until recently. So while Crowley had hundreds of years to accept it, it was a literal slap in the face for Aziraphale. And because they don't talk they don't understand that about the other.

Those are just some examples I used but I think you got the idea : they’re complete opposites in every way and their lack of communication doesn't help them understand each other. That's why S2 couldn't end with a happy ending : until they understand that they need to talk to each other, and not just about their feelings for each other, they'll never be able to have a stable and healthy relationship.

[tonydaddingham]

I am actually curious your thoughts on Aziraphale and accountability as, and I really don't mean this is as an attack (❤️), several of the meta I've read recently have seemed rather uncharitable towards Crowley, and not how I generally perceive his character at all. Which, having certain biases for characters is fine, but I am curious your thoughts on Aziraphale and that 😊

hi anon!!!✨ definitely not seen as an attack; im aware that i do talk a lot about crowley and a good proportion of those opinions/interpretations are definitely more critical than most. and i realise that a good amount of that comes across as biased, but the only thing i can say that i promise i don't mean to be, and tbh - i just find aziraphale so much harder to analyse (and as such, what follows is basically word vomit im sorry)

there are equally multiple instances, in aziraphale's case, where he doesn't appear to acknowledge his own accountability in situations when he arguably should.

to labour on a longstanding example; he lies to crowley about where the antichrist is in s1. i think personally it's important to note why i think he lies; crowley's solution is to either kill a child (specifically, have aziraphale do it) or to run away to alpha centauri and sack off humanity altogether. neither of those options are reconcilable to aziraphale, and i think he keeps the location of adam to himself in order to safeguard him - he similarly gets bad vibes from the archangels, and lies to them too. but when he tries to reach god, fails, and then finds out that the metatron - the next best thing to god and, we're told, is her voice - is absolutely in support of the apocalypse, the first thing he does is ring crowley, and immediately tell him he knows where the antichrist is.

now, im not saying, at all, that aziraphale is apologising by calling crowley, because he isn't. he doesn't admit to having lied, having not trusted crowley (no matter how justifiable that decision might have been at the time), and for leaving crowley in the dark. as far as crowley's aware, from his perspective, aziraphale never lied in the first place. but from the audience perspective, it can be read like aziraphale admitting that crowley was right, and making amends. yes, it's born out of panic that heaven is no longer a solution, and the de facto, last-resort solution needs to be crowley (which comes with its own implications, but again, things have to be pretty dire for aziraphale to even risk the option of killing the child), but it also feels like a silent, 'you were right, you had it right all along, and i see that i was wrong to trust heaven. let my actions speak for me.'

but that's tenuous at best, right? i agree. so, id like to look again at the apology dance, and the circumstances that put them there - the So Did I argument. i have multiple thoughts, that im going to repeat a lot of before, but writing it out sometimes helps me work out what im (eventually) trying to say!

crowley isn't wholly forthcoming/truthful with why he doesn't want aziraphale to help gabriel; it's a bit more than the simple fact of gabriel wanting to throw aziraphale into hellfire. crowley's personal adversity to gabriel are the words he said (as he later admits). it would have been incredibly vulnerable for him to do so, but had crowley spelled out for aziraphale in the So Did I argument why he was so vehement against sheltering gabriel, it may not have changed aziraphale's mind but it would have at least put them on a level playing field. aziraphale, i think, shows crowley exactly why he wants to help him - kindness and compassion, with no ulterior motive than the fact that gabriel just simply doesn't have anyone else.

that being said, aziraphale appears to remain completely ignorant to, or have intentionally disregarded, what the boundaries of 'our side' actually is, especially in crowley's eyes. crowley has only ever meant it to be the two of them, and noone else gets a look-in. i think it's fair to say that aziraphale's perspective is less cut-throat, and more blurry, than that - that he still considers that there should be room for Everything Else. i can imagine that has to feel like a big betrayal to crowley, and in that context it's understandable that he then seems to retract the idea of 'our side' altogether. the heated lines that ensure then detail the conversation entirely:

crowley then storms out, and what aziraphale is left with is the feeling that he is doing the Right Thing, helping someone selflessly, and crowley is refusing to do that (and therefore 'in the wrong'). he's also left with the sense of abandonment; he told crowley about the Something Terrible, that he needed help (something that aziraphale doesn't do often/at all - hence why 'i need you!' hits so hard in the final fifteen imo), and crowley still walked away

so when it comes to the apology dance - crowley is on the back foot purely because of the BOL threat. there's no way he's going to walk away this time, now that aziraphale has been directly threatened - essentially, crowley is trapped into whatever aziraphale wants from him, even if he'll put up a bit of a fight before doing it - aziraphale is steadfast that he deserves the apology dance this time*, that he's in the right

but the one thing they don't do is literally discuss why the dance would be needed in the first place - there's no discussion whatsoever that would even begin to unravel why either way party would be hurt by what the other did. the dance is a farce, one crowley performs with an ulterior motive in mind, but aziraphale only sees it as crowley apologising for the fight.

but what aziraphale doesnt stop to consider is that he may have had a part in it; aziraphale is a highly analytical character, and the equation that he arrives at is, 'argument' + 'crowley doing the dance to mark the unspoken apology (good enough)' = 'crowley was wrong, i was right'. *it doesn't even cross his mind to think beyond the words that accompany the dance, and consider that he had a part in it too. the two of them, for all the lessons that we see them experience in s2, seem to think rather a lot in absolutes - and aziraphale most of all.

i dont think aziraphale magically reaches any kind of epiphany about what he said/did that hurt crowley, and what he therefore needs to take accountability for... unless perhaps we count this?

this is all speculation, of course, but does aziraphale clock that crowley has agreed to help hiding gabriel, have performed the joint miracle, but he might have done it only for aziraphale? it definitely doesn't seem that crowley has suddenly found a hidden, altruistic facet to himself, and he hasn't done it because he considers himself gabriel's friend (quite the opposite, the vehemence in his voice would attest). so, does aziraphale's look signify his realisation that crowley has come back purely for aziraphale himself? that he hasn't retracted 'their side', like aziraphale possibly feared he had, and they are still a team of the two of them? does aziraphale then think that perhaps this is crowley's real apology, and reflects that he needs to reexamine his part in the argument, and how crowley perceived?

as im writing this, it does all feel a bit of a stretch - but it can't be denied that aziraphale then spends the rest of the series, in his very unique (and i say that tongue-in-cheek) way trying to demonstrate to crowley just what 'their side' means to him, what crowley means to him - even if it doesn't quite land 😬 he might not have apologised out loud, but his actions thereafter seem in to suggest that he's aware of what he did wrong. but, in typical fashion, he's trying to speak to crowley in the language that crowley uses with him - he tries to show crowley, when crowley could do with being told.

i think special mention also needs to be paid to the fact that both of them - but especially aziraphale - are absolute terrors when it comes to fucking about with humans. i don't think i necessarily need to wax lyrical about this, but through a combination of messing about with maggie and nina's relationship, fucking about with the two guys in the edinburgh graveyard, the couple in the pub, the whole-ass ball... s2 in particular is a disaster when it comes to aziraphale toying with autonomy and agency, with free will, without any conscience - he doesn't recognise that it's wrong. LWA has pointed out that aziraphale does reach that assessment in the airfield scene of the book, but its pretty clear from his continued behaviour in s2 that this hasn't exactly translated into the show!canon in the same way.

he recognises at the airfield that he was wrong to assume that adam needed to be 'good' in order to make the right call, rather than being simply 'human', but that's not the conclusion that he ought to reach that would indicate that he accepts full responsibility for his actions. this is particularly telling in these two statements:

aziraphale operates in the rather blissful state of mind, in the security, that he is intrinsically good; ive discussed this concept a lot, strangely, when it comes to looking at the metatron and how he might view himself (and speculating on his character being explored in s3), but if aziraphale labours under the same misapprehension that he is completely good, without room for nuance, how can any of his actions therefore be wrong? what does he have to apologise for, if he's always been in the right? (which tbh adds another layer, for me, re: his pissed-off mood when recounting all of the times he did the dance)

i do think he starts to accept the part of himself that contradicts this - his comment on him being light grey in 1941, but also his bashful expression at the end of s1 ("just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing") - but if we consider his inability? reluctance? to admit fault or error, we could surmise that he still largely holds this mentality... until, perhaps, here in ep6? when he realises through the medium of another couple, another angel and demon, that the sides literally do not have to exist?

idk if this has answered your ask sufficiently, anon, and reading it back im wincing at all the bits where im straying once again into the aziraphale bias, but i promise ive tried to be as balanced as possible!!!✨

[the-elf-barbarian]

*sits down at your table uninvited* and so like yeah the queer reading - yes they're both queer, this is demon/angel “hereditary enemies” second layer queer.

Aziraphale represents the Respectable Gay(TM) and Crowley, the Scary Queer(TM) no I will not elaborahahaha who am I kidding I haven't been able to stop elaborating for the past week

I'm gonna focus on how it ties into the final scene, where Aziraphale and Crowley argue about Aziraphale’s decision to return to heaven.

Aziraphale sees Crowley’s goodness and is convinced Crowley’s goodness is evidence that he should be an angel. Aziraphale is so focussed on their chance to be safe from/in Heaven (to even, potentially if he plays his cards right, make reforms) that he seems blind to the rest of each of their natures - to the parts of Crowley (and to a lesser degree, himself) that would have to be carved off to fit him into the constraints of an only slightly less restrictive model of angel.

Conversely, in suggesting Alpha Centauri, Crowley proposes cutting themselves off from the world they loved so much - from bookshops, boozy brunches, the Bentley - to be free from Heaven and Hell's interefence. But he doesn’t really propose a solution to the issue at hand - at this point, we’re aware of The Book of Life and remote memory wipes - we are aware Hell doesn’t have the resources, but are we really to believe that the closest star to earth is beyond Heaven’s reach? Fleeing guarantees isolation, nothing else. 

To take this up to allegory now:

Authors note: Please understand I say this next bit from a perspective of queerness myself

Aziraphale is a nice respectable gay. The Respectable Gay is not some scary creature - he's an angel, and love is an angelic tendency… surely he shouldn’t be in trouble just because he loves the "wrong" gender? This ties into the common refrain during the push for marriage reform “We are just like you! We just want to marry our loved ones, just like you get to!”. And, from the perspective of the recent wave of marriage reform, he is finally being invited back to the in-crowd. And he wants that so much! 

Not just because it feels nice and comfortable but because he wants to work within the system (that until so recently had treated him so poorly) because he desperately wants to do good and sees this as the way to affect change. 

Crowley is the scary queer™. He's non-binary, he cross dresses, he knows he does not fit in polite society ("unforgivable, that's what I am"). Sure, the Scary Queer protested for marriage reform, but what they need is - trans medical rights, protections for multiple primary partners, preferably the abolishment of gendered language etc etc. They don’t want to be tacked onto an updated version of the same toxic system. The whole thing is broken, from the second She created Adam and Eve (the original sin cishet monogamous couple). 

They see no way forward, the task is just too large. The best option the Scary Queer sees is separation - a classic lesbian commune in the woods Alpha Centauri.

They are both doomed to fail. 

Assimilation demands conformance - and we can never work from within the majority to shuffle the goalposts enough to avoid failing those with the most radical identity/expression. 

Separation demands giving up everything else you love in pursuit of freedom that will never truly exist. This is a longer discussion but simply by existing on Earth, we are affected by the others on earth (by, say, the effects of global warming or in seeking medical treatment for a heart attack). 

And, more to the point, it only protects those with the means to remove themselves from the society (the people who by their very definition, have the means to support others in the community) - ensuring a worse outcome for all but themselves (e.g. the next Gabriel/Beelzebub, whoever they currently are).

At a society level, their argument is that same as the one between the assimilationist "we're just the same as you!" gays vs the separatist “lesbian commune” queers. At a more personal level, it's the line we all have to draw and redraw somewhere between Safety and Freedom of Expression.

So, to sum up why episode six made me absolutely feral: I am Aziraphale and I am Crowley, and I cannot stop fighting.

[weatherman667]

Tyranids vs. Zerg

People might say that the Tyranids came first, but they are just plain silly. The claims of the Hive Mind fail when you realize that the Hive Mind is just a Hive Tyrant. And they could have made a HIVE SHIP be the Hive Mind, but they wanted the High Tyrant to be a super-awesome boss. Now, in practice, their Warp Shadow makes them equivalent to the Geth, at least for Synapse creatures.

And, you have to ask, if they are intelligent, and designed for adaptability, then why don't they have trees? Okay, it gets even worse. Tyranids will come to a planet with a biosphere. They will then destroy that biosphere, create their own biosphere, and then eat that one. They then use syphon towers to lift that biomass up into orbit, despite the fact that this would require more energy than you get get from it. They also apparently don't need a biosphere, as they are perfectly capable to building their own. This means they could regrow and eat a world as many times as they wanted to.

They also decided that variable is the most important part of 40k, which it is, but this doesn't make any sense for Tyranids. Especially considering that Tyranids create creatures when they need them, which means it would be much better to simply have selected variants to... well... plant and grow. And, so because they want to make them variable, they give them living firearms. Firearms require a ridiculous levels of intelligence to use, as the off-centre hand-eye coordination is something only Humans really have. Our close relatives have something similar, but much, much less effective. They also make their ammunition just plain silly, to the point that the ammunition is sometimes more intelligent than the creature.

The Zerg on the other hand will take other species, and create new variants from them. They create their own biomass. Their weapons are natural weapons from the creatures, just evolved to the extreme. This gives them a purpose.

Ther only purpose of the Tyranids seems to be eating, which they could accomplish better with trees. The Tyranids also have their own unique form of FTL, which we are never explained how it works. It was originally implied that they simply drift in realspace, which means they would not have made it passed Ultramar. At best estimates, we could get to 10% c without wasting too much power. At 10% c, it would take over 40 years to reach the nearest star, Proxima. But Proxima and Alpha Centauri are metal-poor, so the nearest useful star is probably Tau Ceti, which would take 100 years to get to. The Milky Way is about 2 million light years across. If they had a different system of FTL, they didn't have to justify it, but at least give us some idea of how it works, strategically. But, they don't want to. They want the Tyranids to be able to jump out whenever they feel like it, but this means nothing the Tyranids do has any weight.

For the Zerg, FTL seems to work like it does for everyone else, or at least the Terrans. The idea that Tyranids could appear anywhere and everywhere in the galaxy is BORING. It means their succeses and failures are determined entirely by plot. And this is why they appeared on Baal. They then destroyed the Blood Angels chapter, and then replaced it with the even more boring Primaris marines. And all of this has zero emotional depth. The Orks, despite their inherit silliness, do have emotional depth, because they simply attack and you fight them. They aren't treated like an inevitability, which leaves room for nuance in the story. The Tyranids, however, and intelligent, but never act intelligently, they have no strategic resources, because they rely on eating, which mathematically, just does not work.

The Zerg on the other hand can produce their own biomass, and as such they prefer volcanic worlds with abundant mineral resources. They have a decentralized chain of command, with clear goals, (even if because we see them talking). The basic Zerg is basically a feral animal, and the only thing that turns it into a warrior is being mind controlled. From Overmind to Cerebrate to Overlord to minions. the Hydralisks, which were obviously copied from Tyranid Warriors, could also act as section commanders, if Starcraft had mechanics for that. Mutalisks were captured creatures that could naturally fly in space, not just Gaunts with wings strapped to them. And this could add flavour to the Tyranids, because they all look so similar. Because they are. They are not interesting, they have no unique qualities to them. They have no history to them.

And this part is especially strange, and 40k hs a ridiculous amount of really cool background creatures it could use. They have literal Dragons, celestial beings much more poweful than Dragons also called Dragons, dinosaur-riding Elves, Megarachnids, Fire Scorpions, Salamanders literally have onyx golems as minions, and none of them have write-ups or models.

As it is, right now, when the Tyranids get a new model, it's not because they found a new species on one of the worlds they have visited, but... because of plot.

[aelloblu]

Pride!

One day I realised a lot of my favourite senshi are lion themed!

On the left is Sailor Leo belonging to Entheory. She's has a marvelous Zodiac team all with unique designs. Don't you love those tiara ears? You should see how cool her boots are!

Middle is Sailor Regulus belonging to Regulus, leader of the Leo Alliance! The inheritor of the Infinite Lion Armor that has been stolen by the evil legionnaire Alcides in his pursuit of immortality. All that stands in his way is a reincarnated mtf schoolgirl, a dog and Sailor Moon!

On the right is Sailor Ianna. She's the sunflower princess of the Pairidaeza System (actually Alpha Centauri) . Forbidden to transform by her father, when her planet was attacked she had to flee. Taken in by the Sol Senshi, they help her train, and with the Starlights in the neighbourhood, everyone will band together to fight back!

Do you have a lion senshi? Do you have OCs who want to play? Come join us at the Fan Senshi Alliance!

[warsofasoiaf]

For Alien Crossfire, can you wrap it up by talking about the Manifold Usurpers and Caretakers?

The Progenitors are the biggest and most radical factions in Alien Crossfire, which is certainly saying something if you've read my essays on the other factions. These two aliens are incredibly advanced, to the point of being extremely unbalanced. That's actually a bit of a problem - they're too unbalanced to play in multiplayer and they make the game very easy when playing in single-player due to the limited AI. But if you scratch away the gameplay and focus on the lore, you have two factions wrapped around a single event - the Tau Ceti Flowering.

“The fungus has been Planet’s dominant lifeform since about the time of the Lower Paleozoic on Earth. But when, once every hundred million years or so, the neural net at last achieves the critical mass necessary to become sentient, the final metamorphosis kills off most of the other life on the planet. It is possible that we humans can help to break this tragic cycle.” -Lady Deidre Skye, Planet Dreams

The transcendence victory in Alpha Centauri is one of the longer ones to complete, requiring extensive science to reach near to the end of the tech tree and enough industry to beat out other players in response. However, the payoff is one of the most powerful - uploading humanity into the neural net of Planet, merging humanity with this consciousness to become a new being, which can conceivably be thought of as a god given its intelligence, power, and capabilities. This happened on Tau Ceti, an event that the Progenitors call the Flowering. The Caretakers saw this and were horrified, and sought to stop it from happening again, while the Usurpers saw it as a means to grow into godhood, and so sought to exploit it for their own gain. In the skies above Planet (which the Progenitors call Manifold Six), the two engaged in a fierce battle, and their fleets were destroyed. The aliens land on this world hoping to destroy the other faction and summon reinforcements using subspace beacons to acquire reinforcements, enough to scour the paltry survivors and the scattered humans from the surface of Manifold Six and accomplish their faction's goals (or in the Usurper's case, they can simply initiate the Ascent to Transcendence themselves).

The Progenitor race appears to sense, and possibly even manipulate, local fields an untrained human cannot perceive without mechanical aid, including at the very least electricity and magnetism. This sensitivity creates entirely new worlds of artistic endeavors for the race-or it may be developed into a powerful combat awareness that can foil any attempt at surprise. -Prime Function Aki Zeta-Five, Alien Analysis

However, these Progenitors are not simply technologically advanced humans - the Progenitors are alien in many ways. Not simply in biology, they actually appear to be bipedal with multiple eyes for binocular vision. The Progenitors can manipulate electricity and magnetism to great effect, sensing perturbations to avoid ambushes (giving the Caretakers their 25% defense buff) or creating shadow regiments to supplement their attacks (the Usurpers get a 25% attack buff). Later technologies are even more impressive, using multiversal manipulation for space compression, but this is arguably less radical (as late-game human technology in Alpha Centauri are likewise extend to quantum and temporal fluctuation). Their speech is also strange, they use this resonance to alter sounds around them to transmit messages. This gives a strange speech pattern of a subject : object grammar when speaking with humans, a pattern that is not shared when Progenitors speak to each other. This can actually cause misunderstandings when using the communication function, since if you cannot parse the grammar correctly (and are unfamiliar with the UI), you can accidentally say something you didn't mean to say. This is reflected in game as well, as Cha Dawn references Kri'lan the Betrayer, who taught him the resonance.

The large crests, wide eye placement, mostly superfluous tusks (they don't protrude far enough to be used as weapons) and bright coloration of the Progenitors leads me to think that they are a herbivorous species. The crests appear to be dominance displays, with ornamentation meant to reflect the authority of the individual. While the Progenitors are certainly not eusocial, they do appear to be far more of a hierarchal species given their physical characterization and AI preference for planned economics. This would explain why taking over the other faction's bases do not see a wholesale extermination of the population, most Progenitors are probably drones who follow the leader, though this might just be a function of limited game programming.

The Progenitors are advanced beings, and even the relatively cuddly Caretakers treat humans as barely more intelligent than monkeys. Their AI (particularly the Usurpers) makes frequent demands of tech and credits, often as tribute instead of trades, and attacks aggressively when refused. The Progenitors also don't mind atrocities and commit them on humans with abandon, and the humans reciprocate in turn (unless you the player decide not to). They cannot accept human leadership and so a diplomatic victory cannot be achieved if any Progenitor faction is still alive.

Unlike the other factions (except the pirates), the Progenitors have no restrictions in social choices and so can act with great flexibility. The human factions are based around a particular idea or ethos, from Morgan's hypercapitalism to Santiago's spartan militarism. The Progenitors' guiding philosophy relates to what to do with Planet itself, which makes them far more similar to the Free Drones or Cybernetic Consciousness, who look to the future society rather than the present. With a Progenitor empire already established, the Progenitors don't see being on Manifold Six as a new beginning for the last remnants of humanity but rather as an unfortunate period of extended isolation from the main body of Progenitors due to war and resource limitation. So a Progenitor base is run much like a forward command base, with resources strictly rationed and limited and schedules strictly controlled, even well after the first bases are established.

While the other factions have rich lore, the Progenitors largely are just a small piece of an expansion pack, and I don't have as much to say about them as a result.

Thanks for the question, Ikac.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King