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niqhtlord01 · 8 months

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Humans are weird: When there is no honor to be had

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

The Vindi War had been the first intergalactic war humanity had faced while fighting alongside alien allies. Up until then humanity had chosen that while it had made several defensive pacts and alliances over the last several decades with other great powers they would not allow their military forces to be placed under the command of foreign powers. Yet the conflict with the Vindi had escalated to such an extent that human military might was no longer capable of winning the war alone.

So one by one several treaties were called up and the allies humanity had cultivated added their own forces to the progressing war. Things finally seemed to be turning around when the Vindi carried out an assassination against the Cargav leader Tul. The assassin had stowed aboard a Cargav transport as it docked with the flagship of the Cargav contingent and slit Tul’s throat while he was sleeping in his quarters. No one realized the commander was dead until long after the act had been carried out and the assassin had snuck back off the ship.

In the human mindset while the assassination of a leader could cripple a war there were procedures in place to limit the extent of the damage. The chain of command existed so that responsibilities would pass on to the next in command ensure that the human military was never without a leader. Tactics and strategies were taught to all commanders instead of being shared with only the top leaders. Even the diversifying of military branches made it so no one single leader was in command of all forces to allow for flexible reactions to situations.

The Cargav did not have any of this.

In their culture when a war leader was chosen they would be the sole voice of the war until the conflict ended. Their authority was unquestionable and every Cargavan who joined the campaign under their leader swore a blood oath to follow them into the jaws of hell itself if needed.

They had no concept of betrayal or power grabs; no dreams of launching violent coups or misusing military might for personal gain. To the Cargavan’s war was a sacred passage that one would follow for the betterment of all their people. So when Tul died every Cargavan, from lowest orderly to fleet captain felt an overwhelming sense of shame and failure. The death of their leader was seen as the darkest mark of shame their people could obtain and the only way they could undo it was by mass ritual suicide. In that way they would indeed follow their commander into the depths of hell were they could command them once more.

When the human commander Jarvis Lee heard of this he at first did not believe it was a real tradition. He had not done extensive background research on his allies aside from military tactics and could not believe that of the 300,000 Cargavan’s deployed to the campaign all of them would kill themselves.

This reality was finally accepted however when Lee was informed that all Cargavan forces had withdrawn from frontline activities and began donning ceremonial robes. A coalition broadcast soon went out not long after with the Cargavan second in command beginning a death chant of his people.

Realizing that the sudden loss of three hundred thousand allied combatants would cripple the war effort; Lee got on the fastest shuttle and flew directly to the Cargavan flagship after every transmission he sent was blocked.

With every Cargavan in the process of the death ritual Lee met no resistance with boarding the flagship. It took several minutes for Lee to orient himself with the ship’s layout and find the hold the death rite was being carried out in. He sprinted down the winding corridors hoping he would reach there before it was too late. ------------------------------

“Zem zull na, brea ka lu mo. Dea fra muz tah, sen bou nei ru.”

The rhythmic chanting was getting louder as Lee pounded through the alien corridors. His breathing was beyond labored and with each frantic sprint the grey shrouds circling his vision grew thicker; but he could not stop.

He did not care what significance a death ritual held for the Cargavan’s; only that with the sudden loss of the entire Cargavan contingent would mean for the campaign.

After what felt like an eternity Lee stumbled upon the central chamber the rite was being broadcast from. He swiped his access key across the nearby panel but the device merely blinked red and denied him entry. Through the thick metal doors Lee could hear the chanting growing louder and knew he had mere minutes to stop the ceremony but was powerless to get through the doors.

Just as he was about to give up hope he heard the sound of terran boots on deck plates and turned to see his honor guard finally catching up to him.

“Breaching charge, now!” Lee shouted at them.

“Sir?” the leader spoke as he caught his breath, but nonetheless reached down and pulled a small circular device from his belt before handing it to Lee.

Lee snatched the charge from the guard and slapped it on the door as his honor guard slowly began backing away. He spun the activation dial for ten seconds before activating the timer and running back down the corridor. The charge went off just as he turned the corner sending a shower of broken metal, fire, and smoke back after him missing him by mere inches.

Before the smoke had cleared Lee was storming back down the ruined corridor and leaping through the wreckage of what once was the door. Inside he was greeted by the heavy glares of some thousand or so Cargavan’s who had ceased chanting.

They stood gathered in ordered rows like a funeral and at the head of them lay their fallen leader and his second in command standing watch over his corpse with holy blade still in hand.

“YOU DARE!”

The second shouted as he stepped down from his platform and approached Lee. It was only now that it dawned on Lee that he did not actually have a plan on how to stop the ceremony itself. He’d been so focused on just reaching here before it completed that the plan had not fully formed; and now seeing the second in command now coming towards him with eyes full of murderous intent did he push his mind to the limit to concoct a plan. He was just about to open his mouth to address the second when he realized he had never learned their name to begin with. His dealings had always been through Tul and Tul had never introduced his second in command.

Pulling himself up and dusting off his uniform, Lee calmly addressed the gathered Cargavan’s with a voice that filled the entire chamber.

“I came here today to pay my respects to a fallen hero the likes of which will not shine again for generations.” Lee began as he decided to make his gamble. “Yet I am shocked to see his funeral attended by the likes of such cowards.”

The second in command stopped his approach and Lee could see the veins beneath his skin bulging. Lee pressed on knowing he only had one chance to stop the death rite and save his own skin.

“You’re commander is slain from right under your noses, and rather than hunting down the assassin down you all put the blade to your throats.”

Lee walked forward until he was standing before the second in command and looked up at them. They snarled through clenched teeth as they spoke.

“You know nothing of our ways.”

Lee frowned and looked around at the other gathered Cargavan’s.

“I know lazy soldiers when I see them.” Lee remarked. “Has the knife of one assassin cast such fear into you all!?”

He felt hands grabbing his uniform before he saw them and was hoisted into the air like a doll. The second gave an angry roar and threw him down towards the alter where their fallen leader lay. Lee landed heavily, a loud crunching sound informing him of his now broken shoulder, but rallied to his feet quickly.

“And you believe your soldiers would do any differently?” the second challenged as he resumed his death like pace towards Lee, “That they would suffer this injustice to their honor!?”

Lee spat out a glob of blood and looked at the alien, matching his death glare with one of his own. “They would morn my passing and then they would choose a new leader to take my place.” Lee admitted, “But before they did they would scour the worlds of the universe for my killer and bring him before my grave. They would boil the flesh from his body and grind his bones to fertilize the fields of my home, and then cast what remained into the void of oblivion!”

The words stopped the second in his place. No doubt he had not imagined humans capable of such a martial code and this was confirmed by the now interested looks of the surrounding warriors.

“Your leader is dead.” Lee continued as he pointed to Tul, “Yet you would meet him in the after without avenging his death? Did he mean so little to you all?!”

“We die today because he meant everything!” a random Cargavan shouted from the crowd and was met with supportive cheers.

“Then prove it!” Lee countered. “Tul’s enemies still yet live and his killer walks free thinking he has not only slain your leader but all of you as well!”

Lee stepped up on to the platform so everyone gathered could see him. “I ask you now to continue this war until it is won. And when the blood of Tul’s enemies has finally dried upon your blades you may then seek him in the after and present to him the monument of those you have killed in his name and proven your loyalty to him now, and forever!”

Raising his clenched fist high Lee shouted “Who will be Tul’s vengeance!?”

For a death breaking moment there was not a single sound; one could hear a pin drop from across the room. Lee looked over the crowd and debated if he had overplayed his hand when he saw the second raise his hand.

“Vengeance!” they shouted.

One by one the surrounding Cargavan’s began raising their hands as well and shouting the word. Over and over they shouted until the noise deafened Lee and he breathed a sigh of relief. In his eyes the crisis had been averted and the war could continue; little knowing the bloodbath of butchery he had stirred in the hearts of every Cargavan that would push them from noble warriors to genocidal war criminals.

#humans are insane #humans are weird #humans are space oddities #humans are space orcs #scifi #story #writing #original writing #niqhtlord01

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blueorchid-95 · 1 month

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something random I was thinking about but. There are Lore Implications in the Reginald Mimic Mask

In Operation Stage Fright, the handler distantly recognizes the Fabricator’s voice after she gives her first instructions to you. Once you get to the combat bit, Reginald fully recognizes her and identifies her order to kill you as “not an idle threat”, meaning he’s likely had experience with her while he was a field agent—and considering his concern, it wasn’t a good one. It’s also worth noting that she’s the only one of Zor’s henchmen that he’s genuinely afraid of in the main games—he doesn’t react to Hivemind or Caliente, and most other Zoraxis employees don’t get much of a reaction from him, like the Zoraxis defector during the train operation. (Note: these examples are all from the first I Expect You To Die game, where he is actively keeping himself emotionally distant from the agent.)

Later, during Operation Jet Set, Juniper claims that the plan has been “years in the making”, which tells us he’s been working with Zoraxis for quite a while. The plan he’s referring to seems to be the airplane traps, but that seems too small-scale to be worth so much credit, especially with the nuclear codes plan going on behind the scenes. It’s worth noting that this plan would also probably never work again: the agent’s death/disappearance would warn the Agency of Juniper’s alliance and they would take extra care when arranging transportation for the remaining agents to avoid a repeat incident.

This brings up a new question: What plan was Juniper referring to? What necessitated our death on that plane?

The nuclear codes, of course. The Fabricator can’t make a mask of such intricacy in such a short time, after all. Nobody could. I’ll admit that the world of I Expect You To Die is a little less than realistic (looks over shoulder at Agent Phoenix standing directly above boiling lava in Operation KBOOM) but between the sheer amount of masks and other relevant tech she’s made for the operation (the Citizen’s Arrest device, the snack cart on the airplane), there’s no way this would have been a fast-moving op.

So, with this in mind, it’s easy to assume this plan was in its preparation phase for many years until the week Agent Phoenix sends it all down the drain. Since it was so slow-moving, I can imagine Dr. Zor trying other things in the interim to keep the Agency from finding out too much—the Death Engine, for example. Something like that could also be used to support their regime once the long plan is through, and likely took just as long to make because it is another incredibly intricate project.

But I’m getting off track. Even with all of these important plans and many, MANY pieces of technology to create, the Fabricator still has a mask styled after the Handler, seemingly made only to fool an agent that nobody in Zoraxis thought they’d have to deal with again. Considering the time span of The Spy And The Liar against the sheer amount of projects she was handling, it is physically impossible for her to have made the Handler’s Mimic Mask. She can’t have just programmed it in to the original mask, because the game implies that there’s a separate mask for each world leader. After all, the Fabricator still has a mask stored in her desk despite sending one to Juniper already, and it wouldn’t make sense to keep passing the mask back and forth between imitations—plus, if Juniper has to have the Fabricator alter the mask every time he acts as a world leader (the only reason I could identify as to why he’d give it back to her after getting it) the plot would take much longer than it actually does because of the finicky technology that would need to be reworked each time. Plus, why the heck would Juniper give a functioning mask with all four relevant leaders back to the Fabricator? There’s nothing to be improved there, and even if she wanted to there’s no possible way she could add the Handler’s face and voice so perfectly in under four days, regardless of whether or not she already knew him. Not to mention that she seems to be a bit of a perfectionist, focusing on making the entire mask as perfect as she can—down to the smallest wrinkle. Therefore, I believe that all four world leader masks and the Handler mask are separate pieces.

So now we’re hit with the big questions: What, exactly, does the Handler have to do with any of this? Why did the Fabricator make a mask of him?

I believe that the two of them crossed paths when Reginald was an active field agent. There’s no way to know what happened between them, but whatever occurred prevented either of them from forgetting the other.

Perhaps, the Reginald Mimic Mask was made as a failsafe. In case the Agency managed to get ahold of the nuclear briefcase, Juniper could don the mask and infiltrate agency headquarters to retrieve it with very little question. But then Reginald became a handler, and the mask became essentially useless—if Reginald wasn’t out on the field, it would be near impossible to mimic him and get away with it. So, the mask sits in the Fabricator’s desk, forgotten and pointless—but then Agent Phoenix comes back from the dead.

How would the Fabricator have known Reginald was involved? Easy. The Masque of the Red Death. He explicitly tells us that he managed to “snag a ticket to the show”, so he’s sitting in the audience. Considering that the Fabricator is likely acting as the technical director or a similar backstage role, it’s not impossible to believe she could have seen him. However, her lack of reaction implies she doesn’t see him as a threat, so she fails to take action concerning him and his agent until she’s discovered that the agent is responsible for the destruction of the Death Engine.

If we subscribe to the theory that there’s five Mimic Masks instead of just the one, then the mask we encounter in Operation Eaves Drop is one that’s been sitting in storage, unused, in years. The Fabricator likely gave it to Juniper during Operation Party Crasher, and he retreated to his office to practice the new role after spending time with the guests. The mask we send up to him is likely the new world leader mask mentioned in Operation Jet Set.

This accounts for several factors. Juniper’s had years to practice and prepare to act as all of the world leaders, but he’s had hours at most to prepare for his role as the agent’s Handler. Therefore, when he needs to deceive the agent, his acting isn’t on point. He’s got all of the world leaders down, but he’s never even heard Reginald speak (unless you count the phone call that starts off the Operation Jet Set song on the soundtrack, and even then that isn’t much). He knows nothing but what the Fabricator tells him, and all of that information is from when the Handler was a field agent, since that’s the last time she had contact with him.

In contrast, though, I think the Agency set was built around the time Reginald was a field agent. Why? Simple: it was built for our handler, not us. If Juniper was going to retrieve the briefcase by imitating a certain agent, he’d need that specific agent to be out of the way first, stored away for an indefinite amount of time. So, build a small set to make him think he’s still at the Agency, and keep him there. If he discovers the illusion, use the citizen’s arrest device to keep him nice and imprisoned. That explains why there’s Zoraxis equipment in the locked drawer—Juniper forgot he left it there after so many years, likely only remembering when Agent Phoenix reached for the drawer. While the rest of Juniper’s set saw use as he practiced his roles (which incidentally also accounts for why the Zoraxis emblem is still polished if the set is years old—he’d need to clean it any time he wished to rehearse with it, which would probably be often during The Spy and the Liar considering how the plan is coming into play), he would have very little reason to maintain the Agency set—which explains why it’s so poorly designed. I mean, the logo falls off the wall with incredible ease, and we’re being given an agency meal in the medical wing, of all places. Juniper didn’t anticipate having to use it in the long run, since that set wasn’t designed for us.

Summarized, here’s our main takeaways from this:

Reginald must have been one hell of a field agent, since the Fabricator saw fit to make a Mimic Mask of him.

Whatever encounter Reginald had with the Fabricator likely proved decently traumatic for him. She seems unbothered by it.

The Handler Mimic Mask likely doesn’t look exactly like Reginald, because of the time difference. The Fabricator may have estimated how the Handler would look when he’s older to fit with the timetable, but human biology doesn’t always work how we want it to.

Overall, the fact that the Fabricator had a mask of Reginald’s face ready has allowed us to set several basic events on a timeline that makes relative sense.

I apologize for the wall of text. Thank you for reading though ^v^

#i expect you to die #ieytd #ieytd2 #ieytd 3 #ieytd fandom #agent phoenix #john juniper #the handler #the fabricator #hope you enjoyed my lore ideas #:)

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sea-owl · 9 months

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Ok I've thought about which spouse came from what districts.

All notes come from the personal file of Victor Danbury when asked which victors could be trusted to bring into the rebellion.

Simon: Simon is a career tribute from District 1. He volunteered for his games at 18, thinking this was the only way his life was ever supposed to go due to his father demanding Simon bring honor to the Basset name. His mentor, even when he was still training, was Victor Agatha Danbury. He quickly became disillusioned during the games after his first kill but knew he had to kill or be killed, and he had unfinished businesses with his father. So he powered through, trying to make the other tributes deaths as quickly as possible. After he vowed to bring as many tributes back alive as he could and regularly joined Victor Danbury as a mentor.

Kate: Kate's from District 8. She volunteered for her games at 18, thinking either she'll get her family help by winning or they'll have one less mouth to feed if she didn't. Her weaving skills really helped in the arena with setting traps, and as the capitol liked to say, Kate was too stubborn to die. Kate was pissed when she learned the new set of rules she had to play lest she risk her family. For years, Kate played the perfect victor in public. It relaxed a little when Edwina turned 19 and no longer eligible for the games, but by then, Kate didn't really know how to act otherwise.

Sophie: Sophie is from District 6. Due to everything being transported through District 6, there is a high presence of peacekeepers there. Sophie's father was a high-ranking peace keeper and her mother from the districts. Her father did kind of take her in but would never dare to claim her. Any peace keepers would never say the words outloud when they have district kids. Her stepmother wanted to turn Sophie into an Avox but had to settle into forcing Sophie to take out so much tesserae it was only a matter of time before she was reaped at 17. Sophie actually got a lot of sponsors during her games because she looked so much like a Capitol child they couldn't bear to let her die in the games. This greatly helped her outlast the other tributes. One of the items she got, that she managed to sneak out had the initials PR on them and a note that said for my sister.

Penelope: Penelope is also a career from District 4, but you would never guess she was. In my personal headcanon, while District 4 is a career district, they don't actively try to volunteer for the games like Districts 1 and 2 with a few exceptions. Penelope is not one of those exceptions and was reaped at 16. She won her games by using her ability to go unnoticed to collect information on other tributes in the training center and in the arena. Using that information, she would leave messages that would leave alliances in shambles and other tributes paranoid while she hid. She's handy with a knife, particularly a diver's knife, and when she had to use it to off other tributes while she distracted them with the information she gathered.

Phillip: Phillip is from District 7 and repeaedat 16. He had actually lost his older brother, George, who died in the blood bath during Michael's games. The Capitol liked to say Phillip was George's ghost come back to finish business. As a boy, Phillip spent a lot of time in the woods to hide from his father, and he got to know the plants very well. He knew which were safe and which were poisoned. This played into his games when the gamemakers left a bunch of poisonous plants in the arena and never told any of the tributes. Phillip used these plants to poison other tributes water and coat his weapon with them.

Michael: Michael is a career from District 2. He was from one of the more well-off families in two, taken in by his uncle after his father's death. Realistically, he and his cousin John had the lowest chances of being reaped. But at 18, Michael volunteered for the games when his 17 year old cousin John was reaped. Michael played it off that it was his role as a spare relative, and it's not like this hasn't happened before among the wealthy families in the districts. Michael played into his charm during the games. Often charming other tributes into alliances and then killing them.

Gareth: Gareth is also a career from District 1 and at 17 he "volunteered" for his games. In reality he was forced and it was more of a punishment and a reminder towards Victor Danbury that even her precious grandson can be put into the arena. Simon was now Gareth's mentor. The Capitol ate up the legacy tribute bit Gareth played. Grandson to a beloved victor and the student to another, instant fan favorite.

Lucy: District 8 and repeaed at 16. Lucy is trying to make the best of her situation said well she either dies in that arena or she makes it out and is no longer under her uncles control. Kate is Lucy's mentor and came up with the strategy to have Lucy appear helpless and then secretly take down other tributes in the arena. It was an easy thing for Lucy to do, she's been playing helpless most of her life.

In the order the tributes won their games, Simon, Kate, Michael, Phillip, Sophie Penelope, Gareth, and Lucy. Simon won his games, and 5 years later, Kate won her's. Three years after Kate, Michael won his games. 4 years later Phillip, Sophie, and Penelope won back to back games. Eight years after Penelope's Gareth won his games followed by Lucy's games the next year.

#i had to check my math to make sure i didnt accidentally put some of them in the same games #bridgerton #simon basset #kate sharma #kate sheffield #sophie beckett #penelope featherington #michael stirling #phillip crane #lucy abernathy #gareth st clair #bridgerton spouses #victor spouses #hunger games au

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sakuraghosttown · 5 months

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Hey! Do you have any information regarding Rotten Heaven and their creations? I specifically would like to know more about Busuko and Honue. Thank youuu <3

Hi, I'm not sure exactly what kind of info you're looking for so I'll just go with a basic introduction of the Artist and his contribution to Ukagaka.

Rotten Heaven is a website created by artist Watazou/Wat ｢real name: Tomohiko Watanabe｣. The website was created in 2001, firstly as a tripod website and got delete somewhere in late 2016. The website mainly served as a diary, gallery and download site for his creations.

About: Watazou is a sucker for metal music (who would've thought ?) his favorite groups being Death Angel, Exodus, Alice in Chains, Megadeth, etc. He also loves Vocaloid, most notably Miku & Luka, drawing various fanart & having a collection. He also wrote in his dairy about events and festivals he went to. Wat also was a fan of Hellboy and Mike Mignola. On his Twitter he has been posting a lot about Uma Musume: Pretty Derby.

Watazou was very active in the Ukagaka community, he notably created various original Ukagaka Ghosts over the years which were all very complete.

🥀The Toxic Waltz [2001]

"Slash-hardcore clothing and fast-paced animation, high tension and angry conversations will transport you to a world that cannot be replicated. She is also known for her funny interactions with other Ghosts, and is in any case a ghost with a high degree of communication excellence."

Ghost consisting of Busuko "Diva Satanica" her companion Honeyu and her sisters, Kusuko "Chemical Warfare" & Kakuko "Atomic Smasher". An additional shell would later be created for Busuko, called Busyakko or Yakko for short.

Left: Busyakko - Right: Busuko, her sisters & Honeyu

🦴Hone Hone Oyako [2006]

Ghost consisting of Honeyu and his daughter Honue who can also be spotted in the Ghost The Toxic Waltz, randomly appearing. She features multiple Outfits which are randomised at launch.

🪦RottenHeaven - Graveyard Lovesong [2008]

Ghost consisting of RottenHeaven, a living dead girl, inspired by the Frankenstein's monster & her companion Heartache. RottenHeaven's scripts are mostly written in Hiragana/Katakana with no Kanji.

Un addition to that, he also created a number of Ghosts, notably clock ones, Shells for Ghosts such as 54 or Talker, a Ghost named "Raven" for the baseware Crow, participated in art books and drew fanart of various other Ghosts. His own creations, most Notably Busuko for The Toxic Waltz was featured in many fanart within the community and fan games such UkaSamsh & U-New de Bomber XP. A fansite The Toxic Alliance (毒子同盟) would even be created by fans of The Toxic Waltz

On a last note, Wat notably collaborated with Ryūō Zero/Zero-r, creator of the Ghost Blood Tea House, to create a series of merch featuring Busuko & Urako for the Ukagaka Anniversary Event of 2012.

And there you go, I hope this answers some of your questions, there's definitely some information that I haven't seen being shared by many users before so that should teach people a few things. Looking into this made me love Watazou's work even more.

HAVE A GOOD FRIENDLY VIOLENT FUN !

#up #伺か #ukagaka #website #info #artist:watazou #made in rotten heaven #rottenheaven #the toxic waltz #busuko #kusuko #Kakuko #Honeyu #hone hone oyako #honue #rotten heaven #graveyard lovesong

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zvaigzdelasas · 7 months

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The ȘOR Party [...] was a populist political party in Moldova.[13] Known from its foundation in 1998 until October 2016 as the Socio-Political Movement "Equality"[...],[14][15] the party held Eurosceptic and Russophilic stances.[16]

The party was closed down in 2023 having been declared unconstitutional.

The party was founded in 1998 by Moldovan politician Valerii Klimenco as the "Socio-Political Movement "Equality".[17][...]

In 2015, the party decided to nominate Ilan Shor for Mayor of the town of Orhei. [...] In October 2016, Shor was elected president of the party, which was renamed Șor Party. In June 2017, the party President, Ilan Shor was sentenced to 7.5 years in jail for fraud. He broke house arrest and fled the country in 2019 whilst appealing the sentence.[20] On 1 December 2018, the party joined the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe.[21][...]

The party organized a Victory Day parade in Chișinău on 9 May 2019.[27][...]

The Șor Party was the main instigator of the 2022–2023 Moldovan protests.[28][...]

On 8 November 2022, the Moldovan government requested the constitutional court to initiate proceedings for the outlawing of the party in Moldova, due to it allegedly promoting the interests of a foreign state (Russia) and harming the independence and sovereignty of the country.[29][30]

On 13 April 2023, the appeal court doubled the sentence of party President Ilan Shor in a case linked to the theft of $1 billion in bank assets as well as money laundering, breach of trust, and fraud to 15 years in prison in absentia and froze his assets. Shor was living in Israel at the time of the court ruling after having fled Moldova in 2019.[31][...]

On 19 June 2023, the Șor Party was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Moldova.[35][36][37] [...]

On 31 July, the Moldovan parliament voted in favour of banning the leaders of the dissolved Șor Party – including Ilan Shor – from standing in elections for a period of five years.[41] In October the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that Article 16 of the Electoral Code is unconstitutional and that former members of the Șor Party can stand for elections.[42][...]

The Party's 2019 programme introduced the following points:[46]

○ Free universal health care.

○ Free education including higher education. Increasing the size and scope of disability benefits, maternity benefits and retirement pensions.

○ The creation of modernised collective farms to work alongside the private sector. Active state intervention in the spheres of infrastructure, transport, energy, communications, housing, pharmaceuticals, etc.

○ The nationalization of foreign-owned energy companies.

○ A commitment to law and order including both reinstating the death penalty for particularly dangerous criminals and addressing the underlying socioeconomic issues that may cause crime.

○ A commitment to Moldovan independence and military neutrality.

The opening paragraphs of the party's 2008 election programme stated that it viewed the average person's quality of life as superior under the Soviet Union when compared to modern times. It further stated that it viewed Moldova's alleged socio-economic problems as relating to Moldova's negative relationship with the Russian Federation.[47]

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thesims4blogger · 5 days

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New The Sims 4 Survey Asks Players About Future Expansion Packs

There is a new official The Sims 4 survey asking players about potential expansion pack ideas they could develop in the future, based on nine different concepts.

This is not the first time EA asks players for feedback on ideas for upcoming packs. Titles like Snowy Escape were heavily hinted in official surveys years before their release.Advertisement

With that said, it is uncertain if any of these nine expansion pack ideas will see the light of day, or how much they will change upon development. You can read a brief description of each of the nine concepts below.

Make sure you take the survey and let the team know what you want to see in The Sims 4.

“Traverse an uncharted, otherwordly extreme environment where civilization has collapsed and nature has reclaimed the remnants of a once-great city, your Sim must adapt to survive and work together to thrive.”

“Journey with your Sims through an adventurous exploration of coastal landscapes to discover prehistoric and marine fossils and other natural wonders, showcase your unique discoveries to inspire conservation and adventure skills.”

“Experience a modern monarchy, where you’ll build your legacy through grand estates, political intrigue, and luxurious fashion. Rise from commoner to ruler, forge alliances, and navigate royal rivalries in a culturally rich, high-stakes drama of power, influence, and exclusive living.”

“Shape your Sims’ fate in a gritty city. Will they become notorious criminals, vigilante for justice, or play both sides? Navigate from small-time pickpocketing to high-stakes heists, and decide your path in a world full of shady deals and intense stakeouts.”

“Transport your Sims to a neon-lit cyberpunk future where you can enhance their human or robot lives with cutting-edge tech, explore gritty careers, and navigate complex relationships between Sims & robots, in a whimsical dystopian world.”

“Create an adventure-filled sleepaway camp where kids discover new hobbies, uncover camp secrets, and forge lifelong friendships, all while exploring beaches, lakes, and rivers under the care of dedicated counselors.”

“Customize your travel van and live on the road. Explore picturesque destinations, trade with the locals, and work on your mechanic skills. Prepare for your retirement and expanded elder adventures.”

“Step into a lively 80s/90s retro world in a bustling mall setting, enjoying classic, throwback activities and unique storylines that reimagine the era with nostalgic charm and unforgettable drama.”

“Dive into a vibrant ocean world and explore hidden treasures, meet marine life, build your seaside dream, and sail between charming coastal towns. Every dive and voyage offers new discoveries.”

#news #the sims 4 #ts4 #sims 4 #sims 4 survey

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swtorpadawan · 6 days

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Code Breakers

Author’s Notes: The following story serves as “Part Three” and the conclusion of my In the Shadow of the Hero Trilogy, a storyline that I began with Training Day and Incomplete and featuring my original character in Tyzen Pyne. As with those previous entries, it is part of my expanded Halcyon Legacy, and takes place on Odessen sometime between the Knights of the Fallen Empire and the Knights of the Eternal Throne expansions.

Tyzen Pyne hurried up the hill overlooking the Alliance base on Odessen, joining the many who had already made the trek.

Despite all the bustle and activity – and Tyzen’s lingering anxiety from running late to this gathering – it felt peaceful here.

The Force felt peaceful here.

Looking around, he was awed to see so many people having already assembled.

More than forty individuals were now gathered around the hilltop. Most of them were wearing brown robes of varying styles. Others wore the adaptable armor plating that had become popular during the various conflicts over the years. Others still wore more nondescript garb, clothing that - aside perhaps from the presence of a lightsaber clipped to their belts – would not give away their identities or allegiance.

Jedi. Tyzen marveled.

This was by far the most Jedi that he had seen in one place in years. Not since early in the Zakuulan Invasion, when he and other Padawans had been Knighted on Tython before being sent off to fight.

And to die.

Back before the Republic had given up any hope for victory against the Eternal Empire and before the Jedi Order had been shattered.

As had Tyzen.

And now he was here. On Odessen. Ready to take the fight back to the Zakuulans. Standing amongst the last group of Jedi in the galaxy who could make that claim.

Not for the first time that day, Tyzen thought of Liam Dentiri, his old Master, dead at the hands of some bounty hunter in the pay of Imperials on Tython years ago when the Sith Empire had attacked, prior to the Revanite Crisis.

What would he have thought of his former padawan now?

He was lucky to have learned about this gathering at all, given that his transport – actually a freighter piloted by a friendly smuggler – had only arrived on Odessen late last night, and he’d met only a handful of people in that time.

Fortunately for him, Sana-Rae, the Voss Mystic and leader of the Alliance’s Force Enclave, had kindly informed him of this meeting of all the Jedi who had joined the Alliance when he’d gone to meet her.

Tyzen regarded the crowd, trying to see if he could recognize anyone in all the small clusters of Jedi congregating amongst themselves.

Although a diverse group by nature, one Jedi stood out to him immediately, her blue skin and red eyes giving her a distinct appearance.

He had never met Master Dazh Ranos, one of the exceedingly rare Chiss who had left their Ascendency to serve with the Jedi Order. But Tyzen had heard rumors about her back on Tython. Despite her achieving the rank of Master, it was said that the Chiss Jedi had never agreed with the Council’s policies and had eventually withdrawn to make her own place in the galaxy, journeying through the Outer Rim Territories and helping people wherever she could. Tyzen imagined that she had seen parts of the galaxy that had never seen a Jedi, especially at times when so many had been needed closer to the galaxy’s core.

He didn’t recognize the towering Ithorian Jedi standing at her side, but he’d already been told that his name was Choza Raabat. Serving as a Jedi Knight during the Cold War, Raabat had crashed on a distant planet in the Unknown Regions while leading a Republic patrol. Marooned for a decade, the Jedi had eventually returned to a galaxy turned upside down with the Order all but wiped out the Republic suffering through another defeat, this time at the hands of the ascendant Eternal Empire.

Tyzen had heard that the Alliance Commander himself had personally recruited Choza to his cause while on a mission to destroy the Zakuulan Star Fortress above Alderaan some weeks ago. Since then, he – alongside Master Ranos – had taken up a de facto position of leadership among the Alliance Jedi.

That story hadn’t surprised him; Tyzen already had the impression that a great many people had joined the Alliance based on prior meetings with the famous Outlander.

Case in point was the next Jedi he recognized.

Mennaus was a Zabrak Jedi Knight just like Tyzen. The stoic man was only in his mid-thirties but he carried himself like a wizened Jedi Master with decades of experience, seeming to speak only when he had something to say, but doing so with an impressive gravity.

Tyzen had met Mennaus two years ago on Coruscant. Well beneath the surface, of course. Places like the Works were one of the few places left on the Republic capital where they could avoid detection from Zakuul and their dreaded Fortresses. Mennaus had impressed Tyzen with his bearing and resolve; the man seemed to have endured the difficult years in the Coruscanti underground surprisingly well. They had exchanged information, then spoken briefly about easier days back on Tython. Mennaus revealed that, years before on Tython, he had once been saved by a fellow Padawan during the Flesh Raider Uprising.

That same Padawan, nearly thirteen years later, now commanded the Alliance.

As he recognized more individuals from the crowd, Tyzen looked around, trying to pick out the Alliance Commander. Sana-Rae had told him that it had been the Outlander himself who had called this meeting. Perhaps he was still making his way from the base.

Tyzen deeply regretted not being able to meet with the Commander since his arrival on Odessen the day before. There were things he wanted to say to him. And to ask him.

After all, he hadn’t seen Corellan Halcyon in seven years.

Tyzen had only met Master Corellan twice before, but both encounters had left a profound impression on his life. He very much would have liked the chance to reintroduce himself to the man once known to the galaxy as the Hero of Tython.

He probably won’t even remember me. Tyzen reminded himself, regretfully.

To many Jedi of Tyzen’s generation, the last class of Jedi Knights to have come of age on Tython before ‘The Fall’, Corellan Halcyon, the venerated Hero of Tython, was the reason the words ‘I am a Jedi’ meant something.

Before Master Corellan had disappeared, presumed killed in action. Just before the Zakuulan Invasion had begun.

Tyzen hoped he had grown up somewhat since those earlier encounters with the famed Hero of Tython. Perhaps not that much taller; his body has stopped growing vertically around seventeen. He’d filled out a bit; his muscles developing and his shoulders growing wider and more confident. Still, overall his build had remained relatively lean and agile, as it had been when he’d been a Padawan.

But his eyes had seen more of the galaxy.

Perhaps too much.

True, Tyzen had not been present for The Fall when – despite a heroic effort and countless sacrifices – the Jedi and their Republic allies on Tython had broken. When Master Satele, the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, had gone missing, apparently on some unsanctioned personal mission. The only members of the Council still active, Masters Ulannium and Gnost-Dural, had evacuated the Temple and the fabled Jedi home world, taking with them all the Jedi they could save and leading them into exile.

Denielle had gone with them.

Denielle.

He’d tried not to think about her over the years. He’d also tried not to think about her smile. Her laugh. Her kindness. Her touch.

Above all, he’d tried not to think about the sensation of her soft lips pressed against his.

It had all been a mistake. He’d told himself after they’d ended it. The Masters had always preached against such “connections”.

But Tyzen couldn’t deny their all too brief relationship had left a mark upon his soul. He still felt her absence from his life keenly, even after all this time.

It had been more than five years since he had seen her.

Not since that night on Tatooine when she’d departed off-world with the other Jedi from their combat group, fully understanding that her next battle would be on Tython.

Where the Order would either make good on their escape or face annihilation.

Their parting – he knew other people would have called it a breakup – had been somber. There had been no harsh words; just a regret and acceptance that both of them now felt compelled to follow different paths.

Tyzen understood that Denielle felt that the Jedi on Tython – already preparing to evacuate – needed her aid the most. After all, the fate of the Jedi Order would be decided there.

But there had been people on Tatooine – and countless other worlds – who would need the Jedi’s help. Who needed Tyzen’s help.

And he told himself that Corellan Halcyon wouldn’t have abandoned all those people.

So they had kissed one final time, before Denielle, tears in her eyes, had turned her back to him and left.

Tyzen’s plan to keep fighting on Tatooine had been futile, of course. Within a month, Algrunar, the only other Jedi who had stayed behind, had been killed and what counted for the local government on Tatooine had capitulated. When he’d realized that the people of Tatooine had only suffered more for his presence, Tyzen had finally been forced to flee as well, a local farmer named Galen Besk providing him with a way off-world.

By then, Denielle and the other Jedi had left Tyzen and the rest of the galaxy behind.

He could only hope that she was alright.

Not much later, he’d received a short message from Master Bela Kiwiiks. The encrypted communique had been routed through a secure relay and into his private drop account, no doubt to avoid detection by the Eternal Empire. The Togrutan Jedi had served on the Council for as long as Tyzen could remember, and he’d once helped her evacuate younglings from the Temple during the same battle where Liam Dentiri had met his end.

Master Kiwiiks confirmed to him that most of the surviving Jedi had successfully escaped off Tython and into exile, but that the Force had called on a different path.

Tyzen found that he wasn’t surprised. Master Kiwiiks was still highly regarded for her wisdom and compassion, but she’d be the first to admit that her days as a warrior were long past. He did not fault her for her for making such a choice.

She and her unnamed companions – he suspected they were again younglings, representing the future of the Jedi – were safe for the moment, and she was now caring for those who most needed it.

Tyzen again found that he wasn’t surprised. Master Kiwiiks was a natural caregiver. The council had selected her to oversee the well-being of the Order’s younglings in the first place for a good reason.

She’d somehow known that Tyzen hadn’t been with the Jedi who’d fled Tython and told him that if he needed sanctuary from the Zakuulans, she could offer it.

The offer did not surprise him. She’d always shown him such compassion. That she’d take a risk, however small, to offer him a safe-haven actually seemed natural for her.

When he had declined her offer, Tyzen’s own choice had surprised him a bit.

Fighting the Zakuulans on his own? Without the support of the Jedi? For a Republic that had all but surrendered?

Tyzen had been terrified.

But he knew he couldn’t give up. He had to keep fighting for those who couldn’t flee or protect themselves. If not on Tatooine, then on a hundred other worlds.

Because he knew that the Hero of Tython wouldn’t have given up.

In the dark days that followed, Tyzen helped whomever he could, whenever he could, however he could, while finding food and shelter wherever he could, all the while never staying in the same place for long.

The Eternal Empire’s pogrom against the Jedi had been vicious and even more devastating than what the Order of the Sith had faced. Clearly, Emperor Arcann had determined that if there was a threat of resistance against their rule, the Jedi would have been the most likely source for such a spark of hope for the galaxy.

Now on Odessen, as part of an Alliance led by a Jedi, Tyzen supposed that history had proven that assertion correct.

The so-called ‘Shadow Temple’ network, those Jedi who hadn’t withdrawn from the galaxy and who were now operating in an informal underground, had determined that the few Jedi still active and opposing Zakuul would live longer when they didn’t stay together for longer than was strictly necessary. Occasionally, he’d get word about another Jedi. Sometimes he would hear a bit of gossip that some other Jedi or another was still active and something of their activities.

More often, he’d hear that someone had been caught and killed.

Still, he’d worked with a few other Jedi off and on over the years. Unaw Aharo. Shigar Konshi. Attros Finn. A handful of others. He’d realized one day that most of these individuals were only a few years older than Tyzen himself.

There seemed to be so few of the old Masters still left.

It had been a hard life. And a lonely life.

But he had kept at it. Again, because he knew the Hero of Tython wouldn’t have given up.

Even his cousin, Karache, had eventually reached out to him. He hadn’t seen the Republic Special Forces soldier-turn-independent bounty hunter in more than a decade, but the older Zabrak had nevertheless offered him a place in his crew.

“The Jedi are long gone, Tyzen.” Karache Pyne had declared in his holo-message. “It’s everyone for themselves, out here. Why don’t you come with me? You’d be good in a fight. We can use you.”

By then, Tyzen desperately wanted to say yes. The years had taken a toll on him. Too many cold and hungry nights. Too many allies lost.

Too many friends lost.

Even worse, Tyzen had started to lose hope.

He turned his cousin down, again choosing to follow his own path. The path of the hero.

Because the Hero of Tython wouldn’t have given up.

And now, after nearly five years of fighting, running and hiding, Tyzen found himself here on Odessen. Ready to fight alongside the Hero of Tython.

As if on cue, Tyzen felt a sudden surge in the Force.

The light side of the Force had already felt strong atop this hill, in the presence of so many Jedi. It was peaceful and calming and soothed his wounded soul.

Now it was as if a blinding spotlight were being shown down on them all, even though it was late morning, and the sun was already high in the sky.

It was powerful and invigorating and inspirational.

Had Master Corellan Halcyon been concealing himself, somehow? Hiding behind some nearby bushes, or perhaps a tree a short distance away? Maybe he’d somehow hidden himself through the Force?

It didn’t matter. Tyzen decided. Regardless of where he’d been, he was suddenly there, standing at ease amidst the Jedi. From his confident stance and smile, he’d obviously been watching for some time now, choosing the moment to make his entrance.

Tyzen noted immediately that Corellan wasn’t wearing the distinctive brown Jedi robes or the adaptive body armor he had made famous during his years as the Hero of Tython. Instead he was clad in a new garment; this uniform was elaborate, predominantly white plating with black sleeves and trousers. The accoutrements had a distinctly… Zakuulan flavor, much to Tyzen’s surprise.

But even so, this was who Master Corellan Halcyon, the Hero of Tython, the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order and the champion of the known galaxy, had become.

And if anything, he had become an even greater hero. Just a few weeks ago, Master Corellan had defeated Emperor Arcann in orbit over Odessen, effectively toppling that tyrant from the Eternal Throne. Zakuul was now ruled by Arcann’s sister, Vaylin, who if anything was even more cruel and insane than her brother.

Everyone on Odessen seemed convinced that the Commander and his Alliance would now defeat Empress Vaylin and end the Eternal Empire that had plagued the galaxy for so many years.

Master Corellan himself looked to be in excellent health, despite the countless challenges he had faced. Tyzen had heard, of course, about the five years that he had spent imprisoned in carbonite, isolated from the rest of the galaxy. The reason why he’d been missing for so long. The reason why he’d missed the war. Why he hadn’t been there to save the Jedi, the Republic and the galaxy.

As difficult as the last few years had been for Tyzen, the younger Jedi couldn’t imagine losing so much time off his life.

Still, Corellan looked older. Not physically, exactly. But there was a look in his pale blue eyes that was somehow more… something.

“Thank you all for coming.” Corellan Halcyon formally began the gathering with a welcoming smile. It was the same expression Tyzen had once seen on countless Republic military recruitment posters during the war against the Sith Empire.

The ‘Hero of Tython’ smile.

Looking around, Tyzen could see that the other Jedi had been as startled by Corellan’s sudden appearance as he had been. After a moment of bustle, however, the gathered Jedi settled down to listen.

“I have three matters I wanted to speak with you all about today. Things you all have a right to hear directly from me. I wanted to do so in a place where we had relative privacy.”

His arms opened wide, as if taking in the scenery around them on the hilltop.

“I assure you all, I have seen to it that we may all speak freely here.”

The implication of his declaration was not lost on Tyzen. He recalled hearing that the Alliance’s Chief of Staff, Lana Beniko, was a Sith as well as having once served as the Empire’s Director of Sith Intelligence. Likewise, it was said that there were many other former spies in the Alliance from both the Republic and the Empire, as well as others who would have – until recently at least – had more than enough reason to ‘observe’ the Jedi.

Corellan Halcyon was staking his word that none of these elements would be a concern for them today.

“For the first matter, I’d like to formally thank all of you for making it to Odessen and joining the Alliance. Regardless of whether you were here on the day we laid ground on the base or if you’re only just now arriving, the fact that you were willing to endure such challenges and dangers just to reach this point is remarkable. I know full well that there are many we all would have wished to have with us today who did not make.”

He paused, a somber expression across his face.

Tyzen momentarily thought about the many Jedi had known who’d been killed over the years. He urgently suppressed the emotion as Corellan continued to speak.

“I also know the last several years must have been incredibly difficult for most of you. Both as Jedi and as people.”

Corellan’s eyes drifted among the crowd, turning from Jedi to Jedi, catching several of them in his gaze before continuing on to the next. He finally caught Tyzen himself, and the young Zabrak felt a rush of excitement course through him.

“Likewise, that you would show such trust in me by coming here under such conditions honors me more than I can ever tell you. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express my gratitude for that, and I hope to prove myself worthy of it.”

Many of the assembled Jedi gave murmurs of assent and affirmation while others waited patiently. Tyzen distinctly picked up the words “We’re with you, Master Corellan.” from one of the younger Jedi.

Not trusting himself to speak, Tyzen found himself simply nodding. He could not think of anyone better suited to lead this fight against Zakuul than the Hero of Tython. Corellan Halcyon was surely the leader who would lead the Jedi back to glory. He would shatter the Eternal Empire’s grip on power and would usher in a new era of peace to the galaxy.

Nevertheless, Tyzen kept his peace, eager to hear more. Through the eddies of the Force around him, he noted that the words had been well-received and appreciated by the Jedi of the Alliance.

But everyone seemed to understand that this was all prelude to something much more important.

Tyzen hoped he knew what that was. Whether he knew it or not, Corellan Halcyon was now leading the largest active contingent of Jedi in the known galaxy.

Why shouldn’t he declare himself Grandmaster of the Order? Tyzen asked himself, speculating.

The Alliance Commander, after a moment’s pause, pressed on.

“The second matter I wanted to share with you was that we have two new additions to the Alliance who are arriving within in a few days: Leeha Narezz and Jomar Chul. For those who are unfamiliar with them, I can personally attest that both are veteran Jedi Knights of great ability and experience. I have no doubt that their arrival will greatly benefit the Alliance.”

Tyzen recognized the names. He had never met either of those Jedi, but they had been active during the last war against the Sith Empire. If he recalled correctly, Leeha was a famed droid engineer while Jomar had been one of the finest reconnaissance scouts and infiltration experts in the Order before the Eternal Empire’s invasion. Both were just a few years older than Master Corellan.

More recently, he’d heard a rumor that they had served off and on with the Shadow Temple since the invasion these last few years, as had Tyzen.

Corellan paused again, letting another murmur pass through the assembled group before continuing. At some point, this Jedi hero, considered by many the greatest warrior in the galaxy, had learned the art of public speaking. Clearly, he was carefully weighing the mood of his audience.

“With their consent, I am informing you all ahead of their arrival that the two of them have been living openly in a romantic relationship and they have been for several years.”

Tyzen blinked as the resurgence of urgent murmuring resumed, with several of the Jedi present beginning to call out questions for the Alliance Commander. Inevitably, Tyzen himself could only think of his relationship with Denielle with regret.

She had made the choice she’d had to make, and so had he.

That didn’t mean it hurt less.

But for Leeha and Jomar, acknowledging such public breakings from the Jedi code would usually result in their dismissal from the Order.

Corellan calmly waited for the assembled Jedi to digest his words, then held up a forestalling hand. He had clearly expected such a reaction.

Slowly, the crowd became calm.

“For the record, speaking strictly as the Alliance Commander, I meant what I said before. I have no concerns whatsoever about Leeha or Jomar’s ability to reliably serve as members of the Alliance.” He paused. “However, I know that many of you would have concerns about Jedi openly embracing such a… connection. I assure you, Leeha and Jomar are not oblivious to the implications of their relationship for the rest of you.”

There was another pause as the gathered Jedi seemed to collectively nod in understanding.

“As you know, the council is currently absent, and there is no other legitimate authority to govern such matters. Therefore, I leave it to you to decide whether or not they should be considered Jedi. Both Leeha and Jomar have assured me that they will accept whatever judgement you reach without complaint or appeal.”

“For my own part, I would not presume to interfere in your decision. I ask only that you accept them as fellow members of the Alliance, and to treat them with the respect and courtesy that entails. Whether they are Jedi or not is a matter for the Jedi alone to decide.”

These words, perhaps more from their phrasing than their sentiment, caused a stirring of confusion and unease amongst the gathered Jedi. Plainly, this was not what anyone had anticipated.

Tyzen couldn’t help himself. Boldly he stepped forward, raising his hand before calling out.

“Master Corellan! Can’t you just claim the authority to decide the issue?”

Corellan smiled at the questioner, a warm look of recognition catching his eyes.

“Tyzen. It’s been a long time.”

The young Zabrak suddenly felt his face flush, put on the spot amongst the assembled Jedi.

“I’m sorry.” Tyzen looked down at his feet, suddenly feeling younger than his years. It felt like he was a padawan again. “I didn’t think you’d remember me.”

He overheard a handful of chuckles as a ripple of amusement passed through the gathering.

Corellan’s calming smile just widened.

“Of course I remember you, Tyzen. I never forget anyone I’ve called a friend.”

He looked around.

“For the record, that same sentiment applies for all of you. Whether I knew you before you came to Odessen or if I’ve only met you today, as of now, I regard each one of you as a friend. With the trust you’ve offered me, I could do no less.”

Corellan’s hand pressed against his own chest.

“Regardless of what is decided today or how the war goes, each of you has done more than enough to lay claim to my friendship just by being here.”

“But Tyzen’s question actually leads me directly to the third subject I wanted to speak to you about.”

Corellan composed himself somberly. He clearly had their full attention.

“I have long believed that people should be judged not by what they call themselves, but rather their actions; for those are a reflection of who they are.” He began.

“In my mind, this is a simple creed. One that has served me well over the years and that has allowed me to achieve many accomplishments.”

“Since I returned to the galaxy, I have made many difficult decisions, and those have led me to this point. I do not regret most of these, but I have given many hours of reflection to my choices. And I’ve come to acknowledge the implications of those choices, both for myself and for my role as a Jedi.”

Tyzen felt a growing sense of anxiety in his belly.

“To that point, concerning own my path as the Commander of the Alliance, there are things that I realize that I must do.” Corellan glanced downward for a moment, then turned back up. “Things that, in good conscience, I’ve realized that I couldn’t perform as a Jedi.”

A faint breeze swept through the gathering.

“For this reason, and before all of you as witnesses, I formally resign as a member of the Jedi Order.”

If Corellan’s earlier statements had drawn a murmur of a response, this one built up a firestorm. Almost everyone started speaking all at once.

The Alliance Commander patiently waited out the storm. Whatever he called himself, however he saw himself, he was more than capable of facing such adversity with a calmness that would have shamed any Jedi Master.

After about a minute, Corellan again raised a forestalling hand, deftly cutting off further questions.

“I understand your concerns. Let me assure you that I have every hope that the Order will reform itself in time. Indeed, I expect that it will. Whatever mistakes may have been made over its history it remains my belief that the Jedi have – on balance – been a force for good. For order and justice, yes, but also for peace.”

That seemed to calm the emotions of the assembled Jedi. Still, they listened on tensely.

“However, it is clear to me that I am not the one to lead such a reformation, even if I possessed the wisdom to perform such a feat. The Alliance, the galaxy and perhaps the Force itself… well, as I have said, they require me to be someone else. Someone I’m already well on my way to becoming.”

“I can promise you all that I will do everything in my power not to pressure any of you into doing anything to compromise your own values.” Corellan paused. “It is the same promise I make to everyone who will join us. But I’ve seen far too many leaders – including more than one Jedi – attempt to force their own beliefs on those who followed them. In my experience, that’s led to hypocrisy at best, disaster at worst.”

Corellan’s hands spread wide again, emphasizing the gathering.

“I will not force my beliefs on anyone else, least of all any of you.” He concluded. “I will ask that people follow me, and the Alliance will have a set a procedures and protocols, but that will be as far as it goes. While I lead it, this Alliance will reflect my values, not be a reflection of any dogma I may follow.”

Master Dazh Ranos stepped forward.

“Master Corellan… Commander… forgive me, but I must ask. Is it possible that… someone else is influencing this decision?”

Tyzen blinked in alarm. He had heard the rumor that some remnant of the Sith Emperor – that evil called Valkorion by the Zakuulans – now resided within the consciousness of his greatest enemy in Corellan Halcyon.

He’d rejected the rumor at the time he’d heard it out of hand, but now he wondered if there wasn’t some truth in it.

Rather than rebuking the suggestion out of hand, Corellan simply smiled patiently.

“I understand your question, Master Ranos. In point of fact, yes. It is certainly possible that that is the case.” He paused. “But no. I assure you that I have meditated on this matter for some time, and I can confidently tell you that this is my choice, alone.”

A green-skinned Twi’lek Jedi Knight named Shiri’ah stepped forward, drawing the commander’s attention.

“Then… you don’t think you’re becoming a Sith?” she asked.

“No.” Corellan shook his head sharply, letting out a slight chuckle. “I can claim more experience in dealing with the Sith than nearly any Jedi living and I can confidently tell you that my own path does not involve embracing the dark side.”

Tyzen remembered watching the Commander fight those Imperial Commandoes on Tython years before, when they had been about to slaughter Tyzen and a room full of young Padawans. The Hero of Tython had fought with an intensity that might have shamed any Sith.

But… it hadn’t been passionate. In hindsight, it had felt almost detached. As if it had been someone else doing it all.

Somehow, Tyzen sensed that Corellan Halcyon might have spoken more but had thought better of it.

Corellan paused, looking around at any of the faces that still met his.

“As I imagine that some of you may have doubts to that, I would be willing to be examined by any or all of you to confirm it.”

A long moment of silence fell over the gathering as no one volunteered. The crowd of Jedi seemed mollified by his words. Tyzen remembered that surge in the Force when Corellan had first made his presence known; he could not reconcile that with the feeling he had experienced from any Dark-Sider – Sith or Zakuulan – he had encountered.

After a few seconds, the Alliance Commander seemed to accept their reaction as tacit assent.

“So to properly answer Tyzen’s question, this is why I cannot weigh in on the subject of Leeha Narezz and Jomar Chul remaining as part of the Order. As I have, in effect, broken with the Order and the Code, it would be a terrible conflict of interest for me to interfere.”

Choza Raabat steepled his fingers together.

“I must ask, Commander, what if one or more of our number breaks from the order as a branch breaks away from a tree?”

Corellan nodded gravely.

“I understand the concern of a potential schism within the Order, Choza. For the record, I sincerely hope it does not come to that. But if a Jedi serving in the Alliance chooses to leave the Order or is dismissed by whatever leadership structure you form amongst yourselves, then that is the business of the Jedi, and not myself or the Alliance leadership.”

“Likewise, if anyone here believes that remaining with the Alliance would compromise their own values, they are free to leave. I would not begrudge them their beliefs.”

He paused, letting the implications sink in.

“As I said before, the Alliance has its own rules that I ask all its members to follow. So long as an individual is willing to abide by those rules, they will have a place here, regardless of what the call themselves.”

Choza Raabat said nothing to this but bowed his head in acknowledgement after a moment.

So it went.

The Alliance Commander spent another thirty minutes patiently answering questions. Some were quite heated. Others were insightful. Regardless, Corellan answered all of them calmly. Gradually, the questions grew less philosophical and more technical. He had clearly been prepared for this as well.

Tyzen could not have imagined Satele Shan or one of the other Masters on Tython giving the ‘rank and file’ that amount of latitude to challenge them. Yet Corellan Halcyon had withstood it all at his own insistence, holding up stoically.

Finally, after seemingly everyone had had their fill, he adjourned the meeting.

“Thank you all again. I hope my answers have brought a sense of purpose, but barring that, I hope I have brought clarity. The purpose of the Alliance is to defeat the Eternal Empire and bring peace to the galaxy, and as far as I am concerned, it always will be.”

“I hope you will choose to stay. More than that, though, I hope you will understand and respect my choices. If not today, then in time.”

He crossed his arm across his chest and bowed at the waist.

“Thank you.”

With that, the meeting ended.

As the Jedi began to make their way down the hill and back towards the base, Corellan remained behind, exchanging a few parting words with individuals, most of whom seemed surprisingly optimistic. Despite the difficulties ahead of the Jedi of the Alliance, not to mention the challenge of facing the Eternal Empire, Tyzen somehow didn’t think any of the Jedi would be leaving the Alliance.

The young Zabrak hoped that he would be joining them, soon.

Both in returning to the base and in embracing their apparent sense of optimism.

But first, there was something he had to do.

Finally, he and Corellan were the last two individuals on the hill.

Corellan turned to Tyzen and smiled.

“Somehow, I knew it would be you.”

Tyzen swallowed, approaching the former Jedi Master.

“I was just wondering if I should quit the Jedi, too.”

The older human blinked down at him in confusion.

“Why would you want to do that?”

Tyzen took a deep breath and then he told Corellan everything.

Everything he’d experienced since they’d last met on Tython. About Denielle. About receiving his Knighthood. About the war against Zakuul. About staying behind and continuing to fight in the shadows while most of the surviving Jedi went into exile. About the dark years that followed.

About his fear that the darkness of the war had changed something inside of him.

About fighting for so long and so hard that Tyzen had started to question whether he was still fit to call himself a Jedi.

Corellan merely listened patiently, letting Tyzen get it all off his chest.

“… so now I don’t know if I should leave the Jedi, too.” He concluded.

Having finished, the young Zabrak was surprised to realize that he’d only been talking for about five minutes.

He’d been certain it would have taken hours to relay all his troubles. That they could be summed up so briefly was startling.

Now finished, the young Jedi Knight looked up at the Alliance Commander, hoping for wisdom and guidance. Corellan Halcyon was quietly going over what the younger Zabrak had told him.

After all, he’d been so helpful to him before, back on Tython.

After a long moment, the former Jedi Master exhaled, then spoke.

“That was an awful lot, Tyzen.” Corellan admitted. “I don’t blame you for having doubts, and I doubt anyone else could either.”

He paused, carefully regarding his younger companion.

“You do understand that I can’t tell you what you should do?” Corellan finally said.

Tyzen felt his shoulders drop in disappointment.

“Are you sure? I was hoping you could tell me what I should do next.”

Corellan chuckled, then padded his shoulder affectionately.

“For me, it was different. I had to break from the Jedi. If I hadn’t… well, I’ve seen what happened to Jedi who didn’t know the difference between following the Jedi path and following their own.”

“I couldn’t let that happen with myself.”

The Commander looked up at the sky.

“If I hadn’t made this choice, I think that the conflict within me, the same conflict that lies within all of us… it would have consumed me. Like it did Revan.”

Tyzen blinked, startled at this revelation. He’d heard stories about Yavin from before the invasion. He couldn’t imagine what that had been like for Corellan, and he certainly didn’t want to ask.

“You think you would have fallen to the dark side?”

Corellan tilted his head in assent, giving a sort of half-nod.

“Or worse.”

He then reached out, grasping the Zabrak’s shoulder again and turning him away from the base. Both the uncertain young Jedi and the older Alliance Commander looked out at the horizon.

“Tyzen, during the war against the Sith, I saw so many Jedi doing terrible things in the name of victory, or of the Order, or of the Republic, or in the name of the Force, itself. All while still claiming to be acting as Jedi.”

He stopped and exhaled, his arm dropping back to his side.

“I can’t do that. I had to break free of it, even knowing how badly that’s gone for so many other Jedi. I need to succeed where they failed, and trust that the people around me will help me stay the course.”

Corellan turned towards him again and regarded Tyzen somberly.

“Truly, I do not expect anyone to follow me down such a path. And I certainly have no intention of asking anyone. As a concept, the ‘Grey Jedi’ seem perfectly reasonable. Even admirable.”

He exhaled.

“As a collective group with a collective belief system? Every iteration has ended in disaster. That’s why so many incarnations of it fail, either due to internal or external pressures.”

“So with the Force as my witness, I assure you I have no intention of starting a schism. The Alliance is already too close to being a cult of personality without me making it any worse.”

Tyzen made a face at that observation uncertainly as Corellan just chuckled at his puzzlement.

“Anyway, you’re too young for these kinds of philosophical conversations.”

The Zabrak bristled.

“I’m almost the same age you were when you beat the Emperor’s Voice on Dromund Kaas.”

Corellan stopped himself and looked downward at the grass, letting out a slow exhale, plainly having realized the truth in Tyzen’s statement.

“Well. So that’s what growing old feels like.” The Alliance Commander smiled wryly to himself.

Tyzen felt his face flush, embarrassed to think he might have offended Corellan.

“I’m sorry. I meant – “

“I know what you meant.” He reached out again and patted Tyzen’s shoulder, calmly. “That’s just something everyone has to get used to, I think.”

He turned back to his young companion.

“So. After all that metaphysical discussion, what is it you’re really asking me?” Corellan pressed. “You can say ‘I am a Jedi’ or ‘I am not a Jedi’, and I won’t try to stop you either way.”

The Zabrak bit his lip.

“I guess I’m asking you… who am I?” Tyzen asked.

Corellan smiled at that.

“Who do you want to be?”

The young Zabrak paused. He knew the answer, he’d known the answer for years, but it was still hard to say. Swallowing, he forced the words out.

“I wanted to be you.” Tyzen finally murmured. “For the longest time, more than anything else in the galaxy. I wanted to be just like you.”

Corellan’s eyes widened, truly startled for the first time that Tyzen could remember.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize that you felt that way back then. If I had, I would have said…” he exhaled then spread his arms apart, as if lost. “Something.”

Tyzen bit his tongue and looked away, not trusting himself to speak. He felt himself start to breathe heavily.

Corellan placed a hand on his shoulder.

“For whatever its worth, I looked up to my heroes, too, Tyzen.” he offered. “Sagottoh Panaka. Nowan Ko Detizu. Orgus Din. Satele Shan.” He paused. “Revan.”

A comfortable silence settled in between them. In the distance, some native bird let out a caw, possibly to signal to its fellows that it had found some fresh kill to scavenge and feed upon.

“Each of my mentors, my heroes… well, they all disappointed me in different ways.” Corellan gazed down at the ground. “It wasn’t their fault, mind you. It’s just that the reality of who they were didn’t quite match my impressions of who they were.”

He shrugged.

“Impressions that might have been fantasies.”

“But I don’t blame them for any of that now. Not anymore, anyway. Our mentors, our heroes, are people, with merits and flaws the same as anyone else.”

“But what’s important was that in the end, I learned from each of them. And with time, I learned to become myself.”

“Now it’s easier in that regard. I’ve learned to respect and appreciate them in a new light. Not as my role-models, but as actual people.”

He stretched his neck. It was a strangely normal thing to do coming from a man who Tyzen regarded as anything but normal.

“Like them, I’m a person. A simple man trying to make his way in the universe. That is all.”

He turned back to Tyzen.

“Did you really think that I would think any less of you? For either going with the others who fled Tython, or finding sanctuary someplace else?”

“I… no.” Tyzen swallowed. He was ashamed. Ashamed for feeling weak. Ashamed for feeling uncertain. “I guess not.”

He looked Corellan Halcyon in the eyes.

“I guess… I was worried that I would think less of myself.”

Corellan nodded in understanding.

“That’s the first lesson. Now here’s the second: After everything you’ve been through, now that you have a chance to breath, have you been true to yourself, Tyzen?” Corellan asked the young Zabrak. “Have you been true to who you want to be?”

Tyzen opened his mouth to answer, then stopped himself. His old Jedi training started to kick in as he chewed over the Alliance Commander’s query, looking within himself for a sense of peace.

He thought about Denielle, and their painful parting.

He thought about every time he’d had to fight his way out of a dangerous situation in the last six years.

He thought about every night he’d spent on a cold street or cave, with a hunger in his belly.

Finally, he thought about the choice of coming to Odessen to join the Alliance.

“I think I have… in the end.” Tyzen finally answered. “It took me awhile, though.”

“Good.” Corellan smiled. “In the long run, you need to be the kind of person you’d respect, even while recognizing your mistakes. Recognizing the good and the bad.”

He looked down towards the base.

“They come from all over.” He mused. “Republic. Empire. Jedi. Sith. Voss. Independents of every stripe. Even Knights of Zakuul, believe it or not. So many differences! And yet… they keep coming.”

Corellan Halcyon smiled faintly. It was a simple gesture that, to Tyzen, radiated hope.

“With the Alliance, I hope to build a place where everyone who joins us can contribute while still being true to themselves.”

He turned his smile onto Tyzen, a look of hope in his pale blue eyes.

“I look forward to meeting the person you are becoming.”

With that, he turned and began his walk back down to the base.

Tyzen watched him depart in silence.

Tyzen could remember that time – in what felt like a lifetime ago – when he had all but worshipped Corellan Halcyon. When he had wanted nothing more than to be the Hero of Tython.

Now, a little older and a little wiser, he didn’t look at this man that way anymore.

But he respected him, perhaps now more than ever. He realized that here was a man who had made his choices and then accepted the consequences.

Tyzen no longer wanted Corellan’s life.

But he could still continue to learn from that life.

He had learned much from being in the shadow of the Hero of Tython.

As he started walking down the hill, he realized that it was now time for Tyzen Pyne to learn how to be himself.

END

Author’s Notes: Parts of this story probably fall under the ‘Unreliable Narrator’ trope. Tyzen isn’t dishonest, but he doesn’t necessarily see everything clearly. I’ll let you judge what parts those might be.

Tyzen, Corellan, Denielle, Karache, Sagottoh, Nowan Ko, Shiri’ah and Ulannium Kaarz are all original characters of mine. All other characters named in this story are actual NPCs from the game, some of whom are rather obscure. (As is my way.) Feel free to ask me about them or look them up yourself on Wookiepedia, if you like. Shiri’ah was previously introduced in my Adas Legacy, but she now gets a supporting role in my Halcyon Legacy.

There are a number of references in the game story to a Jedi purge of sorts carried out by the Eternal Empire during the five-year jump in Knights of the Fallen Empire. It’s a fascinating subject that hasn’t been fully explored.

Any similarities between Tyzen and a certain red-headed Jedi purge survivor from a recent video game franchise are… purely unintentional.

The Corellan Halcyon that appears here is one who saw Jaric Kaedan, Nomen Karr and Jun Seros make terrible, tone-deaf decisions during the Second Great Galactic War.

For the record, spoilers here, Ranos and the other Alliance Jedi decide that it is not their place to expel Leeha and Jomar from the Order. By the time the Alliance makes contact with the Jedi on Ossus, no one thinks it’s worth the trouble.

Liam Dentiri, a quest-giver on Tython and a boss in the Assault on Tython Flashpoint, was killed in my canon by Xadya, my bounty hunter in the Halcyon Legacy. Since Xadya would also go on to join the Eternal Alliance, Tyzen may find himself challenged in ways he couldn’t have imagined.

I’d like to incorporate Tyzen into some future stories, though maybe not as a featured character.

I watched a lot of history documentaries during the pandemic and a few of them involved religious schisms throughout history. I found them both fascinating and somewhat depressing. (Spoilers: When it comes to religion, there are no “good guys”. Just times when one group might be worse than another.) But it got me thinking about the “Grey Jedi” in Star Wars, who are incredibly popular in the fandom, but always seem to come up short.

I still like the character of Bela Kiwiiks from the Jedi Knight story. I don’t know how many of you ever read the Star Wars: Dark Times comic series from Dark Horse, but her situation in my story is rather similar to Master K'Kruhk’s in that tale. It is well established that the Jedi don’t put all their eggs “in one basket” when it comes to their Padawans and younglings, as they have many enclaves all over the galaxy. Kiwiiks was returning a group of younglings from such an enclave to Tython when she was cutoff by the Eternal Fleet. Deciding that the younglings needed her more than the Ossus Jedi would, she took her charges into hiding, much as K’kruhk does during the time of the Galactic Empire.

Karache’s line to Tyzen is a reference Han’s line on Yavin to Luke in Episode IV. Naturally, Corellan later delivers a line to Tyzen that was directly pulled from Jango Fett in Episode II. I love my little Easter Eggs.

Corellan’s outfit during the events of this chapter is known as the “Ruthless Scion Armor Set” from the Cartel Market. He would later change it again, but this is what he wore for most of Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne expansions.

I was originally going to mention Ashara Zavros in this piece, but the tangent that summoned got out of hand.

Although I wasn’t reading the Expanded Universe novels at the time, Luke’s speech to the Jedi Order in Dark Nest III: The Swarm War always resonated with me. It’s important for one’s followers to know where their leader stands, and Corellan is attempting to do the same here. (Though obviously, Corellan takes a very different approach.)

Thank you for reading, and may the Force be with you.

Tagging!

@distressed-gizka @rikki-roses @eorzeashan @grandninjamasterren @space-unicorn-dot @mysterious-cuchulainn-x @iacyper9 @sullustangin @stars-ephemeral @taina-eny @brainmonkeyscartwheeling-blog @nebulis-ceartais @raven-of-domain-kwaadthe-raven-of-highever @nekorinnie @fandomfangirl23 @abbee-normal

#swtor fanfiction #swtorpadawan writes #code breakers #oc: tyzen pyne #oc: corellan halcyon #in the shadow of the hero #my writing #swtor #swtor fanfic #odessen #the eternal alliance #oc: denielle #the halcyon legacy #writers on tumblr #writeblr

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redbean-nom · 2 months

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Rebel Admirals Rex & Kalani from an au where the clone and droid rebellions were a bit more successful

Rex's fleet (rebel fleet Remembrance) - the whole 'ahsoka's not actually a jedi' thing worked and most of the 332nd got dechipped. (maul still escaped, but they managed to patch up the maul-damage before he got to the hyperdrive, so the Tribunal is mostly okay). the extra resources & manpower allowed the clone rebellion to operate on a much larger scale, and they eventually allied with pantora as a whole with the backing of senator chuchi. cody and later wolffe brought their imperial fleets to join the rebellion about a year later (after the chips started wearing off).

the fleet (one venator (the Tribunal), four star destroyers, associated clones, gunships, fighters, and tanks, plus a handful of stolen imperial walkers and shuttles) formally joined the rebel alliance around 10bby.

(rex got put in charge of the fleet because he's the least traumatized out of all the surviving officers. cody ran off to live with obi wan on tattooine.)

Kalani's fleet (rebel fleet Independence) - something happened and he and kraken managed to steal a chunk of dooku's ships (and later a good chunk of whatever was left of grievous' fleet on utapau) after his death. they essentially got lost in the chaos of o66, since the rest of the separatists thought they were deactivated after the shutdown order, and escaped with essentially a full separatist fleet. since they were active instead of stuck on agamar, kalani noticed that the leader of the empire happened to be the republic's supreme chancellor, and decided the empire was the new target of the CIS army. he later encountered the clone rebellion and decided that since the clones had effectively deserted the republic and were now fighting the empire, they were therefore allies.

the fleet (one dreadnought, three cruisers, one stolen imperial carrier, associated droids, fighters, transports, and tanks) formally allied with the rebel alliance around 10bby, with the backing of serenno and raxus secundus.

#star wars #au #redbean art #admirals au #captain rex #general kalani #rex's rank continues to be weird because now he is an admiral (because the fleet was rather lacking in officers who were not #dead (most of them); imperial (anakin; yularen); or too traumatized to deal with more losses (cody; wolffe)#but he still does regular missions w torrent just under a fancier title #but now because they have an entire fleet they can jailbreak entire battallions at once instead of only being able to grab the stragglers #one of the star destroyers has a mass dechipping facility #preprogrammed so all you have to do is load the next set of clones into the surgery machine thing and press the start button #and then wheel them out and load the next set in while you wait for the first ones to wake up #so basically the clone rebellion is yoinking whole imperial clone legions #meanwhile since the droids were pretty much abandoned #kalanis fleet spent the first few years after the war running around the galaxy grabbing all unattended separatist vehicles #kalani has determined via st-droid logic that #since sidious is the chancellor of the republic (and therefore a traitor)#dooku; grievous; and trench are dead and most of the other separatist leaders were forcibly integrated into the empire #that makes him (the last surviving/active separatist general) the new supreme commander of the separatists #so now he has decided to continue the attack on the republic-which-is-now-the-empire #anyways he has some of the more remote/smaller droid factories up and running in the outer rim #all the clones who dont want to keep fighting get funneled to one of the clone bases via tbb #also rex has created a brand new clone pension fund via stolen imperial credits #because anakin never changed his passwords when he became vader and rex broke into his bank account #kalani has access to most of the separatist funds bc they assumed a tactical droid wouldn't try to steal anything and it was faster that wa #so the clone and droid rebellions are both funded via the empire forgetting to change passwords in the o66-chaos #palpatines going to have a stroke at this point lol #*both* of his supposed-to-be-non-sentient armies are now invading imperial coruscant together

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era404-skib · 4 months

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(Somewhat silly) Idea on an Alliance & Toilets vs Mothership Battle

So, before I lay out the battle concept, I need to state one theory I believe:

The Mothership is incapable of directly harming others. I believe it serves as a massive power bank / core for the Astros, hence why it didn't teleport in instantaneously like every other Astro - the amount of energy it holds is so high that it takes a while to transport that. Ramming isn't an option either because of its long teleportation time, and even if it could ram, it would risk cracking its defenses, releasing its energy and nuking itself from the force of the impact. Biting is probably not an option either as (a) we've never seen an Astro extend its neck as far as I can remember and (b) it would risk someone like TTV slashing off the neck and killing it. It's able to defend itself by the soldiers it powers and the heavy armour it has.

Now, for the battle concept. Here's where the silly part comes in: I'd like to briefly recount the Milky Way Wishes segment of Kirby Super Star Ultra.

To summarise it very shortly, Kirby has to go through some different planets to reach NOVA, this big machine thingamajig that grants whoever activates it a wish. Right as Kirby is about to make his wish to resolve an ongoing issue, Kirby is knocked to the side by Marx (no, not Karl) and his wish is stolen and Marx becomes fucking God in an effort to try and destroy Kirby. Kirby destroys NOVA from the core out because jokes on Marx, KIRBY is God, and he launches Marx into NOVA and then both it and Marx explode.

Now where this relates back to skib:

I want to see a scenario where TTV teleports TSpeaker back and TCam either escapes or TTV comes back for him. All the non-titan Alliance and Toilet members call a truce - so basically every single standard soldier and toilet they can fit with the Matriarchs, Elites and mutants leading the way as they invade the mothership through an opened door. They KNOW there's some sort of trap inside, otherwise the surrounding Astro troops wouldn't have let them in so easily - but desperate times call for desperate measures. Episode ends on their entry, with the door dramatically shutting behind them, engulfing the army in darkness.

The next episode shows us a POV from TTV - a small camera was attached on each of his little spiky things at the top of his screen so the viewers can look around the streamed footage from all angles (think of it like the 360° view on Google Streetview and Google Earth). TTV is seen teleporting TSpeaker to the Speaker Base (finally showing us what it looks like too :D) and comes back for TCam but can't find him anywhere. Suddenly, GT flies in, followed shortly by the containers attached to the helicopter skibidis. GT was searching for the G-Squad (they went in the mothership alongside the Aliiance) and a confrontation nearly breaks out between the two when TTV receives a message from the TV Scientist telling him to ally up with GT. VERY begrudgingly, the two form a temporary truce, as TTV defends the containers whilst GT breaks them open and attaches his "arms" and "legs" (moreso claws but whatever).

The next episode opens back on the mothership door shutting and the combined army being engulfed in darkness. Suddenly, there's a jolt as Polycephalies rips open the door, chucks it away without a care and jumps in. In the quick upgrades and repairs he received he has a massive expansion of screens and speakers that can extend from his back. Polycephalies and every single camera and TV in the army shine their lights as bright as they can, revealing a very large inner system of the Mothership. They begin to journey through the darkness as they discover zones that vastly differ from eachother - some are rusted, scrappy and are full of spikes and other hazards whilst others are clean and well kept but have extremendefense systems in place. Gradually, the population of the army begins to whittle down.

The next episode cuts to TTV and GT once more (now from a POV cam, not a TTV spike cam), GT finally assembling his upgrades and leaping into battle. Suddenly, a large metal structure teleports in at TTV's feet. TTV gets the memo and picks it up. He is able to twist one of his arms and takes it off safely, attaching the new one in place while hanging the detached regular one on his back. The POV looks at his tablet and flickers onto a livestream from inside the arm - showing Scientist TV having the time of his life controlling it. The arm powers on and begins to revolve at extreme speed - just as a large astro comes rushing towards TTV at lightning speed, which is quickly matches by the built in reaction speed of the arm, which drills into the Astro, leaving a cloud of scrap metal and dust. The arm turns into a trident and curves at the edges slightly - before stabbing the Mothership's spinning ring at a perfect angle. The rapid spinning comes to a stop and the Mothership can no longer fly - so TTV sets her down on the ground, only because there's Alliance members in there, vice versa with GT. In the same moment, multiple bomber Astros try to rush into TTV at that same instant speed with acid - but the reaction speed of the arm is too fast for them. It turns into an Entrapper Astro arm and picks them up before hurling them at the Astros nearby. All the Astros in the region have been destroyed, so TTV and GT stand by, remaining vigilant.

The next episode cuts back to the army inside the bunker, its numbers slowly dwindling. Suddenly, dozens of tiny Astros appear - and start knocking out the army one by one at rapid speeds - too fast for anyone to kill. The G-Squad, Matriarchs, Polycephalies, Elite TV, all the other TV's and the most units and toilets each could carry are the only ones that manage to speed off and shut a large door. The army is now faced with a large core area - many astro troops and defense systems await them and guard the core. I couldn't be arsed to write a full fight scene so just pretend they managed to maneuver around the defense systems and killed the Astros (perhaps Elite TV controlled them and made them fight eachother). They make it to the core, which is completely unprotected, and turn off the armour on the control panel, making the mothership and easy kill. The army, who felt the shake of the mothership being set to the ground, know a titan is out there - and know its TTV as he's uninjured. The TV's send a signal to him to cut open a latch now that the armour is gone and TTV does so. The army scrambles out before TTV picks up the mothership in one hand. Suddenly, TSpeaker flys in - not upgraded, but quickly repaired with some backups the speaker faction made for him prior to the Astro fight - helping TCam, of whom he has finally located, to come over. TTV let's the other two know of the truce with GT, and the 4 focus on annihilating the Mothership. TTV loans some energy to all the others - TCam now has enough to keep going, GT's core now glows again, and TSpeaker is hypercharged.

In the last second, the Astro Emperor (or juggernaut as alot of people call him) tries to stop them, but little does he know, his panic to save the Mothership has cost him his life too. The Titans and GT release core beams in unison - GT spams orbs at inhuman rates, TTV uses the absolute fucking obliterator, TCam uses the flamethrower and TSpeaker uses the beam. They hit the Emperor in unison and its shield completely breaks - and once the combination of all the core attacks hit him, the Emperor crashes down directly onto the Mothership. The Mothership begins to encounter multiple fatal errors from the crash and is about to power off to enter recovery mode and signal for more Astros to come and save her - but TCam, hellbent on vengeance after his injuries, attaches his jetpack to the Mothership and sends it flying back to space where it came from. Unfortunately for it, it doesn't seem to make it as before it surpasses the Atmosphere it explodes like a firework with the power of a nuke. Episode ends.

#eratags: skib #skibidi toilet #Holy SHIT this took so long to write #worth itttt #I think #I wouldn't call this the end of ST btw #I still left it open for more mysteries to be solved e.g. secret agent

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melishade · 28 days

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I really loved the Dark Timeline and wondered, how would Paradis and the world look like decades later if the world-ending catastrophe was Shockwave's invasion instead of Eren's Rumbling. It would be cool to think of how Shockwave replaces Eldians as the "Devil on the Earth" or how Paradis's foreign relations evolve.

This is actually a really interesting ask.

So the world would obviously be damaged by Shockwave's actions. The Decepticon was experimenting on Eldians, turning them into titans, and unleashing them on unsuspecting towns in order to test their effectiveness and efficiency, leaving many towns destroyed and drastically reducing the population.

Meanwhile for many outsiders, Paradis became a safe haven to escape Shockwave's carnage. The devils that they had so greatly vilified, welcomed them into their home, granted them food and shelter, protected them from Shockwave's demented plans. Shockwave does unleash an attack on the island later using Porco as a weapon, and many civilians lives were lost in that moment before Eren willingly gives himself up.

And it is the Survey Corps, the Warriors, the Autobots, and Megatron who launch one final attack that ends the power of the titans once and for all. Many people who were transported to the island are finally able to return home, or what's left of it, and Paradis continues to offer their services in order to build alliances, which many that are left on the mainland are willing to do. When a true danger came on their doorstep, Eldians proved to be reliable allies and true friends. And with the power of the titans no longer existing, there was no longer fear. Trust started to bloom.

The remaining Survey Corps, Warriors, Arcee, Wheeljack, and Optimus are lauded as heroes. Even though Optimus and Mikasa are the ones who killed Shockwave and ended the power of the titan respectively, the credit ultimately fell on both Eren and Megatron. Their sacrifice allowed humanity to survive and for the power of the titans to finally come to an end. At least that is the tale that Armin is spinning. Optimus and Mikasa effectively do not want to be involved on the political stage, and after what they had been through, none of the survivors could blame them.

Peace treaties still have to be drawn up, and many portions of what remained of Marley became up for grabs, especially for those that had their lands stolen from Marley in the first place. The country that still manages to remain intact the most is the nation of Hizuru. The nation had learned to stand on its own after the initial fall of the Eldian Empire and were able to come up with contingency plans that resulted in the least amount of lives lost, although a lot of damage was still done to the country and they still had to rebuild.

The survivors of the final battle get to continue living their lives in peace, without any fear of retaliation that would have existed if the Rumbling was ever activated. There is still much to rebuild, but Wheeljack and Arcee are able to contact Cybertron, and the other Autobots and humans from Earth are able to provide their assistance in reconstruction.

Over time, the Autobots ultimately return to Cybertron and the humans return to Earth, leaving the AOT world to develop on its own. The world of AOT twists the actual events of the story over time, idolizing many of the people that had played a role in freeing their world from Shockwave and the reign of the titans. Years later, the world is much more technologically advanced with the assistance provided by Cybertron and Earth. The teen from the ending of Attack on Titan is walking along town square with a dog, staring up at the statue meant to depict and praise Eren and Megatron for their sacrifice. Meanwhile, off in the distance, Optimus has returned to the AOT world, traveling to see how the world he had grown to care for survived in his absence.

(There's still a lot that can go into this, but it would require a lot of thought, since we were never given the full run down of what the outside world looked like since Isayama really focused on the workings of Marley.)

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emma23 · 1 month

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Beneath the Sands of Arrakis

Duke Leto Astreides x reader

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The wind whipped through the bustling spaceport of Arrakeen as you stepped off the transport ship, the heat of the desert planet immediately enveloping you. Your heart pounded with excitement and a touch of nervousness. You had been friends with Duke Leto Atreides for years, ever since you both attended the Imperial Academy, but this was the first time you'd be working closely with him on such an important mission.

"Y/N!" a familiar voice called out, breaking through your thoughts. You turned to see Leto striding towards you, his dark eyes gleaming with warmth despite the burdens he carried.

"Leto," you greeted, smiling as he pulled you into a tight embrace. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," he replied, his voice full of genuine affection. "Welcome to Arrakis. I hope the journey wasn't too arduous."

You shook your head. "It was fine. I'm just eager to get started."

Leto nodded, his expression turning serious. "There's much to do. Arrakis is a world of both great potential and great danger. We'll need every ounce of our strength and wisdom to navigate it."

As you walked together towards the palace, Leto filled you in on the latest developments. The Harkonnens had left the planet in disarray, and it was up to House Atreides to restore order and build a lasting alliance with the Fremen, the native people of Arrakis.

"Paul is eager to meet you," Leto said, a proud smile crossing his face as he spoke of his son. "He's grown into a fine young man."

"I'm looking forward to seeing him," you replied. "And Lady Jessica as well. It's been too long."

Leto's expression softened at the mention of Jessica. "Yes, it has. She's been a great support to me, as always."

Arriving at the palace, you were struck by its stark beauty. The architecture blended seamlessly with the harsh desert landscape, a testament to the resilience of those who called this world home.

Lady Jessica greeted you with a warm smile and a gracious bow. "Y/N, it's a pleasure to have you here. Your presence is most welcome."

"The pleasure is mine, Jessica," you replied, returning her smile. "I'm honored to be here."

Paul, now a young man on the cusp of adulthood, greeted you with a respectful nod. "Welcome, Y/N. My father speaks highly of you."

"Thank you, Paul," you said, noting the seriousness in his eyes. "I'm here to help in any way I can."

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The following days were a whirlwind of activity. You quickly settled into your role as an advisor and confidant to Leto, working closely with him to strategize and implement plans for the stabilization of Arrakis. The bond between you and Leto, forged through years of friendship, only grew stronger as you faced the challenges together.

One evening, after a particularly long and grueling day, you found yourself alone with Leto in the palace's garden. The cool night air was a welcome relief from the relentless heat of the day.

"Thank you for being here, Y/N," Leto said, his voice soft and sincere. "Your presence means more to me than you know."

You smiled, feeling a warmth spread through you at his words. "I'm glad to be here, Leto. This mission is important to me, but so is our friendship."

He looked at you, his eyes reflecting the starlight above. "Our friendship has always been a source of strength for me. I don't know what I would do without you."

Before you could respond, a messenger approached, bowing respectfully. "My lord, my lady, the Fremen envoy has arrived. They await your presence."

Leto nodded, his expression turning serious. "Thank you. We'll be there shortly."

As the messenger left, Leto turned back to you, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Duty calls."

"Always," you replied with a chuckle. "Let's go see what the Fremen have to say."

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The meeting with the Fremen was tense but productive. Stilgar, the Fremen leader, was a formidable figure, his piercing blue eyes a stark reminder of the harsh environment he called home. Despite his initial wariness, he listened to Leto's proposals with a keen interest.

"We seek a partnership, Stilgar," Leto said earnestly. "House Atreides wants to work with the Fremen, not against them. Together, we can bring stability and prosperity to Arrakis."

Stilgar studied Leto for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Your words are wise, Duke Leto. We will consider your proposal."

As the meeting concluded, Stilgar approached you. "You have a loyal friend in Duke Leto. He speaks highly of you."

You nodded, meeting his gaze. "And I of him. He is a good and honorable leader."

Stilgar's expression softened slightly. "The Fremen value loyalty and honor. We will watch and see if your words are backed by actions."

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In the weeks that followed, you and Leto worked tirelessly to build trust with the Fremen and stabilize Arrakis. Your days were filled with strategy meetings, negotiations, and countless hours of hard work. Through it all, Leto remained a constant source of strength and inspiration.

One evening, after another long day, you found yourself once again in the garden with Leto. The stars above seemed to shine brighter, casting a soft glow over the desert landscape.

"I'm proud of what we've accomplished," Leto said, his voice filled with quiet determination. "But there's still much to do."

You nodded, feeling a deep sense of pride and gratitude. "We've come a long way, Leto. And we'll continue to move forward, together."

He turned to you, his eyes filled with an intensity that took your breath away. "Together," he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Before you could react, he leaned in, capturing your lips in a soft, tender kiss. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the sensation of his lips against yours.

When he pulled back, his eyes were filled with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. "Y/N, I—"

You placed a finger against his lips, silencing him. "I feel the same way, Leto."

A slow smile spread across his face as he pulled you into his arms. "Then let's face whatever comes our way, together."

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Despite the progress you and Leto had made, the threat from the Harkonnens and the Emperor loomed large. One night, as you and Leto discussed plans for a new irrigation system in the palace library, a sudden explosion rocked the building.

"Get down!" Leto shouted, pulling you to the floor as debris rained down around you.

The palace was under attack. The Harkonnens had launched a surprise assault, their forces swarming through the halls. You and Leto fought side by side, your bond stronger than ever as you defended your home and people.

In the midst of the chaos, you were separated from Leto, a wall of Harkonnen soldiers cutting you off. Panic surged through you as you fought desperately to reach him.

"Leto!" you screamed, your voice barely audible over the sounds of battle.

A Harkonnen soldier lunged at you, his blade glinting in the dim light. You dodged, countering with a swift strike that sent him sprawling. But more soldiers were closing in, and you knew you couldn't hold them off forever.

Just as you were about to be overwhelmed, Leto appeared, his expression fierce and determined. He fought his way to your side, his movements swift and precise.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice strained with concern.

You nodded, your heart pounding with relief. "Yes, but we need to get out of here."

Leto nodded, his expression grim. "Follow me."

Together, you fought your way through the palace, the sounds of battle echoing around you. Finally, you reached a hidden passage that led to safety. As you emerged into the cool night air, you felt a wave of relief wash over you.

"We need to regroup," Leto said, his voice filled with determination. "The Harkonnens won't stop until they've taken everything."

You nodded, your resolve strengthening. "We'll stop them, Leto. Together."

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The attack on the palace had been a wake-up call. You and Leto redoubled your efforts, working tirelessly to strengthen your defenses and forge new alliances. The Fremen proved to be invaluable allies, their knowledge of the desert and their fierce loyalty providing a crucial advantage.

One evening, as you and Leto stood on the balcony overlooking the city, you felt a sense of hope and determination.

"We're making progress," you said, your voice filled with quiet pride. "The Harkonnens won't find us so easy to defeat next time."

Leto nodded, his expression thoughtful. "We've come a long way, Y/N. And we've done it together."

He turned to you, his eyes filled with a mixture of love and resolve. "I don't know what the future holds, but I know that as long as we're together, we can face anything."

You smiled, feeling a deep sense of gratitude and love. "I feel the same way, Leto. Whatever comes, we'll face it together."

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The final confrontation with the Harkonnens was inevitable. They launched a full-scale assault on Arrakeen, and the city was thrown into chaos. You and Leto stood at the forefront of the defense, coordinating efforts with the Fremen and the Atreides soldiers.

"Hold the line!" Leto commanded, his voice booming over the sounds of battle. "We will not let them take our home!"

The Harkonnen forces were relentless, but so were you. With the Fremen by your side, you fought with a ferocity you had never known. The bond between you and Leto gave you strength, and you could see the same determination in his eyes.

As the battle raged on, you and Leto found yourselves fighting side by side once more. The palace was a battlefield, and the fate of Arrakis hung in the balance.

"We can't let them win," you said, your voice resolute as you parried a Harkonnen soldier's attack.

"We won't," Leto replied, his eyes blazing with determination. "For Arrakis, for our people, we will fight until the end."

The turning point came when Paul, now fully embracing his destiny, led a charge with the Fremen warriors. Their surprise attack from the desert flanks caught the Harkonnens off guard, and the tide of the battle began to turn.

Leto and you fought your way to the central courtyard, where Baron Vladimir Harkonnen himself was directing the assault. The sight of him filled you with a cold fury.

"This ends now," Leto said, his voice low and dangerous.

Baron Harkonnen sneered, his eyes filled with malice. "You think you can defeat me, Atreides? You are a fool."

Leto stepped forward, his sword gleaming in the dim light. "For Arrakis. For our people."

The battle that ensued was fierce. Leto's skill and determination matched against Harkonnen's brute strength and cunning. You fought off Harkonnen's guards, ensuring that Leto had the space he needed to confront the Baron.

Finally, with a powerful strike, Leto disarmed Harkonnen and brought him to his knees. The Baron stared up at him, a mixture of rage and fear in his eyes.

"You've lost," Leto said, his voice filled with quiet triumph.

Harkonnen spat on the ground. "This isn't over, Atreides."

But it was. With a swift, decisive motion, Leto ended the Baron's life, bringing an end to the Harkonnen reign of terror.

As the battle drew to a close, the Harkonnen forces, leaderless and demoralized, were swiftly defeated. The people of Arrakeen emerged from the ruins, their faces filled with hope and gratitude.

"We did it," you said, turning to Leto, your heart swelling with pride and relief.

"We did," Leto replied, his eyes shining with emotion. He pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly. "Together."

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The days following the battle were filled with rebuilding and celebration. The people of Arrakis hailed you and Leto as heroes, and the alliance with the Fremen grew stronger than ever. Paul, having proven himself as a leader, stood proudly by his father's side.

One evening, as the sun set over the desert, you and Leto found a quiet moment together in the palace garden. The air was cool and filled with the scent of blooming desert flowers.

"We've come a long way," Leto said, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and gratitude. "Arrakis is finally on the path to peace and prosperity."

You nodded, your heart full. "We've accomplished so much, Leto. And there's still so much more we can do."

He took your hand, his gaze steady and filled with love. "Whatever the future holds, I want to face it with you. You've been my strength, my confidant, my friend. And now, I want you by my side, always."

Tears filled your eyes as you smiled at him. "I want that too, Leto. More than anything."

He leaned in, capturing your lips in a tender kiss. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you, wrapped in the warmth of your love.

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Life on Arrakis settled into a new rhythm. Under Leto's leadership, and with your unwavering support, the planet began to thrive. The Fremen, once isolated and wary, became vital partners in the new era of cooperation and growth.

Paul, now a respected leader in his own right, worked alongside you and Leto to ensure that Arrakis remained strong and united. His bond with the Fremen deepened, and he embraced his destiny with a wisdom beyond his years.

One evening, as you and Leto stood on the balcony overlooking the bustling city of Arrakeen, you felt a profound sense of fulfillment. The stars above were bright, casting a gentle glow over the desert landscape.

"We've created something remarkable here," Leto said, his voice filled with quiet pride. "A legacy that will endure for generations."

You nodded, your heart swelling with love and gratitude. "And we've done it together. There's nothing we can't achieve."

He smiled, pulling you close. "With you by my side, I believe that with all my heart."

As the night enveloped you, you stood together, looking out over the world you had helped build. The future was filled with promise, and as long as you and Leto faced it together, you knew that anything was possible.

And so, beneath the sands of Arrakis, a love that had blossomed in the face of adversity and triumph continued to grow, strong and unyielding. The story of Duke Leto Atreides and his unwavering friend, now lover, was one of courage, sacrifice, and an enduring bond that would stand the test of time

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