#Batch Coding machine

[sh-hitech-solutions]

Batch Coding Machine Manufacturer | SH Hitech Solutions

The Complete Guide to Batch Coding Machines: What They Are, How Much They Cost, and Top Manufacturers

By admin / October 18, 2024

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about batch coding machines, including what they are, how much they cost, and which companies make the best ones. We’ll also highlight SH Hitech Solutions, a leading provider of batch coding machines.

What is a Batch Coding Machine?

A batch coding machine is a device that prints essential information like batch numbers, manufacturing dates, expiry dates, and other details on product packaging. These machines are widely used in industries like food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and electronics. The main goal of batch coding is to ensure products are easy to track and trace, which helps in quality control and regulatory compliance.

Why Are Batch Coding Machines Important?

Batch coding machines are crucial for several reasons:

Compliance: Many industries are legally required to print batch numbers and expiry dates on their products.

Quality Control: If there is an issue with a product, batch codes help companies trace the faulty product back to its source.

Consumer Trust: Accurate labeling gives customers confidence in the products they buy.

Types of Batch Coding Machines

There are different types of batch coding machines available, each designed for specific uses:

Inkjet Coding Machines: These machines spray ink onto the product’s surface. They can print on various materials like plastic, glass, and metal.

Laser Coding Machines: Instead of ink, laser coders use a laser beam to print information. The print is permanent, making it ideal for high-end or durable products.

Thermal Transfer Overprinters (TTO): These machines are commonly used for flexible packaging, like plastic wrappers or foils. They offer clear, high-quality printing.

Hot Stamp Coders: These coders use heat and pressure to print codes. They’re often used for simpler printing jobs, like date stamping.

Features to Look for in a Batch Coding Machine

When buying a batch coding machine, here are some important features to consider:

Versatility: The machine should be able to print on various surfaces like paper, plastic, or metal.

Speed: If you have a high production rate, you’ll need a machine that can print quickly without slowing down your operations.

Durability: A sturdy machine will last longer and need fewer repairs.

Ease of Use: Choose a machine that is easy to set up and operate, so your staff doesn’t need extensive training.

Compliance: Make sure the machine meets industry standards and regulations.

How Much Does a Batch Coding Machine Cost?

The batch coding machine price can vary based on the type of machine and its features. Here are some factors that affect the price:

Type of Machine: Inkjet machines are generally cheaper than laser machines. However, inkjet machines require consumables like ink, which adds to the running cost.

Technology: Advanced machines like laser coders or thermal transfer printers cost more but offer better quality and longer-lasting prints.

Speed and Capacity: Machines that print faster and handle higher production volumes tend to be more expensive but are worth the investment for large-scale operations.

Customization: Some machines offer extra features like different fonts, barcodes, or integration with other production systems, which can increase the price.

On average, a basic batch coding machine can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on these factors.

Leading Batch Coding Machine Manufacturers

If you’re looking to buy a batch coding machine, it’s important to choose a reliable manufacturer. Here are some of the top batch coding machine manufacturers:

SH Hitech Solutions: A leading provider of batch coding machines, SH Hitech Solutions offers a wide range of coding machines suited for various industries like pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages. Their machines are known for their durability, precision, and easy operation.

Videojet Technologies: This company is well-known for offering a variety of industrial coding solutions, including inkjet and laser coders.

Domino Printing: Domino is a global manufacturer of batch coding machines with a reputation for high-quality products.

Linx Printing Technologies: Linx provides a range of inkjet and laser coders, known for their long-lasting performance and user-friendly interfaces.

Markem-Imaje: This manufacturer offers a variety of batch coding solutions, including inkjet, laser, and thermal transfer printers.

Why Choose SH Hitech Solutions?

When selecting a batch coding machine, you want a company that provides not only the right product but also excellent support. SH Hitech Solutions stands out for several reasons:

Tailored Solutions: They offer batch coding machines customized to meet your specific needs.

Industry Expertise: With years of experience, they understand the challenges businesses face and offer solutions that work.

Customer Support: SH Hitech Solutions provides full support, from installation to maintenance, ensuring your machine runs smoothly.

Affordable Options: They offer a range of machines at competitive prices, making them a great choice for businesses of all sizes.

Batch Coding Machine Manufacturers in India

India is home to several manufacturers producing high-quality batch coding machines. Batch coding machine manufacturers in India offer solutions that meet both local and international standards, making them a great option for businesses looking for affordable yet reliable machines. Some of the top batch coding machine manufacturers in India include:

SH Hitech Solutions: Known for their innovative and reliable coding machines, SH Hitech Solutions is a trusted name in India.

Control Print: Another major player, Control Print offers a range of industrial coding machines designed for the Indian market.

Conclusion

A batch coding machine is an essential tool for any business that needs to print batch numbers, manufacturing dates, or other key information on their products. These machines ensure compliance with legal standards, improve product traceability and boost customer trust.

By choosing the right machine, such as those offered by SH Hitech Solutions, you can streamline your production process while ensuring that your products are properly labeled. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, investing in a high-quality batch coding machine is crucial for long-term success.

If you’re looking for reliable and affordable batch coding machines, consider SH Hitech Solutions, one of the leading batch coding machine manufacturers in India.

[krishnaengineering25]

Automatic Plastic Tube Filling Machine - Abhisara International

[creatureindustry4u]

What is a Batch Coding Machine? | Creature Industry

In the world of manufacturing and packaging, keeping track of product information is crucial. One essential tool that helps with this is the batch coding machine. But what exactly is a batch coding machine, and how can it benefit your business? Let's find out.

What is a Batch Coding Machine?

A batch coding machine is a device used to print important information, like manufacturing dates, expiry dates, batch numbers, and other data on products and packaging. This information helps with tracking products, ensuring quality, and meeting regulations.

Key Features of Batch Coding Machines

High Precision: Accurate and clear printing on various surfaces.

Versatility: Can print on plastic, metal, glass, paper, and more.

Ease of Use: Simple to operate.

Speed and Efficiency: Works quickly without sacrificing print quality.

Benefits of Using a Batch Coding Machine

Adding a batch coding machine from Creature Industry to your business can bring several benefits:

Regulatory Compliance: Easily meet industry standards and legal requirements.

Enhanced Traceability: Track products through every stage of the supply chain.

Improved Quality Control: Quickly identify and address production issues.

Brand Protection: Deter counterfeiting by adding unique batch codes.

Types of Batch Coding Machines

At Creature Industry, we offer different types of batch coding machines to meet various needs:

Inkjet Printers: Ideal for non-contact printing on uneven surfaces.

Thermal Transfer Overprinters: Perfect for high-quality prints on flexible packaging.

Laser Coders: Provide permanent marking solutions without the need for consumables.

Special Offers from Creature Industry

Take advantage of our exclusive offers on batch coding machines:

Free Consultation: Get expert advice on the best batch coding solution for your business.

Extended Warranty: Enjoy peace of mind with our extended warranty options.

Bulk Discounts: Save more when you purchase multiple units.

Why Choose Creature Industry?

Quality Products: We provide reliable and durable batch coding machines.

Exceptional Support: Our dedicated support team is always ready to assist you.

Competitive Pricing: Get the best value for your investment.

Contact Us Today!

Ready to improve your production process with a batch coding machine? Visit Creature Industry or contact us at:

Email: contact@creatureindustry.com

Phone: +123-456-7890

Address: 123 Industrial Area, City, Country

Investing in a batch coding machine is a smart move for any business looking to improve product identification and traceability. With Creature Industry, you get top-notch machines, exceptional support, and unbeatable value. Don’t miss out on our special offers—contact us today to find the perfect batch coding solution for your needs!

[seoagency26]

Batch Coding Machine: Print MRP, EXP & Barcode on Your Products

Batch Coding Machine is a compact, portable, hand held batch coding machine. Those machines are designed for small corporations and startups wherein mobility is essential. Batch coding machine is main utilized in small scale manufacturing of meals and liquids, prescription drugs and cosmetics. while some unique functions can also range relying at the version and production.

This machine is used inside the packaging and manufacturing industry to print vital information on merchandise and items which includes MRP dates, expiration dates, production dates, batch numbers and other identity marks on merchandise or packaging substances. This information is important for monitoring, stock management and excellent manage functions.

Read More: Batch Coding Machine

[clangrogu]

Characters Who are Autistic, Because I, an Autistic Person, Said So (Animated Edition Pt. 1)

*gifs not mine*

Entrapta (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

difficulty with social cues, practices & behaviours

has a special interest

difficulty connecting with people

uses a literal mask to mask neurodivergence

difficulty communicating emotions

difficulty recognising the emotions of others

object personification

stims, infodumps & hyperfocuses

*canonised by nd stevenson 2020*

Marcy Wu (Amphibia)

hyperfocuses

infodumps

hyperfixates

“i have trouble looking people in the eye sometimes”

admits to struggling when it comes to making connections with people

has special interests

excitable about things that interest her

socially awkward

often ‘off in her own world’ (especially in social settings)

Katie Mitchell (The Mitchell’s vs. The Machines)

has a special interest

socially awkward

feels like she doesn’t fit in

stimming

connection with an animal

probably audhd

honestly, is anyone in this family neurotypical?

Tech (Star Wars)

*i’m not crying! you’re crying!*

difficulty with social cues, practices & behaviours

highly intelligent due to mutation (autistic savant)

has special interests

becomes more animated when talking about something that interests him

“i may process moments and thoughts differently, but it does not mean that I feel any less than you”

infodumps

difficulty connecting with people

Tina Belcher (Bob’s Burgers)

socially awkward

obvious discomfort with lying & breaking rules

neutral facial expression & voice

has special interests

often becomes overwhelmed

difficulty understanding social cues

literal thinking

stimming

difficulty maintaining eye contact

difficulty understanding jokes & sarcasm

sleep issues

[autoprint]

Elementary Montessori schools in Coimbatore | Bluegems

Elementary Montessori

What sets Montessori apart in the Elementary years—ages 6 – 12—is the individually paced curriculum that challenges children academically and safeguards their well-being and sense of self. Engaging as contributing members of a respectful community, they learn to question, think critically, and take responsibility for their own learning skills that will support them in later education and in life.

As at all Montessori levels, the Elementary program is based on the belief that children learn best through movement and work with their hands, and provides cognitive, social, and emotional support to help them reach their full potential.

This includes addressing their needs as they enter a new period of development characterized by:

A transition from concrete to abstract thinking

Growing interest in socialization

Thinking and memory that is enhanced by creativity and imagination

An interest in fairness, social justice, and compassion

The Elementary Classroom

In a Montessori Elementary classroom, students work individually or in small groups, at tables or on mats on the floor.Natural lighting, soft colors, and uncluttered spaces set the stage for activity that is focused and calm. Learning materials are arranged on accessible shelves according to curricular area, fostering independence as students go about their work. Everything is where it is supposed to be, conveying a sense of harmony and order that both comforts and inspires.Children who are new to Montessori quickly feel at home with the inspired teaching that appeals to their deepest interests, and with the distinctive, hands-on learning materials that teachers introduce sequentially according to the students’ developmental needs. For students who have completed Montessori Early Childhood programs, the environment offers continuity with familiar routines and learning materials that offer new lessons and opportunities for more complex exploration and discovery.

The classroom is a happy community. Students are focused. They take joy in their work.They invent, explore, experiment, confer, create, prepare snacks, and curl up with books;sometimes they might even reflect in a peaceful, meditative corner. Meanwhile, teachers circulate throughout the room, observing the students and making notes about their progress, ever ready to offer support or introduce new material, as appropriate. Expectations are both exquisitely clear and engagingly open-ended.

Multi-Age Learning

Multi-age groupings of children ages 6 – 9 ( Lower Elementary)and 9 –12( Upper Elementary) provide a heterogeneous mix in which children can collaborate and socialize. These inter-age relationships strengthen the entire community. Older children are seen as role models within the community. They support the growth and development of younger children through socialization, assisting with new work, or teaching skills they have mastered themselves. They can also work with younger students in areas of the curriculum in which they themselves may need more practice, without stigma.

Younger children follow the example set by the older students, and have peers to work with in areas of the curriculum in which they may be more advanced. This multi-age community provides opportunities for all individuals to learn from each other, at times leading, sharing, or serving as role models. It also develops an appreciation of differences.Within this supportive, inclusive community, children work through the curriculum at their own pace, accelerating during some tasks or taking additional time with others.

What Your child Will Learn

For returning Montessori students, the Montessori Elementary program expands upon the learning fostered in an early Childhood program. For students new to Montessori, it orients them to the joys of responsible participation.

Teachers guide children through a rigorous curriculum individually tailored to their own interests, needs, and abilities. Teachers monitor progress against established benchmarks and expectations for student learning, including: academic preparedness, independence,confidence, autonomy, intrinsic motivation, social responsibility, and global citizenship.

Curricular Areas

The Montessori Elementary curriculum contains the following areas of learning:

Practical Life

Within the Elementary program, the Practical Life curriculum expands from the foundation laid in Early childhood. Practical Life at the Elementary level shifts from a focus on self-care and fine motor skills, to skills that help children connect with their interests in the outside world, organize their time, and take part in their community.

While self-care and appropriate social interactions continue to be supported, lessons that teach responsibility are the focus. Use of tools, such as work plans, to support organization and time management skills, are incorporated into the daily routine.

Teachers and students often work together to post reminders about assignments, projects,and ideas. Using these, children make independent work choices, prioritize activities, and meet deadlines.

Math

The ideas of number concepts, place value, numerals, and related quantities are reinforced and expanded upon within the Elementary program. Newfound purposes for familiar math materials provide children with the means to consider number concepts, mathematical operations, and more complex functions, helping to expand advanced mathematical knowledge and understanding.

Language

Reading and writing are integral to all subjects in Montessori Elementary, as children express their interests and satisfy their curiosity. Students master conventions with thorough studies of grammar, spelling, and mechanics. They produce final copies with careful penmanship and keyboarding. They read, analyze, think critically, and compare and contrast literature to support personal opinion and perspective. Using these reading and writing skills, they present ideas through formal and informal presentations.

Cultural studiesCultural studies are interdisciplinary and integrate zoology, botany, geography, geology, physical and life sciences, and anthropology. Through these lessons, children explore the interconnectedness of all living things. Additionally, in-depth studies of history, physical and political world geography, civics, economics, peace and justice, the arts, world language, and physical education are introduced.Science and Social StudiesInterdisciplinary and integrated studies of geology, geography, physical and life sciences, anthropology, and history are built around “Great Lessons,” a series of dramatic stories that explore the origins of the universe, our planet, and the continuous development of human advancement. The laws of physics and chemistry reveal the interdependency of all living things. Beginning with a study of civilization, students explore the contributions of history and what it means to be a responsible citizen and to seek ways to make the world a better, more peaceful place.Montessori Learning MaterialsMontessori students don’t just memorize facts and figures. They also learn the “hows,” “whens,” and “whys,” ensuring that learning takes place on a deep and fundamental level. Specially designed learning materials that use real objects and actions to translate abstract ideas into concrete form support them in this learning.Teachers introduce materials to students according to their level of development and readiness. Students then work with the materials to make exciting discoveries—such as why, when dividing fractions, we invert and multiply. Inherent in the use of Montessori materials is the understanding of the power of discovering answers on one’s own.

Get in Touch

Bluegems Montessori, Tex Park Road (Via CODISSIA Road), Nehru Nagar West, Civil Aerodrome (PO), Coimbatore – 641 014, INDIA.

[nexgendryingsystems]

Coding and batch Printing machines Pune India

Discover cutting-edge Coding and Batch Printing machines in Pune, India, exclusively brought to you by Nexgen Drying Systems Pvt. Ltd. Our state-of-the-art machinery ensures precision and efficiency in coding processes, catering to diverse industrial needs. Contact us at +91 95943 53681 or reach out via email at pradnyesh@nexgendrying.com or vikas@nexgendrying.com for inquiries. Explore our comprehensive range of innovative solutions on our website http://www.nexgendrying.com/. Nexgen Drying Systems Pvt. Ltd. is your trusted partner for advanced coding technology, providing reliable and high-performance batch printing solutions tailored to elevate your production processes.

[dc-polls]

"That Really Happened?!" DC Comics Tournament Entry #34

Shvaughn/Sean

[ID: Cover of Legion of Super-Heroes #1 that says Young Romance. Shvaughn Erin cries into a handkerchief and says, "*choke* He spends so much time saving the world... When will he find time for me?" In the foreground Element Lad looks off into the distance. A narration box reads, "All my life, happiness eluded my grasp... and nothing I ever cared about lasted! Was this the way it had to be with Jan, too? The Elements of Heartbreak!" /END ID]

What Happened?

Shvaughn Erin was a member of the Science Police, the 30th-century cops who assisted (or hindered) the Legion of Super-Heroes. During the Paul Levitz/Keith Giffen run in the 1980s, she became romantically involved with Legionnaire Jan "Element Lad" Arrah. This upset some members of the Legion fan community who had a theory that Jan was gay. The character wasn't traditionally masculine, wore pink, and had curly blond hair (look, this just how gay coding worked in the 70s and 80s).

When Giffen and married couple Tom and Mary Bierbaum (who got their start in the Legion fan community) took over the title with 1989's vol. 4 (aka, the "Five Years Later" run), one of the things that Giffen wanted to do was kill off Shvaughn to establish Element Lad as gay. They were already using Jan's archenemy, the criminal Roxxas who years ago had genocided the rest of the his species, the matter-transmuting Trommites, as the villain for the first arc. Shvaughn was eventually spared this fate, but the writers still had to square the circle of why a "gay" character would be involved with a woman. Their solution? What if "she" was a "he?"

I'm going to try to explain the rest of this story in as sensitive a way as possible. This is a story that was written in 1992 by, as far as I know, three cishet people and your millage will vary (and as a cis person myself, I can't really speak to how well this holds up). I will generally be using she/her pronouns when the character is presenting as Shvaughn and he/him when presenting as Sean.

In Legion of Super-Heroes, vol. 4 #31, the Earth is recovering from the devastation of losing the moon due to the machinations of the alien Dominators who have infiltrated and subverted the planetary government (note also, the Dominators have an extremely problematic "yellow peril" design so there's a lot going on here). In the midst of this, Jan and Shvaughn meet for the first time in a while. Jan finds out that Shvaughn is going through withdrawal from not being able to obtain the drug Profem. She explains that she had been born male under the name Sean on a very conservative planet. While growing up, Sean developed a crush on Element Lad, who as a teenager was intergalactically famous as a member of the Legion. Thinking that the only way a boy like Jan would find him attractive, Sean started taking Profem, changed her name to Shvaughn, enrolled in the Science Police academy, and eventually became the liaison to the Legion. Now, without access to the drug, Shvaughn is reverting back to her more masculine appearance.

Jan takes all of this in, before telling his former lover that "anything we ever shared physically...it was in spite of the Profem, not because of it!" Shvaughn later runs into the teenage clone of Element Lad from the Dominator's Batch SW6 (we can't get into that right now), and in future appearances shows up fully presenting as masculine and going by Sean. The adult Element Lad goes into a coma and Sean is at his bedside.

Then the Legion gets rebooted in Zero Hour, all of the Legionnaires are teens again with new continuity, and Shvaughn (when she shows up at all) is back to presenting as female with no indication that she was ever Sean. Element Lad (unless I missed anything) is only given female love interests or sexual partners by later writers, or implied to be asexual with a spiritual bend.

While Shvaughn is far from the first female love interest who gets her storyline derailed to support a gay headcanon, it is surprising that it 1. happened in canon and 2. the solution was not to kill her off, but to reveal she is trans (ish?) so the character can detransition back to a man so that his love interest can be gay. What's really weird is that Giffen and the Bierbaums also made canon a romance between Light/Lightning Lass and Shrinking Violet, but never felt a need to invalidate their previous relationships with male partners, which maybe points towards the culture of the time's perceptions of male vs. female bisexuality.

--

Tournament polls will be posted after all entries are up. As always you can find all posts related to the tournament using #dc-polls-trh

[skellymom]

BAD BAD BATCH SEASON 3, EP 8 SPOILERS

FENNEC SHAND

Total bitch. But effective bounty hunter.

Props to her cutting the wires on the pontoon boat.

Boo to her nasty remark:

Hunter "Money isn't everything."

Fennec: "That's cause you don't have any."

He didn't clap back. Too tired? Or, he KNOWS he's got a family and a place on Pabu where money isn't really even super important.

In fact, she even asked him about Omega. Back in S2 she seemed to be bantering with Omega about having to be careful, especially if you are on your own. It seemed she was speaking about herself too.

She also alluded to Omega being taken. But didn't elaborate if that was when Cad Bane or Hemlock took her.

The person Fennec spoke to via the garbled or distorted transmission at the end:

Could it be Tech? Or Clone Trooper X?

I tried to turn up my TV as loud as possible to hear the voice, but I think it was distorted intentionally to keep us guessing.

The music playing was ominous, so there is a chance it was nefarious. But it wouldn't seem to be the Empire as she wouldn't need to phrase the question about the "Empires M-Count" the way she did.

Fennec to Wrecker and Hunter: "You can either fight me or trust me. Your choice.". Then she salutes them as her ship pulls out of the hangar.

It would be kind of cool to see them all work together again. Good bickering teammates.

**********

CROSSHAIR AND OMEGA

While I like the message of reaching out to others for help. I didn't like the narrative of having to "fix yourself with meditation/possible Force power" if Crosshair indeed does have PTSD.

This series is veterans of war coded. PTSD is something many came home with and struggled/will struggle with for the rest of their lives. There is no quick fix.

I'm hoping Omega will be supportive, but Crosshair may have to accept not being a perfect killing machine in exchange for being an imperfect loving human being.

We will see..

********

PHEE

This saddens me so much: The lack of serious conversation or even a memorial moment for the loss of a central character and potential love interest.

Yeah, it's a kids/young adults show. But even then effective grief representation could have been written in.

The clones (many of which were nameless) in TCW S7 who went down with the Tribunal got a final resting place tribute marker with their helmets.

There could have been one for Tech on Pabu with his Goggles. Perhaps he would have had a place in the Archium? And a moment of silence with the whole Batch, Phee, Lyana, and Shep. He helped save the people of Pabu and rebuild after the Tsunami.

********

That's all I got to say about this episode.

What's everyone's thoughts about it???

[cyberrat]

83rd Batch Of Fics: 8th Fill

Valentino/Vox – Part ½ – husband/wife roleplay; sudden feelings; fluffy; missionary – Valentino surprises Vox with a bit of roleplay... but things are somewhat *different* this time around.

---

Vox is not prepared for a day of fun and games. Valentino knows that. He knows it because he hasn’t told him that he would dress up for him all cute and slip into their private kitchen like that.

“Oh Voxxy,” he croons. “You don’t even have your coffee yet… let me get it for you~” He’s used to being sexy and intimidating but it’s always a bit of a struggle to appear dainty when he is as tall as he is.

The way Vox looks up from his cereal, a small newsfeed in one corner of his screen, then just freezes as he sees Val in his little dress, makes him think that Vox does not really notice whether he is dainty or not, though.

“I… Val-” Vox’ voice is already a little glitchy. One claw is tapping a quick staccato rhythm against the countertop he’s sitting at. It sounds like morse code and Valentino wonders if he’s spelling something out. Something secret and just for him. “What are you wearing?”

“Hmmmnn don’t you like it?” Valentino purrs, his lower set of hands pinching the hem of the skirt between their fingertips as he gives Vox a little twirl so he can admire him from all sides. It’s a cute little white dress with black dots and a black silk ribbon wrapped around his waist just to accentuate his hourglass figure. Something he knows Vox will go feral for. Something weirdly modest in that 50s kind of way.

“No, I… you look…” Something changes in his voice as he watches Valentino walk over to the coffee machine and pour him a mug. His next words sound smoother and more collected… and honest. “You look beautiful, my dear.”

He extends one of his hands for Valentino to grasp and takes the mug away from him the moment he is close enough. He puts it away on the countertop, not paying any more attention to it. Instead, he is solely focused on Valentino – which he loves. A lot. Loves, loves, loves. Loves being the center of Vox. The apple of his eye. The one and only thing he can think and obsess about.

“You look so lovely,” Vox croons, his voice having dipped to a register that scrapes over Valentino’s brain in just the right way. One of Vox’ claws comes up beneath his chin, gently tipping his head up. He gives him another little spin, admiring him from all sides.

Valentino is not quite sure how he does it all. How he can make his presence seem so much larger when he is only coming up to Valentino’s chest.

He can’t stop the simpering little trill crawling out of his throat and Vox looks like he’s going feral for it. His eyes go wide, that spiral briefly appearing in his left one before he can tamp down on it. His mouth glitching through different states of a big, near manic grin. Val has him hooked.

Vox has forgotten all about work; all about the things he had planned for today, probably set in stone a week or two ago. Or a month. Or a fucking year. It’s difficult to say just how obsessive the other can be at any given time.

“Thank you for the coffee, my little moth,” Vox murmurs, a gentle lilt to his voice.

Valentino briefly pauses, one antenna twitching. That’s… a new one. Vox usually liked to call him silly little names; my dear, my love, my sweet – but this one felt closer to home.

Vox’ screen flickers for the blink of an eye. Maybe he has noticed as well? Maybe him putting his hands around Valentino’s waist is a ploy to make him forget all about it before he can even start wondering. Vox lifts him easily, setting him down gently on the edge of the counter. The stylish marble top has been designed with a normal person’s height in mind, so it brings him closer to Vox all in all. Makes him more open to be ravished.

“Y-You’re welcome, um… V-Voxxy.” Valentino’s nervous stutter is not played up this time. His heart is pumping faster and one pair of hands is clutching Vox’ shoulders as he stares at his bright face, wondering what the fuck just happened. He can feel that there’s been a shift in the air, but he can’t quite put his finger on it.

He feels all… warm inside. Nice. His thighs clench warm and eager as Vox angles his body forward, his screen maybe a hand’s breadth from Valentino’s face, that manic grin having dulled into a more charming smile while he nudges the other’s knees open and slips between them.

“You look good enough to eat,” Vox croons, the tips of his claws gently scratching against Valentino’s skin as he slides them up his legs and takes the hem of his skirt with him. “You beautiful little creature.”

Valentino’s insides shiver while his antennae bob forward toward Vox, his mouth opening in a slack little ‘o’ of wonder. He… likes this. He had not expected this kind of reaction. Usually Vox just gets horny in a deranged kind of way and dicks him until he’s close to passing out, but this time he seems to be in a different kind of mood.

Valentino… likes it. It certainly gets him there anyway as he eagerly spreads his legs wider, needing Vox to crowd closer against him. Needing him to push inside and make him see stars. The sweet talking is a nice addition. Really nice. Maravilloso.

His upper hands lift, lightly grasping the sides of Vox’ screen frame, thumbs sliding against the glass. He inhales like he’s wanting to say something but his head is curiously empty. Not the fucked-dumb kind of empty – that is going to come, though – but a ‘head feels filled with cotton’ kind of empty.

With a bit of a start, Valentino realizes that he’s feeling… shy.

.o.

Valentino has caught Vox, as so often, at the perfectly wrong moment. Or right moment, he supposes, in this case. For once. Vox can usually predict many days in advance when the other might try to surprise him with one of his stunts. Valentino has those kinds of ticks and odd little changes in his speech when he’s starting to brew something together in his darling little head.

This time they hadn’t seen each other for a few days, though, so Vox has had no chance to figure out what might be coming his way. He finds that he kind of enjoys the spontaneity of it, even though his systems are grappling with the sudden change in plans and stubbornly keep trying to remind him of his schedule.

As he reaches down and pushes his sweats down just enough to sit beneath his cock, letting the tip – shaped like a hog’s heart shaped snout – snuggle up against Valentino’s warm, eagerly drooling gash… all those alerts mute themselves blissfully, leaving Vox alone with his darling little wife.

Valentino’s back is curved. He’s trying to instinctually wrap himself all around Vox, and that gives him the opportunity to reach up and frame his face with his hands, inadvertently mirroring how Valentino is grabbing at him.

“Do you want this? Hmmm? You certainly deserve it… being such a beautiful little dear.” He nudges his hips forward, feeling how eagerly Valentino’s pussy spreads for him; silky and needy and trying to suckle him inside while his tentacle cock tickles him just beneath his belly button.

Valentino’s face looks… guileless. So open and sweet, staring right at Vox’ face, though a small trickle of pinkish saliva starts to run from the corner of his mouth. He’s hypnotized like the little moth that he is. A sweet doll – and Vox finds himself oddly sentimental for it.

“Yes please,” Valentino finally says when it seems to ping in his empty little head that his input is required.

So Vox gives him what he’s asked for.

[nabnab-official]

Boxy Boo's complicated origins and dark purpose

with boxy boo being added into the main game with chapter 3, i decided to talk about his origins as a character. most people know that he originates from project playtime, but his origins go even farther than that.

boxy boo was first teased before project was even announced. the first image is from one of mobs minecraft animations, from august 27th 2022, months before project was first announced. the second image is from the one year anniversary video, and you can see boxy's box next to huggys foot. at the very end of the video, a dark image of boxy's box can be seen, as well as some numbers, likely the date of oct 31, which is when project was first teased for real.

on october 31st 2022, project playtime was officially announced on the mob entertainment twitter. that wasn't the only thing announced here. inside this image was a code, a code that led to a FTP [file transfer protocol] server. this server was part of an arg that would lead up to project's release, called rowan stolls computer database. the server is closed now, but all the information has been archived via the wiki

the ARG begins with this video, the first find when the FTP server was unlocked. this was paired alongside security 01 and 02, 2 gifs of security footage of the playtime co. facility. the rest of the files were password locked. in this video, rowan stoll, the head of technology at playtime co., expresses concerns about there being possible nanny cams inside huggy wuggys eyes. this is the start of his skepticism towards playtime co. that come to light during this arg.

the second things unlocked started from an image posted by the playtime co. twitter account. this confirms boxy boo's creation date as a toy, which is during the 60s. featured in the image is a bunch of boxy boo toys being made by employees. using this image, people were able to find a code, along with the remainder of the codes hidden in the twitter accounts for leith pierre, stella greyber, and eddie ritterman. putting the code through an A1Z26 cipher yielded the results of "A_invenerunt_infernum", which translates to "they found it from Hell". this is referring to boxy boo, who will later be referred to as a hellspawn again in this arg. combining this code with the date 05/28/91 gives us our second video. in it rowan stoll backtracks on his previous statements, presumably not wanting to get in trouble for questioning playtime co. in this video, the password "Birth_place_11/28/67" can be found by listening quietly to the text to speech playing in the background. this password unlocks security footage 03.

playtime co. posted the employee safety rules video, which is related to the arg. the code "bcaebbefgd" could be found within this video, which leads to this twitter post by rowan. in the background you can see boxy hiding. apparently, playtime co. has been making rowan fix the puzzle pillars, revealing them for the first time. maybe this was his punishment for stirring up trouble.

the playtime co. twitter account posted a new image, one of the train at the station. at the bottom of the image, credit is provided to playtime-co.com. going to this website leads to an email address, which gives a phone number. when called, you are immediately and indefinitely put on hold, and a piano tune plays. around this time, rowan stoll posted about fixing the phone line, and adding the tune heard. using the piano notes heard in the tune itself gives the code "DEADFACEAFACADE", which can be translated to "Dead_Face_a_Facade". this is a password for a file called priv_doc01, which includes several things. a poster for boxy boo, a pinboard full of images, and a disciplinary note on patty hall. patty hall is a character mentioned in chapter 2, in the rejects room. patty hall sabotaged a batch of toys by messing with the paint machine. in the disciplinary note, its mentioned that patty was sent down to storage b to "receive further instructions". remember this, it will be important. the boxy boo poster contains a code, which unlocks rowan stolls third and final video log. in this video, rowan expresses distress, thinking that playtime co. is going to kill him for finding out too much. he confesses that he is going to upload everything he knows and has found, which is what this FTP server is. he also says that playtime co. "has something that eats people alive", which we know is boxy boo. rowan knew he was likely going to die, but put his last efforts into getting information about playtime co. out publically. deciphering the strange static heard at the beginning through a spectrogram gives the password "diaboli_intra_buxum", which translates to "devil inside the box". the initial password can be used to unlock boxy boo's blueprints, as well as security footage 04, which depicts the project playtime theater map.

on november 22nd 2022, the FTP database went offline, leaving the rest of what rowan uploaded unknown. the playtime co. twitter uploaded a new post, with a single image of a poppy flower and the message "I SEE YOU". each account that posted this image had letters hidden in their avatars and banners, each image containing broken morse code at the bottom. the morse within all the images translated to "caro est in aeternum", which means "the flesh is eternal". the letters in each accounts banner and icons gave 2 different codes. "OVIHPKNABALZQZ", and "Play fair. Row: <- Column: ^, Filler: X. Innovation is key." the answer was a play fair cipher, with innovation as the password. the cipher translated to "NOXFORGIVENESS", referring to rowan stoll. a new account was created on the FTP server, and using the information gathered, access was granted. the username was "no_forgiveness" and the password was "caro_est_in_aeternum" inside, was a singular file, titled "THIS_IS_WHAT_HAPPENS". showcased is the fate of rowan stoll.

it seems that playtime co. found rowans database, got rid of it, and replaced it with a message to anyone else who considers trying to expose or defy them.

just two days after the arg ended, on november 24th, the cinematic trailer for project playtime was released, and boxy boo was finally revealed. just a day later, a gameplay trailer for the game released. counting up till the release of the game, teaser images were posted, giving us even more of boxy.

even after projects release, boxy boo's story was not finished. over the course of project, 2 tapes were added into the game. the first introduces us to harley sawyer, a major player in the bigger bodies initiative. he is mentioned many times after this initial introduction, including in chapter 3 and the chapter 3 arg. in the first tape, harley sawyer talks about the bigger bodies initiative, whose intention was to replace workers with living toys. he believed this would cut down on lawsuits and losses, as well as take care of insubordinate employees. in the second tape, harley sawyer visits boxy boo for the first time. boxy boo is the first successful bigger body created as confirmed by harleys own words. harley says that they need to "tailor your [boxy's] appetite to flesh", and asks for an update on rowan stoll. this is obviously leading up to rowans fate in the arg where boxy killed him.

boxy boo appears several times after this, in restricted_restoration, being the monster that attacked thomas. you can hear the sound of his music box winding up before the attack, and his paw and roar when he actually attacks him. he also features in chapter 3, both as cutouts and murals, and in the hour of joy, as featured above. BUT WHAT IS BOXY BOO'S PURPOSE? boxy boo was the first successful bigger body, created in 1991. after his toy, created in the 60s, failed to become as popular as other mascots, harley sawyer found a new purpose for him. boxy boo's purpose is not to play with kids, or even be around people at all. his purpose is to kill insubordinate employees. he killed patty, and he killed rowan. this is why harley wanted him to learn to become accustomed to flesh. he wanted boxy to be hostile from the beginning. boxy was never meant to be around people. he was meant to have employees sent down to him to be eaten when playtime co. deemed them deserving of it. thats what happened to rowan and patty. the devil in the box ate them.

[bonesandthebees]

Two more things before I start chipping away at my long analysis because they’ve been rotating in my head.

1. I am not getting over the implication (well it’s rather explicit) that Phil and Techno have killed multiple people (and taken turns doing it). Combined with Phil being familiar with being threatened… I kinda want a prequel of these two murder plotting their way to the top. I’m so glad we get a Phil pov. I love the besties. No hesitation, yeah you can murder that man I’ll be on lookout. You go get revenge.

And Wilbur killing is necessary because it’s the best excuse to break his moral ‘code’. He wants revenge, he feels threatened and wants to protect Tommy (and Niki and Quackity too in a way). His has a noble reason + his personal anger. This is the easiest it’s ever going to get to convince him to murder someone. And Phil has experience with this so he knows it’s something Wilbur will have to do if he wants to maintain his power. From a game standpoint it’s a good choice. From a father standpoint it’s an understandable choice but girl it’s not healthy.

2. From the moment Wilbur was in that ballroom with Niki on 1 side and Tommy on the other I knew what was going to happen AND I HATE IT /aff. If I wasn’t home alone I would have been screaming at him to choose Niki! He literally provides himself with every argument (including reasons why not picking Niki is dangerous when thinking about Tommy aka you cannot be sold out if the only people who know are also guilty, in which case he would be safe should Niki find out and should they drift apart (which he has no vision of the future, so he’s not worried about that, BUT I AM))

it’s so beautiful and good and frustrating and tragic at the same time. This is the point where he chooses Tommy over Niki. His alliance is made even if it isn’t really. His mental alliance has been made. And his chance to keep Niki is slipping. And yes I am actually upset about him going to Tommy and forcing him into this. That poor kid has enough trauma. He’s 13 and he helped murder someone (for his own safety) when he did not need to be (much like Wilbur actually). (Also he’s loyal like a dog geeez).

Anyway, I will repeat all of this in my big batches. But who knows when I get around to writing those with all the work stuff. So enjoy my brain worms. (I am Looking 👀 at the answer to my last ask).

-🌲

phil and techno certainly pulled a lot of... things off while they were both climbing their way up the ranks. I just love the absolute trust and understanding those two have with each other. one goes and murders a man while the other stands lookout, no questions asked. they've done this before and it's like a well-oiled machine at this point. murder besties <3

exactly, this is going to be the best introduction wilbur could ever get to pulling off something like this. he has a very strong reason for wanting schlatt dead, both with his own need for revenge and the future threat schlatt poses if he sticks around. phil can see this as the opportunity it is and knows that wilbur is going to have to pull something like this eventually, so he's doing the helpful parental guidance thing. with political murder. totally normal and healthy bonding activities with your 19 year old son.

once again, I'm thinking about the tragedy of rose!wilbur and rose!niki. there was no reason for wilbur not to go to niki. he had every reason not to go to tommy. but he was never going to choose niki. not after l'mannes. not after what he and tommy went through.

also just want to point out that there's actually zero evidence that wilbur had anything to do with schlatt's death. even an eyewitness account claiming that they say him putting something in schlatt's drink would have to be backed up by someone finding the vial in his cloak, but he smashed it to pieces the moment he got back to his room like phil told him to. there's no written correspondence about the plan because wilbur, phil, and techno only ever discussed it in person. and while an eyewitness accusation might be enough to get some people convicted, when you're accusing the son of the consil himself it's not. so unless some other evidence magically appears he'll get away with it scot free

yes you understand exactly what the point of that scene was. the entire scene was designed to show wilbur finally being forced to choose between tommy and niki. even if he hasn't admitted it to himself yet, he's now tied himself to tommy. and of course it wasn't fair to tommy whatsoever. wilbur had the option to go to someone else, wilbur had the option to not do anything at all and let phil handle it because phil told him he had alternative plans, but wilbur didn't want to do that. so he dragged the 13 year old into his murder plot and now tommy will have that on his conscience for the rest of his life. it's not fair to him whatsoever.

[lloydasspound]

Um Pokemon brainrot came back for the 7299292th time. Lloyd edition

Insane person ramblings below cut^_^

I think there are two major routes you can take when attempting to Pokemonize Lloyd. The first is just making him Colress. They are functionally the same character- similar interests, motivations, and morals. AKA generic mad scientist who wishes to create "the strongest machine/weapon/i dont even know", who doesn't care about the violence or sacrifice, arguably works for the wrong side, and remains friendly to the main characters anyway. Like, there genuinely is not much to expand upon there. Just pop out Colress and snap Lloyd into his place and there you go I guess.

(BTW Colress was one of the first characters I was ever deeply obsessed with as a kid. This does not mean anything)

The second route is trying to replace Lloyd's interests with machines into something canon typical that also reflects his role in the series. Unsubtle way of looking you in the eyes and telling you I want him to be a Pokemon Regional Professor so bad because I said so.

(Colress was my original but the chokehold Professor Sycamore has had on me for over a year now......I am not biased at all umm)

While a Pokemon Professor is probably a littleee too goody two shoes and social for Lloyd, it is The role that always implies extreme amounts of research in some dedicated niche. Lloyd can exclusively research man-made/object inspired Pokemon or something! Close enough to robots. Either way, the whole plot of the game is that the Professor chooses a small batch of kids, gives them a strong Pokemon to start off, and then tells them to go collect data, while the kids usually end up changing the world instead. Lloyd's whole role in Code Geass is he gives a strong weapon to Suzaku in exchange for him collecting data, and then Suzaku goes and does fuck whatever with it until the planet is fixed I don't know. Literally the same! And honestly, we just deserve a Pokemon Professor who is a bit of an unlikeable freak.

I do not think Lloyd would care about battling much and I do not think he really cares about Pokemon themselves a whole lot either! But their abilities and possibilities would probably interest him similarly to how he is invested in Knightmares. And even if he acts like he doesn't care, he definitely has a little litter of Aron sleeping in his house.

Anyway code geass pokemon crossover is NEVER going to happen but I think it is silly. There an an Alcremie sitting on his table

[weyrwolfen]

Eidola: Chapter 20 - CT-22-1981 Snap

Rating: T

Characters: Gen, Clone Trooper OCs, Captain Rex, Ahsoka Tano, and other canon members of the 501st/332nd and the Bad Batch

Warnings: canon-typical violence; references to self-harm, injuries, and substance abuse; PTSD; it’s post-Order 66 and nobody is having a good time (but they’re all working on it)

Summary: The mission was never to bring down the Empire. Not really. The mission was to save every single one of their chipped brothers. But if doing do helped break the Empire’s stranglehold on the galaxy? Well, that was just a bonus.

“The kriff are those?” Snap asked without thinking. He almost flinched at his own language, half-expecting somebody to call him on the profanity. But there weren’t any kids around anymore, so he could say kriff again, all he wanted.

Osik’la consolation prize. He missed Gida and the other Lawquane kids already.

Fuse set down the odd carrier full of vials, each containing slips of some kind of plant, suspended in a hydrating nutrient gel. The leaves were dark green with rusty orange veins, but Snap didn’t recognize them. Cut had made sure they knew everything there was to know about the plants they’d been keeping on base, and whatever these ones were, they were new.

“A soporific, hopefully,” the medic said, leaning against the work bench. Snap pulled a sour expression, to which Fuse elaborated. “A sleep aid. Apparently you can dry out the leaves and make a tea with them.”

Right.

“A tea, huh?” Snap asked, not really expecting an answer. Kriffing everybody on base seemed to have sleep issues, at least some of the time. Insomnia. Nightmares. Whatever. Snap definitely had, especially at first. He’d kind of evened out over the last several months, but he still had his moments.

“It’s not as strong as the tabs, but at least it’s not habit forming,” Fuse answered anyway. “If we can get a decent crop of our own going, then we won’t have to worry about spotty supply issues either.”

Well, alright then. Half of their hydroponics units had been emptied out and the plants shipped off to Wadj, so it wasn’t like they didn’t have the room to experiment.

“What’s it’s chem-profile?” Snap nudging aside the box of scraps he’d been about to take to the reptavian colony and leaning closer to the mystery plants. He pulled one of the vials out of the carrier and gave it a closer look. At least it had been grown in something similar to the matrix their own machines used. If they’d been in actual kirffing dirt, like those pop-peas Rasp had brought back… what? Two missions ago? Kriffing nightmare, prepping those for the frames, and half of them had died anyway.

“Uh, no idea,” Fuse admitted, fishing a small datastick out of one of his belt pouches. “But they came with this?”

Snap took the stick and scowled. “Came from where?” he asked.

Fuse shrugged. “It was in the latest delivery of supplies the Mandalorians unloaded.”

That might be good news. Their grow units were Mando-design, maybe they’d luck out and whatever data was on this stick would have the correct chem codes up front and center. If not, Snap would have to figure out how to manually program one of the units again. He was pretty certain he remembered how to do that.

He was a heavy gunner, not a kriffing farmer. This hadn’t been part of his training.

But Cut and Suu had worked hard to teach Snap and his brothers before they’d shipped out, and Snap wasn’t going to let them down.

He grumbled a thanks to Fuse, who took that as his cue to beat a retreat back out of the workroom door.

There was a stack of datapads tossed on the end of the long workbench. Snap picked one up at random and plugged in the datastick. It took a second, but the file did eventually open.

Snap glanced through the text. Apparently the plant was called maara vine, chem profile 3, light level 1. Easy enough.

“Hat Trick!” Snap yelled, pretty certain that his brothers wouldn’t have worked their way so far down the halls as to be out of easy earshot.

The reptavians screeched in response from the neighboring room.

“Yeah?” Hat Trick said a few moments later, leaning over into the doorway.

“Can you handle this?” Snap asked, nodding vaguely in the direction of the crate of scraps. “The medics just dropped a project on me.”

Hat Trick grumbled something, no doubt uncomplimentary, under his breath, but he did pick up the crate and hit the door panel with his elbow. The demanding edge to the reptavians’ shrieks intensified when the door slid open.

Snap scrolled through the text, eyes catching on the pertinent sections. He traded the pad off to one hand and picked up the cradle of slips in the other. There was an isolated growing rack in the room Suu had set aside for the cadets’ science modules. It would probably be a good idea to keep these things separate from the food crops. Accidentally dosing the entire base’s meals with a sleep aid didn’t seem like a smart plan.

A group of Mandalorians had taken over the training mats in the back of the base’s gym, which was setting Snap on edge. It wasn’t like he’d been planning on sparring this shift, but he tended to get his hackles up around unfamiliar natborns.

Usually, this was a peak time for the gym facilities on base, but so many brothers had shipped out that the space felt weirdly empty, even with the addition of five Mandalorians. Not that Snap was entirely alone with them, there were a few other brothers in the room. Ajax was on one of the inclined benches, doing sit ups with a weight held against his chest. Whelk was guiding Feral through a few exercises.

Snap stacked his armor against one of the walls and took a few minutes to stretch out. Then he picked out a weight machine which would let him keep an eye on the rest of the room. The scavenged and improvised training equipment relied on actual, metal weights instead of grav-resistance generators, but Snap found he didn’t mind the clank of the objectively more primitive gear. He set the weight a notch higher than he had last time, settled into the chair, and curled his hands around the grips.

Counting reps wasn’t nearly enough to keep his mind fully occupied, but the Mandalorians were providing more than enough of a distraction. He didn’t know any of their names, but their armor was distinct enough that he was starting to recognize at least some of them on sight.

Black Cuirass with the Red Chevrons was currently kicking Orange Spaulders with the Weird Spikes around the informal ring. One of the ones he’d heard called a Nite Owl was acting as a referee or a spotter. Her armor was painted in the same colors as Kryze’s, mostly blues and grays, but it was far simpler in design. Two others, Three Shades of Green and Gold and Gray Stripes were standing off to one side, helmets angled towards one another, clearly talking about something, even if Snap was far too far away to overhear.

He couldn’t see any of their faces, but if he had to guess, Snap would have said that Orange Spaulders was younger than Black and Red, even if he was the taller and broader of the two by quite a bit. He was fast, but uncoordinated to a degree that would have gotten a sixth-year cadet sent to remedial training. Or worse. Black and Red, by comparison, moved like she knew what she was doing. The two of them were sparring with blades, and every point Not-Kryze had called so far had been in Black and Red’s favor.

The longer the fight went on, the more one-sided it became. Orange Spaulders was obviously letting his frustration get the better of him, getting more aggressive and less controlled with each successive attack. Black and Red wasn’t having any of it, dancing just outside of her opponent’s range and adding some well-placed kicks whenever he tried to charge her.

Not-Kryze called the match, right after Snap had finished adjusting his machine’s grips to their next configuration and started on his second set of reps.

Kark, that kid was skimming for trouble. He stomped out of the ring, body language all but shouting his anger and embarrassment. Snap snorted to himself, thinking of all of the karking awful osik that would have happened to him or any one of his brothers if they’d dared to act like that with one of their trainers.

And then, the puffed up di’kut turned and said something to Feral and Whelk, who were the closest two clones to the sparring ring. Whelk’s head snapped up at whatever had been said, but Feral?

Feral froze.

And then he bared his teeth in a way that couldn’t have ever been misinterpreted as a smile.

The weights slammed down with a sharp clang of abused metal when Snap released his grips mid-rep and rose.

Given his name, Snap would lay good credits on Feral always having been a little bit off, but anymore he came across as brittle, in a dangerous kind of way. He reacted oddly to things. Unpredictably. And maybe Snap had been in the 437th during the war, not the 501st, but Feral had been assigned to hydroponics, and that meant he was Snap’s responsibility.

And Snap was going to tear a strip out of that puffed up natborn, for whatever the kark he’d said to his little brother to get such a reaction.

Whelk had already moved to put himself between the Mandalorians and his brother. Snap didn’t hear what the medic was saying. Truthfully, he didn’t hear much of anything, except for a distant ringing in his ears. His vision had tunneled down dangerously as he crossed the room.

Snap was maybe six steps away from introducing himself to Orange Pauldrons, fist first, when someone intercepted him, fingers driving inward against the inside of Snap’s left bicep and down toward the bone, which sent a jolt of burning pain shooting along Snap’s nerves and made his arm involuntarily jerk back in a pained, defensive curl.

Kark, that really kriffing hurt.

Karking Corries.

Because of course it was Ajax. Of course it was. Whatever the kriff those painful ‘grab-and-squeeze’ techniques were, they weren’t part of the standard training regimen back on Kamino. And Ajax liked to feign complete ignorance whenever any of his brothers tried to ask him about them.

At least the moment Snap’s forward momentum stopped, Ajax loosened his grip enough for Snap to catch his breath. Kriffing ow.

“… Still recovering from a head injury,” Ajax was saying, when Snap got his head on straight enough to actually listen. Ajax was also giving Feral a hard side eye. “So, no. CT-37-4148 will not be cleared for sparring any time soon. However, CT-22-1981 or I would be happy to spar with any of you.”

Snap wasn’t sure if the use of their designation numbers was intentional, or if Ajax was also slipping into old habits around unfamiliar natborns.

He also didn’t exactly care all that much, just then.

Movement on the periphery of his vision drew Snap’s attention, and he tensed when he noticed Three Greens easing his hand off his holstered blaster.

Ajax’s hand went slightly tighter again, in obvious warning.

Snap didn’t relax, but he also kept his mouth shut. Kriff.

Apparently even Orange Pauldrons had realized he’d stepped in osik, if the tense, defensive set of his shoulders was any indication. He did manage to mumble a very half-hearted, awkward, “Uh, sure.” And then, when Not-Kryze shifted her stance pointedly, he amended, “I mean, I would be honored to.”

Ajax gave Whelk a very pointed look, and the 501st medic nodded minutely. Feral didn’t look very happy with being herded up off his bench and away from the situation, but he went along with it anyway. No one sane crossed a medic, and even if Feral wasn’t always on the right side of that line, even fewer of the clones on base would cross any of the Corries.

“I’ll suit up,” Snap said, eyes sliding back to Orange Pauldrons. The kriff had that overly-tall shebs said?

Ajax nodded, but he didn’t move to do the same. “You prefer blades?” he asked casually.

Too casually.

Snap refrained from snorting. So it was going to be like that?

By the time he’d strapped on his lower plate and rose to start in on his upper armor, Ajax was already in the ring, completely unarmored, holding two blunted practice knives against Orange Pauldrons’ full plate and powered down vibroblades.

Snap knew where he would place his wagers though.

“First to ten points,” Not-Kryze was saying, when Snap walked back within easy hearing distance, bucket in hand. She had her arms crossed over her cuirass, but her helmet was canted at an angle Snap would have called ‘dubious,’ or maybe even ‘concerned.’

But Ajax, unarmored and functionally unarmed as he was, just nodded and said, “Understood.”

Not-Kryze simply stepped back out of the ring, dropping her arms and making a brief gesture of invitation with one hand. Under her breath, Snap could just hear her mutter under her breath, “Your funeral.”

Ajax didn’t look terribly concerned. He simply widened his stance and raised both practice daggers in a reverse grip, dulled edges facing forward and down.

Orange Pauldrons looked conflicted. He was tense, obviously knowing he’d stuck his foot in it, but his pride was also stung. He took an uneasy stance of his own, single vibroblade leading, balled fist back and ready to punch.

Ajax just waited, expression so blank he almost looked bored.

Orange Pauldrons stepped forward, making a small feint with his blade.

Ajax stepped smoothly to the side, squaring back up with his opponent.

One more cautious jab, then another, slightly more emphatic. Then Orange Pauldrons lunged forward, fully committing to a powerful, backhanded slash with his blade.

The Corrie dropped low under the attack, left arm raised, knife angled up to catch or block any retaliatory swipe, and slammed his other fist, gripped around the hilt of his other practice blade, into the inside of Orange Pauldron’s right knee, in the gap between the man’s cuisse and greave.

The leg buckled.

Ajax rose even as his opponent staggered, catching Orange Pauldron’s arm in the hook made between the back of his blade and his left vambrace, right hand reversing, then diverting at the last second so that the side of his forearm, and not the tip of the practice knife, struck the side of the Mando’s neck, up close to the juncture where his helmet just covered his jaw line.

Orange Pauldrons dropped like a stone.

The other Mandos shifted there own stances at that, clearly adjusting their assessment of the fight unfolding in the ring between them.

Snap probably should have put his bucket on. He was having a hard time not smirking, because he clearly knew something Not-Kryze and the other Mandalorians were only starting to suspect.

Ajax was pulling his punches.

That knee-strike could have been debilitating if Ajax had wanted it to be, tearing up cartilage and tendons to the point that only bacta could have really fixed it.

Ajax wasn’t an ARC, or an RC, or any of the other named designations for special forces within the GAR. The Corries weren’t exactly sharing whatever hierarchies and training specializations the Guard had built for itself, but the three of them had been on a hand-picked team which had been sent to Mandalore and help subdue a rogue Sith. None of them were pushovers, the rare times their brothers could entice any of them into the ring, but of the three Guards, Ajax was indisputably the best.

Orange Pauldrons rolled on his side with a muted groan and pushed himself unsteadily to his feet.

Not-Kryze cleared her throat, but her voice was cool and steady when she said, “One, zero.”

Orange Pauldrons took a more defensive stance and waited, right leg visibly wobbling, clearly meaning to approach the rest of this fight with a little more caution.

Ajax obliged him, leaping forward with a quick series of punches and kicks. The Mando did manage to successfully block them, but he was also back on his heels, fully on the defensive.

And that was clearly what Ajax wanted, because the second Orange Pauldrons misjudged, staggering on his injured leg, Ajax was on him, deflecting his left arm high and directing an upwardly angled punch into his unarmored armpit.

Snap, having never actually been punched in the armpit before, didn’t know what the kriff Ajax had hit with that move, but Orange Pauldrons made a noise that sounded like the worst parts of a wheeze and a squawk.

Kriffing Corries.

Snap broke down and decided to put his helmet on, because he was dying here, and he didn’t trust in his ability to keep a straight face for much longer.

Not-Kryze looked at Orange Pauldrons, who was bent double, left arm tucked against his chest, clearly trying to catch his breath. “Two, zero,” she said, and then asked, tone flat, “Zane, are you out?”

“No,” Orange Pauldrons, Zane, managed to say as he straightened into a defensive stance once more, bristling angrily.

A very small, Snap would call it mean, smile curled up one side of Ajax’s mouth.

He took a ready stance very close to Zane, almost daring the Mando to reach out and grab his unarmored opponent.

And because the only thing keeping Zane on his feet was pride, and because Ajax was intentionally stinging it, the di’kut lunged forward and tried to do just that.

Except Ajax threw one of his knives at the man’s visor and followed through with the unexpected distraction by driving his heel onto the top of Orange Pauldron’s booted foot. His synthleather, not beskar, covered foot.

Caught thoroughly off guard from yet another unexpected burst of pain and flailing to regain his compromised balance, Orange Pauldrons barely seemed to notice when Ajax dropped low to sweep his other foot out from under him.

He hit the ground hard, helmeted head clanging loudly against the floor.

Ajax, retrieved his knife and rose, dropping into a ready stance again.

Zane looked up at him briefly and then let his head drop back down on the floor again. “Yeah, no. I’m done,” he admitted, sounding hoarse through his helmet’s vocoder.

Ajax nodded and offered the Mandalorian a hand up.

Snap wasn’t particularly discrete about the fist bump he offered Ajax when the Guard walked past him, but when Ajax returned the congratulatory gesture with an otherwise blank, composed face, Snap also leaned over and whispered just loud enough for his bucket’s mic to engage, “What the kriff did he say to Feral and Whelk?”

“He asked if they had ever fought a Force user,” Ajax said quietly. “I suspect he meant Maul, but Feral and Whelk took it about like you’d expect.”

Force. They were lucky Feral hadn’t dove on the di’kut, right then and there. Everybody knew, but nobody talked about what had happened on Coruscant, when the Order had gone out. That had been true, even before the eight 501st survivors had been brought back from Hadros.

Something of Snap’s scowl must have shown through his bucket, because Ajax said, “Weaver and I will handle any explanations, but I suspect it won’t be necessary.” He glanced pointedly over his shoulder, and Snap turned to follow the pointed look. Not-Kryze and Gold and Gray were hovering over Orange Pauldrons, who had slumped back down against the wall. It looked like the two of them were giving the shiny, and with his helmet off he looked barely old enough to even be a shiny, what looked to be a very quiet, but very thorough dressing down.

Good.

They did not need a bunch of Mandos accidentally dumping salt into those particular wounds. Not if they wanted to maintain the uneasy peace on base.

Ajax gave Snap a pointed look, and then continued off in the direction of his own armor, point apparently made.

“So,” Snap drawled, catching the Mandalorians’ attention. “Any takers for another spar?”

Three Shades of Green crossed his arms across his cuirass and snorted. “Depends,” he said in a deep, oddly accented voice. “Do you fight as well as him?”

Snap grinned under his bucket, and even though he knew he wasn’t in Ajax’s league, he still answered with, “Only one way to find out.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Snap grumbled, hitting the control pad with his elbow. “Calm the kriff down.”

The reptavians, if they understood him at all, did not calm the kriff down. In fact, they only got louder. The ear-splitting screeching did settle down into slightly more tolerable hissing when he opened the cover on the food chute and poured in the day’s allotment of kitchen and gardening waste.

They were pretty little things, mean as osik and vicious, but brightly colored. Snap and his brothers collected the feathers, whenever they cleaned out the enclosure, but it was more out of force of habit than anything else. Ris wasn’t using them in lessons for the cadets anymore, and Ferin wasn’t popping in at off hours to request stuffing for the bedding and soft tubie toys Suu had asked him to make for Gida.

It felt wrong to just incinerate them though. Wasteful. Maybe they’d figure out something else to do with them.

One of the bigger females took a flying leap over her sisters and hit the grate in front of Snap’s face and clung, sharp talons catching on the heavy metal wires which twisted together to make the walls of the cage. He jerked, spilling some of the food waste on the floor for his troubles.

“Duchess, you shebs,” he said, shaking the last few scraps into the chute and then setting the empty crate aside. He bent down to pick up the scattered fruit peels and other, less identifiable bits of organic debris. When he rose and moved to drop them into the chute, the reptavian, Duchess, hissed and rattled at the walls of her cage indignantly.

Snap sighed, but shifted the pile of scraps into one hand so he could poke one of the larger pieces of peel through the study, metal grate.

The violent little ingrate snapped the orange sliver of rind and threw her head back, swallowing the food in one go.

He offered her another piece.

He really shouldn’t get attached to any of the reptavians, they were here to be food after all, but he couldn’t really help himself. Duchess was a little shabuir, but she had an unusually bright, blue-green crest of feathers down her back, and he’d named her, so that was apparently that.

Honestly, it was a safe enough choice. The brothers assigned to the kitchens had gotten into a habit of taking the males for meat, once their red-ruffed manes came in, but leaving the females behind to keep laying more eggs. It wasn’t like she was going to end up in his rations any time soon.

Not that he’d been eating the reptavian meat dishes lately anyway. But that was just because he didn’t like the flavor. Really.

Snap poked the last bit of food through the cage and then showed his hands, back and front, like a sabacc dealer. “No more,” he said, and the little osik hissed at him anyway. As if there wasn’t a giant pile of additional scraps in the bin on the floor. “You can karking well fight your sisters for the rest.”

The reptavian cocked her head to one side and gave him the most scathing glare out of her bright, red eye, before seemingly taking his words at face value, leaping down off of the wall of the cage and landing on two of her siblings, who screeched in indignation.

While the flock was thoroughly distracted, he walked around the corner of the cage and started unlatching and sliding open the nesting drawers.

Cut had walked Snap through the process of sorting eggs before he’d shipped out. The trick was, they changed colors when they were fertilized. The off-white eggs went straight into the freshly emptied crate, while the darker tan ones stayed in the drawers to hatch the next round of voracious little monsters. Any eggs with a more ambiguous color could be held up to the room’s overhead lights. The fertilized ones usually had an opaque band of shell around the middle.

There were enough unfertilized eggs this time to fill the bottom of the crate, carefully stacked three deep.

Maybe they could get the Mandos who’d signed on to take shifts in the mess to make more of that spicy egg casserole.

He’d left his helmet in the workroom while he’d dealt with the reptavians. After he punched a message into his vambrace alerting Spoons that the eggs were ready for pickup, he picked it up and noticed an alert flashing inside. Pulling it on, he found a message from Weaver waiting.

Apparently the Guard wanted to know if Snap would be interested in the additional help, which, kriff yes! Especially since they were expecting a bunch of returning Mandos as soon as the mission to Abainya was settled. Reading further, he found the catch.

The whole list of volunteers was made up of unfamiliar, Mandalorian names.

He’d have to ask if Delta, Link, and the other 501st brothers would be willing to put up with them though. That might be a hard sell. As for Snap himself, he found he didn’t mind the idea that much.

“New toy?” Snap asked, grabbing the seat next to Tenor. Somebody had shoved the exercise equipment into even closer quarters to make room for two rows of metal-composite benches scrounged up from kark even knew where. He could have stayed upstairs to eat his lunch, but why do that when he could take in a show instead?

Tenor looked up from the small knife he’d been rolling over and over in his hands. It was a simple-looking thing, barely longer than his hand, with a straight spine, a curved edge, and a handle wrapped in some kind of braided cordage. Definitely non-regulation, but the edge looked sharp enough.

“I guess so,” Tenor finally replied. He sounded weirdly conflicted. “Woves showed me how to make it.”

Snap speared one of the cubed, red chunks out of his bowl – a Difranian helituber [chem profile 2a, light level 6], unless he missed his mark – and stuck it in his mouth, chewing slowly and considering. He’d really thought he’d learned all of their newest brothers’ names at this point, but he didn’t know anybody on base named Woves.

“Who’s Woves?” he finally asked, stabbing at another tuber chunk.

Tenor eyed Snap for a second before his gaze pointedly slid across the still-empty sparring ring, to the Mandalorians clustered on their own set of benches. There was a wide gulf of empty space between them, but Tenor’s voice still dropped low when he answered, “See the pale one in the gray and green armor?”

Wait, Woves wasn’t a brother?

It didn’t take long for Snap to find his target. Tenor hadn’t been kidding about the man being pale. Pale hair, pale skin, pale shades of green and gray over a pale gray bodysuit. He was speaking to two other men whose armor Snap did not recognize. “The one who looks like he fell in a vat of bleaching agent?” he asked, also speaking in a quiet tone of voice.

“Uh huh,” Tenor said, carefully testing the edge of the blade with his thumb. “I don’t know. He says he owes Buckler for something, but Buckler shipped out, so I guess I’m the next best thing.”

Snap’s eyes widened suddenly, looking down at the odd blade in a new light. “That’s not…” he trailed off.

“Beskar?” Tenor asked with a snort. “No. Just some spare alloy the recycler kicked out.”

Oh. That was a little disappointing. But still… “Think he’ll teach you how to make armor too?”

Tenor’s expression twisted weirdly again. “Maybe?”

That had a lot of potential. It wasn’t exactly a secret that while plastoid was cheap and easy to work with, it wasn’t the strongest material out there. Snap wore his armor like a second skin and poured his soul into maintaining his paint, but at the end of the day, his plate was mass-produced gear for a mass-produced army. “Let me know when you start taking orders for durasteel,” he said, only half joking. He was sure the Reaper and Raider teams would get first dibs, but just because he wasn’t on the front lines anymore didn’t mean he’d turn down a sizable upgrade in his equipment.

“Who’s taking durasteel orders?” Ding asked, sitting down on the bench behind Snap and Tenor. Some of the remaining brothers from engineering and the deck crew were filing in after him.

“Nobody,” Tenor grumbled.

“Tenor,” Snap said, at the exact same time.

Ding looked back and forth between the two of them, one eyebrow inching upwards.

Tenor just heaved a very put-upon sigh and said, “One of the Mandos taught me how to make this.” He held up the cord-wrapped blade. “And Snap’s reading way too far into it.”

“Let me see,” Ding said, sticking out a hand, palm up, for the knife.

Tenor handed it over, and Ding eyed it appreciatively.

Snap didn’t comment, even if he was sorely tempted to. He didn’t actually think he was reading too far into anything. Mandalorians took their weapons and armor very seriously, and they had this whole cultural thing about making them. Instead, he just speared a spike shoot [chem profile 2, light level 2], popped it in his mouth, and chewed on it.

“They’re certainly trying awfully hard to win us over,” Ding said, flipping the knife around and handing it back to Tenor hilt first.

Snap pointed his empty fork at Ding. “Right?” he said, thinking of the first batch of maara vine leaves he’d passed along to the medics.

Tenor just glowered.

Snap didn’t know what the kriff his problem was.

“But we’re still under orders to conceal the location of our other bases,” Tenor finally said.

Arches leaned around Ding, joining the conversation with, “You think they’ve told us about all of theirs?”

“No,” Tenor replied, sharp and obviously annoyed. “But I also think Lady Kryze hand-picked people who were the most likely to keep the peace.”

“And then threatened them if they didn’t,” Arches agreed.

This was all starting to sound an awful lot like politics, which was firmly Corrie business and not Snap’s.

But at the same time, he wasn’t sure he agreed with the political conclusions his brothers had reached, so he asked Tenor, “Think she asked Woves to teach you how to make knives?”

Tenor didn’t have a quick answer for that, cynical or otherwise.

Neither did any of the others.

“So, speaking of Corrie business,” Ding finally said, clearly dropping the subject. “Ajax is fighting…” he scanned the board some enterprising brother had hung up on the wall. “Ergan Vayn. Who the kriff is Ergan Vayn?”

“Red helmet,” Cutter volunteered, from his seat a few spots down from Ding. “And the cuirass painted to look like a ribcage.”

Right. Snap actually did recognize him.

And after that would be Zipps, who’d joined a few other brothers in erasing his number from the bracket and replaced it with his actual name, and Black and Red, whose name Snap had finally learned was Lytra Krest.

She’d knocked Snap out of the competition yesterday, and while his back still smarted from the bout, he couldn’t exactly argue with the way it had ended. Krest was kriffing quick and fierce. Zipps was going to have a time with her.

“The Abainya mission went well, so Captain Rex should be getting back soon,” Snap said, leaning back to grin at Cutter. “Rumor is, he’s going to fight whoever wins this bracket.”

That got some very interested looks.

“And does the Captain know about that?” Ocher asked dryly.

Snap grinned.

“Weaver’s supposed to tell him.”

The mess was packed, with third shift cycling off for their late meal and sleep cycle, first shift grabbing caff before rotating on duty, and several newly arrived Mandalorians, fresh from Abainya. Half of them were missing pieces of armor, exposing bacta bandages and a variety of medical braces underneath. The smell of burn cream filled the room, even over the sharp scent of heavily spiced food.

Snap tried to make his way through the room without bumping into anybody, assuming for every injury he could see, there were probably three more hidden under body suits and armor plates.

He found Ocher and Nails already at the caff station. Ocher was adding sweetener to his caff, but Nails was filling his own mug out of a smaller carafe containing hot water. Snap wouldn’t have pegged Nails for a tea-drinker, but whatever.

Except the little fabric pouch he dropped in the cup had a medical tag hanging off of it, and Snap’s sleep-fuzzy brain finally made the connection.

“How’s that working?” he asked Nails, nodding at the mug in his brother’s hands.

Nails looked up sharply, as if expecting some kind of a trap, but after only a moment’s pause, he just shrugged. “Well enough,” he admitted, but then he grimaced a little. “It’s bitter as all kriff.”

“Ask Fuse if you can add some sweetener or something,” Snap suggested, reaching for a cup of his own. “Gotta be something that can mask the flavor without mucking with the effects.”

Nails scrunched up his nose, but he didn’t outright reject the suggestion.

The caff sloshed into Snap’s mug, near to overflowing. He bent awkwardly to sip some of the excess off, so he wouldn’t spill more.

“Let me know when you’re headed out to-,” Snap paused, eyes landing on the closest Mandalorians, and rapidly adjusted what he’d been about to say. “Your old corps, and I’ll pack up a couple of the plants for you.”

He probably should have run that past Fuse or one of the other medics first, but whatever. If the tea was working, it was working, and Snap knew perfectly kriffing well that their brothers on Wadj were having at least as many sleep issues as the ones stationed on the Draboon VIII base.

If anything, Nails’ expression got even more sour. “I’ll probably kill it.”

And now it was Snap’s turn to shrug. “So give it to somebody with a clue,” he said, picking up his cup and stepping a little to the side, so he wasn’t blocking access to the caff anymore. “I’ll send instructions. They’re kriffing hard to kill.”

Truthfully, the vines were growing like weeds. Snap was going to have to start cutting them back one way or the other, and he knew perfectly kriffing well how many grow racks they’d packed up to send with the Lawquanes.

Nails nodded, coming to some conclusion that made him square his shoulders a little. “I’m on the next ship out,” he said.

“Good,” Snap replied, because it was good news, even if it didn’t leave him much time to prep the plants for transport. “I’ll get some cuttings ready to go.”

The Captain turned to eye Weaver flatly. “This is the ‘diplomatic effort’ you needed my assistance to pull off?” he asked, tone very dry.

A wave of badly suppressed snickers rippled through the crowd, clone and Mandalorian alike. The gym was packed, standing room only, even with extra chairs dragged in from all over base. Snap had given his entire team the shift off to attend, and he was pretty certain the other teams on base had done the same. No kriffing way was he going to miss this, but hopefully somebody was off minding the comms and life support systems.

Weaver, to his credit, didn’t quail under the Captain’s thinly veiled accusation. “It has been remarkably good for morale and inter-faction cooperation in your absence, Sir,” he said mildly.

Captain Rex sighed like his soul was leaving his body, and he eyed Ajax critically.

Ajax, who was already in the ring with his bucket tucked under one arm, just smiled placidly.

Kriff.

Never let it be said that the Corries lacked stones.

“I’m guessing Commander Fox gave you some pointers?” the Captain asked, sounding more than a little resigned.

Ajax’s smile got just a little sharper. “No more than Commander Cody gave you, Sir.”

The Captain pulled on his bucket and asked, “Rules of engagement?”

“First to ten points,” Panz said. And wasn’t that saying something, that they’d tagged a medic to referee this fight?

“First to submission,” Ajax countered blandly, tugging on his own helmet.

The Captain tipped his head to one side, then the other, obviously making a show of stretching out the muscles along his shoulders. “First to submission,” he agreed.

Panz looked like he wanted to murder both of them.

Weaver held out a hand expectantly, and Captain Rex’s shoulders moved like he’d just huffed a laugh which was too quiet to be picked up by his helmet’s internal mic system. He drew both of his blasters and handed them off, but he didn’t stop there. His charge packs followed, then a pair of thermal detonators, and then he unsnapped his pauldron and draped it over Weaver’s arm before loosening his utility belt to access the fasteners for his kamas.

Ajax’s smile widened into a grin that showed off most of his teeth.

Snap figured he knew where the Captain was coming from. He wouldn’t want to offer up the Corrie any free hand holds either.

Manx elbowed Snap in the ribs and tipped a bowl of fried, spiced legumes [chem profile 7, light level 3] in offering.

Kriff, yeah. Snap took a handful and popped one in his mouth.

“You got any bets riding on this?” Manx asked.

Di’kutla question. Everybody had bets riding on this fight. Maybe not in credits, but in favors and intel, shift assignments and bragging rights. Snap had overheard three Mandalorians joking about proposing marriage to the winner. At least, he thought they’d been joking.

“Captain Rex, of course,” Snap said, with only the smallest flicker of doubt. Betting against the Captain was generally a losing proposition, but Ajax was really kriffing good. One way or the other, it was going to be one haran of a show.

By the time Captain Rex stepped into the ring, he’d pretty well stripped down to his bare plate, with only a single vibroblade hanging off of his belt, which seemed only fair, because Ajax had also kept his two knives in the custom sheath he kept in the small of his back. Neither one of them drew their weapons though, they just fell in on either side of the wide ring, watching one another.

“I will call the match, if I think it’s medically necessary to do so,” Panz said darkly and then stepped back, out of the ring.

How the kriff the medic managed to make being a total wet blanket so threatening was a complete mystery to Snap.

But apparently that was all the signal either man needed, because both of them were moving, Ajax in a wide circle and Captain Rex in a smaller pivot, tracking his opponent without giving ground, letting the Guard close distance, if that was what he really wanted.

Apparently Ajax did want that exact thing, because he was abruptly spinning, directing a kick towards the outside of Captain Rex’s leading knee.

Kriff, he was fast, but Captain Rex was a gen one, amongst the oldest CTs in the GAR, and that experience showed. He drew back, just enough to shift out of immediate range.

If Snap had been in the ring, he’d have surged forward, trying to take advantage of Ajax’s exposed back when the initial kick missed, except the Guard wasn’t stopping, continuing his rotation even as he dropped lower, pivoting to the opposite foot and then following through with sweeping reverse kick at the Captain’s ankle.

But it looked like the Captain had anticipated that move as well, because he shifted his stance one more time, lifting his foot just high enough to pass over Ajax’s lightning-quick kick. Then he planted his foot and followed through with a kick of his own, with the full weight of his body twisting to add force to the blow.

Ajax managed to roll away, tumbling with the force of the kick and darting back up to his feet, seemingly unscathed, with an unnecessary, almost playful bounce in his stance.

One of the Mandos whooped, breaking the breathless silence of the crowd.

“Get him!” one of Snap’s brothers, probably Boar, shouted.

Snap had no idea which ‘him’ that was directed at, but it probably didn’t matter.

He kind of felt like he should have been taking notes: Ajax’s speed and precision against Captain Rex’s economy of movement and punishingly powerful blows.

When Snap would have tried for a block or a dodge, the Captain accepted the hit, shifting just enough that Ajax’s strike glanced off of his armor instead of the more vulnerable spots exposed between the plates. That gave him a fraction of a second more time to close distance with the Guard and slam a knee into Ajax’s side with enough force to make the plastoid creak in protest.

Instead of retreating out of the range of one of Captain Rex’s incoming punches, which was definitely what Snap would have tried, Ajax actually twisted to the side, reaching up and grabbing the outside of the Captain’s wrist with his right hand and then snapping an open palm against the back of Rex’s elbow. And maybe the hit didn’t land exactly dead on, because the Captain was already shifting his trajectory to minimize the damage, but it certainly got his entire attention.

Snap normally would have been yelling out suggestions and making additional side bets, but he found himself utterly riveted. Sure he barked out a laugh or cheered when one of them managed to pull off some ridiculous move, but he didn’t exactly have the words. This was ARC osik, or whatever version of that training the Guard had put together for itself. The kind of half-mad druk that would have had them digging latrines for the duration of the war if their commanding officers had ever caught them pulling such dini’la stunts mid-battle.

Except this wasn’t a battle, which was kind of the whole point. It was fun.

Ajax had somehow managed to rip off the Captain’s belt, for some karking reason. It had ended up tossed into the crowd and picked up by Weaver for safe keeping.

Snap wasn’t sure what the kriff Ajax’s plan had been, because that stunt had been both intentional and the source of his current limp. Seemed pretty stupid, just highly, uncharacteristically di’kutla to Snap, but whatever. All it had managed to do was made the Captain’s plackart hang a little awkwardly low. It wasn’t even affecting his movement noticeably.

Of course, the Captain had picked up a slight limp of his own from one of Ajax’s sharp punches which had actually managed to land more or less on target, and that was affecting his mobility at least a little.

Which was a kriff-ton more than Snap probably could have managed against either of them, so maybe he should withhold judgment.

Except then Ajax tried to tackle Captain Rex head on, which ended up earning him one haran of a slam to the mat, followed by a swift kick across the bucket, hard enough to break its magnetic seal and spinning it dangerously to the side, no doubt utterly karking his vision. So maybe Snap had seriously overestimated Ajax’s previous displays of intelligence and strategy.

But then Manx sucked in a sharp breath, drawing Snap’s attention back to the Captain, and holy kriffing kark! Was that a vibroblade hilt sticking out of the Captain’s ribs?

Kark. It was!

Granted, it wasn’t in all that deep, just kind of jammed in between the Captain’s hanging plackart and his cuirass. For just a moment, Captain Rex stood perfectly still, his arms frozen at his side like a statue. Then, one hand inched upward and grabbed the hilt, easing the powered down blade out from his side. The Captain gave the blade a brief inspection before dropping it on the floor. A thin trail of red ran down the Captain’s plackart, enough to make Snap wince, but the Captain’s visor remained unreadable. That is, until it snapped up towards Ajax, who had managed to roll further away and get up on one knee, but was still scrambling to either straighten up his helmet or tear it off.

Captain Rex took one step towards Ajax, but Panz stepped in front of him and stopped him with a hand in the middle of his cuirass, scowling fit to strip armor paint. “Armor off, you’re both done.”

Snap booed.

He wasn’t the only one.

Except then one of the Mandalorians, a tall one in orange and midnight blue armor, took it one step further and walked into the ring, complaining loudly. The second, the absolute moment his hand touched Panz’s shoulder, the medic whipped around and drove a fist into the man’s throat, sending him staggering backwards with a rasping gasp.

“You’re done too,” Panz said, pointing a finger at the wheezing Mandalorian.

Captain Rex collared Cutter, who was in the process of taking violent offense with anyone laying a hand on a brother medic.

Not-Kryze and Krest ended up stopping a few of their people from doing something equally incendiary. Between the three of them, and Weaver, who’d helped a clearly concussed Ajax to his feet before laying into the closest troopers, they eventually got most everybody calmed down and chased out of the gym.

Maybe it was the promise that once the gym was fit for use again, they’d start a new bracket. And whoever won that could have another go at the Captain, assuming he wasn’t deployed somewhere off-base by then. And if he was, then Ajax would be around to do the honors instead.

Assuming the medics signed off on whatever additional injuries the two of them were clearly hiding under their armor.

Snap wasn’t too worried, there hadn’t been that much blood to mop up. And he would know, he’d ended up sticking around with Cutter, Boar, and two of the Mandalorians to put the room back into something resembling order. They’d all five been there to see when Ajax and Captain Rex finally had been escorted off to the infirmary by Panz and Fuse. They’d both been smiling.

Snap knew perfectly karking well that he didn’t stand a chance of making it to the finals, but after he erased the names from the board and redrew a blank bracket, he went ahead and added his name, not his number, to one of the empty slots.

AN: Previous chapters are available here.

Dividers by @freesia-writes using helmets by @lornaka. More designs available here.

I've been mentally restructuring a few things about this fic, so I have a question for you all if you're game. Do you prefer one long fic with distinct parts within it or multiple separate fics linked together as a series? I'm leaning towards option 2, but I thought I'd poll the audience. Thanks in advance.

[mysterious-animated-skulls]

Mystery / horror game starring Vivi as the protagonist, with many side- and mini-games:

Make a batch of the best takoyaki for the upcoming city festival. (And a few for your breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.)

Do a sudoku puzzle while you're waiting for the first customers in The Tome Tomb. (Edit)

Why not go to the arcade? You might hear an interesting rumor.

Oh no, you tripped and your cash went flying! You need those for all the machines! Catch enough of the coins before they vanish in the arcade's thick carpet!

Sort a big shipment of books. A version of tetris - Chloe hands you more books until the whole box is empty, and you put them into storage. You're sorting the books along genre (color-coded) plus using the existing space to fill up.

Your morning run with Mystery also works as your fitness training. Jump across your own little obstacle course with him. This gets the blood pumping nicely! And you can eat your takoyaki as a snack after.