#Galactic traveler;;Lumine

[jo-harrington]

Luminous Beings - Episode 2: Not the Smuggler You're Looking For

Art by @monologichno || Beta Read by @undead-supernova Part of the @eddiemunsonbigbang

Summary: Eddie accepts the new venture presented to him and the new business partners get to know each other over drinks.

Word Count: 6.4k

Pairing: Eddie Munson x OFC (Thalia Trieste)

Warnings/Themes: Star Wars AU, Action, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Miscommunication, Distrust, Mention of Alcohol and Substance Use, Minor Canon Inaccuracies/Adaptation, Galactic Politics, Mention of Death, Vague Reference to Order 66 and the Jedi Purge

Note: Thanks to everyone who's reading Luminous Beings so far. I'm so glad you're enjoying. This chapter we're about to dive a little bit more into the politics in the Galaxy Far Far Away. Not in-depth and detailed, but reactions from Eddie's POV.

Once again, you don’t need to know much about Star Wars to read. But if you are not familiar with Star Wars please take this as an additional warning: Star Wars has always been political. The themes have always mirrored real world events and this fic is no different. I don't go into great detail about what is happening because the focus is the characters reactions to it. They aren't really sure what's happening either. And the things that Eddie and the other characters feel in this fantastical world...they mirror what a lot of us feel here in the real world.

Writing this as we keep going headfirst into feelings of overwhelmedness and lack of control and uncertainty in our world …it was honestly very therapeutic to be able to put the feeling to words with a character I love when I oftentimes am unable to verbalize them myself. So thank you for being witness to this and I hope it helps you find some kind of sense of understanding, if only for a moment, too.

Luminous Beings Masterlist - Jo-Harrington's Masterlist

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Thank you for reading. Enjoy!

Nar Shaddaa - 10BBY

The energy at the table was familiar, yet strange.

Familiar in the sense that it definitely felt like something they'd encounter back home on Bracca: sitting in a cantina, chatting, and listening to the DJ spin tunes that were popular in this part of the Outer Rim.

And instead of the ever-present sense of danger that surrounded the visitors and interactions on the Smuggler's Moon, there was a comfort and sense of camaraderie that Mott and Merg Assob brought that made Eddie and his friends feel more at ease entering into a clandestine agreement with Thalia.

It was strange, though, because they were quirky enough that they didn't seem like the type of people to be in the smuggling business.

Merg had been the leather-clad stranger at the Surly Sarlaac the previous night, choosing an otherwise unassuming facade to keep herself safe on-planet. Without her helmet, she was a round-cheeked, lavender-skinned Theelin bombshell with an infectious laugh and, apparently, a singing voice that would insult even the tone-deaf.

"Well, there goes our tradition of drunkenly singing shanties with our associates before we head to the spaceport," Jeff announced with an awkward laugh.

It didn't take long for his friends to realize that he'd developed some kind of attraction for Merg, which was dashed when Mott was introduced as her husband.

Mott was as human as they came, almost painfully so. He looked like the type who'd try to sell you a used speeder, with thinning hair and a highly-stylized mustache, crinkling-eyes and a crooked smile. But he was friendly. More than friendly. He was almost neighborly. He'd greeted the crew of the Dragonborn like you would an old friend, and then offered to buy the first round, especially since they'd all be doing business together.

Then he got right to work regaling everyone with the stories of their most recent travels.

Of course, not without starting off with a cordial greeting. How a friend of Thalia’s was a friend of theirs, and how she'd been one of the most reliable contacts they'd had in the business.

And reliability was comforting to hear.

Especially when the blue-haired flight attendant hadn't bothered to join them yet.

"...And then the bartender asked if I was ready for the creamiest in all the galaxy," Mott held the attention of the table in rapt suspense. "To which I replied, 'That's exactly what I'm looking for.’"

Merg mouthed the words alongside her husband with a playful roll of her eyes.

"Famous last words," they concluded in tandem, earning chuckles from Dayv and G'areth.

Eddie laughed along with slightly less enthusiasm. He kept glancing towards the entrance of the cantina to manifest Thalia's appearance.

Jeff noticed, of course, and leaned in closer.

He whispered into Eddie's ear, "Do you think she's gonna bail?"

"No," Eddie shook his head, but kept his attention towards the front of the cantina. "She's the one who set this all up, I don't think she's gonna disappear on us. Not if she wants her payout."

He felt like an idiot to be left waiting like this, but that was entirely on his shoulders. He had accepted the job and agreed to this meeting without much in the way of being able to contact their new associate. Now he was left wondering where she was, with no way of reaching her, and he knew he'd look stupid in front of his friends—his crew—if he asked the Assobs if they'd heard anything from her.

Eddie had purposely omitted some of the details about his interaction with Thalia and the means by which they'd obtained this new job. He might’ve been a little embarrassed that the attraction he felt towards her was some kind of ruse, sure. But something about their meeting unsettled him after they'd parted ways, and he couldn't quite pin down what exactly it was.

She'd begged him for help and he accepted.

He wasn't entirely sure why he'd done that. He was a nice guy, sure, but he wasn't running a charitable cause. He tried to tell himself that she was paying for their services. In fact, she said she'd pay anything, which was suspicious in and of itself.

But credits were credits…and she begged him...so he accepted.

That was enough explanation for the guys in his opinion. He knew they wouldn't go into the job blind. If they sensed anything awry, they would tell him immediately and he would call the whole deal off.

Jeff, of course, was more in tune to the fact that Eddie was behaving strangely, than anything to do with their new acquaintances.

"Do you think this is some kind of trick?" he questioned Eddie further in concern. "I know these guys trust her but what if this is a chance for the Empire to bust us after that one job on Brentall IV?"

And that was the real conundrum, the real source of Eddie's uneasiness. He was pretty intuitive, but despite his sense of nervousness and uneasiness...he didn't sense any sort of danger around Thalia. The only deceit that she had shown herself capable of was getting him to trust her, maybe even like her, for a split second before she revealed she was only interested in what he could do for her.

And not who he was.

So could this be a trap? Sure. 

But was it?

"It's not," Eddie answered definitively. "She'll be here."

He picked up his drink and knocked the whole thing back, before he signaled to the roaming service droid that he wanted another.

"How do you know?" Jeff pressed.

"She'll be here," Eddie repeated with a grunt.

"Who'll be here?" A whispered voice came from beside him.

Eddie turned, startled, to find Thalia sliding into the seat he'd left empty for her.

She was dressed less conspicuously than she had been at the Surly Sarlacc; while her blue curls remained intact, she'd traded her Star Tours uniform for clothes that blended in with the locals—a fitted shirt and jacket, and utility trousers tucked into comfortable boots. There was an obvious lack of a blaster anywhere on her person, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have one. He realized, then, that her tactic to get his attention the night before had worked; he doubted that he'd have honed in on her amidst the crowd if she dressed like she was now.

He grit his teeth as he debated waving down the service droid again, desperate for another drink.

Thalia seemed to read his mind, though, and offered to get the next round as she greeted everyone. Of course that put her in the good grace's of Eddie's friends immediately, and they all clapped at the offer.

"Uh," Thalia observed of the various states of intoxication at the table. "Maybe some snacks, too. Sober everyone up before we head to the spaceport."

"That's a good idea," Merg snickered and pinched at Mott's arm. "This one's been getting everyone drunk on Moof Juice."

"It's so they'll be more captivated by my stories," Mott argued amicably. "Speaking of Moof, we have to tell these boys about that time on Batuu..."

"Why don't," Eddie interjected with a suggestion of his own, "you tell us about how the three of you met? Since you seem to be such good friends."

He felt the fire within him quell as Thalia turned her eyes back to him, as that calm feeling settled over him once again.

He was starting to hate that feeling.

"Business associates," Thalia corrected him coolly. Then, almost as an afterthought she added, "more often than not."

"And when you're not?"

"Then we're drinking buddies."

"It might seem like a big galaxy," Merg interjected. "But it's a lot smaller than you think. Gotta keep the few good people you know close."

"Yeah, well, the only good people we know happen to be sitting at this table," G'areth chuckled and clapped a hand on Mott's shoulder. "You folks count, of course."

"Well, thanks," Mott grinned and returned the gesture, practically pulling G'areth closer to him. "But trusting your crew is a big deal. It's why it's only ever been me and the Mrs. Can't seem to find anyone else who wouldn't sell us out to the Imps."

Four sets of eyes turned on Thalia suspiciously.

"I'm not a part of their crew," she defended herself with a sarcastic smile. "And you can ask your Captain, I'm no fan of the Empire."

The service droid approached the table with fresh drinks and took orders for the next round, which dissolved the tension that had momentarily overtaken them. As it rolled away, the crew of the Dragonborn were treated to a delightful story about a sabaac game gone wrong, a run-in with the Hutts, and a slicer who could get clearance codes to an Imperial freighter.

"Allegedly," Mott, Merg, and Thalia all said as they got to the end of their story.

It was a hard story to follow, so outrageous it had to have been a lie, but having heard one of Mott Assob's drawn out anecdotes prior to it, the boys figured it was true. Or, at least, some of it had to be.

"And what about you boys?" Merg asked then. "Thali said you're from...what was it...Corellia?"

"Bracca," Eddie and Thalia corrected her in tandem. Eddie shot her an annoyed glance.

"Even worse," Merg snorted. "The guilds will screw you over more than any of the Bosses will; I’d start smuggling to avoid them too. So, let's hear it. How'd you get off that scrap-heap?"

The boys all hesitated, eyes darting to one another as they tried to figure out which one of them would start.

If they should start.

Of course, as the Captain, Eddie took the lead.

"It's not as glamorous as your story," he began with the slightest tinge of self-pity in his voice. "But these guys have been my best friends for years. We met back at school…"

He drifted off into the fond memories of him and his friends back home.

Bracca - 19BBY

"Long night, Mister Moonsun?"

Eddie's head snapped up and he shifted in his seat as his classmates snickered around him; he then turned his attention to his instructor, Cal Larke, who stood beside his station and stared at him with gentle concern.

"No, sir," Eddie cleared his throat and shook his head, then looked down to the datapad before him. It showed an extensive engineering diagram that almost made his eyes cross with its complexity.

"Bored?"

"No, sir, sorry."

How could he tell his instructor that he'd been kept up with nightmares and hadn't gotten much sleep? That he felt little bits of anxiety, pains in his heart all night and he was too afraid to close his eyes again.

Instead, he just apologized again and said, "I won't let it happen again."

Larke placed a gentle hand on Eddie's shoulder and then went back to his podium to continue his lesson.

Eddie turned his head towards the next station, where Jeff was seated, and shot him a questioning glare as if to ask "how come you didn't wake me up?" 

Jeff just shrugged apologetically and looked back down to his own datapad.

Poodoo Head.

Everyone knew that Eddric Moonsun wasn't the best student at the Training Institute—he wasn't even in the top 50%—but he was curious, good at tinkering, and a quick learner. So this was where he ended up, whether he liked it—or was good at it—or not. The Guilds could always use more manpower, according to his uncle. According to everyone.

Not like there were many other career options on Bracca, unless he wanted to sling bantha hash someplace at the Terrace.

He'd live and work and work and live, until he was an old man and death came for him. It would be a simple life.

A simple life was a good life.

At least, that's what Uncle Wane always said.

Your family, your health, a job that paid well, and a good cup of caf to wake you up in the morning; those were the keys to happiness.

Except...Eddie wasn't sure that was really what he wanted.

He trudged through the rest of the lesson and whooped when class let out for the day.

One of the only good things about Bracca was that it was basically one big playground; that was the way he and his friends looked at the otherwise lackluster planet that they called home. Bracca was dotted with the hulking, rotting skeletons of cruisers and starships dating back as far as anyone could remember.

If Corellia was the shipyard of the Galaxy, Bracca was the junkyard.

And instead of building the next great starship—or warship, as deep as the Republic currently was in the Clone Wars—the engineers on Bracca thought of ways to break down the remnants of star travel past and reuse their parts for something new. Inventions that could benefit lesser-developed or wartorn planets in the Republic.

Everything that was left behind? The husks? The engineers made good use of them too.

Of course, they weren't meant for dumb kids to climb and play in but it happened anyway.

In the outskirts of town, past the Terrace but before the vast shipbreaking yards, Eddie and his idiot friends created a makeshift clubhouse in the remains of a Rendilli corvette. It was an old scrap heap—a relic—that wasn't even worth the time to break down, so of course they thought it was perfect. It was where they wasted time between class and home. They fussed with fantastical make-believe stories and crafted little figurines out of scraps to go along with their games; tales of heroes and villains and myths that they'd only ever dreamed of.

They’d have speeder races through Coruscant, vibrosword fights with bounty hunters on Mandalore, and explored the suncaves of Sedri for treasure.

They'd even found, in a stack of discarded parts, a dusty, old, bin-shaped T7-series astromech droid. It was a relic too, and of course it didn't work, but Jeff and G'areth had started rebuilding it, bit by bit.

Maybe they’d get it to work one day. The droid. And the ship. And they’d all be able to leave Bracca behind and live out their fantasies.

Until then, the most exciting thing they did was listen to the Holonet News.

"Don't know why you kids wanna listen to any of that stuff," his uncle would always grumble while Eddie caught the morning broadcast before they left for the day. "Just propaganda for the Republic. We're in a war no one wanted. They've got to make it seem like we're winning."

But there was another reason why Eddie liked to watch the broadcasts. It's why everyone wanted to.

The Jedi.

The protectors of the galaxy, now tirelessly working to stop the Trade Federation from…

What were they trying to do exactly? Eddie couldn't be too sure; he had been a bit too young to care about the details when the conflict began. It was practically history now, and he was barely passing his galactic history module.

But stories of the heroes of the Republic were endless and exciting; they always had been, even before the war. The mysterious Jedi Masters and their travels and adventures throughout the galaxy. Peace and justice, the ways of the Force.

Aside from the impact of the Clone Wars, nobody on Bracca seemed to care except for Eddie and his friends. Nobody they knew, at least.

It was just another bit of escapism from the mundane future that waited for them and that they—or possibly just Eddie—refused to accept.

"This just in," Eddie shouted, mimicking the HoloNet News anchor's voice, as he and his friends ran towards their clubhouse. "General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker foiled yet another assassination attempt on the Chancellor's life earlier today above Coruscant."

"The Chancellor thanks his heroic saviors by awarding them with fame and riches beyond belief!" Dayv added excitedly.

"But the Jedi, known for their vows of selflessness, rejected the rewards," G'areth continued. "We were able to get a statement from General Kenobi himself."

Eddie, who'd spent hours practicing his fancy Coruscanti accent just for the fun of make-believe, adjusted his posture to match the Jedi Master.

"It is our duty and privilege to save the Chancellor and ensure democracy thrives."

"He wouldn't say that!" Jeff scoffed and slapped a hand against his shoulder.

"Yes he would! I swear!"

Once their bickering was over, they logged in for the afternoon broadcast of the Holonet news on a datapad and all went about their little hobbies.

Ga'reth and Jeff took out their tools to work on the droid. Eddie fiddled Wane’s old guitar and daydreamed something new for once—starting a band with his friends one day; talk about a dream. And Dayv tapped away on his own datapad, some research for their pretend.

Finally, the much-awaited broadcast began.

"This is Alfwanne Pinngran," the lead anchor greeted.

"I'm Kafra Krint,” came the voice of his co-star. “And this is Holonet News."

The boys all hummed along with the catchy intro jingle.

They expected to hear the repetitive stories that had fed into their imagination for weeks—news of the heroes of the war—but the mood immediately turned somber as Kafra began with breaking news.

"An attack on the Jedi Temple on Coruscant!" All four boys froze. "Smoke has been seen coming from the Temple, but with no official statement given by the Jedi Order, we can only assume the worst."

"And you know what they say about assuming things, Kafra," Alf cut in, his mistimed joke taking on more of a somber tone.

"CSF has told us that the situation is under control and the residents in the surrounding areas should proceed with normal activities. Skylanes around the temple have been diverted and there has been increased security on the ground as Clone Battalions have been seen en masse. Holonet News will report more once we have additional information."

The boys sat in suspense, hoping for more, but the broadcast moved back onto other reports as usual. General galactic news, reports about the Clone Wars, and a one-in-a-lifetime weather event in the atmosphere of Umgul.

They were all shocked.

Eddie was stunned into silence.

They waited and listened, but soon the broadcast was over.

They raced home after that. Escaping from their mundane lives suddenly didn’t seem so important. They couldn't waste another minute on their fantasies and make believe, not as a big part of their world came to a screeching halt.

And it did, indeed, come to a screeching halt. 

Especially for Eddie.

He complained of a stomach ache to Wane for days, and Wane—knowing not to question or force his nephew to do something he truly didn't want to do—let him stay home from the Training Institute.

"But only ‘til the end of the week." He pointed at Eddie sternly. "You're getting older now, son. Sixteen. You've gotta have some responsibility. You've gotta finish your classes and make something of yourself. Moping around at home isn't gonna get you there."

"I know, Wane," Eddie sighed.

Wane, ever a man of few words, turned on his heel and was about to depart. But he stopped at the door and looked back.

"Someone at school bothering you?" he asked.

Eddie stiffened for a moment under his uncle’s scrutiny.

He knew he couldn't tell Wane about his worries; Wane kept his head down, and didn't care about the Republic or the Jedi. He didn't care for the war either but what could they do? They couldn’t just up and leave the galaxy; the most they could do was get off-planet. He wouldn't understand why Eddie was so affected by the news he'd heard.

So he just said, "No."

"You get into an argument with your friends?"

"No, everything's fine."

"Well...how about we go down to the Terrace for breakfast on Benduday? You tell me what's bothering you."

Eddie sighed and reluctantly agreed, but felt the guilt churn in his stomach until Wane finally left their flat for his shift.

He immediately hopped out of bed to grab his datapad from his schoolbag; he signed into Holonet News and scrolled articles for anything from Coruscant that would give more details about the attack on the Jedi temple.

And it was silly. He knew that it was silly.

Eddie—well, the whole kriffing Moonsun family—wasn't big on beliefs. Sure, there was the Force, but he didn't see or feel any Force. Most of the galaxy didn't, at least as far as he knew.

But it was nice to believe there was more, wasn't there?

Not just the mystical, but the tangible, too. Dreams and goals and plans.

Wane had been right, he had to think about his future, but to have a future that was a carbonite copy of Wane's life? That's not what he desired.

Wasn't there more out there than that? A whole galaxy to explore and search for happiness. 

Eddie's father thought so, that's why he hadn't been back on Bracca for more than a few days at a time since his mother died. But Aldred Moonsun had lost his way thanks to grief. He couldn't care for his son, only for himself. There was nothing ambitious about his abandonment of the status quo.

So, for Eddie, the Holonet truly represented...more.

The stories about other planets, the stories about the Jedi, about heroes and princesses and even the types of foods that could be found if he could only get off Bracca.

Bracca was the only home he'd ever known all his life; how could he tell his uncle that what he really wanted was to be anywhere but here?

How could he tell his uncle that after he'd learned about the Jedi, he'd wished that they might come and take him away to be a hero and save the galaxy one day, just like they were?

A notification at the corner of the screen pulled Eddie back to reality and he pressed it to see the live broadcast of the Galactic Senate.

It started slow, with introductions of delegates from around the galaxy.

He enjoyed seeing their garb; costumery that celebrated the cultures of the planets they represented. It was so different from the purposeful clothing that his uncle wore as an engineer, or his uniform for the Training Institute—even though he'd added his own little bits of flair where he could to feel different. To feel more like himself, whoever he really was.

A scroll of text at the bottom of the screen indicated that this was an emergency convening of the senate, called by the Chancellor himself. There were statements from various senators about their quick trips to Coruscant from afar, and all had statements and well-wishes about the attack on the Jedi Temple, as true politicians would.

Eventually, Chancellor Palpatine took his place at the center of the Galactic Senate and began his speech amidst the applause at his appearance.

Immediately, Eddie could tell that something was wrong. A feeling deep in his gut. The Chancellor's words...they just didn't make sense.

The war was over, the Separatists had lost.

But with the Republic's victory, a new challenge emerged.

Jedi. Betrayal. Rebellion. Assassination.

An uprising against the Galactic Republic on over a thousand worlds, and the Clone Battalions protecting the sanctity and order by slaughtering the traitorous Jedi.

"The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated!" Palpatine declared to the roaring crowd, most of whom seemed to agree thanks to their cheers.

Eddie was horrified as Holonet News began flashing what could only be described as wanted posters across the top of the broadcast. Hundreds of faces of Jedi Knights and Masters.

Yoda. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Quinlan Vos.

And apprentices.

Padawan Jin-Lo Rayce. Padawan Ferus Olin, Padawan Steev Toninghar.

Kids who looked just about as old as he did. Some even younger.

They were going to hunt these younglings down? They were going to kill children?

The list went on and on.

And Eddie continued to watch the address in horror and confusion. In grief.

Everything he knew, the stories he knew and loved...had it all been a lie? The Jedi were heroes; they'd just saved Palpatine. They'd never try to kill him.But why shouldn’t he trust what the Holonet News said? Why shouldn’t he trust the Chancellor when he’d just led the Republic to victory? When he’d just ended the Clone Wars?

Palpatine said one last remark to thunderous applause before his Grand Vizier took over the address—

"In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society."

—and with that Eddie's world began to be torn apart by something so much bigger, so immensely grander than a boy from Bracca could ever fathom.

Nar Shaddaa - 10BBY

"...old Ed here got a job with his uncle down at the shipbreaking yard, and he strong-armed us into starting a band to play down at the Terrace until we were done with school."

Eddie was pulled back into the conversation as Jeff patted him on the back; he straightened in his seat and turned his eyes down towards his drink, a little ashamed that he'd lost himself in the memory of the day everything changed.

Despite this, his friends had done an excellent job of telling the tales. Of Bracca, of their schooling, of their dream of something better. The others sat raptly as the story concluded.

Well, Mott and Merg did.

Thalia was stiff beside him, fingers tapping against the sides of her glass as she seemingly absorbed the story, but looked to be lost in her thoughts. Just like Eddie had been.

It only took a few brief moments of his eyes on her for her to break from her trance; she turned her head to him, and with sad eyes, she gave him a smile.

Once again, he was left confused. He didn't know what to make of that smile. Didn't know what to make of her. Didn't know what to make of this whole kriffing situation that he seemed to have gotten himself into by accepting this job.

He was unsettled by his own recollections; he hadn't really thought of home in years. They'd left and hadn't ever looked back. His uncle had visited them once—just once—at their first flat on Coruscant. It had been a long and tedious journey that Eddie hadn't made him take again. But other than that, it was a holocomm on birthdays and a transfer of credits to hopefully help Wane retire someday.

Credits like the ones he could send once they were done with this job. Credits like the ones Thalia promised. Promised him, Eddie Moonsun of Bracca, the planet he left behind and had barely mentioned to anyone outside of his crew. His friends.

How had she known that fact? And why were they telling her more? What were they doing? Sitting around telling stories, telling secrets, instead of doing the job that would be paid to do?

"Work got pretty lean by the time the rest of us graduated," Dayv continued with a distasteful grunt. "The Engineering Guild turned into the Scrapper Guild. The Empire decided they didn't want recycled ships after the war was over."

"So we all worked on fixing up the old corvette."

"And that's the ship we still use today."

"The Dragonborn," G'areth said with a dramatic flair, hands waving enticingly.

Eddie's friends started to talk about their trip to Coruscant and their first job, but he decided enough was enough. Everyone went silent as he stood from his seat and adjusted his jacket; they all stared at him expectantly.

What were they expecting? What did he expect? He should just call it off once and for all...but for some reason, he couldn't.

He didn’t want to do this. But he knew he had to. 

"And the rest," he concluded with an air of finality, "is history. Now, are we gonna sit around here all day? Or are we going to get your cargo off of this blasted planet?"

Eddie leaned against the hull of his ship as he observed the droids that zipped around Deucalon Spaceport.

He was used to a lot of chaos and commotion in the hangars. There were ships guided in and out, and passengers and cargo being loaded and unloaded. Someone a few bays down was arguing with a customs droid and angry Huttese echoed off the durasteel walls; Eddie wasn't much of a betting man but if things didn't cool off soon, he might almost expect blaster fire.

However, the most important thing that he needed to keep his attention on was the cargo being loaded off the Assob's shiny Rendili freighter.

It was an unassuming container, a rectangular cuboid twice as tall as he was, if he could guess. He figured it was the size of his childhood bedroom, which was to say that it didn't look very big at all. It didn't look very suspicious either, or like it contained something that desperately needed to get off-planet.

But that was the whole point of smuggling, wasn't it? To avoid suspicion or detection?

As the singular container was repulsorlifted away from the Assob's ship, Eddie expected more to be unloaded. A second container, maybe a third. But the loading ramp soon shut with a satisfying hiss.

That was it? Must have been one hell of a container.

Thalia walked alongside Dayv, Merg, and the traffic controller that was overseeing the transfer. She stopped beside Eddie as the others loaded the container into the Dragonborn's cargo bay.

"G'areth made a new friend," she told him in an amused tone. "Mott has a whole team of pit droids and G'ar helped one with a stuck clamp. I've never seen a droid with a crush before, but there's a first time for everything."

"You made all this fuss over one measly container," Eddie scoffed and ignored her story. "What's in it?"

Thalia's smile dropped and her eyes hardened.

"Need to know." Her response was curt and sharp, and Eddie could practically feel the phantom jab of a finger against his sternum, even though her hands were clenched around the straps of her bag.

"Well, I'm letting it on my ship," he snarked back at her. "So I need to know."

And he was sure that she would fold. It wasn't an outrageous thing for the captain of the ship you hired to smuggle something onto the capital of the Empire to know just what it was he was about to smuggle. With a container that small, it couldn't be anything outrageous either. Spice, weapons, credits, artifacts...that's really all it could be. Maybe a few speeder bikes? It wasn't even large enough to fit a decently-sized speeder.

Kriff, he'd even settle for knowing who hired Thalia! She'd called herself a freelancer, right? She helped someone get something somewhere. He knew where it was going, he would either like to know the who or the what.

The longer he stared at her and waited for an answer, he should have realized that he wasn't going to get it.

For the second time in the past 24 hours, she looked nervous; her otherwise cool and confident facade faltered. She worried her bottom lip for a moment and her eyes darted to the loading ramp where the container was being lifted in.

Then she looked back at Eddie.

"I'll pay extra," she said. "If you stop asking about what's inside."

Eddie felt a hot annoyance ignite in his chest.

"See," he pushed himself off the hull and took a step closer, "these are all terms that we should have discussed before I agreed to this job. All the little extras you seem to want, how much that'll affect my crew's cut of the payoff, who we're working for—"

"You're working for me," Thalia cut him off to respond.

"Then who are you working for?" Eddie asked sharply, and then sucked a breath in through his teeth. "Oh, sorry, is that 'need to know' too?"

Thalia's mouth snapped shut with a click of her teeth and she exhaled sharply out of her nose.

"As a matter of fact, it is," she replied after a beat.

"And you're gonna pay me not to ask about that either, right?"

"Sure am."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Alright," Merg clapped her hands, ignorant of the glaring contest Eddie and Thalia were engaged in. "She's all loaded up. All of the forms are in order. That is to say...the forms don't exist."

There was another beat of silence, and an unexpected twitch in the corner of Eddie's eye, then Thalia broke eye contact and turned to the Theelin.

"Thanks for everything," she said gratefully. "You guys know it means the world to me when you help me out in a pinch."

"Thanks for having extra credits when you're in a pinch," Merg winked. She looked over at Eddie. "You take care of our girl, huh Moonsun? I know we're pals now, but I don't want to have to put a bounty on your head."

Merg turned on her heel and walked back to her ship with the wave of a hand as a farewell.

Eddie folded his arms across his chest and took another step closer to Thalia.

"What did she mean, 'take care of our girl?'" he asked, almost afraid of the answer

"It means exactly what you think it means," Thalia snorted. "Don't let anything happen to me. Or the cargo. But, mostly me; Merg is very protective."

"And why would good ol' Merg think I have anything to do with protecting you?" Eddie narrowed his eyes at her, but she simply smiled innocently.

Condescendingly.

"Listen, lady," Eddie started. "I don't know who you think you are, but you were not a part of this deal. None of this was a part of this deal. My crew and I are smuggling cargo for you. Suddenly we're not supposed to know what it is or who wants it? Fine. But this is where I draw the line. So get your cute little uniform back on and get on a Star Tours flight straight to Coruscant if you want to meet us there. You are not setting foot on my ship. And don't you dare say you'll pay extra. There aren't enough credits in the galaxy."

"You didn't just agree to this job Eddie," Thalia spat at him. "You agreed to help me, and helping me means that that container doesn't get within a parsec of me. So I'm coming aboard your ship, whether you like it or not."

"You can't just keep adding new terms to the job because you feel like it," Eddie argued.

He was about to call his friends and tell them to off-load the container when Thalia grabbed his arm to stop him again.

But he shook her off.

He was done with her manipulative tactics, her little mind tricks. The touching and the pleading and the you're-my-only-hope. His crew might fold at the prospect of credits and a round of drinks and a pretty face, but he wouldn't. Not this time. He was the captain, this was his business, this was how he made sure he and his friends had a future...especially when the future of the galaxy seemed so grim.

"I don't know who you think I am," he snarled at Thalia. "But I'm not some rookie who's gonna let himself get walked on. And if that's the kind of service you want your highness, then I'm not the kind of smuggler you're looking for."

"You're the only smuggler I trust," she insisted.

"Trust? You don't even know me, how can you trust me? How did you even hear about me?"

"Word of mouth? Holonet? Does it really matter?" She shook her head. "But we're here now. The cargo is already loaded. Everything is set. So what's gonna get me on that ship with that container and en route to Coruscant?"

What could he say to get her to give up? A million credits? Two? But that desperation…he almost felt bad—almost—that he was gonna take a Star Tours flight attendant for all the credits she was worth. However, he knew that she wasn't just some innocent little flight attendant. She was a con artist, a criminal. Just like he was.

"I want 80% of the cut," he demanded. 

There was some hesitation at first—and to be honest, Eddie thought that was such a ridiculous number that she’d simply tell him no—but eventually Thalia nodded.

"Done.”

His eyebrows jumped in surprise and he continued.

"And I'm there when you meet this mysterious benefactor you're so intent on keeping secret. That way I know I'm not getting screwed over."

"Sure. Fine. Next."

What else? What else?

"I call the shots from here on out," he continued. "No more secret and sudden demands I don't know about. I'm the captain for a reason."

He couldn't control the smirk that formed on his lips as he watched her jaw clench at that.

"What about—" she started but he cut her off.

"Ah, ah. There's no 'what abouts.' I'm the captain. You said you trust me. Then trust me. And I'll trust you."

"Then I need a failsafe," she insisted. "Some kind of clause in case you muck up the whole job. Like if the Empire does find that container."

"They won't."

"But if they do."

There was an edge to her voice, a nervousness, that put him on edge.

"They won't," Eddie repeated. "But if they do. If something happens and nothing goes horribly wrong, like the ship blowing up or something like that, then our cut goes down to 50%. Not just zero. If you're so afraid of the Empire, then that means my crew and I are taking a big risk here; 50% that's my failsafe."

Thalia looked like she wanted to say something else.

In fact, he could practically hear some of her grumbled words in his head; it wasn't a stretch to imagine, he'd heard it all before.

Instead, she sighed and held out her hand.

"Deal," she said reluctantly.

Eddie grinned, slapped his hand into hers, and shook. Then, once her grip loosened, he pulled her into the crook of his arm and gestured to the loading ramp.

"Then Miss Trieste, welcome aboard the Dragonborn."

Next Chapter: Episode 3: I've Got a Bad Feeling About This (Coming 2/18 at 7PM CST)

The Tag List for Luminous Beings is currently open; please comment/ask/DM to be added.

[vvoidsmm]

NYX VERSE !!!!

just wanted to share some ocs of mine that's been collecting dust on the side... some doesn't have complete lore but hehe... still want to share them 🫶

this was also the time where i was RLLY into anything multiverse/star themed...so... u'll probably notice if u keep reading HAHAHAHA

Nyx, an Aeon of Curiosity

"Is believed to have existed before time itself. An entity beyond human comprehension, Nyx lurks at the edges of our universe, observing the cycle of life and death with its celestial eyes. After extensive research, the Luxerians discovered traces of Nyx's existence and pursued this knowledge, hoping to uncover secrets that could benefit their planet and people. They believed that understanding Nyx would bring them closer to the ultimate truths about their universe—its origins, its nature, and its possibilities"

Before the creation of the cosmos, there was nothing, except Nyx. Nyx existed before stars, time, and space. A void of nothingness became something when a celestial entity emerged. What was once a barren white plane transformed into the first galaxy through Nyx's power. Galaxies multiplied, and planets from different dimensions formed, creating various planes. Nyx could form, manipulate, and traverse all these universes. Driven by curiosity, Nyx entered these planes and observed life evolving within them. With the emergence of time came the multiverse. These planes could be alternate timelines, with multiple outcomes, possibilities, dimensions, and realities. As these increased, a tree representing all galaxies and their connections came into existence. However, its location and how to approach it remain unknown. Only when Luxergia managed to find traces of the existence of Nyx.

Galactic Menace; Nix

WHO?

A proclaimed space-ranger that’s traveling across the cosmos. He’s described as charismatic and outgoing, never letting power and regulations restrain him from reaching a certain goal. In the eyes of others, he is a mysterious man who follows only his rules. During his ventures across the galaxy, he’s been famous for creating problems for many, leading to a bounty for his head that spread space-wide. Despite his striking and cheery outlook, deep down he holds great grief and anger, as he seeks out an enemy unknown to many.

FROM?

It was a beautiful planet. The sky always had the hues of blues and purples that surrounded the lands. It's filled with bioluminescent particles that give the sky a faint glow. The gases would often present motions of swirls in the air that almost mimic the sea. The atmosphere is deep and heavy, with the temperature being too cold for an average human to survive in. Luxergia’s core power comes from Xerge. Due to this, it caused the Luxerians to have luminous parts of their bodies (hair, skin, eyes) under different conditions. The residents in Luxergia are divided into nations worldwide. Each nation has a specific area of research assigned that involves the local environment, ecosystem, and phenomena. The main headquarter of research is located at the center of the planet, which Luxerians believe is the closest to their connection with their aeon, Nyx.

Before becoming the ranger he is today, Nix was born on a planet called Luxergia, a world that places a strong emphasis on evolution and research. He was named after the planet's Aeon, as his parents admired this figure deeply and chose to honor their god by naming him after it. After the destruction of his planet by an unknown entity, Nyx became an unknown ranger seeking out the multiverse to search for, what he believes in, his surviving sister.

Angel of guidance, Astra

From the nation of Lucidus, an angel born from the manifestation of enlightenment and hope, Astra came to be to provide the people guidance. Names such as “Stellar Angel”, and “The Northern Star” were given to him as he was seen as the embodiment of all that was good and just, his presence was believed to bring a sense of calm and serenity to those around him.

Astra is an angel who emerged from the people of Lucidus and carries a fragment of Nyx's star. As a guide of hope, Astra can glimpse into your past, present, and future. Although he cannot fully interact with the various versions of life and the universe that he observes, he uses this insight to assist people and guide them toward a better path.

However, as soon as the virus Anathema plagued the nation of Lucidus, believers passed- which is also a danger for angels. The less people believed and hoped, the angels disappeared. And that’s what happened with Astra. As he vanished, a part of him was left behind. An emblem that held his power, his abilities. Those who possess the star of Astra can manifest their dreams, desires, power, and paths. But it was never easy finding this star. It often moves locations, places people have never been in before, difficult to find. But the only way one can know if this star changes its path, a constellation from the sky changes. It is often a sign of its whereabouts or signals.

Despite the death of Astra, a part of him lives. A vessel from Sumeru, an elf who dedicated its life to studying the magic of stars. The history, the power.

The chosen, Cosmo

After a long search for the fallen angel's remains, Cosmo felt fortunate to have gained access to its power. She wields it effortlessly as if it was meant for her. She dedicated her life, power, and vision to helping those in need. Continuing Astra's legacy. But no good comes without evil lurking to steal the emblem's power.

People, very bad people began to hunt her down for this power. Putting her and her family's lives in danger. Out of sheer desperation, not knowing the limits, and the danger the power holds if transferred in full force, Cosmo gave Astra's emblem to her son. Cosmo's life fell short, leaving only one family behind, leaving her son behind.

Dimming light, Silas

Death was his path. An inescapable one, at that. But Cosmo looked through the possibilities of his survival, and only one came out. It was slim and dangerous— yet she took that chance for her son to escape.

He was never to possess Astra's powers. Although it saved him and gave him a chance to live, it felt like a curse rather than a gift. Death was much kinder if he did not have to endure the pain of having to hold what's not supposed to be in him— what's not his. The lines between reality, of what's in his world and what's not began to blur every waking moment. He didn't have the power over Astra's arcane. It was killing him slowly.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins

The quasars appear to have few cosmic neighbors, raising questions about how they first emerged more than 13 billion years ago.

A quasar is the extremely bright core of a galaxy that hosts an active supermassive black hole at its center. As the black hole draws in surrounding gas and dust, it blasts out an enormous amount of energy, making quasars some of the brightest objects in the universe. Quasars have been observed as early as a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, and it’s been a mystery as to how these objects could have grown so bright and massive in such a short amount of cosmic time.

Scientists have proposed that the earliest quasars sprang from overly dense regions of primordial matter, which would also have produced many smaller galaxies in the quasars’ environment. But in a new MIT-led study, astronomers observed some ancient quasars that appear to be surprisingly alone in the early universe. 

The astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to peer back in time, more than 13 billion years, to study the cosmic surroundings of five known ancient quasars. They found a surprising variety in their neighborhoods, or “quasar fields.” While some quasars reside in very crowded fields with more than 50 neighboring galaxies, as all models predict, the remaining quasars appear to drift in voids, with only a few stray galaxies in their vicinity.

These lonely quasars are challenging physicists’ understanding of how such luminous objects could have formed so early on in the universe, without a significant source of surrounding matter to fuel their black hole growth.

“Contrary to previous belief, we find on average, these quasars are not necessarily in those highest-density regions of the early universe. Some of them seem to be sitting in the middle of nowhere,” says Anna-Christina Eilers, assistant professor of physics at MIT. “It’s difficult to explain how these quasars could have grown so big if they appear to have nothing to feed from.”

There is a possibility that these quasars may not be as solitary as they appear, but are instead surrounded by galaxies that are heavily shrouded in dust and therefore hidden from view. Eilers and her colleagues hope to tune their observations to try and see through any such cosmic dust, in order to understand how quasars grew so big, so fast, in the early universe. 

Eilers and her colleagues report their findings in a paper appearing today in the Astrophysical Journal. The MIT co-authors include postdocs Rohan Naidu and Minghao Yue; Robert Simcoe, the Francis Friedman Professor of Physics and director of MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research; and collaborators from institutions including Leiden University, the University of California at Santa Barbara, ETH Zurich, and elsewhere.

Galactic neighbors

The five newly observed quasars are among the oldest quasars observed to date. More than 13 billion years old, the objects are thought to have formed between 600 to 700 million years after the Big Bang. The supermassive black holes powering the quasars are a billion times more massive than the sun, and more than a trillion times brighter. Due to their extreme luminosity, the light from each quasar is able to travel over the age of the universe, far enough to reach JWST’s highly sensitive detectors today. 

“It’s just phenomenal that we now have a telescope that can capture light from 13 billion years ago in so much detail,” Eilers says. “For the first time, JWST enabled us to look at the environment of these quasars, where they grew up, and what their neighborhood was like.”

The team analyzed images of the five ancient quasars taken by JWST between August 2022 and June 2023. The observations of each quasar comprised multiple “mosaic” images, or partial views of the quasar’s field, which the team effectively stitched together to produce a complete picture of each quasar’s surrounding neighborhood. 

The telescope also took measurements of light in multiple wavelengths across each quasar’s field, which the team then processed to determine whether a given object in the field was light from a neighboring galaxy, and how far a galaxy is from the much more luminous central quasar. 

“We found that the only difference between these five quasars is that their environments look so different,” Eilers says. “For instance, one quasar has almost 50 galaxies around it, while another has just two. And both quasars are within the same size, volume, brightness, and time of the universe. That was really surprising to see.”

Growth spurts

The disparity in quasar fields introduces a kink in the standard picture of black hole growth and galaxy formation. According to physicists’ best understanding of how the first objects in the universe emerged, a cosmic web of dark matter should have set the course. Dark matter is an as-yet unknown form of matter that has no other interactions with its surroundings other than through gravity. 

Shortly after the Big Bang, the early universe is thought to have formed filaments of dark matter that acted as a sort of gravitational road, attracting gas and dust along its tendrils. In overly dense regions of this web, matter would have accumulated to form more massive objects. And the brightest, most massive early objects, such as quasars, would have formed in the web’s highest-density regions, which would have also churned out many more, smaller galaxies. 

“The cosmic web of dark matter is a solid prediction of our cosmological model of the Universe, and it can be described in detail using numerical simulations,” says co-author says Elia Pizzati, a graduate student at Leiden University. “By comparing our observations to these simulations, we can determine where in the cosmic web quasars are located.” 

Scientists estimate that quasars would have had to grow continuously with very high accretion rates in order to reach the extreme mass and luminosities at the times that astronomers have observed them, fewer than 1 billion years after the Big Bang. 

“The main question we’re trying to answer is, how do these billion-solar-mass black holes form at a time when the universe is still really, really young? It’s still in its infancy,” Eilers says. 

The team’s findings may raise more questions than answers. The “lonely” quasars appear to live in relatively empty regions of space. If physicists’ cosmological models are correct, these barren regions signify very little dark matter, or starting material for brewing up stars and galaxies. How, then, did extremely bright and massive quasars come to be? 

“Our results show that there’s still a significant piece of the puzzle missing of how these supermassive black holes grow,” Eilers says. “If there’s not enough material around for some quasars to be able to grow continuously, that means there must be some other way that they can grow, that we have yet to figure out.”

IMAGE: This image, taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, shows an ancient quasar (circled in red) with fewer than expected neighboring galaxies (bright blobs), challenging physicists’ understanding of how the first quasars and supermassive black holes formed. Credit Christina Eilers/EIGER team

[mindblowingscience]

If we could travel far beyond our galaxy, and look back upon the Milky Way, it would be a glorious sight. Luminous spirals stretching from a central core, with dust and nebulae scattered along the spiral edges. When you think about a galaxy, you probably imagine a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way, but spirals make up only about 60% of the galaxies we see. That's because spiral galaxies only form when smaller galaxies collide and merge over time. Or so we thought, as a new study posted to the arXiv preprint server suggests that isn't the case. The standard model of galaxies is that they evolve over time. Galaxies formed from vast clouds of primordial hydrogen and helium, and so likely had a fairly amorphous structure at the beginning. Given the density of the early universe, galactic collisions and mergers were common, which gave galaxies their rotations and caused them to form disks and spirals. All of this takes time, so we would expect spiral galaxies to be fairly common in the local universe, but rare in the early universe.

Continue Reading.

[illuminatedquill]

Sabine Wren

Tale As Old As Time

Story Summary: On a cool evening night on Peridea, Sabine and Ahsoka discuss the stories they wish to leave as their legacy.

Evening was falling; a cool breeze whispered through the Noti encampment to herald the coming dark.

Preparations had already been made to move the next morning. Sabine had come to appreciate the constant movement of the strange crab-like beings that had welcomed them into their company. It gave her a sense of purpose; something to focus on in the meantime while her master figured out their next move.

Huddled around the campfire, her belly full after a good dinner consisting of some spicy stew, Sabine listened to the chatter of the Noti around her and gazed into the luminous night sky above.

“It still amazes me, no matter how much I look at it,” said a familiar voice. Sabine turned to find her master, Ahsoka Tano, walking up to the campfire, Huyang close behind.

Sabine agreed. Many evenings on Lothal had provided her with a wondrous view of the stars but Peridea had it beat by a large margin.

Ahsoka sat down next to her Padawan with a slight huff. After a moment, the older Jedi asked, “Would you like to hear a story, Sabine?”

Sabine blinked. “Aren’t I a little too old for bedtime stories?”

“One is never too old,” Ahsoka chided, “to hear a good story, my Padawan.”

Huyang offered, “I have plenty to offer in that department, Lady Wren.”

Sabine considered that. “What kind of stories?” she asked.

“Tales of the Jedi, and their numerous exploits across the galaxy,” said Huyang.

Sabine’s eyebrows raised in astonishment. “I thought the Empire wiped out all stories of the Jedi. Or replaced it with their own propaganda.”

“Oh, they tried,” replied Ahsoka. “To their credit, they did do a thorough job of it. Most of the modern galactic citizens don’t know much about the Jedi at all, despite the purge happening fairly recently in our lifetime.”

She smiled a little. “But they couldn’t erase all of it. The Jedi existed for a millennium before the Empire. Their stories are written in the very fabric of the galaxy.”

“Are there stories about you, Master?”

Ahsoka laughed. “Oh, I’m sure. I traveled a fair amount back in my youth.”

Sabine looked to Huyang with a grin. “Are there any funny ones about her, Huyang?”

Huyang pondered for a moment before replying. “There is one where she had to pretend to be someone’s fiancée. It was with a boy named Lux, I believe-”

Ahsoka, embarrassment coloring her tone, interrupted him. “Okay, maybe not that one.”

Sabine’s grin turned mischievous. “Oh, did you have a crush on him, my master?”

Ahsoka crossed her arms and sighed. “It was complicated. Happened during the Clone Wars.”

“Oh.” Sabine dropped her teasing. “What happened to him?”

Ahsoka seemed to withdraw into herself. “I’m not sure. I heard rumors of his death during the Rebellion.”

Sabine felt a gentle sadness and regret pulsing out from her master. She decided to drop the subject.

“What kind of story would you like to be remembered for, Lady Tano?” asked Huyang.

Ahsoka blinked at the droid. “That’s quite the question, Huyang.”

“You’re a hero,” suggested Sabine. “You’ve helped so many. So maybe a heroic story.”

“Jedi don’t do this to be remembered, Sabine,” reminded Ahsoka. “We do it because it’s right.”

The older Jedi stared into the fire. “I’m not sure I want to be remembered at all,” she confessed. “I haven’t always done the right thing.”

Sabine said, “But you’ve always done the best you can. I’ve never seen you settle for anything less.”

It felt weird defending Ahsoka against herself. She had rarely seen her master be so unsure before.

Ahsoka smiled appreciatively at Sabine. “That’s true.”

She looked at Huyang. “I suppose that’s the story I’d like to be known for: someone who tried her best to help out.”

“Very appropriate,” observed Huyang. “I’ll keep that in mind for future reference, Lady Tano.”

The droid turned to Sabine. “And you, Lady Wren? When the time comes, what kind of story would you like to leave behind?”

Sabine blew out a breath. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It’s still being written.”

“A good answer,” said Ahsoka. “You’ll have plenty of time to decide.”

“I would suggest a comedy,” offered Huyang.

Annoyed, Sabine flicked a pebble at the droid. It dinged on his metallic exterior, satisfyingly.

Ahsoka laughed. “Go ahead with a story, Huyang. There’s a funny one with Master Yoda, if I recall? When he spent time with the Wookies.”

“Ah, yes,” said Huyang, approvingly. “That is a good story.”

Ahsoka settled into a more comfortable position. Sabine followed suit, leaning in with interest.

“A long time ago,” started Huyang, “in a galaxy, far, far away . . .”

When the story was over, Ahsoka stood and stretched her back. “You’ll take first watch?” she asked Sabine.

Sabine nodded. “Sleep well, Ahsoka. Same to you, Huyang.”

Huyang replied, “As a reminder: I am droid, and therefore do not require sleep.”

She rolled her eyes. “I will throw a bigger rock at you next time,” Sabine promised.

After they left, Sabine took a stick and poked at the campfire. The Noti had retired to their huts; she was alone with her thoughts.

She leaned back and gazed into the star-lit night sky over her head.

When the time comes, what kind of story would you like to leave behind?

Sabine thought of her life so far; what had been lost and sacrificed.

Her mistakes and failures.

Should it be a tragedy? A cautionary tale for others?

As she brooded, the fire began to die out. Reaching out for another log to feed it, she paused.

“I don’t want to be a tragedy,” she said out loud.

She tossed the log into the campfire and it roared back to life. Sabine watched the glowing embers rise on the night breeze, drifting into the night sky like fiery petals.

She thought of home. Not Mandalore - but Lothal. Her loth-cat, Murley.

Kanan. Hera. Jacen. Zeb. Chopper.

My family. The names repeated in her head, over and over, like some sacred prayer.

And, of course, whenever it was darkest for her, she thought of him.

Sabine looked back into the fire, feeling it’s warmth flow into her.

Ezra filled her mind and, like the campfire, beat back the darkness. It was his constant gift to her; making the dark small.

When the time comes, what kind of story would you like to leave behind?

Sabine smiled. She had her answer.

Whispering, Sabine says it to herself, as though she was uttering a private, secret wish.

“A love story.”

[astronomyforastrologers]

Scorpio’s Lighthouse ~ 20 Oct 2023

Scorpio’s Lighthouse ~ 20 Oct 2023, Philip Sedgwick

Today Ceres in Scorpio aligns with APR220 (approximately 14 Scorpio 04 as of 2023), a unique black hole system. Also known as IC1127 or 616H, this black hole from which no light can escape, weirdly and ironically, stands out as the brightest object in our local universe. The result of a collision of two galaxies, the resulting singularity became ultra-luminous as it heats up the galactic atmosphere.

Consider this black hole a beacon - lighthouse like. The primary utility of this object seeks to guide galactic travelers away from pot holes and road blocks such that in the real world, they navigate well around objects that might induce a stumble. And this black hole combines information and insights into an organized and useful melting pot that becomes a solid philosophy. Imagine functioning in the real world in ways that dart and shift like a graceful super star athlete on the pitch.

Why so much insight from this black hole? In addition to marking the focal point of the black hole, this degree is the virtual intersection of the Galactic and Super-Galactic Centers. This intersection creates several interesting buttons to click in the multiple choice section of life. First, when it comes to information gathering, take only those insights and prompts that succinctly and effortless guide you on your path. Anything that does not further, you can leave behind. Second, work out any subconscious interference to your consciously declared agenda. Avoid the urge to bet against yourself or attempt to manipulate circumstances with double negatives intending to cancel out and conjure up a positive. State clearly and emphatically those conditions you consciously seek, confident that personal fears are recognized and neutralized.

Right now, while the world is as it is, what to do to invoke the best of the patterns?

Ceres advocates for passion. Sure, both sides in any conflict passionately (and sometimes blindly) pursue causes with full conviction and unrelenting determination. Remember that Jupiter intercedes in these matters, and works with Mercury and others to negotiate outcomes that work for the greater good. Ultimately, Jupiter’s outcomes, though self-serving, provide more than liveable conditions for all. He stands on the bridge of the ship and reminds the individual on the helm to be aware that the rocky crag shoreline is where it is and to steer clear, while remaining aware of the wind and tidal forces. His final caution notes that those things at which a person stares, they tend to steer toward. So, create fine foci for pursuit.

On 30 October Mercury in Scorpio aligns with APR220, “Trick or Treat,” is quite apt for this transit. The idea is that with proper reward, no shenanigans are necessary. Is it a bribe? Trickery? Sleight of hand? Nope. The ideal manifestation declares affirmatively what is wanted and when received a proper “thank you” fits the bill. When the Universe provides guidance that declares an optimal course ahead, give thanks. Express gratitude. And perhaps adopt the doctrine of thanking in advance or engaging in well-intentioned propitiation.

02 November Mars in Scorpio crosses the degree of APR220, without crossing the black hole attitudinally. Here, one may confront the cosmic plan that states: Here’s what must be done to get from here to there in good fashion. Sometimes, some of the plotted points rub sensitivities and reactions the wrong way. The point is, these factors are known to be “must do.” Emotionally wrap around necessities despite personal preferences, and structure a plan so that those essential “not so enthused about” steps become most easily transacted. Mars suggests taking on any life unpleasantness during times of high (not frantic or reactive) energy. Then, ease back, settle into the fun stuff and enjoy the ride. Similar to the other “M” planet to APR220, take time to notice and savor accomplishments and tasks well accomplished. Such personally applied accolades serve the next direct contact to this black hole.

The next direct contact to APR220 occurs on 06 November with Sun conjoining. It is time for conscious realization of “You Are Here.” It is time to acknowledge all the things that got you here and that without those events and interactions, you would not be here. It is time for selecting life options that serve your greatest desires. It is time for being the energy you wish to manifest. This is not “fake it ‘til you make it.” This “be it,” realize it, then be it some more.

Also, Mercury quincunxes Eris and the north lunar node in Aries at the same time the Sun is with APR220. This suggests realizing and fully communicating your best fit in the world, with your real world plan and within your cosmic agenda. For those with whom you interact on a regular basis, it is important to clearly listen to their articulations describing their self-centered reality and to accept that as a nonnegotiable consideration.

When realizing that those “with” you possess tracks not perfectly aligned with yours, the matter becomes that of defining how to cooperatively engage with those others for the benefit of all. Also at this time Venus in the mature degrees of Virgo undisputedly moves into orb of the Super-Galactic Center (ZS) in Libra. While not yet in the sign of ZS, this marks the remove-the-wheat-from-the-chaff tasks. Life becomes an energetic matter of noticing where one feels attracted to engage and where one feels repelled to either not engage or disengage. With Venus to this supermassive black hole system and the Sun to APR, the matter at hand is to find ones perfect energetic place with others and to share similar tracks. Seek a personal Goldilocks Zone of having just the right amount... not too much... not too little... alignment and interaction with all the perfectly guiding persons and forces in life.

Given the strangeness of the times, considering the life distractions at hand personally and globally, take time to spot the helpful navigational sources in life, gratefully comply with directive assistance and make the most out of the unabated creative flow and pursuit of passion that fills the air.

More soon.

One Stop Shopping Order Form Astrological Textso

Meteoric the Movie on Vimeo ZAP! on Vimeo

[rutilated-quarz]

Round 2 of my OC sexyman poll! There were a couple of 50/50s in the first round, so the next round of those will be 1v1v1s. Links to the rounds will be added as they go up!

Ennui vs Flux

Synchronicity vs Lumin vs Electra

The Alchemist vs Null Pointer

Neo vs Ren vs Quarz

More info about the characters under the cut.

Ennui

[profile link here]

Originally a D&D-inspired OC, now just a general OC

Lich that was so so shit at magic when he was alive but now that he's dead he's actually sort of decent at it

Worldhopper - he travels between universes, using a jury-rigged super powerful explosion spell to catapult himself into a different universe by destroying the one he's currently in.

He only cares about one person, and that's his demonic boyfriend Alu. Anyone else can get fucked, as far as he's concerned.

Flux

[profile link here]

General OC in the same world as some of my and my friend's kinsonas

Her species infects the brain of other species, appearing as a sort of ghost or hallucination until they mature enough to become physical, bursting out of the host's body and killing them in the process. They usally give their host immense bloodlust and taste for raw meat. [mmm flux hungy feed her tasty prion diseases]

On that note, the most lame and cringefail of her entire species. She's supposed to get her host to kill and stuff like that, but she mostly just annoys and makes fun of him.

Synchronicity

[profile link here]

Minecraft OC

One of the fair folk, lives in the deep forest and would quite like not to be disturbed.

Finds great fun in tormenting whatever non-fae might cross their path

Thought NitroLock_ was fun to 'play with', so when they got his name, they kept him around to do some work for them.

Kind of sadistic, sometimes. Usually. Most of the time.

Has stolen peoples blood to use for sympathetic magic before

Lumin

[profile link here]

Originally designed as a general oc, but quickly adapted into a Cosmosdex (Tegyp) OC.

Almost never wears a shirt under his open suit jacket, unless he's pretty much forced to.

Kind of an alcoholic. Tries to pretend he's a fun partyboy, but he just gets all miserable.

Very into modifying robots. He claims he improves them, but he's fucked up a perfectly good Cupid unit is what he's done. Look at it, it's got anxiety.

Electra

[profile link here]

Sonic OC, builds and codes robots for a living.

She has built a robot that she considers her son, so she could technically be a MILF, if you're into that.

Mega autism and hyperfixated on engineering. Would love to infodump about whatever her current project may be, and gets super attached to everything she builds.

The Alchemist

[profile link here]

Minecraft OC, an AU of Ruti.

Basically what would've happened if Ruti grew up with other magic users who could've taught him how to use his magic.

It speaks primarily Standard Galactic.

Never calls people by their names, instead using a title/other noun ["shopkeeper" or "friend" or "thief", etc.] because names have immense power in a language as soaked with magic as Standard Galactic is, and that habit carries over into other languages.

Makes potions. Definitely legally.

"ruti" "the cooler ruti"

Null Pointer

[profile link here]

BNHA/MHA OC, but liable to become a general OC any day now.

he/she girlboything

Has the ability to lag herself out of reality for a bit; from an outside perspective, this looks like freezing in place and loosing all collision before abruptly teleporting.

Also has the ability to hack any sufficiently complex technology, as long as line-of-sight is maintained.

His mascot [the little demon dude shown next to him] shows up on the screen of any technology he hacks. Just to be cocky about it.

Generally very cocky and aggressive while fighting/sparring, or just in general.

She has 97 mental illnesses and is banned from most public spaces

Ren

[profile link here]

OC for Monkey Wrench [by Zeurel on Youtube]

Big bear of a man [in the gay sense]

Mechanic/weaponsmith/arms dealer

Former mercenary. Would take out entire ship crews by sneaking on under the guise of a mechanic and "fixing" their ship [rigging it to blow as soon as he got to safety.]

Neo

[profile link here]

Minecraft OC, specifically for Empires SMP Season 2

Has ice magic powers, and lives in an Ice Spikes biome.

Its moral compass is a fucking roulette wheel

Tries to be nice, but has a very skewed idea of what "nice" and "good" is.

Would probably keep you as a pet if you asked

Quarz

[profile link here]

General OC

Shapeshifter, and he uses this power for evil. [Shapeshifts into whoever he's talking to in order to psych them out, though he claims it's to "level the playing field".]

Sort of a sardonic personality, often deriding others and putting himself above them. He does it to distract himself from feeling shitty about himself, but you could never get him to admit that.

Loves to inflict terrible events and circumstances on others [my ocs. or sometimes my blorbo du jour]. It is his favorite activity

[wuorija]

Celebrating Digital winter: Crafting Your Galactic Avatar with iFoto's PFP Maker

As the days grow shorter and the nights stretch into infinity, a subtle move occurs in the fabric of our digital universe. Across the cybernetic landscapes of social media platforms, a festival spirit stirs, carried on the binary winds of innovation and tradition. It is here, in this realm of zeroes and ones, where the magic of Christmas alights like a constellation of stars, each one an individual beacon of holiday cheer. How does one participate in this luminous digital pageant? Enter the world of iFoto's PFP Maker.

Imagine stepping into a chamber where the ordinary changes into the extraordinary, a place where the mundane becomes a canvas for your festive imagination. This is no mere snap of a camera, but a conversion—a metamorphosis where your everyday visage moves seamlessly into a avatar resonant with the Christmas season. The PFP Maker is the alchemist in this tale, turning the leaden weight of your run-of-the-mill photograph into the gold of thematic splendor.

As the snowflakes drift down through the night sky, each one a unique design, so too can your profile picture be a singular expression of the holidays. iFoto's PFP Maker asks: why settle for the expected when the tools for invention lie at your fingertips? The universe of customization is vast, and within it, every choice you make can tell a story. What story will your avatar share?

The PFP Maker operates as both guide and sorcerer, offering an array of themes and filters. It's like casting a spell, only instead of ancient incantations, you tap and swipe. The touch of a finger, the whisper of a wish, and voilà! You are transported to a world where your digital self mirrors the joy of the season. This tool doesn't just change your appearance—it evolves it, aligning you with the grand tapestry of the winter festivities that unfold around us.

But let's ponder the significance of this transformation. In an era where identity is increasingly digital, what does it mean to alter one's online persona for the holidays? It's about joining a collective narrative, a shared human experience. By slipping into a Santa hat or donning a pair of reindeer antlers through the PFP Maker, you signal to the world that you are part of the Christmas story. It's a subtle nod, an acknowledgment of the bonds we form through shared celebration.

Customization is the true spirit of the holidays, isn't it? We decorate our homes, wrap gifts in unique patterns, and craft personalized cards. So why wouldn't we personalize our digital presence as well? With iFoto's PFP Maker, the choice isn't just between a festive image and a plain one; it's between participating actively or observing passively. It's the difference between a silent night and one filled with laughter and song.

Moreover, this transformation is not just about individual expression; it's about connection. As your new avatar travels through the vast social media cosmos, it carries a piece of you to every corner, every friend, every encounter. It bridges distances, reminding loved ones that even though miles may separate us, the spirit of Christmas unites us. With iFoto's PFP Maker, you send a message across the stars, saying, "I am here. I am part of this.

Consider the act of changing your profile picture as a digital version of the ancient tradition of wearing festive attire. It's a way of showing respect for the occasion, of getting into the spirit. When you update your profile with a Christmas-themed avatar, you're donning digital decorations, partaking in a ritual as old as time yet as fresh as the latest innovation.

As the festive season sweeps across our digital landscapes, consider yourself an artist and iFoto's PFP Maker your brush and palette. The canvas is your social media profile, a space waiting to reflect the light and joy of the holidays. So, as you stand on the threshold of this digital winter wonderland, what story will you tell with your avatar? What joy will you share? The PFP Maker is ready, waiting to weave your digital tale into the grand narrative of Christmas cheer.

[thisismycorneroftheinternet]

Two panels from Chapter 2 of my comic

This has been 3 years ago at this point, but I'm still so proud of mainly the court scene on that chapter. There's so much detail that has to do with worldbuilding. The luminous floor tiles and pillars that are meant to have pulses of light are all fed by the power grid of the Universal Empire's central castle-planet, which in turn is fed by the pulsating jet of a luminous, massive active galactic nucleus (a black hole with an accretion disk that generates massive amounts of light and expels so much matter and photons as jets due to the interactions of the forces near the event horizon, that it shines brighter than the galaxy that it inhabits) which the planet orbits. This same power grid feeds an extensive portal system connected to the outer doors of the castle, which are indicated with intricate murals of the locations those portals lead to, and the servants of the Universal Empire can access and use to take shortcuts and travel to and from the Empire's heart planet to even its edges.

The parts of the flooring and the throne the Empress sits on is all carved from a dead star's black diamond core, which is a thing that can happen, stars that die as white dwarfs and eventually cool down have so much carbon in high pressure that it forms a diamond, which would be black because of the presence of all other elements. The different aliens that I show on the scene are all from different subjugated civilizations under the Universal Empire, some who are also Warriors under the other carriers of elemental talismans. The yellow owl-like alien present here is Lady Aeolus, the Air Messenger, a shape-shifting space harpy who can travel through the vacuum of space, who comes from a planet called Pteria that has a highly tiered cast society based on their size and diet, and has heavy parallels to not only greco-roman aesthetic but a lot of its values, but mixed with avian instinct turned culture.

Also that's the Sorceress, on the right, as portrayed in the Empire's fearful prediction if she keeps on taking down the Talisman carriers and ends up acquiring a power equal to the power of the Empress, a world-destroying, spacetime shifting power. She was part of the Earth King's court and species (the Earth King being literally a sentient planet with a whole civilization of cervid-like bipedal aliens who serve him) until she fell under the influence of chaotic demons and now wants to seek the destruction of it all.

IDK, there's so much more that I still want to write about on my comic, but yeah, those little scenes and snippets have so much that I've been thinking about for years.

drawn on GIMP. All the characters in this comic series are mine. If you're seeking commissions from me, here's my page. Also, support me on Ko-fi here! Lastly, check out my Neocities website to see more of my work.

[sunaleisocial]

Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/astronomers-detect-ancient-lonely-quasars-with-murky-origins/

Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins

A quasar is the extremely bright core of a galaxy that hosts an active supermassive black hole at its center. As the black hole draws in surrounding gas and dust, it blasts out an enormous amount of energy, making quasars some of the brightest objects in the universe. Quasars have been observed as early as a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, and it’s been a mystery as to how these objects could have grown so bright and massive in such a short amount of cosmic time.

Scientists have proposed that the earliest quasars sprang from overly dense regions of primordial matter, which would also have produced many smaller galaxies in the quasars’ environment. But in a new MIT-led study, astronomers observed some ancient quasars that appear to be surprisingly alone in the early universe.

The astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to peer back in time, more than 13 billion years, to study the cosmic surroundings of five known ancient quasars. They found a surprising variety in their neighborhoods, or “quasar fields.” While some quasars reside in very crowded fields with more than 50 neighboring galaxies, as all models predict, the remaining quasars appear to drift in voids, with only a few stray galaxies in their vicinity.

These lonely quasars are challenging physicists’ understanding of how such luminous objects could have formed so early on in the universe, without a significant source of surrounding matter to fuel their black hole growth.

“Contrary to previous belief, we find on average, these quasars are not necessarily in those highest-density regions of the early universe. Some of them seem to be sitting in the middle of nowhere,” says Anna-Christina Eilers, assistant professor of physics at MIT. “It’s difficult to explain how these quasars could have grown so big if they appear to have nothing to feed from.”

There is a possibility that these quasars may not be as solitary as they appear, but are instead surrounded by galaxies that are heavily shrouded in dust and therefore hidden from view. Eilers and her colleagues hope to tune their observations to try and see through any such cosmic dust, in order to understand how quasars grew so big, so fast, in the early universe.

Eilers and her colleagues report their findings in a paper appearing today in the Astrophysical Journal. The MIT co-authors include postdocs Rohan Naidu and Minghao Yue; Robert Simcoe, the Francis Friedman Professor of Physics and director of MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research; and collaborators from institutions including Leiden University, the University of California at Santa Barbara, ETH Zurich, and elsewhere.

Galactic neighbors

The five newly observed quasars are among the oldest quasars observed to date. More than 13 billion years old, the objects are thought to have formed between 600 to 700 million years after the Big Bang. The supermassive black holes powering the quasars are a billion times more massive than the sun, and more than a trillion times brighter. Due to their extreme luminosity, the light from each quasar is able to travel over the age of the universe, far enough to reach JWST’s highly sensitive detectors today.

“It’s just phenomenal that we now have a telescope that can capture light from 13 billion years ago in so much detail,” Eilers says. “For the first time, JWST enabled us to look at the environment of these quasars, where they grew up, and what their neighborhood was like.”

The team analyzed images of the five ancient quasars taken by JWST between August 2022 and June 2023. The observations of each quasar comprised multiple “mosaic” images, or partial views of the quasar’s field, which the team effectively stitched together to produce a complete picture of each quasar’s surrounding neighborhood.

The telescope also took measurements of light in multiple wavelengths across each quasar’s field, which the team then processed to determine whether a given object in the field was light from a neighboring galaxy, and how far a galaxy is from the much more luminous central quasar.

“We found that the only difference between these five quasars is that their environments look so different,” Eilers says. “For instance, one quasar has almost 50 galaxies around it, while another has just two. And both quasars are within the same size, volume, brightness, and time of the universe. That was really surprising to see.”

Growth spurts

The disparity in quasar fields introduces a kink in the standard picture of black hole growth and galaxy formation. According to physicists’ best understanding of how the first objects in the universe emerged, a cosmic web of dark matter should have set the course. Dark matter is an as-yet unknown form of matter that has no other interactions with its surroundings other than through gravity.

Shortly after the Big Bang, the early universe is thought to have formed filaments of dark matter that acted as a sort of gravitational road, attracting gas and dust along its tendrils. In overly dense regions of this web, matter would have accumulated to form more massive objects. And the brightest, most massive early objects, such as quasars, would have formed in the web’s highest-density regions, which would have also churned out many more, smaller galaxies.

“The cosmic web of dark matter is a solid prediction of our cosmological model of the Universe, and it can be described in detail using numerical simulations,” says co-author Elia Pizzati, a graduate student at Leiden University. “By comparing our observations to these simulations, we can determine where in the cosmic web quasars are located.”

Scientists estimate that quasars would have had to grow continuously with very high accretion rates in order to reach the extreme mass and luminosities at the times that astronomers have observed them, fewer than 1 billion years after the Big Bang.

“The main question we’re trying to answer is, how do these billion-solar-mass black holes form at a time when the universe is still really, really young? It’s still in its infancy,” Eilers says.

The team’s findings may raise more questions than answers. The “lonely” quasars appear to live in relatively empty regions of space. If physicists’ cosmological models are correct, these barren regions signify very little dark matter, or starting material for brewing up stars and galaxies. How, then, did extremely bright and massive quasars come to be?

“Our results show that there’s still a significant piece of the puzzle missing of how these supermassive black holes grow,” Eilers says. “If there’s not enough material around for some quasars to be able to grow continuously, that means there must be some other way that they can grow, that we have yet to figure out.”

This research was supported, in part, by the European Research Council. 

[jcmarchi]

Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/astronomers-detect-ancient-lonely-quasars-with-murky-origins/

Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins

A quasar is the extremely bright core of a galaxy that hosts an active supermassive black hole at its center. As the black hole draws in surrounding gas and dust, it blasts out an enormous amount of energy, making quasars some of the brightest objects in the universe. Quasars have been observed as early as a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, and it’s been a mystery as to how these objects could have grown so bright and massive in such a short amount of cosmic time.

Scientists have proposed that the earliest quasars sprang from overly dense regions of primordial matter, which would also have produced many smaller galaxies in the quasars’ environment. But in a new MIT-led study, astronomers observed some ancient quasars that appear to be surprisingly alone in the early universe.

The astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to peer back in time, more than 13 billion years, to study the cosmic surroundings of five known ancient quasars. They found a surprising variety in their neighborhoods, or “quasar fields.” While some quasars reside in very crowded fields with more than 50 neighboring galaxies, as all models predict, the remaining quasars appear to drift in voids, with only a few stray galaxies in their vicinity.

These lonely quasars are challenging physicists’ understanding of how such luminous objects could have formed so early on in the universe, without a significant source of surrounding matter to fuel their black hole growth.

“Contrary to previous belief, we find on average, these quasars are not necessarily in those highest-density regions of the early universe. Some of them seem to be sitting in the middle of nowhere,” says Anna-Christina Eilers, assistant professor of physics at MIT. “It’s difficult to explain how these quasars could have grown so big if they appear to have nothing to feed from.”

There is a possibility that these quasars may not be as solitary as they appear, but are instead surrounded by galaxies that are heavily shrouded in dust and therefore hidden from view. Eilers and her colleagues hope to tune their observations to try and see through any such cosmic dust, in order to understand how quasars grew so big, so fast, in the early universe.

Eilers and her colleagues report their findings in a paper appearing today in the Astrophysical Journal. The MIT co-authors include postdocs Rohan Naidu and Minghao Yue; Robert Simcoe, the Francis Friedman Professor of Physics and director of MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research; and collaborators from institutions including Leiden University, the University of California at Santa Barbara, ETH Zurich, and elsewhere.

Galactic neighbors

The five newly observed quasars are among the oldest quasars observed to date. More than 13 billion years old, the objects are thought to have formed between 600 to 700 million years after the Big Bang. The supermassive black holes powering the quasars are a billion times more massive than the sun, and more than a trillion times brighter. Due to their extreme luminosity, the light from each quasar is able to travel over the age of the universe, far enough to reach JWST’s highly sensitive detectors today.

“It’s just phenomenal that we now have a telescope that can capture light from 13 billion years ago in so much detail,” Eilers says. “For the first time, JWST enabled us to look at the environment of these quasars, where they grew up, and what their neighborhood was like.”

The team analyzed images of the five ancient quasars taken by JWST between August 2022 and June 2023. The observations of each quasar comprised multiple “mosaic” images, or partial views of the quasar’s field, which the team effectively stitched together to produce a complete picture of each quasar’s surrounding neighborhood.

The telescope also took measurements of light in multiple wavelengths across each quasar’s field, which the team then processed to determine whether a given object in the field was light from a neighboring galaxy, and how far a galaxy is from the much more luminous central quasar.

“We found that the only difference between these five quasars is that their environments look so different,” Eilers says. “For instance, one quasar has almost 50 galaxies around it, while another has just two. And both quasars are within the same size, volume, brightness, and time of the universe. That was really surprising to see.”

Growth spurts

The disparity in quasar fields introduces a kink in the standard picture of black hole growth and galaxy formation. According to physicists’ best understanding of how the first objects in the universe emerged, a cosmic web of dark matter should have set the course. Dark matter is an as-yet unknown form of matter that has no other interactions with its surroundings other than through gravity.

Shortly after the Big Bang, the early universe is thought to have formed filaments of dark matter that acted as a sort of gravitational road, attracting gas and dust along its tendrils. In overly dense regions of this web, matter would have accumulated to form more massive objects. And the brightest, most massive early objects, such as quasars, would have formed in the web’s highest-density regions, which would have also churned out many more, smaller galaxies.

“The cosmic web of dark matter is a solid prediction of our cosmological model of the Universe, and it can be described in detail using numerical simulations,” says co-author Elia Pizzati, a graduate student at Leiden University. “By comparing our observations to these simulations, we can determine where in the cosmic web quasars are located.”

Scientists estimate that quasars would have had to grow continuously with very high accretion rates in order to reach the extreme mass and luminosities at the times that astronomers have observed them, fewer than 1 billion years after the Big Bang.

“The main question we’re trying to answer is, how do these billion-solar-mass black holes form at a time when the universe is still really, really young? It’s still in its infancy,” Eilers says.

The team’s findings may raise more questions than answers. The “lonely” quasars appear to live in relatively empty regions of space. If physicists’ cosmological models are correct, these barren regions signify very little dark matter, or starting material for brewing up stars and galaxies. How, then, did extremely bright and massive quasars come to be?

“Our results show that there’s still a significant piece of the puzzle missing of how these supermassive black holes grow,” Eilers says. “If there’s not enough material around for some quasars to be able to grow continuously, that means there must be some other way that they can grow, that we have yet to figure out.”

This research was supported, in part, by the European Research Council. 

[sciencestyled]

Aurora’s Whimsical Guide to Celestial Lights: A Galactic Tale

Once upon a starlit eve, in the enchanting expanse of the cosmos, there resided Aurora, the whimsical goddess of dawn. With a twinkle in her eye and a swirl of her celestial gown, she embarked on a spirited endeavor to illuminate the wonders of Earth’s auroras - both Northern and Southern Lights - with her trademark mix of humor and wisdom.

“Greetings, my stargazing sprites and space-time travelers!” Aurora chimed, her voice echoing through the galaxies. “I, the ever-effervescent Aurora, am thrilled to guide you through the marvels of our universe’s most spectacular night shows – the auroras. Let's uncover the mysteries of these night-sky delights with a touch of humor and a rainbow of scientific facts!”

Aurora began by painting a vivid picture of the night sky transforming into an astonishing light display. “Imagine the heavens suddenly bursting into a canvas of shimmering colors, like an artist liberally splashing neon hues across a dark, velvety sky. That, my dear friends, is the aurora - a celestial spectacle that has puzzled mortals since time immemorial.”

She revealed the science behind these mesmerizing lights. “These aren’t just atmospheric decorations, oh no! They’re the result of our dear Earth, the charming blue marble, colliding with particles from our Sun – that great, fiery star. These solar particles, thrown out like cosmic confetti, meet Earth’s gases, leading to a show of dazzling lights. It’s nature’s own neon billboard, inviting us to gaze in wonder.”

Aurora then took her audience on a tour of the two types of auroras: the Aurora Borealis, a luminous tiara gracing the northern hemisphere, and the Aurora Australis, a swirling, colorful skirt around the southern pole. “Both are like nature’s disco balls, turning the sky into a photon-filled dance club,” she quipped.

The goddess elaborated on the colors of these lights. “It’s all about atmospheric gases meeting solar particles. Oxygen gives us greens and reds, while nitrogen, the bashful cousin of oxygen, bestows blues and purples. A veritable rainbow in the sky!”

Aurora didn’t forget to honor the Earth’s magnetic field, the unsung hero of this phenomenon. “This invisible shield is our cosmic bouncer, directing solar particles towards the poles, crafting these splendid lights. Without it, our nights would be far less magical.”

Thus, Aurora, with her captivating storytelling, unraveled the mysteries of the auroras. She transformed complex science into an enchanting narrative, drawing her audience into a world where celestial phenomena danced hand-in-hand with myth and legend.

“And so,” Aurora concluded with a graceful bow, “our auroral journey comes to an end. Remember, every time you witness the auroras, you’re seeing a cosmic ballet choreographed by the universe itself. Until our next celestial rendezvous, keep your eyes on the skies and your hearts filled with wonder!”

And with that, the goddess of dawn dissolved into the first light of day, leaving behind a trail of stardust and an audience forever enchanted by the mysteries of the auroras.

[julierysava]

Voyage of the Starborne Seeker

In the galactic tapestry of the cosmos, where constellations told tales of forgotten realms, Captain Nylomy commanded the starship Celestial Seeker. Her journey through the cosmic ocean was not just a mission; it was a quest for the mysteries which lay beyond the shimmering veil of stars.

The Celestial Seeker, adorned with the scars of interstellar travels, carried a crew as diverse as the galaxies themselves. Among them was Navigator Aric Voss, a keen mind with eyes held the reflections of distant quasars. His nimble fingers danced across holographic star charts, guiding the ship through the celestial symphony.

One fateful day, the Seeker detected anomalous readings from the Nebula of Eternity—a cosmic enigma which whispered promises of untold knowledge. Captain Nylomy, fueled by an insatiable curiosity, set a course for the heart of the nebula.

As the ship ventured deeper, the fabric of space itself seemed to ripple, revealing a corridor to a dimension untouched by mortal hands. The crew, a mosaic of races from far-flung stars, hesitated before this cosmic gateway.

Captain Nylomy, a beacon of determination, led her crew into the unknown. The corridor, a ribbon of iridescence, unfolded like a cosmic road. They emerged on the other side in the Astral Atrium—a celestial nexus suspended amidst the kaleidoscopic nebulae.

Here, they encountered the Luminal Scribes, ethereal beings who chronicled the eons in celestial scripts. The leader, a being of pure light named Marooy, beckoned Nylomy to partake in the weaving of cosmic tales.

Each crew member found a connection with the Astral Atrium. Aric communed with celestial mathematicians, exchanging algorithms that transcended mortal comprehension. Engineer Kaela discovered the harmonies of cosmic energies, tuning the ship's engines to resonate with the music of the spheres.

Captain Nylomy, with hands bathed in starlight, wove her story into the fabric of the universe. The Luminal Scribes, in turn, gifted the Seeker with a stardust-infused crystal—an artifact of cosmic wisdom.

As the Celestial Seeker departed the Astral Atrium, the crew carried with them the echoes of celestial knowledge. Captain Nylomy, now a guardian of cosmic lore, charted a course for unexplored galaxies, her eyes reflecting the luminous trails of newfound wisdom.

And so, under the boundless canopy of stars, the Starborne Seeker continued its voyage—a vessel of dreams, sailing through the cosmic sea in pursuit of the next chapter in the endless saga of the universe.

[spacenutspod]

Fast Radio Bursts are an astrophysical enigma. They are intense bursts of radio energy lasting anywhere from a fraction of a millisecond to a few seconds, typically with a frequency of around 1,400 MHz, and we still don’t know what causes them. They were first detected in 2007 but were initially so rare and short-lived that it was difficult to confirm they weren’t terrestrial in origin. With the inauguration of the CHIME telescope and other wide-field radio observatories, we started observing lots of them, which confirmed they were both astrophysical and mostly coming from outside our galaxy. Now one has been observed from a galaxy 8 billion light years away, and it could help us solve a cosmological mystery. The dominant theory for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) is that they are caused by magnetars. Neutron stars with an extremely strong magnetic field. Just as the Sun’s magnetic field can trigger solar flares, magnetars could experience magnetic flares that emit flashes of radio light. We know they are extragalactic because they occur all over the sky, not just along the galactic plane of the Milky Way. Measuring their distance is a bit more tricky. Distribution of FRBs seen by CHIME. Credit: CHIME/FRB Collaboration Since FRBs emit a radio pulse at a uniform frequency, we can use what is known as a Dispersion Measure (DM) to determine distance. When the radio pulse passes through ionized intergalactic gas, higher frequencies pass through it a bit faster than lower frequencies. This is similar to the way visible light is refracted by a piece of glass. Violet is refracted the most and red the least because violet light takes a bit longer to pass through the glass than red light. What this means is that rather than seeing the FRB light all at once, we see the lower frequencies a bit later than the higher ones. The more distant the FRB, the more intergalactic plasma it passes through to reach us, and the greater the dispersion. Of course, to use this for distance, you’d need to know the distribution of intergalactic plasma. If there are clumps of plasma between close galaxies, the FRB would have a dispersion measure similar to that of distant galaxies with little intergalactic plasma between them. Unfortunately, we don’t have a good mapping of intergalactic plasma. It’s a missing part of the “total mass” of the Universe. We know it’s there, we just aren’t sure how much of it is there. This new discovery could help change that. Known as FRB 20220610A, it was observed by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in 2022. The ASKAP data was precise enough that astronomers could pinpoint its location in the sky accurately enough to pin its origin to a particular galaxy. The team then used follow-up observations by the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile to confirm it likely came from a small cluster of merging galaxies. The VLT observations then determined the redshift of the cluster to find the distance. Macquart relation between DM and redshift for FRBs. Credit: Ryder, et al The light of the FRB 20220610A traveled 8 billion light years to reach us, making it the most distant fast radio burst ever observed, and likely at the distance limit for FRBs we can currently detect. But more importantly, knowing its distance, we can compare this to the dispersion measure to calculate the amount of ionized gas between galaxies. The idea for using FRBs to map intergalactic gas was first proposed by Australian astronomer Jean-Pierre Macquart, which is why this comparison is sometimes known as the Macquart relation. If we can pinpoint lots more fast radio bursts, we will be able to build a distribution map of intergalactic gas. From that we can get a handle on the overall mass between galaxies and help pinpoint the total mass of the cosmos. Basically using one mystery to solve another, which is a pretty cool trick. Reference: Ryder, S. D., et al. “A luminous fast radio burst that probes the Universe at redshift 1.” Science 382.6668 (2023): 294-299. The post A Fast Radio Burst Took 8 Billion Years to Reach Us appeared first on Universe Today.

[walkfromhome]

1. The speed of light is a limitation of physical space-time but not of higher dimensions. 

2. History is recorded in time, which our science still does not fully understand.  Time is the measure of the duration of a movement, a change or event.  Without time nothing happens. It is what separates events as space separates objects.

It appears to be dualistic: digitized according to quantum physics and a continuous flow or plenum integrated with space as space-time in relativity physics, something like the particle-wave nature of matter.

We will find there is a dual nature to everything in physical reality.  Everything is based on frequency, an oscillation in time and space. Time and space make up the fabric of reality in lower dimensions as consciousness and love are the fabric of reality in higher dimensions.

Quantum physics has discovered that reality is non-local, that is, that the cause of an event may happen in the future not the past. Quantum fluctuations produce tiny geometries in time—

time has a geometrical nature that governs motion.

In relativity time varies with the velocity of the observers so that for one who is approaching the speed of light time appears to slow and finally stops. It is much different from our time on earth, thus with a different history. 

To confound the picture even more, some of our space visitors are time travelers, returning to their past or into their future in order to change their present, again along a specific timeline.

Torsion fields produced by quantum spin and motion depend on “time density”, thin or thick, the amount of change per unit of time which in turn is related to entropy, the tendency of order to disappear over time in a closed system. 2nd law of thermodynamics. If anything, history demonstrates the opposite effect of increasing order or complexity over time, negentropy, suggesting that while the universe is a bounded thus finite system that energy is constantly moving in and out of it from the primordial void.  This occurs through blackholes.  The Key is balance in the duality system not stasis.

3. According to extraterrestrial wisdom, our planet is actually 7.5 billion years old. Earth was conceived in Orion, in the star, Rigel, and then transplanted to our Solar system where it was born out of the sun as a plasma sphere which is still at the center of the earth.  The formation of the earth combines the push of the electric charge of plasma with the gravitational pull of an accretion disk of matter leaving large cavities inside the earth. At this point the planet was not quite formed. It looked like a luminous blue-green orb, not quite spherical.  The first beings arrived here in nonphysical bodies, set up the original planetary grid system which encoded the original plan, life blueprints and experience scenarios.  They were called the “Gardeners,” the ones who gardened the planet, and they were reptilian.  Also among the first to arrive in the solar system were the original Founders, or what our secret space program calls the “Builder Race”, who built huge domed structures on other planets and moons.

With the fall of the Empire the plan for earth was modified.  It was to become a grand experiment in spiritual evolution, blazing a fast track return to Source while redeeming the fallen light and rebalancing the karma of the Galactic Wars.  The whole Orion drama would be replayed again…and again on earth.  As a planet of unsurpassed beauty in the galaxy, earth holds a special place in the experiment in spiritual evolution that could change the entire universe.  A call for volunteers went out again and the first wave of souls arrived, 144,000.  They would become the humanity of earth.  The Creator made a covenant with them for their service, the conditions of agreement or a sort of rules of the game to be played.

The objective of the experiment would be to explore a new path of ascension, of evolution through multi-dimensional reality on our universal path of return.  The idea was to ascend to the 5th dimension, the mental planes, passing through, not to, the astral emotional planes as is standard. The lessons of the experience in the astral planes, however, would still have to be learned but while in the 3rd physical dimension, making its sojourn that much more difficult.  Humans would also attempt to awaken and redeem the fallen dark ones, which could only be accomplished from within.  According to free-will it could not be imposed from without, interfering with the free-will of the dark. Due to free-will the dark may ultimately choose not to turn to the Light and will be taken to another realm to continue their evolution.  Likewise certain humans will awaken and assist those other beings who come to achieve enlightenment.

(Source)

[stellcluceats]

@wxrld-xf-cxts - Continued from the ask. 

He paused, unsure why the words hit him like being smacked directly across the face. Jealous? Is that what he sounded like?

Oh...gods...

"I assure you that I'm not..." He answered, lying through his teeth, and forced a smile. "Definitely not. After all, why would I be?"

;;~ Lumine smiles before chuckling a little amused by the fact Childe was acting like this. With this she pointed a finger to his chest with a smirk.  “Mhm and are you sure you aren't, because your expression on your face says something different.” 

“So why don’t you tell me what your really thinking right now.. are you Jealous that I was spending time around Lord Ayato for a commission and not you??”