#Gul War Stories

[williamrablan]

Free Kindle Read: The Cross and the Badge

Right about now, someone is saying those immortal words, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” There isn’t you know. But for five days, starting Christmas Day and going through the 30th if December, and if you have a kindle account, you can read “The Cross and the Badge” for free. After that, it goes back to its regular price. It’s, of course, a bit of marketing with hopes that if you…

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Who cares about Celeborn? There's only one character I really want to see included on Galadriel's character arc in future seasons of "Rings of Power":

Sauron and Galadriel are now bound together, merged souls, and he, most likely, transferred some of his powers onto the her in the process. This will come into play in Season 3. So, we might yet see Galadriel spiral down into darkness before emerging, victorious, as the “Lady of Light”: to find the light, we must first touch the darkness.

I would love to see Gandalf involved in this process. Especially since his arc parallels Sauron’s in “Rings of Power”, and this would explain Gandalf and Galadriel's friendship, and mutual admiration and respect for one another, in the future (+ the Elves, in general). We know Galadriel completely trusts Gandalf, even when other characters don’t (Elrond and Saruman, for instance).

In book canon, Gandalf wasn’t supposed to be in Middle-earth at this timeline, but the show changed that, so my wishful thinking can be a possibility.

And helping Galadriel deal with her bound with Sauron would be a very interesting way to connect these characters and both Sauron/Gandalf parallels: while Sauron wants to bring Galadriel to the darkness, Gandalf would provide guidance for her to stay in the light, and help her control her new-found powers. 

The “Rings of Power” Season 2 has established that Gandalf’s mission is to stop Sauron, but in book canon, he never actually faced him, directly (even though he was probably the only one who could be a match to Sauron’s power, with both of them being Maiar);

Galadriel didn’t face Sauron, personally, throughout this timeline, nor was she a direct part of the War of the Last Alliance, working against him for afar (which will remain her course of action throughout the whole story);

This would provide an explanation as to why Gandalf gets his ring of power, Narya (who belonged to Círdan).

In canon, the showdown at Gul Guldur is the only known interaction of Galadriel vs. Sauron, and the only reason she’s there is because of Gandalf. 

And Gandalf tells Galadriel: “You shouldn’t be here, my Lady” 

The potential! The possibilities! Gandalf being the only one who knows of Galadriel’s “dirty little secret”?? Of her being bound together with Sauron!? Yes, please! Amazon: I have this headcanon on my wishlist!

[trekbait]

Cardassia’s Gay Venues - Ranked

Cardassia’s strict gender roles and focus on family have meant for much of the past few hundred years the queer community there, while tolerated, has lived in the shadows. Post-war, it’s all change on Cardassia and we’re proud to report on some of the hottest queer venues (or "tailor shops" in the local slang) on the planet!

#1 The Blue Spoon

Officially a 300-year-old private members club for women excelling in science and engineering (Cardassia’s traditionally female-dominated careers), this club has been a haven for Cardassia’s sapphics away from prying eyes. Those in the know of course might recognise the name; “blue spooning” being a slang term on Cardassia for a lesbian relationship. But they’ve maintained an air of deniability and exclusive privacy.

Reluctantly opening their doors to a new generation, we joined one of their latest parties with these finely dressed women, often with very masculine cuts, dancing to an all-female orchestra. From our conversations with patrons, it seems those women who do serve in the military are in exceptional demand now they’re allowed in, particularly among the younger patrons. One older Gul was seen carrying two young women around on her shoulders before vanishing towards the powder room.

#2 The Hot Rock

With their preference for the heat and dark, relative to many humanoids, it’s no surprise how popular saunas are on Cardassia. That holds true for gay Cardassians too. The Hot Rock is the biggest gay sauna in the capital and a meeting place for much of its community. Over 4 floors deep under Lakarian Way there is no end of dark corners to arrange a semi-private rendezvous in temperatures passing 90 degrees Celsius in places. 

The upper floors are dotted with dancers, bars and various entertainment. Not being able to handle the heat downstairs, we talked to a few of the patrons. One ex-tailor we spoke to told us of how prior to the war it was very much a “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation on Cardassia. The primacy of the family always had the understanding of affairs on the side, but on the understanding they were kept discreet.

These days, it seems, the old ways are out along with the old leadership. We asked the patron if there were any prominent gay Cardassians in this new society. He replied, “my dear, they’re all gay.” When asked if that included the government, he added “Especially the government.” The patron himself says that he is just visiting for the sauna and was not gay at all, but his friend Elim used to date a human doctor for a few years who was “ravishing.” He grinned as he went back to watching the dancers. Let’s hope this ‘Elim’ finds new love on this new Cardassia.

#3 Dom In Me Cabaret

What was previously an underground satirist group of drag performers during the war is now an ongoing headline show with a full musical comedy based around the Dominion leadership. The king playing the Vorta 'Why-Ooo' steals the show with his sycophantic solos dedicated to his unrequited love for the abusive Changeling.

We lost count of the number of times different characters killed Why-Oooo but the audience cheered mercilessly without fail. The group is currently working on a new act around Tain and the Obsidian Order, something unthinkable a few years ago!

#4 The Ending Sacrifice Bookshop

For a quieter atmosphere, turn to The Ending Sacrifice which now openly sells literature deemed inflammatory to the Cardassian sense of “Family Is All.” Stories of powerful people forsaking arranged marriages to elope with their true love stock the shelves in defiance of the prevailing ideology. The owner, Manek, explains how they how to challenge the monoculture on Cardassia imposed by Central Command over the past 100 years.

“Historically,” they say, “the early Hebitian civilizations were far more liberal and pluralistic. We valued our differences and our culture above military conquest. We want to return to that openness. So much of our society has been suppressed. Did you know that, like most reptilian-like humanoids, Cardassians have the capacity to change sex in certain circumstances? Under the Central Command, this is an unspoken medical disorder to be fixed rather than a natural function of our biology.”

The bookshop hosts literary and academic talks on a number of topics which are free to attend. Drop in and speak to Manek for more.

#5 Obsidian Eyes

Tucked away on the outskirts of Lakat is a BDSM club that only recently opened. For some, the end of the Obsidian order and their eternal monitoring of the whole of Cardassian society (especially it’s queer members) must be something to be missed. Because here, patrons can meet in cold metal interrogation rooms and be watched through “secret” one-way mirrors by “agents of the Obsidian Order”. At a certain point during their liaison, the agents will barge into the room and place the lovers on trial. 

We asked staff if the “agents” were real, or more accurately former, members of the Obsidian Order or just actors. Each person we asked gave an entirely conflicting account of the whole operation and one just quoted lines from Enigma Tales at us. So we’re not sure what to say at this point other than this is an exhibition and humiliation kink we didn’t think we’d see on our trip.

[datasoong101]

When I first started watching DS9, I listed each character and my impressions of them here. Now that I've finished the show and had time to sit with it, I'm gonna do that again.

Spoilers under the cut!

Benjamin Sisko:

A truly inspirational character with a beautiful and meaningful arc. Sisko is one of the best examples of a healthy father figure I can think of. He's funny, he's responsible, he's kind, he makes hard choices. His arc as the emissary was remarkable. He went from a reluctant star fleet officer to a transcendent being who's destiny was written before he was born. He's the best.

Jake Sisko:

You got to see him grow from a little kid to a remarkable author. His relationship with his father was beutiful and tragic. I would love to see where he is 10 years after the last season.

Kasidy:

Her character wasn't super detailed, but she seemed like a bad ass. A good partner for Sisko.

Sisko's Dad:

Just felt like including him. He's awsome.

Quark:

I love that little rat bastard freak. I love him and his freak little self to death. He's actually the fucking best you don't get it. His gay ass wanted Odo so bad. His arc was just right, changes in perspective but mostly shenanigans.

Rom:

The silliest and goofiest little guy. He's so damn sweet. Best grand nagus ever.

Nog:

I actually cried over Nog joining Statfleet. He is an incredible person. It's really tragic that he had to see the worst of the war so young. Love him too.

Leeta:

Such a badass.

General Martok:

A cool dude.

Worf:

I honestly didn't like Worf that much in TNG. That changed REAL quick. You get to see so much more of his character in DS9. He's just the best.

Jadzia Dax:

OH MY GOD DAX AGAGAGAGAG I cannot express how much I love her. She was absolutely incredible. Her and Worf were actually the sweetest ever. Her death pissed me the fuck off.

Ezri Dax:

When she came on, I tried not to like her. I failed. She is beutiful cinnamon roll too good for this world.

Keiko:

Wish you got to see more of her. She's awsome.

O' Brien kids:

:3

O'Brien:

I LOVE HIM POOR GUY!!! Him and Julian are the best grumpy sunshine ever.

Julian:

AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG THE TWINKIEST TWIK WHO EVER TWINKED I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM YOU DON'T GET IT YOU'LL NEVER GET IT!!! He feels so real. His arc is remarkable. From bright eyed "frontier doctor" fresh from Star Fleet Medical to the tragedy of the war and his family and being discovered as genetically modified, his friendships. All of it. He just needed to kiss a lizard.

Garak:

I LOVE THAT TRAGIC ASS HORNY ASS FUCK ASS LIZARD ASS FUCK I LOVE HIM TO DEATH HE JUST NEEDED TO KISS A TWINK.

Kira:

SHE IS SUCH A BADASS. Her character development? Incredible. She just. I don't know. I just love her. She's quite literally hanging on my wall.

Odo:

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHH I LOVE HIM. HE'S JUST SO. AHAHAHAHAHAH. His story is one of the most tragic. I love him and Kira. I cried when he went home. Also him and Quark were fucking.

Kai Winn:

I hated her and then someone changed my mind so I hate her less. Her arc was wild.

Gul Dukat:

FUCK HIM FUCK HIM FUCK HIM FUCK HIM FUCK HIM FUCK HIM FUCK HIM HE'S A PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT

Ziyal:

Maybe the most tragic casualty of the occupation and the war. She deserved so much better.

I LOVE DS9 SO FUCKING MUCH ACTUALLY INSANE I LOVE THEM SO MUCH LIKE YOU DON'T GET IT LOVING THEM IS NOT ENOUGH I NEED TO BITE THEM THAT SHOW WAS EQUAL PARTS ME CRYING AND ME LAUGHING I CAN'T WAIT TO REWATCH

[hessdalen-globe]

I’ve always been a Star Wars fan over Star Trek, but let me just say that Gul Dukat is one of my favorite villains ever.

A couple years ago I watched the Star Trek movies and shows up until Enterprise, just to give the franchise a shot and see what it was really about compared to Star Wars. And out of the TV shows Deep Space Nine was my favorite.

DS9 had some political themes that I was attracted to, like the occupation of Bajor (the system that the series takes place in just after the occupation ends) by the Cardassians (Dukat’s species) and the Dominion War.

Being a high ranking official in the Cardassian army Dukat was a major part of both of these events. He was essentially in charge of the occupation, and is the one responsible for selling out his people to the Dominion. So his connection to these events is probably partly why I enjoyed his character.

But Dukat is a perfect example of being the hero of his own story. The most believable antagonists aren’t villains in their own mind. Dukat truly believes, outwardly at least, that everything he has done is good. He was on Bajor to help the Bajorans, so he says. Ignoring the suffering, the labor camps, and cultural genocide, he reiterates this belief time and time again right in the face of Bajorans that he oppressed.

Marc Alaimo portrayed the character perfectly and really brought Dukat to life. He was entertaining to watch and my little writing here doesn’t do him justice. I don’t think his ending in the show was fitting however, as he became obsessed with Bajoran legends for the entire final seasons and I think got possessed at the end? I think he should have seen the dominion war to the end and so we could see his spiral downward as his forces slowly lost. But that’s just my opinion.

Also one of my antagonists in Cozar, the main one actually, has some pretty strong inspirations from Dukat. I couldn’t help myself.

[deepspacedukat]

I hope you’re not all kinked out! Possible fic… Dukat tied to a chair, blindfolded, interrogated by a spy (obsidian order or tal Shiar??). They don’t get very far with the interrogation because he seduces them with his sexy words and has them fuck him instead.

Also thank you for all your stories so far!

Ooooooh, I love this! I hope you don't mind that I chose a Tal Shiar agent for this! The idea of a Romulan!Reader is just too intriguing for me to pass up. I hope you enjoy this, my friend! 💜

Cross-posted to AO3 here.

--

Melodramatic Vulcans

Dukat (ST:DS9) x Romulan!Reader

[A/N: This is smut, so 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!!!]

Warnings: Interspecies sex, Cardassian/Romulan sex, oral sex (female receiving), captor/captive sex, Dukat is an arrogant bastard even when restrained, implied torture, referenced mind probes.

~*~

"You'd do well to answer my questions willingly, Gul," I called from the opposite side of the small interrogation room. Pouring myself a glass of water, I acted as though his presence was barely worth nothing. Dukat had been a thorn in the Tal Shiar's side for many years. He enjoyed baiting us with his own pathetic attempts at espionage within our organization. Now, he found himself tied to a chair and entirely at my mercy. "I assure you, we have other much less pleasant ways of extracting information from our prisoners."

"Yes, well, you may be more expressive than your Vulcan cousins, but I am no more intimidated by you than I would be by one of their species," Dukat crowed, but I just smirked in response and turned to look at him as I dropped my voice to a lower register - one that never failed to make my prey cower.

Admittedly, seeing Gul Dukat cowering before me would be intoxicating. The hunger in his eyes mingling with fear...the low rumbles that would reverberate through his chest–

No. I needed to focus. I had a job to do. I couldn't afford to indulge in fantasies, no matter how attractive my prisoner might be.

"Then you clearly have no idea who you're dealing with," I murmured as I stalked slowly across the small cell toward his bound body. Even captive like this, he seemed obscenely relaxed, sprawling his legs out as if he was in a plush armchair rather than tied to a tiny seat made of unyielding, unpleasant metal. "In a few moments, you'll be so busy spilling your government's secrets and pleading with me to remove the mind probe that you'll have no time for your posturi–"

"Gespar or lyka berries?"

His question was so far afield that I could do no more than stare at him blankly for a moment as I tried to work out what he meant.

"In your perfume," Dukat clarified with a gleam in his eyes. "Is that gespar I smell? Or is it the scent of lyka berries?"

What?

"I'm not wearing perfume," I replied truthfully, too stunned to lie, and he grinned deviously.

"Well, then, your natural scent is much more pleasant than I'd been lead to believe about Romulans, my dear. Or perhaps that's more than just your normal scent," he said allowing his eyes to rake down my uniform-clad body. "Maybe you've been thinking about the same things that I have. After all, I am at your mercy. I couldn't exactly resist your advances should you wish to make them - not that I would ever turn down a willing partner when she's as lovely as you are."

Placing my hands on my hips, I was quite certain my incredulity was written all over my face.

"Your brain is about to be sifted through by our mind probes, and all you can think of is sex?" Forcing down the thought that I was being hypocritical given my own musings, I tried to coat my every word in as much condescension as I could muster. "No wonder the Federation made your people run back home with your tails tucked between your legs. You were too busy mating to bother with a war."

"Don't forget who you're addressing. I'm the Former Prefect of Bajor. I've quite mastered the skill of multitasking," Dukat boasted as he unabashedly tossed me a wink. Was I imagining things, or was there a bulge growing more prominent in the front of his uniform trousers? "Both business and pleasure are areas in which I'm thoroughly versed."

Suppressing a shiver of anticipation, I lifted an eyebrow in what I hoped he would interpret as disbelief. Truthfully, though, all I could think of was how the women in his bed had been treated. Was he all hot air, or was there some veracity in his bragging?

"There, you see? I knew you were curious, just not about how the specs of our cloaking devices differ from yours," he said as a grin stretched his lips. "I'd be more than happy to show you, if you like. Compare me to the men of your species - in skill, in size, however you wish - but I can assure you, you won't be disappointed or leave this room unsatisfied."

Not for the first time, I was glad that the walls were soundproofed and that there were no cameras in this particular interrogation room. They'd surely be picking up the slight emerald blush coating my cheeks by now if they'd been present.

What a pompous ass of a man!

But I couldn't deny that I wanted to test his skills on a personal level. Doubtless, he'd already taken my silence for the damning admission that it was. That smirk hadn't dropped even a fraction of a millimeter. He had me, and he knew it.

"Come now, Major. Surely we can come to some sort of mutual understanding...?" I couldn't deny that I wanted to know what the Gul's moans sounded like from between my thighs. "Perhaps an exchange?"

Hesitating for merely a moment, I crossed my arms over my chest.

"What did you have in mind?" As soon as the words passed my lips, I knew it was the wrong question to ask. He seemed positively gleeful.

"I'll answer a single question about our cloaks and satisfy your curiosity about Cardassian sexuality, and in exchange, you'll let me go without using those pathetic, primitive mind probes."

Well, he never specified when I needed to let him go, and he didn't rule out other forms of persuasion, so I thought it was a safe enough bet. Besides, though my species valued honesty, Romulans could still lie when the situation called for it.

No time like the present.

"Agreed," I answered tilting my chin up and moving to stand between his legs. "The question first. What do you use to shield the ambient radiation given off by your cloaking device's power source?"

Dukat gave me another smirk.

"Simple. A lead casing enhanced with neutronium." That wasn't physically possible. The cloak wouldn't be able to escape the field to protect the ship. Reacting to the glare that plastered my face, the Gul let out a laugh. "You really are just melodramatic Vulcans! Don't look so betrayed, pretty girl. If you recall, I never agreed to answer truthfully."

Touché.

"No, I suppose you didn't," I replied attempting to act as though I was partially defeated. It never hurt to throw your enemy off-balance every once and a while. "However, I believe it's time for you to hold up the second part of your agreement."

The Cardassian practically vibrated in his seat as I started to unfasten my tunic. Hunger rolled off him in waves with every inch of newly-exposed skin. Tangling my fingers in his dark, surprisingly silky hair, I tugged backward sharply so that he was forced to look into my eyes as I straddled his lap.

"Don't forget who's in charge, Gul," I murmured, but he just let out a low chuckle.

"Oh, believe me, Major..." he began, and within a blink I found myself on my back with Dukat kissing and biting his way down my chest, "I'm fully aware of who's calling the shots here. Are you?"

How had he manged to remove the restraints without me noticing?! Reaching for the distruptor on my hip, I found that he'd already torn it from its holster and tossed it across the room.

"Now, now, no need for that. I'm not going to hurt you, remember? Relax, Major," he crooned before swirling his tongue around one of my nipples and brushing my uniform to the side. "Give in to your curiosity. Let yourself experience what it means to be with the best..."

Dukat's continued arrogance was laughable, but the only sound that escaped me as he dragged my pants down was a moan. Beneath the sensation of his tongue dancing through my lower lips, I acknowledged somewhat vaguely that the Gul hadn't been exaggerating. If he was good enough, maybe I'd convince my superiors to keep him alive as a prisoner of the Tal Shiar.

~*~*~

Taglist:

@akamitrani @android-boyfriends @attention-bajoranworkers @bigblissandlove1 @darkmattervibes @emilie786 @horta-in-charge @live-logs-and-proper @slutty-slutty-vulcans @starrynightgardens @toebeans-mcgee

[thewomancallednova]

The Neutral Zone

Oki first things first

was this the first instance of a/b story structure in a trek episode? Because all the season 1 TNG episodes had just the one story and I can't think of any TOS episode off the top of my head that had a/b structure either.

Although this case is interesting, because the stories still very much intersect and share the same main characters, as opposed to later example where part of the cast is doing the main plot and we had to think of something fun to do for the others

I'd assume no one writing this episode thought of it as something with an a and a b plot, and more of an episode about time-displaced humans viewing a (slightly terrifying) Enterprise mission from that displaced point of view. And that kinda naturally results in an a/b story structure

but uh yeah, this was really good, mostly

while the romulan story was pretty paper thin (since the episode is primarily concerned with the time displaced people), what we actually got of the Romulans was amazing. The build-up was great and entirely worth it, Worf's initial refusal to hail them was great, casting the future Gul Dukat as the Romulan commander was an excellent decision, the music is so mysterious and threatening (TNG music my beloved<3<3<3), "We are back" literally chills you guys, "Matters more urgent caused our absence" is such a fucking fascinating tease of an explanation for the Romulan isolanionism (that will never be followed up on...) and really puts the Romulans in a position far above the Federation. Like they just had more important shit to deal with. (see also "We have indeed been negligent. But no more"). Like 10/10 on presentation and the fucking starship. the fucking. d'deridex. warbird. I always loved that design, but fuck me does it look hella intimidating in this episode specifically. The Enterprise is already a pretty huge ship by my standards (TOS girlie) and having it practically eclipsed by that fucking Warbird? And when the last original Romulan ship design we've seen was the Balance of Terror bird of prey? A fine design for sure, but not as frightening as that monstrosity. saving the romulans for the finale was honestly such a genius move on tng's part and now the romulans are 3/3 for amazing episodes (uh, I'm not counting the deadly years as a romulan episode sorry)

I also really liked that the Romulans figured it wasn't the Federation. "Once we realised the level of destruction we knew it could not have been you" is another great line, I love that these villains aren't here to paint the federation as the bad guy

Okay so the redesign. I think TNG is trying to make itself more new-viewer friendly by moving the Romulans away from their TOS-shtick of being exiled, war-like Vulcans. Hence why we only got one line about their relation and it was "they are related to the Vulcans". Which is kind of like saying that I am related to my mother. Technically true, but kind of an understatement. And I guess the added brow ridges are there to additionally emphasise that. At least we'll never have to worry about a "Romulan posing as a Vulcan plot" ever now!

oh no!

anyway, so the main attraction of the episode: The time-displaced 20th century humans.

I think combining these two plots was brilliant. Under normal circumstances having a few 20th century humans on-board would have been fine, if a bit annoying, but on such a high-stakes mission the crew really has to balance not panicking their guests, while also not fucking up the mission. And while this switching between the plots felt frankly a bit anxious to me watching it (after 25 blissful episodes of only A stories) it added wonderfully to the mood that the episode is going for.

That said, Picard's attutide towards them felt a bit strange to me. Like I get wanting them dealt with because he has to do an important mission. That's fine. But categorically objecting to reviving them, when that is clearly what they would have wanted (because they froze themselves) and it's medically possible seems callous. I wonder if his extremist views of the prime directive have contorted his view of humanity into like a distinct "civilised" and "barbaric" phase, and that now confronted with three people from the "barbaric" phase, he'd rather refuse to interfere with them, than letting them live, even though they are literally him.

okay, now that i got my obligatory, "Picard sucks" paragraph out of the way, i find the assertion that tv died kinda strange. Like I get it's part of the whole "the future is so different" aspect and of course the social critique of the 20th century aspect (although Trek has done that much better at many other points), but I just don't think that we'd ever stop having "humans expressing themselves while filmed and distributed to other people", as long as the technology is there. Sure, maybe tv won't exist in it's current linear form, but surely something else like streaming or youtube or whatever their successors will be would still exist in the 24th century.

and yeah, future Trek will use the holodeck in kind of a tv-ish way, but apart from the fact that they're very different ways of engaging with experiences, TNG season 1 is also firmly in the camp that the holodeck is a recent invention, that everyone is in awe of, so there'd still have to be some immediate predecessor, that people would still be aware of.

But yeah, the intersections of the guests slowly becoming more aware of the danger that the ship is in is really well done, and the scene were Ralph enters the bridge during the confrontation with the Romulans is just perfect. We're so used to the competent bridge officers shouting and receiving orders in stresfull situations, that Ralph witnissing it without any context makes for an almost scary experience of it.

[fast-moon]

DS9 Season 6 Thoughts

On the previous episode of "Terok Nor", Gul Dukat re-took the station and the station crew is on the run. Now it's time to go to war with the Dominion, which I'm sure will be a quick and easy fight.

1. A Time to Stand: Dukat insists to Kira that a second Cardassian occupation won't be so bad and she'll learn to like it. But Weyoun doesn't like the term "occupation" and forbids any media to depict the Dominion in an unfavorable light because otherwise it's fake news. And after the American elections today, I am just banging my head at this.

2. Rocks and Shoals: The crew crash land on a planet, but there's conveniently a similarly-marooned Jem'Hadar troupe on the planet who has just what they need to get off, provided they kill them all first.

3. Sons and Daughters: The Dominion War has left everyone so short-staffed that Alexander is assigned to Worf's ship despite having zero training or competency. Meanwhile, Ziyal is back to give her dad some pictures to hang on his fridge.

4. Behind the Lines: Kira and Rom have a plan to stop the Cardassians from re-opening the wormhole, but Odo gets Linked and loaded right before the mission and is too high to do his job.

5. Favor the Bold: Sisko gets tired of working a desk job and decides to launch a plan to re-take Deep Space 9 before they lose the rights to the name of the series.

6. Sacrifice of Angels: Sisko defeats the Dominion by deus ex wormhole. Meanwhile, Damar takes the opportunity to shave Garak's beard.

7. You are Cordially Invited: Dax unilaterally reschedules Worf's wedding and then proceeds to stomp all over his cultural traditions because he's selfish to expect her to respect anything he holds dear. The entire rest of the episode centers around contrived drama, and all of the actual valuable content -- Odo and Kira reconciling about Odo's betrayal during the occupation, Dax learning her lesson and winning over her future mother-in-law, and O'Brien and Bashir beating the shit out of Worf with clubs -- is left off-screen.

8. Resurrection: Mirror!Bareil shows up and sweeps Kira off her feet with a sob story, but he's just there to steal the orb for Mirror!Kira, who also somehow transported there without anyone noticing. Not sure why they think having the orb in the Mirror Universe would make them like gods since their Bajorans don't worship it (despite still wearing the earrings) and it doesn't really do anything useful.

9. Statistical Probabilities: A group of genetically-enhanced individuals run an analysis that gives the Federation no chance of winning the war and the best option is to surrender. Sisko insists that even if he knew an outcome with 100% certainty, he would never force everyone to give up their autonomy for it... except for in "Children of Time" where he did just that.

10. The Magnificent Ferengi: Quark has to go on a mission to rescue his mother from the Dominion and puts together a Ferengi crack team to help. Unfortunately, they accidentally kill their prisoner and have to "Weekend at Bernie's" their way out of it.

11. Waltz: Sisko and Dukat crash land on a planet, where Dukat really just wants senpai to notice him.

12: Who Mourns for Morn?: Morn fakes his death and Quark inherits all his assets... and liabilities.

13. Far Beyond the Stars: The makeup department took the week off, so Sisko has a dream where you were there, and you, and you! But there's no space like home.

14. One Little Ship: Honey, I shrunk the runabout.

15. Honor Among Thieves: O'Brien is tasked with going undercover and infiltrating a crime syndicate because... I guess Starfleet is just that short-staffed right now. But at least he gets some pussy out of it.

16. Change of Heart: Sisko figures out after the fact that it probably isn't a good idea to send a married couple on a secret mission together where they would need to prioritize their target over each other.

17. Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night: Dukat calls Kira in the middle of the night for a "your mom" joke, so she gets back at him by going back in time to blow him up.

18. Inquisition: A Starfleet black ops group does "Second Skin" with Bashir to give themselves an excuse to point out all the plot holes in previous seasons.

19. In the Pale Moonlight: How many war crimes can Sisko commit in a single episode? The answer is "all of the war crimes". Deal with it. Also, delighted to discover this is the source of the "It's a faaaaake" meme.

20. His Way: Odo gets a holographic mojo tutor, finally hits pay dirt with Kira. While I still prefer Odo and Kira as platonic BFFs, if this means the end of dumb love triangles, then to quote Sisko from the previous episode, "I can live with it."

21. The Reckoning: Sisko channels the British Museum and steals an ancient artifact because he's more qualified to take care of it than the people it belongs to. He then ends up breaking it, causing a DBZ beam struggle between two gods on the promenade. Also, Odo and Kira respect each other even when they disagree, and that is such a breath of fresh air compared to the Dax/Worf relationship.

22. Valiant: Jake and Nog get picked up by a ship crewed entirely by headstrong teenagers who decide to go YOLO against a Dominion battle cruiser, with predictable results.

23. Profit and Lace: The only takeaway I have from this episode is that I'm glad that sex reassignment surgery is a fast, easy, and readily-available process in the future.

24. Time's Orphan: The O'Briens find out that Molly is going to grow up to be a homeless ruffian, so go back in time to try again. Also, glad to see they still have the mobster's kitty.

25. The Sound of Her Voice: The crew gets therapy from the disembodied voice of a ghost. Meanwhile, Odo lets Quark get away with a scheme as thanks for his role in getting him together with Kira.

26. Tears of the Prophets: Sisko ignores the Prophets' warning because that's always worked out so well in the past. So while he manages to conquer some Dominion territory, Dax gets the axe.

Only one season left!

I am honestly... not at all torn up about losing Dax. Especially since it sounds like she'll just be coming back in a new body later. Although, it took like 4 seasons for the show to give her any kind of consistent personality (even though that personality ended up being insufferable) and there's only one season left, so I'm afraid that a new iteration of her is going to show up and be just as cardboard as she was in season 1, and won't have the time to really develop any individual identity.

Also not sure how Replacement Goldfish Dax would work, anyway, since I'm pretty sure Jadzia still had to go through Starfleet Academy rather than simply inherit Curzon's rank and position. We'll see.

Was also disappointed that the last episode decided to fall into the "love means petty bickering" trope with Odo and Kira that's plagued the Dax/Worf and Miles/Keiko relationships. That writing habit was my main reservation about pairing those two romantically, since I worried that it would lead to character assassination by making them both act like idiots. They managed well for a few episodes, then fell right back into "This show was written by people who were children before no-fault divorce and women's financial independence were legalized (1970's), therefore most of them grew up assuming that all relationships eventually turn toxic and all you can do is normalize it because there's no way out." I hope it's not a sign of things to come.

Meanwhile, Dukat seems to be struggling to stay relevant. It feels like he should have been killed off a while ago, but I guess Damar is too boring for a Big Bad, so they needed to make Dukat go full chaotic evil to compensate.

On to the final season! Where I can only hope we get a new and improved Dax, a decisive victory over the Dominion that isn't a complete ass-pull like the deus ex machina at the beginning of this season, and that Odo and Kira don't devolve into a squabbling lovers sitcom trope like all who came before them.

[the-worst-bracket]

The Worst Bracket Begins!

Polls are going up starting Wednesday, April 19th, 32 per day! Bracket and list under the cut.

Round 1

Bracket A (4/19-26)

Mineta Minoru (My Hero Academia) v  Anglerfish from Dark Bramble (Outer Wilds)

Iago (Othello) v Barbas (Skyrim)

Brendan (Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald) v Mimic (Dark Souls)

Dan (Dan vs) v Pink Diamond (Steven Universe)

Jurgen Litner (The Magnus Archives) v Lily Tucker-Pritchett (Modern Family)

Lonnie Byers (Stranger Things) v Zeus (Greek Mythology)

Lemongrab (Adventure Time) v Steve Cobs (Inanimate Insanity)

Alex Eggleston (Yiik) v Larry Butz (Ace Attorney)

Jerry (Undertale) v Po (Teletubbies)

Billy Hargrove (Stranger Things) v Old Man Who Snitches on Haru (A:TLA)

Kai Winn (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) v Ashfur (Warrior Cats)

Mr. Burns (The Simpsons) v Boscha (The Owl House)

Octavian (Heroes of Olympus) v Makoto Teruhashi (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K)

 Robbie Valentino (Gravity Falls) v Gendo Ikari (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Walter White (Breaking Bad) v Guy Mortadello (Papa Louie)

Medusa Gorgon (Soul Eater) v Snowball (Pinky and The Brain)

Bracket B (4/19-26)

Rohan Kishibe (JJBA) v Jin Guangshan (The Untamed)

Agravaine (Merlin) v Michael (Wii Sports)

Scout (TF2) v Mitsuhiro Higa (Danganronpa)

Creek (Trolls) v Berdly (Deltarune)

Manfred Von Karma (Ace Attorney) v Jeff Winger (Community)

Nazeem (Skyrim) v David (Animorphs)

Simon Laurent (Infinity Train) v Mayuri Kurotsuchi (Bleach)

Kikimora (The Owl House) v Cronus Ampora (Homestuck)

Michael Tritter (House MD) v The Director (Red v Blue)

Eridan Ampora (Homestuck) v Lila Rossi (Miraculous Ladybug)

Skadge (Star Wars: The Old Republic) v Lord Henry Wotton (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Claptrap (Borderlands) v Jodie Foster (Dungeons and Daddies)

Bill Hawks (Professor Layton) v Carcer (Discworld)

Bender Bending Rodríguez (Futurama) v Izaya Orihara (Durarara!!)

 Corrin (Fire Emblem) v The Dark Lord (Miitopia)

Cybelle (Carole and Tuesday) v Jasper (Steven Universe)

Bracket C (4/20-27)

Gul Dukat (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) v Admiral Zhao (A:TLA)

Hordak (She-Ra) v Rachel Berry (Glee)

Book (Battle for Dream Island) v Darth Maul (Star Wars)

Jessica (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself) v Lester Papadopoulos (Trials of Apollo)

Pong Krell (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) v Aaron Burr (Hamilton)

Armand (Vampire Chronicles) v Gamzee Makara (Homestuck)

Dorodoron (Futari wa Precure Splash Star) v Weiss Schnee (RWBY)

Christopher Taub (House MD) v Tate Landon (America Horror Story: Murder House)

Izzy Hands (OFMD) v Princess Daisy (Super Mario Bros)

Spike (MLP:FIM) v Atlas May (Lackadaisy)

Clutch Powers (LEGO Ninjago) v Orin Scrivello (Little Shop of Horrors)

Thanos (MCU) v Minecraft Skeleton (Minecraft)

Frank Burns (M*A*S*H*) v Lieutenant Nolan (Star Wars: The Bad Batch)

Carter Pewterschmit (Family Guy) v Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars)

Miyo Takano (Higurashi When They Cry) v Borsolino (One Piece)

Hiyoko Saionji (Danganronpa) v Pennywise (IT)

Bracket D (4/20-27)

Pierce Hawthorne (Community) v Ren (Ren and Stimpy)

Whirlpool (Wings of Fire) v Cinder Falls (RWBY)

Thaddeus Campbell (Dishonored) v The Grabber (Black Phone)

Takumi Ichinose (Nana) v Heimskr (Skyrim)

Gale Weathers (Scream) v Lee Kiyoung (Regressor Instruction Manual)

Ianthe Tridentarius (The Locked Tomb) v Alvin Marsh (IT)

Director Ton (Aggretsuko) v Angelica Pickles (Rugrats)

Pencil (Battle for Dream Island) v Odalia Blight (The Owl House)

Kyubey (Madoka Magica) v Newman (Seinfeld)

Jacob Hill (Abbott Elementary) v Gregory House (House MD)

Rachel (Tower of God) v Monkey D Luffy (One Piece)

Dame Alina (Keeper of the Lost Cities) v Miki Kawai (A Silent Voice)

John Winchester (Supernatural) v Kyouichi Saionji (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Magikarp (Pokemon) v Hippeux (Animal Crossing)

Elmo (Sesame Street) v Saint Charlos (One Piece)

Melli (Pokemon Legends: Arceus) v Dr. Janet Lubelle (WTNV)

Bracket E (4/21-28)

Martin Blyndeff (Epithet Erased) v The Blue Border (Scott the Woz)

Calico Jack (OFMD) v B.E.N. (Treasure Planet)

Doogal (Doogal) v John Gaius (The Locked Tomb)

Crawlings (The Mysterious Benedict Society) v Liza Lotts (Scott the Woz)

Zolf J Kimblee (FMA) v Baron Draxum (Rise of The TMNT)

Kaito Momota (Danganronpa) v Nandor the Relentless (What We Do In the Shadows)

Logan Roy (Succescion) v Mike Wheeler (Stranger Things)

Fermet (Baccano!) v Seymour Krelborn (Little Shop of Horrors)

Emperor Belos (The Owl House) v Taylor Kelly (9-1-1)

AM (I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream) v Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars)

Stuart Little (Stuart Little) v Vinsmoke Sanji (One Piece)

Bibble (Barbie: Fairytopia) v Dennis Nedry (Jurassic Park)

Byakuya Togami (Danganronpa) v Grima Wormtongue (LOTR)

Moe (Calvin and Hobbes) v Balloon Boy (FNAF)

Felix (Red vs Blue) v Klorgbane the Destroyer (Regular Show)

Bro Strider (Homestuck) v Jughead Jones (Riverdale)

Bracket F (4/21-28)

Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events) v Mort (Madagascar)

Mantle (Dr Stone) v Phillip Anderson (Sherlock)

Eisuke Hondo (Detective Conan) v Drosselmeyer (Princess Tutu)

Hiram Burrows (Dishonored) v Chat Noir (Miraculous Ladybug)

Vriska Serket (Homestuck) v Prince Diamond (Sailor Moon)

Marty (Steven Universe) v Hibiki Shikyouin (PriPara)

White Diamond (Steven Universe) v Norman Osborn (Marvel)

Stregabor (The Witcher) v Cedric Jeanne Elmir (I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss)

Barney Stinson (HIMYM) v Charlie Bradbury (Supernatural)

Griffith (Beserk) v Chloe Valentine (Be More Chill)

Scott Pilgrim (Scott Pilgrim) v Lionel Luthor (Smallville)

Lydia (Skyrim) v Shadow Weaver (She-Ra)

Rand Ridley (Inside Job) v Jun Kawanakajima (Ultra Maniac)

Krusty the Clown (The Simpsons) v Fire Lord Ozai (A:TLA)

Joseph Sugarman (BoJack Horseman) v Huey Emmerich (Metal Gear)

Anti - Pops (Regular Show) v Kylo Ren (Star Wars)

Bracket G (4/22-29)

Ross Geller (Friends) v Akito Sohma (Fruits Basket)

Henry Bowers (IT) v Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa)

Winner Sinclair (Chibi Vampire) v Evil Do-er/Dark Blue (Animation vs Minecraft)

Clint (Stardew Valley) v Luke Castellan (Percy Jackson)

Kokichi Ouma (Danganronpa) v Colin Robinson (What We Do In The Shadows)

Spy (TF2) v Ghetsis (Pokemon)

Billy (The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy) v Queen Vanessa (A Hat In Time)

Doofus Drake (Ducktales) v Servantis (Ben 10)

Elias Bouchard (The Magnus Archives) v Francisco Guerra (Paranatural)

Tingle (The Legend of Zelda) v Hawt Saus (Chikn Nuggit)

Trishna (Papa Louie) v Mark Brendanawicz (Parks and Recreation)

Unparalleled Innocence (Rain World) v Morgana (Persona 5)

Lady Gisela Sencen (Keeper of the Lost Cities) v Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts)

Suzy Johnston (Phineas and Ferb) v Kaidou Shun (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.)

Souichi (Junji Ito) v Dr Hotti (Ace Attorney)

Morgoth (LOTR) v Sarah (Ed, Edd, and Eddy)

Bracket H (4/22-29)

Han Sooyoung (Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint) v Barney the Purple Dinosaur (Barney)

Andy Bernard (The Office) v Lars Barriga (Steven Universe)

Dio (Zero Escape) v Caillou (Caillou)

Gideon Gleeful (Gravity Falls) v Balgo (Burn the Witch)

Joshu Higashikata (JJBA) v Toby Flenderson (The Office)

Touga Kiryuu (Revolutionary Girl Utena) v Teledji Adeledji (FFXIV)

Chairman Rose (Pokemon) v Donnel Udina (Mass Effect)

Father (FMA) v Harumi (LEGO Ninjago)

Akio Ohtori (Revolutionary Girl Utena) v Richard (Requiem of the Rose King)

Miranjo (Ranking of Kings) v Kray Foresight (Promare)

Xander Harris (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) v The Worst (Ben 10)

Hisoka Morrow (Hunter x Hunter) v Doc Scratch (Homestuck)

Tony Stark (MCU) v Sakura Horuna (Naruto)

Sir Tristan the Cold (Penumbra Podcast) v Clay Puppington (Morel Orel)

Bling Bling Boy (Johnny Test) v George Constanza (Seinfeld)

Quiche (Tokyo Mew Mew) v Enji Todoroki (My Hero Academia)

[williamrablan]

Event Horizon - Chasing Ghosts - A few stories from the paranormal

First and foremost, let me get one thing straight. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN GHOSTS! And despite being from the San Luis Valley, a historical hot bed of UFO activity, I have yet to see one of those. While everyone else is seeing fleets of these things promenading across the sky, I haven’t seen a thing. I guess I was looking in the wrong direction. But, it’s an area that has a rich lore of ghost…

[jimintomystery]

DS9: "Defiant"

During a visit to Deep Space Nine, Commander Will Riker charms Major Kira into offering him a tour of the facility. But this is all a ruse to steal the Defiant and invade Cardassian space. Because it's not Commander Riker at all--it's his transporter-duplicate, Lieutenant Tom Riker, and he's leading a secret mission for the Maquis.

The use of Tom Riker here is so wild, since he's essentially a plot device from a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode ("Second Chances") that barely makes sense outside of that context. It'd be like if Abraham Lincoln from 1969's "The Savage Curtain" sidled up to Quark's bar, and then after the commercial break Commander Sisko gives a debriefing on what the hell is going on.

The story gives no indication that "Will" is an imposter until he shoots Kira. However, I knew he was Tom from the start, because this is one of those episodes where the TV Guide synopsis gave away the twist. I was more stunned by the Maquis angle, which TV Guide neglected to mention. Either version of Riker would seem like an bad fit for the Maquis, which would almost be a plot hole if this episode didn't do such a good job exploring why the fit is bad.

My dad did not read spoilers in TV Guide, so he was utterly baffled when Tom dismisses O'Brien as if they had some bitter falling out. Dad assumed this trick wouldn't work unless Tom was referencing an actual beef between O'Brien and Will, but since Miles (and the audience) don't know what Tom is talking about, it should have been a red flag. Basically Dad was seeing all the reasons this trick shouldn't work, whereas Tom is willing to take a huge risk on a pretty flimsy bluff.

The stuff with Riker and Kira comparing their approaches to terrorism is cool, but frankly the real meat of the episode is Sisko and Gul Dukat working together to catch the Defiant before it starts a war. The scene about Dukat missing his son's birthday goes a long way to make the character sympathetic, which will be important in seasons four and five (and feels a bit off in light of seasons six and seven). And of course the intrigue about the Obsidian Order hiding a secret fleet at Orias III is a perfect tease for "Improbable Cause," a few episodes down the line.

In the end, Sisko convinces Tom to surrender and accept a life sentence in a Cardassian labor camp. Kira's promise to get him out of there is very noble, but seems almost insubordinate after Sisko had to haggle so much to get the death penalty off the table. To my knowledge, we never learn if Kira was able to make good on her promise, although I'd like to think so. I'm a little surprised Tom still hasn't made it back onto TV; you'd think he'd at least get a cameo on Star Trek: Lower Decks...

[westworldparty19]

Strange New Worlds is so crazy. (I’ve always been a non believer in Pike and this episode feels like vindication). So they bring a war criminal turned peace negotiator on board and Pike forces the veterans to interact with him with seemingly no regard for their feelings…I thought Pike was the

sweetie captain who loves his wittle crew 👉👈

Anyway so we have Spock who is really excited? To talk to this war criminal. Spock. Who’s sister STARTED THE KLINGON WAR?! Right!! That was the whole point of Disco? Michael started the Klingon war. So all of Spock’s “friends” and his “girlfriend” are personally traumatized by a war caused by his literal sister and he like doesn’t stop to think about it at all? No one does? Why put Spock, Una, and Pike in Disco if they’re never ever gonna make a connection at all??

This show is so weird!! And not in a good way! The characters are all over the place so so traumatized but they never actually deal with the trauma!!!

M’benga seemingly getting away with murder….come on. Personally have complicated feelings about saying someone deserves to die but like this was just so crazy. The only push back he gets is Pike saying “come one bro you can talk to me? Did you do it? It’s okay if you did?” WHAT! You can’t just murder people!! I know Pike says something like that but in the most milquetoast way possible and then the episode just ends?

What was the point of this episode? Murder is okay if you have a good reason, also your friends will help you and you won’t face any consequences? Wait I didn’t even touch on that M’benga is also a war criminal….I think I would be more okay with this if he turned himself in or felt any remorse or if any character had anything of substance to say to him.

Compare M’benga to La’an in the Khan situation. (I equally hated that scenario but) She’s like following her moral code and is shown having complicated feelings about her decision. I’m trying to be nice by comparing the show to itself but honestly both episodes were so messy and have no actual moral that it’s hard.

So let’s compare to any number of TOS episodes where Kirk is faced with the choice to murder an enemy, or to let them face the consequences of their actions. Kirk could kill Karidian but chooses not to and when he learns that someone else is trying to kill him he actively goes out of his way to save him. Kirk could kill the Romulans in Balance of Terror but instead offers them rescue, he could kill the Gorn captain but offers mercy, could kill Khan but offers him a new life, I could go on. Of course basically none of these solutions work out for the antagonist of the episode but they are punished by consequences of their own actions and in spite of Kirk’s humanity.

Maybe this episode was to say that war irrevocably changes a person. But who doesn’t already know that? What new story or perspective is being shown? I feel like a great way to show progress for his character would be to stab the guy and then save him. Right?! He lets his base, traumatized instincts win but then snaps out of it and realigns himself to his current goal of saving lives. Maybe it’s different in Starfleet but healers take an oath!!

And if we want to compare this to something more tonally similar than there are DS9 episodes that explore this situation much better. I’ve only seen up to season 4 so I’m sure I’m missing a bunch and I’ve only seen the episodes once so if I’m wrong please feel free to gently correct. But there’s an episode where Kira and Gul Dukat get stuck in danger together. I believe they are each faced with the opportunity to abandon each other in danger but even though they were enemies during the war and are still opponents, they save the other. Kira’s sense of what is morally correct overrules her need for revenge. I know there’s a war crimes episode that I haven’t seen yet lol.

Anyway. This season is such a mess. The highs are high but they are few and far between and the lows are so low. I think my biggest problem is that none of the characters have a moral backbone or any real principles that follow from episode to episode. The thing about episodic tv is if you want it to be episodic you have to keep the characters pretty consistent. Or if you want it to be serialized and have characters change, then they need to learn and grow episode to episode or at least arc to arc.

I think La’an should have been more heavily featured in the episode. I think a convo of her and Ortegas on one side and Spock and Uhura on the other would be a good way to actual explore the concepts they were trying to? La’an and Spock both have tangential experience (La’an being a victim of alien war crimes and Spock’s sister starting the war) and Ortegas has direct combat experience and Uhura has none. Uhura can get to be a little naive with Spock backing her with pursuit of knowledge reasonings. La’an and Ortegas can push back on trauma grounds. Spock and La’an can come to some kind of resolution and Uhura and Ortegas come closer to understanding the other side.

I did love that Chapel got a plot that didn’t really involve Spock.

Ok I’m done for now.

[singlecrow]

ooh, director's commentary for war songs? that one might be my favorite ds9 fic ever

Ah I had completely forgotten this one, thank you for the reminder! War Songs - I wrote it during my first watch of the show in 2014, and it's set during the Dominion War. The basic premise is that the Bajorans have gone months and months without a public holiday and everyone is cranky, so can Sisko, the Emissary of the Prophets, please invent them a new one.

And he does. The thing is, who I am as a person. That's the thing that's a problem. I think I wrote this quickly, all in one go, as a prompt meme fill, and the prompt was I'm sure something like "DS9 crew fluff". And it is! Sisko invents a new public holiday! They all give each other presents! Presents for the people who shaped you! Sisko makes jambalaya! Quark acquires booze from the vineyards of Ferenginar, at cost! All is well on Deep Space Nine.

Except, they give presents to the people who shaped them, their friends and partners and mothers, except for Miles O'Brien, who believes the man who shaped him most is Gul Dukat. ("I don't hate you. I hate what you made me become.") And at the end, the gang sing "Minstrel Boy", the war song from the last war: one faithful harp will ever praise thee. I've used this in more than one story, because it strikes me so deeply, that some of the characters on DS9, who live in a peaceful communist utopia, are on their second war.

So that's what happens when you make me sit down and write fluff. I'm not good at it. I don't like it. I'm not kidding when I say everything I ever write is about grief.

[deepspacedukat]

Do the writers of reader story hate romulan women or alien women?Why the reader is always human? Star Wars fandom has more diversity, reader can be alien. This is not a hating ask, i want to understand this gap between fandom. I get it reader is a self-insert except sometimes people really feel close from some fictive alien and it's ok, they are supposed to be mirro

Hi, Nonny. For a 'non-hating' ask, this still sounds kind of hostile. But whatever. I'll ignore the tone and answer you the same way I would answer literally anyone else.

It's a long answer, but this time I'm not putting a readmore. My answer is my own and does not reflect the opinions of any other writers here.

I do, in fact, have a few requests that are drafts (works in progress) where the reader is a non-Human alien species. One has them as a Vulcan, one as a Romulan, and (I believe) one has them as a Cardassian. Of my own works/plot bunnies that I have posted, I have written the reader as a half-Changeling, half-Human.

The majority of my stories do have a Human reader. I'm 1000% aware that the reader doesn't have to be Human. That is, in fact, a thing I know. But. A lot of writers find it easier to write what they know. My experience is one of a Human, so it's easier for me to write for a Human narrator/from a Human's pov. I find it challenging to write from the perspective of a non-Human character. Yes, that includes writing chapters of my multi-chapter fics that are seen from another character's pov (like Koss in "Begin Again" and Letant & Hiren from "Praetor's Pride").

While it can be fun to challenge yourself, I have to be in the mood for certain challenges. When the story I'm writing has a Human character, I have learned how to incorporate that. When it's 2 non-Human characters, they have a whole different frame of reference that's a lot harder to be consistent about. And I have done that, of course ("Blue New Year" - Jorik of Vulcan & Celas Tyrh of Andoria) but it is more difficult.

I suppose that sounds like a cop-out, but when I write fanfiction, it's for fun. Writing fanfiction is a non-paid service that I engage in. For fun. I want to enjoy what I'm writing, not force myself to write what I don't want to like it's a job. Sometimes, I am in the mood to challenge myself that way, and when I am, I'll try to get myself in the right mindset and work on those requests. I'm not always in that mood, though. As with all other forms of art, writing takes inspiration.

However, it should be noted: I do not hate Romulan women. I do not hate alien women of any kind. I don't hate alien men, either. I don't hate aliens or Humans of any gender. As a bisexual woman, I find all of the above attractive. Commander Toreth (a Romulan woman) has my whole heart and soul! Major Kira Nerys (a Bajoran woman) is my wife! Jadzia Dax (a Trill woman) makes me giggle and blush like a brainless dumbass! Talas (an Andorian woman) could pin me against a wall or step on me, and I'd still propose to her!

I DO NOT HATE ALIEN WOMEN. I WILL WRITE ALIEN!READER FICS.

Nonny, if you don't like the current amount of fics in this fandom where the reader is alien instead of Human, there are 2 solutions:

1.) Instead of complaining to a random writer, be part of the solution! Write those fics yourself! Create the fandom content that YOU want to see in world! (Spoiler alert: that's why most fanfic writers are here. We saw a lack of a certain type of story/character/trope in a fandom and decided to fix the problem instead of complaining about it. That's why I'm here. I wanted to read fics about Gul Dukat doing nasty things to a Human, and boom! Here we are like 100 fics later!)

2.) Since you claim the Star Wars fandom has more content where the reader is an alien, then why not go read those fics? I'm really glad you found a fandom that scratches that itch for a non-Human reader for you! (Seriously, I'm honestly glad that you found a thing that makes you happy. Everyone deserves happiness in this life! Small joys like fanfic make these harsh days a little sweeter and more bearable!)

I hope you have a great day and that you have better luck finding the kinds of fics that you enjoy! 💖

[the-lunar-library]

The Escape of Lady Aigle

Lady Charmian Aigle's life is supposed to be predictable, privileged. Safe. Raised in a lonely manor, educated at a famous girls' school, and married to a war hero, she should be protected from the violence overtaking the kingdom. But Charmian steps out of line, befriending commoners, questioning her parents' wisdom, falling in love, and – most reckless of all – participating in risky magical experiments.

Even as she wonders whether she wants to be safe, the choice is suddenly taken out of her hands. Can a lady who's never known freedom finally take it for herself?

An adult, standalone fantasy novel (148K words, 430 pages)

What's it got? (short version)

Lots of girls front and center, including a female protagonist.

Snarky humor, a slow burn romance, some introspection and angst, action and suspense, a focus on friendship, especially among girls.

An unusual boarding school. But don't worry, we're not at Hogwarts, and this isn't a school story.

Unconventional magic.

Fights, stabbings, kissing, swearing, some horses.

A heroine with many expectations and few options trying to find her place in the world.

Warnings: violence, non-explicit sex, issues surrounding arranged/forced marriages, political unrest, and kidnapping

What's it got? (long version)

What kind of fantasy is it?

It's what's called a low fantasy, meaning it centers on the life of an individual rather than deep lore and epic quests to save the world. Our heroine Charmian faces the world for the first time and has to see if she can stand up to it. A lot of it is character driven, but there's some action and suspense. There's also humor and some romance.

Who is the audience?

The story spans quite a few years, with Charmian starting at age 12 and ending at 18. However, this isn't a book for young teens. I consider this an adult novel, though I think older teens could also handle it.

Is it a sequel to The Price and Prey of Magic?

No, it was written before The Price and Prey of Magic and takes place in a different world.

Is it part of a series?

It's a standalone novel. No need to buy any additional books to get the whole story.

Does it have a cute nickname like The Price and Prey of Magic/Papom?

I guess we're going with Eola.

Is it similar to Papom?

Yes: It's somewhat similar in setting, as I give my fantasy world an early twentieth-century feel. Like Papom, much of the story is driven by female characters, and their overlapping relationships form a large part of the conflict.

No: It's more suspenseful than Papom, with more action scenes – there's still a lot of focus on characters, but they're running around more, getting into more trouble. The magic system is entirely different. And it's a completely original story, not based on any fairy tales.

How do you pronounce the heroine's name?

However you'd like to. I pronounce it KAR-mee-an EYE-gul. But if you land on some other way, that's fine.

[trekfm]

164: We Don’t Need No Galacticization

“The Homecoming” 30th-anniversary reflections

Life on the station seems to be back to normal as we head into Season 2. People are enjoying dabo. Quark is up to something. Odo is investigating. Jake has a date. But things quickly go sideways with the arrival of an earring. Recognizing a legendary resistance fighter’s insignia on the jewelry, Kira leads a mission to retrieve him from a Cardassian prison camp, potentially starting a war in the process. Thankfully, Gul Dukat prefers to cover his butt rather than start shooting. Factions on Bajor, however, have less peaceful intentions as they first tag the station walls before moving on to Quark’s head.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we jump into Season 2 as we discuss “The Homecoming” and how this story of Bajoran isolationism transforms storytelling in Star Trek and rings true three decades after it aired.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) A New Style of Storytelling (00:02:55) Remembering the Mission (00:07:49) An Enduring Relevance (00:15:36) The Danger of Isolationism (00:19:37) Originally a TNG Story (00:26:38) Full-Throttle Kira (00:30:36) Character Matters (00:33:39) Dangling Threads (00:43:48) A Telling Twist (00:46:52) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:51:21) Closing (00:54:20)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

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