#Sabine Carbon

[thenerdysimp]

Best day of my life! I’m a Carbonara😆🙌🏼😂

[sparkplug02]

Like… you didn’t specify where “here” was and then you left her unsupervised. What did you expect?

Ahsoka Episode 1 Spoilers

I’m sorry, but Ahsoka needs to remember who she is and who she was when she was a Padawan, because she should have seen Sabine’s “I’m gonna do something you directly told me not to do” coming.

[sillysybilsden]

To Janus. To Jupiter. To the Roman gods.

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𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

I. Introduction

II. Gods

III. Mythology

IV. Calendar

V. Ritual

VI. Epilogue

VII. Resources

🪔

𝐈. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Hey there everyone! This is Sybil (fka Clever Crow). As a Roman polytheist, “Roman polytheism is just a carbon-copy of Greek polytheism” is something I hear on a weekly basis. Whether on YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest or, heck, even academic resources, there seems to be a widespread belief that these two religions are identical. Today, I want to focus on this piece of misinformation and try to debunk it by using historical evidence and examples.

Just a small disclaimer: I will be discussing this topic from a hard polytheistic and revivalist point of view. Soft polytheism is absolutely valid, but in this case it might not be of use when highlighting differences between gods.

Also, I want to thank the following people: Cristina, Mystix, @spiritual-entries and @camssecretcave . They made sure that all information provided here is factual and reliable, and I will be forever grateful to them for their help.

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𝐈𝐈. 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐬

“Are the Greek and Roman pantheons one and the same?” This is the first question we will attempt at answering within this chapter. To do so, we must introduce a very important concept in Roman religion: interpretatio romana. Before that, though, let me provide you with some historical context.

Ever since the founding of Rome in 753 BCE, Romans were exposed to influences from other Italic peoples: Sabines, Etruscans, Volsci and so on. Because of that, we can indeed say that there has never been a 100% “native” Roman religion.

We can nonetheless differentiate two “phases” of Roman polytheism: pre-hellenisation polytheism and post-hellenisation polytheism (“hellenisation” being the process that merged Greek and Roman cultures and religions during the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE). For simplicity’s sake, in this post we are going to compare the pre-hellenisation version of Roman religion and Hellenism.

Back to interpretatio: what is it? To put it simply, it is the comparison of two different pantheons (which is used to find matches between the gods). It was used so that, when describing other populations’ religions, one could just name a more familiar, local deity instead of fully describing a foreign one (which, obviously, would take much more time). Just imagine being a Roman historian and having to discuss Greek religion: instead of saying “Ares is a god of war, battle and courage”, you could just say “Ares is like our Mars”.

Does that mean that these gods were seen as identical? Absolutely not! Actually, this shows us that Roman gods were a thing long before Greek gods started being adopted in the pantheon (which is the reason why a god like Janus does not have a Greek counterpart).

Sticking with the same example we have used before, we can say that Mars was already Mars before he was equated to Ares. And, because of that, at a closer look, the two are extremely different: while Ares is blood-driven, Mars shows a much calmer nature; contrarily to Ares, Mars has some pretty important ties to royalty (his son being Romulus-Quirinus) and agriculture; while Ares has a relationship with Aphrodite, Mars is married to Nerio; and so on. It is only after hellenisation that these two (as well as all of the other gods) started merging into one single Greco-Roman figure.

As I said before, though, this does not mean that Rome was against syncretism. Quite the contrary, actually: whenever Romans ran into a deity who could be of use to them and did not have a counterpart in their pantheon, they would consider adopting them. This is the reason why Apollo was worshiped by both societies (Romans adopted him in 431 BCE in order to fight a pestilence; his Greek nature never went unacknowledged: for him, ritus graecus was performed).

Fun fact: interpretatio was not only directed to Greece. Roman priests tried to include the prophet Jesus Christ into the Roman pantheon. He was described to them as “a god of love”, so they used interpretatio to connect him to Venus.

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𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

As I said before, during hellenisation Greek and Roman gods started merging. As a consequence, so did their mythologies…

Actually, no, scratch that: except for a few exceptions, Roman gods did not have a mythology to begin with. Mythology that is Roman in origin revolves around men, not deities (and that is the reason why it is also referred to as “mythic history”, as the protagonists are pseudo-historical figures). Myths in Ancient Rome were used as exempla, examples to teach teens and men how they should behave in a virtuous way.

For example, one of the most famous figures from Roman mythology is Lucius Junius Brutus, the founder of the Republic: he was intelligent (he tricked the cruel king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus into sparing his life), loyal (he never deserted the Romans) and strong-willed (he took the matters into his own hands and kicked out of Rome the cruel king), and every Roman had to aspire to be like him.

In Greece, on the other hand, myths had the task of explaining why something happens. Why do we have a colder season and a warmer one? That is because Persephone comes back from and goes to the Underworld. How do we know how to use fire? Prometheus gave it to men. How did the hyacinth, the flower, get its name? It comes from Apollo’s lover Hyacinth. On top of that, Greek mythology revolves a lot more around deities than the Roman one (which is the reason why there is a pretty intricate divine family tree in Hellenism).

With this in mind, we can say that, with hellenisation, the Roman gods received myths and genealogies (as well as iconographies, in some cases) of their own for the first time ever. However, these myths and these genealogies were not altered to better fit the deity.

This is the reason why Nerio, Mars’ original wife, was forgotten in favor of Venus (Aphrodite’s Roman counterpart). This is why Saturn, an extremely benevolent agricultural deity, started being depicted as a cruel entity devouring his children (yes: I am looking at you, Goya). And this is also why Minerva, who used to have nothing to do with Medusa, started to be seen as she-who-cursed-Medusa (now I am looking at you, Ovid).

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𝐈𝐕. 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫

Calendars were of extreme importance in polytheistic societies. After all, they were deeply intertwined with their religious mentality… which is the reason why we are briefly going to discuss this matter in this blog.

When it comes to Ancient Greece, the calendar we have the most evidence on is the Athenian one (which, because of this, has become the most widely used in modern Hellenic polytheistic communities). It is lunisolar (keep this in mind!). When it comes to Ancient Rome, on the other hand, we have quite some evidence on three different calendars that modern Roman polytheists can choose from: a lunar one, a lunisolar one and a solar one (the latter happens to be the calendar still in use today).

One similarity that needs to be addressed is the one between Noumenia and Kalends (both being a celebration of the first day of the month). In the Roman version, however, we would also have to add Nones and Ides as recurring monthly festivities.

Another similarity that many seem to highlight is the one between Kronia and Saturnalia, two festivities where abundance is celebrated (as well as, respectively, Kronos and Saturn, who later merged) and the Golden Age is remembered. However! Kronia is celebrated during the Summer, roughly during the Summer solstice; Saturnalia is celebrated during Wintertime, roughly during the Winter solstice. It might not seem like a big difference at first, but it is if we consider this: during Kronia, the harvest is celebrated while it is happening, while the mature crops are being collected; during Saturnalia, the harvest that has already happened during the past Summer is celebrated, as well as the one that is to come.

Last but not least, let us highlight a Roman-only peculiarity. Back in Ancient Roman times, every day had a “quality": they could either be faustus or nefastus (as well as a lot more nuances which we will not be taking into account here). They were of great importance on a religious level, as nefastus days could bring bad luck to a practitioner if they were to take big decisions. Something similar also happened with dies religiosi, during which it was forbidden to go to work (or do anything that was not a life-or-death matter).

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𝐕. 𝐑𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥

Now that we have discussed the more “theological” matters, such as the nature of the gods, myths and festivities, we can briefly talk about the more practical side of things.

Let us start with an all-time favorite: veiling. Nowadays, a lot of pagans (no matter their path or their gender) veil for a variety of reasons: protection, modesty or devotion. And that is, no doubt, valid. Historically speaking, though, things kind of different. While both in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome veils were used by women in order to express their modesty, in Italy they were also mandatory whenever performing rituals (for women and men alike).

Another big difference resides in the views of these two societies over divination. When we think of “divination” and “Ancient Greece”, one of the first things that comes to our minds is probably the Oracle of Delphi (and rightly so!). This figure was said to be able to channel the messages of the gods, and they did so by going into a trance-like state.

In Rome, this practice was seen as unreliable (even though, surprisingly, there are a couple of instances where Romans have asked the Oracle for guidance), as the only reliable forms of divination were those that could be performed when completely conscious (augury, haruspicy, etc). Dreams, too, were seen as an untrustworthy form of communication by Romans.

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𝐕𝐈. 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

There is something we still need to address: if these two cultures, societies, religions were so different, why do so many people believe otherwise?

Well, the answer can be found in 19th century’s anthropological and religious studies. Back then, scholars used to be very fond of the comparative approach (which is a “strategy where characteristics or parts are compared across different research situations to identify differences or similarities”, according to www.sciencedirect.com) and the Indo-European theory.

Too focused on stressing the similarities between Greeks and Romans, intellectuals “forgot” to highlight the differences. Even though nowadays, academically, these hypotheses have been marked as outdated, they are still ever-so widespread.

I hope that this blog will contribute to debunking this piece of misinformation. And I hope that I managed to introduce you, reader, to Roman polytheism… Not just a carbon-copy of Hellenism!

Sybil

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𝐕𝐈𝐈. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬

The majority of my knowledge on Greek religion comes from “Archeologia greca” by Enzo Lippolis and Giorgio Rocco and theoi.com, as well as some high school classes dedicated to Hellenic mythology.

The following resources talk specifically about this post's subject:

Roman vs. Greek religion (YouTube)

Greek mythology: A second masterpost (Tumblr)

You can check out my full list of resources on Roman polytheism here.

🪔 Check out this post on Amino as well! 🪔

[supersaiyanjedi14]

Sabezra Day 2025

Prompt: Sabine and Ezra discover ship works of a Jedi and a Mandalorian.

@sabezraweek

*Ezra and Sabine find something interesting when digging through old archives*

“Of all the jobs they could have stuck us on, why did it have to be this one?”

“Correction; it’s the job they stuck you on.  I’m the one nice enough to give you a hand.”

Ezra rolled his eyes at the remark.  He supposed that Sabine was right.  He was on suspended command following the incident with the Y-Wings, meaning the only help he could really do around the base was menial grunt work.  In this case, he was sifting through a collection of old archive material that the Rebels wanted curated for a potential intelligence database.  Important work in the long term, sure, but also relentlessly boring.  Pile after pile of datacards and holorecordings that all needed their contents organized and numbered.  And the majority of it wasn’t even useful.  A minor cargo manifest here, an advertisement there.  There seemed to be no end to it.  He never thought there would be a moment he’d prefer scrapping the carbon scoring off the Ghost, and yet the day had come.

True to her word, Sabine had taken pity on the would-be Jedi and offered to help him with his chore.  As monotonous as the work was, having an extra pair of hands on the job and someone to talk to did lessen the burden by a good deal.  That didn’t mean, however, that he forsook the right to complain.

“Alright, fine,” he conceded, “Of all the jobs they could have stuck me on.”

“You do kind of deserve it,” quipped Sabine as she removed a datacard from her pad, the content already typed into the finding aid they were building.

Ezra sighed.  “Don’t remind me.”

“Look on the bright side,” she said, “we only have about eight more boxes left.”

“How many cards?”

“150.”

“Let me guess, each?”

“Bingo.”  Now it was Sabine’s turn to groan, selecting a new datacard.  “At this rate, we’ll probably be done by next Life Day.” She looked up as she absentmindedly plugged in the card.  “What have you had so far?”

Ezra looked over to the list he had been recording on the side, a small tally sheet of flimsi for him to keep a general track of what they had so far.  Over the past few hours, he and Sabine had made a bit of a game out of it.

“So far,” he read, “153 holonet articles, 97 image records, 88 community bulletins, 80 cargo manifests, 52 recordings of people’s pet tookas, and- get this- 29 different ads for a bake sale on Telerath!”  He said the last one with an air of bewilderment.

Sabine merely whistled.  “Remind me to check out Telerath pies in the future.”

“And that’s not even scratching the surface of the useless stuff I’ve found here.” Ezra groaned, tossing his datapad to the table.  “Anyway, what do you have?”

Sabine looked back at her own pad.  “Let’s see- 132 articles, 115 cargo manifests, 96 differe-“  She stopped talking as he eyes became glued on the datapad.

Ezra perked up.  “What?” he asked.  “Find something?”

“It’s…” Sabine trailed off a moment, blinked, then pushed the datapad away.  “Nothing?”

“What?” “Noth-“

“C’mon, tell me.  Can’t be any worse than bake sale ads.”

Sabine sighed and recovered her datapad.  “Well, looks like someone had a holonovel stored among this stuff.”

Ezra shook his head.  “Huh?”

“See for yourself.”  Sabine handed the datapad to Ezra for him to see.  What he saw was certainly surprising.

A Heart of Iron Crystal: A Star-crossed Tale of the Old Republic.

The cover page seemed to depict a golden sunset overlooking a cliff.  Below the title were two human figures looking to the sky with clasped hands.  One was clearly a Jedi, garbed in brown and tan robes with a lightsaber held in his opposite hand.  The other, a woman, seemed to be wearing a set of bright purple armor, a long helmet held under her free arm.

Ezra looked away from the page to stare at Sabine.  “Great, so now we have to sift through trashy romance novels along with the other junk.”

“Yep,” Sabine said with a slight groan.  “Looks like someone just had to get their Jedi-Mando ship works in between actual important stuff.”

Ezra looked at Sabine, puzzled.  “Mando?”

“Yeah, the woman on the cover.  She’s a Mandalorian.”

He checked the cover page again.  The helmet under the woman’s arm seemed to have the iconic t-shaped visor of the Mandalorian people, but the rest of the armor screamed foreign to him.  “Doesn’t look like any Mandalorian I’ve ever seen.”

Sabine scooted over closer to Ezra and pulled the datapad back to herself.  “Well, unless you were in a museum, I doubt you ever would have seen it.”  She pointed to the woman on the cover.  “That’s Neo-Crusader armor.  It was worn during the Mandalorian Wars thousands of years ago.”

The name finally scratched Ezra’s memory.  “I remember Kanan talking about that.  Didn’t the Mandalorians invade the Republic and were only stopped by some Jedi who later fell to the Dark Side?  What was his name, Ryan, Roonan…

“Revan,” Sabine corrected, “And yep, that was him.  This armor was worn by most of the warriors who fought on the front lines.”  She scoffed a bit, “I can see where the star-crossed bit comes in.  Half the reason the Jedi and Mandalorians hate each other these days comes from what went down then.”

Despite considering it lame a bit ago, Ezra found himself laughing.  “Romance across opposite sides of a war.  That’s rich.”

“I don’t know, it has a bit of a fun edge to it.”

“Yeah, the edge of a vibroblade you mean.”  Ezra ignored Sabine’s eyeroll at his joke and looked back at the female Neo-Crusader.  “Kinda looks like you, come to think of it.”

Now Sabine laughed.  “Oh yeah, because I’m the only Mando with purple armor.”

“No, I’m serious, look.”  Ezra pointed down at the image.  “She’s wearing her hair the way you usually do, short bang off to the side.”

“Most Mandalorian girls have short hair.  It’s practical.”

“I swear, her style makes me think of you.”

“Oh, you want to play that game, huh?” Sabine asked with a wry smile.  “Well, what if I said that Jedi on the other side looks like you?”

Ezra chuckled.  “Well, for starters, I don’t have a beard.”

“You could,” Sabien retorted, plus he has that mischievous little Loth-rat look that you do so well.”

“Mischievous?”

“And if I look carefully,” Sabine continued unabated, “I might be able to see a couple of scratch marks on his cheek.”

“Oh ha-ha,” Ezra replied sarcastically.  “And I bet they met while he was stealing crates from her, too.”

“Could be,” said Sabine.  She chuckled a bit.  “He probably tried cheesy pickup lines on her when she first took off her helmet.”

“And she got back at him by painting an embarrassing picture over his bunk.”

“Maybe decorated a stolen fighter together?” “I’ve heard of worse first dates.”

“Maybe saved each other’s lives a lot, too.”

“Looked past the initial differences and- “

“Came to know the person underneath- “

“Kinda like- “

“Us?”

Ezra hadn’t even realized he had been moving closer to Sabine as they talked.  Or how their voices had become less amused and softer.  Or how their faces were mere centimeters away from each other.

Several seconds passed before Ezra’s face started to heat up.  He scooted backwards and cleared his throat.  “We, uh, we…we should get back to work.” “Right!”  Sabine’s voice came out in a higher pitch than he was used to, her hands fumbling a bit as she pulled the datacard out and hurriedly returned to the finding aid.

Ezra turned back to his own datapad.  Although, if his eyes weren’t deceiving him, he could have sworn that he saw Sabine slip the datacard into her own pocket.

Looks like she had some reading for tonight.

[writing-fanics]

what if like y/n also sacrificed herself along with ezra..

y’all can already figure out where I’m going with this (gotta write this quickly working on essay)

sabine finds them and reunited with them, during their small conversations she notices a pair of two tiny legs hiding behind y/n. a tiny head peeked from behind his mother to only hide back behind her again.

it’s okay his mother whispered

he hesitates and reveals himself he’s a carbon copy of ezra, clinging to y/n’s hip.

Sabine mouth drop when seeing the four year old. he’s nervous and shy and jumps when Sabine says hi.

Y/n says that he’s really shy.

it honestly sounds so cute especially if y/n and ezra name their son after kanan and gave their son sabines last name wren as his middle name and his last name is Bridger

I should write this

[mariacallous]

Cities looking to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings have notched a decisive court victory. Last week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by plumbing and building trade groups against a New York City ban on natural gas in new buildings. The decision is the first to explicitly disagree with a previous ruling that struck down Berkeley, California’s first-in-the-nation gas ban. That order, issued by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2023 and upheld again last year, prompted cities across the country to withdraw or delay laws modeled after the Berkeley ordinance.

While New York City’s law functions differently from Berkeley’s, legal experts say that this month’s decision provides strong legal footing for all types of local policies to phase out gas in buildings—and could encourage cities to once again take ambitious action.

“It’s a clear win in that regard, because the 9th Circuit decision has had a really chilling effect on local governments,” said Amy Turner, director of the Cities Climate Law Initiative at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. “Now there’s something else to point to, and a good reason for hope for local governments that may have back-burnered their building electrification plans to bring those to the forefront again.”

In 2021, New York City adopted Local Law 154, which sets an air emissions limit for indoor combustion of fuels within new buildings. Under the law, the burning of “any substance that emits 25 kilograms or more of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units of energy” is prohibited. That standard effectively bans gas-burning stoves, furnaces, and water heaters, and any other fossil-fuel powered appliances. Instead, real estate developers have to install electric appliances, like induction stoves and heat pumps. The policy went into effect in 2024 for buildings under seven stories, and will apply to taller buildings starting in 2027.

Berkeley’s law, on the other hand, banned the installation of gas piping in new construction. The first-of-its-kind policy was passed in 2019 and inspired nearly a hundred local governments across the country to introduce similar laws. But the ordinance quickly faced a lawsuit by the California Restaurant Association, which argued that gas stoves were essential for the food service industry. In April 2023, the 9th Circuit court ruled in favor of the restaurant industry, holding that federal energy efficiency standards preempted Berkeley’s policy. In January 2024, a petition by the city of Berkeley to rehear the case on the 9th Circuit was denied.

Berkeley’s law, which was struck down by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, banned the installation of gas piping in new construction. Photograph: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Last year’s denial of a rehearing included a detailed dissent by eight of the 29 judges on the 9th Circuit, who argued that the court’s ruling had been decided “erroneously” and “urge[d] any future court” considering the same argument “not to repeat the panel opinion’s mistakes.” Writing a dissent at all is unusual for an action as procedural as denying a rehearing, Turner noted. “It was clearly drafted to give a road map to other courts to find differently than the 9th Circuit did.”

One year later, that’s exactly what happened. In the New York City lawsuit, building industry groups and a union whose members work on gas infrastructure used the same logic that prevailed in the Berkeley case, arguing that the city’s electrification law is preempted by energy efficiency standards under the federal Energy Policy Conservation Act of 1975, or EPCA. This law sets national efficiency standards for major household appliances like furnaces, stoves, and clothes dryers. Under the law, states and cities can’t set their own energy conservation standards that would contradict federal ones. The trade groups argued that EPCA should also preempt any local laws, like New York’s, that would prevent the use of fossil fuel-powered appliances that meet national standards.

“By design, the city set that level so low as to ban all gas and oil appliances,” the groups wrote in their complaint. “The city’s gas ban thus prohibits all fuel gas appliances, violating federal law” and “presents a significant threat for businesses in New York City that sell, install, and service gas plumbing and infrastructure.”

Berkeley’s gas ban lost a lawsuit filed by the California Restaurant Association, which argued that gas stoves were essential for the food service industry. Photograph: Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Citing the 9th Circuit’s dissent, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed those claims. The plaintiffs’ argument broadens the scope of EPCA beyond reasonable bounds, District Judge Ronnie Abrams wrote in the court’s opinion. Regulating fuel use within certain buildings is standard practice in states and cities, she noted: New York City, for example, has banned the indoor use of kerosene space heaters for decades. “Were plaintiffs correct about the scope of EPCA, these vital safety regulations would likewise be preempted—an absurd result that the court must avoid,” Abrams wrote.

The decision could help reassure some states and cities that withdrew electrification plans after the Berkeley case, said Dror Ladin, a senior attorney at Earthjustice, a nonprofit that submitted an amicus brief on behalf of local environmental groups in the lawsuit. “This ruling demonstrates that there’s absolutely no reason to interpret the Berkeley decision so broadly,” he said. The argument brought forth by trade groups “is one that would bar a whole host of health and safety regulations, and alter the power of cities and states in a way that we’ve never seen in this country.”

By agreeing with the 9th Circuit dissent’s interpretation of EPCA, last week’s decision bolsters all types of electrification policies, including the one in New York City and those modeled after Berkeley, Turner noted. “This decision we’ve just gotten from the Southern District is more broadly protective,” she said. “Even if the air emissions route is not right for a city for whatever reason, other variations of a building electrification requirement or incentive could pass muster.”

The trade groups behind the lawsuit have said they will appeal the decision. Meanwhile, legal challenges using the same arguments brought against Berkeley’s gas ban have been launched against New York’s statewide building code and electrification policies in places like Denver, Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

Judges in those cases will inevitably refer to the Berkeley decision and last week’s ruling by the Southern District of New York, said Ladin—and he hopes they’ll give more weight to the latter. “Berkeley is not a well-reasoned decision, and this judge saw right through it, and I think many other judges will see through it too.”

[copalcetic]

@bart1607 asked Alrich x Ursa in the Star Wars Rare Pairs Exchange, and then I fell down a rabbit hole. For characters with very limited screen time across two shows, Sabine's parents sure do change sides a lot in the ongoing (some might say endless) strife on Mandalore. I wanted to figure out why, at least to my own satisfaction, they might make the choices they did.

to paint, and nothing more - In the aftermath of the Great Clan Wars, the young survivors navigate unspoken tensions and shifting alliances at Sundari's Royal Academy of Government.

The first thing he notices, because it's impossible not to notice, is the blaster pointed at Veraslayn's head. The second is the girl holding the blaster. Her brows are drawn down at a ferocious angle, her hair pulled back so tightly he can see it flex with tension every time she breathes. She's not a girl; she's a sword made out of flesh. He moves his hand without conscious thought, starting to sketch the startling lines of her face, and freezes when the mouth of the blaster drifts toward him. "If you were a sniper," she repeats, "you'd be dead."

art is never chaste - Alrich Wren, on his wedding night.

"Alrich," Verslayn says, her breezy tone turned serious, "forget all that. The statement you're making, the way it will play to the holovids, none of that matters. Well, it does matter," she says, because Veraslayn is Kyr'tsad's chief propagandist and even on the eve of her best friend's wedding she can't let go of her strategizing. "Having a Countess marry in full beskar'gam—it's a declaration. It will bring us recruits. But that's for me to worry about. You have more important things to focus on."

the elimination of the unnecessary - Alrich Wren is left in a precarious position when Death Watch schisms over Maul's ascension and the Nite Owls go on the run.

Urie's blaster twitches, then lowers. Everyone has limits, it seems, even those who stayed loyal to the Shadow Collective. Firing on a former compatriot is acceptable; firing on an infant is not. "Alrich," he acknowledges. He pulls his helmet off, letting his voice shift into its natural light tenor. "Where's Ursa?" "Fighting for Mandalore, I hope," Alrich says mildly. "Not here."

triptych - Three times Alrich Wren paints flowers.

He forgets that he's cold, lost in a whirl of mental sketches, until Ursa settles a fur cloak over his shoulders. The collar is lush and silver-gray; the hide has been dyed saffron. Clan Wren colors. Ursa clicks the tiny, topaz-eyed bird clasp shut at his throat and smiles at him. This close, he can feel her breath warm on his cheek. The retainer is watching them, expression inscrutable. Alrich doesn't lean forward. "The colors suit you," Ursa says, and settles her helmet back in place.

having left undone - Bo-Katan and Alrich have a heart to heart on the anniversary of Ursa's parents' death.

Once, it would have been Bo woken up by the faint clink of Ursa clipping her armor on in the pre-dawn light, Bo watching her slip silently out of the room when Ursa went to keep vigil for her parents' deaths. They'd shared a room when they visited each other as children before the war, telling stories late into the night; they'd shared a room after, keeping watch. Ursa is a married woman now. Bo tries not to resent that.

a civil war like this, it always sells itself - Swept up in the politics and violence of the Great Clan Wars, Ursa and Bo-Katan grow up quickly—but perhaps not quite quickly enough.

By the time Duke Kryze appears in person to escort his daughter back to Mandalore, all obvious signs of the fight in Wren Stronghold have been erased. Every window pane is repaired, the walls scrubbed of carbon scoring. Chairs pulled out of secondary guest and meeting rooms replace ones shattered in the skirmish. The insurgents, of course, are gone.

what do you think an artist is? - No one understands what Ursa Wren sees in Alrich. (She doesn't care to explain.)

There's a truth Ursa has carried all her life: she could never love anyone who wants to be less than the best. It's a trait she comes by from both her parents. They loved each other dearly while they lived—and their marriage was an endless, exhausting squabble for dominance. "It keeps us sharp," they'd said. She can see the truth in that, though a tiny, disloyal part of her mind says, Not sharp enough. She wants more than that.

[darkmaga-returns]

A study by World Weather Attribution (WWA) initially blamed climate change for increasing wildfire likelihood in Los Angeles by 35%. Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder debunked the claim, revealing the findings lacked statistical significance and fell within natural variability.

Climate activism and media narratives often prioritize fearmongering over objective analysis. WWA’s methods, dubbed "weather attribution alchemy," rely on speculative models comparing hypothetical climates, raising scientific skepticism.

Research in Nature Communications shows modern wildfires in the U.S. and Canada occur at only 23% of historical rates, challenging claims of unprecedented fire activity. Activists attempt to shift focus from data to emotional impact to maintain climate crisis narratives.

Chile’s deadly 2024 fires were influenced by multiple factors (heatwaves, drought, wind, El Niño). WWA’s attribution study admitted large uncertainties, highlighting the difficulty of linking single events to global warming.

Effective wildfire mitigation requires addressing land use, urban planning and ecological management—not just carbon emissions. Over-politicization of climate science erodes public trust and distracts from evidence-based policy.

[kalevalakryze]

The Seeds We Sow

The fic + art collaboration Art completed by @mirandemia for the @ahsokaevents Wildflowers collab! Find it on AO3!

Sabine Wren + Ahsoka Tano The soil was warm under her hands; Freshly turned and clumpy where she uncovered it from the ashen tones of the earth. “Life finds a way.” Ahsoka had told her upon setting out on this task. The water source wasn’t too far away, a still pool with sediment floating in the murky water. 

“We can get this cleaned up, can’t we Asha?” She called to the howler, snuffling through a patch of stubbornly prevailing grass nearby. She did not receive any response from the peculiar creature, though it was nice to have her to bounce ideas off of. 

The Noti had given her the scraps from an older trawler, dragged each time they moved to limit waste, carrying broken vaporators, gears, and even old power packs to blasters that must have been acquired from Thrawn’s troopers. At least she didn’t need to lug it too much further than their current campsite to get it near the water supply.  “Let’s see what we can do,” The Mandalorian talked aloud, boots crunching over the crumbling outer layer of the planet’s crust. 

First, Sabine grabbed old pipes from blown cooling systems, using her hands to dig out four long rows in the dirt, exposing nutrient-rich soil to the sunlight above. “Bet you guys missed the sun just as much as I do,” She chuckled warmly to a squirming lifeform. “You kinda look like an exogorth. Can I call you Exo?” The pad of her thumb brushed along the sliminess of the creature's side, laughing warmly to herself when it squiggled away. “Alright, Exo. I’m sorry I gotta move you, but hey, you keep pests away from my seeds, and this can be a mutually beneficial arrangement, got it?” 

The creature was set inside of a pile of upturned dirt, where it happily burrowed itself to be rid of the humanoid that dared interrupt its rest. 

Building the irrigation system was nothing new to Sabine Wren; In fact, it was something she understood almost as well as mixing her explosive paints. Back when rebel holdouts needed crops, she was often the one counted on to help them get started, and it was always something that helped her feel useful. 

A Mandalorian could destroy, and conquer, and a million other destructive things, but she was put in this Galaxy for more than that. She created, and saved, she strived every day for as long as she could remember to embrace her Mandalorian heritage, to be everything her ancestors could have wanted, and then some. 

It was through her continued work every day that she honored the patron of her House, Tarre Vizsla, it was through her dedication to her people that honored her Clan and the lives they’d once lived, and it was her determination that honored the Rebellion she’d spent so long fighting for. Everything she did was for her family, and right now? That family was found in Ahsoka and the Noti. 

Her purification system was simple in design, and it required the sacrifice of a power pack from her blaster to generate enough of a spark to keep the miniature solar array working. She could return with a new source for it one day, for when the sun grew dim and the gears needed to turn. For now, the blaster she’d painted in the blues of reliability and royalty was dismantled under a caring hand and slotted into the home of the system. 

Clean water trickled slowly with a quiet whir of machinery, sucking the water through and filtering out sediment as it pushed along the rows of water she’d dug out. “Hey, we did it,” She called to Asha, now dozing lazily in her interesting patch of grass. “Thanks,” She laughed, bubbling like the carbonation in The Outlander Club’s specialty beverage, warmed by the lull of a punk tongue hanging lazily past yellowed canines. 

With dampened soil, Sabine was able to meticulously lay each seed; They were from her Galaxy, so there was no telling if they would take to their new home, but she had hope, and she’d learned long ago just how far a little hope could stretch. Then, the compost that had been saved up was spread evenly over the rows, pressed in lightly to allow for the sprouts to push past without much resistance, though would not risk being washed away when the drought on this side of the planet would end at last. 

“You’ve done well,” Ahsoka’s voice was warm; Lighter than she was used to, over the course of her previous apprenticeship, that is. 

“Yeah? You think so?” The Mandalorian questioned genuinely from her spot knelt in the dirt, mud caked her armor and her flight suit, and streaks painted her face and dirtied her hair. The purple-haired woman turned her head to watch as Ahsoka dismounted her howler, allowing it to trundle to Asha’s lazy form. “I do,” The hand on her shoulder was warm. Sabine allowed the offered strength to rise from her knelt position. “Lunch is ready back at camp, you look like you could use it,” The jab was light, bouncing off her armor with a light chuckle. 

“You’re tellin’ me… Think everything will be safe here?” 

Ahsoka’s gaze turned to the horizon, searching. When she shook her head in the affirmative, Sabine’s shoulders relaxed. “Do you think they’re okay…” She questioned after a moment. 

It didn’t take a genius to understand who she was asking after. “Shin will be alright, I’m sure of it. Baylan… worries me, he’s treading a dangerous path, one we will have to follow, sooner than later.” 

As the Master and Apprentice rode their howlers the short distance back to camp, Sabine’s fingers threaded through the thick, dark wool of Asha’s neck. “Thanks,” 

Ahsoka’s head bowed towards her. She could have kept the thoughts to herself, as she’d once had. But even Ahsoka Tano learned when it was time to truly be more than the people who’d trained you. Where Obi-Wan and Anakin may have kept themselves quiet, she was determined to break the cycle.  Shin Hati

Communication with the bandits was slow. Truly, Shin had heard of droids learning and adapting better than this sorry lot. All she received from them were grunts, either of indignation, or approval, she could only tell after they’d begun moving, either to follow her orders or to blatantly ignore them. 

The most recent act of ignorance from the clan found Shin stubbornly figuring out ways to feed them all. They’d seemed unbothered by the prospect that they could go hungry, as if they could pillage their way across Peridea; and maybe they could have, if not for the Jedi and Sabine protecting their favorite victims now. Shin knew better than to allow themselves to march into that camp, she knew what the Torguta and Mandalorian were capable of. 

Chasing away the nomads that had settled in this desolate canyon had been simple, natural, even. The moment they saw a blood-orange blade on the horizon, and saw the sun glinting off the worn paint of her bandit’s heads, most were intelligent enough to turn tail. It had even stocked them up with enough supplies to last until… well… Until what, Shin wasn’t sure yet, but they’d be damned if they didn’t figure it out soon. 

There was a water source nearby, old, rickety purifiers ran as they refilled the jugs as fast as her men could deplete them. They also noticed a raised bed of soil, something she didn’t see often in the wastes like this. There were no seeds nearby, though she could see plants sprouting from a host nearby. 

Eyes as dreary as their landscape peered around the supplies that had been left. This was new, but they had always been a resourceful student. If taking lives was so natural, then surely they would be able to sustain it, especially in the most non-sentient way life existed.

The soil had been freshly turned, Shin learned as their fingers delved into the raised garden bed. The travelers had been planning on making this place their home for the season as well. No matter, it was Shin’s people who were victorious in the end, and they would reap the profits of prior labors… and Shin’s own. 

Dirt spilled into the many tears in their gloves, worn from the months of use and with no true materials to repair them. The pebbles were harsh, though their skin was learning to grow harsher. Eventually, the tanned gorraslug material was set aside, resting precariously on a wooden support, allowing them to dig deeper, pushing grime up under their fingernails as they worked to bury the remains of the food supply. 

Plasto pails sat near the purifiers, and it was just Shin’s luck that the first pail they filled with water would crack under the unforgiving weight as it was filled to the brim. “Karabast!” They growled at the remains of the bucket, water soaking their boots and turning the ground at their feet into sloshing mud. 

The Force, a fickle ally, refused to answer their call in their growing frustrations; Even as they attempted to channel their annoyance into the pressure of water, thin plasto, and the space they wanted to create between it and the ground. 

Huffing and puffing, Shin found themselves resorting to other means; A spear was sent between the weak metal handles of the pail, allowing her the leverage to lift it, keeping it balanced on her shoulder with minimal spillage as she lugged it to the beds, cursing the whole way. 

By the time each sprout had a home in the dirt, Shin’s hands, tunic, and face were streaked with mud, sweat cutting tracks through the grime as they sat back against a boulder to admire their work. A bandit passed by them, Shin watched with narrowed eyes as they paused at her work. 

No words were spoken between them as they turned back to look at the filthy blonde, though Shin had felt the understanding in the nod of their head. A dented canteen was removed from their hip and passed nonchalantly to her on their way back to sorting through their treasures of the raid. 

The sinking of the sun was met with a wet nose sniffling at long-dry boots, a dirty white howler in search of food. With her fingers carding through the soft fur at its neck, Shin rose at last, acquiescent to find the poor beast something to eat, and with a rumbling of her own stomach, something for herself as well. 

Ezra Bridger Krownest had always been cold, but if there was anything Ezra Bridger had learned in his short experiences with Clan Wren, it was the planet's unique ability to nurture all kinds of life. 

This was why, as the Ghost touched down on a desolate surface, and no gruff voices came over their comms to demand clearance, Ezra felt the loss of those unique lives as distinctly as he had. The Jedi paused in the entryway, boot hovering just over the ramp. “Ezra?” Hera called, a gloved hand coming to rest on his shoulder. 

A deep breath and a warm smile recentered him as he used the familiar touch on his shoulder to ground himself. “I’m alright… It’s just hard not to notice…” 

Hera’s head dipped in understanding; She hadn’t made the venture yet, had been waiting on Sabine’s word to visit with the heir, the day had never come, until Ezra voiced his desire to do something for her family. “We’ll be right here with you,” She promised, glancing away from Ezra to peek down at Jacen, bundled up and standing by her side, with Chopper rolling just behind them once they began walking. 

The Wren stronghold was dark and untouched, mountains of snow coated the roof, while dangerous icicles hung dangerously along the large transparisteel windows. “Do you think it’ll grow here?” Jacen asked as the toe of his boot caught on a  patch of slippery ice. . 

“Yeah, ‘course,” Ezra mused out loud as he knelt near one of the windows. Peering through the dust, he could see the inside of the throne room, dark and desolate, with cobwebs hanging across each surface. The light that managed to cut through the grime still found a way to cast across the painting of the Matriarch of Clan Wren, lighting yellow and grey armor up in an effect that made them glow gold and silver. 

“Do you remember how it went?” Ezra questioned, unblinking from his sight against the glass, catching the barest reflection of his own eyes back at him. 

“Never did manage Mando’a,” Hera admitted, lowering herself into the snow beside him, allowing Jacen to tuck himself against her once more as she settled. He’d known Ursa, though Hera doubted he would have much memories of them, not with the separate wars they found themselves fighting as Sabine focused on finding Ezra. 

“Basic should be fine… It’s the memory that counts, right?” He tried to keep his tone light, tried to keep the calmness steady, though the emptiness seemed to echo the way his words caught around the tightness in his throat. Addam’s apple bobbing, he nodded his head towards the snow, beginning the process of clearing away the piles to the frozen earth underneath. 

They did not have every name of every warrior lost, and Ezra found himself regretting this, too naive and headstrong, too worried about the fight than the lives of the people he’d fought beside. He would return, when the seasons changed, when Sabine came out. She could tell them their names, and they would plant flowers for them as well, as a family again. 

The ground was frozen and solid, though after a while of digging and chipping away, he’d been successful in clearing three small holes. “Vormur can grow through anything,” He assured himself as he retrieved a small duracrete container, filled to the brim with dirt from Lothal, soft enough to cover the tops and hopefully prevent them from freezing over. “They’re Mandalorian, you know” A foreboding gaze was sent to the portain through the windows before he dropped a seed in each hole. Hera stayed silent, for him, for Sabine and Ahsoka, and for Clan Wren itself. 

“Jace, you wanna cover this up, for aunt ‘bine?” He offered, leaning back as he cleared his throat, hiding a sniffle as he wiped the rough nylon material of his sleeve under his nose. Small knees shuffled through the dirt as the boy inched closer, mittens sweeping through the uncovered dirt to start brushing it to the small array of flowers. “These smell really nice,” He commented as he worked, taking a big sniff as the dirt began to settle. “Aunt Sabine will really like this when she comes back-” The young Force-Sensitive boy paused then, fingers curling in his mittens as his brows drew together. “If she ever comes back…. Here, i mean.” He was quick to correct; No one aired their thoughts about the possibility of Sabine and Ahsoka’s return, not when Ezra himself had been gone so long. 

“Well, when she hears about all our hard work… I’m sure she will,” Hera’s hand brushed over Jacen’s head, pulling the wool hat on his head askew. Final preparations were made to keep the flowers healthy and strong from the climate. Just as the sun began to crest the mountains, pink and golden light splashing across the grey landscape of the frozen lake. Before they could leave, the Rebels settled back in one last time, peering through dust covered windows at the haunting silhouette of the Countess of Krownest one last time. “Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum, Clan Wren.” Their Mando’a was rough and heavily accented, but the words seemed to release some of the weight on their shoulders, allowing them to return to their new war with a lighter conscience. 

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Canary Media:

Travertine Technologies, a Colorado-based climate tech company, is building a multi-million dollar demonstration plant alongside a metals refining facility near Rochester, New York. The plant will recycle discarded gypsum to make sulfuric acid while removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

For the project, Travertine is partnering with Sabin Metal Corp., a precious metals refiner and recycler. Travertine’s new demo plant will take gypsum — a mineral that can be used in anything from fertilizer to building materials — that is sitting near Sabin’s facility and turn it into sulfuric acid using the carbon dioxide it traps through direct air capture. Travertine will then sell the sulfuric acid to Sabin to use in its metallurgical processing.

When she founded the company in 2022, Travertine CEO Laura Lammers initially planned to build a low-cost, scalable, and permanent method for trapping carbon dioxide. But in talking with lithium miners, she realized waste from the industry could be used to permanently store the greenhouse gas, she told Canary Media.

That proposition is particularly interesting in that it could simultaneously serve to recycle waste from the mining industry and remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

But Travertine’s 50 foot by 50 foot demo plant will be capable of removing only 45 tons of carbon dioxide a year on a net basis, according to Owen Cadwalader, the startup’s chief operations officer. That’s a minuscule amount compared both to what some other direct air capture facilities are able to remove and the amount that a recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report says must be removed from the atmosphere to fight global warming.

“​Because of the scale of global sulfuric acid use, our process has economical gigaton-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) potential while simultaneously eliminating industrial sulfate waste,” Lammers said in a statement announcing the company’s new demo plant. Lammers said her goal is for the company to have a plant capable of capturing half a million tons of carbon dioxide a year within a decade.

Travertine has $10.7 million in funding to pay for the project, including $7.5 million in venture debt financing from Builders Vision and $3.2 million in grant funding from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, according to a news release.

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "The Holocrons of Fate"

In which things get Force Weird and Maul is the actual worst.

Full disclaimer in the name of honesty, I still think Maul's "resurrection" in TCW was stupid. It will never not be stupid.

That being said, I'm glad they decided, "Well, let's actually do something interesting with him." once they had him.

Making him into a Sisyphean/Tantalus-figure--always reaching, never grasping--adds a layer of depth and tragedy to him. No matter how hard he tries, Maul will never gain what he seeks. When it's within his grasp, he will inevitably self-sabotage or have it slip away from him.

We meet him at a time in his life when he's just lost everything, again. He finds new purpose and motivation in the form of Ezra Bridger figuratively falling into his lap--here's someone to carry on his legacy, that he can mold and teach--but in his eagerness to have him, he irreparably damages any chance the boy would have had to learn from him willingly.

But like Sisyphus pushing at that rock, like Tantalus reaching for the grapes above him, he cannot stop trying.

Probably fitting that his question to the holocrons is an answer to the inevitable existential dread of his own existence.

But I'm getting waaaaaay ahead of myself, he hasn't even shown his ugly face yet.

Instead we drop in on Kanan and Ezra, on a CR90, presumably coming back from a mission they headed up. Ezra's asking after the holocron again, still not quite over his obsessive addiction to it, still hyper-focusing on it as the only good thing that could have possibly come out of the mess at Malachor.

"But if not to get the Sith holocron, why did Master Yoda send us to Malachor?" That's a good question. *stares at writers*

Kanan offers up the idea that is was for "a chance to destroy the Sith." Sure we'll go with that.

Their conversation is interrupted by them coming to their destination, a rendezvous point with another Rebel ship.

Thaaaaaaaaaat Maul has almost completely murderized. This scene is one of the ones that does a really good job subtly showing off Kanan's blindness. Ezra offers commentary for Kanan's benefit throughout, Kanan has a hand out to feel, he mentions the carbon scoring smell and inclines his ear towards the sounds coming from behind a door.

The only survivor can only gasp out about a "red blade... after you." ("you" being very specifically Ezra) and that the Ghost was in danger.

Right so I'd just like to emphasize, for the fandom's sake, Maul murdered an entire Rebel ship looking for Ezra.

Kanan and Ezra assume, naturally, that "red blade" means there's a new Inquisitor after them and rush to contact the Ghost. Whereupon they discover that it's Maul who's threatening them now.

And ooooooh Ezra's piiiiiiiiissed.

"No... I betrayed your friends, but I would have remained loyal to you." *rubs eyes* That's... There's not a significant emotional distinction there for Ezra, you know that right, Maul? Of course you don't.

Back when fandom was Absolutely Certain that Maul was going to successfully abduct Ezra in "Twilight of the Apprentice" there were theories flying around that Sabine would have to ply her Mandalorian connections in order to get information about where he might be hiding, since we knew by then her family had ties to Death Watch. Things didn't happen that way, obviously, but it was still nice to get a nod towards that connection.

Maul proceeds to be the world's worst houseguest, forcing Hera to take him on a "tour" of the ship while he comments snarkily about each room.

Like you have room to talk mister Lived In Literal Garbage For Years.

Anyway this tour seems to be mostly a ruse to look for Kanan's holocron, and Maul very creepily and uncomfortably pulls the information out of Hera's head. (Possibly along with Kanan's real name??? It was never actually elaborated on how Maul knows "Caleb Dume", but it would make the most sense he skimmed it from Hera, to throw her defenses off guard for his stronger mind probe.)

You leave mom alone you cockroach.

I know this is serious but boy I would have LOVED to hear the conversation Kanan and Ezra must have had with Sato when they got back.

"Hey we need to borrow a speeder to go out into the desert past the sensor beacon fence where all the spiders are to visit a giant weird Force Moose and retrieve a Sith Soul Jar because a creepy spike-horned Dark Side nutcase kidnapped everyone else on our crew."

I'm just picturing Sato throwing up his hands all, "Just take whatever you need."

Also amusing: the idea of Ezra trying to describe the Bendu to Kanan later.

I absolutely dig this idea of holocrons creating a Force Convergence powerful enough to grant visions. I'm always in favor of Jedi artifacts being just a little bit weird with the Force. I mean, kyber crystals sing and hum to Jedi, lightsabers are a living extension of the Force moving through them, their temples carry thousands of years of emotions and feelings sticking to the walls, why shouldn't their holocrons be able to join with Sith holocrons to make an oracle?

The Bendu says he's neutral but he's also clearly set up this little test in order to help heal the rift between Kanan and Ezra (and he gives a fond little smile when he can sense their reconciliation).

"Why take his weapon?" "He's got to learn to solve problems without it." *WEEPS IN FINALE FEELINGS REMEMBERING THAT EZRA LEFT HIS LIGHTSABER BEHIND AND RELIED ONLY ON HIS UNIQUE FORCE ABILITY TO CONNECT IN ORDER TO SAVE EVERYONE*

Lol @ Maul trying to blunt force the Jedi holocron open. My dude. My guy. You were the one to point out that Sith holocrons can only be opened by a Sith or one who thinks like them. Follows that Jedi holocrons might operate on the same principle? Maybe?

Not sure what the point is of getting to the engine room quietly given the racket y'all made literally a second ago.

This is actually a new part of the ship we haven't seen before now. It's accessed both by a grate in the floor under the main central ladder and the door at the very back of the cargo hold.

And this is a really clever idea with magnetizing the hold, remembering that Maul's legs are metal. They almost pull off their own rescue here.

Bastard.

Sans his lightsaber, Ezra reaches for his blaster holster instead. Except I think that's empty too, I looked but I didn't see it equipped.

Kanan senses his panic and distress from outside and follows in. This scene reminds me a little bit of when Vision!Kanan showed up in "Path of the Jedi". Not sure why, just kind of does.

Ezra instinctively moves to shield Kanan from the krykna, aww.

Ugh this return to that timid, self-protective pose. :( We haven't seen Ezra shield himself like that in ages and it makes him look so much smaller.

Kanan tells Ezra everything Ezra's been desperate to hear for six months:

It wasn't your fault.

I never blamed you.

Forgive yourself.

<333333333

Haven't talked about the music much but this is a nice rendition of Ezra's theme here for this heartwarming moment.

Ah noooooope I like the krykna EVEN LESS now, wtf is this it's creepy.

Ezra nervous little glances as the krykna uncurl. <3

Ezra passing Kanan's mask into his hand. <3

Bendu's "Once a secret is known, it cannot be unknown." was a lot more ominous in the trailers, ngl.

Kanan showing a remarkable amount of trust in Ezra, leaving the decision on whether to open up the Sith holocron or not up to him. Ezra looks trepidaciously at it a moment and then decides not to, passing it back to Kanan.

(And then he never touched the Dark Side again lol.)

I can't even be mad that Ezra got the first blind joke in. At least he beat Maul to the punch.

Hhggngnghhh I hate him so much this rat bastard trash man. He immediately takes advantage of Kanan's blindness to lead him to an airlock and tries to space him.

EZRA WASN'T EVEN OUT OF SIGHT LONGER THAN A MINUTE OR TWO, MAUL, CAN YOU NOT?!

You actually can survive the void of space very briefly. You have about 15 seconds before you pass out, possibly more if you exhale first.

Uggggggggghhhh this scene makes my skin crawl, Maul is literally fresh off his second attempt to murder Kanan and orders the droids to kill the rest and Ezra is standing there completely unaware of the danger he's in or what Maul's done.

Maul bald-face lies to him and tells him his friends are fine. Just imagining the horror of what would have happened if Kanan hadn't made it back inside, how Ezra would have emerged from the holocron vision only to learn the awful truth that Maul had killed everyone he loved, that he was alone, alone with a deranged murderer who had decided he was his apprentice...

*shudder*

As they prepare to join the holocrons, it's interesting to note that Ezra's wish is a bit Dark Side tinted--he wants the answer on how to destroy the Sith--while Maul's is Light--the vaguely described "hope". Hope for what it's not clear at first. Hope for meaning? Hope for purpose? Hope for another chance to fix what he considers the point at which things went wrong? Commentary from behind the scenes has said that Maul's motivation for revenge against Obi-Wan is primarily rooted in his fixation on his failure at Naboo. "If I can just kill this guy, the person who was there when everything went wrong, it will make it all better."

I think, given that Maul had become self-consciously legacy-minded, thinking about the future he planned to create with Ezra at his side, he turned his mind backwards to unfinished business from the past, messes he still had to clean up, in order to move forward.

And that's why he manipulates the holocron vision to show him Obi-Wan's fate.

This sequence is really pretty.

The music cue that accompanies this moment is not overly bombastic, but rather sly, mysterious, and eerie, high vocals mingling with strings to create an odd balance.

The resignation on Sabine, Hera, and Zeb's faces when the droids point their weapons. :(

Hera's elation when she hears Kanan there. :D The very worried Spacefamily books it to Ezra of course.

Maul doesn't see anything from the vision at first, "Only oblivion!" he says, because the path he's on can only lead him there and urges Ezra to "Go deeper!" It just occurred to me that he's basically doing what his old master Palpatine would try to do in Season Four--piggybacking off Ezra's connection and using him as a conduit to achieve what he wants. He pushes Ezra to look harder because he can't see anything himself.

The brighter burst of blinding light could have just been an effect of Maul and Ezra sinking deeper into the vision but also I like to think Maul manipulated the convergence to try to keep the others away because it swells up right when we hear Hera calling for Ezra.

This bit is so cool, the Force is so loud and present in the room that Kanan's blindness doesn't matter, he can physically see through it even with his ruined eyes. Hera's voice distorts and fades as if it's coming across a large distance even though Kanan only goes a couple steps away. The orchestra rouses with full strings and chorus. The negative film effect makes Kanan, Ezra, and Maul look like celestial figures of pure energy.

THE WAY THIS IS BOTH (LITERALLY) ABOUT THE TWIN SUNS OF TATOOINE AND (FIGURATIVELY) ABOUT LUKE AND LEIA, THE CHILDREN OF THE CHOSEN ONE AND THE TWO MOST KEY PLAYERS IN THE ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION OF THE SITH.

THE WAY ALL THREE OF THEM--LUKE, LEIA, AND EZRA--ARE NARRATIVE "CHOSEN ONES" WITHOUT BEING THE IN-TEXT CHOSEN ONE, HOW THE FORCE STILL PUTS THEM IN KEY PLACES IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY.

THE PATH TO LIRA SAN WILL BE DECIDED BY THE FATE OF THE THREE.

Ezra ultimately trusts Kanan and looks away just before Maul can discern where, exactly, Obi-Wan is. The severed connection explodes outwards, throwing them all across the room, and the holocrons are shattered.

Maul's cackling and crazed body language as he stumbles out to escape make it seem like the knowledge that Obi-Wan's alive has actually driven him insane. It's quite disconcerting.

The Spacefamily surrounding Ezra worriedly. <3 You have to wonder if Kanan is fearing a repeat of Ezra's collapse back in "Gathering Forces", if perhaps for a moment he's a bit too still here.

Oh look the two Most Important People in Ezra's life and narrative journey!

The way Kanan keeps his hand on Ezra's shoulder until the very end. <333333

With a few minor nitpicks (mostly that a few of the mysteries aren't well explained or answered, see Maul's knowledge of Kanan's real name) this is a pretty solid episode, a worthy follow-up to the premiere. We continue to settle Ezra's Dark Side temptations, burying them mostly for good in this episode, though the lingering effects it had on him emotionally will continue well into his characterization, motives, and arc down the line.

Maul is an awful bastard in this and such a good villain. :) He's so much more confident and assured of himself, clear-headed and calculating. 0 for 2 on successfully kidnapping Ezra but his menace will still pervade and influence a lot of Ezra's decisions this season.

I'll talk more about the overall effects and purpose of the holocron arc when we come to its end in "Twin Suns" but for now I'll just enjoy this episode once again, it's great.

[rachelsshowerthoughts]

So you know how some fics have like "Andre Sugar" in the tags to indicate he'll not be portrayed as the bastard he is in S1/3?

I came up with an alternative type of tag, "Character X Cinnamon" with it basically being:

If this character is so good you are giving them some sin to spice things up. But if they are too evil you are adding a little bit of 'sweetness' without forgetting what they are.

In this context, an Audrey cinnamon fic would be like... she stumbles on a conversation Chloe is having with Andre trying to get comfort & advice on impressing Audrey & the mix of how that interaction looks and what Andre says.

IE stuff that makes it quite clear he's done nothing to disabuse Chloe of the notion Audrey just needs to be impressed to love her when frankly Audrey just does not fucking 'want' to parent & made that clear many times over.

Well it leaves her a little... Off, it feels a little too familiar, and a little too scummy for her to just write it off as Andre's usual neediness and simpering explanations and excuses for anything that creating problems in his life.

Cue, this is just an idea it could go many way, pulling Sabine aside at the fashion show either day 1 or 2 and being like.

"Your family's mundane. Tell me, does Andre's relationship with Chloe seem normal to you?" "...." "That silence does not fill me with confidence, unless you misunderstood." "I understood you fine, I was just thinking. But no, it does come off a little unseemly." "Dammit all." "Why are you bringing this up so suddenly, did you just notice?" "Obviously, why else would I be bringing it up this moment, use your head." "I can see where Chloe got her charming personality from." "I didn't raise her, if she's like me its... Ugh, because Andre probably wanted her that way, or is that assuming things? I don't know when children start thinking for themselves." ".... You should speak to Madame Bustier, her teacher, she might be of more help." Audrey's head tipped back in a beleaguered groan.

Basically Audrey's still fucking awful but she has like a handful of barely coherent & even contradictory standards for what she deems acceptable. Andre being a raising his daughter to be Audrey's carbon copy but one that 'needs' him & encouraging her to appeal to a woman he knows will reject her happens to tick such a box.

So she's going to have to do something about it, but she A, has zero idea what she's doing, B, fucking HATES doing it and C, is still by and large otherwise the worst (tm)

Like such a story would not end in Audrey being all, "Oh I actually want to be a mother & make up for lost time."

But more like, "I made a stupid decision having a child when I didn't want one & have neither the heart nor capabilities to parent. But I will do the right thing here; I am gonna be real bitter about it though."

This spin on Audrey would sort of rely on taking her abuse as mostly just her being indifferent to Chloe in a "I did not want to be a parent" way and so she treats her like everyone else. IE like shit.

As opposed to her having any other kind of motive or reasons for said behavior or there being more to said abusive behavior than what was seen. Which is very easy to conclude by just watching and musing but isn't like, overtly canon.

I feel like I am making this come off as more lighthearted than intended, but that's more a reflection of Audrey's like... Vibe? Sort of like how everything's more somber and clinical from Gabriel's perspective even if its a crack comedy story.

Audrey's perpetually proud, unsatisfied and irritable with little desire to empathize or wallow in any negative emotions that aren't anger or satisfaction born or breaking something. She might be better-ish at the end of such a story but she'd not do a 180 like Andre's shown to do in such fics.

Part of what would be good for Chloe in it is getting that sense of why her mothers like that, that Audrey being shitty isn't on her, and eventually kind of untethering Audrey from "mom" to just, "A woman". So she can seek out connections with people who can and will actually give her what she needs in a paternal relationship.

So, first, sorry this one took me so long to respond to, I've been sick for a few days, and swinging between "coherent" and "what time is it? Sleep, I guess"!

I do like the idea, and think it’s fairly funny, but . . . I'll be honest, I tried to imagine Audrey doing this and just. My brain was like "Error 404, File not found". I COULD NOT imagine Audrey Bourgeois doing this, or being like this. Like, at all. It would not compute in my head. The only way I could think about this idea working was to try and apply it to a different character, then smack it Audrey's name on it.

(Which, again, I'm currently kind of sick, so it could be that - though my friend Mimi started cackling at the fact someone suggested Audrey being in anyway even REMOTELY decent and I basically bluescreened)

If I was doing this, I think I would have some definite character growth for Audrey. Like you say, she still doesn’t become a "good" person. She doesn’t miraculously want to be a mom, or realize that she really DOES love Chloé. But I'd have her grow a bit as a character, to at the very least, treat everyone a little less shitty. Like, she's still blunt, and kind of a bitch, but she becomes a less toxic person overall. She learns how to communicate with other people, figures out how to . . . . I was going to say, "stop insulting everyone", but maybe "be less insulting" is more believable. She isn’t ever going to be "mom" or even "mom-adjacent", but she learns to stop penalizing Chloé for not living up to her impossible standards. She figures out how to interact at least neutrally with Chloé, who, whether she likes it or not, she's responsible for.

Chloé, meanwhile, yeah, should learn to disconnect "Audrey Bourgeois" from the idea of "Mom", which, I'm not sure about how easy that would be. It's definitely going to suck. But, and I'm not sure about this, I feel like Audrey and Chloé should at least develop a rapport. A comfortable way to interact with each other. Cause, at least until Chloé is eighteen, Audrey is partially responsible for her. I'm not saying Audrey has to be loving mom, or that Chloé needs to be "mini-Audrey", but they do need a healthy way to communicate. I think the end result should be something like "distant aunt". Like, you're family, you'll help each other out if you need it, you'll send a wedding invite, and occasionally update each other, but you aren’t super close, and you don’t talk much.

Though, for any of this, I think Audrey would need to divorce André and take custody of Chloé. Like, she doesn’t particularly CARE about being married to André - it’s a status thing, security, and Audrey can deal with him. But Cholé can't (that's the point of all this) so Audrey would need to get Chloé away from him, make sure he doesn’t have any legal say in Chloé at all. And that would be a hell of a headache for all involved.

(Somehow, during this, Hawk Moth's identity comes out. Audrey is left to question how SHE is somehow being a better parent than Gabriel, because my god, the bar is SO LOW, it is literally an INCH off the ground, yet somehow he isn’t clearing it.)

though, afterward, I can see Audrey setting Chloé up with her own place in Paris, with either a paid live-in bodyguard, or regular check-ins or something. Hell, have her move in with Marinette or something, and Audrey sends an allowance. Like, I don’t see Chloé actually wanting to permanently leave Paris, Audrey doesn’t want to stay (she has work), so they figure out some arrangement that lets her stay in Paris.

[whatwewrotepodcast]

Pride and Prejudice in Space

Chapter 3: Theo

The Hedera warehouse stuck out amongst its neighbours. Not only was it one of the largest, but its façade was covered, floor to ceiling, with crawling ivy. Fresh and green and real.  In a station where having a single plot plant in your living quarters meant you were in the top 20% of the socio-economic ladder, having an entire wall covered in leaves was definitely a statement. Almost as much as the statement of hiring private security to guard it. Rounding the corner and seeing the explosion of variegated green and white leaves always struck Theo unexpectedly. It was like taking a deep breath for the first time in months.

Theo walked into foyer, approaching the front desk. A young red-haired woman sat behind the full height, pristine white desk. She looked up with a pleasant smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, a winning customer service smile hiding a mild disinterest.

“Hello sir, welcome to the Hedera Warehouse. How can I help you today?” she asked, the script rolling off her tongue for what was probably the hundredth time that day. Theo took out his ID reader and handed it to her.

“Theo Wolfe. I have an appointment with Henna,” he said. The woman took his reader and scanned it, glancing at the details that popped up. She handed it back to him with another smile.

“Thank you, Captain Wolfe. Come with me, please,” she said, getting to her feet and stepping out from behind the desk. Standing she was barely taller than the desk she sat behind and she trotted with quick tiny steps in front of him. Theo made the conscious effort of walking a little slower as she lead him through the corridors and into a small, but comfortable office. The ceiling was low and the lights set to a dim yellow, rather than the bright fluorescence of the hallway. There was a wooden desk in the back corner, unusual in a station where almost everything was made of carbon fibres and tech steel. The chair behind it was currently empty.

“Take a seat, Captain Wolfe. Ms Sabine will be with you shortly,” the receptionist gestured to the small white armchairs opposite the desk, and bobbed her head once before disappearing out of the office, closing the door behind her. Theo didn’t move to take a seat straight away.

Pan had done an impressive job to get them a meeting on the same day. He was all charm and smiles, where Theo was not so easy with people. He was still new to the art of contracts and jobs, but with a little more training, Theo was sure Pan would be a very good face of their operations. Normally he would have brought Pan with him so he could watch and learn. But Henna could be difficult, and Pan wasn’t too far off when he’d said there was history between them.  Though perhaps not the history Pan was insinuating.

A number of years back, one of Henna’s ships had been commandeered when news that rebels were moving on Genesis reached Alliance ears. It was one of the biggest organised attacks the Alliance had ever seen, with word they’d received help all the way from the Volans system in attempt to override the Alliance’s hold on Andromeda.

The ship in question had been on its way back to Genesis, laden with fresh supplies. Food, water and all sorts of creature comforts. Naturally his officers had helped themselves to the supplies during the subsequent battle, which the Alliance had won very easily.

At the end, Theo had returned Henna’s ship to her, with less than half the supplies, and considerable damage to the freighter to boot. He had done his best to compensate her, but the Alliance had pulled on a plethora of strings and funding was hard to come by. In the end, he’d managed to get her a credit with one of the Alliance Affiliated mechanics to repair the ship, and had reimbursed her for what supplies the soldiers had taken. It was probably barely enough to make cost of the supplies, a mere fraction of what she would have been able to sell it for once in the Hedera warehouse. Obviously Henna hadn’t been best pleased with this treatment, and her relationship with the Alliance had been rocky ever since. The fact that she had agreed to take this meeting with him was interesting and it could easily go either way.

Ten minutes passed before the door to the office finally opened again, and a tall woman entered. She wore a tightly fitted, high necked white dress that came down to her knees. Its crisp brightness was a stark contrast to her dark skin. She looked over Theo with shrewd hazel eyes, moving past him to stand behind her desk. She cut an impressive figure, almost reaching Theo’s height. Her hair was buzzed short, accentuating her ears and the large diamond earrings that hung from her lobes.

“Captain Wolfe. It’s been a while since you darkened my door step,” she said her accent clipped in the tones of Ketalla, an older planet in the inner rim of Andromeda, rich in resources and conveniently close to several nearby stations. It was a common stop over for many flights, which meant its trade business was booming. Theo approached the deck, nodding his head respectfully to her.

“A pleasure to see you, Henna,” he said. Henna looked down her aquiline nose at him, her thin lips all but disappearing as she pressed them together.

“I understand you retired from the Alliance? Can’t imagine they were too pleased to let such a…. celebrated captain like you go,” she said, gesturing for him to take a seat. Theo didn’t react to the deliberate pause before the word ‘celebrated’, waiting for her to take her seat before sitting down himself.

“It might not have been the most amicable of departures,” he admitted. Normally he would never dare say such a thing. The circumstances around his leaving were complicated and it was dangerous to even entertain the idea of letting the truth out to disturb the rumours surrounding it. But he knew that Henna would be more likely to work with him if she thought there was no love lost between him and the Alliance. Henna arched a thick black brow at him, taking the bait.

“Is that so? Well,” she said, leaning forward in her chair and resting her pointed chin in her hand, her eyes examining him like she might examine the condition of her precious cargo. “I have to say, you never seemed to fit the part, in my opinion. Every now and then I glimpsed a conscience in you. Most unbecoming for an Alliance captain,” she snorted. Theo’s brow twitched up a fraction, wondering if that meant that she might be willing to work with him after all.

“Best not to spread the word of what you saw. I have a reputation to uphold,” he replied, earning a startled laugh from Henna, her thin lips giving way to a surprisingly wide, toothy smile.

“Indeed, you do, Captain Wolfe,” she chuckled, sitting back in her chair as she regarded him. “So, you heard about my salvage contract then, did you?” she said, cutting straight to business. Theo let out his breath in relief, and nodded.

“Yes. I heard you were looking for a skilled pilot to take it. And struggling to find one,” he said. Henna pulled a face, tilting her head from side to side.

“Yes, and no,” she said. “A skilled pilot is a must. But this is Genesis. Most pilots here have a basic level of skill. And if they don’t have the skill they insist that they do, then they will likely perish and they will no longer be my concern. What I’m really struggling with is a pilot that I can trust.” Theo resisted the urge to grimace. Trust was a big ask. Henna might consider working with him in a simple business deal. It was obvious he was working on building a reputation of a freelance freighter, and it would do him no good to double cross clients. But expecting Henna to jump straight in to hire him for a high risk job? Less likely.

“Trust is hard to come by, these days,” he said, meeting her gaze evenly. Henna’s hazel eyes met his and she let the silence hang between them for a moment.

“Yes, it is,” she agreed, considering him. “I cannot give you this contract, Captain Wolfe. You are a liability I cannot afford to risk.” Theo took a deep breath in, grinding his teeth together for a moment. His first instinct was anger, of course. To come all this way to be denied so absolutely. But then, that was curious in itself. Why would she accept a meeting with him, only to tell him no? Henna was a good business woman, and she knew that time was money. She wouldn’t waste time on a pointless meeting.

“I understand,” he said slowly. “We have not yet worked together in this capacity. Perhaps we can start smaller. Trust is to be earned, is it not?” he said, arching a brow at her. Henna smiled, shifting to one side in her chair and crossing her long legs underneath the table.

“Exactly,” she said, looking deeply satisfied with his response. “I have some smaller contracts. Simple freight to and from my trade port in Haden 2. There should be a delivery coming from Citrion.” Theo knew the station. Haden 2 was relatively new and very small. Smaller than Sequi even. It was mostly a service station. A place to stop, refuel, and move on. Most workers there were fly in/fly out, because it was not the kind of station people wanted to live their whole lives on. He was glad she was not asking him to fly directly to Citrion. Even if Onyx manage to fix the Idalia’s main problems, he wasn’t sure she could handle a trip into atmo just yet.

“I know the place. In the interest of full disclosure, is this contract time sensitive? My ship is currently undergoing some routine maintenance, but I’m told it could be a couple of weeks before she’s ready,” he said. Henna arched a brow, her lips pressing back into a thin line, but then she sighed and waved her hand dismissively.

“I can arrange a change in time. Perhaps it would give me an opportunity to combine another undertaking,” she said. Theo nodded, hiding his surprise that she seemed so eager to work with him as to be willing to change her plans to suit him.

“I’m grateful for your flexibility,” he said, nodding his head to her. She smiled back at him, looking down her nose at him again.

“I’m sure you are. Stop by reception on your way out. Rebek will give you the details. Let me know when you’re ready to fly out,” she said. Theo recognised a dismiss when he saw one, and he got to his feet as she did, nodding.

“I look forward to earning your trust,” he said, one brow flicking up. Henna smiled in response, amused, and walked across to the door to open it for him.

“I look forward to seeing you try.” She smirked.

The Spiral wasn’t exactly the height of society. It was a simple bar with cheap liquor and the sort of clientele that didn’t eaves drop on your conversations, so long as you didn’t eaves drop on theirs. The drinks were strong, the bolts holding the furniture to the floor even stronger. It was getting later in the evening, so the regulars had begun to shuffle in to quench their thirst. Theo looked over the crowd until he spotted Pan. He was standing by the bar, chatting animatedly to a small group of people. By the look of their dirty overalls they were dockworkers who hadn’t paused to get changed before coming in to blow whatever they’d earnt that day. Ever the social butterfly, Pan would have charmed the overalls off each and every one of them, given the chance, with his easy smile and his dark hair, expertly styled making him seem that fraction of an inch taller.

Theo was no such butterfly, and when he caught Pan’s eye he made a short gesture with his hand then went to find a table back in the corner. He put his jacket over the seat opposite, saving it for when Pan decided to join him, and scrolled through the screen on the table to order himself and Pan a drink. He was tempted to order a meal as well, but he didn’t feel like risking possible food poisoning.

 While he waited, he took out his handheld and located the file the receptionist at Hedera had given him. A shipping manifest, general details on the expected flight path and who to expect at the other end. It all seemed straight forward and legit. And yet he couldn’t help but wonder why he’d gotten the contract. Henna was a smart woman. She was the sort of woman who would play the long game. The kind of game that most people didn’t even know they were playing till it was too late. Was that what was happening here? What plans did she have for Theo? And would they benefit the pair of them, or only herself. There was only one way to find out, he supposed. But he’d be going in with both eyes wide open for now.

After a half hour or so, Pan slide into the chair Theo had saved him, still grinning from whatever conversation he had just left. Ever the extrovert, he was positively buzzing from his interaction with the dockies. Theo didn’t mind. Networking was Pan’s strength, and it would no doubt work in their favour.

“So? Did you score a contract? Or anything else for that matter?” Pan waggled his eyes brows as he sat down, picking up his drink to hide his grin. Theo shot him a dry look.

“Sort of. She didn’t give us the contract I went there to discuss. But she gave us another smaller one instead,” he said. Pan pulled a face, sipping at his drink.

“A smaller one?” he repeated, sounding disappointed. Theo nodded.

“With the promise of more work, should it all go according to plan,” he added. Pan made a soft sound and nodded.

“Oh, well that’s not so bad, I suppose,” he said with a shrug. “Oh, I was just chatting to those dockies, yeah? They’re saying Linex got wiped out by a rogue asteroid coming into Genesis. So his contract with Eagle Cargo might be up for grabs.” The corner of Theo’s mouth twitched up a little as he looked across at Pan. They’d barely been working for a minute, and he had taken to it like a duck to water. He couldn’t help but feel a little proud of him.

“Good work. Perhaps tomorrow we should pay Eagle a visit then. See if he has anything out Haden 2 way,” he said, finishing the dregs of his drink as his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was the estimate from the mechanic.

With a sigh he opened the attachment and scrolled through it slowly. New thruster, shield generator, hydraulic system. It was all mostly what he’d expected. It wasn’t until he’d scrolled to the bottom of the document that he saw it, tacked right on at the very end.

Asshole tax – 2% surcharge.

Thunder rumbled in his ears as he stared down at it, his fury welling up inside him, threatening to choke him. Really? After all the insults they’d slung at him? The eye rolls, the snide comments, the jabs. They dare charge him for being an asshole?

“Theo? What’s wrong?” Pan’s voice sounded tinny and faded and it was all he could do to slide the phone to him. Pan took it from him, looking down at it, confused. He saw the moment Pan realised what he’d been looking it by the way his brows shot up.

“Well, that tax will send most of Genesis broke in the blink of an eye.” He laughed, though cut it short at the look on Theo’s face.

Theo had resisted the urge to storm over to Rathbone’s that night and demand an explanation. It was late, no doubt they’d closed the shop and gone home. And approaching conflict whilst in the midst of fury was never constructive. So he’d slept on it. Or rather, he’d lain awake in the uncomfortable cots that were somehow smaller than the bunks in the Idalia and stewed on it.

He was not surprised that Onyx was angry. The trial hadn’t been pleasant, for anyone involved. A starship damaged, two lives lost and countless more injured to the point of needing treatment for the rest of their lives. The Alliance, understandably, had wanted answers. He knew that Onyx hadn’t sabotaged the ship on purpose, which had been the Alliance’s first charge. While he hadn’t known Onyx personally back then, he knew the Alliance’s propensity to assume that everyone was out to get them. He’d ordered a second opinion be obtained from a third party mechanic. He’d had his officers investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. He’d had multiple officers question Onyx. The reports had all come back clear. An accident. A terrible, life-ending accident, but an accident all the same. Naturally the Alliance would then have grounds to terminate the work order they had with them. Given who strong the Alliance presence was here in Genesis, he respected the fact that they had probably had had difficulty in finding work since then. He knew the feeling. Unlike Onyx, he knew who to blame, and who were just innocent bystanders.

For some reason, this asshole tax bothered him far more than any of the insults they’d slung at his face. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Was it just the last straw? Or was it something more? Was he angry? Or guilty?

With a short sigh, he sat up, tossing aside the scratchy blanket. Across the room Pan stirred from where he was sprawled in his cot, feet dangling over the ends. Pan had found the whole thing amusing, he’d known. But Theo couldn’t see the humour in it. He ran his hands over his head, the strange feeling of the slightly longer hair tickling his fingers. The energy in his chest was growing stronger with each racing thought, and he knew they weren’t about to go away. With another glance at Pan, whose mouth was open slightly in the depth of slumber, he picked up his shoes and jacket and quietly left the room.

There was a gym not far from the Spiral. The simulated gravity on the stations were better than what ships could generate, but it was still a far cry from the real thing. Those who lived on the station often didn’t bother grav-training. Why would they need to prepare when they had no intentions of leaving? But Alliance soldiers had to be prepared. The next mission could be a wildcard, and the last thing you wanted was to wind up planet side, struggling to carry the weight of your own limbs.

The gym was mostly empty. The station simulated day and night cycles, but reality was, a lot of people kept their body on their own clock. A couple of Alliance officers were training together in the simulated weights section. They looked young, fresh. They didn’t recognise him, but he stayed clear of them none the less. He made his way to the grav runners upstairs, feeling the anticipation knot in his chest and burn through the muscles of his legs. How long had it been since he’d truly stretched his legs?

He stepped into the grav runner and locked it down behind him, waiting while the generator kicked in and he felt his weight begin to pull downwards, grounding him in every sense. The console in front of him let out a cheery chime and lit up. He set his parameters and began his training, losing himself in the pounding of his heart and feet.

The door to Rathbone’s was open, but there was no one at the desk. He waited there for a moment, expecting Onyx to appear in a slew of fresh insults. There was no bell or button to press to alert them to his presence, but he did spy the button they had pressed to open the door to the hangar bay. He could see the bay was pressurised by the light above the door, so he leaned over the desk and pressed the button, letting himself through the door.

As he descended the metal staircase he could hear a lot of banging and clanking and a great deal of cursing coming from somewhere beneath the Idalia. It was good to know he wasn’t the only one they liked verbally assault. He found them on a raised platform, lying on their back, elbow deep in the belly of the ship. Their indigo hair had been swept back, by a greasy hand judging by the stains on their forehead, and their overalls sported fresh oil stains. Clearly they’d been at work for some time, despite the fact he had not yet sent them creds.

“Well fuck you, too, you misbred piece of recycler scum,” they were muttering, bashing the wrench against what he assumed would be the recycler. No doubt Pan would approve of their methods. They rolled to the side, reaching for another tool beside them, when they spotted him.

“Oh, what’re you doing here bootlicker?” they asked, cocking a brow. Theo gritted his teeth, trying to keep the fury he’d just spent hours running off from bubbling to the surface once more. He came to a halt at the base of the platform, placing his hands behind his back.

“I have a query in regards to your quote,” he said, watching them carefully. Onyx grunted, picking up the wrench again and turning their attention back to the recycler.

“It was an estimate only, but do carry on?” They corrected him. Theo tilted his head a little. Semantics, given what he was concerned about, but he accepted the correction none-the-less.

“Fine. However, I noted something called an ‘asshole’ tax on the estimate,” he continued, watching them carefully. No conflict was ever resolved by running in, guns blazing, and so he had promised himself he would give them every opportunity to resolve it. They paused for a moment, but then he heard them chuckle, and Theo’s hands clenched into fists behind his back.

“Ay, forgot about that,” they said, sounding amused. They grunted as the wrench slipped again and swore. “Fucking fuckstick,” they snapped, then gave it up for the time being and pushed themselves out from the bowels of the Idalia, rolling over to lean over the edge on the platform, looking down at him, their hair flopping forward over their brow. Theo looked back at them, one brow lifted, waiting for them to continue, waiting for an apology, an explanation, even, anything.

“Put it this way pal, it’s your fault ain’t no one wants to sell me parts, no one will work for me, and it’s just my lonesome ass here prying space junk outta your air purifier. So consider your asshole tax paying for my trouble,” they said, tilting their head to the side with enough attitude to make Theo’s anger threaten to rear its head once more.

“I fail to see how that is a fault of mine,” he said, keeping his tone cool, despite having to force the words out through clenched teeth. Onyx’s brows disappeared up behind their hair. Blaming the Alliance for what happened he could understand, though in reality they had no one to blame for their mistake but themselves.

“Ay? Well that just makes it worse, huh? Maybe I should make it 3%. Look grunt, you wantcha ship fixed or not?” They asked, sounding more like a challenge than a question.

“I do. But I don’t care for unethical charges based on subjective opinions of ones… ‘faults’,” he paused to glance around the hangar bay pointedly. “And it looks to me like you can’t afford to be particularly picky with your customers,” he added. A low blow, perhaps, but if this was how they wanted to play the game, then they’d have to be able to take what they dished out. He was rewarded by an incredulous look on Onyx’s face.

“An’ it looks to me like you can’t afford to be picky with your mechanics, dick. Any how, yer capacitors are off, so you ain’t getting this boat outta here without a tow,” they said.

“There are few mechanics that will work with this ship, true. But there are others,” he said, his tone clipped. Others that would have a crack at it, anyway. Others that may not be as good as Onyx, but that would get the job done enough to get him to another station to find a better one, perhaps. “And they will likely trade fairly, without the scathing inditement based on petty grudges hidden into their billing in order to extort more money from their clients,” he said, heat leaking into his words despite himself. He saw Onyx’s knuckles whiten around the wrench in their grasp and he briefly wondered if they were going to throw it at him.

“So lemme ask you something then, Pal. Why, if there’re all these mechanics around willing to work on this rust bucket, would you bring it to me?” They asked. Theo met their gaze squarely, not shying away from their contempt.

“Because I have seen your work prior and have found it, on the whole, satisfactory. Though your attitude leaves more than enough to be desired, I was willing to overlook that for the sake of my confidence in your results,” he answered, every word grinding their way out past his teeth.

“Oh, satisfactory, is it? What a fuckin endorsement,” they snapped, sweeping their hair back only for it to immediately flop forward again. “You’re fuckin’ lucky I didn’t shove this wrench where the sun ain’t never shone the second you walked through that door, shitkicker.” Theo blinked up at them, abruptly realising that this wasn’t worth it.

“My point exactly,” he said slowly, turning on his heel and heading back for the metal stair case. “Invoice me for the work you have done. Sans the tax. A tow will be here with in the day,” he added over his shoulder. They were silent as he made it almost the whole way up the stair case, and he resisted the urge to turn back to check the look on their face as he called their bluff.

“You won’t find anyone better,” they said as he reached the door that lead back to the shop front. Theo paused a moment before turning back to them.

“You’re probably right. I never doubted your work, Rathbone. Your lack of decorum is what troubles me. If you were having trouble sourcing parts, a respectable business owner might approach the client with a surcharge, and that would be well with reason. This,” he paused to hold up his reader, the holo sheet of their estimate springing up from his palm. “is just childish. And I don’t have the time nor energy to deal with you,” he finished honestly. He waited, giving them one last chance to back down, to make amends. Instead all he got was a cocked brow and a dirty smirk,

“Ay then. Ya know the cost. When you’re drifting in full vac cause your thruster’s well fucked, think of me,” they blew him a kiss. “You know where to find me.” Theo took a deep breath, looking over them for a moment. Working with someone like this was exhausting and pointless. They clearly couldn’t see past their own nose, and weren’t interested in even feigning civility for the sake of a good transaction. So he turned and headed out. As the door to the hangar closed behind him, he heard a loud clang and a string of expletives follow him out. He fought back against that uncomfortable feeling in his chest and closed his eyes, taking a second to breathe for a moment. Where was he going to find a tow, and how much was it going to cost him? And more importantly, where was he going to have it towed to?

[fancy-a-dance-brigadier]

⛅️🌧️🌩️☔️ (hey it's concerto for a rainy day! :D)

Concerto for a rainy day hell yeah!! Anyway, thank you so much for the ask, and I’m sorry that it took me a little while to get to it.

🌤️Share your favorite piece of dialogue from your WIP.

Here’s a brief conversation between Padmé and Qui-Gon from the Jedi Padmé AU!

“We can say a proper goodbye to Anakin, if it would comfort you. I know you consider him a friend.”

Padmé shook her head. “I wish I didn’t.”

“Because it hurts you to see him in pain?”

She hesitated, and she sighed out a gentle breath in an attempt to stem the tide of her tears. “Because if he wasn’t my friend, leaving him behind wouldn’t hurt so much.”

🌧️Share something angsty from your WIP.

Just to prove that I am actually writing fics that aren’t the Jedi Padmé AU, here’s a little extract from a Wolfwren oneshot I’ve been working on:

“If you bleed,” the girl began, lost in the mist of her own mind. “I cannot contain you.”

“What?” She was too tired to comprehend it, and the girl’s words mixed and melded into confusion. She could not help but chuckle in her light-headed delirium. “You’re not making any sense.”

“I want to be the only one,” she growled - and she thrusted forward, her face almost pressing against Sabine’s, breathing heavily into her air. “I want to be the only one who knows how to hurt you. I want to be the only one who knows the truth of how you died tonight.”

🌩️ Share something funny/cracky from your WIP.

I don’t know if I actually have anything for this one 🙈 If I eventually write anything cracky you’ll be the first to know about it!!!

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

Ooh this is a good question! And be prepared because my answer is somewhat long 😅

I have vaguely entertained the idea of writing a T’Poshi Carbon Creek AU, where T’Pol comes to earth during the 50s/60s/whichever decade that episode was set and has to live undercover while slowly falling in love with Hoshi. Knowing me, I’d probably rope in the other characters from ENT too, because you know how much I love an AU with too many subplots 😂

Another one is the Voyager/DS9 crew swap AU, which is an idea I very much enjoy! I’ve had an outline of the ‘DS9 does Caretaker’ fic collecting dust in my draft for ages, and there’s also a partially complete ‘Voyager does Emissary’ outline lying around somewhere too. But it’s an AU with a lot of scope and would require a lot of different fics to tell the story fully, and since I’ve already lowkey committed to rewriting the entirety of Star Wars, it might be a bit too much to pursue seriously. But who knows! Maybe once I get the Star Trek brain rot again I’ll finish that ‘Emissary’ outline and start writing it.

Lastly, I have in fact been percolating a Star Wars Blade Runner AU, but it’s so vague and unformed in my brain that I don’t have too much to say about it at this stage. But I’m also hesitant to write this one because, like, Blade Runner is just so perfect. I almost don’t want to touch it in case I cheapen it somehow, if that makes sense??

(There are also a few that I’ve already discussed with you in DMs, like the ‘My favourite Star Trek characters get traumatised in the Mirrorverse’ AU and the Padmé lives AU, but I won’t bore you too much by repeating what I’ve already said in DMs!)

[sadisweetomi]

Scientists observe 'negative time' in quantum experiments

TORONTO/WASHINGTON

Scientists have long known that light can sometimes appear to exit a material before entering it -- an effect dismissed as an illusion caused by how waves are distorted by matter.

Now, researchers at the University of Toronto, through innovative quantum experiments, say they have demonstrated that "negative time" isn't just a theoretical idea -- it exists in a tangible, physical sense, deserving closer scrutiny.

The findings, yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, have attracted both global attention and skepticism.

The researchers emphasize that these perplexing results highlight a peculiar quirk of quantum mechanics rather than a radical shift in our understanding of time.

"This is tough stuff, even for us to talk about with other physicists. We get misunderstood all the time," said Aephraim Steinberg, a University of Toronto professor specializing in experimental quantum physics.

While the term "negative time" might sound like a concept lifted from science fiction, Steinberg defends its use, hoping it will spark deeper discussions about the mysteries of quantum physics.

Years ago, the team began exploring interactions between light and matter.

When light particles, or photons, pass through atoms, some are absorbed by the atoms and later re-emitted. This interaction changes the atoms, temporarily putting them in a higher-energy or "excited" state before they return to normal.

In research led by Daniela Angulo, the team set out to measure how long these atoms stayed in their excited state. "That time turned out to be negative," Steinberg explained -- meaning a duration less than zero.

To visualize this concept, imagine cars entering a tunnel: before the experiment, physicists recognized that while the average entry time for a thousand cars might be, for example, noon, the first cars could exit a little sooner, say 11:59 am. This result was previously dismissed as meaningless.

What Angulo and colleagues demonstrated was akin to measuring carbon monoxide levels in the tunnel after the first few cars emerged and finding that the readings had a minus sign in front of them.

The experiments, conducted in a cluttered basement laboratory bristling with wires and aluminum-wrapped devices, took over two years to optimize. The lasers used had to be carefully calibrated to avoid distorting the results.

Still, Steinberg and Angulo are quick to clarify: no one is claiming time travel is a possibility. "We don't want to say anything traveled backward in time," Steinberg said. "That's a misinterpretation."

The explanation lies in quantum mechanics, where particles like photons behave in fuzzy, probabilistic ways rather than following strict rules.

Instead of adhering to a fixed timeline for absorption and re-emission, these interactions occur across a spectrum of possible durations -- some of which defy everyday intuition.

Critically, the researchers say, this doesn't violate Einstein's theory of special relativity, which dictates that nothing can travel faster than light. These photons carried no information, sidestepping any cosmic speed limits.

The concept of "negative time" has drawn both fascination and skepticism, particularly from prominent voices in the scientific community.

German theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, for one, criticized the work in a YouTube video viewed by over 250,000 people, noting, "The negative time in this experiment has nothing to do with the passage of time -- it's just a way to describe how photons travel through a medium and how their phases shift."

Angulo and Steinberg pushed back, arguing that their research addresses crucial gaps in understanding why light doesn’t always travel at a constant speed.

Steinberg acknowledged the controversy surrounding their paper's provocative headline but pointed out that no serious scientist has challenged the experimental results.

"We've made our choice about what we think is a fruitful way to describe the results," he said, adding that while practical applications remain elusive, the findings open new avenues for exploring quantum phenomena.

"I'll be honest, I don’t currently have a path from what we've been looking at toward applications," he admitted. "We're going to keep thinking about it, but I don't want to get people's hopes up."

[starboundmagician]

and now, all my vast error OCs poorly yet accurately summarized through incorrect quotes

The_Principal: Remember the plan Zephyr- Zephyr: fuck t♄e plan! I am t♄e plan! The_Principal: All-mother give my strength

Zarock: >(IF YOU EVER DISRESPECT ME AGAIN I WILL EAT YOUR SHOWER CURTAINS MATE) Generic Raver #213: I… Have glass d00rs? Zarock: >(WELL CRUNCHITY MUNCHITY THEN BITCH, DO YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA STOP ME???)

Malmar *on his 15th can of coffee*: +Business casual? When has business ever been casual?+O

Vivian: i guess im just too toug}{ to cry. Zephyr: vivy lazt nig♄t i zaw you crying over zlit♄er beaztz Vivian *tearing up*: but t}{ey don't }{ave any arms!!!!!

Necron: † The idea of consuming two conflicting things that promise to do the opposite of each other has always been hilarious to me. There's a liquid shot-based sleep aid called 6 Hour Sleep and as soon as I saw it I immediately imagined mixing it and a 5 Hour Energy together for a 1 hour nap. † Hexera: mix nyquil and dayquil ⸸o crea⸸e quil. Oricka: what does quil do? :confusion: Hexera: all ⸸he ⸸ime. all ⸸he ⸸ime. forevermore fool.

Kassey: What d()es a skelet()n call his cl()sest h()mie? Kassey: His verteBRUH! Oricka: Is that because homies always have each others backs? :haha: Kassey: Y()u. I like y()u.

Vevera *walking up to investigate at a dead body*: (Tick) Ok first of all, big mood. (Tock)

The_Principal: For whatever reason, you suddenly gain godlike powers of control over the universe. What's the first thing you do? 4 sweep old Pomcee: }II straiight up get riid of all carbon{ The_Principal: ...Carbon. the chemical element upon which all lifeforms are based? 4 sweep old Pomcee: }that's the biitch{

Sabine: [-o-] THE SOAR BEAST HAS LEFT THE NEST Mahiri: ZZzt roger that. alerting the agents over. ZZzt Sabine: [--o] CAN YOU NOT

Sestro: ∞Thanks to Duolingo I can ask people if they are a horse but can't tell people what my name is in French. Zazire: 🜂sk me if i'm 🜂 fucking horse i d🜂re you. Sestro: ∞Tu es un cheval? Zazire: n🜂y. Sestro: ∞... Oh you AllMotherFUCKER!

Marady: ♆e're friends, right? Sova: (...Normally, I'd say yes, without hesitation. But I feel like this is heading somewhere. and I'm not sure I like where) Marady: Okay because ♆hat I'm bout do is gonna test that.