#award medals near me

[xpertawards]

"XpertAwards - Recognizing Excellence and Achievements Across Industries"

"Celebrate success with XpertAwards, the premier awards website honoring outstanding achievements in various industries. Join us in acknowledging excellence, innovation, and dedication. Submit your nominations and be part of a community that values and celebrates extraordinary accomplishments."

[awardcrafters]

The Top Questions to Ask When Buying Custom Awards

The Top Questions to Ask When Buying Custom Awards

Since 1964 Award Crafters has been designing, manufacturing, and distributing Awards and Recognition Items to Local, State, and Federal Government Agencies. With more than 400 current supplier partnerships, (some dating back to the 1960s) you can be confident that if we don't make it in-house, we can get it.

Award Crafters, Inc. 8854 Rixlew Lane Manassas, VA 20109 (703) 818-0500 https://www.awardcrafters.com

[mochiroreo]

Oh goodie! Prologue [breaking in]

Summary: being a latchkey child, you are used to being alone. So when your parents announced that your whole family is moving to Hawkins, you paid them no mind and just packed up your bags. What you are not expecting was that the house that your family just bought comes with two neighbours that are in dire need to have you in any way.

Trigger Warnings: she/her pronouns. [mentions of god in this chapter] DUBCON. NONCON. 100% FILTH. Smut. Unprotected P in V (wrap it before you tap it). Hidden relationships. Age gap. Cream pie. Size kink. Degradation. Corruption. Choking/slapping (in a pleasurable way). Pet names (no use of y/n). Fingering. Squirting. Overstimulation. Public sex. Recording. Dark!Steve Harrington & Dark!Eddie Munson

Author’s note: thank you for your support on the teaser! I did not expect that

૮ ◞ ⸝⸝ ◟ ྀིა this is my first time writing and posting my fics publicly so I hope you like them! This part does not contain much but I will still post it for the sake of world building for this fic 💞

P.s. not beta’d. So.. there might be grammar mistakes..

Thank you to @kayaedits and @kitsunecafe for the dividers!

“It wouldn’t be that bad,sweetheart. I swear. Me and your dad promises that the house is really pretty! Plus,you get the spacious room that you have always dreamed off!”

Your mom tried to pacify you,telling you all the things you will like about the new house that they bought at Hawkins, Indiana. A place you did not know even exists when they mentioned that they were planning to sell the house where you currently live and move to the said place. Eyes a bit puffy and red while your lips tremble and jutted out in a pout. Hugging your soft stuffed teddy bear,you were feeling overwhelmed. With their decision already made, you cannot help but look around your room.

The soft pinks and pastel blues are adorning every corner, the trinkets that you collected along the way throughout high school were neatly piled and arranged. The medals, awards, trophies, and books that are lined up on the shelves that pretty sure had indents on them for how long the pile has been there. She looks at you with pity,before sighing and pulling you in a hug. They know that you’re not crying because of how you’ll miss you best friend. Or how you’ll miss the town. No, they know you don’t really care much about those.

You hate big changes. Knowing how shy and timid you are, you always prefer staying home or discovering new spots where you can just relax and let your mind drift away while reading a book or jotting down notes on things you find interesting. And your parents know that. Being painfully aware of the times their jobs affected your upbringing,they try to make it up to you every single time. With you being on their minds when they bought the house,they chose the biggest that they can find which is full of greenery in a quiet neighbourhood.

“But.. its—“ you tried to reason out your frustration,tears slowly filling up your eyes again. “I know honey,I know. I’m so sorry. Me and your father just wants what’s best for you,you do know that.. right? Its not just for work but we can just see that house as our permanent house. No more moving after this.” Your mum apologised in a gentle manner, still patient while hugging you and rubbing your back. You just groaned under her hug,sniffling as you continue to bury yourself on your mom’s arms. “Besides, there are public and private colleges around. You can also get a summer job there too while you are still deciding on what to study. I’ve heard that there’s a book shop and a record store near our house,too. Maybe they’re hiring? Oh,we even have lovely neighbours! Too nice,actually! Me and your dad happened to meet them while we were inspecting the house..” you listened to your mum telling you all about the new place, fiddling with your fingers while it slowly sinks on you that you really don’t have any choice. “Its a really beautiful place,honey. I promise. We promise.” Your mum ended softly, giving you a forehead kiss.

“And—“ your dad’s voice popped the bubble you and your mum had,slightly jumping at his voice. “Maybe you can find a decent boyfriend out there. You know, better than— what was his name again? Frank?” He asked,his nose scrunched in disgust. You laughed at how he tried to remember you ex’s name. Giving your mum a tight hug before standing up to give the same to your dad as well,you answered him while copying his expression. “Yes,dad. Frank. What an ugly name,huh?” Your whole family giggled,slandering your ex while talking about what you and your mum should cook for dinner, the anxiety slowly easing in the background.

“Hey mom, where do you want these?!” You shouted after your mother who is already carrying a box of kitchen utensils with a laugh out of excitement.

After a grueling 6 hour car ride, the first thing you did was immediately jump out of your family car and stretch your limbs. The air was sticky and humid,feeling the spring season already ending. You definitely did not expect the temperature on the way here despite it still being early morning. With the heat making your shirt stick to your skin,you slumped your shoulders,already tired at the thought of moving. Putting your sunglasses up your head, you made your way to the car’s boot, quickly grabbing some of your boxes that you won’t clumsily drop.

Hawkins is definitely an eye catcher. Sure, a small town. But there is something mysterious about it that you cannot help but be curious about the said town. You like how snug and tight the community is. People smiling at your parents here and there, striking up a conversation with them too. It eases your nerves that it looks like your parents chose the right place to settle after all. It looks like you will be spending the upcoming summer exploring the never-ending variety of stores your whole family drove by.

The day ended when the last piece of furniture is inside and assembled. “I’m dead..” you muttered under your breath when you plopped face-down on your bed. The house is beautiful— Pretty is not even enough to describe it. The outside definitely shows the history and age of the place. Vintage,painted with neutral colors, while hints of greens,moss, and crawling plants adorn the vast spaces near the windows. It is definitely different from the two houses on both sides of your house. Your mind is already racing on how you are going to decorate your bedroom, already allocating the empty corner for some massive book shelves and a shrine of trinkets and random journals that you collect for fun. You just finished taking a much needed bath,giggling to the comforters when you became too excited on buying new stuff for your bedroom, not noticing your mom’s footsteps as she make her way upstairs.

Your mom stood in front of you,a big smile on her face. Your giggling stopped when you noticed her presence— and how she is holding two pies that are meticulously packed with a bow on top of each boxes. God knows when she had the chance to bake a pie amidst the chaos of never-ending boxes and assembling furnitures together. You went quiet,noticing how your energy is not matching hers as you press your lips in a line while hoping whatever she plans on asking you for is not the one that you are currently thinking. “Sweetheart can you give—“ she started sickeningly sweet before you immediately answered “no. Nope. No,no,no. Goodnight!” You tried to evade her favor, quickly hiding under you fluffy blanket and closing your eyes. Your mom,expecting the behaviour, had quickly put down the pies on top of your study desk and snatched the blanket from your body. “You will!” She exclaimed before laughing loudly as you fight her back for your blanket. “No! Why am I always the one handing it to the neighbours?! I’m always the sone doing it!” You whined,already losing from your so called “battle” against your mother. “Because! Me and your dad are still busy!” She tried to reason out when you know she’s just planning to make you go out and hopefully make new friends or just meet new people. Your mom tugged a bit too hard that made you sit down. You continued whining and whinging,knowing that you already lost and you have no other choice.

You changed from your tank top and sleeping shorts to a cropped cream sweater and a plain pink skirt before brushing your hair and swiping some cherry lip gloss on your lips to at least make yourself looks presentable. With a last look to the mirror,you have put on your glasses and sneakers,before turning around to your mom. You find your mom holding the boxes once again with a cheshire-like grin before handing it to you. “Yeah,you trickster” you mumbled and your mom knows that you are only joking as her loud laughter and giggles together with yours echoed throughout the house.

The air cooled down quite a bit when you stepped out of your house,the gate creaking as you try to push it close using your foot. Trying to ease your nerves, you looked around and drank in your surroundings. How the cul-de-sac is surrounded by trees that makes the place a bit eerie but also dreamy when the sun had set today. How the clouds are soft and plush,orange and yellows slowly disappearing while the moon and the stars slowly peek out. Slowing your steps as much as you can, you focused on the feeling of the gravel underneath your feet and just avoiding the dread of meeting new people. On your way,were slowly starting to hate the whole thing and how you wish the houses are far more apart.

Finally,you made it towards your neighbours gate,seeing that its slightly ajar which made you hesitate before deciding that you just want it to be over with and stepped inside. “Screw it” you say to yourself while walking towards a black stained oak door. Trying to balance the other pie on top of another to fix your glasses from being crooked and your hair from being destroyed slightly because of the wind, you lifted one of your fist and is already thinking of how to escape the social interaction if they end up being too talkative.

“Well fuck that.” You heard a deep,husky voice as he talk to someone that you cannot hear clearly. You dropped your fist beside you,anxiety slowly creeping in while your mind runs hundred miles per minute if you should just come back later than to interrupt their conversation. “They keep on trying to sell their god to me for how many fucking years already!” The man clearly exclaimed before another man let out a roaring laugh. “If god is fucking real he will present me or you with someone that can fucking blow my balls off and suck my dick so deep that I will be convulsing at the end of the night and he— whoever the fuck he is— will tell me how its his gift for me,like— someone fucking made for me and you—“

It was the last thing you heard before the huge wooden door opened,the man’s rambling abruptly stopped and two of the most breathtaking men entered your view. One with long,curly hair that looks like it’ll be soft under your fingertips. While the other one has thick,luscious hair that is not as long as the other but is styled to perfection.

“Hi..?” with your face red as a beet,that was the only word you can whisper.

[50calmadeuce]

Ch. 48: Back Home

Warning: Mention of miscarriage. Some chapters have sex.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

You made your way slowly through the kitchen, feeling the weight of the past few days in every step, while Chuck lingered in the mudroom, handling your luggage with care.

He popped his head out, offering a warm smile. “Go get some rest. I’ll finish up with the bags and then get dinner started.”

“Alright,” you replied, a touch of relief in your voice. “I’ll be in my office.” With that, you headed down the familiar hallway.

After the verdict was read yesterday afternoon, Max had caught a late flight back to California, but you and Chuck decided to leave the following morning, giving yourselves a moment to decompress before the journey home.

You sank into your chair, letting out a weary sigh as your gaze drifted to the left. The wedding photo of you and Jake caught your eye—both of you beaming with joy, his smile especially bright. Your fingers brushed the frame gently, and a pang of longing washed over you. You missed him deeply, more than you could put into words.

As you gazed at the photo, memories of happier times with Jake surfaced, mingling with a profound sense of gratitude. You had made it through this ordeal, and even though Jake couldn’t be here physically, his presence was still felt, providing a sense of comfort and strength.

Sighing again, you leaned back in the chair, trying to piece together those four years without him. It felt surreal now, as if you’d put parts of your life on hold just to get by. You’d buried yourself in work, poured every ounce of energy into your career, and somehow managed to convince yourself that was enough. But now, after everything you’d faced, you could see how much you’d set aside—how much you missed him and all the little things that made your life with him complete.

You glanced around the office, taking in the familiar details. The wedding photo hung proudly behind you, a constant reminder of that joyous day. His awards and medals adorned the wall near his desk, symbols of dedication and hard work. Although your marriage had been on the back burner for the past four years, the past six and a half months had rekindled so much, making up for lost time in ways you hadn’t anticipated.

A lump formed in your throat as your eyes filled with tears, just as the baby gave a gentle kick. You placed a hand over your stomach, soothingly rubbing the spot. "I know," you murmured softly, voice barely a whisper. "I miss him too." The tears traced slowly down your cheeks, each one carrying a bit of the ache in your heart.

There was a gentle knock on the office door and you quickly wiped away the tears. You looked to see Chuck at the door.

"You okay, Doc?" he asked, concerned.

You nodded your head. "Yeah. I think it's these damn hormones."

Chuck smiled. "I'll be out in the barn checking things real quick and be right back."

You nodded. "Okay."

After Chuck left, you turned back to your computer, scanning through the emails that had come in. Just as you started to type a response, your cell phone rang. Glancing at the screen, you saw it was the number from the Kentucky Equine Hospital. You answered it.

“Y/N Hart?” a female voice asked.

“This is she,” you replied carefully. You hadn't heard your maiden name in years.

“Y/N, it’s me—Sarah.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. Sarah had been your closest friend back in college, the one by your side through every late-night study session and all-nighter while you worked on your bachelor’s degree.

"Oh my gosh! Sarah! How are you?"

"Good. Doing good. You?"

"The same. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was calling to ask a favor."

"Sure, what's that?"

"I have a horse here who I need some help with and you were the first person I thought of when I saw him."

"Sure. What seems to be the problem?"

"He’s a rescue, and he's had some tough breaks. He’s got a bit of a temperament—stubborn, strong-willed, but there's something in his eyes that tells me he's not a lost cause," Sarah explained. "I could really use your expertise to evaluate him, maybe help create a training plan to get him on track."

You felt a spark of excitement. "That sounds like a great challenge. I’d be happy to take a look at his info and see what we can work out."

"Good. Would you be able to fly out here in the next couple of days?"

You sighed. "Unfortunately I can't do that. I'm due in the next couple of months and my doctor wants me to stay close."

"Oh my! Congrats! Wait. Does this mean you settled down? Miss Will-Never-Have-A-Man-In-My-Life?"

"i did. I got married five years ago when I went to Austin for some classes."

"Wow! He must've been one heck of a guy."

"He is. He's a fighter pilot in the Navy."

"What? Wow. That's got to be hard. Him gone all the time."

You nodded. "It is, but we make it work. What about you?"

"Me? Nah. My life is currently at this Equine Hospital. You'll have to come and see it after the baby."

You smiled. "Definitely. Until then, I'll give you my email and you can send me all the details and videos of this horse."

"That would be great! So, what's your name now?"

"It's Seresin."

"Wait. Not the Seresin who just got taken by an associate in Wyoming?"

"The one and the same."

"Y/N. I am so sorry. I didn't know. The schools sent out a mass email about it. Everyone is really getting screened now. I'm glad you're okay."

"I am. Thank you." You paused. "Let me get you that information and I'll look at that horse for you."

"Great."

After giving Sarah your updated contact information, there was a brief silence on the line, both of you reflecting on the recent events. Her voice softened. “I really am glad you’re okay, Y/N. If there’s anything else I can do, just let me know.”

"Thanks, Sarah. Your support means a lot," you replied warmly. “And I’ll take a look at that horse’s info as soon as I can. Send over everything, and I’ll get back to you with a plan.”

After hanging up, you took a deep breath, a sense of gratitude washing over you. Gently rubbing your belly, you felt a comforting sense of connection, as if sharing this moment with someone who had meant so much was exactly what you needed.

“We’ve got this, little one,” you murmured softly.

Tags: @buckysteveloki-me @bellyliveslife @tgmreader @callsign-barbell @86laura11 @dizzybee03 @kmc1989 @guacam011y @nerdgirljen @hookslove1592 @dempy @djs8891 @smoothdogsgirl @devil-angel-winchester @alwayshave-faith

[latin5mamii]

'Loss' - Carlos Alcaraz

|WARNINGS: angst to fluff |SUMMARY: Forever by his side... |AUTHOR'S NOTE: Inspired by today's events...my poor carlitos..

Carlos sat on the bench, head bowed, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. He had fought fiercely, giving his all, but had come up short. The gold medal slipped from his grasp, and the weight of the world seemed to settle on his shoulders.

As he trudged off the court, his eyes met yours in the stands. You had been there for every match, every point, every moment of his journey. Your heart ached seeing the pain etched on his face.

Carlos stood near the sidelines, talking to a reporter. His voice trembled as he tried to articulate his feelings.

"I gave everything," He said through his tears.

“It’s painful to lose the way I lost this match," he added. "I had my chances to probably be up in the match. I couldn’t take it. Novak was playing great. He deserves this. In the tough moments he increased his level.

"He played unbelievable shots... an unbelievable game. I’m a bit disappointed but honestly I’ll leave the court with my head really really high. Fighting for Spain was everything to me. I’m proud with the way I played today.” He could barely talk and you knew that he was blaming himself, even if he did everything he could to win that match.In the past few days he had been under a lot of pressure: playing doubles, singles and having just a day to rest.You waited for him to come up the stands.

When he finally reached you, the weight of his emotions became too much to bear. Carlos looked at you, eyes red and glistening, his lips trembling. Without a word, he fell into your arms, his body shaking with silent sobs. You held him tightly, your fingers gently running through his hair, providing a comforting presence.

"Está bien, Carlos" "It’s okay, Carlos,” you whispered, your voice tender and soothing.

“Hiciste todo lo que pudiste. Estoy tan orgulloso de ti"

“You did everything you could. I'm so proud of you”

He clung to you, his tears soaking your shoulder. “I’m so sorry,” "Lo siento mucho," choked out between sobs. “Quería esto tanto… para nosotros, para España, ¿sabes?” "I wanted this so much… for us, for Spain., you know?”

You pulled back slightly, cupping his face in your hands. “You have nothing to apologize for,” you said firmly, your voice steady despite the lump in your throat. "Odio verte así, amor" "I hate seeing you like this,love" You hold him tighter, feeling his heartbeat sync with yours. "Te amo mucho," he whispers, his voice barely audible yet filled with raw emotion.

"Te amo mucho," you repeat,He looks at you, his eyes searching yours . Slowly, he moves away from your embrace, though his hand lingers in yours for a moment longer.Carlos turns to his team and family, who have been watching from a distance with pride and concern etched on their faces. As he approaches, they open their arms, enveloping him in a warm, collective embrace.They're always so proud of him, and that really fills your heart.

Today he will have a silver medal anyway, so he starts going down the stands to go towards the awards ceremony. Before letting him go you look at him with pride and a comfort smile. He may not have won the gold medal today, but you are so proud of him that you don't care. You will face this 'loss' together, as always and forever.

[leveloneandup]

denisewhite_eag This is much larger than an award on a stage. I have watched Christen Press fight this fight of gender equality and equal pay for almost as long as I have been working for her , which is near a decade. I have watched the countless hours , the fight , the long days , hard conversations , all while playing at a level that brought her two National Championships and a Bronze Medal at the Olympics ..The unwillingness to never give up in something she believes in . You all got to witness Christen Press and her teammates be awarded the honor of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs but that moment was much bigger of a moment to me . A culmination of so much more .A moment rightfully deserved but the hard work to get there is what I'm most proud of her for . I'm beyond proud. This is why I love my job . The impact she has made on the history of women's sports is game changing ! Congrats to my ⭐️. Only you know just how proud I am .

[motionpicturedemise]

Zero's medal, New Mecca's origins, and near-fatal head trauma

Spoilers for all of Katana ZERO ahead. if you haven't played it already, do that now, I'm dead serious when I say it's one of the greatest games of all time.

When I first decided I'd post meta about this game, honestly, this isn't the one I expected to start with. Hey, sometimes inspiration hits, and...

I'm joking. That's a different rant entirely. (yoshiP voice) please look forward to it. I think the best place to start with this one is New Mecca itself, and what that name entails. It's no secret that KZ takes large inspiration from both Judaism and Islam, the latter of which is more relevant today.

The implications of a literal new Mecca are both fascinating and out of my wheelhouse. I encourage any Muslims, who certainly know more about it than me, to elaborate. As it stands, I'm going to leave it at these few screenshots.

The Psychiatrist:

Leon von Alvensleben:

And of course, Headhunter:

This really isn't the main point of this rant, but it's related enough that I feel justified in mentioning it. Now, let's see Zero's service medal.

Thanks to the nature of KZ as a pixel-art game, we don't have much to work with here. It's gold with a purple ribbon, that's the most we're gonna get.

During the scene at the bar, we have an NPC put a name to it, and this name is what kickstarted the entire post.

A Distinguished Service Crescent. This, to my knowledge, is not a real medal in any country. That makes sense, considering, to my knowledge... New Mecca isn't real. (If it was, we'd have bigger problems on our hands.) This name did remind me of the real-life medal known as the Distinguished Service Cross, which has three meanings and appearances between countries.

To the left, the USA's medal, which is the second highest military decoration just behind their Medal of Honor. The center, Australia's medal, the highest of their Distinguished Service awards. The right, the United Kingdom's medal, which is only awarded for service at sea.

But none of these look like Zero's medal, do they? Let's take a look at Distinguished Service Medals instead, same order as above.

No dice. At this point what I'm about to say is going to surprise absolutely nobody, but the only real-life lookalike I can think of is the USA's Purple Heart.

Now, this sounds absolutely nothing like the Distinguished Service Crescent the NPC mentions, but let's account for 1. artistic liberty, 2. multiple inspirations, and 3. the fact that he might've been wrong. (It's not as if KZ has the most reliable narrators in the first place.)

Part of the reason it might be named as such in game is to draw the direct comparison to our real world medals, named after the cross. Why has it been replaced with a crescent, though? Recall the name of New Mecca, and how the crescent has long been a symbol of of Islam.

Most Americans know what a Purple Heart is given for: being wounded or killed by an enemy combatant in the line of duty. Given that Zero is still alive to receive it, only the former is important. Things are starting to come together.

During the final scene with the Psychiatrist, he entirely ignores you if you ask if the medal is real. At first, I assumed this could be Zero coming to doubt everything he's been told, which is reasonable. Then, once I realized the medal is based off of a Purple Heart, I thought it was real after all.

Finally, I realized just how much the Psychiatrist had Zero's life under control. Zero knows what this medal means, what it implies, and the whole course of the game is discovering how much of what he believed to be innate is caused by his medicine.

Chronos, the drug that he's been forbidden from learning about at every turn, that he's been given non-answers about this whole time, that gives him the power of a god. It's not so unreasonable to assume the medal was used to attribute Zero's memory loss to a head injury, as opposed to the truth of it being yet another side effect.

It's worth noting which parts of the screenshots provided are rendered in purple, and the fact that NULL itself is written in the same color. More on the color usage of KZ later.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading the deranged ramblings of a madman. Lord knows I'm not done talking about this game.

Thanks to @chemicalbrew for encouraging my madness, Muffins (no tumblr) for cooking this up with me, @dynal for listening, and everyone in The Apartment, Nepenthe, and Paradox of Lucidity for cheering me on.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Talking Dog For Sale.

A guy is driving around the backwoods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale.'

He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.

The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador Retriever sitting there.

"You talk?" he asks.

"Yep" the Lab replies.

After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says, "So, what's your story?"

The Lab looks up and says, "Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping, I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running... but the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired."

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

"Ten dollars" the guy says.

"Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on Earth are you selling him so cheap?"

"Because he's a liar. He's never been out of the yard."

(Ian Sanders)

[purplesaline]

Meet Parker

Previously known as Cloak! As this little lad will be staying with me for some training until we find him his forever home I've chosen his grown up name.

The kennel that I work with to help breed and raise these puppies is LestWeForget Collies and every one of their puppies recieves an Official paperwork name associated with the Canadian Military. Lance's name is officially Operation Lance, after a peacekeeping operation in Rwanda. His grandmother's name was Vimy, after Vimy Ridge. She was the kennel's foundation dog and she died a couple years ago. This was the first litter since she died and I thought giving this litter a theme that had to do with Vimy Ridge would be a touching tribute.

We're also very aware that the Canadian treatment of it's soldiers hasn't been equitable and members of marginalized groups often suffered despite their service and sacrifices. They were far too often overlooked for the same honours and recognition that cishet white soldiers recieved.

So the theme for this litter is Underhonoured Canadian Soldiers of Vimy Ridge.

Parker is a little bit off the beaten track as a choice. His namesake is Ellanore Parker, clearly not a soldier.

She was a nurse though, and one who was injured and permanently disabled from severe gas poisoning while treating soldiers injured during the battle for Vimy Ridge. While I believe being a nurse would be more than enough to include her on this list, Ellanore was included for a different reason. She was queer.

Ellanore Parker and Murney Pugh met while serving at a hospital near Sailsbury Plains in England. The couple were inseparable throughout the war and were stationed together throughout France. Ellanore experienced severe gas poisoning while tending to soldiers at Vimy Ridge and would suffer for the rest of her life with respiratory issues. At her side through all of this was Murney, who became her caretaker and life partner after the war. They lived together for their entire lives and self-identified as partners on two separate census documents. Ellanore was an avid writer and when she passed away Murney donated her poetry to the Royal B.C. Museum. These poems beautifully detail their love, life, and experience as queer in a world that would not accept their love. The couple are buried together in Victoria, B.C.

[x]

Ellanore June Parker was born in Ireland ca. 1879. She graduated from Winnipeg General Hospital and in 1910 joined the first contingent of the Canadian Army Medical Corps as a nursing sister. As a First Lieutenant she went to France in January 1915 and served with the 2nd Canadian General Hospital near Dieppe.

At a brief interlude at the Canadian Hospital at Netherhaven on Salisbury Plain she met her lifelong friend and companion, Murney Pugh. Sister Parker served with the First Canadian Division at the Battle of Mons and also treated the first gas cases from Vimy and the Somme, inhaling some of the gas in the process. Because Sister Parker had a susceptible chest, the gas laid her low. When the war ended she was returned to Canada as a patient in a hospital ship and was not expected to pull through. Over the years she had several attacks of pneumonia as a result of the gas, each time being given up for lost by doctors. Sister Parker was awarded the British General Service Medal, the Victory Medal and the Mons Star.

Ellanore Parker and Murney Pugh went to California in 1919 and here Ellanore Parker put to use her talent as a writer. She contributed over a long period, mostly from her bed, to the editorial page of the Los Angeles Times. She also had two books of wartime experiences written as fiction, The Flower of the Land and The Land Lay Waiting, published. Murney Pugh, her nurse and amanuensis, did the copying and editing.

In 1948 they came to Victoria where they lived at 2493 Eastdowne Road. Miss Parker also was involved in inventing and she designed a water cannon which was used in London during the Blitz, and a magnetic detector which was the forerunner of radar. She was a member of the Red Chevrons Association, the Canadian Overseas Nursing Sisters' Association and the John O'London Literary Association. Ellanore Parker died on 10 October 1965 aged 86.

[x]

[petervintonjr]

"I had no role models because nobody ever publicized them, not that they didn't exist. George Washington Carver and Percy Julian and others had preceded me in science, but nobody ever publicized their accomplishments, and, therefore, many of the minority students didn't know that they had a future in science because they figured it was something that was not for them."

After a bit of time away from this project to make room for convention appearances and other shows, I now return to the subject with a look at the life and accomplishments of physicist George Robert Carruthers, on this, what would have been his 85th birthday.

Born in 1939 Cincinnati, Carruthers's father was himself a civil engineer at Wright-Patterson AFB, but the family soon moved to the more rural location of Milford, Ohio. Carruthers was described as quiet and focused --intensely interested in space travel stories and comic books (my people!), and a devourer of the science articles in Collier's magazine (even penning a fan letter to Dr. Werner Von Braun, to which he received an unexpected and encouraging personal reply). At the age of ten Carruthers built his first telescope, constructed from lenses he obtained by mail order. After George's father died in 1952, the family moved to Chicago but his fascination with spaceflight did not diminish. Encouraged by wonderfully observant teachers, he eventually graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1960, then earned his MS in in nuclear engineering in 1962, and then landed his PhD in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1964.

While working towards his PhD, Carruthers worked as a researcher and teaching assistant, studying plasma and gases. In 1964, Carruthers took a postdoctoral appointment with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, D.C., focusing on far ultraviolet astronomy. In 1969 he received a U.S. patent for inventing a form of image converter; an instrument that detects electromagnetic radiation in short wavelengths. In 1970 his invention recorded the first observation of molecular hydrogen in outer space (which he described as "a very big deal at the time.")

Far and away (literally), Dr. Carruthers's greatest contribution to science is his development and construction of an ultraviolet electronographic telescope, which became the first (and to date still the only) astronomical instrument sent to the surface of the Moon; more properly known as the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph. The camera was brought along on the Apollo 16 mission in 1972, set up to observe the Earth's geocorona (outermost atmosphere) from a vantage point never before possible. A short time later a variation on this very same camera was brought aboard Skylab to photograph the near approach of Comet Kohoutek, the first instance of a comet being recorded in ultraviolet. A flight backup of the Apollo 16 instrument, along with the original mission film canister, stood for many years as part of the lunar lander exhibit at the National Air & Space Museum, until it was later transferred to a more protected exhibit to guard against corrosion.

Dr. Carruthers's success and notoriety from the Apollo mission led to his creation of the Science & Engineers Apprentice Program, offering disadvantaged high school students the opportunity to work with scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory. His research into ultraviolet spectroscopy continued --in 1991 one of his ultraviolet cameras was used in multiple experiments aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-39). He retired from the NRL in 2002 and in 2003, was inducted into the National Inventor Hall of Fame. In 2013 was awarded the National Medal for Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama. Dr. Carruthers died on Christmas Day, 2020.

[hmp-larkhall]

Millie Bright/Mary Earps

Millie & Mary fanfics on Ao3. Written by me, uploaded by my girlfriend :)

~Masterlist~

Love After Loss - a series (4/4)

Part 1 - All's Not Lost (Mature; words: 3,800) It was still so raw; so fresh in your memory like you’d just that minute walked off the pitch, the Spanish team still cheering behind you. You felt like a failure. You were beyond proud of your team for getting into the final. You made history. Yet there was a heavy weight pressing down on you.

“Come on, babes,” you said softly to her, gently moving out from her grasp and standing up. She took the hand that you were holding out to her and led her into the hotel room you shared. Her Golden Glove award was laying on the bed, along with her silver medal. She couldn’t look at them.

"Bed?"

Part 2 - All's Found (Mature; words: 2,976) Since understanding what love was supposed to feel like, you’d gotten to a point in your late twenties that you decided you weren’t capable of it. So many chances, hopes, maybes. But no. That part of you just didn’t exist. You learnt to be okay with it. That was, of course, until your then-friend stopped becoming just that and turned into your deepest desire.

Falling in love with her was easy. However, it was - holy crap - so painful. Sometimes you wished you went back to being the cold-hearted bitch you always thought you were.

Part 3 - All's Not Broken (Mature; words: 2,677) She’d had her heart set after the World Cup on transferring to Arsenal. Her club wouldn’t let her go.

You joked that when the time came, she should come play for Chelsea. You both laughed and she told you not a chance. You were okay with this. You enjoyed the bit of rivalry.

You weren’t worried about not spending enough time together. You lived together and played for England together.

Part 4 - All's Well (Mature; words: 3,217) She was due to be away for a week and you missed her terribly.

You’d never felt loneliness like this before and you didn’t like it. You felt silly. You could be surrounded by people but there was always such a big part of you that wanted no one but Millie. You often told yourself to stop being so pathetic. You felt like you couldn’t function properly without her. 

Your friends told you that’s what it’s like when you really love someone. And goodness, you really did love her. You adored everything about her. 

~~~

Nature's Morphine (Mature; words: 1,593) You were the only person to ever get under her skin. She’d never bothered with relationships before, always said she didn’t have time for them. Football was her one and only love. You, however, turned her world upside-down and changed everything.

~~~

Vexation Gratification (Explicit; words: 2,086) She brushed past you and went upstairs. You didn't move. You felt upset, but anger was also starting to arise in you.

She came back down after a couple of minutes. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw what she was carrying.

~~~

Near Misses & Forehead Kisses (Teen&Up; words: 5,549) The ringing in your ears became so loud that you could no longer make out what was being said as you approached the window.

You first saw her parents in there, either side of the bed. Her mother was leaning over her, kissing her on the forehead. You saw Mary as she pulled back and you couldn't breathe. The wires, the tubes, the ventilator. You fell to your knees.

~~~

Revelations (Mature; words: 11,157) It had captured everything: the intended purpose of the video, the laughing, the joy from you both, the jumping on her... the smile fading from your face. You recognised the second you felt it.

~~~

Departures and Distractions (Mature; words: 5,497) Emma had been your one constant throughout your football career.

She was there for you when things got tough. She was your mentor and your guide on and off the pitch.

She really was like a mother figure and you don't think you could ever be without her.

Now she was leaving.

Your heart was breaking.

~~~

Eighteen (Mature; words: 4,612) It was always nerve-racking joining a new team, especially when all the other players were established and comfortable there.

They all made you feel very welcome - especially the two who were also lucky enough to be picked for the under-nineteen's England team.

You got on very well with one of them in particular.

Her name was Millie Bright.

~~~

One Kiss Is All It Takes (Explicit; words: 4,195) Celebrations on the pitch at full time were as special as when you won the Euros and this time, your personal life changed quite as much as your professional career.

You screamed and cheered with a number of your teammates, not even remembering who they were as individuals; it was all a blur.

You remembered Mary, though.

~~~

Haunted (Teen&Up; words: 1,720) *triggers: self-hatred/suicide ideation You couldn’t hold it in any longer when the final whistle went. You really fucked up.

You cried on TV. God, you were so fucking pathetic. Useless. You hated yourself.

All you wanted to do was get your shit and leave.

(Set after the England v The Netherlands game 1/12/2023)

~~~

Look At You (Explicit; words: 1,782) Give me a call if you ever get desperate… xx

You regretted sending it immediately. You didn’t even have time to delete it before she could see it - those two blue ticks made your heart pound so loudly in your ears

~~~

High On You (Mature; words: 4,369) “You’re so fucking stubborn,” your girlfriend told you angrily as the medics lowered you to the floor to lay down.

You saw a tear roll down her face which she hastily wiped away.

“I think it’s broken,” you said. You felt hot and clammy. Why did you continue playing?

~~~

The Woman You Are (Teen&Up; words: 2,194) "Holy shit," Rachel breathed, "this is my favourite."

"Why?"

"Why? Jesus, Millie, those words. I feel jealous this girl isn't writing these for me."

~~~

Captain and Her Vice (Mature; words: 4,281) You had dreamed of being part of the England senior squad and there was always hope bubbling away in you that you might make captain one day.

This was it, you thought. This was your chance. 

~~~

Guide To Your Goal (Mature; words: 2,000) Mary didn’t like Sam Kerr.

You mean she *really* didn’t like her. 

~~~

Unbreakable (Mature; words: 1,921) Millie’s club could score twenty goals against you - hell, she could score twenty goals against you herself and you’d still love her.

Playing for your club and winning meant a lot to you - but she meant more.

~~~

Cruel Summer (Explicit; words: 2,797) Your time away in Australia for the World Cup was the best of your life. The tournament was going just as you’d hoped - you and your team made it to the final.

Behind the scenes of the pitch, something else had been happening in your life.

Mary.

~~~

Enrapture (Explicit; words: 14,722) She rested her head on your shoulder and you stroked her arm gently. You could feel goosebumps under your fingertips.

"Are you cold?" You asked.

"No," she replied, "not at all." ~~~ Save That Light (Explicit; words: 2,141) *triggers: past suicide attempt It frightened you sometimes - the depth of your feelings for her. You wanted to be with her all the time and when you weren’t with her you were thinking about her.

You adored everything about her. Her mental health was debilitating to the both of you at times but it was a part of her that you accepted long ago; and it was something you promised her you’d see through together.

~~~

Clean Sheets (Explicit; words: 3,053) “You know nothing turns me on more than seeing you make those saves; even better when you get a clean sheet.”

Her hands left your thighs and ran up under your shirt. The coolness of her fingers against the warm skin of your belly made your abs twitch.

“Isn’t it funny how whenever I keep a clean sheet, our bedsheets never remain that way?”

~~~

Take Me Into Your Darkest Hour (Mature; words: 5,001) *triggers (graphic description): past sexual assault/rape, unwanted pregnancy/abortion, physical assault/violence “He said I’m so shit that anyone would be better than me in goal; that he only plays me because he likes seeing my arse in my shorts.”

You swallowed hard. You covered her hand with your other and held it tightly as she went on. The anger you felt towards her manager was instantly unprecedented.

“He said I’m only good for one thing now.”

~~~

Truth or Dare (Mature; words: 3,721) You think you were about fifteen years old the first and last time you played truth or dare.

Now, at thirty-one years old, alcohol coursing through your system - you thought it was a great idea when Lucy suggested it.

[pascaloverx]

As It Was

Chapter Three

previous chapter next chapter

Summary: Indeed, our protagonist has a complicated conversation with each of her love interests, reopening old wounds.

Warnings: use of violence, future adult content and inappropriate language. Minors are advised not to read or engage with this story.

Steve's house is larger than I had imagined. Every detail in it, from the cobalt blue curtains to the ivory-painted walls, seems to have come out of a magazine. He has sports medals and merit awards displayed in a space near the fireplace. To the left of this area, there are pictures of him with people. One picture shows him in his childhood, small and fragile, in the arms of a kind-looking lady. There are photos of him with a woman with dark hair, who doesn't seem much older than thirty, in a restaurant. This same woman appears in most of Rogers' photos; I suspect she's Peggy. Everything I know about her, I discovered by blackmailing Sam. It turns out Rogers and Wilson were on the same team years ago. As soon as I agreed to meet Steve, I wanted to know why the man who seemed so perfect when my father talked about him was still single. Sam told me that Rogers has always been too reserved and determined to get romantically involved with anyone. But a few years ago, around the time Bucky and I met, Rogers fell in love with his partner, Peggy Carter. They had an unbeatable partnership, from what Sam told me. But for some reason, a few months ago, Rogers and Carter ended their one-year engagement. That's probably why there are still so many photos of them in the house. I can't judge Steve because I'm still trying to move on after my divorce.

"Did you ask to come to my house to analyze my past or to deceive the agents who were following us on the way here?" Steve says, close enough that it sends shivers down my spine. I turn to face him, maintaining our proximity.

"If I tell you something deep and personal, would you be willing to tell me why you keep so many memories of your ex around your house?" Curiosity can be a very interesting bargaining chip.When I say this, I feel him ponder for a moment before nodding in agreement while looking at me.

"I love my father too, always have. He was a good father, taught me how to manipulate people so that if anyone ever tried to take advantage of me, I'd be prepared. He taught me to fish so that if I ever needed to feed myself, at least I'd know how to catch a fish. He had me take self-defense classes even before I understood what I was being prepared to defend myself against. But a few years ago, I received a letter. A letter from my mother, meant to reach me when I was old enough to understand what she was trying to tell me in the letter. In it, she revealed that weeks before what would be her passing, she had uncovered a secret about my father. Since she didn't have conclusive evidence, she chose to send me a letter, warning me that my father was not trustworthy and that if at any point I felt the need to hide something from him or anyone else, I could go to a super-secret cabin she had built, designed to be a hideout, all with me in mind. Or rather, us..." The truth is, I don't remember my mother as much as I would like to, so this letter was one of the few times I felt connected to her.

"In the letter, she said that if something happened to her and she couldn't protect me, she wanted me to know that she had intended to take me far away, to somewhere calm and sunny. But if that wasn't possible, she at least wanted to offer me a place to escape to, in case I needed it." As I finish speaking, Steve appears as serious as ever. He moves closer to me, his body just inches away from mine. I feel his hand on my face, and it's then that I realize I might be crying.

"So when my ex-husband said he suspected my father, it was like a puzzle piece falling into place in my mind. But believe me, I don't want my father to be involved in this. However, Barnes would never betray the country, so someone is framing him. Therefore, I think it's my duty to uncover the truth." As these words leave my mouth, I allow myself to understand that my goal is much larger than saving Barnes from prison or even death; I need to understand who my father truly is.

"Our first meeting, and I've already made you cry. This is starting to feel like the promising beginning of a partnership." Steve smiles slightly as I stare at him, seriousness in my eyes. Who would have thought that the politically correct hero standing in front of me would have a sense of humor?

"Now it's my turn to make you cry..." I say, wiping away the tears falling from my face and pointing at the photos near the fireplace.

"My first rule on the field was never to get too involved. When I met Peggy, I just forgot everything I thought about involvement. We had a respectful and loving relationship. But I wanted to marry her, maybe even retire and grow old together, but I found out she wanted more. I didn't want to hold her back from the life she deserved, so we set each other free. Unfortunately, we only realized we didn't want the same things weeks before the wedding. As for the photos, I still don't feel ready to say goodbye to the memories of my past relationship." He still loves her. There's no doubt about that. Maybe we're going through the same situation, both trying to survive post-breakup. I think, I'm feeling closer to Steve Rogers.

"Now that we've opened our hearts to each other, can we solidify our partnership and move forward?" I stare at him as I extend my hand forward.

"Does that mean you'll tell me where your husband is right now, and we'll communicate about how to proceed from here?"

"This means you'll help me, and I'll try to play nice with you. Now, I need to go. Walk me to the door, I think we're no longer in good company." I say as I peek through the corner of the window at the entrance of Rogers' house. He quickly joins me and hands me one of his jackets.

"It wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to let a lady like you go out alone at night in the cold. You can take my coat. I'll accompany you to the car." He says with a friendly smile, offering me a gentle reassurance that somehow makes me feel safer. But I'm not foolish; I know the coat I'm wearing right now probably has a tracker. This man definitely thinks I'm a fool.

When we get close to my car, there are no signs of surveillance. I decide to make a final move to see if any agents would appear. I pull Steve against the car door, lean in close to his ear as if I'm about to share a secret, and whisper: “I know you want to track me, dear, but could you at least have called me to spend the night before trying to control my every move?”

I give him a kiss on the cheek and get into the car, still wearing his black coat, which I must admit is incredibly cozy and warm.

The path to the cabin is incredibly winding and dark. I confess I've only been to this hideout once, just to check if it was a real place. My mother really was a very smart cop because everything seems meticulously planned. There's a secret passage at the back of the cabin that leads you to a trail where you can run through; this trail takes you to a stream, very useful for hiding. I'm sure that by the time I get there, James and the others will have already found almost everything useful in the cabin. When I'm close to the location, I reach a part of the road that's too narrow for the car to pass. I'm now heading there, pondering how interesting it would be if I could somehow alert them to my arrival. However, at the moment, my phone doesn't seem like a safe means of communication. So, I'm prepared in case any of the idiots decide to attack me; I have something to defend myself with. Actually, all I have is a branch I picked up along the way .I hear footsteps approaching, and I start to run. Unfortunately, I've never been very good at running in places with so many obstacles like a forest. I'm taken by surprise when a hand grabs me, throwing me entirely

against the body of the person who caught me. Accidentally, I find myself extremely close to what I can now see is my ex-husband. We hadn't been this close in a very long time. I drop the branch to the ground as I move away from James, trying to catch my breath from the shock I got from Barnes.

"I should have warned you I was coming; I thought you were some lost tourist." Barnes says as he stares at me with his piercing blue eyes. Maybe I lost all logical thinking as I stared back at him. Who would have thought that just getting close to him like this would turn me into a fool?

"I would have sent a message if this was a courtesy visit, but I'm visiting a damn police wanted man; I can't leave traces." Rationality successfully found, thank you, brain, for not being controlled by my hormones.

"Are you okay? How was the date with the man of your life?" James speaks in the most cynical and sarcastic tone possible, almost as if he's jealous. To be fair, everyone who has ever heard my father talk about Steve Rogers knows that he thinks Rogers is the one for me. But as far as I know, that might have been pure manipulation.

"I can't believe that amidst everything we're going through, you want to know about this. But since you insist, it was great. Probably the best date of my life." Lying is ugly, but being annoyed was much worse.

"I don't believe you." Barnes says as he stares at me, and from a distance, I get the impression that he's almost smiling.

"Why are you smiling?" I'm indignant, or at least I'm pretending to be, after all, my date was merely a meeting to gain a new ally to save the reputation of this fool in front of me.

"Because I finally understood the meaning of 'every cloud has a silver lining.' I'm here, looking at my ex-wife for the first time since the divorce, and she looks stunning, just back from a date with some random guy, and I simply can't stop feeling like I'm the luckiest man in the world." I don't know what happens to my body; I automatically move closer to Barnes as he speaks. I want to stare at him as much as possible, trying to see if I can discern sincerity or lust in his eyes.

It's amazing how continuous eye contact makes you inclined to think about what it must be like to have the person's face even closer to yours. For a moment, I forget who I am, or rather, who he is. Barnes notices that I'm scrutinizing him, and instead of pulling away or saying anything, he holds me by the waist. It's important to note that at the end of our relationship, many things were questioned. Our love, emotional closeness, and our trust in each other. But never our sexual tension. Let's say chemistry is our favorite subject.

"I think we should keep our focus solely on our main goal. Adding sex into our complicated relationship as ex-spouses would only complicate things further..." I don't trust the words coming out of my mouth. Not for a second do I want Barnes to let go and say that it's better for us to be objective. He removes his hands from my waist and places them on my face. His hands are cold, but at this moment, it feels like it doesn't matter. I can barely feel the difference between the touch of your left hand and your right, even though Barnes' left arm is made of metal. His gaze, which was once filled with lust, now conveys a certain tenderness, perhaps melancholy.

"I thought you hated me..." Bucky says this with a certain hesitation, as if he's not sure what this so-called hatred would mean in our relationship. To be honest, I've also wondered if he hated me.

"I couldn't hate you even if I wanted to, Barnes. Sometimes it feels like I've been infected by you, and now I can't be Melisa Harrison anymore." The words almost float out of my mouth; I can't contain the urge to kiss him. The eyes that are staring at me seem to be gleaming.

"Well, literally, you are Melisa Harrison Barnes since we got married, but I think I understand what you mean." He smiles so shamelessly that it reminds me of why I married him. He could make me feel like a completely lovestruck fool with just one smile.

"Barnes, I haven't been Melisa Harrison Barnes since a year after our divorce. I know the timing is terrible to bring this up, but my father convinced me that I could only move forward if I left everything reminding me of you behind." It hurt to say that I wasn't a Barnes anymore, but the truth is, as much as I loved him back then, it was a crucial step for me to envision being someone after the divorce.

"And did you really want to leave me behind that much?" He withdraws his hands from me while glaring at me, clearly upset. It's so difficult to look someone in the eye and say that you no longer want anything to do with them.

"You must be kidding. Don't act like wanting a new relationship after everything we've been through is some great betrayal." I'm almost screaming at him out of anger. Talking about this damn separation irritates me almost as much as him pretending it's a surprise that I've gone back to using my maiden name. What did he expect from me?

"I should remind you that it was you who asked for the divorce." Now it's me laughing shamelessly. I can't take a man seriously who, instead of thanking me for trying to save his skin, decides to remind me of something I'm not ready to admit I regret.

"I asked for the divorce because we had become strangers to each other. Don't pretend like my request for separation came out of the blue. We both knew very well that the distance between us was doing no good. So, go ahead, blame me for our end, that's fine. But don't pretend you didn't see our separation coming." It's like they say, provoke a woman in the middle of a forest after midnight, and she'll want to air out all the dirty laundry of the entire relationship. It's not my fault he decided to bring up this topic.

"How could I pretend not to see it coming when our divorce was written in your eyes every time you looked at me? After the accident, you only saw me as a broken toy you couldn't fix." Ouch, that hurt. As I pause to reflect on what James is saying, it seems there's a hidden pain he was concealing from me. The truth is, I thought our relationship was broken, not him.

"Clearly, I'm to blame for our communication issues. What else is my fault? The fact that you refused to open up to me about a trauma, turning us into two ghosts inhabiting the same space?" Yes, in the midst of an argument, it's always easier to blame someone else than to admit that everyone might have contributed in some way. I can't believe it took him and me three damn years to talk about this.

"Why are we arguing about this when you've clearly moved on, and all our past is just history now?" Alright, I admit it, he's right. Why are we arguing about this?

"For the same reason I didn't back down when you showed up at my door earlier, Barnes. We both know very well what we mean to each other. We just like to pretend we've moved past it all." That was the best response I could come up with amid a thousand thoughts racing through my mind. Unfortunately, getting lost in memories now would only undermine my resolve while we're arguing.

"I never..." He seems to struggle to finish his sentence when we are interrupted by a noise. I don't know for what reason, but I felt like he was about to admit something important, perhaps even crucial. But Dave seems to be running towards us.

"The lovebirds forgot we have a team meeting to figure out which villain we're going to defeat? All the Avengers are waiting at our humble headquarters." Dave looks at both of us with a funny expression, as if he caught us in an intimate moment. I glare at him, disapproving of his expression. Barnes is still looking at me.

"I guess we have a more important matter to focus our attention on now, so let's forget our differences and call a truce?" I say, turning to face James. I want to look into his eyes one last time before we pretend this conversation never happened.

"A truce doesn't mean you won't get to hear everything I have to say, Harrison." He says, winking at me, then walks towards Dave, putting his right arm around Dave's neck and guiding him forward. I decide to move on too, still replaying moments of this night in my mind.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Perhaps one of the most evocative images of the Titanic disaster is that of the young newsboy outside the White Star Line offices at Oceanic House in Cockspur Street, London, S.W., holding an Evening News poster announcing "Titanic Disaster Great Loss of Life."

That boy was Ned Parfett, and his short life was no less spectacular. His death just as tragic, as that of the Titanic.

Six and a half years after this poignant photograph was taken, Ned was killed during a German bombardment while serving with the British army in France, just days before the Armistice. He was 22.

According to his great-nephew Dominic Walsh, young Ned enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1916, first serving as a dispatch rider before reassignment to reconnaissance duties.

Youth did not prevent bravery; he was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Military Medal for his gallant conduct during a series of missions at the front.

Ned was one of four brothers from Cornwall Road, Waterloo, to enlist "For King and Country."

One brother served in the disastrous Dardanelles campaign of 1915, surviving to become part of the occupation army in defeated Germany.

Another brother served in the bloody battle of the Somme in 1916, only to be wounded and gassed at the third battle of Ypres in Belgium.

The third brother also survived. Only Ned failed to see out the war.

He died on 29 October 1918, less than two weeks before the end of the war.

Ned was killed near Valenciennes when a shell landed on the quartermaster's stores, just as he was collecting some clothes before going on leave.

After his death, the officer who recommended Ned for special recognition wrote to one of his brothers:

"On many occasions, he accompanied me during severe shelling, and I always placed the greatest confidence in him."

[wanderinginksplot]

Gar Cyare Chapter Eleven

The plot thickens in this chapter of my Alpha-17 x fem!reader fic!

Word Count: 5,100 words

Warnings: mentions of setups, minor (and decreasing) cosmic horror vibes, mentions of an amorphous external threat, bureaucratic rudeness.

Previous | Next | Masterlist

---

Aruetii (Traitor)

“I need your help.”

You wanted to scoff at Pender, wanted to curse and threaten him until he left you alone. Visions of your last time around him danced through your mind - pushed up against a wall, propositioned and ultimately punched in the face. Alpha had dealt with Pender swiftly and decisively enough that he hadn’t bothered you since, but it didn’t mean that you were going to eagerly leap to help him.

Still, something about the desperation on his face… it was unsettling, especially compared to the cocky, self-assured way he habitually carried himself. His eyes were pleading, looking for all the world like a child scared of the dark.

Alpha teased and admired your soft heart in turns, but you were cursing yourself for it as you sighed, returning to your seat. “What do you want, Pender?”

Pender straightened slightly, hope apparently bringing life back to him. He seemed too keyed up to take the other seat, though. Instead, he paced fitfully around the small room, only pausing to glance at you every few moments while you waited impatiently for him to give an explanation. 

“Commander Colt will be on his way back here soon,” you warned, pitching your voice low to keep from startling him out of a confessional sort of mood. 

Pender’s face tightened, but he shook his head. “I don’t- really know- I don’t know where to start.”

“Start with the most relevant information,” you suggested. “If I have questions, we can backtrack.”

He nodded, pulling a datapad from his pocket. With a few swipes of his finger, he located what he was looking for and passed the datapad to you. It appeared to be a credit transfer into his account. The transfer was for a large amount.

You glanced up at Pender. “What exactly am I looking at?”

“It’s my bank account,” he answered and you nodded instead of snarking at him - something you should have been awarded a medal for, honestly. “That’s not my salary. I haven’t done any outside jobs lately, either. Whoever requested that credit transfer, it wasn’t supposed to be for me.”

With a slow nod, you set the datapad down on the table. “And you don’t know who could have sent it?”

“My bank says the transfer was anonymous,” Pender told you, pacing more quickly. “When I pushed them, they said the details were so muddled and privacy protected that they couldn’t begin to decipher a starting account.”

You stared at the datapad screen for another moment. It really was a large amount of credits, but nothing in Pender’s explanation sounded sinister or threatening. And it certainly didn’t sound threatening enough to explain Pender’s near-panic about it. 

“It’s odd,” you conceded slowly, “but not the worst thing. I don’t see what you need my help with.”

“I know you’re investigating the bounty hunters with Shaak Ti and Colt,” Pender said. “And I have reason to believe you’re searching for someone who stole information.”

“Why do you think that?” you asked, nerves roiling in the pit of your stomach. Everyone in the investigation had been trained to keep secrets from a very young age… except you. Had you somehow destroyed the secrecy of the investigation?

Pender gave you an unimpressed look - the most natural expression he had worn since first approaching you. “I knew the General and Commander were looking for information about something, and my credits are on a security leak. It didn’t take much to realize that you haven’t been working on your report lately. When I did some digging, I found out that you’re on special assignment. The pieces fell into place.”

You lifted your chin. “If that were true, I wouldn’t be able to confirm any of it.”

“I don’t need you to confirm anything,” he snapped, the sharp tone in his voice making you flinch even as your hands automatically clenched into fists. “Just… just look.”

Pender’s voice broke on the last word and he slid the datapad back toward you. He had pulled up a screen that displayed details of the mysterious transaction. It was for the same amount, still without a name displayed in the ‘Sender’ section. In fact, the only new detail was visible in the small ‘Note’ section. Displayed in small, electronically produced letters, you could see the words, “In thanks for the useful advice.”

You tore your gaze away from the screen to stare at Pender, who looked distraught. “The useful advice? What useful advice?”

“I don’t know!” he said, running shaking fingers through his hair. “I was telling you the truth - I haven’t taken on any jobs outside of Kamino lately. No hunts, no consulting, nothing. I don’t know who sent these credits or why, but I know this is going to end up putting me in the middle of your investigation, and I need your help!”

“I-” You paused, sighing. “I’ll do my best, Pender. But I have to tell General Ti and Commander Colt about this.”

Pender’s eyes went wide. “No. Please don’t. Please.”

“If you want my help, you have to let me tell them,” you said, making your voice and face as firm as you could possibly manage. When he still seemed hesitant, you reminded him, “I’ve already been accused of being at fault for one planet-wide catastrophe. I have no interest in doing it a second time. Your choice.”

The door opened before he could say anything, admitting General Ti and Commander Colt. They both looked surprised, though the general covered it better. “Doni Pender, hello. What brings you here?”

As she spoke with Pender, Commander Colt took a seat beside you and rested a cup of caf on the table for you. As he did, he leaned in too close for Pender to overhear. “Are you okay?”

You nodded, touched that they had remembered your discomfort around Pender and had made sure to check with you before they did anything else. 

Pender, having finished with his conversation with Shaak Ti, glanced at you and sighed. “I agree. You can tell them.”

The curiosity on the general and commander’s faces soon turned to surprise and suspicion before changing to a professionalism that firmly masked anything else they may have been feeling. 

“It’s suspicious,” Commander Colt said, cutting Pender off with a sharp gesture before he could say more than two words in his own defense. “It’s suspicious that payment would have come through now with that kind of note attached. Seems too easy.”

“I agree,” General Ti said. “But we are honor-bound to report any findings to the Kaminoan authorities. We can argue your case-”

“Please, no,” Pender begged for the second time. “You don’t understand. They don’t like me. They would take any opportunity to get rid of me, but they’ll arrest me for this. I’m not- I’ve done some things wrong in my life, but I don’t deserve to spend the rest of it rotting in a Republic prison!”

“If we’re all wary of this transfer and what it means, maybe it would make sense to put off reporting the findings,” you suggested.

General Ti shook her head regretfully. “I must make my report every day. I can wait until the end of the day, but no later.”

“Then it’s settled,” Commander Colt summarized, looking at you. “You’ll look into Pender’s case while the General and I keep investigating. The Kaminoans won’t ask questions since the investigation is ongoing and if you need any additional information, we can help you get it.”

“Do you have enough access to get started?” General Ti asked.

You nodded. “I still have full security clearance. I should be able to get all the information I need.”

“And me?” Pender asked. “What can I do? I’ll help her with the background information…” 

Commander Colt cut in before you could say anything. “Pender, you need to do whatever it is that you’re scheduled to do today. If you deviate from your schedule, it’ll only create questions or make you look more guilty. Keep an ear out for your comlink in case she has questions for you.”

Pender nodded, repeating the motion too many times for it to look natural. “Of course, of course... Let me give you all my private comlink frequency- I don’t want to risk anyone accessing our conversations.”

After he had done exactly that, Pender rushed out of the room. Commander Colt gave you an apologetic look. “Sorry about that. Figured you wouldn’t want him following you around all day.”

You shrugged and General Ti said kindly, “It is for the best that he is elsewhere. You have much to do and a short span of time in which to complete it.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough time. Not nearly. In fact, you were unpleasantly reminded of your early days on Kamino, always working desperately with no chance of success. 

Not that you weren’t making strides. No, by an hour after your (skipped) lunch, you had checked the records of every entry into Pender’s quarters for as long as the information had been leaked, as well as a month before. You had read reports from the other trainers, analyzing how they felt about Pender. Almost none of them cared for him, but you couldn’t find anything that tied them to direct action against him. 

You had accessed his datapad to double-check that it hadn’t been breached or that he hadn’t used it to leak information. If he had leaked the information, there was very little chance he would have started this whole side investigation, but you were determined to check everything you could. 

It was only an hour before General Ti’s deadline that you tossed aside your own datapad, heaving a sigh and thinking just how far outside your job description you currently were.

By all rights, you should let the general and commander tell the Kaminoans about Pender. He had been unpleasant to you until the exact moment that he had needed you to help him. It wouldn’t make your life any more difficult or worse to see him sent to prison for apparent treason against the Republic. In fact, it may make your life a little easier.

But you couldn’t do it. 

There was just something too… neat about the whole thing. It was too simple, too clean. Pender was widely disliked, even by the Kaminoans, as he had admitted. Who would make a better scapegoat than someone who had no friends to ask questions when they were accused of doing something terrible? 

No, you had to keep fighting for Pender. Not because you liked or even cared about the man himself, but because no one had reason to believe your innocence after the Separatist had invaded Kamino. You would have been the most convenient scapegoat, but Alpha had been staunchly in your corner. 

Alpha had been your champion. You had to be the same for someone else if you could.

---

Alpha was inside an asteroid.

There was no doubt about it now: the panel on the bottom floor of the mysterious abandoned ship led directly into the asteroid itself. It clearly wasn’t an asteroid at all, though. Alpha couldn’t claim to be an expert, but he was under the impression that most asteroids didn’t have countless levels of durasteel catwalks and blinking wall panels.

There had been a short debate about whether to use the ladder in the decompression chamber. Half of Omega Squad had argued that there was no way of knowing for certain if the ladder was safe or had been sabotaged somehow. The other half maintained that this section of the ship clearly hadn’t been meant to be seen, and the ladder wouldn’t have been sabotaged by someone who may need to use it again.

Alpha had ended the argument by dropping the ladder through the access hatch. When it stood, apparently not preparing to collapse, he climbed down it. The beam from the light mounted on the side of his helmet shone through the darkness. It wasn’t enough light, not even close, but it didn’t matter. As soon as he had gotten halfway down the ladder, automatic lights had switched on. 

Omega Squad had descended quietly behind him, but Alpha’s attention was fixed on studying his surroundings. He was on the uppermost durasteel catwalk, and when he peered over the side, more levels stretched down beneath him. There was a clear end, however. About five levels down, the catwalks ended, and a ladder stretched the rest of the way down to the floor… or, more accurately, to a durasteel sheet covering the entirety of the ‘floor’. 

Even from his place far above the floor, Alpha could see that there were access panels on it. Whatever was behind this barrier that divided the false asteroid nearly in half, it had been designed to be checked or maintained.

The access hatch had passed through a thick layer of durasteel. Clearly, the ‘asteroid’ was hollow, though clearly, someone had designed it to withstand observation and pass as something natural. The surface of the asteroid had been rocky when he crossed from Omega Squad’s ship to the abandoned one, though something had to have hit the scanner as metallic. 

Whether the thickness of the outer shell was part of the disguise or a way of protecting whatever was behind that barrier, Alpha couldn’t be sure. Either way, they soon discovered that it blocked every transmission except the ones in their inter-HUD comm channel.

“Spread out,” Alpha ordered. “Check everything. Until we know what’s behind that barrier, helmets stay on, breathable atmosphere or not. And stay on high alert. We don’t know whether someone knows we’re here. We didn’t exactly perform a stealth entrance.”

The group fanned out to study every level of the structure. The highest one, level five, held information about the asteroid and its structural integrity. The next down seemed to monitor patterns of nearby planetary bodies. The readings paid special attention to solar flares, meteor showers, and asteroids. 

Level three was the one that finally put an end to any light-heartedness Omega Squad had been showing. It was dedicated entirely to monitoring Republic and GAR transmissions… even on channels that were restricted or heavily encoded. 

Level two was fully unlabeled, which somehow managed to be even more sinister than everything else they had found up to that point. Niner was issuing orders before Alpha had the chance: “Atin, start slicing these panels, Figure out what this level is for. Fi, cover him. Darman, you’re with the captain and I. We’re going to check out the last level.”

Niner turned, glancing at Alpha as if to check whether he had additional orders. The sergeant seemed to have covered everything, so Alpha just gave a slight nod and went to level one. There was nothing at all on that level, just a blank wall stretching the length of the catwalk. 

“Nothing to report on this level,” he transmitted over the comm channel. “We’re headed to level zero. We’ll let you know if we need coverage.”

“Yes, sir,” Fi replied, suddenly all business since his skills as a sniper and medic may be needed before they returned to the ship. “I’m on alert.”

“Any progress on slicing into the panel?” Niner asked as he followed Alpha to the last ladder that stretched down to the floor.

“Nothing yet,” Atin reported. “The panel is loaded with security. I haven’t tripped anything yet, but it’s slow going.”

“Keep at it,” Alpha told him darkly. “We need to report back soon and the more intel we have, the better.”

“Sir,” Atin agreed. Alpha didn’t bother saying anything else. The fewer distractions he had, the faster Atin could slice the panel and the sooner Alpha could get back to the people who mattered.

 His boots hit the durasteel floor with a hollow-sounding boom! The same thing happened when Niner, then Darman reached the bottom of the ladder. Alpha waited for them to glance around, then went for the nearest gap in the barrier. He had noticed a while before that, along with several access hatches, there were a few narrow rectangles of thick transparisteel set into the barrier. 

When he peered through, however, he was greeted with a mass of wires and electronics. Niner had followed him, glancing through the pane as well. “Any idea what it is, captain?”

“No,” Alpha said flatly. Electronics were tricky. They could be programmed to do any number of things. He could take a guess at their purpose based on the way things were laid out and interconnected, but the GAR would want more than a guess, especially with something so strange and suspicious… and so close to Kamino.

“It’s a transmission station,” Darman contributed. When they both turned to look at him, he shrugged, indicating a warning sign set into the barrier. “There’s a lopretrium warning. Lopretrium is used to increase the range of transmissions. It’s a natural amplifier for frequencies.”

Alpha frowned. He remembered every bit of information he had ever come across, but that was new to him. 

Judging from his voice, Niner seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “Where did you learn that one, Darman?”

Darman seemed almost embarrassed when he replied, “Mereel.”

Alpha bit back a sigh. He didn’t mind the null ARCs - though they were some of the few ARC troopers he hadn’t personally trained - but there was something about running into the Skirata clan that made every trooper walk away with stars in his eyes. It was infuriating. More importantly, it could make a man lose focus on what was important.

“Okay, so it’s a transmission station,” Alpha agreed sharply. “Why don’t we know about it? The Republic monitors all transmissions that pass through this sector.”

“If transmissions are sporadic, they would be more difficult to track,” Niner theorized. “Or maybe they’re transmitting on a frequency that the Republic doesn’t watch as closely.”

“I’m getting more curious about who ‘they’ are,” Alpha said. “But okay, say they miss the transmission. Ships pass through this sector constantly - on patrol, on the way to Kamino, or just passing through. How did no one notice a single asteroid with a ship crash-landed on it before now? This is showing signs of having been here for a while.”

“I think it was originally part of an asteroid field.” Darman held up his datapad. “Remember that field nearby? I guessed that it was part of that, so I did some research. Turns out the field was closer, and this station would have been in the middle of it. The field didn’t shift until a few weeks ago, so it’s possible that no one noticed. This didn’t move with the rest of the asteroids, though. It’s a fixed location.”

“No one would have had a reason to scan an asteroid field,” Niner added. “No one would have noticed that this is actually metallic.”

“Not only that,” Darman said. “The hull of this station was covered in something rocky when we came over to the crash site. I think it was originally covered in a duracrete mixture that hid the metal. My guess is that constant collisions with other asteroids and the stress of being in open space chipped away at the duracrete until the metal showed through. It wouldn’t have taken much exposure for our scanner to be able to pick up a metallic surface.”

“Can we get inside?” Alpha asked.

“I wouldn’t,” Atin contributed through the comms channel. “I’m seeing signs that every access panel to the transmitter itself is heavily alarmed. It would take hours to slice through those security protocols.”

“Don’t bother,” Alpha told him, starting for the ladder. “I’m going to make contact with the Republic, then with Kamino. Whoever put this here, the kaminii need to know.” 

He had made it up to the fifth floor and the bottom of the ladder to the original access hatch when Atin spoke again. “Captain, I got into the system. These are the panels where the information to be transmitted is entered either manually or through a remote application.”

Alpha paused. “Were you able to retrieve any past messages?”

“Even better,” Atin replied, satisfaction thick in his tone. “I’ve got a call log. The station has recently received several calls from a comm frequency based on Kamino. I’m sending the frequency to your HUD now.”

A single flick of Alpha’s eyes was enough to pull up the comm frequency. After a split second to process, a violent smile stretched over his face.

---

“You didn’t find anything?” Pender demanded. You weren’t thrilled about the sharp reprimand in his voice, but you couldn’t exactly blame him. Pender’s eyes were wide and his breathing was fast. He was panicking, and with good reason. 

“No,” you admitted. “I looked at every record I could find, but no one else seems like a likely candidate for transmitting information, especially not on your behalf.”

“Listen, I know I’m a popular guy,” Pender started, pacing back and forth, “but surely you found someone who doesn’t like me. You know how these bounty hunters are. If they take the slightest dislike to you, they do crazy things to get revenge. You should have seen the way this one Weequay started treating me…”

You tuned Pender out as he launched into a story, still walking frantically around the room. His pacing turned out to be a good thing, since it meant he entirely missed the way you made uncomfortable eye contact with General Ti and Commander Colt. They knew as well as you did that Pender was among the least-liked people on Kamino. 

“I can at least give the Kaminoans my recommendation that they refrain from acting until we can launch a deeper investigation into this matter,” General Ti said kindly. 

Pender was unconvinced. “General, please don’t. I’ll do anything you want, but I can’t- Please, don’t tell the Kaminoans about this.”

The General tried to gently persuade Pender that she would do everything she could to help, but she had to make her full report. You had never been so grateful for your comm to ring than you were in that moment, and you happily stepped to the furthest corner of the room to accept the call.

You could have gone outside for greater privacy, but there was a chance that General Ti would pull some kind of Jedi trick on Pender, and you weren’t willing to risk missing that.

The frequency was unfamiliar, but you accepted it anyway, answering with a wary, “Hello?”

“It’s me,” Alpha said, his voice familiar and utterly comforting even through the small speakers of the comlink. “Pender’s a traitor.”

The unprompted statement was so timely for the situation that it took you a moment to process. “What?”

“Pender’s a traitor,” Alpha repeated with relish. “He’s been giving information to the Seppies through a disguised transmission station outside of Kamino.”

“Are you sure?” you murmured, trying to pitch your voice only barely loud enough to be heard over the chaos in the background. “How do you know?”

“We tracked the communications back to Kamino,” he told you. “They originated from his Republic-issued comlink frequency.”

“Pender,” you called, repeating it more loudly when he didn’t respond the first time. “Pender! I need your comlink. The one the Republic gave you.”

“Pender? Why are you with Pender?” Alpha demanded, but you ignored him.

“I don’t have it,” Pender admitted, shrinking under the harsh stares of the general and commander. “I lost it months ago.”

Your voice was sharp with exasperation and irritation. “And you didn’t think to mention this when you asked me for help?”

“It was GAR-issued,” Pender explained, sounding confused about why you were so upset. “I didn’t want to get fined for losing government equipment. You already told the general about the credit transfer when I asked you not to. I knew you would do the same thing with the comlink.”

“I believe it is clear that Pender is not the source of our information leak,” General Ti summarized, cutting through the rest of the chatter and accusations you, Pender, and Alpha were throwing around. “Pender, you are dismissed.”

Pender rushed out of the room as quickly as possible. When the door had closed behind him, the general continued, “That does leave the question of who the leak is. Administrator, do you have any theories?”

You shook your head. “Sorry, General Ti. I didn’t go far back enough in the security cam footage to catch who might have stolen Pender’s comlink. Now that I have a timeline, I should be able to narrow the list of suspects down.”

“General,” Colt said, voice urgent. “We’ve just had an unauthorized departure from the planet.”

“That must have been our traitor,” General Ti concluded. “We must go to the Kaminoans with what we’ve learned.”

“I’ll report what we’ve found to the Republic and the GAR,” Alpha informed them all through your comlink. “I’m sure you’ll be in contact with them, and it’ll help if they already know what’s going on.”

“Very good, Captain,” the Jedi said, inclining her head despite the fact that Alpha couldn’t see her. “And hurry back. I have a feeling we will need you here.”

“I will, General,” Alpha agreed, and you could hear the grim determination in his voice. “Omega Squad and I will have to stay long enough to catalogue what we find and report back to everyone, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Stay safe, Alpha,” you pleaded softly, as the general and commander turned away tactfully and started their own conversation. 

“I will, but I need you to do the same,” he countered. “I’ll see you soon...”

There was an odd, heavy pause before the call disconnected. It was probably because he didn’t call you neverd’ika since you had an audience… but you couldn’t help but wonder if there was something else he didn’t say.

You couldn’t dwell on it for too long. General Ti had called ahead to get an emergency meeting with Lama Su. Kamino’s prime minister hadn’t been happy at being summoned, but he agreed to spare the Jedi a few minutes. You didn’t need Jedi senses to catch the subtext: if it had been anyone else, the meeting request would have been denied.

It didn’t matter, though. All that mattered was that General Ti got the meeting and brought you and Commander Colt along with her. Given your particular history with the Kaminoans, you made a point of staying quiet while General Ti finished giving him a general explanation of what had happened.

By the time she had finished, more information had come to light. Colt stepped forward, already displaying the screen of his datapad. “Security has traced the unauthorized departure to a ship owned by Lenjam Banti, one of the bounty hunter instructors. They haven’t been able to reach him on the comms.”

“Do you believe Banti was the leak?” Lama Su asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. 

“Kamino security forces ran a sample of his skin cells through an outside database,” General Ti told him. “It revealed that he lied about his identity. Banti is actually a bounty hunter known only by the name Dengar.”

With that information and the new timeline Pender had inadvertently provided, you focused your attention on your own datapad, pulling up the security footage you had been looking through. Now that you had a suspect, it would be far easier to track down evidence.

“Impossible,” Lama Su decreed. “We perform an extensive background check on all instructor candidates. If he were lying about his identity, we would have discovered it.”

“Not necessarily,” General Ti told him kindly. “Your databases are extensive, but self-contained. It would have been simple for someone with the right skills to alter the information of the genetic information you have on file. The Kaminoan databases do say that the material belongs to Banti, but several outside databases confirm that the man is indeed Dengar. Your archives were sliced and altered.”

Kaminoan expressions weren’t easy to read, but even you could tell that Lama Su looked displeased. “And what evidence do you have that this Dengar was the one to collect and distribute information?”

Fortunately, you had found what you needed by that point. You showed him your datapad, with Dengar’s face clearly showing on the footage. He was frozen in time, leaving Pender’s quarters. “This is from several months ago. We hadn’t thought to look back that far.”

Lama Su’s look of displeasure began turning to one of derision and you braced for him to say something condescending, but General Ti interrupted before he could begin. “Prime Minister, you must act quickly. We do not yet know what information Dengar has or where he took it.”

“And why should I not take Doni Pender into custody?” the Kaminoan asked. “Why would Dengar have left so abruptly if he set up the perfect person to take the fall? It seems to me that the two could have been working together and had a disagreement. Or perhaps Dengar discovered Pender’s deception and fled for his own safety.”

“Prime Minister, Pender is the only reason we found out about all of this,” you chimed in. “He has made some missteps, but we wouldn’t have made this much progress if he hadn’t told us about the way he was being set up.”

“Sir,” Commander Colt said quickly, before Lama Su could reply. “The administrator was skeptical about Pender’s guilt despite the supposed evidence. She was looking into the situation. With her investigation and Captain Alpha-17 finding the transmission station with Omega Squad, Dengar probably felt it was too dangerous to risk staying here.”

Lama Su leaned forward, an intent look in his dark eyes. “How did you know about the commando team’s progress? Their mission is highly classified. They were not to discuss it with anyone.”

“I’m Captain Alpha-17’s commanding officer, sir. The GAR’s processes are that he should report to General Ti and I even on assignments outside of our command,” Commander Colt explained smoothly. 

It was an outright lie, but the commander’s sincerity and matter-of-fact nature made it far more convincing.

Lama Su didn’t seem like he entirely believed that, but General Ti spoke again. “We must act now or we risk unforeseen complications from the situation, Prime Minister.”

The Kaminoan steepled his long fingers and heaved a heavy sigh. There was a moment of charged silence, but he reached for the comlink on his desk. After keying in a frequency, he said reluctantly, “Until we can do a full audit of our information, Kamino is under lockdown. No one may enter or leave without approval.”

He glanced from General Ti, to Commander Colt, and finally to you. With his eerie eyes fixed on you, he said, “Perform all necessary activities to prepare for a potential invasion.”

---

Author's Note - Oh, here we go again... Thanks, as always, for reading!

Now for the unwelcome part of this note: I try to take a break about halfway through these stories to get the next part planned out and start writing. I'm not prepared to say that this is the halfway point (e.g. I legitimately thought this was chapter ten the whole time I was writing it), but I will be taking a small hiatus. You can expect the next chapter to be posted in the first week of March!

That being said, I do have some stuff planned for the time between now and posting Chapter Twelve. Feel free to send in asks for more information or background questions. As long as you aren't asking for spoilers, I'd love to answer your questions!

Thank you for reading and I'll see you in a few weeks!

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[girlactionfigure]

Resistance Fighter – Nancy Wake

She killed a Nazi with her bare hands.

Nancy Wake was a gutsy journalist from Australia who became a leader of the Allied resistance and killed a Nazi with her bare hands.

Born in New Zealand in 1912, Nancy was raised in Sydney. She ran away from home at age 16 and went to London, where she became a self-taught journalist.

As a young woman, Nancy described herself as someone who loved nothing more than a “good drink and handsome men, especially French men.” In 1930 she married Henri Edmond Fiocca, a wealthy French industrialist.

During the 1930’s Nancy worked for Hearst newspapers as a European correspondent. Stationed in Vienna, Nancy witnessed the rise of Nazism. She was shocked to see roving gangs of Nazis beating up Jews, and never forgot the sight of Jews chained to massive wheels and rolled through the streets. She later said, “I resolved there and then that if I ever had the chance I would do anything to make things more difficult for their rotten party.”

Nancy became a courier for the French resistance. Speaking perfect French, she worked with the “maquis” – guerrilla bands of resistance fighters. After Germany invaded France, she helped Allied POW’s and other personnel escape the country.

The Gestapo called Nancy the “White Mouse.” They tapped her phone and intercepted her mail. Nancy’s life was in constant danger.

Nancy described her method of avoiding detection by the Germans: “A little powder and a little drink on the way, and I’d pass their German posts and wink and say, ‘Do you want to search me?’ God, what a flirtatious little bastard I was.”

Nancy led repeated attacks on Gestapo headquarters. By 1943, she was the most wanted resistance fighter, with a 5 million franc price on her head.

After Nancy’s maquis network was betrayed, she fled France. Her husband stayed behind, and he was captured, tortured and killed by the Gestapo. Nancy, on her way across the Pyrenees to Spain, was unaware of her husband’s death until after the war.

In 1944, Nancy parachuted into France. Her assignment involved collecting and distributing arms and equipment that were sent in by parachute. Nancy was a highly successful recruiter, and is credited with bringing 7500 fighters into the resistance.

From April 1944 until the liberation of France in August 1944, Nancy’s band of maquisards fought 22,000 German soldiers, causing 1400 casualties while sustaining only 100 of their own.

At one point, Nancy killed an SS guard with her bare hands to stop him from raising the alarm during a raid. She later described how she did it, “They’d taught this judo-chop stuff with the flat of the hand at SOE [special operations training] and I practiced away at it. But this was the only time I used it – whack – and it killed him all right. I was really surprised.”

Another time, Nancy’s wireless operator was shut down in a German raid, and she rode her bicycle over 300 miles through German checkpoints to deliver the secret codes.

After the war, Nancy was awarded the United States Medal of Freedom, the Medaille de la Resistance, and the Croix de Guerre, among many other honors.

Nancy continued to work as an intelligence agent. She married a Royal Air Force officer in 1957 and for the next several decades they divided their time between London and Australia. Nancy’s autobiography, The White Mouse, was published in 1985 and became a bestseller.

Nancy’s husband died in 2001, and she returned to London permanently. She lived at the Stafford Hotel near Picadilly, her expenses largely paid for by the hotel’s owners, who were honored to host a renowned heroine. She could be found every morning at the hotel bar, drinking her first gin and tonic of the day.

Nancy died in 2011 at age 98. Her remarkable story has been the subject of multiple biographies and television mini-series.

For fighting the good fight against the Nazi war machine, we honor Nancy Wake as this week’s Thursday Hero.

[thezombiegeekinthehawaiianshirt]

Perhaps one of the most evocative images of the Titanic disaster is that of the young newsboy outside the White Star Line offices at Oceanic House in Cockspur Street, London, S.W., holding an Evening News poster announcing "Titanic Disaster Great Loss of Life."

That boy was Ned Parfett, and his short life was no less spectacular, and his death just as tragic, as that of the Titanic. Six and a half years after this poignant photograph was taken, Ned was killed during a German bombardment while serving with the British army in France, just days before the Armistice. He was 22.

According to his great-nephew Dominic Walsh, young Ned enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1916, first serving as a dispatch rider before reassignment to reconnaissance duties. Youth did not prevent bravery; he was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Military Medal for his gallant conduct during a series of missions at the front.

Ned was one of four brothers from Cornwall Road, Waterloo, to enlist "for King and country." One brother served in the disastrous Dardanelles campaign of 1915, surviving to become part of the occupation army in defeated Germany. Another brother served in the bloody battle of the Somme in 1916, only to be wounded and gassed at the third battle of Ypres in Belgium. The third brother also survived. Only Ned failed to see out the war.

He died on 29 October 1918, less than two weeks before the end of the war. Ned was killed near Valenciennes when a shell landed on the quartermaster's stores, just as he was collecting some clothes before going on leave.

After his death, the officer who recommended Ned for special recognition wrote to one of his brothers: "On many occasions, he accompanied me during severe shelling, and I always placed the greatest confidence in him."