#blaster master overdrive

[satoru-is-the-way]

Din Djarin X Force Sensitive Reader

A/n:A small dabble! This will be my first Din x reader peace! A few things will be changes! Also a bit of a soulmate theme!!!

Warning: None. Small hints at being a future Sith? Idk lmao.

Fandom Master List! I have 2 more Din fanfics on their way!

Summary: (Y/n) and Din Djarin have been flying across the Galaxy in search of a Jedi Knight for Grogu. During this period they both caught feelings for each other. After Grogu leaves with Luke what is her fate with the Mandalorian?

"Only We Know"

I came across a fallen tree

I felt the beaches of it looking at me

(Y/n) knew she could wield the force. Since her childhood days there had been something different about her. A gentle whisper came to her, a feeling that never could be fully explained. She blindly followed this to a lightsaber on Tatooine. The crystals glow red against her (s/c) skin. From then on she knew her path. The darkness always had been her friend. However she could not accept this fate. The tales of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader had been told around the galaxy. She did not want to be labeled as an evil Sith. (Y/n) knew no Jedi would ever train her with such darkness encircling her soul. She battled between the dark and light sigh in an never struggle.

The last couple of days she had felt the force closer than ever. It showed her glimpses of the future. One thing (Y/n) hated were the small fragments of imagines. The first dream is of a child. Small, large brown eyes, green skin? Not very old. He was scared, sad, and in need of help. The next dream came with something -no someone unexpected. She knew of the term 'Soulmates' and laughed at the idea. Silver armor, brown hair, chocolate eyes, and his scent overwhelmed (Y/n) each night.

She had watched as a Mandalorian took on a town from afar. Once he and the droid walked into the building (Y/n) dropped down from her hiding spot and walked in. Whatever was in that crate sent her instincts into overdrive. The droid listed its gun without a second thought she shoot it. The Mandalorian spun around holding his blaster up. Din inhaled sharply at the strange feeling once their eyes meet.

'Is this the *girl I'm meant* to love?' He wonders.

'Is this the *man* that I've been dreaming of?' (Y/n) put her gun down.

_Two Year's Later_

Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?

After earning permission from (Y/n) and Din Grogu waddled up to Luke. The Jedi picked the small foundling up before glancing at (Y/n). Skywalker could sense the darkness inside of her. Yet, how it would dwindle over time because she found her soulmate, the Mandalorian. "May the force be with you." Luke bows his head before leaving.

Heading to Tatooine (Y/n) glanced over at Din. She could never forget the image of his face. Despite seeing him in her dreams the real thing was more meaningful. Over their journey (Y/n) had fallen for the Mandalorian. "I think I might stay on Tatooine with Boba." She whispered.

"What?! Why?" Din reacted with than she imagined, betrayal in his voice.

"I just want to fine a place to settle finding someone to settle with." She whispered the last part.

"What about me?" Din asked. This caught her off guard. Since the beginning, there was a tense feeling between them. The unspoken knowing. The unspoken feelings.

"Din, I'm gettin' *older*, and I need *someone* to rely on. You and I...We are soul mates but at this time we are needing two different things." Din scoffled at her words.

"So, tell me when you're gonna let me in. You closed yourself off to me. I want to know how you feel. About this, about me, us. Just anything. You shut yourself off when I get closer to you." He touched your hand.

"I'm gettin' tired, and I need somewhere to begin with you!" (Y/n) stood up. Din also stood.

And if you have a minute

"Why don't we go. Talk about *this* somewhere only we know? I am open to anything if that means I can be with you." Din cupped (Y/n)'s cheek.

Her (e/c) orbs scan his chocolate-brown eyes. She was scared to feel love. All her life she denied the idea of happening. Yet here Din stood ready to do anything and everything for her.

This could be the end of everything

So, why don't we go

Somewhere only we know?

Somewhere only we know.

"Only for you." She slowly removed his helmet before pulling him into a long deep kiss.

[titleknown]

Transformers Collaborative Toys I Legit Want But Will Never Happen:

The Landmaster from Damnation Alley

The supernatural black Dodge M4S Turbo Interceptor from The Wraith

The psychic death tank from Psychonauts

Megaweapon from Warrior of the Lost World

The protagonist from the game The Guardian Legend (who's already a transforming robot!)

Basically anything from After Man/The Future Is Wild

Any of the actual IRL cars Ed Roth built, ala the Orbitron, the Mysterion, the Beatnik Bandit, ect

Basically anything from Masters of the Universe (Because Mattel being Hasbro's biggest rival and all)

The red stapler from Office Space

The Rockin Roadster from Jem and the Holograms

The big stupid custom monster truck from Rolling Vengance

Wario's car from Wario Land 4

Sophia from Blaster Master

Sinistar, as a planetformer

Grond from Lord of the Rings

The ADF-01 Falken from Ace Combat

The knife from the movie Cobra

The Turbokat from SWATKats

The Hound from Farenheight 458 (the book version)

The Metal Slug from Metal Slug

The Green Goblin truck from Maximum Overdrive

The Killer Rabbit and the Holy Hand Grenade from Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The tank from the original arcade Battlezone, designed to look like it's made out of vector graphics

Nintendo Gamecube, with a "wing pack" made of the controller

SCP-682 (Hasbro'd probably balk at the Share-Alike license)

Basically anything from Wacky Races

The SS Dolphin from Pikmin

The Electric Mayhem bus from the Muppets

The Psychic Tandem War Elephant from Adventure Time

a Killer Tomato from Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (with a fembot alt-mode because deep cuts)

And that's the ones I can think of at the moment. Add your own in the reblogs and maybe, against the will of God and nature, Hasbro might hypothetically take notice and pony up the license...

...Or, at least maybe somebody'd draw fanart of these hypotheticals! That'd still be pretty rad!

[simpingwriter]

Cal Kestis x Kyra Yarmot

'In the Name of Love' pt.5

Okay so before some hard-core Star Wars fans come after me to take my head off and put it on an oversized death stick in the comments for the end of the chapter...I know. I am a huge fan of that series myself, I know that event didn't happen during Cal's Story...by a long run. But this is a fanfic. Not Canon. So now it did happen before/during Cal's (and Kyra's) Story.

If you don't care about intermixed Timelines, enjoy! :)

Word Count: approx. 3.000 Words

___________________

Screams of the other Padawans and the still helpless younglings filled the air, the smell of blood put your senses to overdrive as you were pulled through hallways at the hands of am older man wearing ripped up Jedi robes.

Your master. He was trying to get you out of here. Where was here again?

"We need to hurry, Kyra, the entire Temple is under siege and it's certain they'll first stop when they have reached their goal!" The temple.

You remember, you're in the Jedi Temple of Coruscant! You were about to return to your small room to rest after hours of training your newest technique with your Master. Your body felt limp, useless. Powerless.

You couldn't defend yourself or him.

So when they broke down the pneumatic doors to the elevators, your last resort was to follow his command to hide behind a pillar until he was done.

He got overwhelmed by the blasters, was no longer able to reflect them all on his own and he got shot down in cold blood by…by Clones? But they were…they were your friends, weren't they on your side?

You're just about to run out to your hurting master as you felt a gloved hand hold you back. N-no. They found you... They were going to kill you! You don't want to die!

"It's me, Zeta…and the rest of the team."

That voice.

This wasn't just any Clone, those were under your maaters order! Without hesitation, they shot at their own comrades, taking them down by the element of surprise. That gave you the opening to run to your Master's side, groans of pain growing weaker by the moment.

You have to help him! Please! Anybody!

"Don't cry, Kyra." You weren't crying…right?

"No attachments…remember their rules…"

"Master Tegra! Please, you're going to be alright, right!? You can't leave me alone! Please!"

You forgot all the rules he taught you, so you wouldn't fall out of line in front of the other Mentors and the council. You screamed from your lungs, felt your throat grow sore, probably drew all kinds of attention to yourself.

You didn't care.

"Z..Zeta." "...Yes sir?" "...from here…care of her…from today…you're under…" You couldn't follow the things they said, too busy trying to find ANY way to keep him from hurting anymore Not Master Tegra. Not your Master!

"Kyra." Your name, awfully weak on his lips, grabbed your attention, "You're still far…too young…for it…but I won't…require it any longer. From…today…it is yours."

You hear distant feet running closer, Zeta is about to pull you away as your hands take what he gave you.

His lightsaber.

He wasn't coming with you, he wouldn't stay with you...

The realization came too late for you to say your proper goodbyes.

"Master?" "Go. You need to…survive."

Zeta and the other Clones of your troop carried you away, your small hands grabbed tightly yet shaking around the last thing he had gifted you.

His lightsaber. . .

Blaster fire right behind you. In front of you.

Smoke.

The smell of burnt hair, flesh, bones and blood.

Their horrifed screams, their last screams, filled your ears.

The screams of all those just as unlucky as Master Tegra.

They got louder. And louder.

And louder.

You no longer heard anything else but their screams of mercy...

"KYRA!"

You sit up in your bed with a start, hitting your head against the small shelf above it in the process, but the shock didn't let you feel the impact much. The mattress under you was wet, you were wet. You sweat through everything you wore and laid on. You seriously hoped it was sweat, for your dignity.

The worried sick face of Cal was next to your cod, his green eyes scanning your face for anything that answered his questions while you recovered from the shock. He leaned on said shelf with one hand while the other hung down his side.

That was just a nightmare…it wasn't real.

And yet, you still faintly caught a whiff of burnt hair and skin.

Swallowing your sudden sickness at the memory alone, you finally looked at Cal.

"Cal…" "Again?" You nod back without another word, going to hug yourself for warmth, but as so often by now, he came in quicker, engulfing you in his arms, pressing you tightly against his unwavering chest. You cringe at his unbothered contact with you in your current state, knowing you had to be slick with fear-sweat.

"Everything will be alright, Kyra. We've got each other now, you're no longer alone…remember that." He mumbles sweetly, his dominant hand going small routine circles on your back, well, between your wings…

It has been three months now since you joined the Mantis crew.

Three months of you no longer having to fend for yourself anymore.

Two months and 28 Coruscant Rotations or days since Cal and you started to do this…together. As a team of two.

"Was it the same one again?" "Uh-huh…"

It has been happening more and more since a month, plaguing your sleep at least every second day by now. "You said you didn't have them when we sha-" "I'm fine Cal, I promise." You probably weren't. But it embarrassed you too much that you had to squeeze onto his or your small bed, in secret nonetheless, to not get followed by these by now years old demons.

Sometimes, you didn't have nightmares of your past…of the events of Order 66 and the following Purge. Sometimes they were something you already had as a child. Visions.

You had warned your Master months before it happened, but he couldn't listen to you. He wanted to, he assured you that.

You had been nothing but a Padawan. Nevermind that you had such visions in your sleep before, all of them which came true in some shape or form, though not always in the way your vision would show you.

They never showed good things.

Only despair. Essentially, you had been a harold of death, one that no one believed.

Cal kept you in his embrace for good five more minutes before you untangled from each other, knowing that you didn't want to be caught by the others. Hugs on their own were okay…but you both wore only minimal clothing for sleeping. And it still made both of you blush like red lava cakes whenever your bodies touched each other.

"We shou- " "Y-yeah, before they see us I guess…yeah…" He mumbles awkwardly when his arms unwrap from your back, still found the time to admire your face up close with a tired smile though while he was doing so.

"My pretty Dragonfly…" had only been able to get muttered in time as he placed his lips on yours, a small groan in his throat at how eager you were to kiss back, just like usual. And why shouldn't you, you choose this. To break the rules with him and not someone else.

You formed a special kind of attachment after the Force itself had led you to each other. Was it love? You didn't know. Tegra once told you how love was supposed to feel. And...you're sure...it did feel like it. But love wasn't something you're supposed to have to hide. Unless you were Jedi, like you and Cal.

You both lost yourself shortly in what was supposed to be just a peck on the lips by him, his body weight letting you both fall back onto your creaky bed with small quiet chuckles against each others lips. This wasn't the subtle way you meant to go at this, he was supposed to end the hug, not start a make out!

And at the same time, you weren't able to take your lips away from him either, his were eager ones. almost as if he would starve without at least one more minute with your gentle ones all alone. Well except BD. But he wasn't a snitch, he rooted for you two anyways.

"I wish we had more private…ah…more private time on planets again." You whine out from in-between his lips, an embarrassed small moan slipping from yours as one of his hands slipped and went to…new found land...on accident.

Truth be told, the last time you had really been able to stay for longer on a planet, like that day and night back on Bardotta…it's been a good month, by GSC. And on the Mantis, people forget what knocking is, they just…come in.

Especially Greez after he warmed up to you, finally fully realizing and knowing that you didn't go Feral in your head at the sight of him. Or any prey animal for that matter.

Like you were missing that particular gene.

Didn't mean that you couldn't get exceptionally aggressive when agitated.

"Kyra? Cal? You two up yet? It's breakfast time already! And I tried a new smoothie recipe too!" Merrin shouts from luckily the door frame itself. She fortunately didn't come all the way to the workbench, otherwise she would've gotten a real good view of Cal slowly losing himself in exploring your scales down your shaking body, you yourself holding back any moan he could try to pull from you.

"Yeah, we- we're already up! Just five more minutes!" "Any longer and I would've pulled you by the hair anyways, Kestis!" She playfully threatened as you hear her feet walking away again. Of course forgetting to close the damn door. What else.

Cal had managed to distract you so much, you didn't even hear or sense her arrival. This could've ended badly.

"Sorry…i-i don't know what came over me. I-I saw your- I mean, I saw…" and like a switch, he went back to being the embarrassed boy everyone knew. As if he wasn't inches and surely seconds off from feeling your chest and knead them in his hands. He did that once before, but quickly stopped doing that on the Mantis since your reaction to it almost had the whole crew at your door. What are you supposed to do if you had never been touched there before and your nippels are sensitive like landmines during a groundquake?

A quick last peck on his lips, wet from a mix of your saliva, shut him up as you grin at him, "It's alright, Cal. I will find some time for us alone…then you can explore all you want." You tease at the lobe of his ear, feeling him physically shake at your promise before he sighs. He had to part from you now, otherwise Merrin would probably really try and drag him out of here.

He remembered being called a pervert by her for almost seeing your unfolded Wing while you changed, the wing of his girlfriend! Well, they didn't know that. But your WING! THEY WERE ALWAYS NAKED!

"Ready?" You ask through his thoughts, an annoyed grunt all he was able to muster as he came out from his side of the partition, today his old Bracca Poncho on. He liked it – from all of the Ponchos he had – still the most. Sometimes he actually missed being able to hide. To not have to fight and be on the run, as it were quiet days on the Scrap Yard Planet, with Prauf and the other scrappers...

But this was his…you two's mission now.

He would ask you about that kind of feeling later…but not now. They were the kind of thoughts he didn't want Cere to hear.

"There they are! I was worried for a moment you fell back asleep!" The woman in question said, waving you over to the coffee table, which you promptly sat at, grabbing at a piece of bread, lightly slapping Cal'soff as he went for the same peice. Merrin was still in the kitchen, three freshly made smoothies in her hands. "Good morning, sleepy heads, I was more worried you would never stand up! And here. Try them." Sitting down next to Cal, still rubbing his hand, acting like a damn child like usually, she hands you both a chilled glass with greenish liquid inside. Green, of course.

Maybe you didn't go feral at prey animals. But you still liked, no...loved...meat, so the sight of something so incredibly green, makers…

"What…what's in there to make it so…green?" Cal asked just as puzzled as you were, watching Merrin intently at taking the first sip of her own glass. Her eyes set on him, she realized her expression was actually being scrutinized thoroughly by the both of you, holding back a grimace, "It's…good."

Sure.

Bravely, you shrug and take a way too big sip. Instantly you regret that move. It was so incredibly bitter.

Your eyes almost teared up slightly as you forced the stuff already in your mouth down before looking at Merrin, "You're right...it's good. Try it, Cal." If you had to, he did too.

Unfortunately trusting you with too much sometimes, he nods before taking a similar bog gulp like you. Unlike you, he had no gag reflex whatsoever, a split second later it was back in his cup with a splash as he glared at both of you, you for deciding to even participate in her lie, "What the hell, Merrin…" "I probably used too much Curmarin. This was supposed to be sweeter…" she laughs awkwardly before taking the awful liquid from your hands to dispose of it. You couldn't even feed the Boglings on Bogano with that...

So normal breakfast it was-

Wait a minute…

Just on your path to grab a new slice of bread – the first stolen by Cal while you were distracted of karking course – you had been sure you felt something call out for you.

And again.

This had to be from a planet nearby.

Climbing over Cal's lap in a hurry – the sharp knife-like tip of your tail missing him by an inch, at least by the air he sucked in – scaring up the rest and Cal of course as well, you rush to the cockpit to look through the windows.

You were passing a planet, one you knew too.

A lawless planet – formerly relatively orderly – in which crime was now able to flourish without big interruption since the Empire came out to play. You had been once, 5 years ago and had made one crucial enemy, or so it seemed.

"Greez?!" You turn around like stung by ten bees at once, eyes wide, "Can you get us down to this planet? Now?" The Latero almost dropped his toasted bread at you suddenly raising your voice and everyone seemed to suddenly be on edge as he turns around, "B-but we didn't even fini-"

"I sensed my Lightsaber!"

Unable to hide his shared and very high interest, Cal now dropped his own food back in the plate in front of him and rushed to your side at the cockpit, pressing himself skin to skin as you point at the planet you just began to pass past fully now. "But are you certain?" Cere asks as she more calmly joins you two as you nod strongly. "It…I felt it calling out to me."

Her eyes harden, trusting in your instincts, "Fine then. Greez, you can eat once we're in the atmosphere!"

You hear a muffled curse as he throws his bread back onto his plate, stomping over to his place as the captain, "Maybe I should teach at least ONE of you how to fly her…as much as it pains me." He groans, pulling the Mantis out of "Cruise Mode"...which was essentially the lowest setting on acceleration for the Mantis.

"I mean…you never even asked if one of us can…" you mumble, picking at some dry skin around your claws' base as the older man stops what he's doing for a moment. "You're saying you can-" "Fly a ship? Yes. Yes I can. I was taught early." Sure, some ship controls were different from each other, but you could navigate most of them since the look of buttons and switches usually didn't change much instead.

Greez for one moment looks at the controls, you and then his food back at the table.

Then shook his head. "Not today, kid. I need nerves of durasteel and a full stomach to watch someone touch my baby." Understandable.

So instead, you situate yourself in the chair next to Cal's, watching the turn of direction.

Down to Tatooine you go…

As the Mantis landed and the boarding door went down, a feeling of mild regret hit you. You somehow have a wrong memory of how hot this shithole really was.

"Oh I will get wingburn so badly…" you grunt out but it deterred you not much as you turned to Cal. He nodded, he was ready as well.

"Be careful out there, the Empire isn't the only dangerous thing here…" Cere warns, unnecessarily too as the Bounty Hunters – which you were sure she meant – are the reason you're here in the first place.

If you found the droid karker who attacked you, you couldn't promise anybody that you held back like a Jedi should…

But where would he be, surely not like an idiot in the Tavern?

As you stopped on the rocky surface, on a place a bit higher than the small town you landed near, you felt Cal tap you on your shoulder. In his hand was a thin scarf, from the dimmed color, you took that it probably belonged to Merrin beforehand and he talked her into giving him two. "Against the sand…and the heat too, to some extent." "Thanks…look, that's the guild I got into…slight problems…a few years ago."

A sleazy tavern right in the middle of a just as sleazy town, it made Cal pull his eyebrows up in surprise. "What was 14 year old you doing in…this place?" He had all right to wonder, not exactly safe for normal kids. But were you ever normal? You had no major problem with surviving back then…

What you had a major problem with was not starting a fight.

"I never really told you who I was with back then, did i?" "Mhmm…not really. You mentioned that it was Clones though."

Those were the people who you had been with since the beginning of this.

Zeta, their captain and his five subordinates. He was a bit of a failed Clone, his appearance was nothing like that of the normal Clones. He had black hair and his skin was many shades lighter than that of the rest. All that made him not any less loyal.

But the person you tagged along with later on was the reason you even came here.

"Them and I, we ran into a Mandalorian Bounty Hunter about two years after the attack on the Temple. He was badly injured, on the run from a failed contract. So we took him onto our ship and I took care of his wounds, which indebted him to us due to the Creed he lived under…"

A stoic, rarely laughing and always working man. But he was not just a good Teammate. He became a great friend, next to Zeta and your old Master probably the best you had before Cal came.

"Is he…" You nod, keeping the tears from starting to fall by scanning the area below for anything majorly hostile.

"He gave his life for mine and the kid's…"

"The kid?" "I tell you once we're done here…okay? Too much potential danger if we stay still for too long in the wrong place." You talked your way out of having to tell him about one of the probably worst memories you had, well next to that night of the attack.

You had to find your lightsaber first, then you could cry yourself into his lap…well, if you would let yourself cry even more in front of him today...

___________________

[tfwarfare]

Transformers Warfare: Omnibots

A now defunct faction of Autobots, the Omnibots were a special strike team which meant an unfortunate end at the hands of a Decepticon ambush. Unlike many other teams who meet the same fate, however, their story did not end there. Some members wound up surviving, and their journey's would take them elsewhere, where they would one day meet again... this time on opposite ends of the battlefield.

Overdrive

The former leader of the Omnibots, Overdrive was a master strategist whose expertise and innate desire to achieve her goals would often get the better of her. While she could usually prove herself capable, one fateful mission wound up costing the lives of her team. This was a massive blow to Overdrive as an individual, and she'd spend much of her life reinventing herself, taking on aliases such as Slipchain or Bootlatch. These days, Overdrive goes by Quickshadow, the reclusive, lonesome member of the Rescue Bots, though her arrogant nature has still shown through from time to time.

Overdrive transforms into a Aston Martin DBS. As a Rescue Bot, she doesn't carry traditional weaponry, but she does have a multitude of tools capable of helping herself and others when in danger.

Downshift

Downshift used to be a dedicated protector with a gung ho attitude. This changed when a disastrous mission nearly cost him his life. Left on the brink of death, Downshift felt betrayed by his leader Overdrive, his friend Hot Shot, and his Conjunx Joyride... so much so that when he woke up as a prisoner of the Decepticons, he immediately pledged loyalty to Megatron for a shot at revenge. Disillusioned with the Autobot cause, Downshift will stop at nothing to unleash vengeance on his former friends.

Downshift transforms into a 1970's Chevrolet Chevelle with an exposed engine block. He is armed with a twin pair of swords.

Camshaft

A covert bot tasked with spying and scouting, Camshaft was a more paranoid, cowardly sort, though one who still followed orders. Unfortunately, neither that nor his tough body armor was enough to save his life from a Decepticon ambush. Though he may have perished, his memory lives on in the processors of his former teammates, though for very different reasons.

Camshaft transformed into a Cybertronian car. He was armed with a neutron blaster and had a shoulder mounted missile launcher.

[yugiohcardsdaily]

Posted Cards Master List - 41.5

rest of November 2022

Mitsu the Insect Ninja

Dr. Frankenderp

Esper Girl

Final Psychic Ogre

Genetic Woman

Genomix Fighter

Ghost Fairy Elfobia

Grapple Blocker

Gravity Controller

Heavymetalfoes Amalgam

HTS Psyhemuth

Hushed Psychic Cleric

Hyper Psychic Blaster/Assault Mode

Hyper Psychic Blaster

Hyper Psychic Riser

Hypnosister

Krebons

Lifeforce Harmonizer

Magical Android

Master Gig

Mental Seeker

Metalfoes Vanisher

Mild Turkey

Mind Master

Mind Protector

Overdrive Teleporter

Overmind Archfiend

Pandaborg

Parametalfoes Azortless

Parametalfoes Melcaster

Power Injector

Psi-Beast

Psi-Blocker

Psi-Reflector

Psychic Ace

Psychic Commander

Psychic Emperor

Psychic Jumper

Psychic Lifetrancer

Psychic Nightmare

Psychic Snail

Re-Cover

Reinforced Human Psychic Borg

Serene Psychic Witch

Shelga, the Tri-Warlord

Silent Psychic Wizard

Space-Time Police

Storm Caller

Telekinetic Shocker

Thought Ruler Archfiend

Time Escaper

Ultimate Axon Kicker

Anti-Spell Fragrance

[gengamer110]

Nintendo Switch eShop Deals

I love a good bargain, and the Nintendo Switch eShop has quite a few right now. The following contains a list of games that I have personally enjoyed, and are worth a look. I’ve covered many of them on my YouTube channel as well. Games I’ve Played 80’s Overdrive – $1.99 (was $9.99) Blaster Master Zero – $4.99 (was $9.99) Blaster Master Zero 2 – $4.99 (was $9.99) Blaster Master Zero 3 – $7.49…

[turtlethon]

“Enter: Krakus”

Season 8, Episode 6 First US Airdate: October 22, 1994

Titanus opens a portal to the future as his master plan is revealed.

The eighth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rolls on with “Enter: Krakus”. This is the concluding part of a three-story arc, following on from “Cry H.A.V.O.C.!” and “H.A.V.O.C. in the Streets!”

After the events of the previous episode, the Turtles and April watch from a distance as the Flux Transformer is transported out of the military base to prevent it being stolen by Titanus. As the Turtles are concerned that they won’t be able to follow the convoy without drawing attention from HAVOC’s mutants, April offers to do so on their behalf. At his headquarters, Titanus learns from his men of the move, and orders them to steal tracking equipment from a company called Suretech Surveillance that will allow them to determine the whereabouts of the Flux Transformer. Later, April watches as the sought-after device is loaded onto a train, and continues to shadow its journey.

The Turtles confront Overdrive, Amok and Seizure moments before their attempted break-in at the surveillance firm, but the battle is interrupted by the arrival of a Sonic Blast Man lookalike who opens fire upon our heroes. Grateful for the distraction, HAVOC’s mutants continue with their mission. The armoured warrior declares that his name is Krakus - “get used to it!” - and flies into the air with Donatello, threatening to drop him to the ground if he doesn’t reveal the whereabouts of Titanus. When Donnie suggests he’s likely in his underground headquarters, Krakus takes this as confirmation that the Turtles are in league with the villain, and allows him to plummet towards the ground, narrowly saved thanks to being caught by Michaelangelo. Krakus flies off, but before doing so accidentally drops a vital clue to his intentions: a small metal plate from one of his missiles marked “METROPLEX POLICE DEPT.”

Before we move on, can we take a moment to appreciate the box transition between this and the next scene? Rarely, if ever, have we seen such attention to presentation in TMNT, and I think it’s worth highlighting that the show is continuing to step up its game eight seasons in.

April’s trail of the Flux Transformer comes to an abrupt halt when it’s moved from the train to a helicopter. Left with no way of following it the rest of its journey, she uses her Turtlecom to inform our heroes of the bad news. The team speculate that there must be digital records stored somewhere that would reveal its destination, and Michaelangelo suggests Donatello could use his computer to hack into the military’s systems. Donnie points out this would be an impossible task, and so instead the Turtles opt to sneak into a government building by way of a basement entrance.

Emerging from a grate, the Turtles sneak inside and view a computer document titled “OPERATION FLUX SHIFT”. After copying the file to a floppy disk, the team are confronted by a guard. Barging their way outside, the green teens find themselves again face-to-face with Krakus, still convinced they’re working for Titanus, who accuses them of breaking into government property and opens fire with a laser blaster.

The Turtles take refuge in an oil refinery, which turns out to not be the smartest move as Krakus is able to do plenty of damage using his blaster weapon. Act one concludes with the gun-toting hero firing upon a metal platform which begins to crumble, threatening to flatten the team.

Krakus assumes his enemies have been vanquished, but the Turtles are able to escape via an underground hatch, re-emerging from another one nearby to confront him. Pinning their opponent to the wall, they demand information about his intentions. We learn that Krakus is a police officer who has travelled back in time from the year 2066, where Titanus was a crime boss who created an army of mutants and almost achieved world domination. Afterwards such genetic experimentation was outlawed, but the enormous villain escaped by travelling back in time. Still convinced the Turtles are in cahoots with Titanus, Krakus again opens fire, but is bewildered when April arrives on the scene to begin filming the action.

April, it turns out, becomes a famous journalist in the future – you'd think she already would be in the present given the number of outlandish events she’s covered over the course of the series for Channel 6, but okay – and more significantly for Krakus, she’ll save the life of his father twenty years from now, ensuring his own birth. Convinced through their connection to April that the Turtles aren’t evil after all, Krakus agrees to work with them to stop Titanus, but his primary objective now becomes to protect April as a means of ensuring his own survival.

Amok hands the tracking device stolen from the surveillance firm over to Titanus, and while doing so mentions the arrival of an armoured flying warrior wearing a star. The description is instantly recognisable to the huge mutant as that of his old foe Krakus, and after making the required adjustments to the tracker he alerts his other followers to the imminent threat.

I thought it was odd that in the earlier discussion between the Turtles of using Donatello’s computer to hack into the government systems it was never mentioned that in the previous episode, Synapse blew all the equipment in the workshop up. Presumably Donnie has since repaired his PC as it’s up and running in the next scene, with the Turtles using it to view the documents copied to the floppy. The team learn that the Flux Transformer is being shipped to an island on the Adams River, and rush off to make sure it’s not intercepted by HAVOC.

April is taking a stroll with Krakus, keen to learn from him about the events in the future that will lead to her hitting the big time. Before he can reveal how things play out, HAVOC’s mutants attack, robbing him of his weapons and destroying his armour. Within seconds the futuristic cop is stripped of all his accoutrements, and is now just a slightly craggy man, dressed in a blue turtleneck sweater and tan slacks that make him look like he’s ready to sit at home and listen to his collection of Jim Reeves records. He does his best Charlton Heston impression as he crawls across the street on all fours, yelling that he’ll fight the mutants with his bare hands if he must, but is soon defeated. Titanus’s troops take April hostage, her protector left to fall into a chasm created during the battle.

The Turtles arrive in their van and discuss how HAVOC intend to reach the nearby island where the Flux Transformer is being held, given that the only way to get there is via helicopter. They get their answer when the mutant underlings show up wearing jet-packs, scooping them up into the air. (Along the way Donatello snatches the tracking sensor from Amok, mistakenly thinking it to be a blaster weapon, an action that will play into the story later). The Turtles are dropped into the water and can only watch as their foes successfully raid the site, taking the critical device. A more pressing issue soon arises as our heroes face the prospect of going over a steep waterfall, saved only thanks to Michaelangelo’s grappling hook and Leonardo’s katana.

Returning to the Turtle Van, the team attempt to reach April via Turtlecom, but get only static. Upon arriving back in town, they find Krakus pinned under some rubble following his earlier altercation with HAVOC’s mutants. The future cop and the Turtles invade Titanus’s hideout, but find only a pre-recorded message from the villain. He tells the team that the Flux Transformer will shortly transform him to his “former glory”. Meanwhile, April has been taken by his underlings to a steel mill where she’ll be finished off. Krakus is insistent upon saving her, but is reminded by the Turtles that he now lacks the means to do so. With that in mind, he instructs his new friends to use HAVOC’s equipment to mutate him, knowing that this will make him an outlaw should he ever be able to return to his own time. Reluctantly the Turtles agree to carry out the procedure, turning Krakus into an enormous beast with fangs and armour. Still in possession of the tracking device, the green teens set out to find Titanus and the Flux Transformer.

Krakus barges into the steel mill, no-selling the attacks of HAVOC’s mutants and rescuing April. Meanwhile, at an abandoned sports arena, Titanus prepares to summon his army of mutants when the Turtles arrive in their van. Mutant warriors from the future begin passing through a portal and the odds appear overwhelming until Krakus arrives with April.

Krakus does battle with his old enemy but due to restrictions implemented by Donatello earlier winds up reverting to his human form at the worst possible moment. Forced to improvise, Leonardo gets behind the wheel of a nearby forklift, shoving the villain through the time portal. As the controls for the Flux Transformer were adjusted by Donnie during the battle, rather than returning to the future Titanus finds himself in the prehistoric past, doomed to spend the rest of his days co-existing with dinosaurs.

After learning from Donatello that his mutation was set to only be temporary, though whether he’d revert to being human was never a sure thing, Krakus prepares to return to the future. In the last second before he heads through the portal, April again asks him what will lead to her becoming famous in the future, only to be told “[She’ll] find out... in time!” (Wow. That’s unhelpful.) The Turtles and April speculate that while Titanus has been vanquished, several of his mutants are still present in our time. Despite this threat, the team vow to be ready for any future challenges.

“Enter: Krakus” brings to a close the entertaining diversion of the HAVOC story arc, an experiment in telling three interconnected tales that require the viewer to tune in over consecutive Saturdays to fully appreciate this, the big pay-off. To some extent, it does so successfully, though I can’t help but wonder if in doing so it’s hampered the momentum that Shredder had built upon after finally being re-established as a legitimate villain. We’ll get back to him eventually, but Titanus is worth celebrating as a worthy adversary for the Turtles in his own right. This is what the show should have been doing all along, and it’s frustrating to think of all the time wasted through the years on unimaginative one-and-done mad scientists and other generic villains. We could have had years of Titanus/HAVOC stories sprinkled among the Shredder shows had the show gone down this route earlier; instead, these three tales are all we get, a tantalising glimpse at what might have been.

There’s an argument to be made that none of this, or anything after “Shredder Triumphant!” should be considered canon, the Red Sky seasons almost feeling like a glimpse into one darker alternate timeline rather than a natural continuation of what TMNT had once been. If we take them as entirely legitimate, “Enter: Krakus” creates a little bit of a problem as it suggests a future that conflicts with the one the Turtles visited in season five’s “Once Upon a Time Machine”, where they met their future selves in 2036. There, the Turtles were celebrated as heroes who had managed to do away with crime altogether, and April was approaching retirement age, still dutifully working the same role at Channel 6 and driving around in her old news van, the world around her seemingly having moved on. It’s implausible that the events of these episodes could co-exist as Krakus initially has no awareness of the Turtles, and there’s no way their public profile declined rapidly enough in the intervening thirty years that they went from practically being worshipped as gods to being completely unknown; conversely, the April from the 2036 we saw seems to have made no career advances, unlike the one Krakus describes. From this, we can only determine that either the timeline has since changed or that earlier adventure was never canon to begin with.

Really, though... was anyone clinging to the events of “Once Upon a Time Machine”, which depicted undignified and somewhat depressing futures for both the Turtles and April, as something definitive? As with so many episodes not written by David Wise, I’m okay with the prospect of jettisoning it from the larger story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Let’s drop “The Turtles and The Hare” while we’re at it, just assume that whole weird Hokum Hare mini-arc never happened.

Astonishingly, there are only two episodes left to cover in season eight, and one of them is a hold-over that was intended to air a month earlier. Next time, we finally get around to discovering what the deal is with “Cyber-Turtles”.

[professoricepick]

10 Games That Need to Be Saved: WiiWare

10 Games That Need to Be Saved: WiiWare

Believe it or not, I actually have an extreme passion for video game preservation. I know, that sounds pretty ridiculous for the main writer of a blog called Retronaissance, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, we’re over two decades removed from what I’d consider the golden age of gaming and since then, we’ve discovered that a lot of the hardware from that time period just wasn’t built to last. Worse…

[liugeaux]

The Master of Blasting

Months ago, once I realized my Retron had a save-state feature, something got into me. I realized I could go back to old retro games and actually finish them. Sure, I played 100s of games in the 8 & 16-bit eras, but I’ve never been that good at anything with a steep difficulty. Most games of the late-80s, early 90s were punishingly tough and typically, without cheat codes I never got to see the end of them.  

After playing through all the old Donkey Kong Country games and Sonic the Hedgehog 1, I turned my eye towards a peculiar series I had only dabbled in before, Blaster Master. With the release of Blaster Master Zero on Switch, I was extra interested in diving into the well-regarded B-tier NES original.  

With a little research, I found that a total of 8 Blaster Master games have been released...that’s when the classic Sergio completist kicked in. I convinced myself that I shouldn’t play the new Switch games until I’ve completed all of the retro titles. When I began my journey I didn’t realize it would be such a headache.  Here’s my run-through of all the Blaster Master Games.  

1988 - Blaster Master (NES)

Ah, the original. This little game has a charm to it that most games of the late 80′s don’t have. It was clearly inspired by Nintendo published games like Metroid and Zelda. Blaster Master’s key gimmick is the ability to play as the armored tank Sophia the 3rd or as an on-foot character named Jason, the pilot of the tank. As needed, Jason jumps out of the tank and enters human-sized doors.

Blaster Master is a 2D platformer, but once Jason enters a door, the game switches to an overhead perspective for navigation through maze-like dungeons. None of the mazes are particularly hard to solve, but all of the game’s bosses are found in these dungeons. As a kid, having a game that completely switched perspectives was rad. I never owned it as a child, but I vividly remember my time with it through rentals and such.  

This first game is super hard and I found myself using known glitches to get past the game’s harder boss sequences. In true Metroidvania-style, there’s heavy backtracking throughout Blaster Master and if you don’t know where you’re going getting to the next level can be quite annoying. Having played the whole game, I can finally say that despite a super strong first impression, Blaster Master isn’t that great. 

It's WAY too hard and by the halfway point the luster had worn off the unique gameplay. For some reason, this is the point where I decided to dive headfirst into the rest of the Blaster Master games. I’m a glutton for punishment I guess.  

1991 -  Blaster Master Boy (Game Boy)

Prior to playing the original, I had no idea there were so many titles in this series. I definitely didn’t know there were multiple portable entries. Blaster Master Boy is less a Blaster Master game and more a Bomberman game. Technically its a sequel to the Bomberman spin-off Robo-Warrior. A quick trip over to Youtube can confirm that the gameplay and music are lifted directly from Robo-Warrior. To add even more confusion, in Japan, Robo-Warrior was called Bomber-King, Blaster Master Boy was Bomber-King Scenario 2 and it wasn’t even published by the same company.  

Because of this weirdness, I didn’t spend too much time with Blaster Master Boy. It also didn’t help that there isn’t a decently priced copy anywhere on the internet.  

1993 - Blaster Master 2 (Genesis)

Five years after the original, Blaster Master returned to the console market with Blaster Master 2. It was a Sega Genesis exclusive and the only title in the series released in the 16-bit era. Playing this immediately after the original really made it quite hard. The controls aren’t as precise and the difficultly level is somehow ratcheted up. Blaster Master 2 is a more straight forward platformer without the backtracking of a traditional Metroidvania. 

Unlike the first game, when you enter the human sections of the game, you don’t start a top-down sequence. Instead, the pilot levels are 2D platform shooter areas. All of these seem half-baked, clunky and compared to the game’s contemporaries, quite sad. Fortunately, top-down gameplay wasn’t completely abandoned, before the end of each level there’s an odd top-down sequence, where you pilot Sophia. This mechanic never returns in future games, but taking the rest of the game into consideration, it really isn’t terrible.  

Unfortunately, there’s not much good to say about Blaster Master 2, It hits most of the design notes that the first one hits but the entire experience feels like it was made by a completely different team. Funny enough, after saying that, I looked it up and Blaster Master 2 was, in fact, made by a completely different team. Ha! 

The game’s only saving grace is its vivid color pallet and solid sprite design. Like the first game, the music solid, but unless you’re taking a trip through the whole series like me, Blaster Master 2 can be skipped.   

2000 - Blaster Master: Enemy Below (Game Boy Color)

It took Sunsoft awhile to get around to the Blaster Master series again, but in 2000 they came out swinging. Blaster Master: Enemy Below was released for Game Boy Color and of all the games on this list, it is the game that most resembles the original. Much of the art is designed to look nearly identical to the NES games’, even down to a nearly pixel-perfect recreation of the SOPHIA tank.   

The top-down Jason segments return as does the extreme difficulty and fantastic soundtrack. It’s hard to really complain about the execution of this title. It was clearly an attempt at just trying to make the closest thing they could to the original and in many ways, it is a tighter and more consistent experience. Unfortunately, that’s also a strike against it. Enemy Below doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The bosses are basic re-hashes of the originals, the levels feel like a “lost levels” DLC pack and the game being portable doesn’t really encourage innovation.  

I guess the coolest thing I can say about Enemy Below is that it's still available for purchase. On the 3DS Virtual Console, you can pick up Enemy Below for about $5. At that price, it’s easy to recommend, especially since it comes with built-in save-state functionality.  

2001 - Blaster Master: Blasting Again (Playstation)

Also, released in 2000 (in Japan, 2001 in North America), is the weirdest game in the series to date, Blaster Master: Blasting Again. For those of you too young to remember, the Playstation/N64 era of video games was full of 2D series trying their hand at 3D games. Blasting Again is an egregious example of this frustrating industry trend. You still pilot a tank, with all the same features, like homing missiles, and hover, but you’re dropped into a fully realized 3D world with painfully bad anime cut-scenes.  

The “Jason” sequences are still here, but they too are 3D and mundanely boring. Also, with this being an official sequel to the original, you play as Jason’s son Roddy, not Jason. Much of the music from earlier in the series is remixed, and rerecorded, so not all is lost in the odd one-off. Unfortunately, the antiquated tank controls and punishing difficulty makes Blasting Again hard to recommend. I was able to play it on PS3 with no issues, but the toggle switch for the digital and analog controls was initially hard to find.  

I ended up sinking about 40 hours into finally beating this tragedy. I wasn’t able to use save states and despite it being objectively bad, I grew to love it’s janky and unfair presentation. As a whole, these games have really tested my ability to control my anger, but Blasting Again was the first one to truly get all the way under my skin.  

2010 - Blaster Master: Overdrive (WiiWare)

Notice, I have yet to say any of these games are good, that’s because they aren’t. What they have is a charm to them that conjures the aura of the scrappy beginnings of gaming and the forced appreciation of only owning 4 games that had no checkpoints. Thus far, despite initial misgivings, I’ve enjoyed my time on this journey. Blaster Master: Overdrive is where that joy ended. The fun I was having with the series was taken out back, brutally beaten, and left to die in the town square as an example to anyone daring to play this absolute nightmare.

Overdrive starts innocently enough. It does it’s best to try and evoke the gameplay and tone of the original and for what it's worth the art style isn’t terrible. The Sophia and Jason gameplay loops are in-tact and even the gun-upgrades are more important than ever. Where Overdrive falls apart is its difficulty and embarrassing lack of control options.  

I’m sure most of you are at least familiar with the Wii-Remote. With this being a Wii-Ware only game, it could only be played with the Wii-Remote. The real downside is that the developer either ran out of time or opted not to explore the myriad of control options the Wii offered. There’s no classic controller support, no Gamecube controller support, there’s not even a way to map buttons to a nun-chuck. You are stuck playing with the Wii-Remote turned sideways.  

This wouldn’t be that big of a deal if they had found a better way to implement strafing into the controls. To strafe, the player must hold the B button. That’s the button underneath the Wii-Remote. In a world where the player is using the remote like an old-school NES controller, B button usage is a legit finger-bending-nightmare. Couple this broken control scheme with punishing difficulty and you have the perfect recipe for rage-quitting. I‘m not proud of my behavior during my time with this game and let’s just say I own 1 less Wii-Remote now.

The last thing I want to say about Overdrive is less about the game itself and more about its availability. The Wiiware marketplace is 100% closed, which means there’s no legit way to purchase this game, outside of buying someone’s Wii who had already bought it. This is an ominous foreshadowing of things to come. I would have paid for this game. Hell, I’m deep enough into this BM adventure I would have paid a premium to play this dumb game, but Nintendo’s shut-down of the Wii-Ware shop is a low-key attack on game preservation that us archivist, CANNOT forget. *steps off of soap-box* 

2017 - Blaster Master Zero (Switch/Steam)

With the release of Blaster Master Zero, the series got the most attention it’s had since the original game. Most of that attention was because Zero was basically a launch game for the Switch. The best way to describe Zero is to say that it’s developer Inti’s attempt to take the Blaster Master formula and actually make a decent game. For the most part, they succeed. Oddly enough, almost 30 years later, Zero is the first legitimately good Blaster Master game.  

Much like Enemy Below, Zero tries its hardest to evoke the look of the original NES game. Some refer to games like this as pixel art, others refer to it as lazy...I float somewhere in the middle on it. It was great playing a Blaster Master game with a proper controller where the mechanics actually work. However, it was frustrating seeing a game, based on a design aesthetic that hit its ceiling in the late 80s, try to beautify itself. Many attempts were made to make the design stand out, but it just kept hitting the ceiling established by its predecessors.  

Alternately, by Inti making the game super-playable, the flaws of the older games stand out even more than before. Typically, good Metroidvania’s have an intuitive way of hinting at where you need to go next or a good way of telling you what access you’re new power-ups give you. Due to Zero’s obsession with evoking the original, that intuitive gameplay is replaced with a red box on the map screen. This turns the game into a “drive to red box, shoot things, drive to next red box and shoot more things, experience”, rather than the naturally explorative nature of other games in its genre. The anime story seemed unnecessary from the start, but I’m sure someone will enjoy it. 

While playing Zero I honestly asked myself, “Is this game way easier than the older games, or can I finally control this little tank properly?” I’m sure the real answer is somewhere between those two extremes, but ultimately Zero was a blast, albeit WAY too easy. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the sequel improves upon this wonderful jumping-off point. However, I’m positive I’ll be disappointed that more wasn’t done to bring the series into the modern 2D-platforming space.   

2019 - Blaster Master Zero 2 (Switch)

Zero 2 is very much a sequel to Zero. In true anime fashion, the story immediately gets super self-serious and consequently superfluous. I’m sure some players will love the dialog between protagonist Jason and all of the various anime-faced characters, but that’s not what I’m here for. Needless to say, the story gets involved in ways other Blaster Master games haven’t. That’s not a strike against it, it’s just a characteristic that may not actually matter.  

All previous mechanics are intact here and new ones are introduced almost immediately. If Zero was truly the first good Blaster Master game, then the refinements introduced in Zero 2 make it...wait for it...THE BEST BLASTER MASTER GAME EVER MADE! It controls well, the levels are interestingly built, and where previous sequels in the series lacked innovation, Zero 2 is full of cool and weird, new stuff. The bosses are fresh and interesting, the Jason sequences have been enhanced with a brand new counter mechanic and the space travel segments add a level of depth not seen in previous games.  

I hate that I’m being so positive about the game. It’s been so much fun talking shit about Blaster Master games. Unlike the previous game, developer Inti found a way to modernize the gameplay and still make a genuinely challenging experience. I had trouble with multiple bosses, but never did I feel like the game was unfair, or something was broken. Many of the additions to the story also benefited the gameplay. Something as simple as making the Frog from the original game the reason Jason can immediately leave dungeons serves both the story and gameplay.  

This has been a long journey, and the real hero is Inti Creates. Hopefully, Zero and Zero 2 have done well. The work put in by Inti deserves praise. They have perfected a formula that’s been pending since 1988. Both titles are only $10 on the Switch shop, and at that price, you are basically stealing them. Anyone with a Switch has no reason not to pick at least one of them up and check it out.   

As for the series itself...I have very mixed feelings. There are very few good Blaster Master games. It's a series that trades in loose nostalgia for a widely forgotten NES game. From that, a bunch of often half-hearted sequels were developed trying to capitalize on the little bit of cache the original game still has. I don’t regret my time with the series and I think more titles deserve the Blaster Master treatment, but subjectively, I wouldn’t recommend anyone pick up any games outside of the original and the 2 newest Switch titles.  

[supergreatfrien]

Wii Shop Closure p.5

Monsters that roam in the dark, gas bubbles to be collected, a jumping armored car, and Milon.

Games: 0:00:40 - LIT 0:21:25 - Monsteca Corral 0:39:46 - Blaster Master Overdrive 1:00:38 - DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure

[ohmsjedi]

Could you do a story about Captian Rex X Reader. Where the reader jumps in front of a blaster fire or a bomb and protects him from being harm.

𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘹 𝘹 𝘎𝘕 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵: 𝟏𝟎𝟖𝟐

𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘸𝘢𝘳, 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧

𝘈/𝘕: 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦…𝘪 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘴. 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 <3

Your breathing was ragged and off, your lungs were slowly being filled with smoke mixed with plastoid.

This was bad.

The unknown planet was covered with mines, exploding and causing more chaos and fatal losses. This planet was a trap. A scheme to lure the republic to a fully controlled separatist base.

Both you and Ahsoka were in charge of disarming as many mines as possible in order for the troops to bypass.

“We-we’re almost there” Ahsoka claimed nearly out of breath as she pressed on her com, sending a signal that the mines were deactivated for both the 501st battalion and 187th legion to keep moving forward.

“Are you sure that was…all the mines?” You looked towards Ahsoka who was now squatting down, a hand placed on the ground as she slowly glided her fingertips over the dirt.

It was quiet for a second, her eyes closed in concentration, her face contoured in concern when she felt a light rumble. Ahsoka lifted her head up and looked around the perimeter. She quickly stood up, now on high alert.

“I sense something…something is coming towards us” she looked towards you, her eyebrows scrunched together. You both snapped your heads towards the direction of where you saw the troops and your masters receding from the forest.

“We have to warn them before-“ Ahsoka was cut off by a loud boom, you both flinched and looked towards the area the explosion occurred just a couple meters away.

You both ignited your lightsabers and sprinted towards both your battalion and legion blocking the enemy blaster fire as it rained down on you both.

The fight continued on as you all were neck and neck, each taking turns in falling back. It was exhausting as it felt more and more droids were being dispatched.

It had quickly become a concern when the 501st weren’t taking any more precautions and Skywalker decided to take things under wraps by pushing forward and disobeying master Windus's orders. Windu had become quickly agitated while calling orders for your men to continue forward as well.

You kept to Ahsokas's side as you both made your rounds in helping the 501st and 187th fight for the upper hand. With the taste of victory in just arms reach the final wave of battle droids had joined the front lines. You all continued your efforts to defeat the final few separatists, but with overconfidence came carelessness and that seemed to apply to everyone.

Deep down your instinct had seemed to overdrive your abilities, turning towards the 501st captain who was preoccupied with a few unlucky battle droids you had forced yourself to run towards him, dropping your lightsaber in the process. The moment was slow. As you expected a blaster bullet was shot from afar by a commando droid.

The captain had been finished in time for you to shove him to the side, only for you to be shot on your side as you fell on your knees wincing at the pain of your flesh burning. You skimmed your hands to your side and applied pressure to the blaster wound, the heat slowly eating through your skin. 

Rex was quick to shake off the unexpected moment, pulling out his dual pistols and firing them as he got up to cover you.

A couple droids went down as he kneeled in front of your hunched-over body.

“You alright’ sir?” His voice was laced with concern implying a sense of urgency as the battle went on.

“‘Am alright” you grimaced, prying your dominant hand off your side as you used it to force pull your lightsaber hilt into your grasp. You got up quick and wobbled slightly, noticing how Rex almost seemed panicked, ready to catch you if you were to fall. 

“We have business to finish Captain” you gave him a pointed look towards his eyeslits. He gave a curt nod, unsure of what to do but nonetheless trusting you to be okay on your own. The pain was inevitable, then again you reminded yourself that this was nothing to what you’ve dealt with before. 

You both instigated in combat, Rex sticking to you the rest of the way till the enemy was distinguished and the Republic had control over the perimeter. 

You sat on a fallen tree log, waiting patiently to be patched up along with those that were either minorly or severely injured. Ahsoka had kept you occupied while waiting, rambling on about how intricate the forest was and the potential the planet held. 

The time came when the captain had to ‘thank’ you for nearly putting your own life on the line just for him, a simple number. 

He held his bucket close to his side as he walked over to you and Ahsoka making curtsy nods to his troops who passed by. Unknowingly, you’d glanced over to his walking figure, you eyed him curiously while keeping a calm facade as he proceeded to walk towards the both of you.

“Commanders” he looked between the both of you, Ahsoka perked up and you said a quick ‘captain’. He cleared his throat as he straightened his posture, attempting to put on his, as Ahsoka put it, ‘The Fierce Captain Rex of the 501st’ facade. 

“Commander L/N, I will like to profess my gratitude and say thank you for saving me back there. What you did back there’…putting your own life on the line for someone like me was reckless...but I will forever be in your debt” Rex stared at the trees that were past your head, avoiding eye contact, avoiding the possibility of judgment by someone who was appointed to someone like master Windu.

“What did I tell you” Ahsoka elbowed you while you both bursted out laughing. Rex eyes widened as he frantically looked between the both of you for an answer, a clear confused expression painted on his face.

“No need to thank me captain, your life is just as charitable as mine. I’m just doing what I believe is right” you smiled at him. Ahsoka continued to laugh to herself while you focused on Rex who seemed to have loosened up by the looks of his body language. 

There was a glimmer in his eyes as he smiled to himself, finding more and more reasons to have high respect for you. 

You both made eye contact; keeping the eye contact, he bowed his head slightly, as he had nothing else to say.

Moments like these were charitable.

[maswartz]

Power Rangers Zenith Force

(Logo by MasterPikachu6)

Throughout the universe there are countless teams of Power Rangers. Each one drawing power from the Morphing Grid. For eons only the Rangers could access this great power. That is no longer true. Upon capturing a Morphing Master the robotic Machination experimented on him gaining access to the Grid. Once they gained access they proceeded to drain about 50% of its power severely weakening every Ranger throughout the universe. However one of their tests into harnessing the power resulted in four of their Cogger foot soldiers gaining sentience. Filled with guilt and horror at the actions of their creators they rescue the Master and flee to Earth. During a fight against the Machination’s forces a surge of power from the Grid via the Master turns a set of prototype blasters into morphers allowing the five to become the Zenith Rangers and protect what’s left of the Grid from the Machination. Taking shelter with a robotics inventor the Coggers gain civilian holograms to help them blend in while in hiding from the Machination. Protectors of the Grid! Power Rangers Zenith Force!

Augost- The Powerful Ranger! White Zenith Ranger! A space explorer from Eltar, a near death experience left Augost with a strong connection to the Morphing Grid marking him as a Morphing Master despite never morphing into a ranger. It was his capture by the Machination that granted them access to the Grid. A fact that fills him with much guilt. Thanks to his research into the Power Gears, Bart was able to create a special pair of Gears that grant Augost and him their battilizers. When Augost uses his  DragonSaurus Gear he gains a suit of armor based on the Dragonzord and is armed with a powerful drill. Later on Bart develops the Zenith Power Cannon for Augost. This mighty blaster allows him to channel the power of various Ranger teams by theming and even summon energy copies of rangers from those teams. The cannon also turns into the Zenith Jet Zord for Augost to pilot. Face Claim: Dev Patel

Rex- The Mighty Ranger! Red Zenith Ranger! As a robotic life form Rex believes it is his duty and responsibility to protect the more “squishy” organics. He’s even appointed himself as Augost’s personal protector. Face Claim: Pedro Pascal

Maxi- The Overdrive Ranger! Blue Zenith Ranger! Maxi loves knowledge and learning new things. She’ll scan information as fast as possible and relay it to her friends. When she talks about a topic of particular interest her voice will even speed up to the point organic ears cannot register her words. Face Claim: Emerald Fennell

Leonidas- The Wild Ranger! Yellow Zenith Ranger! Admiring the vast wild life of Earth Leonidas can’t help but feel like humanity should be ashamed of how they’ve treated the wild. In secret he wishes he could be truly organic so the wildlife he loves would not fear his presence. Face Claim: Daveed Diggs

Titania- The Mystic Ranger! Pink Zenith Ranger! Titania enjoys fantasy in all its forms. Movies, stories, even fanfiction she reads online. The only problem is she can’t always tell the difference between fiction and reality. Face Claim: Ayo Edebiri

Bartholomew- The Pirate Ranger! Gold Zenith Ranger! Bartholomew is a brilliant yet eccentric robotics inventor who meets the Rangers soon after their escape from the Machination. Fascinated by the Coggers he gives them shelter in his lab where he helps them examine the Power Gears. After a battle with a Cogger he discovers a set of three spare Gears he uses to create a morpher of his own. While examining the Gears he accidentally connects two of his robots to the Grid bringing them to life. He can combine with these robots to access more power. RedRobo- The Burning Bushido Ranger! Gold Zenith Ranger! In this form Bart and RedRobo burn with the power of Kanji-Ryuko. BlueBot- The Shining Crystal Ranger! Gold Zenith Ranger! In this form Bart and BlueBot surge with the power of the Zeo Crystal. Thanks to his research into the Power Gears, Bart was able to create a special pair of Gears that grant Augost and him their battilizers. When Bart uses his  DragonSaurus Gear he gains a suit of armor based on the Q-Rex and gains the ability to manipulate time slightly. Face Claim: Matthew Gray Gubler

Celia- The Dark Ranger/The Battle Ranger! Purple Zenith Ranger!- Captured by the Machination she was subjected to brainwashing to turn her into their weapon to defeat the Zenith Rangers. She managed to resist the control as long as she could but in the end she broke. Now believing herself to be a loyal member of the Machination they set her loose on the Zenith Rangers as their Dark Ranger. In battle against the zords she would pilot the Dark Mechazord During one such battle Augost’s link to the Morphing Grid allowed her to briefly breaking free she turned on her captors until she was brainwashed once more, her mind pushed to the breaking point. During the next battle Augost finally managed to break her free and she joined the Rangers. She also reunited with her girlfriend.

She pilots the second Zenith Megazord when needed. Face Claim: Ciara Hanna

Power Gears- The Power Gears are gears the Machination created during their experiments into the Morphing Grid. Each one contains the power of a team of Power Rangers. During their escape from the Machination’s station the Rangers stole a set of the Gears. The default Gear allows the Rangers to summon a weapon or attack from the team the Gear is based on. A charged up Power Gear is called a Mega Gear and allows the Rangers to summon the weapon of the primary Megazord of that team. Eltar- Charged ball of morphing energy | Mega-Copter Blade Swords Royal Flush- Card Storm | Mega- Royal Flush Staff Dance Beat- Sonic Staff | Mega- Dance Beat Blade Cosmic Spark- Charges attack with lightning | Mega- Rocket Blaster Trisol- Solar Burst |  Mega- Solar Ax Treasure Trackers- Treasure Whip | Mega- Drill Lance Dyna Might- Blast Punch | Mega- Dyna Bazooka Atomic Burst- Atomic Blast | Mega- Atomic Sword Alchemist Adventurers- MagTec BlasterBlade | Mega- Alchemist Saber Prism Protectors- Prism Blast | Mega- Prism Saber Universal Aura- Aura Punch | Mega- Aura Saber Nature's Guardians- Nature Saber | Mega- Nature Blasters Robo Racers-Racer Rush | Mega- Racing Blaster Penta Academy- Penta Blade | Mega- Penta Sword Avian Armada- Wings | Mega- Avian Saber MMPR- Power Blaster | Mega- Power Sword and Mastodon Shield Thunder Spirits- Chi Blast | Mega- Thunder Megazord Saber Aquitar- Aquitar Saber| Mega- Ninja Megazord Punch Zeo- Zeo Crystal Blast | Mega- Zeo Megazord Saber Turbo- Turbo Boost | Mega- Turbo Megazord Saber Space- Spiral Saber | Mega- Astro Megazord Saber Lost Galaxy-Galaxy Elemental Power | Mega- Condor Galactazord Missile Mode Lightspeed Rescue-  V Lancer | Mega- Lightspeed Megazord Saber Time Force- Chrono Pause | Mega- Time Force Megazord Saber Wild Force- Jungle Sword | Mega- Fin Sword Ninja Storm- Ninja Glider  | Mega- Serpent Sword Dino Thunder- Tyranno Staff | Mega- Dino Drill S.P.D- Delta Blasters | Mega- Mega Delta Blaster Mystic Force- Magi Staff | Mega- Titan Saber Operation Overdrive- Defender Vest | Mega- Drive Saber Jungle Fury- Animal Spirits | Mega- Jungle Nunchucks RPM- Road Blaster | Mega- Super Saber Bushido Blades- Sevenfold Samurai Slash  | Mega-  Bushido Megazord Blade Guardian Spirits- Guardian Cards | Mega- Guardian Megazord Saber Pirate Legends- Legend Slash | Mega-Pirate Sabers Biotec Busters- Biotec Blaster | Mega- Biotec Sabre Fossil Spirits- Fossil Spear | Mega- Tricera Driller and Stego Sword Rail Warriors-Rail Slasher | Mega- Railway Saber Shinobi Strike- Shinobi Saber | Mega- Shinobi Megazord Blade Beast Might- Primal Power | Mega- Beast Sword Shooting Star Squadron- Star Morpher Blast | Mega- Shooting Star Blast Phantom Justice- Duo Morpher | Mega- Phantom Saw and Justice Baton or Phantom Gatling and Justice Blaster Ancient Knights-Knight Saber | Mega- Ancient Slasher Mystech Mages- Spell Shooter | Mega- Mystech Sword The Cogger Rangers are able to utilize their personal Power Gears to grow into the Zenith Zords which can combine in pairs to form Duozords that can be piloted by Augost. Red- Zenith T-Rex Zord- A mighty dinosaur charged by the power. Can convert into Warrior Mode Blue- Zenith Hauler Zord- A powerful vehicle fueled by the power. Can convert into Warrior Mode Yellow- Zenith Lion Zord- An roaring beast charged by the power. Can convert into Warrior Mode Pink- Zenith Dragon Zord- A mythical dragon charged by the power. Can convert into Warrior Mode Gold- Zenith CrocoShip Zord- A hybrid of beast and machine fueled by the power. Can convert to the CrocoShip Megazord. White- Zenith Jet Zord- The Zenith Power Cannon in jet form. Zenith Duozord Savage Fang- Combines the savage power of the Lion and the ancient power of the T-Rex. Armed with a claw and a sword and shield. Zenith Duozord Spell Tracker- Combines the magical power of the Dragon and the mechanical power of the Hauler. Armed with a magic wand and a pickax. Zenith Duozord Savage Tracker- Combines the savage power of the Lion and the mechanical power of the Hauler. Armed with a claw and a pickax. Zenith Duozord Spell Fang- Combines the magical power of the Dragon and the ancient power of the T-Rex. Armed with a magic wand and a sword and shield.

Zenith CrocoShip Megazord- Has two modes depending which robot helps activate it RedRobo- Grants the megazord a slashing blade BlueBot- Grants the megazord a shooting blaster When the two DragonSaurus Gears are combined they allow Augost and Bart to grow and combine into the Zenith DragonSaurus Zord. Zenith Megazord- The combined form of the Jet, T-Rex, Hauler, Lion, and Dragon Zenith Zords. The Zenith Megazord can summon various Zords by theming to attack their foe. The Megazord’s finishing move allows them to summon and channel the power of all the Ultrazords that have come before. The Machination Following the Z-Wave the surviving members of the Royal House of Gadgetry, the princes Gasket and Sprocket and princess Archerina retreated to the Machine homeworld to rebuild their forces before heading into a distant galaxy to begin anew. Now calling themselves The Machination they would invade planets and add their technology to their own, increasing their power.

Their ultimate plan is to find a way to tap into the Morphing Grid and harness its power for themselves. In order to do this they capture a morphing master and use him to study the grid leading to weaponry that can disrupt morphs. Their early tests resulted in four of their Coggers gaining sentience and escaping with the captive Morphing Master to Earth. They hide their station using dimensional shift technology to remain safe from attack while they send their forces to reclaim the Zenith Rangers.

King Gasket- A mighty king who has rebuilt himself to boost his power Queen Archerina- A tactical genius who plans the invasions. Duke Sprocket- No longer a child he is now a fearsome warrior General Caliber- The leader of the Machination’s forces. A terror in battle. Professor Circuit- The scientist in charge of adapting new technology into the Machination, he runs the Morphing Grid research. Chancellor Oracom- The royal advisor who sacrificed their body and had themselves installed into the royal data banks to increase their intelligence. Crowbolt- A robotic bird who gathers data and feeds it to Oracom. Cybotix- A robotic warrior built to replace The Dark Ranger after Celia was freed. Cogger*- The footsoldiers of The Machination fueled by the stolen energy of the Morphing Grid. Elite Coggers are given Power Gears giving them the power of a specific team of Rangers turning them into their “Morphed” form. Upon their defeat they will activate their Gear’s Mega function growing them to giant size.

Eventually the rulers of the Machination grow more and more obsessed with taking down the Rangers and getting revenge for the Machine Empire. This behavior confuses Oracom who considers revenge illogical and begins to doubt their ability to lead. After multiple failures they decide the time for action has come and sends a message to the Zenith Rangers with a way to reach the station. Once on board the Rangers engage the remaining rulers in battle before destroying the machine harnessing the energy from the Morphing Grid. However it’s revealed that the entire time the Grid has been slowly recharging itself. As a result the returning energy causes the Grid to spill over into the physical plane as bolts of power. Over a thousand worlds are struck by the bolts. To most the sensation is merely a larger than average static shock but to many others the impact goes deeper. In time it is discovered that those effected by the power bolts have become “Powered” with unique abilities and powers similar to the “civilian powers” some teams of Rangers possess. Some have their abilities from birth, others discover them in childhood or during puberty while others discover them through outside circumstances, usually a life threatening event. It is unclear how many “Powered” there are throughout the universe. The impact of the Grid’s overfill impacts the remains of the Machination as well, all the Coggers are granted sentience and Oracom takes command and sets off to make amends for the Machinations past deeds. Under Oracom’s leadership the new Machination gets to work rebuilding worlds ravaged by them. Mystech Force: When a Cogger steals a Mana Gem and implants it within themselves they gain mystical power drawing the attention of the Mystech Rangers. Thanks to a temporary boost from the Roc the team is able to morph to full power as they join the Zenith Rangers in taking down the threat. Morphers- Zenith Morphers Morphing Call- Zenith Power! Morphing- The rangers shoot out a Ranger Gear that passes over them. As it does it charges them with power before breaking apart and reforming as their Zenith suit. Location: Stone Canyon (Faces by Joekeybladeaura) *Morphed Coggers use the monsters from Donbrothers with the body suit from Zenkaiger Power Rangers Mystech Mages <---------Powerverse-------> Power Rangers Cyber Warriors

[hhike]

Comfortember Day 7: Insecurity

Din was still uncomfortable in this new ship, even though it was a definite upgrade over that last pile of junk he used to fly. The Razor Crest was obviously built with longevity and practicality in mind, but that meant that sometimes usability had to suffer. He had decided this was a trade-off he was willing to make - he was stuck in this system for a while anyway, so he decided he’d use the time to familiarize himself with the Crest.

At this point, flying was like second nature, and he had gotten the software in his vambrace to play nice with that of the Crest. He would be able to control it remotely should he be in need of a hasty exit, and there were a few other convenience features now only a tap away, like turning off the transponder or the heating in the pilot’s seat.

The final touch here was to set a new master password, and Din had spent the past five minutes trying to come up with something. It needed to be something he wouldn’t forget even with multiple concussions, could enter quickly even with his fingers frozen solid, but still wouldn’t be guessed by anyone else.

Din had quickly forgotten about that moment, and in the years upon years of flying this ship, there hasn’t been a time when he needed to key in the override anywhere. He had taken good care of both him and his ship.

He woke now with a start, almost banging his head on top of the closet he wedged himself into every night, his heart immediately jumping into overdrive after a quick glance at his vambrace.

MANUAL OVERRIDE.

The amber light on top of the screen indicated that someone had hacked the systems of the ship and opened the door to both the armory and the ramp. How the intruder got past the perimeter alarms was a mystery, but the good news was that Grogu was still on the ship according to the sensors.

Smart kid, must have hidden in the vents when he heard someone.

Din unholstered his blaster and silently crawled out of the closet. Somewhere behind him, coming from the armory, he could still hear shuffling noises. Trying to round the corner and surprise the invader might work, but if they stole a charge or a thermal detonator, not even beskar would be enough to protect Din. No, he’d need to do reconnaissance first.

A tap on his vambrace and he patched into the feed of the camera placed on top of the armory, waiting for the image to clear up enough so that he could plot an approach. With more and more pixels pouring in, the invader took shape - uncharacteristically small, with large ears.

“Grogu.” Din stood up straight and rounded the corner, his head hanging low in equal parts relief and frustration. “No. Guns are bad. Put that down.” he said when the kid tried to lift a repeater thrice his wait.

“Pew!” Grogu exclaimed as Din lifted him up, surveying the pile of blasters, guns and blades strewn across the floor.

“No. No pew, these are bad, okay? Bad.”

“Patoo.” came the answer, and the kid pointed at the blaster in Din’s belt. “Pew.”

Din was ready to come out with another retort and some admonishment, only for the words to get stuck halfway in his throat, held up by the hypocrisy of claiming guns were bad. He sighed. “Okay, you have a point there. Look, these are dangerous, okay? You could hurt yourself, very, very badly.” He sat down with his back against the wall, and Grogu still in his arms. With how their last few months had been going, he wasn’t going to be able to keep Grogu away from guns and knives and everything forever, so it was time to do the next best thing.

“We’ll get you something your own size, start off easy if you really want to contribute, alright? I have a rubber band somewhere, and we’ll find a branch for you, and I’ll teach you how to shoot a slingshot, what do you say?”

“Pew!” Grogu said, and Din took this to be agreement.

“Alright, we’ll get to it first thing tomorrow.” Din said. “And I’ll change the password to be something else than 1234.”

[lifblogs]

Whumptober 2021

No. 1 ALL TRUSSED UP AND STILL NOWHERE TO GO

"You have to let go" | barbed wire | bound

Title: A New Weapon Fandom: Star Wars Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Word Count: 2173 Summary: Anakin is lured aboard a Separatist ship from rumors of a new weapon. WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence READ ON AO3

Anakin collapsed to the reinforced durasteel deck aboard the Separatist ship he’d chosen to board. Someone was screaming; maybe it was him. His body writhed and tensed even as some part of him was telling it to stay still, that if he relaxed and just breathed it would hurt less. Was he hurting? All he unequivocally knew was that his body was in overdrive. What had happened to him? Shouldn’t he be dead?

Panels had slid back from the deck, strange-looking guns rising up, aimed directly at him. He’d been surrounded, and before he could do anything there had been a clack from all of them and then they’d fired. He should be dead, right? Or… Perhaps not. He had expected the whine of a laser, a blaster, but there had just been a scratching and screeching that hurt his ears.

Then… pain. Yes, that’s what he was feeling.

There was a dark tremor in the Force, the very feeling that he’d followed to this particular ship, and he struggled. The pain dug deeper, his arms trapped at his sides, his legs together. There was no mistaking the blood coming out of him, darkening his robes.

Through vision beginning to darken, and ears preoccupied with the sound of his dry sobs, he just managed to hear even steps and see an older man in dark clothes and a refined cloak walk in.

Dooku, he wanted to hiss out, but all he could do was try to quiet himself with a loud gulp that he nearly choked on.

“Young Anakin Skywalker,” he said, “I thought I might find you here. Or perhaps you were meant to be here. I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of testing my new weapon on you.”

Eyes swimming with tears, Anakin finally managed to appraise himself as he choked out, “Not… at all.” Metallic wire was haphazardly wrapped and tangled around him, trailing off and away across the deck. Part of the metal itself was adorned with sharp barbs, and what could’ve been tens of them were embedded deep, his blood turning the metal’s shine dull.

Sickened, struggling to breathe, he rested his head back down.

Think, Anakin. Think!

The pain was immeasurable. Sore and sharp at once, and seemingly all-encompassing. The very act of breathing put pressure against his barbed restraints, and the pain shot everywhere, like long needles had been stabbed through the length of his body. Pain in his thigh went up to shoulder. Pain from his hip went down to his toes.

The Force was clouded around him, frustrating him just as much as his sudden helplessness.

Grimacing, and then letting out an accidental high-pitched noise, he asked, “Are you sure… these can hold a Jedi?”

Dooku held out his hand, and Anakin’s lightsaber—which had fallen from his grasp—flew into his waiting palm, fingers surely grasping the hilt, clearly planning to keep it from him as long as possible. Anakin growled, but he couldn’t do much more than that.

“If you’re thinking of getting cocky, now is not the time.”

“I don’t know. I think it’s the—mm! Ahh! Agh!—perfect… time.”

His body started shaking, and he was sure he’d lost consciousness for a few seconds. That was difficult to tell though what with those moments of darkness feeling exactly the same as his waking state.

Count Dooku seemed to have been saying something (something stupid, more than likely) and he was cut off as the ship shook and he was tossed to the side.

Screams, followed by more of those dry sobs, came from Anakin as he was thrown a few feet and rolled, crashing into one of the gun turrets, cracking the back of his head against it. His vision sparked, but then cleared at least somewhat.

Those’ll be the shields.

Anakin tried to grin through his agony, even as a now-righted Dooku lifted him into the air and further wrapped the wires around him. He screamed through gritted teeth, jaw clenched so tight his teeth hurt.

“You think you’ll win this,” he observed.

Shuddering, he ground out, “I know I will.”

“Because Kenobi’s coming?”

Anakin’s eyes widened. A cry left him as he was unceremoniously dropped to the deck.

“Don’t look so surprised,” Dooku said with a wave of his hand, the guns lowering back into their hatches, and the panels sliding back into place. “I knew he would come. That’s why I trapped you here. These new weapons of mine served their purpose. I had the intel carefully leaked through appropriate sources back to the Republic. I knew it would draw you in—you, who is always so desperate to prove himself the hero. And in turn that would call to your insufferable master.”

“Former master.”

“Your strong connection would say otherwise, and the strength of that is just what I required.”

“Required for what?”

“Now, now, boy. A Sith Lord must not divulge all his secrets. Patience. You will see, but I fear you will not like it very much.”

“Just seeing you… is the worst part of this,” Anakin snapped.

“Quiet. Don’t act like a child.���

Another growl left Anakin.

The ship shook and shuddered, BOOM!s emanating through to their level. And then the ship listed, Dooku and Anakin both going flying.

Anakin’s lightsaber slipped from the Count’s grasp. Touching the Force, Anakin reached for it, but the wires around him got caught on a beam. He hung, and then smacked into the bulkhead. His vision swirled, and too much saliva came up in his mouth as an uncomfortable warmth and sense of chaos filled his stomach. The ship tilted again, and he was away from the bulkhead. All the weight he had from the artificial gravity pulled him down, making the barbs dig and rip as their positions changed, effectively twirling him in the air. Sweat that had been going down his neck and face now went to the ends of his hair. Blood dripped onto his jaw, his cheeks. It was splattered on the bulkhead, as well as the deck. It reached his left ear in moments, and dribbled in, making Anakin grimace at the odd sensation, and at his ear being blocked.

Panicking now, barely aware of his physical surroundings, Anakin did his best to trust the Force. His lightsaber ignited in a brilliant blue beam as it flew towards him, and it sliced through his mechno-arm. Just as planned, without his mechno-arm—which was now sparking from the few centimeters that were still attached to him—some of the wires hung loose. Not many, but possibly enough, he hoped.

Yet he was still trapped, hanging, bound in barbed wire on a ship that was getting bombarded with laserfire.

Obi-Wan, where are you?

Thankfully it was easy to tug at the wires now, groaning as the barbs came out of his skin. His left hand and arm came free just as he dropped from the beam. He caught himself with the Force just before he slammed into the deck.

Beyond that, Anakin wasn’t sure what to do. Pain had him collapsing, and part of his torso and his legs were still bound, wrapped and entwined with deepening agony. Dooku was approaching, even as the ship shook.

“You might… want to take care of that,” Anakin got out.

And then he couldn’t speak, feeling as if a hand was around his throat, blocking his airways. Knowing it was the Force, he fought his instincts, and refused to uselessly claw at his throat with his one hand. Instead he reached out, trying to do the same to Dooku. But he was lifted into the air, the grip tightening, hurting. His eyes bulged, his tongue wanting to come out of his mouth. With a pounding head, and screaming, begging lungs, all went black. There wasn’t even time to feel afraid.

~~~

“No! No, please! I just got promoted!”

The voice Anakin heard was tinny and high-pitched: a B1 battle droid.

The hum of a lightsaber effortlessly moving and slashing through metal followed, along with pieces clattering to the deck.

The Force roused Anakin as lightsabers whirled and all but screamed as they clashed.

Anakin blinked open his eyes and saw that he was on the bridge and Dooku and Obi-Wan were dueling. Obi-Wan had a slash down his left arm, and one across his lower back, but his Soresu was still effortless. One with the Force.

With the help of the Force, it only took a mere second for Anakin to take in everything: he was still bound in barbed wire from the hips down, and his left hand was restrained to a support rod with metal binders; nothing made specially for a Jedi (Dooku had probably been counting on him staying unconscious for awhile). His left ear was still blocked, and it was as if his eyes had trouble focusing, the scenes before him moving around and blurring, listing—like he was drunk. The burned and ruined parts of battle droids were around him. His former guards, perhaps? As to the whereabouts of his lightsaber, that was easy; it was on Dooku’s hip.

With Dooku distracted, Anakin breathed in deep, and with the aid of the Force snapped his binders. He reached out for his lightsaber.

Carefully, he managed to slash the rest of the barbs off of him once it was in his hand and the brilliant blue blade was ignited. He stood, swaying, his vision going fuzzy and sparking for a bit.

He was jolted forward as laserfire continued to bombard the ship, but no longer the bow, all of it aimed at the stern. His guess was that the engines had been hit.

Letting go, Anakin jumped into the fight, the Force putting him where he needed to be. Even while hurt and bleeding he blocked a lightsaber blow that had been about to slash down into a fallen Obi-Wan’s head.

“Anakin, stay back! You’re injured!” Obi-Wan cried.

Anakin ignored him, anger from his pain flooding through him, and all he saw was Dooku’s smug grin. He stumbled, but managed to fall into Shien, his lightsaber high. Though, he wasn’t used to doing it with his left hand, so after being pushed back relentlessly, he tried to adopt a form of one-handed Jar’kai. Yet his mind wasn’t working right, everything was fuzzy and confusing, and his blows began to miss and raising his arm was difficult.

Obi-Wan came to his aid.

Everything spinning, Anakin collapsed.

All he could do was lie on his back, free, yet helpless as Obi-Wan fought off the Count. He drove him into a retreat. Anakin rolled onto his stomach, trying to pull himself up to go after him. He barely even managed to drag himself a foot across the deck.

Obi-Wan retracted his lightsaber, clipped it on his belt, and was then by him.

“No, Anakin. Don’t move. We don’t have to go after him.” Then, Obi-Wan spoke into his comm, “Admiral, a pick-up would be really nice right about now! And Anakin needs immediate medical attention.”

“A gunship is on its way to your position. Can you get to the hangar on the lower deck?”

“We’ll certainly try.” Then, to Anakin, as he began to pick him up and put him over his shoulders: “Alright, it’s okay. We’re getting out of here.”

Anakin cried out from the pressure of being carried by Obi-Wan.

An explosion rocked the ship while they were in a passageway, waiting for a lift.

“Wha…?” Anakin moaned, even as his head tried to come up with what it could’ve been.

Blood.

He was getting blood on Obi-Wan’s robes.

Oops.

The shuddering grew worse, and Obi-Wan nearly fell.

Right. That.

“Dooku set off an explosion. My guess is in the hangar. He doesn’t want us getting off this ship.” Obi-Wan raised his comm. “Admiral, change of plans. We’re getting to an escape pod. Use a tractor beam to pull us in. Have a medical team ready.”

“Right away, General.”

The rest of the trip was a blur (quite literally) as Obi-Wan fought and destroyed droids, and the ship heated up, and metal screeched. The fires were coming.

Time was a slow slurry filled with excruciation, yet before Anakin truly realized it they were in an escape pod being pulled in by one of the Venator-class ships nearby, probably the Resolute.

Obi-Wan brushed Anakin’s sweaty and bloody hair back from his forehead.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you,” Obi-Wan said. “Oh, this is all my fault.”

Anakin wanted to reach out for him, but his body decided that that took too much energy, and he simply gave a rough swallow. “It’s not your fault.”

“I’m sure we can get you all patched up.”

“You too.”

Obi-Wan looked at his arm in surprise, as if he’d entirely forgotten that Dooku had gotten a hit or two on him. “Right. We’ll both be okay.”

The escape pod was brought into the hangar aboard the Resolute. Help came.

[rangerslayer-97]

The Eternal Alliance Council

So I got inspired listening to original compositions by the YouTuber Thriplerex and some of the OG compositions he did for OC SWTOR characters if their characters were an Operations boss battle, even a Flashpoint perhaps. My stupid creative brain went into overdrive.

Of course, I do have an AU in my head if the Eternal Fleet and the Gravestone weren't lost, my Guardian main truly became corrupted by power as Empress of the Eternal Alliance (went DS ending for KOTET). So, if my characters were an operation or flashpoint (albeit, a lengthy one), this is how the order of facing the Eternal Alliance Council would go (see undercut). Now, it's a bit on the incomplete side having not done all the 8 classes. Here we go regardless of what my stupid brain thought up of. If I complete more classes, I'll make an updated version.

All my characters are from the Darth Malgus server. The post is designed for a fictional Operation.

For those who like the solo-story flashpoints, I'll do a separate post for that. Curse my stupid ass brain for this 😑

1. Captain Alexest 'Alex' Baliss, Eternal Alliance Overseer of Logistics

Background: Captain Alexest is a smuggler, and an illegitimate child of House Baliss, separated at birth from her twin. One of the most feared crime lords in the galaxy after using the pirate fleet Voidwolf gathered. She had the fleet ordered to pillage and burn shipyards of both the Republic and Empire indiscriminately. Having made Port Nowhere her base of operations, Alex continued to expand her underworld empire and consolidated a hoard of wealth. Upon the arrival of the Eternal Empire, Alex moved her operations to a more hidden location. When contacted by Hylo Viz, Alex was offered a place within The Alliance and found her twin sister. Alex's contacts within the Underworld proved crucial for the resistance's growth.

Abilities: Cover, Thermal Grenade, Quickdraw, Penetrating Rounds, and more. See more abilities of the Sharpshooter if Alex were at max level (currently Lv 69).

Tips: Captain Alex is at her deadliest when she is in cover, making her most agile and nimble of the Eternal Alliance Council. Hopping cover to cover, able to blind the party temporarily with her flash grenades, the best way to handle Alex is to keep her out of cover as much as possible. Without cover, she is vulnerable, but beware, she still has tricks up her sleeves. Smugglers are always tricky and resourceful combatants.

Battle Phase(s): None. Straight through battle. Get Alex from 100% HP to 0%.

Health Points: varies depending on difficulty & whether using 8 or 16-player teams - Story Mode (SM), Veteran (Hard) Mode (VM/HM), Master (Nightmare) Mode (MM/NiM).

SM: 2.3mil (8-player)/4.6mil (16-player)

VM/HM: 4.2mil (8-player)/8.4mil (16-player)

MM/NiM: 5mil (8-player)/10mil (16-player)

~~~~~

2. Bounter Hunters Kateake 'Kat' Baliss-Cadera & Torian Cadera, Eternal Alliance Elite Bodyguards

Background: Bounty Hunter Kateake, the Grand Champion of the Hunt, is the younger half-sister of Violcrik and Alex Baliss, also born out of wedlock. Kat spent six years with her sister before the Jedi found Violcrik. Kat fled into Imperial Space at 16 and began making a living collecting bounties. Later got married to Torian Cadera. Kat reunited with her sister on Darvaniss and joined the Alliance with Torian. Despite her small stature, Kateake is a capable combatant with Torian's expertise and became the trusted bodyguard to Empress Violcrik.

Abilities: Missile Blast, Sweeping Blasters, Death From Above, Rail Shot, Priming Shot, Blazing Bolts, and more. See more abilities of the Arsenal Mercenary with Kateake at max level (is lv 75).

Tips: Kateake is capable of several AOEs and her missile attacks cause debuffs and knockbacks. For Death From Above, stay clear of the area of effect. Also capable of self-healing being a DwH, interrupts are vital if you are quick enough. Beware of Torian’s Line of Sight (LoS) attacks.

Battle Phase(s): Three-stage battle.

Phase 1: Kateake herself. Get Kat down to 75% HP.

Phase 2: Kat will leave the arena for Torian to enter. Fight Torian until he is 75% HP.

Phase 3: Fight both Kat and Torian. Get them from 75% to 0% HP. Divide and conquer is the best method. Killing Kat or Torian first will send one or the other into an enraged state. The enrage buff will grant either Kat or Torian an additional 50% ranged damage (Torian only) or 50% ranged damage and burning damage ticks for a further 15 seconds (Kat only).

Health Points: varies depending on difficulty & whether using 8 or 16-player teams - Story Mode (SM), Veteran (Hard) Mode (VM/HM), Master (Nightmare) Mode (MM/NiM).

SM: Kateake - 2.5mil; Torian - 2.2mil (8-player)/Kateake - 5mil; Torian - 4.4mil (16-player)

VM/HM: Kateake - 4.5mil; Torian - 4.2mil (8-player)/Kateake - 9mil; Torian - 8.4mil (16-player)

MM/NiM: Kateake - 5.5mil; Torian - 5.2mil (8-player)/Kateake - 11mil; Torian - 10.4mil (16-player)

~~~~~

3. Empress Violcrik Baliss & Dark Advisor Lana Beniko

Background: The Hero of Tython. The Hero of the Republic. Battle Master. Outlander. Commander. Empress. Violcrik Baliss went by many titles over her life. The illegitimate child of House Baliss, older twin sister of Alexest and older half-sister of Mandalorian Kateake. Knight Violcrik was once the Jedi Order's most skilled lightsaber combatant; aggressive and passionate in her preferred combat form, Form V: Shien/Djem So. Being a survivor of the Sacking of Coruscant and a former member of Black Sun gave Violcrik a tough outer shell. Her way of handling situations always ended up in bodies laying on the floor and often disagreed with the Jedi Council. Over time, Violcrik delved deeper into the Dark Side, drawing on its power. Though she draws on the Dark Side, Violcrik continuously denies she has fallen.

Abilities: Vigilance Thrust, Blade Barrage, Overhead Slash, Blade Storm, and more. See more abilities of the Vigilance Guardian with Violcrik at max level (is Lv 75).

Tips: Fight fire with fire. Violcrik is an aggressive combatant, only more dangerous if she has her enrage buff. If Violcrik fights aggressively, fight back the same way. To avoid the Phase 4 battle, risk facing Violcrik with the enrage buff. When Violcrik calls in the mobs after Lana falls, deal with them quickly or you'll have a very chaotic arena.

Battle Phase(s): Violcrik would be a 4-stage boss battle (3-stage, under specific conditions).

Phase 1: Violcrik herself. Get Violcrik from 100% to 75% HP.

Phase 2: Violcrik will exit the arena to recover, allowing her advisor Lana Beniko to take over. Bring Lana's HP to 50%.

Phase 3: Violcrik will return to the arena at full health. Must fight both Violcrik and Lana at the same time. The team must split in two. WARNING: killing Lana will send Violcrik into an enraged state. This buff will add an additional 50% melee and Force damage. It also keeps Violcrik from exiting the arena at 50% to recover HP. She will summon Alliance Trooper mobs.

Phase 4 (if applicable): If Violcrik is brought once more to 50% HP before Lana falls, she will leave the arena to recover HP. If Lana falls in this stage and not in Stage 3, Violcrik will return one more time at full HP (without the enrage buff). She will have 1 additional DS ability: Force Choke replacing Force Statis. Bring Violcrik's HP from 100% to 0%. To avoid a Phase 4 battle, risking the enrage buff is usually the better option. Still expect Alliance mobs to be summoned.

Health Points: varies depending on difficulty & whether using 8 or 16-player teams - Story Mode (SM), Veteran (Hard) Mode (VM/HM), Master (Nightmare) Mode (MM/NiM).

SM: Violcrik - 6.5mil; Lana - 6.2mil (8-player)/Violcrik - 13mil; Lana - 12.4mil (16-player)

VM/HM: Violcrik - 7.5mil; Lana - 7.2mil (8-player)/Violcrik - 15mil; Lana - 14.4mil (16-player)

MM/NiM: Violcrik - 8.5mil; Lana - 8.2mil (8-player)/Violcrik - 17mil; Lana - 16.4mil (16-player)

[fanfalc-616]

@321bluegalaxy

(:

Trigger warning: Major Character Death its Cryptor tho so uh ninja stans dw

Cryptor looks around at the ruins of New Ninjago City. Something is aching in his chest, but the quick self-diagnostic he runs shows that he isn’t injured.

He can almost hear his own internal fans working as his power source kicks into overdrive, struggling to compensate for the sudden wave of- of…

Emotions?

No. No, that’s not… he’s the dark nindroid general, he was built to be above that, built to be better than human, he’s not supposed to- he can’t be…

With a quiet curse, Cryptor lowers his blaster, fighting desperately to stop himself from trembling. As much as he wants to deny it, it’s the only thing he can think of that could explain what's going on.

So- okay. Okay, fine. He’s having emotions. Sure. Why not? But what the hell do they mean?

The tight feeling in his chest almost seems to be making his head swim, but he shoves it aside, forcing himself to focus on the world around him.

Right now, he needs to hunt down the ninja. He can worry about this jumbled mess later.

It doesn’t take long to find them- the Golden Master is wreaking havoc in the center of the city, so it’s no surprise that they’re fighting him there.

Shock overwhelms him when he realizes that they’re… they’re losing.

But- but that’s good. Cryptor serves the Overlord, he was built to follow his commands and help him with his take over, he-

The shock turns into what he recognizes as dread as he watches the ninja and their Senseis get tangled in the strings of Golden Power, basically immobilized by them.

Except for one.

Cryptor watches as Zane just barely manages to get away, landing on a rooftop just out of the Golden Master’s reach.

Shaking his head, Cryptor forces the feelings in his gut to the side, racing towards the building. He just- he can get on the roof, grab the stupid white ninja, and ensure his Master’s victory.

He’s only just made it to the top when he hears Zane speak, his voice low and determined as he stares at the Golden Master.

“Support me, my friends… for one last time.”

The emotions turn into a whirlwind as he struggles to comprehend what the other is doing. Eyes wide, he can only stare as the idiotic ninja parkours his way to the Overlord, and-

And wraps his hands around the Golden Armor.

“Let my friends go!” The words are strangled, choked out as his body struggles to resist the sheer power flooding his system.

“Go where, doomed ninja?” The Overlord scoffs. “The Golden Weapons are too powerful for you to behold. Your survival chance is ZERO!”

Cryptor stares. Hands shaking, he feels his blaster tumble from his grip, the weapon clattering loudly against the rooftop.

“This isn’t about numbers!” Zane chokes out, clearly putting all of his resolve into holding on tight enough and with enough willpower to prevent himself from being defeated.

And it’s then that it clicks.

Zane Julien. The white ninja. The master of ice. The bane of Cryptor’s existence, the reason he was even built. The original nindroid. Is going to die.

His mind is screaming, screaming louder than anything he’s ever heard before as he struggles to process that knowledge.

The ninja are dropped from the Overlord’s grasp. Ice starts to form on the Golden Armor, Zane putting his all into his struggle, all of his power source alongside the magic.

Cryptor finally has a name for the tight feeling in his chest.

Guilt.

All of his short life, all he’s ever done is follow orders. Orders to destroy. Orders to hurt people. Because that’s what he was built for.

He’s not like Zane. Zane was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and Cryptor-

… And Cryptor was based off of his design.

But he never helped. He was never the one protecting, he was, is, and always will be the one people need protecting from.

With every passing moment, the power exchanged between the two grows. At this rate, neither of them will survive.

Cryptor has orders. He needs to stop the ninja. He needs to ensure the Overlord’s victory. He needs to-

He needs to stop being a pawn and make his own decisions.

And just like that, he knows what to do.

Breaking into a sprint, he jumps off the ledge of the building, making his own reckless path to where the two fight.

It’s when he’s only a few moments away that he questions himself. Does he really want to do this? When he knows what will happen to him if he does?

Looking up at the one who’s so willing sacrificing himself to protect the innocent people of Ninjago, Cryptor realizes that he does.

Jumping upwards, Cryptor grabs onto the Golden Armor, feeling its power surge through him in a way he’s never felt before. The sheer energy coming off of it feels almost enough to make him shut down on the spot, but he pushes through it, looking over at Zane, taking in his shocked expression.

“What are you doing?!” The Overlord shouts, his anger coming off of him in waves.

Cryptor shifts his power source into overdrive, ignoring the numerous warnings that pop up in his vision.

“Protecting those who cannot protect themselves.”

Zane’s shocked and confused expression is all the answer he needed.

Forcing a smile past the pain, he shifts his grip so that he’s right beside the white ninja.

He looks him in the eyes, noting the missing piece of his faceplate and the mixture of fear and desperation underlying his surprise.

“Live to fight another day,” Cryptor tells him, “and remember me when you do.”

And with that, he slams into the white ninja, making him lose his grip, forcing him to fall to the ground, to where he’ll hopefully be seen and grabbed by his friends.

The pain from the Golden Armor is starting to make his vision turn fuzzy, and Cryptor takes one last final breath before letting his power source hit critical mass.

There’s a moment, one small moment that he’s able to process something in before it overloads.

The tight feeling that was in his chest before is gone.

And there’s a new one in its place, one that doesn’t need any deciphering.

Cryptor feels a weak smile find him as he feels truly happy for the first time in his miserable excuse for a life.

And that makes it all worth it.