#but the inspiration struck today so VOILA

[commandsir]

Misconception: Ahsoka is partially faulted for Anakin falling to the dark side.

SEND AN ASSUMPTION/MISCONCEPTION ABOUT AHSOKA

ahsoka was an unknowing step down on an already very unsteady ladder.

no doubt she weakened anakin's resolve to stay in the order, but he was already inching toward that path to the dark side with or without her. did it perhaps speed up the process? 100%. in much the same fashion as anakin's nightmares concerning padmé's death as padmé came closer and closer to her due date.

but would we really say padmé is at fault for pushing anakin toward the dark side? no, i don't believe so. by definition, ahsoka's departure and the nightmares about padmé, plus her increasingly nervous behaviour around him as he spiraled, were catalysts to anakin's eventual fall, but not causes. i say this especially because ahsoka and padmé loved anakin very much and cared for his well being deeply, but they had a whirlpool of their own terrible circumstances to work through, too.

conversely, i think padmé's and ahsoka's presence in anakin's life may have made it easier to cling to the light while they were around him. as soon as they began to feel distant, the fear rushed in.

in particular though, ahsoka's departure from the order was never because of anakin. it was in spite of him. even though he may have done all he could to ensure her exoneration, the rest of the jedi council thoroughly mucked up the process. their mistakes were never his fault, nor would ahsoka ever dream of insinuating such a thing. but anakin may also have feared he didn't do enough to renew her faith in the jedi, yet he was the only one who did enough. that's something i believe ahsoka tried to tell him in her own way before she left. once she was gone, though, every dangerous worry in anakin's head could run free.

so, to me, while she was a contribution, she isn't a cause. she isn't to blame. anakin's choices were always his own, even under the heavy and damning influence of palpatine.

( while really valid comparisons can be made to a steep mental health journey loaded with negative outside stimuli, anakin had options. he just had immense difficulty seeing them for what they were due to extreme stress. difficulty like any of us would have. not only was his destiny seemingly written for him by uncaring hands before he ever had any kind of say, but he was suffering under all that pressure, tricked into believing turning to the darkness was his only choice. but it wasn't. vader was a victim just as much as he was a villain. just as much as he was a hero. there were ways out, he just couldn't see them at the time. and if anyone reading this feels any kind of similar pressure or similar growing fear that you'll never make it out of the dark tunnel you're trapped in, you can be free. there is a way out to freedom for you and i believe you will find it. from someone who's been in that dark tunnel, strength shows up at strange times. you do have it in you to save yourself and become your own hero. i believe it, without a shadow of a doubt. you can do this. )

[parischangedher]

No regrets (It’s all about family): Chapter 1

I figured there was no better time to post this than right after the new promo...so, voila: The first of several holiday-inspired, purely fluffy fics can be found below! Thanks to @coffeedepablo for the inspiration.

Prompt: Tali trying to find where her parents hid her gifts for christmas

AO3 / FF

Ziva’s eyes flew open at the sound of a door creak.

Since she returned a week ago, her panic attacks reduced considerably. But, to her surprise, the instincts and reflexes she always relied upon only increased--now that she finally had what she could not bear to lose again.

She lifted her head to listen closer with unparalleled focus, adrenaline rushing through her veins. Taking calming breaths, she laid her hand over Tony’s strong one, which was wrapped securely around her waist. He was grounding: Amid all the uncertainty, danger and achingly lonely nights, he was the only one who kept her sane.

Seconds later, when she heard something clatter to the ground, she turned quickly and gently shook him awake.

“Tony,” she whispered urgently, bringing her hand to his face. “Wake up.”

He groaned, tightening his grip and burying his face in her hair.

“Tony!” she said again, anxiety rising as she broke free of him and rose, pulling on his old t-shirt and grabbing her weapon.

Registering the loss and sharp tone, Tony got up immediately. “What happened?” he asked, copying her movements.

“I heard something.” 

They fell into their old pattern as naturally as ever, assessing the situation and nudging the door open without making a sound. 

Passing Tali’s empty room, they saw the door ajar and bed unmade. Fear struck them both as they made their way to the kitchen.

Tony stood directly behind Ziva as they peeked around the corner to see a five-year-old intruder.

Adorned with her mother’s old NCIS jacket that reached the back of her knees and her father’s old hat, Tali paced around the room in deep concentration. Her fingers swam in a pair of large plastic gloves she dug out of the kitchen drawer. 

“Where are you?” she asked aloud, hands on her hips and brow furrowed in striking resemblance to her mother. “I’m an agent, and a ninja, you can’t hide. Give up. Now!”

Ziva covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, meeting her partner’s eyes with a gleam. Tony grinned and pulled out his phone so he could memorialize the moment.

After looking through all of the cabinets with no success, Tali sighed to herself and pulled off her gloves, throwing them angrily on the ground.

“Like mother, like daughter,” Tony whispered.

Ziva turned to face Tony with a smirk on her face. “Me? No, no. Sneaking, looking for presents early? That has DiNozzo written all over it.”

“You’re telling me that you never snuck around to find where your parents hid your Hanukkah presents?” he accused.

“Oh, I did,” she admitted. “But I never got caught.”

Tony smiled sheepishly and nodded toward their daughter. Taking his cue, Ziva followed him into the kitchen. 

“Hold it right there,” Tali demanded. “This is a crime scene.”

“Yes ma’am,” Tony answered, raising his arms in surrender. Ziva followed suit, watching how naturally he acted with Tali. As if she wasn’t in love with him enough.

Tali’s eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to her parents. “When did you go to bed yesterday?”

“Why?” Ziva asked, playing along with the interrogation.

“You know why,” she answered cheekily. 

Ziva laughed. “I have no idea, tateleh.”

“Because,” she said dramatically, holding up a Ziplock bag with her evidence. “I found a piece of wrapping paper on the floor. I need to find my presents.”

“What presents?” Tony asked, faking confusion. “Is it someone’s birthday, Ima?”

Tali looked from parent to parent, scrutinizing their facial expressions.

“I do not think so,” she said. “I do know that we are going to have a problem making breakfast if there is a crime scene in our kitchen. What were you going to make today, Abba?”

“Hmmmm,” Tony exaggerated. “I thought, since it is Christmas Eve, we would make chocolate chip pancakes. I guess we have to skip it and go back to bed, though...”

Tony and Ziva started to turn away when Tali responded. “No! Wait.”

“Yes, Agent Tali?” her mother asked with a twinkle in her eye. 

“I...I suppose I can let you in. But I’ll be watching you,” she announced, biting her lip softly.

The two grinned as they lowered their arms.

“Thank you very much,” Tony replied with a bow.

Tali smiled and ran to the pantry closet to find the components of her favorite breakfast.

Ziva turned to face Tony and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I’m so glad we decided to store the presents at Gibbs’ place,” he laughed, returning the embrace.

“You are amazing with her,” she said, her voice filled with a mix of amazement and regret.

“You’re not so bad yourself, you know.”

Ziva smiled softly, still insecure about her sudden return. “She makes it easy. She is perfect, Tony.”

“The best of us, for sure. Although, we do have to help her improve on the ninja spy skills. They leave quite a bit to be desired."

"That is a terrible idea,” she laughed. “Do you want to raise a teenage girl who’s an expert at running behind our backs?”

"Going. And, I think we’ll be up to the challenge.”

Ziva started to respond, but the words died on her lips as she looked at his eyes, sincere and full of everything she never thought she could have.

“What?”

“I...” she said. “I still cannot believe this is real. That we, after everything, can talk about being parents to Tali years into the future. That we finally have something...permanent. That the running is over."

Tony smiled softly and leaned in closer, giving her a soft kiss. “Me neither, sometimes. But all I have to do is look at you, and I know.”

“Know what?” she asked quietly.

“It was inevitable.”

[retirementmillionaire]

To Survive a Market Mania, Prepare, Don’t Predict

Doc’s Note: In Aesop’s fable of the Tortoise and the Hare, it was the Hare’s overconfidence that lost him the race…

In today’s markets, people are confident – albeit a bit jumpy. They’re buying and selling entire sectors when just one stock reports average earnings…

Which means it’s probably time to consult with my favorite “tortoise investor”… colleague and editor of Extreme Value, Dan Ferris. Why? Because he studies the markets, he lives and breathes stocks like a hermit, a turtle… in the Northwest.

I first met Dan when I was doing my diligence before leaving ophthalmology and medicine to join Stansberry Research about 10 years ago. I flew out to Medford, Oregon and met him for dinner at a local pub where it turned out he’d played guitar on many a weekend night for fun.

The next morning, I went to his house and was struck by the piles of dog-eared books… papers and notes, piled and semi-organized. It seemed clear he loved his work. In his garage, more books were stacked – so many that they blocked the parking and even the entrance to the house.

I wanted him to clue me into his normal day. So, I observed his routine like a war correspondent…

Take his lunch break, for example. He split and fried two hot dogs in a pan. A few quick bites later, and voila, he was done. For Dan, any time away from thinking and reading about investing was a waste…

The problem is that Dan takes his analysis and thoughts about the markets very, very seriously. So much so that he only recommends a stock when it’s trading at a great value in the market… He once went nine months without recommending a single new position in his newsletter.

The point is, Dan waits and watches and only recommends when he sees value. He’s diligent and honest.

And in today’s environment, this is the kind of researcher you want on your side. I don’t normally do this, but I was so inspired by Dan’s latest issue that I wanted to share a portion of it with you today. And of course, I encourage you to heed his words and wisdom, and consider signing up for Extreme Value today to read the entire issue…

His message is as important as any message about investing I’ve read in decades. Let me share…

********

Last month, I heralded the arrival of a bona fide mania in the stock market.

I told you how marketing guru Scott Galloway’s spot-on analysis of Amazon (AMZN) and its profitless imitators was like a freshly inked signature on papers divorcing investors from reality.

Since last month’s report, our first on the mania, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up nearly 1.5%, the S&P 500 is up nearly 2%, and the Nasdaq is up around 3%. If the mania continues, the big indexes could rise double digits in a single month (though only suckers will bet on it). If the mania ends early, these numbers will soon sport minus signs.

As the mania unfolds, we’ll cover stocks you can buy (not many), hold, sell, avoid (most), and sell short.

[Doc’s note: I love Dan’s calm while the mania builds around us.]

I promise you, a mania and its aftermath is just about the toughest ordeal an investor will endure.

The sense of complacency that builds on the way up leaves you prone to getting blindsided, and taking big losses when the end comes. Instead of recognizing heightened risk, most investors do the opposite. They come to believe “this time is different” – the four most dangerous words in finance.

Human nature works against you the whole way up in the manic phase and the whole way down in the crash phase. To get it right, you must immerse yourself in the history of past manias and crashes. You don’t need mere information. You need to bathe your mind in the soaring euphoria of the manias and the searing drama of the crashes.

We’re only human. We must engage our emotions to appreciate just how many times investors have gotten this wrong – so you can get it right…

What you learn about manias and crashes in Extreme Value over the next several months will leave you more confident and wealthy over the long term, and you’ll have more fun than you’ve ever had as an investor.

No one really knows when a crash will arrive, but the history of financial markets suggests prudent long-term, value-minded investors should prepare for it. Prepare, don’t predict.

If I seem excited at the prospect of few and dwindling opportunities to buy stocks followed by a once-a-decade market crash… you’re right. I am excited. I’ve waited for this moment my entire career. I’ve never been more prepared for it, nor more able to prepare you.

Remember, I recommended subscribers sell short Lehman Brothers in the 2008 crisis. I recommended raising cash in May 2011, just before stocks took a 20% dive, bottoming that October. I published two new long stock recommendations in 2015, the worst year for the stock market since 2008.

All those experiences are helping me do the same thing today: I’m excited at the prospect of successfully guiding you through Hell for the fourth time in a decade.

Good investing,

Dan Ferris

Doc’s P.S. Dan’s keen eye on the market has led him to pinpoint six signs of ALL investor manias. He’s seen all six recently and will show you what they are, how to avoid them, and how to survive no matter where the mania drives the market.

If you don’t read his latest Extreme Value issue, you are essentially guaranteed to fall victim to at least one of these six pitfalls.

This is one of the best newsletter issues I’ve read in years. And even better, Dan also highlights an opportunity to add to your “mania-prep tool kit.” Click here to find out how to survive investor mania.

[cwnerd12]

Destruction

“Destruction” David shows the video to Monique. They’re at a table with Shay, Joel, Isaiah, and Asher. Monique, “Oh, I know this place. I’ve had some truly memorable raves there.” Shay, “What’s it like inside?” Monique, “It’s a warehouse. Big and empty.” Shay, “What’s it used for? What can we expect to be in there?” Monique, “It’s used for storing shit. I don’t know what it’s used for, I just know the acoustics are good.” David, “There’s multiple points of entry, more than there were at the Cross mansion, we can get in a lot quicker.” Joel, “What if this place is rigged to explode?” David, “Amal is in there. He’s not going to kill himself.” Isaiah, “If it’s full of boxes, it’ll light up real quick.” Shay sighs heavily, “Well, we’ve raided the Amalekites before, and been at least somewhat successful. This time we’re not rescuing anyone, just trying to kill Amal.” Joel, “We can make it simple, have Isaiah make a big-assed bomb, light it off, voila, Amal is gone.” David, “We have to kill him kill him. If there’s even a remote possibility he can survive something and escape, he will. We can’t guarantee a bomb will kill him. Plus, if we only kill him, his followers could still carry on his mission. We need to take as many of them out as possible.” Shay, “We go in quick and discrete. Bring our best. Come to kill. Have snipers posted near the entrances, they take out anyone who tries to leave. Have backup further down in case the snipers miss. He won’t be able to sneak away this time. We’re going in prepared.” Asher, “The good news is, this time, we have plenty of nearby safehouses. Treating the wounded shouldn’t be a problem.” David thinks for a moment, “If Amal is there, they’re going to die to defend him. They’re going to make this as hard as they possibly can. Also, Amal likes to fuck with people’s heads. He’s gonna try to confuse us, turn us against each other.” Shay, “We’ll be ready for that.” David, “Also, I honestly have no idea how they’re going to try to fight back. The soldiers who go in first have to be ready for anything. It’s not entirely crazy that they might blow the place up.” Shay, “I know who to send.”

AFG snipers set up on rooftops near the Amalekite warehouse. Inside another warehouse, the six leaders, David, Joel, Shay, and Isaiah get ready for the raid. The leaders lead their groups out into the area outside, and approach the entrances. One by one, they say, “Ready.” Shay speaks into her headset, “Go.” The doors blast open. The teams go inside, ready to shoot at the slightest sign of movement. The warehouse is filled with maze-like stacks of boxes. Yuri talks into his headset, “I don’t see anything. This place is full of boxes, I’m not sure how to proceed.” David says to Shay, “Shit. We need to get in there.” Shay, “They aren’t fighting, they’re trying to lure us in there.” David, “We gotta go in there, no matter what.” Shay, “All right, let’s go.” David, “We all go in at a different place, come on.” They spread around the building, and go inside. David looks around at the maze of boxes spreading out in front of him. “Shit.” He eyes a nearby ladder leading up to a platform. “I’m gonna try to get a view from above.” He starts climbing. As he reaches the top, a shot rings out, and a bullet ricochets off the ladder just above his head. David jumps back down, “Shit! Okay, we know they’re in here!” The speaker system crackles, and Amal’s voice fills the warehouse, “Hello, General Shepherd! Thrilled you decided to come today! I’m not gonna waste words, I know you’re here to kill me, and you can do that, but you’ve gotta find me, first.” David looks around. Shay, “What do we do, David?” David, “I’m going in. But I’m not going in alone.” He waves to the big group of soldiers behind him, “Everyone else, go in. We’re gonna take them out. Come on.” He enters one of the pathways in between the boxes. The other groups go into other entrances. Slowly, David inches down the narrow path, his soldiers close behind him. Amal, “I see we aren’t fucking around today. I expected nothing less from this brave leader, the man who runs head-first into danger, who blows up every tank he sees, who heroically sacrifices himself for a greater good.” A shot fires from above, hitting one of David’s soldiers. David shoots in the direction the shot came from. Another shot comes from the opposite direction, and takes out another one of this soldiers. David spins and shoots in the other direction. The firing stops. David’s breath shakes, he keeps pointing up at the area above him. Nothing happens, “Come on, we can’t stop.” A box full of something heavy is pushed down onto David’s head, knocking him over. His soldiers furiously shoot where it fell from. One goes over to David and helps him get up. He touches a cut on his eyebrow, sees the blood on his fingers. Shay, “Shit, David, let’s just fuckin’ burn this place and get out of here.” David, “No! I’m not stopping until I get Amal!” Amal, “You know, I’ve always liked your determination.” David waves, “Come on. Everyone keep going.” Joel leads his group further in, and so does Shay. Amal, “It may seem strange, but I really admire what you’re doing. Not the whole freeing Gilboa part. The killing people part. You’ve got quite a body count, David. And not just the usual pile of dead soldiers. I mean, you executed one of your closest friends. I killed my old boss. I hated that bitch, so it was easy. Killing a friend? That’s hard.” David grits his teeth with anger, but keeps pressing forward. A burst of gunfire, one of Shay’s soldiers falls. Shay shoots back, and an Amalekite falls to the ground, dead. Amal, “You inspire me, David. I never would have become a terrorist if it weren’t for you. I talk a lot about trying to tear down society, and I like to think that I’ve done my part, but I still can’t hold a candle to you.” More exchange of gunfire. David goes forward, and sees motion out of the corner of his eye. He spins around, and sees another unit of AFG soldiers down another pathway, pointing their guns at him. He lowers his gun and presses on. Amal, “Look at what you’ve done. You drove King Silas to madness, led him into not one, but two wars. I couldn’t do that.” David comes to a fork in the paths, he looks down the two ways. Amal, “Every attack I make, I’m just trying to do what you’re doing. The palace, Damascus, Fistopia, the Belle Visage, the Western Mall… Damn, I’m losing track. You must have trouble keeping track of all the destruction you’ve caused, too.” Gunfire. Amal, “So, in case you’re wondering, yes, all those attacks are absolutely your fault.” David, “Shut the fuck up!” Amal laughs, “What, you don’t like the truth? I guess it’s easier to accept the deaths of a bunch of faceless strangers, but what about the people you know? Didn’t you kill one of your friends in the AFG’s first attacks?” David hurries forward. He finds another path, takes it. Amal, “Oh, I know, what about that little prince, Prince Seth? Yeah, he’d definitely still be alive if weren’t for your crusade against King Silas. I’d get into the other prince, but since he’s your boyfriend, I’m pretty sure you know full well that it’s your fault he’s a vegetable.” David searches frantically for a way towards Amal. Another box falls in front of him, but he ducks, and it misses him. He fires up at the ceiling, two Amalekites fall. Amal, “Hey, that’s another two you can add to your death tally. You know, you don’t even have to kill your friends to hurt them. You can just kill their parents, like you did to your Rabbi. Didn’t your diplomat’s dad get killed? I almost forgot about that. They tortured her brother, too, didn’t they? Nothing like good old fashioned torture.” David fires at the ceiling. Dust falls, but nothing else. Amal, “Really, you have to ask yourself, why are you even doing all this? For peace and freedom? What the fuck does that even mean? You want the crown. That’s it. You aren’t any different from Silas, or Linus, or anyone else who’s declared himself king. You’re going to lead more wars. You’re going to suppress your political opponents. You’ve fought so damn hard, you’re not gonna let someone else challenge you for that crown, are you? You won’t let anyone else touch it. You’ll kill them before that happens.” David finds another branch, he looks through it, and sees a large group of Amalekites. They all fire at him. He ducks back into the boxes. The Amalekites come through to find him, and he and his soldiers fire at them. Amal laughs, “See, I’m right!” David fights with the Amalekites. Shay and her group run towards the sound of the fighting. She sees the Amalekites and opens fire on them, taking them out. Amal, “I see you still have friends. Is that Shay Mendoza? Do you think she’s gonna die for you?” Shay and David look at each other. Amal, “How are you gonna hurt her, David? What terrible tragedy is going to befall her because of her involvement with you?” Shay, “Don’t listen to him, David!” Amal, “I see Joel Bronikov and Isaiah Clemens are both here. Which one of them is going to get killed? Do you really think none of your friends are gonna die for you?” David catches another movement out of the corner of his eye, and spins around, firing. An AFG soldier ducks at the end of another path, nearly struck by Davis’ bullets. Amal, “I admire you, David. You’re so much more of a villain than I ever could be. You make destruction look good. You make it feel good. I can’t do that. Only you can. If I am a demon, you summoned me. I wish I were you. Everything that I am, everything that I do, all because of you.” David finds one final opening, and goes through it, out into an empty space surrounded by boxes. He’s met by another group of Amalekites, and fires on them. Shay runs up behind him, firing, “We’re at the center!” Amalekites fall, and visible behind them is Amal, watching the scene with delight. David runs for him, fury in his eyes. Shay, “David!” David reaches Amal and tackles him. He begins to pummel his face in. Joel and his group reach the center, and fire at the Amalekites, taking them all out. Amalekites begin to appear at the rim top of the circle of boxes, and fire down at the AFG, who fire back. Other groups come out of the maze, and start firing. David furiously keeps beating Amal. He grabs Amal’s collar and slams his head against the concrete floor again and again. Amal spits out a mouth full of blood and teeth and laughs, “You love it, don’t you?!” David punches him again and again. Amal, his face an unrecognizable bloody mess, “You aren’t killing me, you’re making me suffer! You’re a man after my own heart!” David grabs his gun and points it at Amal’s head. Amal laughs, “Go ahead, kill me. Society is still going to fall apart. You’re leading the charge. Do you really think you’re going to help anyone, make anything better? You’re my fucking brother, David. You think you’re doing the right thing. Really, you’re doing so much more damage than you can even comprehend. All of my followers have taken an oath. If I die, they die with me. If you kill me, you will be responsible for all of their deaths. So go ahead, do the right thing. Kill me.” David pulls the trigger. Amal’s hand opens, and a deadman switch falls out. The remaining Amalekites stand, point their guns at their heads, and shoot themselves. David stands for a moment, stunned, and then kneels down and picks up the switch. Shay, “What the fuck just happened?” David, “I think we won?” Joel, “Yeah, it looks like we won.” Shay, “This was way too easy.” David, “Yeah, but, we won!” He raises his hand, but winces, “Ah!” he rubs it, “Is there a security system here? If we got all that on video, it would be pretty great.” Shay goes up to David, and sees the switch in his hand, “What the fuck is that?” David, “I dunno. Amal was holding it. Looks like some kind of button.” Shay, “That’s a fucking deadman switch. Something was supposed to go off when Amal died.” David, “Well, nothing’s here is blowing up.” The faint sound of sirens. David, “We should get out of here.”

At the safehouse, Abby watches the news, a chaotic scene in the crowded middle of Shiloh, “An unknown number of bombs have gone off, in what looks like a coordinated series of simultaneous attacks.” Abby’s phone buzzes, she answers, “David? What the fuck did you do?” Outside her window, an ambulance roars by. In the back of a truck full of other AFG soldiers, David talks on his phone, “I killed Amal? First time I’ve killed someone and felt no regret whatsoever.” Abby, “Did he have some kind of switch on him?” David, “What?” Abby, “A bunch of bombs just went off, all at the same time. It looks like an Amalekite attack.” Shay, next to David, shows him a news feed on her phone, “Holy shit.” David yells up at the truck’s driver, “Turn around! We’re going to help!” Shay, “Anyone who shows up in an AFG jacket is going to get arrested!” David, “Then take our fucking jackets off! We caused this attack-” Shay, “We didn’t!” David, “We’re going to help! Turn the truck around!” Shay, “David, stop it! What if this is another trap?” David goes quiet. He raises his hand, which is bruised and swollen, to brush his hair back. Shay leans forward, “Jesus, what did you do to your hand?” David, “I don’t know, something snapped.” Shay, “Fuck. We’re going back to the safehouse. You need to get that looked at.” David, “You and I are going back to the safehouse, everyone else is going out to help! We have to be seen helping!”

At a devastated cafe, chaos still swirls, AFG members jump out of a van. Cameron is followed by Yuri and Beth as he begins to look for wounded people to help. He goes up to a woman sitting on a curb with a wounded arm and blood on her forehead, “Hey, I’m a medic, are you getting help?” Woman, “No.” Cameron, “Lemme look at your head.” He examines the cut on her head, “Looks like just a laceration, you just need some stitches,” he turns over to Yuri, “Yuri, can you get her head bandaged?” Yuri gets a bandage out of Cameron’s kit and helps while Yuri examines the woman’s arm. Elsewhere, a police officer looks at the AFG jackets around him, and asks into his radio, “We have AFG jackets here, what am I supposed to do?”

In a situation room, Abner rages while Reinhardt and other officers listen in. Abner, “I don’t understand this! How could all of these bombs have gone off at once?” Reinhardt, “Sir, you’ve been in the army long enough, I’m sure you know how detonation signals work.” Abner, “Shut the fuck up, Reinhardt. I’m the fucking king and I deserve your respect.” Reinhardt, “My sincerest apologies, sir.” An aide comes in, “Sir, Police captains are reporting that AFG soldiers and medics are showing up at the bombing scenes as first responders. They want to know what to do.” Abner, “Arrest them!” Reinhardt, “Seriously?” Abner, “I told you to shut up!” Reinhardt, “Well, pardon me for speaking up sir, but arresting medics who are trying to help after a major attack is a stupid fucking idea. The public already hates you, do you really want to piss them off more?” Abner, “Arrest anyone in an AFG jacket!”

Cameron, Beth, and Yuri continue to help people. A police officer comes up and grabs Cameron, “You’re under arrest.” Cameron, “Let me finish wrapping this bandage!” Yuri stands up and goes over to the officer, “What the fuck?!” Officer, “I have orders to arrest anyone in an AFG jacket!” Yuri punches the officer. Beth pulls her phone out and starts recording. Yuri, “Go back to helping people, Cameron.” Other officers come up and grab Cameron, Yuri, and Beth. Yuri yells at the top of his lungs, “WE’RE JUST TRYING TO HELP AND YOU’RE ARRESTING US! ARE YOU PISSED BECAUSE WE’RE DOING YOUR FUCKING JOBS FOR YOU?! WE’RE JUST TRYING TO HELP!” A crowd stops to form. People step in between the police and their squad car. The officer who has Yuri, “Get out of the way, or you’ll be under arrest, too!” Yuri, “A bomb just went off and you’re gonna fucking arrest everyone here!” Officer, “Shut the fuck up!” One of the onlookers in front of the squad car goes up to the officer and punches him. A brawl breaks out. Cameron and Beth slip away, and go back to the people they were helping.

At a safehouse, Dr. Alves examines David’s hand, which is swollen and bruised. Abby sits next to them. The cut on his face is held together with a butterfly bandage. David winces, “Ah!” Alves, “Did you feel anything snap?” David, “I might have. I dunno. I was punching Amal pretty hard.” Alves, “Can you move your pinkie?” David tries, but grimaces, “Ah! No.” Alves, “Looks like your small metacarpal is broken. We call it a boxer’s fracture, happens when you punch shit too hard. You’re gonna be in a cast for six to eight weeks.” David, “I can’t do that, I still have to fight Abner.” Alves, “Find someone else to do it, or wait six to eight weeks, because otherwise your hand is gonna be permanently fucked.” David, “All right, fine.” Alves, “I’ll get you in a splint, then.” David, “Shit.” Alves leaves. Abby, “So what are we supposed to do, David?” David, “Do about what?” Abby, “About the fact that there’s a warehouse full of dead Amalekites that’s going to start smelling in a day or two.” David, “Fuck if I know. You’re the diplomat. How many people are dead?” Abby, “It’s too early to tell, but, at least 30 bombs went off.” David, “Are you fucking serious?” Abby, “I wish I wasn’t.” David, “It’s all my fault.” Abby, “No, it’s not. Alek Amal set those bombs off, you had nothing to do with it.” David, “I kind of did have something to do with it. We might as well make a statement and acknowledge everything. There’s no use trying to hide or deny it. Just stick to the facts of what happened, I guess.” Abby, “That makes sense. I’ll put something together.”

Abner watches video of Yuri being arrested, and the ensuing fight. Beside him, Reinhardt, “Not to be an asshole, but I told you this would happen.” Abner, “How many arrests have been made?” Reinhardt looks at his tablet, “Uh…. five, it looks like.” Abner, “What? That makes no fucking sense. Thirty bombs went off, and AFG was at every one of them. I gave a blanket arrest order. Did the entire police force ignore it?” Reinhardt, “I can’t tell you, sir. But I think in an emergency situation, a good police officer will put his focus on helping those in need rather than making arrests.” Abner gets up without saying anything. Reinhardt, “Sir, where are you going?” Abner, “Go home for the evening, Reinhardt. Get a good night’s sleep. We’ll clean up all this shit tomorrow. I need to visit someone.”

David sits with Shay, Joel, and Isaiah. Joel reads his phone, “There were some fights, but we had civilians coming to the AFG’s defense. This means people are on our side.” David, “Tomorrow, people are going to find out that the bombs went off when I killed Amal. They’re going to find out that this is my fault.” Shay, “It’s not your fault, how many times do I have to tell you that?” David, “It is my fucking fault.” Isaiah, “I’m gonna keep working on my drone. The best thing we can do right now is to just do what we’ve always done, and keep moving.” David, “Yeah, guess so.” Joel looks at David’s new cast, “Hey, can we sign that thing?” David, “No dicks.” Joel, “What’s the point of signing a cast if you don’t draw dicks on it?”

In his cell, Vesper works on his translations. Abner enters. Vesper looks up and sees him, “Good to see you again.” Abner sits down across from him, “When Silas would visit you, what did you two talk about?” Vesper, “This and that. The ordeals of being king, mostly. Perhaps a bit about theology. We played quite a few games of chess. Care for a game?” Abner, “Fine.” Vesper, “I’ll let you play white. You can make the first move.” Abner thinks for a moment, and moves a pawn. Vesper, “Are you an experienced player?” Abner, “Not especially.” Vesper, “Then I’ll go easy on you.” He moves a pawn. Abner thinks and then makes another move, “Today, I fucked up and made the AFG look good and myself look worse. I keep trying to do what I think Silas would do, but I can’t quite seem to get it right.” Vesper, “Are you asking me how Silas would take out Shepherd? Because it seems to me that he failed at that objective. Maybe that’s why you’re failing, too,” he makes a move, “Silas was an aggressive player, always brought his queen out too early. It took him a while, but, slowly, he learned the value of patience, and making a strategy. He learned when to sacrifice his pieces and when to protect them.” Abner, “Is there some sort of metaphor here?” Vesper, “In chess, you don’t win by eliminating all the other player’s pieces. You win by making their king unable to move.” Abner, “So are you saying all I have to do is trap Shepherd?” Vesper, “Chess is just a game, Linus. Never mistake a game for real life.”

Nighttime, David lies awake. He gets out of bed and puts his pants on. He leaves the bedroom and wanders out into the living room. Beth sits out on the sofa, watching the news with the sound off and closed captions on. She wears a tiny, tight t-shirt and a pair of boy-cut panties. David, “Hi.” Beth looks up, “Oh, hi. I was just watching the news. I’m kind of surprised because there’s no mention of Amal being killed. I mean, I guess that takes second place to the bombings, but, still, you think they’d at least mention it.” David, “Saving that announcement for tomorrow,” he sits down on the sofa, “I thought I’d end today celebrating the end of the Amalekites. Instead, I’ve got my hand in a cast for six to eight weeks.” He raises his case. Beth, “Can I sign it?” David, “Sure. I don’t know where the pens are…” Beth goes over to a desk and opens a drawer, “Here.” She goes over to David, and gently touches his arm. Their faces almost touch. David raises the cast. One of the signatures, “Love, Abby” has a vagina drawn next to it. Beth, “Is that a vagina?” David, “I said no dicks.” Beth laughs, “You should have said no genitalia.” She signs his cast, “There. Nothing obscene, just my name.” David, “Thanks.” Beth stays close to David, and lowers her voice, “You were really amazing today. I mean it. Alek Amal, he’s fucking terrifying, or, thanks to you, he was. If I were in the same room with him, I would have just panicked. You ran straight to him and beat the shit out of him. That’s incredible.” David, “He made me angry.” Beth breathes heavily and looks into David’s eyes, and he looks back at her. Cut to: (“Desire” Meg Myers) David and Beth passionately make out on the couch, and rip their clothes off. A condom wrapper falls to the floor. They fuck with raw intensity. Beth claws at David’s back, and he bites her lip. She moans with pleasure, and David gasps as he comes. For a moment, he lies on top of her, panting. He opens his eyes and looks at her. She smiles at him, satisfied. David gets to his feet, “This isn’t going to happen again!” He grabs his clothes and walks off, leaving Beth confused.