#galactic crossing program

[threshergm]

My Halo: The Series pitch The Silver Timeline 2.0 Character Notes

I was generally pretty satisfied with what we got in season 2, but after a lifetime of watching sci-fi television, I know it could have been so much better. So I decided to take a crack at writing Halo: The Series my own self.

I had three goals in writing this.

Preserve as many of the actors and characters from the OG Silver Timeline as possible.

More closely adhere to the story elements of the core canon than the OG Silver Timeline did.

Make the Halo universe accessible to people who have never picked up a video game controller in their lives, while also not pissing off the long-time fans.

A point that I disagree with from many longtime fans of Halo is that they ought to be the "main audience" of any Halo adaptation for TV. But I disagree with that. Any "main audience" for a successful TV series has to be the average TV viewer. We therefore need to make the story of Halo accessible to the average viewer.

What I came up with was something of a cross between Halo, Stargate: SG-1, and the 2003 Battlestar Galactic reboot; and I think it satisfies all three of my goals above.

The biggest single change to my characters is that THERE ARE NO STUPID PELLETS IN THIS UNIVERSE. The Spartans are still going to be confronted with their humanity, but the narrative mechanism driving this will be something that actually happens in the core lore: the Spartan program being made public later in the war for morale reasons.

Silver Team

The Master Chief [Pablo Schreiber] - He's an amalgamation of the John we see in OG Silver Timeline season 2, plus a heavy leavening of the books. He's laconic, but not the silent protagonist of the games. Like most Spartans, he struggles to socialize with anyone outside the immediate sphere of their operations. But due to his exploits and leadership, he's looked up to and we see him become the legend he's regarded as by the rest of humanity.

PO3 Kai-125 [Kate Kennedy] - She's Kelly's personality, Linda's job, and Kurt's amiable gregariousness. She's Silver's sniper and secondary medic. Definitely the most human of the Spartans of Silver Team. Silver will wordlessly drop into a trench filled with beleaguered Marines, while Kai will grin behind her helmet and shout, "Morning, boys!" We'll see her lifting Warthogs on a bet, playing knife games with Marines, and even flirting playfully. We'll also see her crying quietly in a deserted compartment, after those Marines are killed on a mission. "If we can't protect them, what good are we?"

LTJG Vannak-134 [Bentley Kalu] - He's basically Fred. Dry and acerbic wit, but frequently unintentionally charming. Silver's deputy leader. The most Spartan-like of the Spartans, but with a very soft spot for kids. Team demolitions and heavy weapons expert. Giving him Jorge's backstory here; he's from Reach and speaks Hungarian. He'll have Jorge's death, too. There should be a subtle-but-obvious something going on between him and Riz. Lots of meaningful glances and lingering touches.

WO2 Riz-028 [Natasha Culzac] - Linda's personality and Kelly's job. She's the intelligence and communications specialist for Silver Team and primary medic. She's the most socially awkward of the Spartans, but probably the most hungry for human interaction; she just doesn't know how to be around non-Spartans. Has her little quasi-relationship with Vannak and shares his soft spot for kids.

The Pillar of Autumn Crew

Captain Jacob Keyes [Danny Sapani] - CO of the converted colony ship the Pillar of Autumn. In his 50s and should be an admiral by now, but an unspecified scandal early in his career has kept him sidelined to backwater postings throughout the war. But he has his friends and allies still, not least of whom is his estranged wife Doctor Halsey. His daughter is his shipboard science officer, but that relationship is concealed from the audience for a while.

Commander Tom Lasky [Actor TBD] - Rescued by the Master Chief from the ruins of the Corbulo Academy of Military Sciences in the opening days of the war; represents those who grew up with the war, having never known service before the Covenant. He has absolute faith in the Master Chief. He's married to another UNSC officer, a Chyler Silva, serving at FLEETCOM on Reach.

LCDR Miranda Keyes [Olive Gray] - Science officer aboard the Pillar of Autumn and only child of Captain Keyes and Doctor Halsey. Goes by the last name of Keyes, but can sometimes have a strained relationship working under her father. Torn between her innate aptitude for science and the desire to be a serving line officer and command warships like her father.

Cortana [Jen Taylor] - Ostensibly a gift from Doctor Halsey to look after her estranged husband and daughter, Cortana's real mission is to find evidence in the Outer Colonies of Halsey's hoped-for "latchkey discovery" that can turn the tide against the Covenant. Initially willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to obtain leads or the thing itself, she quickly learns to value her crew and humanity at large, and isn't willing to spend lives unless absolutely necessary.

Marines and ODSTs

Sergeant Major Avery Johnson [Bokeem Woodbine] - Senior NCO for the regular Marine battalion we see deployed groundside in the pilot episode; he takes on the same job for the scratch combined Marine/ODST force aboard the Pillar of Autumn after the evacuation from. Brash, boisterous, and always joking; he's pretty much game and book Johnson. Often comic relief and always quick with a one-liner.

Corporal Talia Perez [Cristina Rodlo] - The everyman character meant to be the audience viewpoint and represent the lower enlisted ranks. A wide-eyed draftee private when we first meet her, she spends a lot of time as a fire team leader and we watch her grow into a hardened Marine. A devout Catholic and extremely virtuous; everyone's little sister and her fellow Marines are extremely protective of her. Absolutely going to be the one we torment the most, mostly to take advantage of Rodlo's acting range.

Major Antonio Silva [Anson Mount] - Commanding Officer of an ODST company, absolutely hates the Spartans due to a fatal incident between some of his men early in his career and a teenage John-117. Old buddy of Ackerson, but possibly an asset of Parangosky. Playing both sides. Definitely not a white hat, but he has his reasons.

WO Carol Rawley aka "Foehammer" [Actor TBD] - Dropship pilot of Pelican Echo-419. NEEDS FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.

The Covenant

Makee aka "The Reclaimer" [Charlie Murphy] - Abducted early in the war (probably from Harvest) at the age of 6, she was raised up in the Covenant religion and is a true believer. As such, she hates her humanity, and her arms and thighs are covered with cutting scars. To the Covenant, she's a "Reclaimer" or "Blessed One," told that she alone can activate Forerunner technology. It's a lie, meant to allow the Prophets to make use of her in the least politically and theologically damaging way possible. Her one friend is Fleetmaster Var 'Gatanai, whom is responsible for her.

Fleetmaster Var 'Gatanai [Actor TBD] - Commander of the Fleet of Solemn Accord, primary artifact hunters for the Covenant. Is a respected leader amongst the Covenant and one rung below the High Council. Commands over 100 ships and thousands of troops. Often personally leads ground troops in the field. Is rare among high-ranking Sangheili in that he has only one wife. Honorable warrior, and a believer in the Great Journey, but not a vicious fanatic. Has a daddy-daughter relationship with Makee.

Commander Rtas 'Vadumee aka "Half-Jaw" [Actor TBD] - Fleetmaster Gatanai's right-hand Elite and all around bad-ass. Commands special operations troops. Lost half his mandibles to a bare-miss by a Spartan sniper some years ago. Doesn't hold a grudge.

Prophet Truth [Actor TBD] - Complete cynic, master politician, and absolute asshole.

Back on Reach

Colonel James Ackerson [Joseph Morgan] - A career soldier who went intelligence later in the war after leading Ranger units against both Insurrection and Covenant. A dick, but not without a heart, and certainly not a coward. He genuinely believes that humanity can fight the Covenant to a standstill - if they use the right tools in the right way. He sees Halsey's Spartan-2s as a waste of resources; techno-saviors too precious to risk, when humanity needs effective soldiers it can spend. Hence his Spartan-IIIs [which are teenage volunteers, not children].

Doctor Catherine Halsey [Natascha McElhone] - The self-loathing genius polymath who oversaw the creation of the Spartan-2s because she saw no other option. ONI was going to have its super-soldiers one way or another, and wanted automatons at that. At least she was able to fight for them and help them retain some of their humanity. Lingering guilt over this is probably why she treats the Spartans like they're her children - and why she's estranged from her actual daughter Miranda and husband Jacob. Politically, Halsey knows that the Covenant can't be beaten in the traditional sense of the term, and that humanity's only hope is a so-called Latchkey Discovery - something out there in the black that will change the game and give us the edge. She believes that Halo is that very thing, and that we have to find it first or else all is lost. And she's right.

Admiral Parangosky [Shabana Azmi] - She's the unaccountable, power mad spook; the very personification of the State run amok. Charming, quiet, almost grandmotherly - and utterly amoral in her pursuit of power for herself and ONI. It is not at all clear if she cares whether or not humanity survives the process. But at the same time, not ineffective in Humanity's defense.

Admiral Hood [Keir Dullea] - The poor bastard at the top of the heap, overseeing a losing war, and trying to keep all the plates spinning. A professional Navy man to the core, he's just trying to keep humanity alive. Wherever he throws his weight behind is the faction in the Reach/Earth political dog fight that will win.

[atlasbeanswrites]

Deep Space Fish

Chapters and story summary

In deep space, the space station called The Nautilus for its shape and size had just started the first interspecies Crew program involving humans. Humans were the most recent addition to the galactic stage. This crew was going to consist of an already established base yautja crew who had been flying cargo together for years. Picking up odd jobs when on long halls to keep the engines running and the crew fed. The only reason they even volunteered for this program is the substantial payout given to ships accepting human crew mates. Teams of 4 humans who had worked together previously were assigned to a crew together cause both the human and yautja governing bodies were worried about adding in just one human to the crew. As expected there were not many applicants to this program. The history of the two groups fighting definitely caused some attention. Especially not too far in the past yautja used to come down to earth to specifically hunt humans. But the program still had a few applicants. A small group of friends who had grown up on Earth together (a rare thing nowadays) and had joined a crew together decided it would be a fun experience to apply for the interspecies program.

They Joined a Yautja Crew on the ship called The Angler not knowing the hijinks and potential romances that awaited them...

authors note:

this is going to be a cute story that is a cross between Cowboy Beop and the Predator and alien movies. These are all my original characters and I hope you enjoy this story i will be linking any chapters written below this...

-Love Atlas Doll <3

Chapters

[y2klostandfound]

Space Channel 5 Part 2 on Dorimaga Magazine Vol.1 (2002-01) (Video game Magazine) (11-25/01/2002)

Translation in English:

(Page 66)

Dorimaga Special Report - DC PS2:

Video Game Consoles : Dreamcast / Playstation 2

Scheduled to be released: February 14th

Completely: 100%

Price:

Dreamcast: 6,120 Yen Dreamcast(Special Edition Pack): 9,900 Yen Playstation 2: 6,800 Yen

Genre - ETC (Musical Action Adventure) Manufacturer:Sega/United Game Artists Players: 1-2 Number of discs: 1 URL: http://www.u-ga.com/ Controllers/Memory Cards PS2: DualShock 2, trance vibrator compatible, memory card 161KB. DC: 5 blocks of memory used (VMU), Purupuru pack support

Online Shop:The DC version is exclusive to D-DIRECT.

Is there something wrong in the galactic universe!?

After seeing this screen, "Mexican Flyer" came to my head! Are you ready to dance? "Space Channel 5 Part 2" scheduled to air on two platforms has finally started! Let's all enjoy the full polygon SHOW together!

Greetings to the 30 million "Channel 5" viewers nationwide, it's finally here! "Space Channel 5 Part 2" from UGA, which has been silent since the Tokyo Game Show in autumn, is finally on air!The memorable day is February 14, 2002, Valentine's Day.and it will be broadcast simultaneously on DC and PS2 as planned! I can't wait to see how Ulala, who has crossed the century, will come back!

Popular characters from the previous show, as well as new characters, will appear one after another! They will make the program even more exciting!

The basic rules seem to be the same, but new elements have been added, such as singing and playing! I have a hunch that it will be fun!

The next enemy is the "Dancing Troupe(Rhythm Rouges)"! ?

The next enemy is the "Dancing Troupe(Rhythm Rouges)" who appeared out of nowhere. Innocent people are made to dance one after another, just like the Morolians last time! Their purpose is completely unknown. Ulala will report on their true identity!

The mysterious dance group "Dancing Troupe (Rhythm Rouges)" has arrived! A person who looks like a captain and robots attack people one after another!

(Page 67)

What happened to the Jaguar! ?

An evil hand approaches Jaguar who has discovered something somewhere in the universe...! ! Meanwhile, the "Space Symphony," a ship cruising around Neo-Pluto, is attacked by a mysterious group! "Space Channel 5" quickly caught the information and sent Ulala to the scene to report the incident. The spirit of Director Fuse enters. "Come on, let's start!!"

I'll charm you, Ulala Seven Changes

This time Ulala will be reporting in even cuter and cooler outfit! There will be a "Ulala's Costume Room," so stay tuned!

ULALA

A reporter for Space Channel 5, she was born on May 30 and her blood type is B. The other day, she tried to save the galaxy  with great energy, but she's still a newcomer and spends her days being yelled at by her boss Fuse. Her goal is to become a galactic reporter.She is the only person who can fight back against the "mysterious dancing group" that has appeared.

Prologue

The time is the 25th century.

The "Morolian" suddenly invaded, causing people to dance one after another with their "Dancing Beam"! The space broadcasting station "Space Channel 5", which caught this catastrophe, dispatched a new reporter "Ulala" who is good at dancing, selected by the director "Fuse", and report the incident. She fully opens her mysterious dancing puff, sometimes fights and cooperates with Channel 42's "Pudding" and the Space Pirate Broadcasting Station's "Jaguar" to uncover the true nature of the evil that hides behind the Morolians' intentions. Thus, this ascension case was resolved.........

In this galaxy where the memory is fresh in our minds, a new evil is rising.......

Although "Ulala" had solved the "Morolians Attack Case" by dancing with her miraculous performance, there was no change in her role as a reporter, and she is cheered on by a director "Fuse" every day.

Such a daily life suddenly changes with a report from "Chief Space Michael ". A "mysterious dancing group" has appeared, making people dance and taking them away one after another!

Now, Ulala's dancing report begins again.

Come on, Let's start!

SPACE CHANNEL 5 Part 2 - First Implession!

A little impression of the sample unveiled at the recent PS Party! The game is very busy with more things to do such as singing and playing, not to mention the increased power of the graphics and presentation. Compared to the previous game, which was a bit monotonous, this one is even more fun. The storyline is also very exciting!

[satoshi-mochida]

Boyhood’s End launches in Early Access on September 6 - Gematsu

From Gematsu

Episodic science-fiction horror adventure game Boyhood’s End will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam on September 6, publishers WSS playground and PLAYISM, and developer Bukiri Clock announced.

The Early Access version of the game features about 20 percent of the full story. The game is planned to have five chapters, with each chapter releasing one-by-one during Early Access. Once the story is complete, final adjustments will be made based on conversations with the community and a full version will be released. The Early Access period will last for around 10 months.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

When does childhood end? Both humans and the inhuman will find the answer at the end of a cycle of fight and flight. Solve puzzles and explore the world, depicted in hand-drawn pixel art. Watch beautifully animated conversations between the main characters. Join a young boy on his adventure and experience his story set in a hardcore sci-fi world. Boyhood’s End is a juvenile science fiction horror adventure game, in which the world is ruled by a mechanical overlord “R. Karellen.” Every aspect of every person’s life is rated with a “human score,” and R. Karellen decides everything from academic and professional careers, romantic interests, to one’s daily meals. The protagonist, Giovanni, has the lowest human score among the entire human race. Every day, he receives “special treatment” for everything including his meals and classes. On top of that, he gets bullied relentlessly by his classmates at the School, both in real life and online. But one day, everything and everyone in the school starts attacking Giovanni, trying to “remake” him and raise his human score by making him “more human.” A senior student, the famously eccentric genius Campanella, reaches out to Giovanni, and they hop onto (and take over) a driverless train on the galactic railroad. And so, Giovanni gets swept up in a journey to find the “Crimson Southern Cross,” located at the farthest edge of the universe. On their journey, the boys will meet great leaders of the past and pull reckless and destructive “pranks” on them all. Through their encounters with the history, twisted mysteries, and various horrors of the world, they will eventually have to confront the end of their own childhood. Oh, did you hear that? The boys are (pointlessly) sounding the train whistle. Looks like it’s time for the galactic express to depart.

Characters

-Giovanni

“Shut up! I couldn’t care less about your twisted logic, but here’s the thing, I’m a human! And you’d better start treating me like one!”

Has a wanted criminal as a father and the lowest human score in the universe. Gets treated like trash by other people and even the system itself. Has a cynical personality and a sharp tongue, but has a soft spot for his family. Always has to earn money to pay his sister’s hospital fees. Although he lives in an age where humans haven’t had to write programs by themselves for generations, Giovanni knows the ancient craftsman technique of writing his own code from scratch. He frequently uses his coding skills to do shady side gigs on the dark web.

-Campanella

“Come on, show me! Show me the true potential of humanity! Show me something unpredictable, something that could ruin the world as we know it—something a man-made thing could never do!”

Has the highest human score in the Gymnasium, and very talented in everything from academics to sports, but also has the highest total score deduction in the Gymnasium due to his frequent eccentric behavior. Talk about extreme. Campanella holds “humans” in high regard, and acts arrogantly around the inhuman and artificially intelligent R. However, many claim to have seen him chatting and playing around with R for no reason in particular.

Watch a new trailer below.

Worldview Trailer

English

Japanese

Korean

[talonabraxas]

The Mayans Galacticos mission originates from the stars. The various star systems comprise an integral federation. This mission began a long time ago (by terrestrial standards) and is anchored in the Pleiades with several starting points, including Arturo, Antares and Sirius. The Pleiades are also known as "the luminous still", which as our solar system revolves around Alción (the Gran Sol Centrale), the main star of the Pleiades, in a cycle of 26,000 years. The mission is multidimensional, albeit with a particular emphasis on the Velatropa sector. This region of our galaxy is defined by the Pulsar Vela, located in Orion's arm of what we call the Milky Way Galaxy, more specifically Vlatropa 24: intergalactic code name of our Sun, Kinich Ahau. Our solar system is at the center of an area of 6000 light years in diameter defined by the pulsar Vela (V), a residue of a supernova at incredible speed. A pulsar is a late, advanced state of what was once a supernova. Remember Vela is just a small (but powerful) “microbe” in the galaxy. This mission oversees the planetary system Velatropa 24, with particular focus on the five internal planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Maldek (Asteroid belt time). The Arturo Probe describes how this area of Velatropa 24, including Earth (Velatropa 24.3), became the quarantine zone of free will. This is also the area of a development program known as "the fall" 0 "original sin". It was known to beings from other parts of the galactic system that within the quarantine zone of free will there would be a learning process that would focus the karmic waste of many worlds systems into a structure that would inevitably reach a point where the process could not have gone beyond the entire system of Kinich Ahau. Once the problem in the Velatropa sector was quarantined, the "guardian angels" could keep an eye on it and with the indicated time approaching, they would have increased surveillance. Why is this even necessary? In the evolution process of this star system, Planet Earth (V. 24.3) has moved away from the frequency of natural time that works in the rest of life in the universe. The reason for what is known as the Mayan civilization and the Mayan astronomy system and mathematical calendars was to help restore the correct course of time on Earth. Mayans math is the jewel of this galactic system of knowledge brought to our planet. The High Hand of Sirius began to witness this march of events by understanding the battle being waged in the collective human mind. A remedy known as the Dream Spell was sent by Sirius through Arthur's force field to help humans cross dimensions and re-align with their dimensional destiny. The Dream Spell codes transmitted to José Argüelles/Valum Votan actually describe the harmonic register of movements for stabilization of Kinich Ahau's system (Sol or V. 24). The harmonious records of planetary orbits compared to others create cycles of synchronization over time called "Dream Spells" - the specific Dream Spell code for this time is known as the Earth Time Ship. The mathematical codes for the restructuring of the human species according to a galactic/harmonic time frequency. These codes have been reduced to the practical calendar format of 13 moons and 28 days (synchronous) and are based on Syrian cycles. This is all part of the Maya Galactica mission. Maya Galacticos are planetary navigators and mapographers of the Earth’s great psychic field, of the solar system, and beyond the galaxy. This means that their perceptions, ways of knowing and communication come from a high degree of telepathic tune with the cosmos. The galactic Mayan calendar is not what it seems. The ultimate purpose of this calendar (13 months 28 days) is to make sure that the Earth is tuned into the new galactic ray. As synchronous engineers, the Maya Galacticos first deposited these codes in the form of what we call the Maya civilization and then, as a new planetary dispensation, came the Dream Spell codes. After the Dream's Spell was published, many more quadratic/five-dimensional gifts are followed to define a terrestrial pathway to the stars, known as synchronous order. On the one hand, the goal of these tools is to prevent the planet from self-destructing, on the other hand, to stabilize the planet's consciousness in a cosmic resonance with the local galaxy, so that this has an effect on the Sun. As the sun goes through its internal crises, a stabilization of the solar frequency is created that changes consciousness on this particular planet. This is a unique situation in the final phase of the Velatropa sector experiment, with the V star. 24 (Our Sun) & V. 24.3 (planet earth) as points of interest. Pacal Votan is the head of the engineering team for this experiment.”

[askvectorprime]

Dear Vector Prime,

What happened to Superion and the other Combiners in the Aligned Continuity?

Dear Continued Combiner,

Tragically, Superion met his end during the final Decepticon attack on the Ark that immediately preceded Optimus Prime’s arrival on Earth; when Slingshot sacrificed himself so that Optimus and his innermost confidants could escape the doomed ship, Superion died with him. The remaining members of the combiner team had little time to process the loss of their teammate, as their flight-capable alternate modes made them some of the only Cybertronians aboard capable of carrying their teammates to safety.

As the remaining Ark survivors dispersed to a hundred remote worlds to dig in, regroup, and rebuild, so too did the Aerialbots attempt to find a way forward. Despite their best efforts to keep moving forward as a team, their shared loss and grief eventually drove them apart; with no way to replicate the advanced combination technology that had once allowed them to form Superion, the team slowly drifted apart into new lives, each trying to process the loss in their own way.

Skydive found some semblance of peace on the planet Lithone, where he exchanged soldiering for the quiet life of an academic; in exchange for safe harbor from the Cybertronian war, he lent his extensive knowledge of his species’ military history to the expansive Lithonian archives.

Air Raid and Fireflight became mercenaries for hire, plying their trade on the galactic rim—Fireflight maintained some sense of honor, but this code of ethics would lead to his end when he crossed paths with the notorious ex-Decepticon clan known only as the Ronin. Air Raid’s increasingly ferocious tactics led him straight into the employ of the notorious Lord Gyconi, where he brutalized his way up the ranks until he became the crime lord’s top enforcer.

Worst of all, however, would be Silverbolt, the only member of the team who returned to Cybertron, the bitter ex-Autobot willingly threw his lot in with Cyclonus and the other members of the High Council, promised that he would receive a new combiner team in exchange for his cooperation with the new regime. As a functionary in Cyclonus’s new government, Silverbolt abetted the Decepticons with many of their more ambitious social re-engineering programs until Bumblebee and his team brought down Cyclonus’s illegitimate government for good.

[vanishedangels]

Blunda

Summary: In a Galaxy where the Jedi are almost forgotten, Din Djarin, a young mandalorian, is currently in his final year at Galactic Republic College. At the beginning of his last semester he meets the enigmatic Luke Skywalker, his best friend's estranged twin brother, and he grows obsessed with him almost immediately. He would do anything to win his heart, even when Luke treats him with utter disdain.

Pairing: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker

Characters: Din Djarin, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Paz Vizsla, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Koska Reeves, Cobb Vanth.

Rating: Mature (+18) Rating will change

Warnings: Emotional Distress, Manipulation.

Tags: Canon Divergence AU, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Tumblr Prompt, Eventual Smut.

Chapters: 1/?

Navigation: ��� Next Chapter ->

Excerpt:

He hesitantly left his room that morning, a little anxious about the prospect of running into Luke while he was walking down the corridor, he was brushing his fingers across the wall when he made it into the living room, and, kriff! There was Luke, on the big couch, dressed as the night before, legs crossed, his hair tousled from sleeping, his eyelids puffy and his lips swollen. So this is how you look like in the morning. Adorable.

Chapter 1: The handsome stranger

Every year, Hanna City received students from all over the Galaxy, The Galactic Republic offered a two-year basic program with the purpose of providing political training to the most prominent families' kids.

When Din Djarin turned eighteen he chose Chandrila over other core worlds in order to complete the course. Little did he know that he would love Hanna City. The rented apartment he shared with his friend and tribe member, Paz Vizsla, became his favourite place in the Galaxy, although he never stopped considering Nevarro as his home. While Din didn't come from a prominent family, he was a member of the Children of the Watch, and, to his fortune, the head of his tribe rubbed shoulders with powerful leaders.

The first day at college he met this loquacious girl, petite, brunette, with a beautiful round face and big brown eyes. Din was trying to focus on whatever his new teacher was talking about when he heard a scathing comment coming from behind him, although he was the only one that could hear it, he turned around slowly only to find the most dazzling angelic smile he has ever seen, the girl was propping her chin on her delicate hand, she winked at Din and leaned in whispering another biting comment making him chuckle.

"I'm Leia Amidala." She said smoothing down Din's shirt with her free hand and Din knew right away that she would be one of his closest friends. And he wasn't wrong.

The first day of their last semester Din and Paz were reading on his datapad waiting for the class to start, the teacher leaned against the transparent board.

"Alright, today we're going to talk about the period between the establishment of the Grand Army of the Republic and the end of the Clone Wars." The teacher said and Din rolled his shoulders back, he hated history class, he would have failed every single exam without Leia's help.

Over the next hour, Din was paying less and less attention, the class turned into a heated discussion very quickly and he wasn't fond of arguing about past events, he always believed that whatever happened in the past should stay in the past, he was a mandalorian and he needed to move on, his people's history was tragic and painful, nothing would change that, therefore he didn't see any reason to dwell on the past events.

"Well, I blame it on the Jedi, they disappeared and left us at the Supreme Chancellor's mercy!" A twi'lek student yelled at the teacher.

Paz was sitting next to Din and flinched "Fuck, man, don't go there." He said through gritted teeth and under his breath. Din looked at him sideways.

Before the teacher could say a word, someone intervened "You don't know what you're talking about." Everyone in the classroom went silent. Din and Paz slowly turned their heads to look at the back of the room, there was a boy, with hair black as night and pale skin making contrast, he was staring down scratching the surface of the table, resting his face on his knuckles, he was wearing an oversized gray sweater that almost covered his hands all the way. He frowned realizing everyone was staring at him. He looked up and Din could see the blueish of his big eyes. He blinked a couple of times before the twi'lek snorted at him.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't remember your name, uh-" The teacher said looking at the boy in the back of the room.

The boy sighed visibly annoyed "It's Luke Skywalker."

Paz arched his eyebrows and looked at Din.

"It's the first time I see you in this class." The teacher grabbed his datapad "Let me, let me see."

The boy crossed his arms over his chest leaning back in his seat, with a scowl on his face, Din kept staring at him, somehow astounded by the guy's boldness.

"Oh, here you are. Luke Skywalker. Alright, I guess you've been transferred to this college." The teacher nodded smiling but the boy only huffed in response and Din widened his eyes, smirking a little. "Where are you coming from, Luke?"

The boy rolled his eyes and propped his elbows on the table, arms still crossed "Coruscant." He said shrugging.

"Welcome, then." The teacher added and resumed the class.

When the class was dismissed, Din and Paz remained in their seats, almost turning around at the same time in order to look at the new student. The guy grabbed his datapad and he dashed out of the class room, eyes on the floor, avoiding everyone around him.

Paz was scratching his nose "Weird creature, huh?" He said to Din as he stood up.

That made Din furrow his eyebrows "Yeah." He said under his breath, following his vod and leaving the classroom. He walked to the main entrance and he smiled when he saw Leia by the stairs.

"Hey, girl!" Din said wrapping his arms around her neck from behind and he froze when he found that his new classmate, Luke Skywalker, was standing in front of Leia, and when his eyes met Luke's, the boy gave him a death stare that made Din shudder with something that resembled fear.

Luke lowered his gaze, focused on Leia now "I won't bother you anymore, see you later." He turned around and walked away, Leia closed her eyes sighing deeply, curling her hand around Din's arm still around her neck.

Din was frozen, he withdrew his arms from her slowly as the girl turned to face him "Fuck, this is so weird." She tilted her head. "I'm sorry Din, the way he looked at you, I'm- Sorry."

Who is he. Din was still looking at Luke's distant form. Leia's little hand on his chest bringing him out of his mind "Who's that guy, Leia?"

She pressed her lips together "Can we go for a walk Din? I really need a friend right now."

Din nodded hugging her and kissing the top of her head "Sure, Lei."

They left the building in silence. Din was worried about his friend, he knew Leia very well and this was the first time she wasn't talking his ear off, worse, she remained silent walking by his side. She came to a halt sitting down on a bench grabbing Din's hand forcing him to sit next to her.

Din started to suspect that Luke Skywalker was Leia's boyfriend and he decided that he didn't like it, in fact he hated the idea. The guy was treating her poorly and Din couldn't wrap his mind around it.

The brunette groaned rubbing her face with her hands. "Din?" She was drawing her hands down, resting them on her thighs, Din looked into her eyes "Remember when I told you that I used to live on Coruscant?" He nodded. "Alright. When I was around nine, my parents got divorced and my father threatened my mother, he told her that she could take me with her only if she relinquished custody of their other son, my twin brother, Luke."

Din's eyes went round, of course he knew that Leia had a twin brother, but she never told him the reason why they didn't grow up together and Din never inquired about it. He remembered seeing holopics of a young Leia and her blonde brother smiling and hugging each other and his stomach flipped, that little boy looked so happy and bright in those pics, so different from the man he met an hour ago, this Luke looked apathetic and angry, distant and even arrogant.

"So-" Leia continued "My mother was forced to move to Chandrila with me and leave Luke on Coruscant with my father, I haven't seen him in ten years, Din. Then, out of the blue, he showed up at my house last weekend, our father as well, and he asked my mother to talk in private. When they returned, mother told me that Luke was moving in with us for the last semester and, although I always dreamed about seeing Luke again, I realized that we are like two strangers living in the same house, it hurts so much when I think about it, but, I don't even know him, Din." She said as tears filled her eyes.

Din rubbed circles on her back and then brought her close to his chest, he rested his chin on her head, stroking her shoulders and arms and his heart clenched when he felt Leia's tears moistening the skin of his neck.

~

Din loved art class, he found out that he had a natural talent for drawing and he could spend hours practicing at home. He was sharpening his graphite pencil when he saw Luke Skywalker entering the room, and suddenly he was feeling uneasy. They locked eyes for a split second before Luke looked away and Din couldn't stop staring at him, he wanted to make a good impression. After all, Luke was his best friend's twin brother.

He cast a glance at Luke over his shoulder now and then, and the guy looked absent every single time, he was focused on his sketchbook, Din craned his neck to see what was Luke drawing, he frowned catching a glimpse of the drawing of a man in robes wielding a strange sword. Then he returned to the boy's face, Luke had a dimple in his chin, and full pink lips, his cheeks were as pale as the rest of his skin and his eyes were blue, his dark hair was covering his eyebrows and curling at the ends in a charming way, making him look boyish and adorable at the same time. The corner of Din's mouth quirked up slightly. He rested his cheek on his hand, trying to learn by heart every detail about Luke's face, as an artist, Din recognized beauty when he saw it, and Luke was beautiful. Din scratched his jaw frowning, focusing on his own sketchbook again, realizing that Luke was also mysterious and unreachable, and maybe that was the reason he was finding him beautiful. Still Din could sense something eerie and strange lying underneath that alluring outward appearance.

Once Din packed up his stuff he stood up swiftly at the same moment Luke was trying to brush past him, accidentally colliding with Din. Their chest were pressed together and Din widened his eyes staring at his face as embarrassment was taking him over. As a reflex, he grabbed Luke by his elbows swaying a little, the boy winced and looked at him grimacing, jerking his arms and escaping Din's grip.

"Sorry." He managed to say but Luke just nodded and he was already walking away. Din drew his hand up and pinched the bridge of his nose closing his eyes.

Trying to disregard the bad taste that the episode with Luke left in his mouth he headed towards the cafeteria, he nodded smiling at his friends sitting at a table and joined them, he frowned smiling when he realized they were all looking to the same direction "What are we looking at?" He asked and then his smile faded away when he found out that they were staring at Luke, the Skywalker boy was sitting alone two tables away from them.

"The new kid." Cobb snapped.

Din scratched the back of his head trying to ignore his friends' comments.

"I think he's weird." Paz said resting his arm on Din's backrest "He's nothing like Leia, they don't even share the same last name. Are you sure they're twins, vod?" He asked staring at him sideways. Din shrugged one arm shifting his gaze from Paz to Luke.

"Did Leia tell you why he was transferred in the middle of the last year?" Koska asked sipping caf.

Din shook his head slightly as Cobb Vanth rose to his feet "I don't care, I'm going over there." He said wiggling his eyebrows and smirking at them.

Cobb was conventionally handsome, when he walked into a room he turned every head, and above that, he was charming and cool. They usually joked about his strong sexual magnetism, no wonder he looked so self-confident approaching Luke.

He sat down next to Luke resting his forearm on the table, leaning in closer to him, Din watched the scene from afar keenly, he didn't know Luke but he was certain that he would roast Cobb right there and then.

"Look at him, he's in his element." Paz said chuckling "What do you think he's saying?"

"Whatever he's saying, he's losing him." Koska pointed out and Din couldn't help feeling a little relieved when Luke stood up to walk away while Cobb was staring at him bursting into laughter and running his hand through his hair, clearly embarrassed. He finally returned to their table.

"What was that, man?" Paz asked him amused. "First time I see you failing." He added grinning.

"He's as cold as Hoth, trust me." He answered putting his hands on his hips and biting his lip.

"Why?" Din asked scrolling through his datapad pretending that he wasn't interested at all "What did he say?" He looked up to meet Cobb's eyes.

His friend chuckled leaning forward "He told me to fuck off." Din arched his eyebrows schooling his expression in order to hide the unexpected feeling of satisfaction as the rest of his friends started tossing napkins and straws to Vanth.

~

After spending the rest of the day at the library, Din walked to his apartment, he was exhausted and starved, only thinking about taking a shower and snuggling down in his couch but when he was about to open the front door he saw Paz' stinky sock wrapped around the doorknob. He retched withdrawing his hand and he cursed Paz under his breath. Apparently he invited Koska over and now Din needed to improvise.

Dammit, Paz.

He considered it for a moment and then he decided that it was a good idea to pay Leia a visit, he left the building trying to convince himself that he wasn't thrilled at the likelihood of seeing Luke again that day.

Din rang the doorbell and shoved his hands in his pockets waiting for someone to answer, he blinked staring at the door, hissing, secretly expecting to see Luke's face the moment the door opened, he frowned wondering why he was so desperate to be around the guy. Was it because he was so elusive, so unreachable and so full of himself? His mouth twitched remembering the way Luke rebuffed Cobb.

Finally, the door opened and he smiled fondly when he saw Leia's face.

"Din!" She beamed putting her hands on his shoulders kissing his cheek "What are you doing here? I thought you were studying tonight!" She said closing the door behind them.

He looked around, swaying on his feet "Uh, Paz and Koska... Again." He said squeezing his eyes shut and wrinkling his nose, earning him a chuckle from Leia.

"Don't worry, the guest room is ready for you as usual, Din." She walked past him.

Din's eyes followed her moves as realization hit him, he stayed over at the Amidala's house quite often, but now it was different, he felt a shiver running down his spine when he thought that this time he would be sleeping under the same roof as Luke Skywalker and he blinked feeling confused as he tried to shrug off that idea.

He followed Leia into the dinner room "Look who's here, mom." She said sitting at the large table while her mother, Padmé Amidala stood up and walked towards Din, she nodded at him smiling.

"Welcome Din, we missed you." Din smiled back at her and they chatted a little before he could notice that Leia was nowhere in sight. "Please, Din, take a sit." And Din obliged. Padmé was carefully arranging her sophisticated georgette dress in order to sat down on the head seat, Leia came back and sat down next to Din giving him a goofy smile and he chuckled shaking his head. He loved spending time with the Amidala girls, Padmé became a mother figure to him very quickly, in some way he considered them their family. Maybe it was because of their affectionate nature, or maybe it was because Din has been a foundling since his parents died and he found in Leia and Padmé the family they've always longed to have.

They started eating, making a small talk when Luke walked into the room. Leia was talking about some guy she met that day and she made a pause when her brother came to a halt, his eyes fixed on Din. He froze.

"Good evening, son. Would you join us?" His mother asked with a gentle smile on her face "Have you met Leia's friend?"

"Huh? Yeah." Luke replied nonchalantly, avoiding Din's gaze and walking towards the table.

Luke was wearing a white tight long sleeve t-shirt and black sweatpants, he sat down across from Din and when he looked at him again, Din could see that he was also wearing thick black eyeliner that brought out the blue of his eyes.

Indeed he was mesh'la. Din thought, not able to tear his gaze away from him. Leia gave him the side-eye, clearing her throat.

"Din, are you thinking on pursue a career in politics like Leia?" Padmé asked bringing Din out of his mind.

"Mother." Leia huffed scolding her.

Padmé shrugged tilting her head "What did I say?"

Din smiled politely "I don't think I would, Senator. The only class I'm enjoying so far is art."

"Oh, Luke is in that class too." The matriarch casually mentioned and Din's eyes were immediately on Luke, he realized he looked tense.

He was resting his forearms on the table, clutching his fork so tightly that his knuckles went white. He uttered a snort "How do you know that?" Luke blurted staring at her as his brows drew together.

Din felt something unpleasant squirming in his stomach, Luke was being inconsiderate and harsh to everyone, including his own mother.

"I'm sorry, I talked to the dean, she's a good friend of mine." His mother looked down, brushing her fingers against her napkin, she seemed embarrassed.

They were silent for a while.

"So, Din is a very talented artist, mother." Leia said, in an obvious attempt to bring some positivity to the gathering.

"And so is Luke." Din said absentmindedly stirring his spoon inside his bowl, staring down as a lopsided smile crossed his face. When he realized he addressed Luke he pressed his lips together glaring at the boy in front of him, his fingers twitched around the spoon.

Luke was staring at him in silence, and if you asked Din, he looked offended but also astounded.

"Really?" Padmé asked heartily.

"I don't think so-" Luke replied narrowing his eyes looking at Din pointedly "Din." He added sardonically, he sipped at his glass and then put it down.

Din blinked staring at him, he understood right there and then that he shouldn't say a word about the boy again. It was curious but he was feeling fascinated by Luke's rudeness and disgruntled with that trait of him at the same time.

Padmé excused herself when one of the servant droids announced that she had an important holocom. Din was carefully watching the servant's every move until it left the room. "What is it?" Leia whispered putting her hand on Din's shoulder.

"Droids." Din muttered and he found that Luke has been staring at him the whole time. One arm hooked around the backrest of the vacant seat beside him, fingers digging into the scarlet velvet fabric of the chair, head tilted. Din looked away meeting Leia's eyes.

"Ugh! Right." Leia shook her head "Sorry, I forgot about that." She stood up slowly "Come Din." She said offering him her hand "Oh, and Luke." She said turning her face towards her brother "Din is staying over, he's staying in the guest room." She nodded at him as Din was trying to assess Luke's reaction.

"Okay." Luke said standing up and walking out the room.

Leia grunted "Fuck, I told you!" She said leaning against Din's arm "I can't fucking reach him, it's so frustrating." She sighed and Din agreed.

Totally relatable.

When he pictured his Friday night, he didn't imagine it like this, he was tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling thinking about all the stupid things he has done that day, and all of them involved Luke.

"Huh?" He realized that Luke Skywalker made him feel stupid and awkward and he hated that.

~

He hesitantly left his room that morning, a little anxious about the prospect of running into Luke while he was walking down the corridor, he was brushing his fingers across the wall when he made it into the living room, and, fuck! There was Luke, on the big couch, dressed as the night before, legs crossed, his hair tousled from sleeping, his eyelids puffy and his lips swollen.

So this is how you look like in the morning. Adorable.

"Din Djarin, isn't it?" He asked with a cup of caf between his lovely fingers, although Din didn't know why he found them lovely. Din nodded approaching him "Are you banging my sister?" He asked and Din felt a rush of heat spreading up from his neck to his cheeks. "Gods, I don't wanna know." Luke said shaking his head grabbing his datapad with one hand and bringing the cup to his lips with the other. Somehow Din was missing his blue eyes on him already.

"I'm not... you know. She's like a sister to me." Din said squaring his shoulders and puffing out his chest. Enough is enough! He wouldn't look like a little mouse daunted by Luke's arrogance anymore. He knew he looked broad and intimidating now and when Luke looked up at him again he could have sworn that, for a second, his blue eyes flickered.

But it didn't last. Luke was chuckling, gesturing at him with his caf cup "Congratulations then, you're the brother she never had." He smiled bitterly and his eyes looked sad and somehow, they were empty, shining with no light, making Din's hair stand on end.

"I'm not her brother. You are." Din deadpanned clenching his hands into fists. Luke's lips parted and he put his cup down. He uncrossed his legs leaning forward to stand up and Din felt the irrepressible urge to shove him against the couch and shut his stupid mouth with a furious kiss. And fuck! Now he knew what the hell was going on with him, he wanted to fuck Luke so badly that it made him look stupid.

He approached Din and walked around him in circles, finally leaning in to whisper in his ear "Why are you here?

Din swallowed tightly feeling like Luke was some kind of predator and he was his prey.

"I always stay over." He shrugged annoyed.

"And you are telling me that you're not my sister's lover." The guy retorted and Din moved his head to look at him, he was so close now that he could see the freckles on Luke's nose and yes, he wanted to ruin him against any surface available.

"Why do you care?" Din finally sputtered.

Luke lowered his gaze "I don't." He frowned and walked away.

Din stayed at Leia's until noon but Luke never showed up again. He finally returned to his apartment to have lunch with Paz, he wasn't listening to him while his friend was talking about the big fight Koska and him had earlier that morning, Din could only think about the way Luke Skywalker made him feel - insecure, desperate and eager. He knew he was being pathetic, the guy didn't even care about him, in fact, Luke didn't care about anyone, he was enigmatic, a puzzle, and Din was dying to put all the pieces together. His lips curled up into a smile daydreaming about making Luke feel good, making him feel warm and safe, wrapping his arms around him, kissing him until he fell asleep, making him feel at home.

"Vod!" Paz grumbled bringing him out of his reverie "You're not listening to me! Look at your face!" He snapped his fingers at him "Where were you last night? Dank farrik! Who was it?"

"What?"

His friend chuckled "C'mon Djarin, it's pretty obvious, you hooked up last night." Din's chest tightened as well as his tummy "So, who was it? You were parsecs away a second ago. Kriff, vod, you should have seen the look on your face, they've got you down bad. Huh?"

Din snorted out a laugh, shaking his head, for a second he considered tell him the truth, that he stayed at Leia's since he didn't want to entertain Paz' idea, but when he was about to tell him so, he suspected that Paz would connect the dots and realize that Din was having the weirdest, fattest crush on Luke Skywalker. He widened his eyes, feeling his cheeks warm, he couldn't believe that he was thinking that he had a crush on Leia's twin brother. It was something outrageous and foreign, being infatuated with someone he has just met.

"Your face is all red." Paz jabbed his finger in his cheek and Din jerked away grunting. "Alright, Din, don't tell me, go to hell." He stood up laughing and he towered over Din condescendingly patting his shoulder.

When Paz closed the main door behind him, Din chewed on his bottom lip, fingers fidgeting over the table, he drew in a sharp inhale, knowing that this one was going to be a long semester.

[ljones41]

"STAR TREK VOYAGER" Retrospective: (5.12) "Bride of Chaotica!"

"STAR TREK VOYAGER" Retrospective: (5.12) "Bride of Chaotica!"

One of the aspects of "STAR TREK VOYAGER" that I have truly enjoyed over the other TREK shows were the holo programs featured or the episodes centered in the two Holodecks. One such holo program was "The Adventures of Captain Proton" stories created by Voyager’s Chief Pilot, Tom Paris. Captain Proton was featured in at least four episodes – three in Season Five and one in Season Seven. But without a doubt, my favorite happened to be the third Proton story titled, (5.12) "Bride of Chaotica!".

In short, "Bride of Chaotica!" began when Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeil) and Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) are enjoying the latest chapter of his Captain Proton program in one of the Holodecks. They are forced to leave it running when spatial distortions trap the ship and disrupt their control over the computer. Voyager’s command staff attempted to discover a way to free the ship from the spatial distortions. Unfortunately, extra-dimensional aliens that exist in a photonic state cross over from their own dimension through a distortion located in the holodeck. They are detected and attacked by Proton’s archenemy, Dr. Chaotica (Martin Rayner), who believes them to be from the Fifth Dimension, and whose holographic (photonic) weaponry - though harmless to humans - is deadly to the aliens. Eventually, the crew discover the war being waged between Chaotica and the Fifth Dimension and must defeat him by playing out their roles as the fictional Captain Proton (played by Tom Paris), his sidekick Buster Kincaid (Harry Kim), and Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People. Paris convinced Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) to take on the latter role.

I might as well be frank. I LOVE "Bride of Chaotica!". I adore it. It is one of my favorite TREK episodes of all time. What am I saying? It is my favoriteTREK episode of all time. Screenwriters Bryan Fuller (creator of "DEAD LIKE ME" and "PUSHING DAISIES") and Michael Taylor created a first-rate episode filled with imagination, action and humor. Having the characters of Tom Paris’ Captain Proton holoprogram get drawn into a galactic war with an actual group of actual aliens that are photonic was a stroke of genius. And Fuller and Taylor, along with director Allan Kroeker, did an excellent job combining an original story with great characterization.

The cast was excellent, as always. Robbie McNeill and Garrett Wang revived their old magic as Tom and Harry – the two crewmembers who got more out of the Captain Proton holoprogram than anyone. Come to think of it, McNeill also managed to generate strong chemistry with Tim Russ (Lieutenant-Commander Tuvok) and Kate Mulgrew. The latter was superb as Queen Arachnia, although I think she may have been a little guilty of too much mugging, while expressing Janeway’s disregard for the Proton holoprogram. However, I loved her scene with Neelix (Ethan Phillips) that showcased Janeway’s caffine addiction. With that scene, she may have truly earned the nickname - Queen of the Delta Quadrant:

JANEWAY: "Coffee, black." NEELIX: "I'm sorry, Captain. We've lost another two replicators –" JANEWAY: "Listen to me very carefully because I'm only going to say this once. Coffee – black." NEELIX: (To replicator)"Coffee, black. While I've got your attention there are –" JANEWAY: (Holds up hand)"Coffee first."(drinks/inhales)"...Now, what's the problem?"

And then there is Dr. Chaotica, portrayed with great relish by Martin Rayner. The promise he had shown as a rich and over-the-top character in the Season Five premiere, (5.01) "Night" was fulfilled in this episode. The late Nicholas Worth ably supported both Mulgrew and Rayner as Chaotica’s ruthless, obsequious henchman, Lonzak.

As much as I love "Bride of Chaotica!", there is one aspect about it that disturbed me – namely the crew’s reaction to the Captain Proton hologram. It is quite apparent that they view it as nothing more than a childish piece of fiction for those of the immature mind. And it is quite apparent that they also view Tom Paris’ participation in it as childish. And they are not the only ones. I have read some reviews of the episodes. While most tend to sneer at it, along with anything else labeled "STAR TREK VOYAGER", at least two of them did not. Julia Houston seemed to view the holo program not only as Tom Paris’ personal fantasy, but also as an example of his imagination. Like me, she seemed annoyed by the inability of others to appreciate Paris' imagination . . . and his right to his own fantasy. Now Jim Wright did seem to enjoy the holo program and appreciate its uniqueness. But it also seemed that he viewed it as a sign of Paris’ immaturity . . . and as something that the Chief Pilot would have to give up in order to develop as an adult and ideal Starfleet officer.

Quite frankly, I agree with Julia Houston. I was very annoyed by the other Voyager crewmen’s snobbish reaction to Captain Proton. Okay, perhaps they did not care for it very much. But was there really any need for them to openly sneer at what he considered recreation and fantasy? What law was there that Tom’s pursuit of recreation had to be culturally high-brow or meaningful? Janeway, of all people, had no business to sneer. This is a woman who had spent two seasons indulging in her Lambada One holo program – a "Jane Eyre"/"Rebecca" Gothic romance. I must also admit that I was a little put-off by Jim Wright's assumption that Tom needed to give up the Proton program in order to become more mature as an adult. To me, this attitude seemed like a clear lack of appreciation for Tom’s vivid imagination. Perhaps it was more important to him and other "VOYAGER” fans that Tom become the stand-up Starfleet officer that Owen Paris and Janeway wanted him to be. Happily, Tom never stuck to his declaration of giving up the Proton program. He and Harry were still using it in the early Season Six episode called (6.05) "Alice". And a late Season Seven episode called (7.23) "Homestead" revealed that Tom had created another B-movie style program called "Invaders from the Ninth Dimension".

Personally, I like the idea that Tom Paris would eventually become that successful holonovelist sometime in his future. But in the VOYAGER relaunch novels, he became a permanent Starfleet officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant-Commander and Voyager’s new first officer. Ugh. What a waste of a vivid imagination that created the likes of the Proton holoprograms. In real life, I would compare Tom to the likes of George Lucas, Gene Roddenberry, J. Michael Stracynski and the two writers who had created this wonderfully imaginative episode – Fuller and Taylor. A girl can imagine - can't she?

[valkeakuulas]

Please have the fic titles as well:

1. Doing inventory

2. Sentience for beginners

Okay so, I came up with two completely different fics here xD

Doing inventory This would be something cute. Like, I'd start it your regular inventory but then move onto turning it to a bit sillier inventory, like "okay, where are those 10 pallets of crackers we got during the last shipment? I'm talking to you, trooper, where have they gone? ... What do you mean the soft-shells at Level 78 took them?! They're not allowed to do that without - oh, for kark's sake, I'm just going to comm the sergeant."

Sentience for beginners OK. Seeing this title made me kinda want to go and dust of the box that involves all my TF Fandom Headcanons and Facts and shake it until the bare skeletons of a cross-over plot fell out of it.

You see, Optimus Prime has a line that was printed on the side of the box of the very first G1 Optimus Prime toy package back in the 80s, and it goes

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

So what would Optimus Prime (and the Autobots) do if faced with an army of clones that are basically an army of slaves and aren't identified as 100% sentient (let's follow that headcanon here for the fic)? Would it be horrify him since meeting the clones would remind hime of the Cybertronians past as the slaves of the Quintessons (if I go and follow the G1 canon here, let's leave the other 'verses alone just for our sanity's sake).

And how would the clones react at meeting giant, transforming "droids" that see themselves as a sentient race with their own culture and history when compared to the semi-sentient droids they fight.

I can see mistakes and insults happening on both sides as two so different (but also similar?) group of beings have to reconsider what they consider as 'sentient'.

... Hang on. I need write a blurb here. So sorry for the grammar mistakes because I know there'll be a lot some.

"So, you're a fancy battle droid?" the trooper asked, and the black and white Autobot caught the barely hidden condescend in the organic's voice. Looking down at the small, armored human, he tried not to judge them from not knowing better but at the same time, the Autobot wasn't about to swallow the unintended(?) insult. "I've lived at least one hundred fifty times longer than your so-called Galactic Republic has existed, of which I've spent most of my life fighting a war that has lasted millions of years. My Prime carries the symbol of our planet-god in his chest that connects him not only to the Afterspark, giving him the access to speak with the Primes of the past, but also gives him the chance to create new life. Yes, I can shoot a blaster, I can transform my limbs into weapons, and I can process and create over a million battle tactics, but I can also create music, write poems, and grow crystals. One of my fellow Autobot's loves to dance, another adores wildlife, and third one finds peace in science." The Autobot knelt down, and the human that stepped back, wary, when they saw the way his expression darkened. "So don't you dare to compare me to those sparkless, pre-programmed pieces of slag, human," the black and white mech hissed, panels shifting and rising as the doorwings on his back flared.

That's Prowl. Prowl somewhat lost his composure there for a moment.

[copperdaisy]

Little 1:30am thinky thoughts about my two main Pokémon OCs and common threads I just picked up on. Ones that I should have noticed a long time ago tbh. Brain just worked a little slow on the uptake, I guess.

Anyway. I'm sure that Araceli needs no introduction, given how often she gets talked about. Student of Naranja Academy who sucks at taking exams but excels at finding shiny Pokémon. But before I made her there was Jules (real name Juliet) that was my 'main' character. I know that I have talked about her in the past but a brief summary of her is that she is a native of Sinnoh who spent a little over a year as the regional Champion before Things Happened™. In fact, Things Happened™ so much that she ended up leaving the region entirely. (Also, her lineage can be traced back to Hisui and the events of Legends Arceus, not that anyone in the modern era knows that, including herself.)

On the surface level she and Araceli have no connection. They have never met. Jules is at least five years older than Araceli and their interests do not overlap. But there are a few common threads.

1: They are both Champion ranked trainers. Granted, the rank is a bit different between Sinnoh and Paldea. Sinnoh only ever has one at a time while Paldea is more loose in its definition of the rank and has no hard caps. Still, at the core of it, both of them are skilled trainers.

2: Both of them have trauma they are learning to deal with. Araceli's comes from the events at the Zero Lab and not knowing whether she or her friends would survive the Paradise Protocol. Jules' comes from being grievously injured during the battle against the challenger that ended her reign as regional Champ. (Okay, and maybe a little bit of the whole Team Galactic ordeal, but that is a secondary concern for her.)

3: Both of them end up in Galar to escape the ghosts haunting them at home for a while. For Araceli it is only for a semester or two as part of the studying abroad program (which takes place before the events of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero dlc). She uses the time away to clear her head. Jules is there a lot longer. She will end up undergoing the Gym Challenge as part of her quest to overcome her fears.

Not sure if Araceli and Jules will cross paths. Originally I wanted them to but now I'm not sure. There is no real reason for them to do so, as they move in different circles even when both of them are in Galar. Maybe they can be easter egg cameos in each other's stories if I ever get around to writing them.

[spacevixenmusic]

Alright, time to talk about another weird-ass show I watched earlier this year! Today I’m gonna tell you about Lexx, a schlocky Canadian sci-fi show from the early 00s that really caught my eye simply by virtue of being Really Fucking Weird and mostly unlike any other sci-fi show that’s ever been recommended to me!

PLOT: A divine order/death cult of religious zealots in black cloaks serves a bodiless evil vapor that wants to build itself a new giant insect body so it can travel through space and continue to propagate itself. The giant insect body is made from the mass-harvested bodies of people who fail to correctly serve as slave labor in a bureaucratic nightmare Space Corporation. Our so-called heroes are a wild handful of misfits and nincompoops who end up adopting a brain-eating lizard worm baby that eats the brain of the insect god and kicks off a wacky chain of events for the next three seasons. Still onboard?

CHARACTERS: Our main hero, Zev Bellringer, was a woman deemed unfit to be a Perfect Housewife, and forced to undergo complete body reconstruction and to be brainwashed as a Love Slave. Shenanigans happened during this process and she was only partially converted, and also ended up with freaky lizard DNA in the process. She’s running from the law now to live on her own terms.

During the Love Slave debacle, Zev manages to redirect the machine’s reprogramming module and downloads it into the severed head of a robot guard known only as 790. As such, 790 is programmed to be the perfect Love Slave companion for the first person he sees, which of course ends up being Zev. Doting on Zev’s beauty and becoming murderously jealous of anyone who so much as talks to her ends up being his entire personality. He comes along for the ride because he’s a computer companion.

Stanley Tweedle is a low-ranking security guard who gets caught up in the fracas during Zev’s escape, and due to his own ineptitude, ends up incriminating himself as well. Not to mention we later find out he was wanted at one point for fucking up some top-secret delivery of a bunch of DNA samples that could have prevented an entire galactic war or something, but that’s another story. Anyway, he’s a coward but also horny as hell and agrees to help Zev in hopes he’ll one day get some from her.

And finally, Kai. An unstoppable reanimated assassin who formerly served as the Divine Shadow’s personal killing machine. The dark irony is that he was originally the last of his people, sent on a suicide mission to KILL the Divine Shadow, only to fail and be in turn forced to work FOR him instead. Kai is virtually indestructible, can regenerate his body if torn, and shows no emotion or personal desires, but runs on a rare “proto-blood” only manufactured by/for the Divine Shadow, and must be kept in cryo stasis unless absolutely needed by the crew for whatever reason.

Anyway!

I’m gonna cross-post most of my thoughts from my long-winded Twitter thread, because there’s a lot to share, so buckle up for more on this show soon!

[100-yardstare]

Self Insert & F/O Master List

Main Romantic F/O

Dr. Eggman/Ivo Robotnik - Sonic the Hedgehog

Other F/O's

Blinky/Blinkous Galadrigal - Trollhunters

All Might - My Hero Academia

Dave the Octopus - Penguins of Madagascar

King Candy/Turbo/King Candybug - Wreck-It Ralph

Astarion - BG3

Piccolo - Dragon Ball

General Grievous - Star Wars

Ingo - Pokemon

Other Fave Faves (Platonic)

Shank - Wreck-It Ralph

Aerith - Final Fantasy

Launch - Dragon Ball

Tracer - Overwatch

Tron Bonne - Megaman Legends

Shadow - Sonic the Hedgehog

Wheatley - Portal 2

Samus Aran - Metroid

Ridley - Metroid

Ahsoka Tano - Star Wars

OCs

Steven Wheatfield - Started off as a parody version of Human!Wheatley but has grown into his own over the years. I use him in almost all my AUs and give him cameos frequently in my works. He is a British programmer and fills in for my "Smart Guy" roles.

Self Inserts

Atomic Ace (My Hero Academia) - Quirk "Adrenaline". Adrenaline gives her super strength, speed, and overall massive power. After many years she finally reached America's Number 1 Hero in her late 20's, only to lose it months later due to her quirk taking a toll on her body. In her youth, she hung out with All Might and David Shield during Toshi's American tour. All Might and AA both were in love with each other but were to focused on becoming hero's to admit it to one another. That is until AA comes to Japan years later during the show's events.

Kailey "Kat" Terranova (Metroid) - Kat is the Director of Development for Galactic Federation Space Research Station Number 2. In charge of keeping tabs with both the research team and Federation investors, Kat has been working with head scientist Steven Wheatfield to bring to light the transcendence of human minds into Artificial Intelligence. Unfortunately, things go wrong when the base is attacked by Ridley and the Space Pirates, and over the course of the Metroid franchise she becomes their unwilling genetically modified test subject.

Kat (Dragon Ball) - After her dad is killed by King Piccolo during the Piccolo arc in Dragon Ball, Kat sets off on her own with her newfound freedom. Little does she know that she will soon be making company with Piccolo Jr. Set between the end of Dragon Ball and DBZ. Later expands into DBZ as an AU where Kat and Piccolo know the events of the "canon" timeline, which causes Shin to get involved way early on to try and stop Buu and prior threats.

Kailey aka The First User (Wreck-It Ralph) - Is part of a test that sends people to digital space and is lowkey a Tron crossover insert and AU. She is the first person to have physical contact with Programs/game characters, triggering a series of events that lead the world to allow Programs to travel to and fro between digital space and the real world.

Kailey (Pokemon) - Owns a farm in west Unova. During her back and forth to the city after establishing her farm, news of one of the Submas brothers going missing is hard to miss. Little does she know that Arceus is about to use her, too, and soon she will cross fates with Ingo, the missing twin.

The Vulture (Spiderverse) - With her father abandoning her and her sickly mother, a new variant of the Vulture is soon to be added to the Spiderverse. Oscorp, having been experimenting on the poor population of the city, the Vulture is born with large brown wings as a result of her parents exposure to genetic mutagens. While her mother regards her as beautiful, society rejects her, burying her more into poverty. Ultimately, the illness takes her mother, and she seeks revenge on Oscorp and its hedge-funders.

Sarai Daan (Star Wars) - Sarai is a Togruta Jedi Knight and a survivor of the Clone Wars.

Kelda the Wild aka The Skrill Princess (How to Train Your Dragon) - A former hunter-trapper, Kelda once looked up to bounty hunters like Grimmel the Grisly during their youth and sought to appease her starving guild. However, her heart soon pulled her away from that life, and she would abandon all she knew to fight for the dragons, specifically a mother Skrill who left two children behind after she was killed by Grimmel.

Kat/Kailey/Kaleen/etc. (WoW, BG3, DnD, General Fantasy, etc.) - Always a Cleric with light or fire affinities, and always an Elf. Knowledgeable in Apologetics and religious texts of their god/gods and even other gods of their universe, and has a chaotic good alignment.

Kailey (Penguins of Madagascar) - is the human assistant to Dr. Octavius Brine aka Dave the Octopus. She is virtually the only human in the world to know his secret.

Guardian of Comfort (Rise of the Guardians/Guardians of Childhood) - Is the guardian of comfort and spirit of warmth and acceptance. Based on "comfort and joy" in the Christmas tune, she has fire abilities and is associated with candlelight. As a human, she died in a fire protecting the ones she loved, and was chosen by Man in Moon, to continue to provide her comforting presence to lost and despairing children all over the world.

Kailey (Sonic verse) - A human. Boom!Kailey is actually an isekai that gets sucked into the shenanigans of the universe taking place in the cartoon Sonic Boom and serves as the focal point for my other inserts in the many Sonic universes. Main!Kailey is a test pilot, with aspirations to have a "lazy girl job" and has goals to have what Boom!Kailey has. Both versions are in love or married to Eggman and the trend is that in every universe they always get together with him in some form, good or bad.

[citadelredlightdistrict]

Well, Shepherd, thanks for the confirmation on Fornax. Now then, another famed incident was the galactic varren show. We have here the footage of the one of the contestants ripping that lovely dress off. (Cut to a varren tearing Shepherd's dress off while she's carrying the prize metals, leaving her in just heels) And another of the contestants claiming another prize. (Cut to Shepherd gangbanger by Varren before a cheering crowd) And word has it they've been clamoring for you to host again.

The crowd in the studio could also be heard cheering as the videos played, especially the second one. Shepard though just had to force a smile as she gave her best impression of a good natured laugh. She glanced angrily over at Liara as she did, oh they were going to have words later. "Oh, wow! Ha ha, yeah... wow, you know I could have sworn that *somebody* said they'd scrubbed the extranet of every possible copy of these videos. Wow, it's so... great, to see that you guys were able to find them!" Liara rolled her eyes and simply crossed her legs with a smirk. Liara: "Yes it is great, and I'd watch your tone Commander, after all some members of the crew might still know where that collar is." Shepard cleared her throat, quickly shifting her gaze away from Liara, the message clearly received. "*ahem* Right, yes this was part of an outreach program, meant to show that the council wasn't playing favorites with the council species. This was a collaborative event organized by the Krogan and Vorcha, and *I* had been told that the Varren had specifically been trained out of their aggressive behaviors." She tapped her finger on the armrest of her chair, folding her legs to hide her arousal. This long trip down memory lane was really starting to get to her, in a way she'd really not advertise on live t.v. "Now, I've been told that they'd been reaching out, and I've gotta say I just-" Kasumi interrupts Shepard, placing a firm hand on her leg as she looks out to address the audience directly. Kasumi: "The crew of the Normandy is proud to announce that Commander Shepard has agreed to host the event on an annual basis! And as a show of her appreciation for the Krogan and Vorcha of our galaxy she has agreed to do it free of charge!" A cheer goes up from the crowd, forcing Shepard to smile and waive as though this had been the plan all along, muttering under her breath at the crew members on the stage with her. "What are you doing?" Miranda: "Just giving you a little nudge in the right direction commander~. Don't worry everyone, the commander will be here all night, and then some, so keep sending in your questions for her!"

[thestarrystarpets]

The Starry Starpets' Book of Jokes #1

Wouldn't Starie be silly about the Book of JOKES

Here is Sierra's Silly Scenario before the jokes: At school Sierra and her classmates, Astrid, Millan, and Tyler did a joke about fries. Exersise, you meant the word "Extra Fries" Then Tyler laughed.

The Jokes in the Starry Starpets' first Book of Jokes

Why did Starrie the Starpet Cat join the International Rescue Space program? To be the first feline to catch a shooting star!

What do you get when you cross Starrie the Starpet Cat with a comet? A meow-teor shower!

How did Sierra react when her friends asked her to hang out during "Thunderbirds Are Go"? She'd say, "Sorry, but I’ve got a mission with International Rescue!"

Why did Sierra Intala insist on doing her homework on time? Because "Thunderbirds Are Go" was her reward for a job well done!

How do The Thunderbirds Class students prepare for tests? They call it a "Launch Sequence" and make sure all systems are go!

What did Delvin Needly say when he solved a tricky problem? "Another mission completed successfully!"

What’s Alan’s favorite way to describe his weekend plans? "Actual Alan has an 'actual' adventure planned!"

Why did Doggiestar love going on walks? Because every stroll turned into a star-chasing adventure!

How did Samantha greet her friends in Spanish class? With a cheerful "¡Hola, amigos!" and a big smile!

Why did the Thunderbirds Class excel in science? Because they learned all their tricks from Brains!

What did Sierra say when she nailed her piano performance? "I hit all the right notes, not a single flat moment!"

What’s Sierra’s secret to never missing a note? She says, "Practice makes purrfect, just like Starie!"

How does Virgil Tracy help Sierra with tricky passages in her music? "He says, ‘Take it slow and steady, just like navigating a rescue!’"

Why did Samantha, Daniella, and Sierra always giggle during their poetry meetings? Because their rhymes kept turning into comedic lines!

How did Scott Tracy help Sierra Intala prepare for her piano performance? "With a strategic plan and precise timing, just like piloting Thunderbird 1!"

Why did Scott and Starrie never get lost on their adventures? Because they had a built-in Galactic Paw System (GPS)!

Why did Scott and Starrie always have the best stories? Because their tales were truly out of this world!

How did Sierra greet the DreamyWorld Starpets? "Sweet dreams, friends! I’m here for an adventure!"

[satoshi-mochida]

Boyhood’s End Episode 1 delayed to spring 2024

Gematsu Source

Publishers WSS playground and PLAYISM, and developer Bukiri Clock have delayed the first episode of episodic science-fiction horror adventure game Boyhood’s End from its previously planned fall 2023 release window to spring. It will be available for PC via Steam.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

When does childhood end? Both humans and the inhuman will find the answer at the end of a cycle of fight and flight. Solve puzzles and explore the world, depicted in hand-drawn pixel art. Watch beautifully animated conversations between the main characters. Join a young boy on his adventure and experience his story set in a hardcore sci-fi world. Boyhood’s End is a juvenile science fiction horror adventure game, in which the world is ruled by a mechanical overlord “R. Karellen.” Every aspect of every person’s life is rated with a “human score,” and R. Karellen decides everything from academic and professional careers, romantic interests, to one’s daily meals. The protagonist, Giovanni, has the lowest human score among the entire human race. Every day, he receives “special treatment” for everything including his meals and classes. On top of that, he gets bullied relentlessly by his classmates at the School, both in real life and online. But one day, everything and everyone in the school starts attacking Giovanni, trying to “remake” him and raise his human score by making him “more human.” A senior student, the famously eccentric genius Campanella, reaches out to Giovanni, and they hop onto (and take over) a driverless train on the galactic railroad. And so, Giovanni gets swept up in a journey to find the “Crimson Southern Cross,” located at the farthest edge of the universe. On their journey, the boys will meet great leaders of the past and pull reckless and destructive “pranks” on them all. Through their encounters with the history, twisted mysteries, and various horrors of the world, they will eventually have to confront the end of their own childhood. Oh, did you hear that? The boys are (pointlessly) sounding the train whistle. Looks like it’s time for the galactic express to depart.

Characters

-Giovanni

“Shut up! I couldn’t care less about your twisted logic, but here’s the thing, I’m a human! And you’d better start treating me like one!”

Has a wanted criminal as a father and the lowest human score in the universe. Gets treated like trash by other people and even the system itself. Has a cynical personality and a sharp tongue, but has a soft spot for his family. Always has to earn money to pay his sister’s hospital fees. Although he lives in an age where humans haven’t had to write programs by themselves for generations, Giovanni knows the ancient craftsman technique of writing his own code from scratch. He frequently uses his coding skills to do shady side gigs on the dark web.''

-Campanella

“Come on, show me! Show me the true potential of humanity! Show me something unpredictable, something that could ruin the world as we know it—something a man-made thing could never do!”

Has the highest human score in the Gymnasium, and very talented in everything from academics to sports, but also has the highest total score deduction in the Gymnasium due to his frequent eccentric behavior. Talk about extreme. Campanella holds “humans” in high regard, and acts arrogantly around the inhuman and artificially intelligent R. However, many claim to have seen him chatting and playing around with R for no reason in particular.

Watch a new trailer below.

Hacking Trailer

English

Japanese

Korean

Simplified Chinese

[sergioguymanproust]

Space exploration has always been a risky business.Government has always try to hide the dark side of this equation.Regardless of the hundreds of highly qualified staff that are made to sign a non disclosure agreement.Sending astronauts to the moon ,mars ,Jupiter moons and any other celestial bodies through these so called “ jumprooms.”specially to mars.Has come with a price. Astronauts memories have been wiped clean,to protect them from spies and the natural breakdown that naturally occurs in time. We civilians are told a measly15% of the projects and launching of secret programs run primarily by the military.But the pairing of humans and robotic Ai that has already begun .We have crossed the threshold of our limited technologies into the magic of quantum computation and basically left Mother Earth literally speaking and join the extraterrestrial galactic brotherhood.Contact is already a thing of the past my friends, our race is already working with several alien races but make no mistake not all of them are “ friendly” toward humans.Several astronaut from the US ,China and specially Russia have died horrible deaths in the name of progress and this risky business of space exploration. Whistleblowers are coming out to speak of these tragedies.That for years have been kept hidden from us.Well, more to come in future bogs.Words by Sergio GuymanProust.

Vacuum, acrylic on canvas by Kristian Tsvetanov