#galaxy of fear: the swarm

[frc-ambaradan]

«Thrawn stood with his hands behind his back, studying the flowers as though they were the secret of the universe. "Interesting," he muttered to himself as they passed by. "Most revealing." "What do you know?" Zak whispered to Tash. "He really is a nut for flowers."»

John Whitman, Galaxy of Fear: The Swarm (1998)

[getthrawnin]

A redux. It was partially cut. Sorry.

“I encounter civilians like you all the time. You believe the Empire is continually plotting to do harm. Let me tell you, your view of the Empire is far too dramatic. The Empire is a government. It keeps billions of beings fed and clothed. Day after day, year after year, on thousands of worlds, people live their lives under Imperial rule without seeing a stormtrooper or hearing a TIE fighter scream overhead.”

— Captain Thrawn to Tash Arranda

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: The Folly of Gel’vana

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

The Terminus class warship “Gel’vana”, named after her captain of the same name, was the largest warship the Mogabi had ever constructed.

Outfitted with the latest technology, coupled with enough armaments to equal any single fleet, the ship was unlike anything the galaxy had seen set to sail amongst the void sea. The batteries of void cannons alone were capable of cracking tectonic plates like gingerbread.  

It didn’t take long for the intentions of such a ship to be made obvious as no sooner had it been launched from the orbital dockyards above the Mogabi homeworld did they declare war upon their galactic neighbor the Techno Autocracy.

The sentient machines held control over numerous mineral rich worlds that the Mogabi long since craved and so they dispatched the Gel’vana to drive the Autocracy out. Swarms of drones and carries were dispatched outnumbering the lone warship a ten thousand to one, yet the Gel’vana carved through them like a hot knife through butter. None of their weapons could pierce the warships shields as it unleashed devastating barrages against the mechanical adversaries.

By the conclusion of the Battle of Raxsus III the Autocracy had been crippled militarily and ceded control of the planets in question.

Emboldened by their victory, three months later the Mogabi declared war on their northern neighbors of the Tumani and Yulnucks. The pair had been locked in an ongoing border dispute for three years and the resulting conflicts had caused waves of disruption within the Mogabi trade network.

The pair was swiftly conquered by the Mogabi fleet with the Gel’vana leading the effort. Both fleets were swatted aside and their homeworlds conquered and instated as new vassal clients of the growing Mogabi empire.

This sad display of power played out again and again for the next ten years until to Mogabi controlled some twenty star systems, fifty worlds, and a dozen different client species serving their needs with resources and manpower. Their hubris was matched only by the fear they instilled when their enemies learned the Mogabi had dispatched the Gel’vana to their system. It was a sentiment that Mogabi felt with their soon to be latest acquisition.

A small empire of planets controlled by a species called “Humans”.

In short order the Gel’vana arrived in the human sol system and expected a fight. To their surprise they were met by a lone warship and a message of surrender.

To say the Mogabi were surprised would be an understatement. They had heard of the prowess of the human war machine and their spirit for conquest. Even with their previous victories the Mogabi were expecting a protracted war that could last decades and cost thousands if not millions of lives.

Human diplomats contacted the Gel’vana and expressed that they had no wish to see their people devastated by a long war. They were willing to negotiate with the Mogabi and give them favorable terms, even the possibility of limited subjugation, conditional on two terms.

1st: No human world would be subject to excessive occupation.

2nd: The human diplomats wished to sign the agreements onboard the Gel’vana as a sign of respect to both of powers.

The first the Mogabi could understand, but the second confused them.

Humans explained that while they were surrendering they still had a measure of pride to take into account. By signing the treaties onboard the Gel’vana they would show that it took the universes mightiest warship to bring them to heel.

Even with the explanation some of the Mogabi were still skeptical, but so drunk on their own supposed power the command staff ignored their suspicions and agreed to the terms.

Slowly the human ship approached the Gel’vana; the shadow of the Mogabi warship swallowing up the entire vessel like the maw of a great sea beast of old. A long lone docking tube extended outwards and latched on to the human ship and pulled it close as the Mogabi delegation gathered at the entry point ready in full military uniform.

As the tube finally stopped moving and the lights turned green, the entry door began sliding open slowly. When it finally slid fully open the Mogabi had just moment to register the tip of the Nova Warhead pointing right at them.

Before any of them could react the ignition triggered and the missile flew the length of the docking tube into the waiting Mogabi delegation, splattering several before colliding into the wall and detonating in a violent explosion.

While it was true that the Gel’vana was nearly impervious to exterior attacks, it was not designed to handle internal explosions. The detonation of the Nova warhead set off a series of secondary explosions in nearby ammo storage chambers which further added to the detonations until finally reaching the main reactor and setting off a critical overload.

In a single moment the deadliest warship the solar seas had ever seen was reduced to a momentary star of light and wreckage before being swallowed into the gravity well of Jupiter.

So assured in their own supremacy, the Mogabi failed to conduct even the most basic of scans of the human ship. Had they done so they would have seen that there was not a single soul on board, and quickly realized the ship was being remotely operated via a series of spy satellites floating throughout the Sol system. The destruction of the Gel’vana was recorded by one such satellite and then broadcast throughout the Mogabi Empire.

 Uprisings erupted throughout the entirety of their domain as their freshly conquered territories were all too eager to overthrow their oppressors; many of these rebellions aided by fresh contingents of human warships flooding in and engaging the scattered Mogabi forces.

Within six months the Mogabi Empire was no more and the human forces retreated back to their own domain. Many had expected the humans to become the new overlords, and it was a sentiment toyed with by some notable human leaders in flights of fancy; but that is all they were, flights of fancy. Their only interest had been in the complete and utter destruction of the Mogabi.

In their arrogance of sending a single warship to conquer humanity the Mogabi had done more harm to their cause then they could have ever imagined. They had wounded human pride at the insinuation that they were so frail and weak that they would cower beneath the gaze of one ship.

With their revenge carried out they were all too happy to leave the former vassals finish off what remained of the Mogabi; a vengeance they were all too happy to watch play out from afar.

[wolven91]

Skin Deep

The crit'yun are an ancient race.

Chitin instead of flesh, feather, scale, or fur. A mind that was vast enough to include all their kind, but also individual minds, all working towards a common goal broken up into hives then castes. They were like ants of old, but massive.

As for the hives, in the deepest, most protected parts of their worlds, there were pools of a biological soup that gave birth to new and needed bodies. There was no 'set' appearance to the crit'yun. If they needed pincers the most, then the creature that crawled from the ominous goop had pincers. If they needed size or bulk, the goop would recede as a titan lifted itself clear of the liquid, allowing it to cascade from it in great waterfalls as it stepped into the galaxy.

The crit'yun had been around since the various races that now dominated the galaxy had begun to crawl from their own primordial soups millennia ago. They watched the galaxy and recorded its comings and goings with a careful eye. Nothing was forgotten, everything was shared. Perhaps once the crit'yun had spread themselves across the galaxy, like a grand empire? But that wasn't the case now.

Their territory with a sliver that spanned several arms of the galaxy. They stayed there, watching and listening to the galaxy that appeared and grew now that they stayed dormant.

But the modern galaxy feared them, even before their most recent awakening.

Not just because they had perfected what was important to the current races, war and weapons, but because they were an antithesis to what was considered beautiful within the galaxy. Skittering. Twitching. Eyes that didn't look like eyes, or none at all, still watched without blinking. Legs and hands that were weapons.

They were judged on their first introduction. The crit'yun were aliens, even to the aliens.

When humanity appeared, it created an almost visible ripple amongst the insectoids. Something new. Something they hadn't seen. Something they hadn't recorded with their incredible minds. Something, that was dying.

Like a locust swarm amassing, the crit'yun, after thousands and thousands of years in isolation and refusal to engage with the wider galaxy; was suddenly abuzz with activity. The galaxy feared the crit'yun despite the diplomats they sent to assure the Galactic Community of their honourable intentions. They avoided crowded systems, sent only the most appealing of the crit'yun to parley when needed, but they were still shunned as dangerous, foreign things.

This was where Max came in.

Max had been in the 'care' of slavers. He was one of the lucky ones. He hadn't even been aware of their foul intentions. They had lied, placed him in comfortable quarters and began their journey towards a buyer before being found by the crit'yun.

"We are still sorry. That this. Was your first step. Sorry, that we, no... you... did not find... ally, friend, family." Chittered the creature. It was the size of a large dog, perhaps a Great Dane? It's red membrane wings flutters and twitched, but the numerous black dots, that Max had come to learn were its eyes, watched him carefully. Its speech pattern was strange, but it sat next to the human on a raised bench of resin that coated the inside of the crit'yun ship.

"It's alright. I should have known, I just didn't... think I suppose?" The human said with a sigh, gesturing with his hand before it fell back down against his knee.

"Absence. No. Lack of knowledge. Ignorance. Not worthy of fault. " Assured the creature as its head tilted one way and then the other.

The human smiled idly, more to the floor than to himself or a crit'yun. His hand, ever moving reach over without thought and rubbed a hand against the almost perfectly rounded head of the alien insect. Although there was no fur there, the distracted human merely felt calmer by the action. It reminded him of his own dog, Max missed him.

It was almost a whole minute before Max turned his head to the crit'yun and blinked, seemingly surprised that he was petting the insect and immediately withdrew his hand.

"I'm sorry! I didn't-" Blurted the human, holding his hands up in apologetic surrender.

"Why?" Asked the creature. It's perfectly round head turning, the beady black eyes rotating with it. It was a perfect impression of a puppy tilting its head.

"I wasn't thinking." Replied the human honestly, lowering his arms once more, paying attention to the creature.

"Ah. This one knows this. Nature. No... Natural action... To act by instinct. True Freedom. Fear no. Fear not. No offence made or received." Confirmed the alien, bobbing its head. Unbeknownst the Max, the instinctual drive it spoke of was its 'purpose'. Every crit'yun was born and made with a goal, a true purpose in life. The broodmother's was to birth and care for their young and vulnerable. The guards was to defend and destroy threats. To this drone? It was to reapply the resin to the ceilings of the crit'yun craft.

Since the human had shown preference to it, it had already been replaced, its purpose was now to stay by the human and ensure it wanted for nothing until the broodmother's craft arrived.

Max gave a smirk as this giant insect spoke in such an odd way, struggling to find the correct words, all the while he had accidently just treated it like a favoured pet. His brow furrowed as he thought about it though.

"How come the translators don't work for you?" The man asked curiously. He was aware that translators normally just adjusted any word heard for the word the speaker meant, in the listener's language. It shouldn't have been hiccupping over the insect's words.

"They do." Replied the creature smartly.

"But you mix up your words?" Pointed out Max.

"Ah. Translators fine. It is mind that is... limited." The insect explained, bobbing on all six legs.

"Mind?" Max was only more confused now.

"Yes. This one. Crit'yun you see with your eyes. Is only drone. Mind limited. In time... We will present acceptable crit'yun to you." The drone explained, speaking the words the broodmother sent through the hive's mind. It was a delicate thing, to speak through a drone, but doable. They didn't normally have the drive to talk or even need to. It was pure luck that this done was a talkative one, often humming to itself as it happily worked. The broodmother could only whisper simple concepts and the drone would repeat them as best it could.

"What does that mean?" Enquired the human. The crit'yun was pleased with the new specie's curiosity but feared that this was the moment they would lose this creature's trust. The crit'yun knew what they looked like, and the diplomat form could only look so much like them before it caused distress.

"We hide. Will hide. What makes us. Robes will hide chitin. Our eyes will be only... One... Two..." Counted the drone, repeating the broodmother's words. Her signal was getting stronger, straining the creature's mind.

"You don't have to change for me you know? I don't mind." Promised the young man.

"You... flinch." Pointed out the drone.

"I'm not going to lie, its intimidating, being surrounded by bugs, but I bet I don't look great to you."

"Clicks for this one. True. Truth is spoken. Very well. When this drone... is returned to the hive. Hive will not attempt... much... to hide selves..." Promised the drone, settling down onto its folded limbs. Tired now.

"Good. I was always told be proud of who you are. And you guys saved my life, so in my book you're alright."

"We wish to record your book. Please present it." Asked the drone, it's mind growing tired now that the broodmother had relinquished her hold on its mind. She was on the ship now. The idea the drone could record new history and present it to the broodmother? As it slipped from the waking world, if it could smile; it would have.

"Oh. Uuhh..." The human said, unaware he was the only one present now.

[r/WolvensStories]

[AO3]

[Ko-Fi]

[littledarknesgold]

Mortarion x girlfriend reader When the other villagers saw him as a stranger, she saw him as a man who just wanted to be loved. During a great crusade across the galaxy, on the Death Guard's flagship, Mortarion marries and feels happy for the first time in a long time. Typhus kidnaps Y/N and forces her to enter the service of the god Nurgle under threat of Mortarion's death. Nurgle takes a liking to her and makes her a princess of decay. After centuries in Nurgle's garden, she meets Mortarion and explains everything to him. They both hate their forms, but they have no choice but to suffer forever.

🥸🫶

What is sorrow to the living is joy to the dead.

Warnings: mention of rot and insects, mention of loss, soft yandere.

You were different.

Mortarion knew it from the start, when you spoke to him without fear back on Barbarus. To others there he was as much a monster as his foster father, but not to you.

And when the time came to join the Emperor's Great Crusade, you stepped into the stars as fearlessly as you did that day, stepping out to meet him.

At first, everything was a bit complicated between you, but then it became easier, you got used to each other, liked each other, and then got married. Realized that you can't live without each other.

The Primarch of the 14th Legion never thought he would be ready for such great responsibility, nor did he think he deserved your affection, but you have calmed his troubled soul.

Your souls merged in a sacred marriage, becoming one and it seemed that nothing could separate you, but then the Horus Heresy came, and then, as if that weren't enough, Grandfather Nurgle. But you were together, so it wasn't all that bad, right?

No. Even you were taken from him, his ungrateful son Typhus stole you. That little bastard...

The Swarm Lord hid you in the Gardens of Nurgle, where Grandfather blessed you (or cursed you?) generously.

Mortarion's existence became a torment, not only because of his hideous new appearance, but also because he did not know what had happened to you or where you were. His soul was torn and torn in a fever.

His only source of joy, love and comfort was taken away from him and the Prince of Decay had nothing left to cling to. Until you were reunited again, though now you were more like a larva or caterpillar.

Burying his face in your gelatinous flesh, he realized the rotten tears.

You were together again and he made a promise to himself to get you both out at any cost, even if it was just a lie and you both were stuck here forever.

[shepcdr]

there is something so so so sexy about the reapers. beings that exist to extinguish organic life, but only towards a certain purpose. beings that exist beyond the scope of your comprehension, created by the unfathomable apex predators of the galaxy (predators that could topple any empire and rule over entire civilisations with a single thought!! on a little whim!!). the apex predators, their own creators, that they vanquished and pushed into near-extinction, all for the purpose for which they were created. beings that technically exist to fulfil that purpose and, guided by an artificial intelligence whose entire existence has structured itself around the unending experiment of organic-synthetic cohabitation, still inherited the smugness and pride of their creators. beings that span thousands and thousands of cycles, infinite beginnings and ends, who store the genetic memories of hundreds and thousands of civilisations from their incarnation to their deaths at the reapers' hands(? tentacle.. claw... thingies?). who have never known what it is to have their existence threatened. shit-talking a human being that is nothing more than a microbe to them. because they can.

anyway a while ago i made them a pinterest board (to be avoided if you have trypophobia, or fear of clusters/swarms of eyes, or of art that mimics imagery of blood/gore) because i love them. my terrible biblical, cephalopodic, organic-made children of the galaxy

[lovelymalleus]

MALE HSR CHARACTERS WITH A COWARDLY, TIMID G/N USER

— featuring: Blade, Boothill, Argenti, Jing Yuan (all separate)

BOOTHILL - “Similar to a trotter…”

warning; just one part where he spits something out, but it’s nothing too weird—it’s just boothill messing with the reader 😭

you two met through him saving you when he spotted you pathetically trying to fend off a trotter that looked just as scared as you were

you didn’t think he’d be this much of an asshole

every time he sees the way you practically jump 8 centimeters in the air, he laughs as hard as he can which doesn’t help with your panic

he was kind of frustrated with you at first, finding the way you’d always try to cower away from the fight annoying

but then he slowly began to find you funny to watch tremble and panic even at the slightest things

especially when you’d race to his side, crying for his help and shaking like a leaf behind him which just looked both adorable and hilarious to boothill

“Ah! B-Boothill! G-Get that away from me! Use your gun or something—just get it away from me…!”

you were referring to the poor, shaking trotter by the way

“It’s a weak lil’ trotter—you could take care of it on your own, yeah?”

“NO-!”

since then, boothill couldn’t help the urge but to tease you and sometimes even scare you purposely

“wanna see a trick? 😼”

“…what?”

yk that thing he does where he swallows a bullet? yeah, that’s what he did then he took it back out and held it up to you

that mortified look on your face, clearly disturbed by what you had just witnessed, still never left his brain

he also likes to take risks with you purposely

like that one time he jumped off a building and onto the other one with a rope tied around your waist that he was (this time) holding, your scream echoing in the air while he had a shit-eating grin on his face

but no matter how cowardly you were to boothill though, you were still endearing either way

you even made him start thinking of you anytime he sees those frightened trotters, and just let’s them flee

ARGENTI - “Knight in Shining Armor.”

unlike boothill, argenti is less…teasing about your excessive fear

if anything, he views you as someone he’d like to protect and reassure the world isn’t all that bad

you were like the royal in distress that he, the knight, has to protect

he can even be considered your “knight in shining armor” !

he also doesn’t mind how timid you were—he sees it as an endearing trait of yours

you two had met through his random, odd visit at the astral express

when you saw him praise a plant, you already had a weird vibe off him and instinctively tried hiding behind welt to which argenti still somehow noticed you, his eyes immediately snapping in your direction (much to your chagrin)

“Oh, another beautiful being…? Just by looking at you, I can tell that you are as beautiful as the stars in the galaxy that you and your companions travel through so frequently—your smile is most likely warm enough to nearly be mistaken for the warmth of the early springs—”

“WHO ARE YOU.”

at some point during his visit, you slowly began to warm up to him once you realized this was just how he was, and he wasn’t high on something

being around argenti was like having a bodyguard, since he saved you from multiple sorts of enemies—even those swarm bugs that scare you shitless from their size

plus with that odd habit he had where he always followed you around, his tall figure always seen right behind you, giving you a fright in the process

being worried about your safety all the time to the point he began to follow you everywhere just gave you a headache instead of making you flattered

it doesn’t help that he even tends to carry you bridal style

a startled yelp left you when you suddenly felt two arms go under your legs and by your back, lifting you in a bridal style motion

as you frantically tried to see who exactly had carried you so abruptly, you paused once you felt a red strand of hair brush against your cheek and cold armor press against you

“A-Argenti? Please, stop following me everywhere and carrying me without warning like that…You—you can at least tell me you’re coming with me! I don’t think seeing a tall man standing right behind me or carrying me so randomly with a spear in his hands is going to make me feel safe or protected…”

“I only do so to make sure no one harms you by holding you close! I can’t imagine what would happen if someone as vulnerable as you was left fending for themself…”

his “caring” words came out oddly backhanded which was definitely not what he originally meant

“I-I’m not that weak! I don’t need a bodyguard or something, you know…?!”

despite your words flying over the knight of beauty’s head, he finally let you down at some point, watching you stumble back in place

he still, of course, remained close by your side however

it’s not like you truly minded anyway; you were flattered if anything, and always found yourself growing red at his sincere compliments and concern for you (if he doesn’t go too overboard)

you were just a little too embarrassed to admit it

BLADE - “Swordsman and His Healer.”

you are just absolutely pathetic to him

you can’t even last two seconds in a mission without panicking

it’s no wonder you were mainly the healer for the stellaron hunters…

your healings did blade no favor anyway as he can’t even die—it only brought him annoyance

in general, he didn’t really understand how you became a member of the stellaron hunters

did elio just feel bad for you or something…?

you also hated being trained by him, since he doesn’t hold back, always begging kafka or maybe firefly to just train you instead

a meek whimper left you when blade unsheathed his sword with a “shing!” and help it up in your direction, tilting your chin up with it

“Prepare yourself, and watch my movements carefully, Healer. Do not expect me to go easy on you just because you aren’t experien—”

“Aaah—I DON’T WANNA DO THIS ANYMORE, BLADE! STOPPP!”

blade furrowed his brows and narrowed his red eyes, looking down at you, only to see you literally trembling on the floor with your hands holding your head and legs huddled up to your chest

a grumble left him as he ended up actually going easy on you during your training

during missions where you actually have to fight though, you’re always throwing a weak attack at the enemy then quickly scurrying behind blade

much to his annoyance

“How many times have I told you that I am not your shield, you coward…? Do I need to push you over to the opponent so that you can actually be useful?”

“B-Blade! You’re not helping…!”

how you were still alive till this day is a mystery to him (as if he doesn’t willingly protect you), but at least you two had one thing in common

no matter how bad a situation can be, you both still survive regardless if you want to or not

JING YUAN - “A Stubborn Bird with Broken Wings.”

you were quite the meek cloud knight in the luofu, practically well-known for your skittish and cowardly behavior, hence why you barely get brought to patrols with the others

you were pretty much hopeless to the other cloud knights with the way you struggle carrying your own weapon, always need medical assistance, plus desperate help with simply fighting a mara-stricken soldier

it’s a miracle you even managed to become a knight

however, one person that you found yourself beginning to admire just-so happened to be the general himself; jing yuan

the way he carries himself so swiftly, casually summons the lightning lord without warning, and carries his spear with merely one hand was just intriguing to you!

and wasn’t it said his spear was made for 3 or even 4 people to hold? here he was, carrying it with just one hand!

you desperately wanted to impress the general, but anytime you tried; you always ended up failing miserably and nearly getting yourself killed while practically trembling!

and worst of all, it was mainly jing yuan himself who’d take it down for you, much to your embarrassment as that meant he saw one of his own knights in such an embarrassing position

jing yuan, meanwhile, only found your painfully obvious attempts at impressing him and your admiration towards him endearing

you sort of reminded him of a bird that he had saved once that couldn’t fly, but tried it’s hardest to fly regardless, no matter how much it’d hurt it’s wings—just like you, you couldn’t fight very well, but tried your hardest just for him no matter how much you’d hurt yourself or how frightened you were

although the bird did manage to fly at one point

every time he’d come to your aid, the general had to restrain himself from teasing you for being so reckless

“You really are a determined yet frightened one, aren’t you? You should try fighting those you can handle, and train more to fight those who are bigger.”

jing yuan would chuckle after he had saved you from another attack, pulling you up by your arm and watching you sheepishly brush off any dirt

“I-I knew what I was doing—I was just caught off-guard! Your help wasn’t needed, General…”

at your attempt to seem brave, jing yuan had to stifle a laugh as he hummed

“Is that so? Or are you just saying that to impress me? Believe me, you’ve certainly have caught my attention.”

oh, how embarrassed you were when you realized he knew you were trying to impress him

and the fact you “certainly caught his attention” just clearly not in the way you originally wanted to

though, jing yuan did believe you were strong—you wouldn’t have been able to become a cloud knight if you weren’t after all, now would you?

he had faith in you, no matter how “cowardly” you were deemed in other’s eyes—he viewed you differently when he saw how determined you were to fight larger enemies even with trembling legs and shaky hands just for him

and that was proven true to him when he finally spotted you defeat a malefic ape all by yourself to protect this foxian mother and her son

you didn’t miss the look of approval he had given you from where he was, and neither did he miss that happy little smile that made it’s way onto your lips

the bird he saved that reminded him of you did manage to fly at one point.

i just love whenever I log off of tumblr for a MINUTE just to check something real quick (i just-so happen to forget to save the post first), and when I come back; suddenly I was logged off the unsaved post and have to redo everything that wasn’t saved.

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Eastern Yellowjacket - Vespula maculifrons 

Talk about a blast from the past with these images! In this blog's earlier days, video posts were uploaded to the blog that showcased these hungry Wasps who were dining on freshly caught insect meat. At the time, I was quite happy to feature these examples of insect behavior, but something was brought to my attention as a result of those video being uploaded to YouTube. A helpful watcher left a comment inquiring as to what exactly the Wasp was eating and that a better angle would help. They were absolutely correct! While I had no further videos to share from that day, I did have these images. And so, I hope these pictures can provide a better view of the Wasps' feast on the carcass of a freshly molted Dog-Day Cicada. The head was missing, leading me to believe that the Cicada was decapitated from above, near its exuvia, leading to the head and body landing in two different locations. Genuinely, it was the perfect time to strike since the freshly molted imago hadn't had time to sclerotize and solidify itself. Cicada landed on its back, causing the legs (the ones that haven't yet been harvested) to point up or to the side.

The primary feeding documented in these pictures is the carving up of thorax's innards and biting of the exposed abdomen as the Eastern Yellowjackets dive in for a bite! The Cicada's 4 wings - which weren't even given the change to unfold and inflate - appear in their wavy forms with a faded white-to-green color accentuated by the deep-green of the wing's primary vein. It sounds cruel, but this is the way of things, and Wasps need to nourish their nest's larvae so that they in turn are nourished. Although many Vespula Wasps are often feared due to their ability to painfully bite and sting, their persistence, their attraction to humans (and their food), and their warning stripes (of course), it's always worth remembering that these insects have an important part to play within their ecosystem beyond annoying humans out in the wilderness and stinging for seemingly no reason. The many Yellowjackets of North America are experts at managing pest insect populations to feed the larvae within their nest. Furthermore, they provide valuable assistance as generalist flower pollinators alongside other flying insects. The problems come in when their aggression or feeding instincts surge into overdrive as a result of a nest defense or the seasons changing. Even I'm afraid of Yellowjackets and their propensity to swarm, but that more I learn about them, the less there is to fear. Having that said, it can be absolutely maddening to accidentally stumble on a ground nest and face the wrath of the colony!

Pictures were taken on July 29, 2018 with a Samsung Galaxy S4. And of course, as the striped workers take what they can carry for the nest, numerous Pavement Ants arrive to collect their fill too. Although many times smaller than this Wasp specie, a Yellowjacket would do well to avoid Pavement Ants given how suddenly they can climb, swarm and pinch apart matter with their mandibles!

[macgyvertape]

my attempt at "Wow Cool Robot" meme as an attempt to get people to read Kasrkin Minor Spoilers below:

I really enjoyed the book, I think the Imperial Guard and Kroot parts are interesting even if you aren't super interested in their faction. It has good plotline of pulp action where enemies team up against a common foe, which in this case are the Flayed Ones necrons. What surprised me is one of the characters' speech about how the Imperium runs on fear, since so few characters express sentiments like this in universe, and though he has ulterior motives for saying this the text doesn't imply he's wrong:

‘You do not need me to tell you that the Imperium is brutal, unjust, frequently corrupt and that it gives no more thought to expending the lives of its people than a tyranid swarm seeks to preserve its warriors. But all of that is accepted because the alternative is worse. Fear is what binds the Imperium together. Without fear, everything – everything – would fall apart. The worlds that pay, in men and money and material, to keep the Imperium functioning, would decide to keep their children and their goods for themselves. The blood of empire is money and trade – Holy Terra is one vast city that depends on how many thousands of ships arriving each day from all over the Imperium to keep its people fed. The same is true of all the key worlds in every sector – they suck other worlds dry to feed themselves. ‘All of this is made possible by fear. Even now, with the galaxy split, most worlds do not even know it has happened. It will be thousands of years before the light of the Rift reaches them. But the High Lords of Terra will use this, as they use everything else, to feed the fear and cement their control.’ This time the general’s laugh was bitter. ‘And you know what is worse? It is men like you and I, honest men trying to do our duty, who are the best tools in their hands. For we do see the real terrors that exist, and we justify their rule wherever we go, and ensure that the fear spreads ever wider and their control becomes ever deeper. ‘We live in a galaxy where all we hear our leaders speak of is war and yet where most people live in peace. We live in a galaxy where fear is the only reality that confronts us, and yet most people will live their days and never see one of the Adeptus Astartes."

My favorite parts and the reason I read the book were for the necron characters; Nebusemekh and the World Mind who are literary foils to Zahndrekh and Obyron.

Nebusemekh suffers from what can easily be read as dementia; not remembering conversations, living in a past happy memory, not able to accurately perceive the world around him. As author Nate Crowley described Zhandrekh "Zahndrekh comes and goes, too. Yes, there is the moment at the end where he reveals that his condition may not be entirely what it seems - but I think that for long stretches of time, it truly is what it appears to be". What Nebusemekh does is similar complete with a few moments of lucidity where he misses his past self, but unlike Zahndrekh he is not able to focus on military tactics. I think there's a lot to unpack about how much he uses his sand castle in the sky project as a way to avoid facing reality but that is for a different post.

Where the World Mind contrasts Obyron is that Obyron obeys orders, while the World Mind sees itself as something akin to a medical conservatorship. It grieves for Nebusemekh's current state but will make decisions that go against Nebusemekh's wishes out of a desire to both protect Nebusemekh from his own memories and to carry out his past military plans to from when he was in sound mind. It's some of the boldest defiance I've seen from a Necron to their lord, he will mislead and unsubtlelly redirect the conversation to progress his goals of awakening the tomb but when pressed he brazenly admits to disabling Nebusemekh's personal weapons.

[mysticstarlightduck]

For the Q&A tag game, you mentioned there are minerals/natural substances available in the environment that characters use to dye their hair. Any other cool bits of lore about alien planet/moon geology and biology you want to share? Does the story mainly stay in that one location, or do the characters visit multiple different planets with different worldbuilding lore for each location?

Thanks for the ask, @diabolical-blue!

And yes!!! On Cethea III there's a naturally occurring mineral that's pretty much everywhere and thus is a free/cheap way for the inhabitants of the moon to dye their hair if they so wish to - that mineral, known as Azurellite, can be easily ground up with water and makes for a pretty potent and long-lasting hair dye. Depending on the hue of the rock the hair can turn a specific shade, ranging from pastel blue to deep purple or indigo blue. While the 3 main protagonists were growing up as street urchins on that moon, Cassie Tithus often dyed her hair bright blue using that specific mineral - which, since it was basically everywhere, was a free dye they didn't have to spend their precious units to buy or prepare (they wouldn't have been able to afford it if it was otherwise).

Onto the other parts of this question!

Cool facts about the geology of the main planets within this series!

The planet of Ivion, which the moon Cethea III orbits, is a large ice giant planet, where there are little changes in weather during its seasons, being basically a massive tundra. The planet was originally inhabited by the Zatrian people, who built their sprawling cities out of pitch-black stone within the underground of the planet, underneath the unforgiving layers of ice and snow. The Junction has long since established a colony on the planet, and has subjugated/colonized many of the Zatrian settlements, and those who do not submit to Junction rule are unfortunately made targets of raiders and slavers alike. This complicated relationship between the settlers and the original inhabitants of the planet is the reason why Deimos Soll, the main duo's adoptive brother, ended up kidnapped from his home by slavers sent by the Junction in the first place.

In the Khosmonian Galaxies, the planet of Thalassen is a gargantuan planet that hosts some of the largest and deepest oceans in any of the known galaxies. It is known for equally gigantic creatures that lurk in its endless depths, literal behemoths that defy logic and strike fear into the hearts of outsiders and even some locals alike. The people of Thalassen are known for being some of the most technological advanced people in either of the galaxy clusters, with their cities being built both within floating mountains above the sprawling oceans and in underwater caves. Lyorna Alyrii, Jack Tithus' eventual love interest, is the daughter of an ancient and important family from Thalassen. The giant planet also has beautiful, equally gigantic, rings that surround its orbit, like a much larger, inhabitable version of our Saturn.

Stryxus, a dwarf planet on the edge of an asteroid ring that lies on the outer rim of the main Khosmonian Galaxy, is covered in lush, sprawling tropical fungal forests, where largely harmless gigantic fungi and mushrooms take the place of regular trees and reach the heights of skyscrapers. The planet is known for being home to some of the most powerful and ruthless crime families in the Khosmonian Galaxies and it is infamous for both its many underground racing rings and its renowned Fighting Pit, where outsiders and those whom the crime families do not approve of often are forced to fight to the death. Stryxus is surrounded by many space stations, all owned by local warlords, crimelords and space pirates, like a gigantic, living satellite.

Close by to Stryxus there's a gas giant surrounded by many moons, one of which is a frozen desert plagued by sleet storms, swarms of ravenous, bloodthirsty creatures that attack in hordes, and where a strange, electromagnetic pulse causes many spaceships to crash and harm communications with the outside. It's a metaphorical "black hole", in the sense that while it is an inhabitable planet it is incredibly tough to get out of, for both humanoids and machinery alike, and thus remains unclaimed by both the Junction, the Khosmonians, and even the warlords. While fleeing from Stryxus and being pursued by a bunch of vengeful space pirates, Kye and Artemis crash on this hellhole of a moon in the space shuttle they'd used to escape and must begrudgingly find a way to get past their differences to survive and find a way to get out of this planet to reunite with the rest of their team, though they soon find they're not the only ones "shipwrecked" on this moon, and that this other person also trapped in here may make things even more perilous for them.

Thypsiell, the planet where Kye was born, has chalk-white trees with blood-red leaves, and large prairies with sprawling, windswept hills. The grass ranges from salmon pink to orange and even light blue in some spots. The Khylet people are a highly meritocratic society with a harsh system of castes - most tribes are also ruled by a matriarchal council. Kye's mother became such a bitter woman because she was shunned by her own mother, her mentor and the elder of the main Khylet council of chieftains, who considered Eldora too unstable and cruel to create a proper legacy - offended at the slight of being "denied her dues" by the mother she adored so much, Eldora set out to collect conquests and become the most dangerous Khylet warlord that ever lived, seeking to one day gain her mother's approval and a seat a the Hearth (their council), unaware that she was only proving her mother right and disrespecting their people's ancient traditions by indulging her warmongering ways.

And onto the final art of this question!

Supernova Initiative does not take place in one singular location and instead takes place in multiple locations as the characters travel the galaxies during their multiple quests in the story - starting at the moon of Cethea III (in Jack, Deimos, and Cassie's backstory), then proceeding to many locations within the Junction systems, secret laboratories where inhuman experiments take place, wartorn planetary systems and various planets in the Khosmonian galaxies as the characters travel to complete the most dangerous heist of their lives and get their freedoms back, and their adventure suddenly takes many, unexpected, turns throughout the book!

Supernova Initiative Taglist (-/+): @ray-writes-n-shit, @sarandipitywrites, @lassiesandiego, @smol-feralgremlin, @kaylinalexanderbooks,

@saturnine-saturneight @diabolical-blue @oh-no-another-idea

@cakeinthevoid, @clairelsonao3, @sleepy-night-child

@thepeculiarbird

@the-golden-comet, @urnumber1star

Let me know if you'd like to be added!

[zeenmrala]

By The Light Of The Second Moon

A Darth Maul x F/AFAB!Reader Fanfiction

chapter eighteen: all that glitters

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CHAPTER SUMMARY: Your dazzling new life on Coruscant is not all that you dreamed it would be. RATING: Explicit. This work is strictly for those 18+ due to sexual content. MINORS, DO NOT INTERACT. CHAPTER WORD COUNT: 6.7k CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: Listed beneath the cut. CHAPTER SONGS: without you, ursine vulpine, annaca. love you more, llynks. A/N: Hello lovely readers. A friend's OC appears in this chapter - Risha was created by @elledjarin​. A big thank you to her for letting me write her character. Apologies for the absence, I needed a break. But now I'm back and ready to finally wrap up this story. Beware, this is an angsty one. Eternally grateful for your support, El ♡

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: loneliness, confusion, betrayal, trauma response, panic attack, threat, violence, murder.

Chapter Eighteen All That Glitters

“Keep your head down,” instructs Maul rather sternly, draping you in one of his inky black robes. He slowly lifts the large hood to hide your face, his touch lingering, as though he is hesitant to hide you away. He then raises his hood, concealing his own distinctive features. He takes your small bag, filled with all your belongings in the galaxy, and grips your shaking fingers in his own. Without a further word, he gently helps you down the entry ramp and to the surface of the planet, and into the very heart of the Republic, the thriving hub of the Core worlds.

The next few hours swarm with urgent movement. Time streams past you like the leaves of the Great Wood in autumn winds. Maul was able to stealthily land the starship in a vast docking station, and the gleaming durasteel of its flooring looks as though it stretches on forever. Your legs quiver with each step you take, the metallic thud of your footsteps foreign to ears so used to soil. Your stomach turns with every industrial sound, with every droid that buzzes by, each bright artificial light hurting your eyes. The constant flurry of people makes your strained vision swim with vertigo. All different kinds of people you have never seen before, so many people. You and Maul move swiftly, hand in hand, going up and down platforms, in and out of carriages that shoot you through the vast city. This vibrant forever city. It never seems to end.

Maul takes complete control, so knowing and determined, his eyes fixed forward beneath his hood, silent. Every so often he places his palm on your lower back, as if to check that you're still standing. His competence is an anchor to the commotion of the newness around you, a comfort to your complete ignorance and lack of understanding. You don’t have much choice other than to trust that he knows what is best for you. Your anxiety builds with every step, his words from the starship ringing in your ears. You look up to try and distract yourself, watch for the clouds or the stars or the moons - but all you can see are buildings. You can no longer even see the sky, now you are so deeply entrenched in this city-planet.

As you whizz through this strange and unfamiliar metropolis, you find yourself circling back to the same fixation to cope with the chaos of this new place. Your fear is held back in your own strange, disconnected way. You focus on a silent quest that you have never had the opportunity to embark on before. You realise that you are looking at each person you pass in their face, scouring their features for something, some kind of recognition. After what feels like an hour you make sense of what you are doing: that you are seeking the features of her. Your Mother. You see her in each of the hundreds of skin tones, each new race, each gender and style of person. You see her in the odd buskers that play strange instruments on the streets, you see her in the women that huddle together and squeak at one another in excitement. You see her in the parents that coddle their children, in the street vendors and market stall owners, the pompous folk strutting around in flowing robes as though they are floating. But you mainly see her in the faces of those who suffer. You see her in the bodies that litter the ground, without an aim or a home. You see her in the drunken souls that shout and holler through the crowds, the crying children and angry men. You see her in those that wander the streets in obvious involuntary solitude. You surprise yourself, because though it is spiteful, you catch yourself hoping that you will see her in a state similar to those that have clearly been broken by the unkindness of living. You want to see her intoxicated, destitute and alone. Because one question spins through your mind as Maul leads you through the biggest city in the universe, as resentment and fury burns inside your guts.

How could she leave you?

You wonder if she would recognise you, if she saw you now. If she’d cry in relief, disbelief or amazement. If she’d shrivel up in shame. What if she has a whole new family? That last thought forms a lump in your throat, and suddenly you want her to feel pain, feel your pain: the pain that she caused by leaving you. Any understanding or empathy you held for her now dissipates in the hot, polluted air. You are shaking now, not with trepidation, but with rage. Your temper blossoms wildly, replacing all of your apprehension and excitement. Your eyes sting with the threat of unshed, wrathful tears. Maul does not react, though you know he must be sensing your discontent. He pulls you along, holds your hand a little tighter, and you continue your silent search for your mother in the faces of strangers.

The more time that passes, the more people, speeders, noises, smells and sights you encounter. The more unique faces that you interrogate with scowling eyes. Until soon, Maul stops, and sits you down gently on a bench in what appears to be a small food district, placing your belongings at your side. You keep your eyes tracked on him, wide, disbelieving. Your own rage is set aside as you notice that Maul seems agitated, as though he is on edge and raring to separate himself from you. Your stomach drops, fury transforming into dread, as you are suddenly and vibrantly aware of his wishes, of how naive you have been. His true nature dawns on you once again, his priorities, his life’s purpose. The conversation you had with him in the starship comes back to you once more, and you wonder what tiny sliver of significance you even are to him? What space, if any, do you take up in his cold, brutal hearts?

“Stay here. Do not talk to anybody. I have somewhere I need to be.” You blink at him, unable to compute his callousness. “I will return in good time.”

Is he serious? But before you can object, he swiftly steps backwards, is lost to the heaving crowds, and is gone. And though you are sitting in the heart of the most densely populated location in existence, you have never felt so terribly, unfathomably alone.

-

At first you are unsure what to do with yourself, and sit on your bench with a straight back, nervous and intimidated by all the people around you, hyper aware of their proximity. You watch them all, still unable to prevent yourself from looking for your Mother. All these people. People who so easily ignore you, walking by as though you are not even sitting there.

It isn’t long until you notice your stomach rumbling. To distract yourself from the shock of being dumped in some strange place by Maul to fend for yourself, you eye up the range of strange alien cuisines, wondering what each would taste like. Your gaze settles on a four armed man who is tossing up something into the air...odd looking pieces of…bread?

“I wouldn’t…if I were you,” comes a soft voice to your left.

The voice is shy, even sweet. But it still makes you jump. “E-Excuse me?”

“That particular dish does not suit human appetites.”

You turn towards the sound of the voice and see the speaker. She is a woman of a species you have never encountered before. She is rather tall, and has skin of the brightest and most compelling blue. Her skin is like the sky on the Planet in midsummer, and the markings on her face are as white as the clouds. Instead of hair atop her head there are two large horn-shaped growths that reach upwards in the direction of the planet’s surface, and beneath them, framing her face are three long appendages; one hanging behind her at her back, and two in front of each shoulder. You recognise that they are similar to the lekku of the Twi'leks, and you wonder where she comes from. She has thick white stripes across the blue of them, and once again you are reminded of cloud-touched skies. The woman slips onto the bench beside you, and you hear the delicate tinkle of her silver jewellery that adorns her head, face, wrists.

“You’re new here,” she says as a matter of fact.

“Oh,” you reply. “Is it so obvious?”

“Kind of,” she pauses, a little hesitant, and then leans closer. “I like your accent. I don’t think I have heard anything quite like that before. Can I ask where you are from?”

Accent? It never dawned on you that you’d have one. “Very far away,” you reply awkwardly. After a pause you realise that the stranger would probably appreciate a better answer. “Well, I …I think the planet is known as Sushariel.”

“The outer rim?” she asks curiously.

“Yes.”

“Ah,” she says, and purses her lips slightly. You recognise in her expression a stunted curiosity. You can see her refraining from asking more of you about where you came from, what world you left behind. It is then that you can see yourself in her, that glint of excitement when meeting somebody new, from so many stars away. What stories and experiences come with such a soul?

“Is it your first time on Coruscant?” she enquiries politely.

“Yes, it is.”

“I know how daunting and exciting that can be. I moved here from my home planet not long ago. Coruscant is a magnificent place, but a little overwhelming at first.”

You nod in agreement, reminding yourself to take a deep breath. You inhale the sweet and spicy scents of a multitude of foods being bought and sold around you. The odd aromas alongside the tall woman’s voice begin to ground you slightly. However, you are still wrecked with such an engulfing sense of isolation and anxiety that you are unable to respond, but: you have stopped instinctively looking for your Mother. A wave of relief settles across your shoulders.

“Oh!” she exclaims. “I’m so sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Risha.” Risha flashes you a warm smile, and you feel your eyes prickle with tears at her sincerity and kindness. You tell her your name in return, and find yourself thanking the stars that such a gracious woman found her way to your side at your time of such fervent loneliness and upheaval.

"What kind of food do you like?”

“Well...we eat a lot of fruit where I come from.”

Risha points at a small stall to the north side of the food court in response, where a small elderly Duros woman hunches over a stall of what appears to be fruits of varying shapes and sizes. “Try anything from Old Dira over there. She has the sweetest produce in this quadrant.” She flashes you a smirk. “Those shiny little green berries are my favourite.”

“Thank you, so much,” you manage to say. “I would have no idea where to begin.”

A beeping noise begins to flare from a pocket at her waist. “Stars,” Risha mutters, silencing a strange looking device. “I have to go, I’m going to be late for class.” She stands up, straightening a pretty sash at her hips, that hangs down her legs, over her long, flowing skirt. Her clothing is light and breezy, and reminds you of those that you once owned in girlhood. Her sparkling jewellery twinkles under the glare of the bright lights, and you are struck by how pretty she is. Your hands start to twitch, gravitating to your sketching tools in your bag. How badly you would like to draw this warm, thoughtful stranger. Then she asks, “where are you staying?”

You do not know what to say in response. Where are you staying? Where are you going to go? What if Maul doesn’t come back?

“I haven’t quite figured it out yet,” you try to sound casual instead of panicked. “There were complications. I have a…a… friend who is figuring it out now.”

“That’s okay! These things happen.” Risha smiles in understanding, though she seems hesitant to leave you by yourself. “I study at the University, and I am often on shift in the library. Visit me? I’d love to hear about your home planet.”

You nod enthusiastically. “Absolutely. It has been so nice to meet you, Risha. Thanks for your advice.”

She bows her head and walks away, and you watch her meander through the crowd, a tall blue beacon of grace and compassion. You suddenly feel less broken after your encounter with her. Your belief in the kindness of strangers flares back to life, and you smile widely looking toward the fruit stall Risha recommended. Maul’s betrayal and rather stark apathy still stings, of course, but the coursing joy of hope roars in your veins. You are in a glittering, bright new world.

You are about to head over to buy some berries, but soon remember that you have no money to make a purchase. Your face licks with heat, embarrassment at your own stupidity and ignorance. How are you going to do anything without money? How are you going to do anything without Maul? The thought makes your insides lurch slightly, trepidation and dread twisting your stomach. You look down at your feet, awash with a sense of foreboding, but then you notice a little glint in your peripheral vision. On the bench at your side are a few strange pieces of rectangular durasteel. Republic credits, “accidentally” left behind, courtesy of your new friend Risha.

Moons bless you, Risha.

You vow to visit the library, to pay her back her kindness as soon as you can.

-

You nibble on the strange little berries you bought from Old Dira. They are good, sweeter than any fruit on your home planet, and the tiny bursts of fructose slightly soothe your bleating worries. With no sign of Maul, you find yourself growing restless and decide to go for a walk, to stretch your legs and see what the city has to offer. If you're lucky, even clear your mind a little. You conversed with the elderly lady as you made your purchase, asking if there was anything to see nearby. She did not speak much, but pointed upwards with her long pale green fingers, indicating that you should head up as high as you can. So now you wander, berries in hand, bag on your shoulder. Exploring, using what is left of your credits to pay for fast transport upwards.

You eventually arrive on a large platform, high enough on the surface that you are looking out upon the city. Speeders and taxis zip across the sky in orderly yet swiftly moving queues of traffic. The lights from the buildings are endless, there are an infinite amount of them, each one filled with souls from all walks of life. It is still so incomprehensible how many people there are here.

And your Mother may be one of them.

You breathe away the thought, relinquishing her hold on you, if only for the moment, to look up at the sky. It is so hazy, strangely muted and blurred, so unlike the clarity of the skies of your home planet. You are unaware of the time, but assume it is the early evening by the dusky birch colour of the sky.

You walk the length of the platform, passing the multitudes of strangers. Watching them. Couples stroll arm in arm, workers jest with one another, lone joggers exercise. You lean against the railings, surveying the forever city, totally unsure of what to do next. When should you return to the spot Maul left you? Has he truly left you? Does he have any intention of returning? What does he expect of you? Should you even go back? You imagine disappearing into the city, hiding behind the many people here, responding to his apathy by abandoning him in return out of sheer spite. Never to see him again. You resent how much heartache the idea induces, how the possibility of living without him is entirely shattering. How likely that possibility is...

Your melancholy is broken by the cheers and laughter of a group of young adults walking in your direction. They look like party goers by their attire, and they holler together like a strange, joyful choir. Colourful limbs wrap around each other, their voices whooping and singing. Rich in hope, melodic. You ponder the occasion, envy the comfort of a large group of friends, of being so known. How does it feel to be a part of such mirthful exultation?  

A pretty Mirialan woman in the group giggles and releases a burst of sparkling lights from a small device. They whizz and pop around them, bright colours flashing, zipping, illuminating the warm industrial air. A flash of vivid green flares across your vision and gives you pause, and when a red light bursts forth from the group, you see it cut through a young teenage boy draped in sacred robes, his boyish features twisted with the agony of failure. You try to shake yourself out of it, but there he is: young Farley, stabbed in front of your eyes once more. The lights are there, the rain is on your skin, you fly backwards and then: the water in your lungs, wringing you of air. The currents lap at your legs, pulling you down to the depths. Your skin prickles, your insides are sick with nausea, and it is as though the hazy sky has wrapped itself around you, inside and out. It suffocates you. You are drowning again, and this time Maul has left you to your fate at the bottom of the river, completely alone.

“Miss? Are you alright?” You hear a modulated voice that seemingly comes from a large man of another species that you do not recognise. The group with the lights have long since passed you, and yet you cannot get your breath back. Your vision blurs, and you sway on your feet. You sense the voices of other people approaching, the cool durasteel of the platform floor on your palms. The air ripped from your lungs as gravity pulls you to the cold ground.

But then a pair of smooth hands helping you to your feet. “Do not crowd her, give her space, please.”

“I’m okay,” you try to mutter, the colours of the lights having thrown you into what feels like total oblivion. Is this how you die? After all that has happened?

“Breathe,” someone tells you. You can’t make sense of the voice that comforts you, but you do see a Twi’lek man at your side. He walks you to a bench, settling beside you. “You look unwell. Can I contact anyone for you?”

“No, no…” you try to stand but the watery sky clenches at your lungs and you wobble. The crowd has dispersed.

“Take your time.”

You are moved by such kindness, such care from this man who owes you nothing. And yet, there is total apathy from the man you believed held feelings for you. How can strangers care more for your well being than the man you have bared your body and soul to? The man who's love you can still feel the ache of between your thighs?

As if manifesting him with your thoughts, you suddenly feel his eyes, heavy on your back. The man at your side seems totally unaware of Maul’s presence. It is then that you notice the innocent touch of the Twi’lek man’s hand on your arm, and you feel a strange sense of dread. What were you thinking, dragging generous strangers into your life, when it is so inexplicably connected to such violence? When Maul is the way that he is?

“She is with me,” Maul says calmly.

The Twi’lek man stands, relief drenching his words. “She seemed to suffer a -”

Maul pushes past him, ignoring him, bringing you to your feet. You lean against him, body leached of all energy, unable to resist putting your weight on him. To lean and depend on him. He pulls you into an embrace and you inhale his scent, the comforting aroma settling your panic. Oh how he soothes me, you are unable to prevent yourself from thinking, even though he is the cause of my discontent.

“T-thank you,” you try to say to the stranger, to assuage his concern. “I’m ok now, this man he…he is my…my friend.”

Your voice breaks on the word. Is he even your friend? Is he still your lover? Do friends or lovers abandon you when you need them most?

“Have a good evening, miss,” says the stranger, but you notice a layer of suspicion in his voice. “Feel better soon.” It is then that you feel an odd sense of calm, and the comfort of it is like a strange omen. A silence before a storm. You try to utter something, anything to the stranger, to reassure him of your safety. But all you can manage is the name of your maybe lover-friend.

“Maul…”

Do not follow us, kind stranger, you implore him in your mind as your lips cannot form the words. Please.

But as you walk into the darkness of an alleyway, you hear the unmistakable patter of footsteps behind you. Dread coils in your abdomen.

“Maul. Maul…”

You feel him freeze against you, his body twisting toward the sound of the worried stranger.

“Don’t,” your voice pleads in a pathetic whimper.

The weight of his strong warmth against you slackens. You crumple to the ground, cover your eyes and head with your arms. You cry, all you can do is cry. You cannot fathom that this is happening, but you know Maul well enough to be fully aware that it is. There is no mercy within him. No mercy. You consider your own life, how he holds it so precariously in his gloved hands. Is this all just a game to him? How is the soul and life of a person a mere irritant to him, easily snuffed out without a drop of regret? And how is that not what frightens you most about him?

You hear a scuffling sound and a gasp of surprise. Then a slight growl, a thud, a body falling to the ground. The sound of footsteps, kindness and concern, being silenced.

No, no, no.

You know what he is capable of. What has he done? Oh, that violent language of his. How its poison spills from his lips in decadent fragments, sharp words of heartbreak driven directly into the depths of your soul. How his fury is ripped from his fists in fatal blasts of merciless terror to all in his way; all who are not you.

-

“What did you do?” you ask in utter disbelief as Maul drags you through a sliding door into a small, sterile looking apartment by your upper arm. You almost trip over yourself with the momentum in which he pulls you inside. “He was helping me…” “Sit down,” he instructs clearly through gritted teeth as he lets you go. You struggle to find your balance for a moment without his support, your extremities are all numb, your chest tight and your middle heavy. Your mind vibrates from the aftershock of the lights, the panic and resurgence of the feeling of the Great River’s currents. The murder of another in the space of a few days. Your trembling hand covers your mouth feebly. You ignore his instruction to sit and begin to pace around the room in silence instead, unable to stay still or form any words for a moment. Maul stands as rigid as a stone statue, his glowing eyes cold and fixed on you as you wander aimlessly around the room. He glowers at you quietly until you realise that he is waiting for you to heed to his request, to sit down, before he will allow the conversation to continue. And so you bring yourself to do so, falling into that comfortable dynamic of obeying what he says, slipping into your usual compliance. It makes you angry though, how easy it is, how good it feels to give in and submit to his every whim even though it goes against what you really want. What about your own freedom? When you are perched at the edge of the couch you look up at him with total incomprehension. The silence is heavy as you compose yourself, and when you are able to eventually find your voice, you ask him, “Maul, what did you do? Why, I -” you suddenly lose the ability to speak again as the memory of such abrupt and fatal violence ripples through you. He ignores your question. You look around yourself and ask instead, “...where are we?” “I explicitly instructed you to stay where you were. What was so difficult for you to understand about that?” he scolds.

“I did stay there, but you were gone for hours!” You watch him sigh in frustration at your response, and your eyes once again begin to prickle with the threat of tears at his hostility. But you blink them back and refuse to let them fall.

He is the one being unfair. He is the one who left you alone and vulnerable to your own devices. He is the villain who just murdered a man for no reason.

In response to your thoughts he scowls. “You, my lady, know nothing of what you are dealing with.” “What has happened to you?” the desperation in your voice shocks you. “Why are you being so aggressive with me? What has changed? What did I…what did I do?” You are unable to help the break in your voice. He ignores you and continues to seethe in silence.

“You have to do as I say, particularly when I am not with you. You should have stayed where I left you.”

"Stars above, Maul, why?”

“Why?” He repeats cruelly. “Is your naivety so blatant that you are unable to realise you could have been taken advantage of?”

“You left me alone!”

“Anything could have happened.”

“But it didn’t. ”

He exhales with impatience, his eyes glaring into you, his chest heaving up and down.

“That man you killed was helping me.”

“Helping with what? What could you possibly need aid with?”

“I saw the lights of those people and I…I was…” The feeling of tightness in your chest returns, and you cannot finish your sentence.

A derisive scoff from Maul, who still stands in front of you. “Oh, how weak you are.”

You feel hot tears streaming down your cheeks, unable to prevent them from falling any longer. “Why did you kill him?” you ask meekly.

“I kill anyone in my way.” A pause. “Anyone.”

Anyone. The word sits between you, his gaze imploring you to understand what he is saying, as though a confession is hidden beneath the word. Did he…? You stop yourself from investigating that thought any further. You are unable to cope with such a revelation. Not now, no. His eyes soften, ever so slightly. “You have to obey me.”

“You freed me just to imprison me again," you say in realisation, your voice growing louder in your anger, your sadness and grief melting into rage. "You really expect me to just stay here, stay wherever it pleases you to place me, doing nothing? Living to wait for you? Waiting for you to show up like I am - "

“This is not about you,” he also raises his voice, his patience now exhausted.

“Then what is it about? You?”

He stares daggers into you as though it is obvious, and what fury you have inside you builds and combusts. The anger of being abandoned by your Mother, neglected by your Father, tossed aside without a second thought by this glorious, insufferable man. Anger at yourself for being so enamoured of him.

“You are so arrogant and self-absorbed. Is that part of your precious lifestyle? Whatever nonsensical and ruinous path you have dragged me into? The Sith?”

He lunges forward so fast that it makes you flinch as he covers your mouth with a gloved palm. “Never say that again. Never.” He uses a tone you haven't ever heard from him before, as that booming, threatening power is awakened from deep within him. It stirs. You stare at him with wide, shocked eyes and he kneels in front of you, holding your face intimately, delicately. Even in his rage and with his threats, he is gentle. It hurts your heart. Maul quickly relinquishes you, and you whimper.

You stand up, shocked. And then you are painfully conscious of his motivations. You gasp a composing breath before levelling your gaze at him in realisation.“You are trying to frighten me, aren’t you?”

He does not respond, only raking his severe eyes across the length of your body, up and down. How are these the same eyes as the ones that witness you take him so reverently?

“It won’t work, Maul. You don’t scare me anymore.” And you mean it. You feel no fear. “I am not frightened. You won’t hurt me.”

He tilts his head slightly, as if debating whether or not to take that as a challenge. You refuse to acknowledge the whirling of disquiet in your stomach, and you push through, brave and steadfast. Having faith in your knowing of him.

“I think that you have grown to resent me,” you admit quietly. “I am a burden to you, now that we are no longer removed from the rest of the galaxy.”

“You know nothing,” he spits furiously.

“You resent me," you take a deep breath, gathering your courage to say what you have foolishly, finally understood. "You call me weak, but Maul, you resent me because it is I that makes you weak.”

He replies with utter vehemence. "How dare you imply such a thing?"

“You do resent me," you confirm. “What are you so afraid of? Where have you been?”

He pauses, and his tone entirely transforms. "Anyone who knows my path, who has bore witness to my power, I have not suffered to live. With one exception. You.”

You freeze in utter disbelief. Is he implying -

“You…” he stalks forward, like the predator he was when you first met in the woods, “...are a liability.”

You move away from the couch and backwards, putting your hands behind you, as they are beginning to shake. He follows you. You laugh slightly, a deranged chuckle tinted with disbelief. “Are you threatening to kill me?"

His face is hard, his eyes two beacons of hatred, pain and regret. Oh, Moons. Have you really been so blind?

"After everything?” Where has the benevolent stranger gone? The man with the delicate touch, the hesitant polite kindness? How is this the same lover who kissed you so softly that you thought you had fallen into a dream?

“You lied to me," you say, understanding. “You’re not mine, Maul. I am yours, I am irrevocably yours. But you're not mine. You never were, and you never, ever will be. I am not a priority to you, I will always be an afterthought and there will always be th - ”

“I never said it would be any other way. I never gave you anything and I never said I would.” He is closer to you, your back against the wall now. Cornered. His face is close to yours, his strong arms either side of you.

“Yes, well…maybe it's for the best,” you bite back, hissing each word with contempt, glaring into his eyes. “Maybe I wouldn't want it anyway, whatever you could give me. Because you are cruel, and you are broken, and all you do is spread your misery and your defectiveness. You break people and in doing so you hurt me. Again and again and again.” He does not outwardly react, though you notice the muscle in his jaw flexing in anger.

“Do you know what you have done to me?” he asks in such earnest, in a cool, disconnected tone that turns your bones to dust.

“Speak it,” you demand bitterly. “Why don’t you finally tell me the truth? Confess to me how much I have wronged you, Maul. How cruel it was of me to awaken something so wonderful in you, how utterly terrible of me it was to force you to confront that you lack the strength to handle your own dissent. That you are too feeble and damaged to embrace your own happiness.”

His eyes darken. “I do resent you. I resent your ignorance, your fragility, your beauty, your softness. I resent it all.”

“Finally,” you smile and shake your head, more tears welling in your eyes. “I knew it.”

“I resent you because you stand between me and what I am. My purpose.”

“You are so ridiculous,” you mutter in response.

“Nothing stands in my way. No one.”

“You are ridiculous,” you repeat.

“And you are an aggravating and infuriating nobody. Your company and comfort I should never have entertained. I regret it. I regret it all. I should have killed you when I first saw you. I should have let you die, I should have let you drown.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“I almost did."

Your eyes are as wide as they have ever been. He steps back, looking you up and down in disgust.

“What are you talking about?” you demand.

"When you went into the water.”

You stare at him, confusion melding your features into a pitiful expression as he chuckles cruelly.

“Oh, I hesitated, dear stupid girl. I refused to let the Jedi leave, and when I was fighting her, she begged me to save you. But all I wanted was her blood. I made a choice to kill her, and in doing so let you die. Because that is what matters. Their blood. That is all that matters, all that will ever matter: that the Jedi are destroyed.”

He doesn't tell you the rest of what happened that night, of his regret in that choice. He speaks not of the vow he made when you took that breath of life he begged for, the relief that surged through him when he felt your lonesome heart beat again. No. He only speaks of sorrow.

His harsh words dip into that deep emotional wound he inflicted upon you when you first spoke with him, the lesion of insecurity and worthlessness that lies rotting deep inside of you. The betrayal licks at the horrific emptiness beneath and gnaws at the injury.

And then he speaks again, the most devastating words, words that crush your spirit into nothing.

“You will never matter. You didn't matter then and you do not matter now."

You stand there in silence, disbelief thrumming in your veins. This whole time you believed that he saved you because he...you thought you did matter. To him. And you justified leaving and trusting him because he came to your aid, but this whole time, you really truly were an afterthought?

“Then why am I alive?” your lips move of their own volition.

He shrugs, his continued apathy more and more tormenting with every breath he takes. “By the will of the Force. I thought you dead when I pulled you from the river.”

The tension in the room peaks as you speak that obvious, fatal truth. “You still pulled me from the river, Maul.”

"Indeed." A moment of silence, and then he continues, quieter, "I should murder you where you stand. Rid myself of your foolishness once and for all."

“Then why don’t you?” you sneer in response, any sense of self preservation fizzling away with your composure, your heartbreak feels as though it is ripping you in half. "Why don't you just kill me? End your torment, Maul. End my life!"

He stews in his silence for a moment, and you flicker your eyes down to his hands, which linger on the hilt of the lightsaber at his belt. And yet…no fear strikes you. It's all you have felt for so long. The fear of the pirates that stole your Mother away in your nightmares, the fear of being caught disobeying your Father, the fear of being lost to the depths of the river. But now, there is nothing.

You do not believe he would really do it.

“I am not the foolish one here,” you say, your eyes locked on his hand, your sight fixed on how he unhooks the saber and takes it in his grip, how he slowly saunters closer to you whilst brandishing the long, cylindrical hilt of his weapon. And yet, as you speak, as you allow your truth to pour from your lips: you do not once stutter with your words.

There is no fear.

“It's you, you are foolish. I forgive you, again and again for your violence and I live with the horror of your abhorrent actions of what you have done to the Jedi, to that child, to my fa - ” You stop abruptly, unable to fully voice your suspicions, his confession: to confront him about that. Not now.

“I abandon my home, all that I know, I give you all that I am, all that I have, and then I must watch you waste it. You squander it all, sabotaging any sliver of goodness that comes your way.”

He’s as close to you now as he can be. The end of the weapon is now against your chest, his eyes boring into yours.

“You could still just have this,” you whisper, your agony rich in every word. “Have me, have us. You could give up all of the pain Maul. You are so strong,” you begin to cry again, wishing you could kiss him, comfort him, hide in his arms forever. “You have such potential: and not only in your violence.” His expression softens for the slightest moment as he registers what you say. “It doesn't have to be this way, you could just stop -”

“It is really that simple for you isn't it?” He asks, his words thick with an emotion you have never once heard before in his voice. “Just stop? Forsake my destiny, my greatness? All I have trained for, bled for, all that I am?" He shakes his head. "Only to exist in banal misery alongside someone as ignorant and worthless as you?”

You gasp in agony as his words strike you deep, and your chest hurts so much that for a moment, you are sure he has ignited the weapon and cleaved your heart in two. But when you look down, there is no crimson glow, no laser splitting you apart.

“You know nothing,” he continues. “You are hollow and stupid. I cannot stand to even look at you.” He does not, however, take his eyes away from your face.

“And yet, I love you,” you lament, your streaming gaze fixed on his beautiful, cruel face. Before you can stop yourself, the truth of your feelings for him roars from your broken heart like a waterfall, crashing into the depths of his apathy.

“You are probably already aware of it. Sometimes it's as though you know my mind better than I do, you can and do take whatever you want from my head, from me. But in my own words I want to tell you before I cannot. Before it all ends. That even if you do resent me and cannot stand to look at me any longer, even though you spew the most vile of words at me…even though you are breaking my heart, wish me dead and want nothing more than to strike me down yourself - I have never, ever loved anyone before. And I love you, Maul."

“Inconsequential," he whispers immediately, pity rippling through the word. His eyes scream in glowing amber despair, his beautiful irises speaking a thousand words he will never be able to speak. “I will always resent you.”

When you reply, your voice is quiet, broken. “But why?”

He moves quickly then, kissing you hard. You whimper into the rough movement of his familiar lips, indulging in the unique spice of his midnight scent. You grip on to him, kissing him back, tasting the sweetness of his tongue and the salty truth of your own tears. How can he utter such sharp words and still kiss you so passionately with the very same mouth? He caresses a gentle palm down the side of your face, and then he pulls back from your lips to speak quietly into your ear. He whispers your name with longing, his body shaking, and his next words are tinted with regret and dismay.

“Because no matter how much I need to or want to,” he admits with the faintest quiver wracking his gut-wrenching words. “I cannot kill you.” He growls it with an aching breath, then strides from the room without looking back.

You sink down the wall, collapsing to the floor with a sob, devastated and torn apart. All alone, in a strange room, on an even stranger world, without even the solace of the second moon for comfort. You spend the remainder of the night longing only for the winds and the rain, for the earthy smell of the Great Wood, for the calming glow of the Moons of home. What a worthless, silly little girl you are, leaving with him. The regret and self loathing feels so terrible that part of you despises Maul for his weakness; for how dare he not ignite his saber, how dare he not sever your shared torture by ending your life? The beat of your heart thumps with vivid memories of each betrayal of your short existence, and you ask aloud: how could she, how could he, how could you? But your heart keeps beating, no questions are answered, and your despair reaches long into the dawn.

–

darth maul taglist: (like this post to be added, message me to be removed):

my tags have been broken! i can only apologise if you have missed updates.

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[helix-enterprises117]

Halo Reloaded: "I Trust You"

The UNSC medical bay, usually buzzing with the clinical efficiency of its staff, was unusually quiet. John stood out like a sore thumb amidst the pristine environment. Clad in sterile blues rather than his intimidating Mjolnir armor, he looked almost... human. A surgical mask covered half his face, but his eyes were a dead giveaway — a storm brewed behind them.

Linda, the reason for this storm, lay on the table before him. She was wounded during a recon mission gone sideways, and now here they were, in a situation neither of them was trained for. John with surgical tools in hand was a sight no Spartan could have predicted.

As he looked over Linda, his hands hovered hesitantly above her. The tools felt alien, too light compared to the comforting heft of a battle rifle. He could take on a legion of Covenant without a second thought, but this? This was uncharted territory.

Linda caught his hesitation, her voice cutting through the silence, rough but reassuring, “Hey, it's not like you're throwing a frag. You got this.”

John couldn't help but chuckle, the sound muffled by the mask. “Yeah, because surgery and grenades are so similar,” he quipped, the tension easing from his shoulders.

“Just... try not to blow anything up, okay?” Linda's attempt at humor was tinged with the strain of pain.

“I’ll do my best. But you know, I'm not exactly a medic,” John admitted, the seriousness returning to his tone.

Linda’s response was a soft, yet firm, “I trust you. More than anyone else in this galaxy.”

Those words, simple and honest, acted as the catalyst John needed. He nodded, a silent promise passing between them, and turned his focus to the task at hand.The surgery started, with John's movements cautious but deliberate. His reputation as a man of few words held true, yet each glance he shared with Linda spoke volumes. They communicated in the silent language of long-time comrades — a raised eyebrow here, a half-smile there.

Every so often, Linda would grimace, and John would mutter a low, “Sorry,” to which Linda would roll her eyes, a silent 'what did you expect?' hanging in the air.

“John,” Linda broke the silence at one point, her voice laced with feigned exasperation, “if you apologize one more time, I swear I'll kick your ass when I'm up.”

“That’s fair,” John replied, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement. “Just trying to make sure I don’t give you a reason to.”As he worked, John found himself falling into a rhythm, the initial fear of causing harm giving way to a steadfast determination. Linda's unwavering trust in him was a beacon, guiding him through the murky waters of doubt and fear.

Finally, as he placed the last suture, a wave of relief washed over him. He stepped back, allowing the medical team to swarm in and take over. Linda, still drowsy from the anesthesia, managed a weak but victorious smile, her eyes locking with John's.

“You didn’t blow me up,” she murmured, the hint of a tease in her voice.“Guess I’m better at this than I thought,” John responded, the relief palpable in his voice. As the medical team bustled around, prepping Linda for recovery, John lingered a moment longer, his gaze softening. This mission had taken them both out of their element, but they had come through, as they always did — together.

@jellotherelol

[liminalpebble]

Sorry you’re dealing with travel delays! When you mentioned Domhnall Gleeson, though, it reminded me of when I first switched my Siri voice to the British male one. (I was going to say “don’t ask why” but I’m sure you don’t need to.) And my husband and I used my Siri to direct us to the science museum…

My husband looked at me like 😒

“Why is Hux directing us to the butterfly conservatory? 😒”

(It’s just the slightest vocal similarity, and maybe just to him and me, but it made me laugh)

Hello there sweet Lady!

And thank you for the fun prompt. It definitely kept my imagination occupied during the travel blues. I hope you enjoy this little bit of swooning over villainous British voices. This is new for me. I've never written Hux, second-person perspective, gender neutral reader, or a short drabble before, so lots of firsts!

Much love!

Peb

-----

The Sound of Your Cold Voice

Pairing: General Hux x gender neutral reader, second-person insert (no use of y/n)

CW: wartime violence, reader is wounded and captured, implied later smut but none described, implied future dubcon situation. Minors DNI

Word count: 500-600

---

Drifting back from unconsciousness, the first thing you heard was that voice; crisp, cold, polished, sharp enough to enact death by a thousand subtle, strategic, cuts. It was mesmerizing, pulling you back to wakefulness with an iron grip. Your eyelids flutter open to a mere squint under the bright lights and shiny black surfaces. There's something covering your mouth, pushing air into your lungs and you breathe it in desperately.

A mirthless chuckle. “Ah. There you are. Welcome back.” He gives an order and the mask is gone, the air is gone, and his threatening presence seems to steal all of it from the room. “Leave us,” he commands the medical technicians, and you hear them funnel out with a hiss of the door.

It comes back to you; the research station you were working on marred by flames and swarming with storm troopers. You were injured badly and so were your colleagues (the ones who were still alive, anyway). You were shoved before him, hands cuffed behind your back, and soot staining your white lab uniform. His shiny boots striding purposefully towards you were all you could see as your head hung in shock and grief.

“And what have we here?” he inquired, lifting your chin with one long, leather-clad finger.

He didn't expect to be struck by how beautiful your face was; compassionate and clever eyes, a bravery in them despite overwhelming fear. Even covered in soot and abrasions, hair disheveled, it only made him want you more. It jostled his immaculate composure and made him warm under the crisp black uniform, but he would never show it.

You spoke, though your voice shook with fear and anger. “A scientist...just a scientist. This was a peaceful operation, a research facility...Why? Why did you have to do this?”

Hux wasn't accustomed to emotion breaching his Teflon coating of ambition, but something about the vulnerability in your voice made him ache to touch you, soothe you with that hypnotic voice telling you it was all for a greater good, of course, all for order in the galaxy, you sweet innocent darling. He settled on doing so, but with a shield of sardonic teasing.

He tutted, yanking your face to meet his eyes with that icy, gloved hand. Hux peaked his brows in mock sympathy, though his piercing green eyes held none. “Oh, but it is all for the greater good, my dear. You'll see.” His voice dropped to a deep whisper, as his face moved closer. “And it will be my pleasure to personally show you.” As the implication of his words set in, you felt horrified at the unbidden heat rising in your body; the unmistakable fizzle of arousal snaking its way between your legs. He loomed, tall and thin, that brilliant red hair and green eyes reminding you of a fox playing with an injured rodent.

Now, with your back against the cold medical slab, prone and vulnerable and isolated with the dreaded General Hux, terror and temptation swirled within your body. His face, that beautiful lethal face, moved to a hair's breadth form your own as your breaths became shorter and quicker. His hand cupped your cheek gently, this time without the wall of leather between your skin. A tear slid from your eye and he brushed over it gently with his thumb.

“Now, darling,” the general said, with surprising tenderness, “Where were we?”

@ladyofthestayingpower @cloudyfacewithjam @lemongingerart @huxs-side-part

[usafphantom2]

US and UK forces thwart the 26º Houthi attack on sea routes in the Red Sea

18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels were shot down in the operation.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 01/10/2024 - 08:44 in Military, War Zones

In a joint effort, the military of the United States and the United Kingdom successfully intercepted and shot down 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels over the south of the Red Sea.

This marks the 26º attack on international sea routes by the Houthi group since November 19. No injuries or damage were reported in the operation.

The Red Sea, a crucial route to the Suez Canal, facilitating about 12% of global trade, has become a focal point for disruption. The Houthi attacks increased the risks for ships approaching the Suez Canal, leading to delays, increased costs and rerouting decisions by large shipping companies.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) described the attack as a complex attack involving Iran-designed unilateral attack UAVs, anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile. The Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, are targeting commercial ships in protest against Israel's military actions in Gaza.

The operation involved fighters from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and four destroyers, including one from the United Kingdom. This arises as part of the ongoing efforts of the international maritime coalition formed by the US last month to combat the Houthi attacks.

Despite repeated attacks, sea routes have not suffered injury or damage, but concerns persist about the potential disruption of global supply chains. Some shipping companies have opted for longer routes, completely bypassing the Red Sea.

The Houthi rebels promised to continue their attacks until Israel puts an end to the conflict in Gaza. The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on a resolution condemning the attacks and demanding the release of the Galaxy Leader, a ship hijacked by the Houthis during its initial attack on maritime transport.

The Galay Leader vessel taken by the Houthi rebels.

As tensions increase in the region, the U.S. has mobilized significant military resources to prevent further attacks. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, aware of the potential impact on global trade, especially given the strategic importance of the Suez Canal.

The recent successful interception by U.S. and UK forces highlights the current challenges in the region and raises concerns about the potential for a broader conflict.

Al Masirah, Yemen's Houthi news media, previously reported that ships crossing the Red Sea do not have protective coverage, despite the presence of U.S. warships equipped with advanced defense systems. Despite being the poorest Arab nation, Yemen's Houthi rebels have a substantial arsenal of missiles and drones. Located more than 1,000 km away, the Houthis are changing the trajectories of the missiles and challenging the coalition's stection systems as they launch missiles against Israel.

Tel Aviv is unable to face this distant threat, fearing the potential of an international crisis if it is dragged into a war with Yemen. In addition, the geographical distance represents a risk of disruption of sea routes, as highlighted in the statement.

At the beginning of the crisis, the U.S. was reluctant to increase tensions, refraining from firing at Yemen, despite the missiles being launched by the Houthis towards the Red Sea. U.S., British and French warships in the Red Sea have the ability to intercept Houthi missiles and drones. However, the increasing cost and uncertainty of reaching each of them become significant challenges, especially in the face of a potential "swarm" attack by the Houthis - a tactic that involves the simultaneous launch of multiple drones and missiles, similar to Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Tags: Military AviationHouthiUSN - United States Navy/U.S. NavyWar Zones - Middle East

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[cool-moss]

When we first saw the streaks of fire in the sky, we feared they had returned. The histories were clear, they would burn away all in their path, demanding supplication or death, until nothing but a dying world was left in their wake, cast aside once it had been stripped of all it could be. Given we'd been picking up the edges of their communications for several months and knew they were getting closer, you can imagine our confusion when the ships that landed did not disgorge ranks of Imperial guardsmen, but only a single young white haired girl. She explained our situation then, that the imperium had been heading this way, that she'd cut them off and delayed them so that she could reach us first. She apologised that, like them, she would strip the world of all life, but unlike them, she offered us something in return other than hardship. A place of belonging, a purpose, and a chance to fight back against those that had kept us living in fear, and had savaged our world long before her arrival.

Some of us fought against her of course, they thought her a liar, a tyrant. She crushed them, snuffing them out with a thought. The rest of us, she gave three choices: we could leave this planet, a ship would be provided and we could go wherever we wished, to try and claw a living out of the galaxy on our own. We could join her swarm, become one with her and the rest of her brood, embracing all the gifts she offered, the power to change our forms, to be loved, to belong, and to become immortal at her side. An attractive offer given the alternative, honestly an attractive offer even if we could have chosen to carry on the lives we had before. I, however, took the third option, which is how I came to be here telling you this story now. She told us that the life she took from our planet wasn't taken for nothing, that is would allow her to see off the imperial forces who, though delayed, were still on their way, and she could leave us, safe, in an old station up in orbit. She'd send a ship with others like us, those who, though they didn't choose to join her swarm, wanted to help, to fight back against the imperium, to live and love and make a difference. She kept her promise, allowing those who wanted too to flee, and taking the rest of us in, helping us gather what we'd need before taking us off world, and we watched our world become the seed to build her forces, our forces, into something that could go toe to toe with all that could be thrown at us.

We'd always lived in fear that the imperium would return, but now we were safe, protected, given the chance to fight back! We turned that old station into a new home, a safe haven for all those who are tired of tyranny, who want to be free from the shackles they force upon us!

-- Transcript of a heretic speech, given within an underhive hab-block bar, shortly before the hab-block was surrounded and cleansed with holy fire

[superfanficnatural]

The Son: Chapter 12

Pairing: Poe Dameron x Male!Reader (The Son)

Summary: You’ve finally broken free of the forces controlling you at a great cost, though the cost of doing so was even greater than you thought. Now, you fight for the antithesis of what you had been representing, and have to grapple with finding your own place in the galaxy while grappling with the person trying to find their way into your heart. Will The Son choose the light? Or the dark? Whatever the answer may be, may the force be with us.

A/N: There’s a... few things that happen in this chapter. Please refer to warnings as it might come in extremely helpful to those who might be triggered. On other matters, we get some more explanation of backstory this chapter!! As always, I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Mentions of Suicide, Past mentioned Suicide, little bit of dark thoughts, no others.

Word Count: 3,524

Italics are your thoughts

Masterpost

 As you were on your way to Takodana to retrieve BB-8, you and Poe were peacefully sitting in the cockpit together.

“How are you feeling?” you asked.

He turned to you while his head rested against the cushion, a lazy smile on his face, “Fantastic, do I not look fantastic?”

You laughed, “You always look fantastic.”

You could have sworn he had the slightest blush on his face, “Damn right I do.”

“How was Tekka by the way? Forgot to ask about that,” you mentioned.

“He seemed wise, I wanted to get him to join back up but... he’s dead,” he solemnly stated.

You nearly gasped, “Fuck... Kylo, wasn’t it?”

He nodded, “I tried to fight back but I was helpless. He completely froze the laser I shot at him and somehow... held me in place. I couldn’t move a single muscle except for my eyes,” he explained.

“He’s already mastered slow-” you whispered. “He is extremely powerful in the force. I could barely even get a read on him through it... he’s blocking me somehow.”

Poe turned back to you with curiosity, “You know what he did? Are you that powerful?”

You couldn’t help the grin that came across your face, “I could do that with my pinky.”

His eyes widened, “No shit?”

You laughed full body at that, much to Poe’s annoyance, “Sorry, sorry. To be honest, yes actually but at my current level I’m incapable of doing that with ease, though I can.”

“What do you mean your current level?” Poe hounded.

You sighed, wondering if you should tell him any more about your past than you already did a while ago, “I... my... power is so great that I feared that it would throw the galaxy into imbalance so I suppress my power in order to assimilate into the galaxy until the next nexus force event-”

Death

Your chest suddenly began to heave with your breaths as you clutched your chest in pain.

“Y/N? What’s going on?” Poe’s voice raised as he nearly got out of his seat to get closer to you.

“So- much... death-” you could barely get the words out of your mouth as your vision was swarmed with images of millions of people dying... entire planets falling in the wake of demise. “Poe, they’ve killed them all.”

“What do you mean? Y/N tell me what you’re feeling,” Poe gently laid his hand on your shoulder in an attempt to calm you down.

You gasped as you tried to catch your breath, “The First Order... the Republic is destroyed.”

Poe’s eyes widened as he doubled back, “What?”

“The entire system... it’s all gone,” you finished with a whisper as a tear slid down your cheek. 

Poe’s eyes dropped as he reacted to the information you provided, “How is that possible...”

“It’s some kind of huge...” you tried to recall images of a ridiculously large planet size weapon... shooting a beam so large and bright it could rival the size of a planet. “Planet size weapon, it fired and it split into waves, targeting every planet in the system.”

“Oh fuck,” he muttered.

You wiped your tear and sniffled, straightening in your chair, “Leia?”

“I know, I heard, I just received word,” she promptly responded.

“We don’t have time to mourn, not just yet. This war is just beginning,” you said with determination.

Poe returned to his seat and nodded along with you, “That’s right. We need to get to BB-8 before the First Order does and find Luke.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Commander,” Leia replied.

Your navigation console beeped and signaled that you were almost at your destination, “Dropping out of hyperspace in 3... 2... 1... now!”

You came out, to immediately on the scanners pick up multiple First Order TIE fighter craft and shuttles, “We’ve got company.”

The rest of the resistance fighters dropped out of hyperspace along with you, “Welcome back force, Commander Poe.”

“Good to be back, Snap,” Poe responded.

You fitted into the formation of the other ships and began your descent towards the planet where the source of the transmission came from. As you broke the clouds, you came down to hover over the water.

“Alright ladies and gentlemen, let’s get this party started!” Poe yelled out.

You rushed back to the rear gunner position and let Poe pilot and use the front cannons. 

“Ruie! Get on that turbolaser!” you called out as you ran past him.

He chirped in response and plugged in to begin using it. As you got to the rear gunner seat, the ship rocked heavily as you took a blast, launching you right into your seat. You took at the controls and immediately began targeting anyone in your range. As you flew by the stone structure, you noticed a bunch of people being held at gunpoint by storm troopers and aimed your lasers at the troopers around them, managing to hit all of the ones in their immediate vicinity.

“Nice shooting!” Poe called out on the comm.

You smiled in response and focused on shooting any and all enemy craft that you could. As you flew by, you lost count of the number of ships you and Poe collectively destroyed. You felt like you were on fire and were timing your shots perfectly with Poe’s talented piloting. The battle raged on for a while before you saw the shuttle that was landed begin to take off. 

“Poe, swing us around! I’ll take care of them,” you called out.

“Wait! We have confirmed sighting of a prisoner being taken onto the main shuttle, do not attack. I repeat, do not attack,” a voice called over the comms, most likely another pilot.

It was like the moment they mentioned someone being taken on board, you felt them... powerful in the force. You felt Kylo too, yet something was strange about it. You could feel them both separately but it was like they were a singular force at the same time. It was extremely faint but you knew your senses weren’t deceiving you. Could it be?

“They’re pulling back!” another voice said.

You visually confirmed as all the TIE’s and troop carriers also began to evacuate. Knowing a pursuit would prove fruitless as they had a prisoner, you went back up to the cockpit to see Poe. 

As you walked in, you first noticed Ruie, “Good shooting out there buddy.” You placed a hand on top of him and gently caressed him a bit to praise him. “Don’t think I didn’t see that one shot that saved us.”

He beeped and whistled in response, shyly taking the credit for his work. You smiled lightly and walked past him to sit in the co-pilot seat, giving Poe a nod and a smile. 

“General Organa will handle the situation on the ground. We’ve got the droid. All squadrons, return to base.”

After you heard that, you were a bit disappointed as you wanted to know the situation on the ground but kept your mouth shut regardless. Poe turned the ship and soon, you were leaving the atmosphere to jump into hyperspace. 

As you were both sitting in the cockpit, Poe clicked a button to mute the ships comms and turned to you once more, “Hey, our conversation got cut short earlier. You telling me you’re a god or something?”

You chuckled nervously, “No, not a god. I just have an extremely powerful connection with the force. Actually, before I lost my immortality, I was essentially a living embodiment of it.”

Poe’s eyes widened as he took in what you were saying, “Immortality? Y/N, I need more context.”

You sighed as you closed your eyes for a moment, “Remember, I told you that I was the living embodiment of the dark side? And that I had... killed my sister?” He nodded along, “Well... I didn’t tell you everything.”

He reached his arm over and placed it on top of yours on the seat rest and spoke softly, “Then tell me now.”

The warmth his hand provided was so intoxicating you immediately wished he would never remove his hand, “After my sister, my father had set a trap to kill me, coordinating it with Anakin Skywalker.”

“What?” he nearly shouted. “Sorry, sorry, continue please,” he apologized and lowered his volume.

NEXT FEW SENTENCES IS POSSIBLY TRIGGERING (REFER TO WARNINGS AT TOP OF FIC)

A small smile crept onto your face, “He... killed himself in front of me.”

You completely broke.

It was so fierce, it was like you were crying the entire time. The fact that you had driven your own father to... suicide just to be able to kill you. It was such a mix of emotions that your body couldn’t even comprehend them for months until now, your body wreaking havoc from your feelings. His intent was to stop you, and he could have without dying, but he chose to die with his son. You were controlled by the dark for centuries, leading you to create the conflict with your father and sister, which ultimately led to their deaths. It was simply too much for any person to bear and you wondered how you could possibly live with the weight of their lives on your shoulders. 

“Y/N, look at me.”

You felt warm hands on your cheeks and focused your vision to see Poe kneeling in front of your chair.

“That’s right, I’m here,” he whispered, his thumb stroking your cheek bone slowly.

Your crying subsided and you began to sniffle a bit, averting from looking into his eyes directly in embarrassment, “Sorry.”

He shook his head vehemently, “Never. Never apologize to me. Do you want to stop?”

You shook your head and blinked hard, sniffling one last time before clearing your throat, “No, no I want you to know everything.”

He gave you a solid nod, looking straight into your eyes and sending the butterflies in your stomach into a flurry. 

“He knew that by doing so, it would both catch me off guard for Anakin to kill me, and he would be able to die as well and be with me and my sister.” 

“But... that isn’t exactly what happened, cause you’re standing right here, right?” Poe inquisitively remarked. 

You nodded, “After seeing my father die, right after I killed my own sister trying to kill him in the first place, it was like I was able to finally peek past the curtain. I felt my sense of self returning just the slightest and in doing so, the guilt and pain rushed in all at once,” you looked off to the side for a moment as you recalled the events of that fateful day. “My father had noticed it right after he had stabbed himself and told Anakin to stop. Essentially, he realized I was being controlled and in his dying, sent his power into me. As the holder of the title ‘Balance Over The Force,’ I gained my sister's trait of the light and my fathers trait of control over both. After that, it was like the curtain was completely swiped away and I had control over myself again. Complete control.”

Poe listened intently the entire time, which you appreciated as you hoped you weren’t evoking any negative feelings within him.

“After my father died however, I lost my immortality and became... human. Maybe again? I’m not entirely sure what I was centuries ago.”

“Centuries?” he bobbed his head a bit with a raised eyebrow.

You raised a deadly eyebrow in tow and glared at him.

He gulped and looked off to the side before returning to you, “I... take back what I said, keep going.”

You chuckled a bit, “Poe, I have been alive for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. But, before I became immortal, the only thing I know was that my body was twenty five, and that clock resumed right after my father died.”

“Holy shit,” he gasped. “My best friend is older than the fucking galaxy.”

You laughed hard at that, “No, idiot! The galaxy is way older than that!”

Poe had basically immediately begun laughing with you so you knew he exaggerated on purpose. 

“Wait, but if all of this happened way back when Anakin Skywalker was still alive, how do you still look this young now?”

You mentally smacked yourself as you left out even more, “Sorry, I forgot to mention it. Remember I said how currently I’m not at full power because I didn’t want to throw the world into imbalance?” He nodded in response, “After everything happened, I sealed myself away with the force, with the command that I was to be awoken when the next nexus event in the force occurs.”

His face scrunched up in confusion, “Was the nexus event... Kylo Ren or something?”

You shook your head, “No, a nexus event has to be a major point in history. Something that... creates such a powerful rift in the force that it’s temporarily unstable. My plan was to reintegrate and bring the unstable force to a calm in order to establish myself back into the galaxy safely.”

“So, if the nexus event hasn’t happened yet, why are you awake now?” he questioned.

“I realized that the force requires me in order to ensure the nexus event occurs. So, I suppressed my force energy to that of the relative power of Anakin Skywalker. Before, I had tried completely suppressing myself and it took incredible strain, however, I’m still allowing quite a lot of force energy to be released from my body.”

“Which means that you can live in the galaxy for a much greater period of time?” Poe finished your sentence.

You smiled, “Exactly. I’ll be fine for another two years or so, but I assume the nexus event will occur much... much sooner than that.” 

You thought of the connection you felt when you reached into that shuttle on Takodana.

“Well, whatever it is, I hope we come out on top, I mean, ‘The First’ in The First Order kinda has to mean it’s not gonna be the last. It’ll be slightly embarrassing if we don’t beat them.”

You both stared at each other in silence for a few moments... before the both of you broke out into laughter. 

After your laughter had died down, he looked at you softly, “Feel any better?”

You met his gaze with curiosity, “You made me laugh after revisiting my greatest trauma on purpose to lighten my load. Didn’t you?” He simply kept looking at you but you saw the grin that was beginning to reveal on his face, “You also brought the subject back up, hoping I would talk about it because you know that I haven’t told anyone else and have been holding in that burden alone all this time too, didn’t you?”

The grin finally broke out and it stretched across his entire face, he threw his hands up sillily in defense, “I simply have no idea what you’re talking about, sweetheart.”

A shock ran through your entire body at his words and you fought the cough you almost released. It was evident that his words shocked himself just slightly as well as he cleared his throat after saying it.

“Y-yeah right, but thanks anyway, Poe,” you choked out, spinning your chair just slightly towards the window to avoid direct eye contact.

You heard him shuffle a bit as well as he turned towards the window as well, “Yeah, of course.”

It wasn’t too long of a wait since your conversation filled most of the trip before you were coming out of hyperspace. Poe piloted your ship down to land and the two of you walked down the ramp. You had just barely gotten boots on the ground before you heard BB-8 chirping rather loudly as he rolled at a high speed directly towards you and Poe.

“BB-8, my buddy!” Poe yelled as he began walking towards the droid as well. “Oh, it’s so good to see you.”

Poe had kneeled down to get level with BB-8 as the droid beeped at him.

“Finn saved you? Where is he?” 

“I knew it!” 

You and Poe had spoken at the same time and you shared a look with a smile before Poe turned back around to look in the direction BB-8 had come from. You noticed someone wearing Poe’s jacket and immediately understood him as Finn, knowing he could be the only other one at the wreckage to grab it. 

“Poe? Poe Dameron, you’re alive?” Finn yelled as he rushed forward.

Poe rushed forward to meet him as you followed behind, “Buddy! So are you!”

They immediately wrapped each other in a big hug, “What happened to you?”

“I got thrown from the ship! Next thing I know, Y/N saved me and there was no sign of you or the crash!”

You couldn’t ignore the pang of jealousy you felt as Poe was so comfortable with Finn, who was also very handsome... Though you felt deep feelings inside of Finn easily, and realized it wasn’t for Poe, which made you relax a bit. 

“BB-8 says that you saved him!” 

“No, no, no. It wasn’t just me.”

“You completed my mission, Finn! You...” he paused as he took his appearance in. “That’s my jacket.”

Finn stumbled a bit, “Oh.” 

He was about to take if off before Poe stopped him, “No, no, keep it, it suits you. You’re a good man, Finn.”

“Poe, I need your help,” Finn suddenly turned serious. 

“What do you need?” you made yourself known next to them.

Poe turned to you, “You know the weapon that destroyed the Hosnian system?”

You and Poe nodded solemnly.

“I worked on it, that’s where they took Rey,” he informed.

You were the first to respond, “Rey? That was the one they took prisoner?”

Finn nodded, and you felt the lightsaber he had on him, the kyber crystal inside of it making you nostalgic.

“That lightsaber, it’s hers right?” you asked.

“How did you-” he took it out and showed it to you and Poe. “This is Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber.”

Poe looked at it in wonder and you spoke, “Well, its original owner was Anakin Skywalker.”

You raised your hand and used the force to levitate it out of his hands and into your own, “Yeah.” You smiled, “This is Anakin’s.”

Finn double took as you used the force, “Wait, you’re a Jedi?!”

Poe spoke up, “Show off.”

You smiled, “I am, and Rey also has the capacity to be one. You worked on that base, you’ve got information we need?”

Finn nodded.

“Let’s see the General,” Poe said as he began walking towards command.

As you all walked along, you had to bob and weave many different supplies that were being transported with workers running all around the base. Eventually, you got to Command to see Leia around a holotable with a few workers around her. 

“General Organa,” Poe said as you approached their group. “I’m sorry to interrupt, this is Finn. He needs to talk to you.”

“And I need to talk to him,” she turned to Finn. “That was incredibly brave what you did. Renouncing The First Order, saving this man’s life,” she motioned with her head towards Poe. 

“Thank you, ma’am. But a friend of mine was taken prisoner,” Finn responded promptly.

You could tell that the person Finn had deep feelings for was Rey, but you decided to keep that to yourself.

“Han told me about the girl,” Leia answered. “I’m sorry.”

Han Solo? Damn, he’s back? He must be who helped them with BB-8... that means Chewbacca is probably here as well.

“Finn’s familiar with the weapon that destroyed the Hosnian system,” Poe was quick to add. “He worked on the base.”

Leia quickly turned back to Finn, “We’re desperate for anything you can tell us.”

“That’s where my friend was taken,” Finn affirmed. “I’ve got to get there fast.”

“And I will do everything I can to help, but first you need to tell us all you know.”

Finn had begun explaining everything that he knew about the base, which was surprisingly quite a lot. He didn’t have any specific information to offer but he gave a detailed outline of its capabilities and its movements. Once he had finished his debrief, everyone was cleared and you stood in the corner for a moment thinking to yourself.

That connection I felt with Rey and Kylo... is this the nexus event? 

You were pulled out of your thoughts by Poe who had walked up to you, “Hey, you alright?”

You inhaled as you were brought back to reality and met his eyes with a smile, “Yeah, all good. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Poe gave you a look, “You might have gotten better at not seeming like you lived under a rock for centuries but your lying needs some work, buddy.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at getting caught, “Yeah, yeah I’ve got something on my mind. Not sure yet though but I’ll let you know if that changes.”

He pursed his lips, “Good enough for me.”

If this truly is the nexus event... we’re in for something big.

Next Chapter

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