#he had like 2 years of freedom between The Compound and the Labs

[coockie8]

Takaya's life's divvied up into at least two separate 8-year-long stretches of abusive bullshit

[avengers-fics]

The Island

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: You own a safe house designated for the avengers. A couple years ago they all came to visit. Little did they know, Bucky had won his way into your heart. 

Warning: none

Word Count: 2.3k

2020

The hot sun beats down, beads of sweat begin to form on your forehead. With a swish of your hand you wipe away the droplets that drip down your forehead. Pruning and planting the different crops for spring always took time, but that was all you had to do on your little island. That, and think about the love of your life and the hands that planted this garden in the early fall time. Thinking of the memory of your butt planted in a beach chair while watching his bent over frame in the garden boxes, planting strawberries and various greens.

A slight buzz in your beach bag catches your attention and you think nothing of it; most likely a news notification regarding the recent breakout. After hearing another ping, something in your gut tells you to check it. Walking through the thick sand surrounding your house, you bend over to retrieve your cell phone and realize that the buzzing continues from the second pocket. The emergency phone that hasn’t gone off in a few months is now alive with sound, and with your stomach dropping into your toes; you answer.

“Need any groceries?” Natalia’s familiar tone gives you friendly butterflies in your stomach, as she is one of your longest friends. You hadn’t heard her voice since Thanos had ruined the planet with the snap of his fingers. It was almost a relief to hear her raspy tone. Even then she didn’t want to bother you, or more likely find out if you had survived the initial snap (Which you did).

Without missing a beat, “Just pickles,” The familiar code for ‘the coast is clear’, “Maybe some vodka if you’re stopping.” You added with a smile. Nat happily said she would bring you a couple bottles, and with that she hung up the phone. After taking a shuddering breath, you tossed the phone back in your bag. This meant you had to make some rounds and change sheets in the different guest bedrooms, and actually wash the dishes in your sink. Your lab would be beyond happy to have some different but familiar faces around the little compound.

-

Seeing the familiar tiny red boat pull ashore that afternoon to your island always brought a smile to your face, along with the red head manning the small vessel. For the first time you noticed a few beefy men in tow, which made your eyebrows rise in surprise. Nat climbed ashore with a couple of manly hands held out to aid her. Then with the small boat anchored, the few men climbed ashore. Of course you knew who they all were, who wouldn't? At least she managed to bring some of the most well mannered men on the planet; all of which extended their hands in sync once reaching you on the shore. Steve introduced himself first, and he even kissed your cheek with a red hue on his own. Sam was a little more cocky in his introduction, but thanked you immensely for letting him stay there. Bucky was the last, and he was much more quiet and distant in his introduction than the rest. He took your hands in his, and then mimicked Steve and placed the gentlest kiss upon your cheek that made Sam and Nat furrow their brows. However, they didn’t say anything in fear for their lives.

After a moment of awkward silence, Natasha cut in. “We needed a safe house, desperately.” You nodded, almost prying for more. “There’s a little too much going on in the world...Virus and all. Tony got worried with all of us in New York or in the same Safe House at that.” She tucked her hands in her pocket, which was a cue for her that she was done talking. For as long as you had known her, it was almost impossible to get her to a point of being uncomfortable that she couldn’t talk anymore. So this situation had to be dire.

With the warmest smile you could offer up, you spoke to the group, “I understand, and you’re welcome here for as long as you need.” They all joined in a chorus of ‘thank yous’ but you interrupted with “As long as you’re willing to go to the grocery store for or with me.” In response Nat quickly walked back over to the boat, and grabbed a handful of reusable bags that contained at least $300 worth of groceries. “Well then, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

Throwing a dinner together for your guests was pretty easy since they all would eat anything you put on the plate in front of them. Steve was the one to strike up a conversation more than anybody else; asking how you came to get this land and when the house was built. Nat was just exhausted from navigating most of the way, and Sam must’ve been exhausted from nagging the whole time. Bucky, however, kept a cool distance from you across the dinner table. But he was the one who stayed to clean up dishes once everyone else went to bed, and even suggested you go to bed while he finished up downstairs. A smile graced your face and with a small wink you climbed the three flights of stairs to your master bedroom.

5:45 AM rolled around, and your alarm went off to get up and get ready for your 6 AM run around the island. The sunrise always brought a fresh breath of life to your lungs and soul. The island that you were lucky enough to live on, clocked in at around 4 miles round which was just the perfect running/walking mixture for your exercise credentials. Being on your own gave you a certain sense of freedom and happiness with the few trips to the grocery store that you made. While tying your sneakers, another person joined your presence downstairs in the island farmhouse. Bucky Barnes stood on the landing of the staircase, hair in a bun at the nape of his neck. He had a long sleeve shirt on that covered up to his wrists, leaving the metal arm to glimmer in the faint morning light. You had a sly smile on your lips with the thought of Nat teaching him how to tie his hair up in a small bun.

“What?” Bucky was also tying up his shoelaces, but caught a glimpse of your smile playing on your lips. The two of you were creatures of habit, and that meant getting up early in the day to work out so you had time for important stuff in the afternoon, like drinking. “Is there something wrong with my hair?” Bucky self consciously ran his flesh hand over his head.

You quickly jumped in, “Not at all! I could just tell Nat taught you to do that.” You grabbed the handle for the front door and looked at Bucky with a sympathetic look in your eyes, “Gonna run the same pace as me or outrun me today?” He laughed and agreed to keep pace with you. He was over a foot taller than you, which made you doubt his abilities to go your pace given the leg difference between the two of you.

The sun was only beginning to create a color show over the various mountains and islands surrounding your private island. Purple hues took over the sky and your heart. It always made you incredibly happy that you were able to reach this point in your life that you were able to live the life you had always dreamed of; quiet, and no one bothering you unless the situations were dire. Bucky’s strides were slower than normal to your left and even you could tell that, he wasn’t out of breath even when you were. Towards the end you always walked just to cool down and take in the cool morning breeze. Your black Labrador also joined during this morning ritual, which helped him settle during your afternoon activities.

After finishing the lap around the island, you sat down on one of the blue adirondack chairs you had perched on the beach. The paint was slightly peeling but every couple of years you repainted right over it, good as new. It was probably getting close to the time that required some more paint on the old, trusty chairs. Bucky carefully lowered himself into the chair next to you. With a slight sigh, he whispers as if to not disturb the sunrise still occuring. “Do you think Natalia knows about us?”

A laugh bubbles up into your chest as your hand reaches over and interlaces your fingers with Bucky’s. “I don’t think so baby.”

This had been occurring for the past 2 years, unbeknownst to the rest of the team. Neither of you really cared whether the rest of the team knew, maybe just Sam. The first time Nat had brought everyone to the island (By everyone, that means the WHOLE team and their significant others) over 2 years ago. There were so many dogs barking and beds squeaking that nobody had noticed you and Bucky on the front porch having a drink and learning everything about one another. He came to visit quite often after that, and no one really bothered to ask him where he was going.

The chairs in the sand were so close together that even if someone was to look out their bedroom windows and spot the two of you holding hands, you couldn’t quite tell what was happening. Steve was the only one with a bedroom that had a view over towards the sunrise, and you did that on purpose because you knew he wouldn’t say anything, and if he did it would have just been to Bucky. You adjusted in your chair so you could lean your head on his right shoulder, since his forearm was resting comfortably on your thigh. Bucky moved his head slightly just to kiss your sweaty forehead, and you could feel the smile on his lips. Bucky always smelled like eucalyptus and the scent stayed around your house even after he returned to his normal routine at the Avengers Compound. Your dog laid at both of your feet on the sand, comfortable as ever.

“I think we have to tell Tony eventually, especially since you wanna move here sometime in the near future.” You barely spoke above a whisper to him as you brought the back of his hand to your lips for a small kiss.

Bucky rested his cheek on the top of your head, watching the finishing sunrise. “I know, let this pandemic finish first before he realizes that he has to find another Avenger.” He giggled a little, and it brought a bubble of laughter up to your chest. “I just want to enjoy our privacy for now, before Sam realizes.” You nodded in agreement.

-

2019

Bucky had been introduced to you the year before, and somehow he managed to show up at your doorstep once a month. He claimed that it was his “vacation time”, even in the dead of winter, with snow piling up on your porch and an icy lake all around. The smile he donned melted a path right into your heart and you knew there was no way of falling out of love with Bucky Barnes. Most of the team was still under the impression that he was half psychotic; willing to snap at any time. But he was just the opposite. He was the most caring person you’d ever met in your life.

Bucky spent most of his time on your island helping with various projects that needed completing, whether it was fixing broken floor boards or sealing the shed against snow. You watched him get bundled up in overalls, glove only on his flesh hand and a fuzzy hat that he didn’t realize had cat ears on top, and trek outside to shovel a pathway to the shed that contained a few important items. Not to mention the chilly nights you spent with the window cracked, bundled up and a shirtless Bucky sleeping in the kingsize bed next to you.

Everytime he showed up on the porch, he claimed he took a leave of absence for some quiet time. But the time he spent on your island was anything but quiet. Making meals required any kind of music playing and hips swaying. His thumbs made impressions on your hips while you leaned to grab different seasonings from the spice rack, and a deep blush would form on your cheeks.

Late in the evenings it would just be the sound of snow falling outside and both of your breaths, ragged and slowing down. Legs tangled together, and not a care in the world. Bucky spent time tracing his fingers along the various tattoos that were painted over your arms and body. It made your heart warm to see Bucky this vulnerable. You finally had to ask what brought him here after all this time.

“You.” Was all Bucky wanted to offer at the time, and after some pandering he continued. “It’s peaceful here, you bring me unconstituted peace and so does this island.” Bucky was speaking the truth, it had been a long time since he had felt safe and content enough to be this open with someone. All it took were 4 sides of water for him to finally feel safe.

-

2020

You let out a little sigh before you spoke again, “I’d kiss you right now, but I have a feeling there’s a pair of eyes on us.” Closing your eyes, you felt Bucky stretch to turn around next to you. Sure enough, Nat was already up and sipping her coffee on the porch. She knew how much your privacy meant to you and Bucky, so she simply raised her mug in a cheering motion, and went back to bed.

Everyone had an inkling of an idea about the two of you, since Bucky didn’t know how to shut off the tracking on his iphone. But Natalia had reminded them of your spy past and how you once decapitated a man with your bare hands. Needless to say they kept their mouths shut until everyone was invited to the wedding/Bucky’s retirement party on the island.

[capricornsims]

Strangetown Mystery 13: Trapped

     Days turned into weeks and the imprisonment of the Smith family became known throughout Strangetown, much to their dismay. Lola and Chloe rallied alongside other townies to free Pollination Technician 9, waving picket signs about uniting the world. “ He did nothing wrong, he’s just raising his family!” Lola shouted out, and the crowd agreed, remembering PT9 as a friendly family man, and not the evil invader General Buzz Grunt was making him out to be. Despite the protests outside of the bunker, the Smith Family would continue to be entrapped in the concrete underground, unable to hear the rallying cries of their family members. Restlessness and fear hung over everyone as their fate was left to the unknown as the syndrome got worse. Johnny, especially, couldn’t stand the extended stay in the bunker, knowing the untrustworthy intentions of Buzz Grunt...but he couldn’t do anything if he was stuck under Tank’s surveillance. 

To add to Johnny’s misery, his other physical alien traits began to appear, clouding his emerald green eyes over with an inky black shade. He was appalled by his appearance, unable to comprehend why his eyes decided to change at a moment like this! He knew his skin was going to get greener as he grew older, but his eyes were the only thing that made him feel human enough to live amongst his friends. Now he was considered more of a freak compared to before, vulnerable to the same prejudice his father and sisters faced. His emotions ran rampant through his brain, staring off into grimy mirrors, picturing his horrible future. 

Johnny: Why does this have to happen to me now, why couldn’t I have changed after this. What if I get experimented on by mad scientists? Bullied more by Tank? What if Ripp and Ophelia run away because I’m such a freak... A freak of nature…

His insecurities manifested as the day wore on, it didn’t help that Tank commented on his changed appearance or that his family looked at him differently.

He split apart from his parents, escaping to the furthest point of the compound to hide away from the world. Unfortunately, his effort to conceal his condition was useless as footprints approached him 

PT9: Son, your mother told me what happened,

Johnny: …

PT9: Why don’t you want to talk to your old man about it? 

Johnny: I don’t want to talk right now! 

PT9: I understand that you teenagers are going through a lot of emotions, but I’m here for you. I watched you grow up on Earth, and I know how hard it’s been for you, Johnny. 

Johnny: I don’t think you understand, dad. You grew up with other aliens...but here I had to grow up with other humans and they just suck! 

PT9: I know, son, but compared to them, you are stronger. Your eyes may have changed to look like mine, but you are the same young man everyone loves. Once we get out of here, you’ll be able to show the world how great you are. 

Johnny: IF we get out of here! We’re stuck here because *you* think Buzz Grunt is trying to protect us! Can’t you read minds !? We are trapped here and we can’t get out! 

PT9: I don’t want to argue about this, Johnny. I love you, and I want to keep all of you safe. 

Johnny: We are not safe here, dad, we are prisoners! Look, if you don’t make an effort to find a way out sooner I will! 

PT9: I wish you luck on your endeavor, I will keep doing my part if you don’t mind.

 Johnny stormed away from the conversation, an uneasy tension forming between him and his father. His father’s tone about keeping them safe did not sit right with Johnny, his fatherly demeanor stiffened and his face grew cold when he said they were trapped. It was like his father knew what the true evil was and kept it a secret for their sake and it had to be something threatening if he entrusted his life to his enemy.  Either way, he did not want to be a part of his father’s secrets and consulted the general store clerk for help. 

Ripp: Hey Johnny, I see you escaped my dumb brother. Can I get you anything like a soda or a magazine? 

Johnny: Freedom. I’m going to attempt an escape and I need help. 

Ripp: It’s going to be hard to stock in my store but I think I can get that for you, Johnny. 

Johnny: What really!? 

Ripp: Yeah, we just need to make a plan first and figure out how to get past those gates without being chased by Tank. 

Johnny: And once I get past Tank I will make a run straight for the nearest town, Deadtree. Ophelia said she was staying at her family’s meeting house so maybe I can hide in there until things blow over. 

Johnny: This place is dangerous, I have to get away before I become some alien experiment.

Ripp: It sounds like a plan, dude, I’ll make sure you make it to Ophelia in one piece. I promise...It’s the least I can do since my father locked your family in here.

Johnny: I owe you my life, Ripp. Thanks for helping me.

                                                 The Sublevel 

The sublevel lay beneath the laboratory of the bunker, shrouded in a dim red light upon entering its dark corridors. The only sound that emitted from this strange area was the whirring of the ventilators and clunking mechanical noises beyond the threshold of the massive vault doors. Every sound that was made echoed eerily off the walls and the hall seemed to grow narrower as it neared the entrance. No one knew what the doors protected, or what it concealed beyond vague notions of science experiments and surgical equipment. Whoever built this bunker had intentions to keep the contents of the vault in secrecy so why was General Buzz Grunt so eager to show PT9 what lay beyond it?

Buzz: Pollination Technician 9, you have helped immensely around the lab with the scientists, but I cannot trust them with this experiment. Therefore, I trust that you will do this experiment perfectly without error, understand? 

PT9: I understand, I just hope this experiment won’t take too long. I just want to be with my family. 

Buzz: Don’t worry, your family is being taken care of. After all, I am the one protecting them. 

They entered the sublevel slowly, PT9 hesitated to pass the open doors but he had no choice but to follow the general into the secret laboratory. At first, he noticed the smell of chemicals, coming from the surgical room, the odd glowing of preservation tanks, and the deafening white noise of the entire area. His heart skipped a beat when he heard the vault doors slam shut, cutting him off from the rest of the bunker. He turned to gaze at Buzz Grunt and noticed the smile on his face which beckoned him closer to the small room he was motioning to. He hobbled into the cubical room and looked around for any lab equipment. There wasn’t any! He whirled around and the door slammed shut in his face, backing him against the glass walls of the cell. Buzz only continued to smile, mocking the alien behind the glass, as he locked the doors shut with the keys in his pocket. 

PT9: Buzz what is this? You can’t do this? 

Buzz: You know what this is, alien. I’ve been watching you for years and you managed to convince the entirety of Simnation that you’re nothing but a retiree alien looking to raise a family. Heh, but I’m not stupid, Smith. Oh no, I knew that you were plotting something the minute you stepped foot into Strangetown. I know you planted the first seed of the bizarre plant, I know you and your friends are trying to turn us, humans, into zombies for your experiments!

Buzz: You should be thankful I’m keeping Jenny and your kids away from danger, away from you! 

PT9: You’re a madman Buzz! I didn’t plant any seeds or turn anyone into zombies, I’ve spent the last eighteen years of my life providing for my family and trying to fit in with you humans! I’m innocent! 

Buzz: IM MAD AND YOU’RE INNOCENT!? Tell that to Glarn Curious and every unfortunate creature that you experimented on PT9! I know your secrets, I know everything you’ve done to this place! And I’m saving Simnation by getting rid of you! 

PT9: I haven’t done anything! 

Buzz: We are done here Pollination Technician 9. I will take care of Jenny and your dumb kids. At least now they will have a bright future ahead of them. For now, I will hand you over to my colleagues…

PT9: No...not them! You said you would protect me and my family! Buzz please, I have another one on the way at least wait until I can see them!

Dude in Black 1: It’s a pleasure doing business with you, General, we will take this alien off your hands now. 

Dude in Black 2: We have already begun preparations to send PT9 to Sixam, Strangetown is safe thanks to you. 

Buzz: I am glad that I was able to keep Simnation safe from yet another threat. Thankyou for your work agents. 

PT9: Liars! All of you are liars! 

[larissaloki]

This is my first installment on a rare pair ship M’Baku x Tony x Bucky. A/b/o verse. M’Baku is an alpha same asBucky and Tony is an Omega. Updates for this will be slow but if you like this fic leave a comment and I’ll see which of my stories get the most interest. Once I’ve finished my walking avengers fic I’ll focus on another.

@thoughtfulbreadpolice @seven-oomen @im-tops-bottom @winteriron-trash here you go!

Sharing is caring-

~~~~~~~

Humming Tony checked his phone for any message from Pepper, nothing major really was sent to him. Just a few meetings reports, condensed down enough to get just the important details across. He idly skimmed them, asking Friday to make a note once landed and settled in a private room, to go through them more fully. For now, the notes looked promising for their expansion in China and Japan. Both cities with a lot of people could benefit greatly from clean energy. They were in midst of negotiating of setting up the system there to help make their cities greener.so far Japan surprisingly was much more eager to join in.

Which leads to Tony’s little field trip that he’s on now. T’Challa and Shuri have asked him to help introduce Wakandan tech to the world. Not that T’Challa needed the help really, but it looked good to the council and the press that the two were working together. Of course people where still weary and where calling out for the king to be weary of Stark due to his past business, but it wasn’t enough of an outcry too cause to much damage to their stocks.

After T’Challa’s declaration to open the boarder, many had been skeptical as to what Wakanda could offer the world. T’Challa had a plan though. He had brought buildings and was doing work right now to share technology and open trades. The first to establish trades was Tony. Well, more T’Challa was the first to reach out to him. Understanding that Tony wanted to make the world safer and cleaner.

The trade was under a few conditions though, any plans Tony had involving tech and materials from Wakanda had to be approved by T’Challa and his council first before being implemented. Seeing as the primary material was Vibranium, it was no wonder the King was anxious about how it would be used. One of the other stipulations was that Tony had to visit the country and learn about Vibranium, work with it in a controlled environment that could cope with any mishaps. Learn from Princess Shuri how to safely transport it and such.

Tony had all but launched himself at his car shouting down his phone to prep a jet and replying back to T’Challa that he was on his way that instant. Tony was eager to learn, eager to see the genius mind behind most of the modern creations in Wakanda. He wanted to see with his own eyes the country that could better the whole world.

At first, Pepper had been furious at Tony skipping out on a meeting but, once learning the purpose of his trip she had calmed and assured him she would cover for him. Seeing the major benefit of Tony going just as well as he had.

Smiling to himself, Tony leaned back in his luxurious seat sipping some flavoured sparkling water Tony allowed his eyes to close. Above head, the intercom pinged as the pilots’ voice came across.

“We are fast approaching Wakanda Mr Stark, about 5 minutes before landing-“

The plane rocked violently as something hit it. Above the seats, oxygen masks fall for the passengers. Tony slowly makes his way towards the nearest chair, the rock in and shuddering of the plane making hi nearly fall over several times. Of all the times to leave his suit behind, fully believing he wouldn’t need one and also partly because he was in that much of a rush to the plane in NY that he had forgotten it.

Now, Tony was regretting leaving it behind in the compound.

“Please don’t crash, please don’t crash…” Buckling himself into his seat, Tony fumbled for his phone calling for Friday for information on what happened. He barely heard two words from the A.I before the plane took a sharp downward turn, it threw him back into his seat with a curse as he accidentally dropped his phone. The Omega clutched at the armrests of the chair, he had a bad feeling in his gut that no one was alive in the cockpit of the plane. All Tony could do was hope and pray either he survived the fall or received a quick death.

Tony had a thought as to what could have possibly of hit them when the plane began to tumble over and over, shuddering and jolting as it hit things in its decent. The next few moments where a blur for the Omega, he wouldn’t have been able to recall them if he tried. All he recalls is intense terror than a sharp pain to his leg and side before everything goes black.

~~~~~

M’Baku was watching the young Omega princess work on the newest broken Alpha white boy, also known by the children below as, White Wolf. At first, before M’Baku had earned his place among the tribes, he had been sceptical of the teen Omega genius. After seeing her work in person though, he was willing to admit he had been wrong in his judgement.

She had worked near relentlessly on trying to remove the triggers for the Winter Soldier. After a few tense months, Stark had sent information on his BARF, notes on it and how he made it. To see if it could help them. He had even given them details on how to contact Helen Cho. An expert on squishy science. Together they had come up with theories which Shuri had adjusted and altered her machines and such to make these theories work. Slowly she worked through Bucky’s mind; with his permission; to undo the power of the trigger commands. Rendering them useless.

Shuri has just finished the last command after weeks of working on it. They took breaks between each word and tried it to see if it affected him. So far they have been successful. After this last word, Bucky could be taken out of Cryo completely, allowed to slowly be let back among others to get used to life again.

Next, to him, T’Challa stood silently, observing the procedure. Despite the success so far he refused to left guards drop in case anything set back their progress. He won’t relax until this is completed. Around the room is 5 other Dora Milaje as well as them. All placed out of the way but able to move at a moments notice.

Above Barnes is a hologram of his body and brain which Shuri is looking at as she works on another screen. Carefully moving and directing her machines that are attached to Barnes’ head.

It’s a tense 2 hours before Shuri finally sighs and shuts down the machines with a pleased grin. Turning the princess nods at her brother.

“I’m done brother, your broken white boy I finally fixed. Though I do like this one, can I keep him?”

“No Shuri, you can not, I dare say Roger’s wouldn’t be pleased.”

Pouting, Shuri takes off the tabs that are connected to Barnes as he wakes up, blinking confused for a moment. T’Challa moves to stand by the chair/bed, watching Barnes carefully.

“How do you feel?”

Licking his lips Barnes seems to look down at his lap. “Better, I don’t feel so…tense” nodding, T’Challa starts to recite the words he had memorised by heart now. Barnes tenses as he always does when they do this part. However, apart from the initial tensing, there was no reaction. They waited a few moments but when Barnes felt no change, he looks up in wonder yet gratefulness.

“Y-You did it…”

Puffing up proudly behind her brother, Shuri comes closer now satisfied there’s no danger. “You’re all clear. The Winter Soldier cannot be used as a weapon ever again.”

“So he’s completely gone?...”

At this Shuri pauses as if considering her next word carefully. “We are not entirely sure, I believe experiences are still in there, memories. Things that will bleed over to you. Such as skills, but you have free will now. Think of it as a merge? We only really removed the triggers.”

“Thank you, truly” Barnes looked between them all gratefully. The sump where his left arm was is wrapped up with a dark rich blue cloth to hide the area from scrutiny. Barnes was truly indebted to these people who have not only, given him a safe haven to rest and relax but they have helped him become him again. Whatever he was now. He knows he’s not the Bucky from the 1940’s anymore. No matter how much Steve wished for him too. He was also no longer the Ghost Assassin of Hydra.

He had the freedom to become him again. Choose who he wanted to be.

And he had every intention of not fighting again for a long as he could help it.

M’Baku looked him over from his place by the wall still. He and Barnes haven’t interacted much due to him being mostly in cryo and the fact that too many Alphas around at once had made him skittish. What he did now he had gotten through stories from others. He had heard about the smooth charming Brooklyn Alpha from before the war. The Alpha that could charm a fish out of water effortlessly, who could make Betas and Omegas alike, swoon on the dance floor.

Soft quiet moments like this, M’Baku could only see a shy quiet man who just wants to be left alone to live peacefully. It’s not until he smiles that M’Baku gets a glimpse of the person from those stories. The endearingly soft smiles that make you warm inside when the smile is directed at you. Prompting you to smile back. The puppyish look in his blue eyes as Barnes tilts his head as he talks. Even that ridiculously soft brown hair that practically begs to be petted. A few times M’Baku had to refrain from reaching out to touch the fluffy strands. It was simply unfair. Since his wife who had died a few years back, leaving him and their children, M’Baku hadn’t so much as glanced at another. But Barnes was somehow changing that.

Another that had caught his interest was the Omega, Stark. The first time he had seen him in a video conference, M’Baku had to psychically bite his tongue, lest he says something stupid. The smaller man had been Devine to look at as he worked in his lab in the video. Soft dark brown hair gently curling at his ears and neck. Goggles pushed back on h forehead so he could see them, molten chocolate brown eyes had looked at them inquisitively, but M’Baku could see a spark of mischief as well. Just seeing his face and arms had been torture enough but the moment Stark had stood to retrieve something off screen giving them a glimpse of his ass and legs. M’Baku had to cough to cover for the small groan that had escaped. Going by Okoye’s small smirk. He hadn’t been too successful at hiding it.

For days after that video conference, Starks plush ass and perfect legs had been on his mind and starred in his dreams. He just wanted to grope at that ass and possibly bite it to leave his mark. The jeans Stark had been wearing had shown off all those delicious curves leaving M’Baku wanting.

Upon learning that T’Challa was reaching out to work with Tony on more future projects, M’Baku had none too subtly been bugging T’Challa to introduce him to Stark. He wanted to meet the genius. Perhaps try his hand at Wooing his into his bed. After looking up the man, M’Baku could agree that the man needed a god damn break from shit. Both Stark and Barnes just needed a break from shit life threw at them. And what more perfect way than in the middle of nowhere in Wakanda?

Grinning M’Baku pictured the Stark heir trying to climb a tree. Unaware that the room was looking at him oddly when he started chuckling to himself.

T’Challa was the one bravest to step forward. “M’Baku? What’s so funny?”

“Huh?” Coming back to focus, M’Baku looked around to see the stares and grinned. “Was just imagining T’Challa in crocodile-infested waters,” his grin grew wider at Barnes look of alarm, a few of the Dora looked mildly alarmed as well but stayed still as Okoye and T’Challa shook their heads amused. Shuri grinned outright at him, “did you yet him in?”

“Shuri please…” T’Challa groaned at his sister. Before any more words could be shared the palace shook slightly, a boom from a distance could be heard. Alert T’Challa ran to the nearest window, looking outside. To the distance just inside their borders, they could see a plane crashing down towards the trees and rivers below. M’Baku managed to catch a glimpse of the name on the side of the small plane. Stark.

Immediately, T’Challa shouted out commands for people to be sent to check the wreckage for any survivors. Also for someone to find out who had shot down that plane.

[omgkatsudonplease]

Milasara, Honey - Kehlani

day 6 part 2!!

In her small northern hometown of Rodnina, Mila Babicheva was known as a magic-child. Endowed with the ability to project her emotions onto surrounding people, Mila had spent an entire childhood easily bending others to her will.

Rodnina was far away from the glittering capital, which heightened its desirability in her childish imagination. She’d dreamt of walking through golden-lit streets and crystal avenues, venturing out to the crack of the Great Waterfall to see how far down she’d have to drop to hit the bottom. When the Bitterfrost came, she would dream of flying on the frozen falls armed only with skates, catching snowflakes in her hair and lashes. 

Her wish came true, to some extent, when the Searchers came. 

In most major cities and towns, the Searchers are a ticket to prestige. They amount to a talent search agency, auditioning and testing Nevans of all ages for the chance to be selected as a Candidate. But in rural and developing areas, they have a more sinister reputation. Tales of young people who vanish in the night, magic-children simply ‘moving away’ without explanation. Sometimes a couple months pass and their families receive a handsome compensation, and a familiar name appears on the news in connection with a member of the Royal Family. Even out in the middle of nowhere, the House of Nikiforov carries weight.

Mila was discovered, her family informed she will be well-cared for. Having just passed her sixteenth birthday and thus at the right age to be trained as a Candidate instead of an adoptee, she watched as her mother signed the contract with trembling fingers. Her Bergian chased after her hovercraft as she was whisked away to Moyka hours after. 

For the first time after that, Mila found herself surrounded by other magic-children, some of which weren’t even children anymore. Young adults, determined and cutthroat in their posturing for an advantageous bond, filled the corridors of the palace she was assigned to. No longer was she exceptional – here, her explosions of temper were considered coarse, unrefined. She had to be taught how to rein in her emotions, how to direct her projections. All for the possibility of being selected by someone of the Royal House for a bondmate. 

On her eighteenth birthday, she caught the eye of Prince Alexei. He took her out of the compound – the first time she’d been in years since her arrival – for long dinners in cloud liners above the city, and longer walks along the Moyka River. For the first time since she arrived, Mila had a taste of the world at its highest echelons, had a glimpse into her future as a bondmate to a Royal Family member. 

And then her life changed again when she met Sara Crispino at a gala dinner on a cloud liner gliding between the planet and its rings. She didn’t care about the topic of the evening, nor did she care for most of the guests. Sara’s violet eyes beckoned to her, deep and mysterious like a nebula; the jewels in her hair twinkled like constellations in the night sky. 

“What brings you here?” she asked Sara as they watched the rings veer by, dust and ice particles glittering above the observation panes. 

“My brother and I are executives of Crispino Industries,” replied Sara. “I’m also his familial mediator.”

Mila remembered Michele Crispino. He’d stared suspiciously at Alexei and so many others in the room all night, hovering at his sister’s elbow like a overbearing Eterian defending its mates. Which, of course, would be a lot less creepy had they not been brother and sister. 

“A handsome rich young Alpha like him can’t find his own mediatorship?” she asked lightly. Sara sighed. 

“He is very… attached,” she admitted. 

Mila hummed into her glass of Moykavino. Alexei never let her have more than a finger, fearing the consequences of more. “Tell him to grow up,” she suggested.

She could see Sara hiding a smile behind her own glass as they drank to that. 

One drink turned to more, turned to Sara dangling across her shoulder on the pressurised terrace, laughing and twirling her along to the music. “You know what I’ve always wanted to do?” wondered the Beta, nuzzling against Mila’s collar. Mila shivered at the point of contact, feeling the same swoops in her stomach that the Beta must be experiencing. “Be a companion. Go out to the stars, forging my own way. Finding my own mediatorship, in the arms of other beings.”

“You’re allowed to do that?” wondered Mila. 

“Form mediatorships with other species? Absolutely. They just passed a law on Allegria… it was such a big victory for the Love Wins advocates…” 

“Yeah but – go to the stars as a companion? I thought that was only something Terrans did.”

“Nevans and Allegrians can do it, too!” Sara’s eyes shone like a supernova, and Mila felt her own heart expand just as fast. “You just need the paperwork filed, you need to take some certification courses accredited by the ICU… and then you get contracted to a crew, destination anywhere in the galaxy.” She paused. “Mila, let’s do it together. Let’s ditch all these people… and just go to the stars. Together.”

And Mila couldn’t say no to that. Maybe it was the Moykavino, maybe it was Sara’s own intoxicating presence, the sweetness of her voice, the earnestness of her enthusiasm. Maybe it was the way the world felt both fuzzy and clear, like standing in the eye of a storm and trusting it wouldn’t hurt her.

She had no idea how it happened. One moment she was merely dancing with Sara, and the next their fingers and foreheads were meeting. The Beta’s presence seemed to surround her, the scent of her perfume overwhelming Mila’s heightened senses. She was floating, she was falling, drifting away to new heights and into the depths of some great intangible thing from which she never wished to resurface.

And then the guards were pulling her away, Alexei’s stricken expression hovering moon-like in the back of the clamouring crowd. Even after being torn from the party and forcibly escorted back to the compound, Mila could still feel the ghost of Sara’s fingers and mind against hers. 

“I should be angry with you,” Alexei told her the next time they met. Over a table at the compound, the walls slate grey and drab. The table was metal, prison-like. Outside, the Bitterfrost winds blew. There would be no skating on the waterfall now. 

Mila peered out at him from behind her curls. “Are you?”

He shook his head. “You’re the only one of this lot who has any real spark,” he replied. “You remind me of a Terran I encountered once.”

Mila tilted her head. “A companion?”

Alexei nodded. “I will never see her again,” he lamented, and bowed his head. Mila held out her fingers, and he pressed the tips of his to them for a moment, before sighing. 

“I cannot give you a pardon,” he began, “but I will also try my best to delay their pursuit. I can lead them, as the Terrans say, on a merry chase. But I will need your help.”

Mila felt that same unspeakable warmth well deep inside her at that. “Thank you,” she said, meaning every word. “What will you need?”

“An attack.” He smiled. “I know you’re capable of vicious mental lashing. I’ve seen you put less fortunate sparring partners in the infirmary without even touching them. Make it look like you’ve attacked me, then take my ring. It will give you access to any ship in the Fleet that you need. Just don’t steal something noticeable.” 

“Why are you doing this for me?” asked Mila quietly, leaning closer to him. The prince sighed. 

“Because I sensed it, your connection to her,” he said quietly. “Very few Nevans ever experience such clarity, even with the ones they choose to bond with. When you meet someone who can make your world fall away with just a breath, well… there’s no chance for anyone else.” He gently squeezed her hand. “Find her again. The path of your star collided with hers for a reason.”

Mila kissed him, briefly. And then she closed her eyes, and knocked him out. 

It would take the Nevan Police days to hear of her attacking her intended and stealing his ring to access a ship. It would take them weeks to find the missing starship, and months to track its jump signatures. But just before the Searchers could set out to retrieve her, someone hacked into the database and completely erased all traces of the Firebird. 

Over the slumbering form of her brother, Sara Crispino, too, rushed to freedom in the stars. With Mila at her side, the two of them knit together a crew – a family – of rag-tag beings looking for adventure or escaping dire circumstances at home. They picked up a young talented Omega Allegrian medical student whose brains were being wasted in a dusty lab archiving old slides. They picked up a hitchhiking Nevan engineer who had memorised the entire schematics of every type of starship in the Federation. They picked up an Allegrian ambassador’s Alpha son, who had grown bored with life on Allegria and was looking for a change of pace. 

And they picked up two Terran companions. Inseparable, contracted friends who would die for one another, and the rest of the crew, too. It had always been nothing short of a miracle that they hadn’t managed to do so before, but as Mila watches the screen go blank on the bridge of the Firebird, she couldn’t help but feel that same deep, unspeakable warmth suddenly, unexpectedly turn to ice. 

“Yuuri!” she screams, as if that would make him more likely to respond. Next to her, Prince Viktor crumples to the floor, his breath rushing out of him in a wordless cry of anguish. Phichit catches him just before he hits the floor, but the prince tears out of his arms, rushing towards the door. 

Mila had once been taught of the great Bond that superseded all bonds, the web that tangled together the minds of all beings. She had never quite believed in such a thing before, but now she pleads with it, begs with whatever celestial Beyond that could possibly exist for the chance that Yuuri – and Yura, and the other crewmembers – had survived. Shakily, she, too, rises to her feet, striding out of the bridge towards the aft, towards the hatch where the boarding seal had been. She can sense her wife tagging along a couple paces behind, wary but supportive. 

The first thing she sees, as she draws closer to the corridor, is that the engineers in the area had put a stasis field over the gaping hole in the side of the ship where the explosion had torn away the boarding seal and a chunk of the hatch.

The second thing she sees is four forms being rushed towards sickbay by Dr Minami.

“Your Highness, no, get out of the way! Out of my way!” screams the young Omega, bodily shoving Viktor back as the medibots vanished down the hall with the gurneys. “If you’re not on my medical team, I want you all fifty standard meters away from my sickbay, so help me. I will hurt you if you don’t comply.”

“Is he all right? Will Yuuri be all right?”

“They’ll both be fine, whichever one you’re talking about,” snaps Dr Minami, visibly irritated. “And in case anyone cared, so will the other crewmembers. They got knocked back by the explosion, but they were luckily closer to us than to the Almavivo.”

Mila bends down, picks up a set of twisted and broken glasses. Emil swipes it from her fingers, placing it in a small baggie.

“I’ll get to work on that,” he says, before nodding and shuffling back to the aft. Dr Minami does a Terran gesture, making a V with his fingers and pointing from his eyes to Viktor, before rushing off after his medibots. Mila sighs, nodding at Viktor. 

“They’ll be fine,” she says. “Don’t worry.”

Viktor nods, looking down at the floor of the ship. “I think I owe you a pardon,” he says.

And hours later, with Sara on her arm, Mila watches Viktor sit by Yuuri’s bedside, entwining their fingers as he reads the Terran something from a touchpad. Yuuri’s vitals are steady on the board above his bed, and he’s laughing at something Viktor’s saying, his eyes never leaving the prince’s. 

“When you meet someone who can make your world fall away with just a breath, there’s no chance for anyone else,” she says quietly. Sara hums her question, and Mila sighs. “Just something Alexei said before he let me take his ship.”

“You’ve always said you knocked him out and stole it,” Sara remarks.

“I might have said that to impress you,” replies Mila, feeling her cheeks heat up. “But what we have – what they have – that’s not something that happens often. Their stars collided for a reason.”

“Like ours?” wonders Sara, entwining their fingers. Mila nods. 

“I hope they realise that something like this doesn’t happen every day.” Leaning over, she kisses her wife, their breaths mingling as their minds meet. “And they’ll be happier if they follow the path that will lead them back to one another.”

Sara nods, too, her eyes bright as they pull back. Even after all this time, Mila can still see nebulae in them, can still find them brighter than starlight. 

“Let’s leave them to it,” she suggests, and Sara grins as she tugs her wife towards their quarters.

[captainderyn]

Illusions (1/2)

Esrin belongs to @delavairesslegacy​

This deviates almost entirely from the Corellian story quests, but eh, the idea was inspired by those. If you squint.

Title: Illusions 

part 1/2

Summary: Two smugglers and an ex slave walk into a war zone..it sounds like the beginning to a bad joke and Rielay’s waiting for the punchline. No one’s laughing, not with each shot fired and more Republic flags being laid down everyday and she’s starting to wonder if the real joke is their chances at coming out of this alive.

 Word Count: ~6,300

Warnings: Character death, spoilers (vaguely) for both the smuggler Corellia story and the planetary story line. 

**Under the cut because this got superlong. 

Corellia had lost her shine in the twenty years Rielay had been away. It had Empire stink and slime all over her, and the war for it’s freedom was crumbling the very cities they fought for. From the air she had seen turrets and trenches tearing up the once bustling parks, columns of smoke rising from single buildings and whole sectors alike. 

It hurt, walking through familiar streets and buildings from the main docking point she had spent hours working and playing in and seeing everything a shadow of itself. Even the port was empty, the port she had met hundreds of smugglers in a single week, worked on dozens of ships in a day. Filled now only by her own freighter. Buildings gutted from explosions, walls blackened from blaster fire all rose around her. The streets..empty. 

“Taqq?” Emeldir brushed his shoulder against hers and she realized she had stopped in the middle of the street, eyes fixed on the Imperial flag hanging limp in the still air. Air that stank of smoke and dust, fuel and fire. Her hands had tightened into fists and with conscious effort Rielay unclenched them. 

“Fine, Deryn. I never loved this place anyways.” 

If she hadn’t loved her homeworld, even just looking back on it, she wouldn’t be here. As she had once been told, she was Corellian--blood and spirit. 

There was no follow up and she glanced over at Emeldir. His own business was eating at him, leeching away his usual bright energy and dulling him. She didn't like it, he had been used and now he was paying for it. He had best make Darmas and that senator pay just as dearly. But for now she needed him focused, he had agreed to help her here and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he was shot dead the first chance the Imps got. 

The silence between them stretched, with Deryn lost in his own thoughts and Rielay committing each fallen memory, each ragged face they passed to memory. Tallying up a count for all the places and people she would fight for. 

It was a long walk. Their meeting place loomed up in front of them, one wall collapsed and lifeless from the outside. No obvious residents, not an obvious target. They slipped inside unnoticed. 

Hugo, among other stragglers who weren’t a part of CorSec or the Republic military had all gathered here into one resistance force, a small entity of its own with its own forces and leaders, no matter how thin compared to the planet’s own security forces or the Republic’s whole army. It was people who wanted to fight, had been turned away from the main forces and chosen to make their own. Admirable, and a movement Rielay could get behind. 

The forefront of the base was barren, a thruway and nothing more. Deeper into the hallways and rooms people began to come out of the woodwork, medics and repairmen, soldiers in thrown together armor, civs with modified blasters. A ragtag group, with determined faces and a cause to fight for. 

It was in the largest room of the compound that the real fun began. The only room with fully functioning equipment--a data terminal, a holomap that was projected showing the base plan of Corellia--was the home to the strategists, the leaders, the behind the scenes to the fighting out on the surface. A small section at least, one cog in the whole machine. 

“Taqq, thank the stars you’re here.” Hugo was at the head of the table, leaning over long pieces of flimsi with scrawled out notes and positions. The holo conversation months ago had not done justice to the iron hand Corellia used to tear people apart. Corellia was kind to no one, not even those working to save her freedom. 

“I hope I haven’t crashed the party.” A spot was opened for her at the table and she took her spot by a mirialan boy, who couldn’t be older than sixteen and a Jedi by his robes and the saber hanging at his hip. 

“Oh it’s just getting started. Strap in for the fun.” He said dryly, brushing a hand over the flimsi as it started to curl in on itself. Always hoarse, Hugo’s voice sounded absolutely exhausted, the light of the holomap darkening the shadows under his eyes and in the hollows of his face. 

“Just what I signed up for.” She put her hands on the table and leaned forward, straining to see some of the notes scrawled in the margins of the drawings. It was written in Hugo’s hand but reading it upside down was near impossible. She pulled back, bumping into Emeldir’s chest from where he was leaning over her shoulder. 

“Maybe I should introduce everyone.” Hugo took two steps back from the table, looking around the table. There were less than ten of them, herself and Emeldir included. “Captain Rielay Taqq, and captain Emeldir Deryn are the two smugglers I suggested for our next strike.” His hands gestured to each individual as he named them. “Rielay that’s Tacka next to you, Cazi on your left, Wolf Sacul and Dakoehl next to me.”

“We need to return to the matter of Xin, she won’t wait while we make friends.” Cazi, a scarred twi’lek in the armor of a Republic soldier growled. “She’s what stands between us and a Republic victory.” 

Xin? Rielay looked between the small council but no one was moving or speaking, silenced at the drop of that name. 

“Xin is a nuisance, but we haven’t been able to pin her down. We have more important things to do than chasing a rogue sith.” Hugo said, face hardening when Cazi went to protest. “Our main focus is Beharen.” 

Rielay jumped when Cazi’s fist slammed down on the table, lekku twitching angrily. “Lives are being lost while she’s out there! We can’t just sit!”

A miraluka woman cleared her throat, Dakoehl. “Soldier, if I may, we don’t yet know how to effectively combat Xin. But our forces for Beharen have just arrived and it’s an opportunity we cannot waste.” 

The soldier fell silent, eyes glowering around the table before fixing on Rielay. “You cannot be talking about her.”

Her eyes widened and she locked eyes with Hugo, who seemed to deflate when they accusatory eyes shifted from him. “Please explain what’s going on.” 

Hugo gave a slight nod and straightened. “Cazi, the captains are our best bet at getting in and our of Beharen successfully.” He motioned for the door. “Everyone. please leave while I brief them on their mission. With so many voices we will never get anywhere.” His look lingered on Cazi until the doors slid closed and it was just the three of them left. 

With a sigh he sank into one of the chars that had been pushed under the table, running his hands over his face with a sigh. “I’m sorry for that Rielay. General Corraliya meant well by sending Cazi, but he’s been a handful since he stepped off his speeder.” 

Rielay and Emeldir took seats as well and she clasped her hands in front of her. She had been burning to ask since the power play had begun. “They seem to listen to you. You’re in charge?”

She caught a smile behind his hands and the hair that had come loose from it’s tie. “If you count being shoved into leadership after an unfortunate string of loses, then yes.” 

Then she could hope for no better person to work under. They had been partners for a long time, she knew how he worked, she could trust him. Being able to trust the people who gave her her orders was a rare commodity. “Maybe I should give you congratulations. Or perhaps a very strong drink might be better with the show I just saw.” 

Emeldir laughed under his breath and she saw him shake his head in her peripheral.”Taqq, don’t remind the man how stressful his job is.” 

But Hugo was laughing, wry and not entirely humor fueled but still a break of his grim expression. “I’ll take a rain check on that strong drink, though you aren’t wrong. But I’ll assume you want to know what you’ll be doing in Beharen?”

She shrugged, leaning back in her chair and tilting her head to the side. “Not a necessity, I’ve gone into jobs with less.” Less than nothing, which is what she had on this. She had come to Corellia after Hugo had asked for her aid but he hadn’t specified for what exactly. 

Pulling a datapad from a shelf in arm’s reach Hugo tapped away as he started to explain. “It’s a droid factory, currently has the Empire’s claws sunk into it and has a some very strong droids we need.” He slid the datapad over to Rielay and she looked over the documents, maps, droid schematics. 

“I take it these aren’t just to woo the ladies?” Rielay frowned, scanning through the droid’s capabilities. “If they were for the offensive you’d have already seized them.” 

She passed the datapad to Emeldir and looked back at Hugo with a raised eyebrow. “What’s the reason you’re sending us in there?” 

“We managed to get the rocket trams under our control again, but Republic forces and our own resistance forces are being shot down once they transfer to ground transport.” In the slight pause he took Rielay could hear grief and she wondered how many of the lives lost had been people he’d known by name, been close to. Corellia may be harsh, but leadership was cruel.

 “We’ve found the source-prototype droids that are more powerful than any droid should be-and a location. They’re holed up with a scientist named Varik. Those disaster relief droids are your way in to Varik’s lab.” 

Good enough of an explanation for her. Find and infiltrate the factory, take the droids, go bust into a science lab. Shoot some Imperials on the way. It wasn’t enough for Emeldir, who hadn’t gotten where he had by gut feelings and going in blind. 

“These droids can withstand turret fire and blast down doors, they can’t be unguarded.” He slid the datapad back across to Hugo, leaning his forearms on the table. “It can’t be a simple grab-and-go.” 

There it was, the reason she kept Emeldir around. He asked the important questions. Questions that, thankfully, had an answer. 

“It won’t be simple by any means. There are generators all throughout a place we call Hellfire that’ll need to be activated in order to put the assembly line back up. The unfinished droids in the factory will try to take you down, without loyalty or safety programming they’ll target you as the enemy.” Hugo had taken on that grim expression again and Rielay was struck again by how much they had changed since Coruscant. “Rielay I’m relying on your familiarity with Coronet City.” 

She waved a hand dismissively. “I would hope after fourteen years I would know this place like the back of my hand. I’ve got it covered. Turn on generators, get assembly line running, defeat and seize some droids. We’ll be home in time for dinner, right kid?”

“Without question.” Emeldir grinned and she grinned back, it was about time she knocked some life back into him. Unfocused didn’t mix with this kind of job. “You’ve got no need to worry.” 

Hugo heaved himself up from his chair, tossing the datapad back onto the shelf and unrolling the flimsi again. “I’m not, I hired Taqq for a reason. Send the others back in please, we’ve got other business to discuss.” Hugo glanced up and she could’ve sworn she caught a glimpse of humor. “I would wish you luck, but you never seem to use it.” 

“If the system isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Rielay quipped, pointing a finger at him. “Just because it’s a little chaotic doesn’t mean I don’t get the job done.” 

Hugo laughed again and she hoped it would be enough to keep him from collapsing under the expectations others were putting on him. Cazi shoved by her as soon as she passed through the door, with Dakoehl following at his heels after wishing them the best on their mission. The others filed by silently. A sullen procession. It was like they had lost Corellia already. 

“Ready for some adventure?” She asked when they stepped back into the smoke and dust. Emeldir drew his blasters, clicking off the safety and looking at her sideways. 

“Always am.”

Between the two of them they made quick work of the generators. Emeldir covered her while she fought her way past the grunt’s guarding the generator before activating the controls with a quick press of a few buttons. The Imperials didn’t stand a chance, not when they had the element of surprise, stealth and fought like a single, well oiled machine. 

She had taught Emeldir to fight and after years of working jobs together it they were nearly the same mind in combat, a deadly whirlwind of detonators and blaster bolts. 

Hellfire didn’t scorch them and they left to the steady hum of generators at their backs. It was a quick tram ride to Beharen, swarming with Imperials. They were off their guard, most of the resistance in Labor Valley killed by their own hand. They never saw the volley of blaster fire coming and their hands were too slow to draw their rifles. 

Rielay shrugged her shoulder to work out some of the arising soreness, uncapping a stim to try and fend it off completely. Emeldir did the same. “They’ve really lowered their standards. Between my metal arm and you’re half a leg you’d think they’d at least be able to get a shot in.”  

“Winning’s gone to their heads. They’re getting complacent.” Emeldir agreed, smirking when alarms started to blare. “Looks like we’ve scared them.” 

Rielay palmed a detonator, tossing it up and down causally. “Might as well make our entrance.” She made a face when the entrance remained empty, no men taking the place of those they had dropped. “Well that’s just rude they won’t even greet us at the door.” 

She pulled the charge from the detonator, throwing it as hard as she could so that it bounced through the open blast doors of the factory. Smoke billowed out after she counted to three under her breath and it was then that she stood from the rubble she had taken cover behind. “Maybe that’ll get their attention.”

It wasn’t the Imperials that troubled them, not even after Rielay’s rude awakening. Men had weaknesses, chinks in their armor--or lack there of, as the Empire seemed to prefer aesthetic to functionality in their uniform. The droids were another being entirely. 

“Keep an eye out, kid. Be prepared to dive for cover.” RIelay had her back to the racks of massive droids, fiddling with the controls of the assembly line. The generators had provided the power, but time and lack of wear had rusted the panel. “Almost got it...there!” Rielay turned, eyes widening as the unfinished droids dropped to the ground. 

“Taqq those are huge!” Emeldir scrambled for a crate, ducking behind as the first round of fire hit the wall where he had been standing. 

“Yeah I noticed!” Rielay dove behind the assembly line controls, blood chilling at the clank of metallic legs. No matter how many times she fought that would always be the worst moment; the sound of her enemy advancing. With a steadying breath she popped up, firing a few shots before scrambling for another crate. The controls were blown to scrap behind her. 

Rielay dug into the pouch that carried her explosives and pulled one out, throwing it over her shoulder. Emeldir charged his blasters before shooting it just before it hit the ground. A small explosion rocked the room. 

“Looks like we took two down!” 

“Good!” Rielay shouted, tossing another detonator and ducking as shrapnel flew. “Keep focused and maybe we can make that all of them.” 

They couldn’t afford to damage their loyal droids, but with their blaster bolts glancing off the droid’s armor blowing them up seemed to be the only way to take them down. Rielay hoped the loyal droids would be safe in the corner they were shut down in. 

 They alternated shots, with Emeldir detonating the explosives she tossed   while Rielay would sometimes join in firing volley after volley of bolts into the battle droids. Hugo had no lied when he’d mentioned their strength. They were wasting time here, but they were pinned down until every last pile of scrap was deactivated. 

“Kid you’d better get out of the open or so help me, I will blow you to pieces!” Rielay hollered. He continued firing bolts from his spot right outside the droid’s targeting system, yelping when a flashing detonator rolled to a stop by his feet. He dove forward, rolling when he hit the ground and landing in a crouch.

She saw his arm come up to cover his eyes as the detonator exploded in a flash of light. “What was that for?” He scrambled back as several scatter gun pellets embedded themselves in the metal by his feet. “Taqq!” 

“Tough love, I told you get outta my way!” She snapped back, whacking her scatter gun into the crate as it whined to a stop before firing. “Fighting that way’s gonna get you shot!” She threw the gun to the floor, leaping back when it spat out a few more pellets. She yanked a smaller pistol out of a holster on her thigh, seamlessly merging back into the fight. Four of the six droids were smoking hunks of metal on the floor, the other two whirling around firing aimlessly as their targeting systems failed. 

“You’re going to get me shot!” Emeldir swore as a droid’s fire came dangerously close to him. 

“Then pay attention and stay out of my way!” 

Out a gun and a pouch of detonators the droid’s were all finally scrap, the damage relief droids safely reactivated and under their control. The droids, taller than her and Emeldir both and twice as powerful, made short work of any enemy force that was tossed in front of them and tore the laboratory's blast doors down like they were flimsi. 

Down a scientist--a traitor, a coward who had fallen to the Empire’s propaganda--and with four more droids added to their pile of scrap metal the team of smugglers returned back to the ramshackle building. 

“I can’t say I’m surprised about the droids, but I’m impressed.” Hugo had called their little council back together even as the daylight faded outside. No one seemed surprised in fact, either they knew of her or Hugo had told them about her reputation. 

“That’s one step closer to taking Axial Park.” Dakroehl agreed. “Now our forces can join the others.” 

“First we need to get through tomorrow.” Hugo reminded, curbing the mounting excitement. “Tomorrow we plan, meet with Corraliya and determine the best course of action.” 

When they were dismissed the council’s moods were lifted, smiles were on their faces, and any animosity seemed to be forgotten. It was perhaps the largest victory of the day. Now, it seemed, Corellia wouldn’t be lost easily. 

The Republic base closest to them was little more than a re purposed cantina. Old, mostly fallen letters spelled out The Old Copper but now instead of criminals and smugglers it housed a diplomatic squad and at least dozens of soldiers. Corraliya, ex commander of the Republic’s elite Havoc Squad was their contact. She was a stern zabrak  woman, intimidating in stature and very clearly unwilling to put up with anything that would detract from the mission. 

As it turns out, Cazi had served in Havoc with her and was a trusted and formidable soldier. Rielay never would have guessed from his belligerent stand the day before but under Corraliya’s sharp eyes his temper was cooled. 

Rielay was not needed to talk strategy, she had no concept of the numbers either side held. She was just the infantry, the one to send in when things needed to be done quickly and quietly. She was here because Emeldir was here, and he was useful. He was speaking with the diplomatic squad, who were furiously working to de escalate the conflict. So far it had done nothing, but no one could fault them for their persistence.

She was leaning on a crate, listening to the commander and Hugo discussing Axial Park. She knew Axial, her mother had taken her and her sister there as kids. Lots of history, monuments to the great galactic conflicts, statues of heroes. It would be a shame to lose that but from the sounds of it the Empire had already torn it apart. Armies, walkers, trenches-

Rielay blinked when she saw a familiar face walking through the courtyard. It couldn’t be. There was no way she could forget a detail like that. None the less, she pushed herself off the crate and wove between the throngs of soldiers. “Esrin?” She called when she assumed she was in earshot. 

The look on his face mirrored her own shock and by the time he caught sight of her she was only a few feet away, with her hands on her hips. “What  are you doing here?” She asked. 

“Rielay? Why are you on Corellia?” He drew he to the side, out of the path of people walking by. “I’m here trying to calm down the fires here.” 

“I’m working a job!” Rielay said, as though it should be obvious. It should have been obvious, it was all she ever did when she flew the Promise alone. “With Emeldir.” 

Though the more she thought about the the more certain she was that neither of them had mentioned Corellia. For Esrin it was most likely highly classified Republic information that should not be gracing the ears of not-always-legal woman like her and for her...well it hadn’t seemed important. 

“This is the job you’re working with Emeldir? This is a war zone what work could you find here?” Esrin seemed to forget that they had met while she was smuggling supplies to refugees. That had been a war zone. 

She let her hands drop from her hips, pushing back a laugh. She couldn’t quite keep it from her voice. “Well if we were both going to be working here I would’ve just had you stay on the ship. No use paying transport fees when your girlfriend has her own ship.” She looked over her shoulder at the sound of approaching voices and found the resistance and Republic convoy headed their way. Both Hugo and Corraliya looked pleased, they must have found the best course for Axial. Good, it wouldn’t do well to let the Empire sit on their high horses for too long. 

“I’m doing some work with the resistance, and the Republic by association. Got a little tired of having the Empire crawling over my home planet.” 

“Rielay, our meeting here is finished. Should I wait to brief you...” Hugo paused, glancing at Esrin before looking back at Rielay. The question was obvious, had she found herself in trouble? The answer, for once, was no.

 Though looking between Esrin and Hugo she wondered if maybe this was the trouble. They had never met, Hugo hadn’t existed as far as she had told Esrin for the longest time, and she had been unbelievably cruel to Hugo in their time together. It didn’t sit well with her, even if it no longer seemed to bother anyone else. “I’ll come along for the briefing in a moment. “

“There’s no need to rush, we’ll be overnighting here. Axial is closer and Dakroehl’s raising our men back at base.” Hugo went to turn away, as Corraliya and the rest of their party had after brief greetings but Rielay without a thought blurted out;

“Wait, Hugo.” She muttered a curse, glancing up at Esrin but finding his expression curious. Hugo was giving her an odd look and she knew they could both read her sudden anxiousness clear as a book and she swore again. “Never mind. I’ll see you later for the mission details.” 

He gave a slow nod, still with that odd look before retreating. She let out a breath, feeling heat creeping into her face. Tactfully handled that had not been. In the slightest. Things with Hugo never were. 

“So the famous Hugo?” Esrin’s voice was light, legitimately joking instead of the barbed lightness that came with confrontation. What else would she have expected. He had never been bothered by the mention, or lack of, of Hugo and there was no reason for her paranoia to take a front seat now. 

She turned to face him, running a hand though her hair and sighing again. “That was, yes.” 

“Leader of the resistance force on Corellia, hm? Not quite the poor soul you claim to have ruthlessly kicked off your ship.” He was teasing her damnit. She aimed a whack at his arm. 

“Stop teasing me, that was stressful.” 

“No doubt.” A chime sounded from Esrin’s chrono and he glanced down at it. “That’s my cue to go try to pat down the fires again. If I don’t see you tonight, I’ll see you tomorrow before you set off.” 

Rielay caught at his hand before he was able to bound off, giving it a quick squeeze. “Good luck with this dumpster fire.”

Morning came too soon, the sunrise spilling over the buildings onto the preparations for battle. The Empire was already calling it the Battle of Axial Park without any real shots being fired,and the Republic was mustering its forces like they were going off to win the war once and for all. Maybe they would. 

Rielay had been briefed by Hugo the night before, he would be joining her and Emeldir to deal with the ambushes as they cropped up and were in charge of finding and spiking the Imperial Command Center. That would be the key to winning access to Capitol Square. Without their command and without their Imperial Guard the Empire would be left scrambling. 

For now she was sitting on a crate, doing last minute tuning on a new scatter gun she had nicked from the armory while Esrin ran over her supplies for what might be the fourth time. Dissuading him hadn’t been successful, he was worried no matter how many times she reminded him she wasn’t going in alone. 

She couldn’t blame him, the last time she had gone into a combat mission she had nearly come out in a body bag--something that he had been informed off over holocall by a very distraught Emeldir, though perhaps more eloquently. This was ten times worse. Here there were turrets, and Sith, soldiers and special forces. It was enough to squash her confidence and pound her heart. Instead she mustered all the confidence she could, jumped off the crate and went over to Esrin. 

“It’ll be fine.” She assured again, attaching her restocked explosives pouch to her belt and reaching out for a similar pouch, this one filled with medical supplies. He handed it over with a frown. “I’ll be fine.” 

“I know Rie. I’m not doubting you can make it out of this.” He sighed, looking hard at the ground and then lifting his eyes to the ceiling when it wasn’t enough. “I just don’t want to lose you.” 

She rested her hands on his arms, voice firm. “You won’t. I promise.” It was one hell of a thing to promise, almost a cruel thing, but the words slipped out before she could stop them. 

“I’ll hold you to it.” Esrin’s voice was soft and Rielay knew that her words did nothing to ease his fears. 

“See that you do.” She stood on her toes and he leaned down for a gentle, yet quick farewell kiss. “And I expect you home in one piece too.” 

It was among the rubble, bathed in gold morning light that she, Emeldir and Hugo took up arms and marched to war.

 Words were limited, the tension palpable as they stealthed behind Axial. The cries of fighting hammered their ears--the ground shaking roar of the turrets, blaster fire and the shouts of wounded and angry soldiers. There was no way to tell if they were winning, no way to tell if the ambush teams they had taken out did any good. 

It was agonizing. 

Just as it was agonizing to leave the noise behind for the stifling silence of the road to the Command Center. The silence weighed on them just as heavily. 

They should have known something was wrong then. As soon as they saw the control panel that would allow them to transmit data to CorSec special forces and had found opposition. As soon as no Imperial fire rained down on their heads when they left cover. 

It took them stumbling over the bodies of resistance scouts for them to realize something wasn’t right. 

By then it was too late. 

Rielay stood at the controls, spike held in her mouth while her hands worked through the systems preliminary system checks. It was just as she was slicing into the system, inserting the spike to start transmission data that the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and an unbidden wave of fear swept over her. 

She had her weapons drawn by the time Emeldir and Hugo ran back around the corner, breathing hard and gasping. “We need to leave! Now!” 

“What?” She dared a glance over her shoulder. “We aren’t leaving without that data!” 

“Rielay you don’t understand we need to leave-” Hugo broke off just as the strange fear swept over her again, sending a shudder through her shoulders. 

She didn’t need to see the violet glow of a saberstaff or hear the crackle of force lightning to know that their luck had just run out. So she raised her blaster and fired off a volley of shots. 

All of them rebounded, splattering against the wall in a small explosion of sparks. 

“We need to leave.” It was Emeldir this time, looking at something beyond the corner. She hear his sharp,panicked breaths just before he seized her around the waist, pulling her from where she had frozen. 

“Deryn no! Let me go!” She squirmed against his grip, elbowing him as hard as she could in the ribs. When he grunted in pain she almost felt bad. “Not without that data!” 

When he finally let her go he was quick to seize her wrist, keeping her from running back. Hugo was right behind them, breath harsh and wheezing in a way that wasn’t just from fear. 

“We can’t go back. Somehow she found us.” He gasped for breath, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes closed. “Damnit Xin found us. There’s no getting by her.” 

They lost that day.

They didn’t loose the Park. No, they drove the Empire back with their tales between their legs. But without the Command Center they had no way to get to Capital Square. By the blow that caused them they might as well have taken the defeat on all fronts. 

“We need to do something about Xin!” For once Rielay agreed wholeheartedly with Cazi. “We did our time and look where that got us! It’s the Sith standing between us and the Square!” 

They were around the table again, surrounded by their half functioning technology and hand drawn maps. Their numbers had shrunk. Wolf was missing, supposedly killed in action and Emeldir had been forced to leave after new, distressing information regarding the Voidhound. The room showed it, it was lonelier, quieter. Silences lingered longer and even the lights seemed dimmer. 

Maybe it was just the increased bombings. Air strikes on both sides no longer seemed to care what they hit. Communication had been all but knocked out. It had been nearly two weeks since Axial with no word from the Republic. The only connection they had with them was Corraliya and her squad, who had retreated with their forces. 

Hugo may as well have taken all the losses himself, he was growing wearier and more pained by the day. No matter how good he thought he could hide it it was there, clear as day in his eyes. No one could hide it, not the way the loss at Axial had shattered their hope. 

Victory was close enough to taste, with one indomitable barrier between them. “Then what do you suppose we do?” Hugo finally asked. “We’ve already learned throwing blasters and armor at her does nothing.” 

This gave Cazi pause and he seemed to think for a moment, lekku curling around his shoulders. “We fight the Force with the Force.” 

Dakoehl frowned, eyebrows drawing together. It was disconcerting, not being able to read the miraluka’s thoughts and emotions through her eyes. Rielay couldn’t tell whether she was considering the idea or preparing to dismiss it. 

“You are suggesting that I and Tacka face Xin, yes?” She must have sensed Cazi’s nod because she spoke again. “I am a Knight by training, but Tacka is young, I do not think he would be ready to face a sith lord.” 

“You aren’t going alone!” Hugo cut in the same time Tacka made a disgruntled noise and cried out; “You won’t leave me behind!” 

“It would be suicide to face Xin alone.” Hugo pressed on. “She’s taken out squads of soldiers, Republic trained or our without breaking a sweat.” 

“Then I will take Tacka with me and a group of our people to face her. She has yet to fight another force user. Xin is young, and prone to mistakes.” Dakoehl sounded so certain that Rielay believed her. Later she would think that she may have put a bit of Force persuasion into her words. 

Hugo was silent for several moments, staring hard at the table and the pages of ideas beneath his hands. “Alright.” He finally relented, closing his eyes. “If the others agree and it’s what the best course is to ending this then fine.”

Maybe if Rielay had paid attention she wouldn’t have agreed so quickly with the others. Maybe if she had seen the miraluka’s hand feel under the table two twine with Hugo’s she would have second guessed so willingly offering her life over to Xin.

 Maybe if she had seen the way the two always sat close to each other, shoulder to shoulder. Maybe she could have read the signs and found sympathy for a situation so like her own. There were a lot of maybes. 

 But she didn’t see and she didn’t pay attention. No one did. No one ever did, Rielay realized the longer she thought, never had when it came to Hugo. He may have been their leader but as soon as he stepped away from battle plans he faded back into the shadows. 

It took a high price for her to realize that.

Tacka was the only one to return, eyes blown wide and babbling incessantly about the lightning, the intensity, the darkness that had roiled through the force like a monster. The medics were quick to usher the young Jedi off, wrapped in a blanket away from the horrified eyes and stifled tears. 

Seven Republic military-grade coffins. Seven Republic flags laid down.

Hours after the others had said their respects and wandered back into their new normal Rielay found Hugo still there, silent as he had been since Tacka had returned. For awhile he had stood with his arm around the boy has he had cried into his shoulder, but now he stood alone. His hand rested gently on the middle coffin. His head was bowed, the tracks of tears still glistening on his cheeks. 

“Hugo I’m sorry.” Rielay couldn’t get her voice above a whisper. 

His hand brushed down an upturned edge of the Republic flag. “We were so close...” He didn’t look at her, and she didn’t know if his words were meant for her.  “I hope this was worth it.”

[hiddengeneticsrp]

OMICRON/“ARIANA SHARDE” | 17 | OLYMPUS CLONE | PLAYED BY SARAH

her special enhanced ability is poison generation - which can make touching her a dangerous prospect

targeting eve six - a monash phd student in the anthropology department

posing as a first year student at monash as a biology/anthropology double major in order to get close to her target

doesn’t like that her first mission in the field basically boils down to playing fetch

however she’s starting to fall in love with life on the outside - the clothes, the accessories and above all the freedom, even if she still has trouble understanding social norms. it’s leading her to wonder if after capturing her target, she should run away.

CONNECTIONS

— devine/“eve six” (25, anthropology phd student at monash university, face claim daisy ridley) - omicron’s target and a very busy and social young woman. between her own research, she is a ta for anthropology tutorials and is a part of a student group called the dead language user club, which is made up of many of her friends and classmates. omicron is incredibly jealous of the “free life” that devine had and in some way wants it for herself. 

— darwin (18, general science student at monash university, suggested face claim olivia scrivern) - darwin is omicron’s roommate. she’s got a strong love of science and science fiction shows and she’s hoping to get the new friends she makes at monash hooked on her favourites before the end of term while she also figures out which science she’s going to pick. however she’s finding that when it comes to roommates, hers is probably the weirdest - not only does ariana sharde talk funny and refuses to answer any personal questions, darwin had to explain and set her up on social media. and in 2019, how many australian teens don’t have a facebook or twitter or instagram before the age of 18?

--- maxwell (20, biology student at monash, suggested face claim debbie ryan) - so despite being 20 years old, maxwell is a first year. during high school an ex-boyfriend got her pregnant which meant she graduated late and didn’t start university until her daughter was old enough. she’s living on campus at her parents behest so that she can focus on her schoolwork. (her parents are taking care of her child and she visits on weekends and during break - they also help her with video chats as well.) in the absence of her child, maxwell is mothering her roommates ryan (3) and paquette and she’s also trying to mother her lab partner ariana sharde since she’s noticed the girl doesn’t seem to have friends. not that ariana makes it easy >>

— stark (2) (19, sports therapy student at monash, suggested face claim ryan potter) - so stark is a star sprinter for the monash track team who loves to run and flirt with pretty girls. however he doesn’t have the best radar for girls who aren’t interested or who have protective friends/siblings, a fact which his older sister swears is going to get him flattened. case in point, stark has been flirting heavily with ryan (3) one of the members of the relay team despite the fact she’s kinda flustered and her brother is always getting in his way while ariana sharde - a girl he runs into at the fitness center - seems to constantly give flat statements, no matter what he says...

— corbet (19, mediveal studdies student at monash, suggested face claim ryan lambert) - corbet is a member of the dead language user club (his major means latin has become a thing for him.) he’s become very fond of the other members - who see his old fashioned manners as charming rather than as annoying like his roommate - so when he keeps seeing the same girl show up at the same places the club is meeting, it’s attracted his attention and has him wondering what’s going on.

PLOT IDEAS

omicron wants to try out this whole “normal life” thing. which means it would be awesome if either darwin or maxwell makes an attempt to drag omicron out and about for shopping, beach or party excursions. things may not entirely go to plan, but that’s half the fun, yes?

so stark (2)’s blurb suggests that he might be more into ryan than he is omicron, but since ryan’s got a pesky older brother, i think it would be hilarious if stark decides that ariana sharde is the perfect shield so he can be all “ryan, i’m totally not oogling your sister, i have a girlfriend now” - even if omicron would be the weirdest date ever. (granted stark runs the risk of her poisoning him, possibly by accident.)

corbet starts trying to get to know omicron as he tries to figure out why she’s stalking the dead language user club. this could get him into trouble. or it could threaten to blow omicron’s cover if he’s the type to ask probing questions until he gets the answers he wants

omicron’s attempted takedown of devine doesn’t go to plan and the dead language user club either starts acting like a bodyguard squad or decides “police are useless” and try to rescue her on their own. (doubly fun if devine’s been sent to the compound, but omicron is still wandering around monash.)

FULL BIO . PLOTTER . WANT AD

[clobov]

Authors’ Note: On May 6, the Washington Post published an op-ed by Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States. The article contained a series of factual misrepresentations and omissions, while painting a picture of Communist China as a victim of slander by those who “always blame” the regime for the spread of COVID-19. Cui Tiankai claimed such unfair accusations were a “burden” on China and were “undercutting” the international struggle against the virus. The op-ed is an element in China’s global PR and disinformation offensive aimed at obfuscating the truth about the regime’s willfully bungled handling of the pandemic. In response, we would thus like to present this public letter to Ambassador Cui Tiankai.*   *   * Your Excellency:Your article was entitled, “Ignoring the facts to blame China will only make things worse.” While you cited several facts about the origin of COVID-19 and your government’s response, a number of additional facts that can best be provided by Chinese authorities are needed as governments and societies around the world struggle to deal with the virus.We would thus like to ask for your clarification on a series of key factual problems. We seek these answers not to “blame China,” but to establish what really happened in China, and what that can teach us about responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The American and international public will be deeply grateful for these clarifications. 1. When did the top leadership of China first learn about the outbreak, and what information was available to them? The South China Morning Post reported that the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on November 17, 2019. Were governmental and medical authorities aware of it? If so, what was done? 2. Why did Chinese authorities on January 1, 2020, order labs that discovered the virus to destroy the samples and stop further examinations? 3. Why were Dr. Li Wenliang and seven other doctors reprimanded by the authorities for reporting about the new virus? Why did Chinese Central TV and other state-run media publicly humiliate them, accusing them of propagating rumors and claiming they deserved punishment? What role did top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party have in these decisions? 4. The National Health Commission did not confirm human-to-human transmission of the virus until January 20, but between January 1 and January 11, at least seven Chinese medical doctors contracted COVID-19, which is clear evidence that the disease can be transmitted between individuals. Were Chinese authorities aware of this, and if so, did they communicate this to the World Health Organization (WHO)? 5. On December 31, 2019, Wuhan public-health authorities reported 27 infected cases. But the South China Morning Post, which has close ties to the Communist Party, reported 266 cases. What steps has your government taken to ensure that official data with regard to the pandemic, including the death toll, are accurate? 6. When did General Secretary Xi Jinping first learn about the outbreak? What was he told? According to the Communist Party–run journal Qiush, Xi knew about the virus as early as January 7 and gave a comprehensive order to the Politburo for the government’s response. Official Party top publications made no reference to the epidemic or the government’s response until January 20, and the government’s actions during that time were as if the outbreak were not happening at all. In Wuhan, for example, both the city government and the provincial government convened 1,200-plus-people meetings. The local government then organized a 40,000-family banquet to celebrate the Chinese New Year. On January 23, the day when the Wuhan lockdown was declared, the People’s Daily newspaper did not mention the lockdown but instead headlined the news that Secretary Xi Jinping had hosted a grand new-year party, at which he did not mention a word about Wuhan or the virus outbreak.Given normal confidentiality requirements, what can you tell us about this order? 7. Americans have seen a video of Chinese vice premier Sun Chunlan’s inspection trip on March 5 to a Wuhan residential compound, where distraught residents shouted to her, “Fake, fake,” “It’s all fake,” and, “We protest.” Can you explain their concerns, and has your government addressed them? 8. Why has China, to date, refused international requests, including from the WHO, to undertake on-site investigations into the origin of the virus? 9. The Wuhan lockdown was declared on January 23, and Wuhan residents were prohibited from traveling to other parts of China. Why were many thousands still allowed to travel to other countries? 10. Xu Zhiyong, Chen Qiushi, Fangbin, and Li Zehua are journalists, activists, and businesspeople. All have disappeared after their critical reporting about responses to COVID-19. Is your government investigating these disappearances? Why are state authorities investigating tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, who raised legitimate questions about how COVID-19 has been handled? Why has scholar Xu Zhang Run, whose concerns have been aired in this publication, been silenced? Was Dr. Ai Fen pressured by authorities after her reports on COVID-19?Your Excellency, we agree: Facts must not be ignored, or obfuscated with propaganda. Global public health depends on respect for truth. We all share the urgent need to bring COVID-19 under control. Honest dialogue with civil society and international cooperation based on scientific integrity and transparency are of paramount importance at this critical time. Thank you in advance for your attention to our questions.Jianli Yang is the founder and president of Citizen Power Initiatives for China. Aaron Rhodes is the human-rights editor of Dissident magazine and the president of the Forum for Religious Freedom Europe.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8870618 https://yhoo.it/2Wxpauj

[lorajackson]

Questions for Ambassador Cui Tiankai

Authors’ Note: On May 6, the Washington Post published an op-ed by Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States. The article contained a series of factual misrepresentations and omissions, while painting a picture of Communist China as a victim of slander by those who “always blame” the regime for the spread of COVID-19. Cui Tiankai claimed such unfair accusations were a “burden” on China and were “undercutting” the international struggle against the virus. The op-ed is an element in China’s global PR and disinformation offensive aimed at obfuscating the truth about the regime’s willfully bungled handling of the pandemic. In response, we would thus like to present this public letter to Ambassador Cui Tiankai.*   *   * Your Excellency:Your article was entitled, “Ignoring the facts to blame China will only make things worse.” While you cited several facts about the origin of COVID-19 and your government’s response, a number of additional facts that can best be provided by Chinese authorities are needed as governments and societies around the world struggle to deal with the virus.We would thus like to ask for your clarification on a series of key factual problems. We seek these answers not to “blame China,” but to establish what really happened in China, and what that can teach us about responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The American and international public will be deeply grateful for these clarifications. 1. When did the top leadership of China first learn about the outbreak, and what information was available to them? The South China Morning Post reported that the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on November 17, 2019. Were governmental and medical authorities aware of it? If so, what was done? 2. Why did Chinese authorities on January 1, 2020, order labs that discovered the virus to destroy the samples and stop further examinations? 3. Why were Dr. Li Wenliang and seven other doctors reprimanded by the authorities for reporting about the new virus? Why did Chinese Central TV and other state-run media publicly humiliate them, accusing them of propagating rumors and claiming they deserved punishment? What role did top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party have in these decisions? 4. The National Health Commission did not confirm human-to-human transmission of the virus until January 20, but between January 1 and January 11, at least seven Chinese medical doctors contracted COVID-19, which is clear evidence that the disease can be transmitted between individuals. Were Chinese authorities aware of this, and if so, did they communicate this to the World Health Organization (WHO)? 5. On December 31, 2019, Wuhan public-health authorities reported 27 infected cases. But the South China Morning Post, which has close ties to the Communist Party, reported 266 cases. What steps has your government taken to ensure that official data with regard to the pandemic, including the death toll, are accurate? 6. When did General Secretary Xi Jinping first learn about the outbreak? What was he told? According to the Communist Party–run journal Qiush, Xi knew about the virus as early as January 7 and gave a comprehensive order to the Politburo for the government’s response. Official Party top publications made no reference to the epidemic or the government’s response until January 20, and the government’s actions during that time were as if the outbreak were not happening at all. In Wuhan, for example, both the city government and the provincial government convened 1,200-plus-people meetings. The local government then organized a 40,000-family banquet to celebrate the Chinese New Year. On January 23, the day when the Wuhan lockdown was declared, the People’s Daily newspaper did not mention the lockdown but instead headlined the news that Secretary Xi Jinping had hosted a grand new-year party, at which he did not mention a word about Wuhan or the virus outbreak.Given normal confidentiality requirements, what can you tell us about this order? 7. Americans have seen a video of Chinese vice premier Sun Chunlan’s inspection trip on March 5 to a Wuhan residential compound, where distraught residents shouted to her, “Fake, fake,” “It’s all fake,” and, “We protest.” Can you explain their concerns, and has your government addressed them? 8. Why has China, to date, refused international requests, including from the WHO, to undertake on-site investigations into the origin of the virus? 9. The Wuhan lockdown was declared on January 23, and Wuhan residents were prohibited from traveling to other parts of China. Why were many thousands still allowed to travel to other countries? 10. Xu Zhiyong, Chen Qiushi, Fangbin, and Li Zehua are journalists, activists, and businesspeople. All have disappeared after their critical reporting about responses to COVID-19. Is your government investigating these disappearances? Why are state authorities investigating tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, who raised legitimate questions about how COVID-19 has been handled? Why has scholar Xu Zhang Run, whose concerns have been aired in this publication, been silenced? Was Dr. Ai Fen pressured by authorities after her reports on COVID-19?Your Excellency, we agree: Facts must not be ignored, or obfuscated with propaganda. Global public health depends on respect for truth. We all share the urgent need to bring COVID-19 under control. Honest dialogue with civil society and international cooperation based on scientific integrity and transparency are of paramount importance at this critical time. Thank you in advance for your attention to our questions.Jianli Yang is the founder and president of Citizen Power Initiatives for China. Aaron Rhodes is the human-rights editor of Dissident magazine and the president of the Forum for Religious Freedom Europe.

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[siliconwebx]

State of the Word 2018: WordPress Embraces the Block Editor

photo credit: WP Tavern

WordCamp US kicked off in Nashville over the weekend, following the release of WordPress 5.0. In the first 48 hours, 5.0 had been downloaded more than 2.8 million times. It passed 3 million Saturday night.

“There’s been a lot that’s been going on, so I’d like to allow WordPress the chance to re-introduce itself,” Matt Mullenweg said during the preamble of his State of the Word address. He invoked the four freedoms as the project’s constitution and called the community back to its roots.

“It’s the reason we’re here,” Mullenweg said. “WordPress isn’t a physical thing; it’s not a set of code. It’s kind of an idea. WordPress is backed by the full faith and credit of every person and company that depends on it.”

He reiterated the project’s mission to democratize publishing and recast his vision for advancing the open web.

“Like I said a few years ago, we’re building a web operating system, an operating system for the open, independent web and a platform that others can truly build on,” Mullenweg said.

WordPress’ 32.5% market share and its commercial ecosystem, which Mullenweg estimates at $10 billion/year, give the project the resources to make a powerful impact on the future of the web.

Mullenweg Builds a Compelling Case for the Block Editor

photo credit: WCUS Photography Team

Mullenweg drove home the necessity of Gutenberg by showing a selection of videos where new users struggled to accomplish simple tasks in the old editor. Their experiences were accompanied by painful commentary:

“This feels like writing a blog back in 2005.”

“This was very finnicky; this does not work.”

“How would I add a caption? I have no clue.”

Mullenweg described how he used to effortlessly switch back and forth between the visual and HTML editors prior to WordPress 5.0 but realized that not all users are able to do this.

”This has been our editor experience for over a decade now and many of us have learned to deal with it,” he said.

He followed up with a video demonstrating how much easier these tasks are in the new block editor and identified blocks as the way forward for WordPress.

Some attendees commented after the fact on how the user testing videos, paired up against an expert using Gutenberg, seemed unbalanced and they would have liked to see videos of new users attempting the same tasks in the new editor. The goal of that segment, however, seemed to be more aimed at communicating the need for Gutenberg and the possibilities it opens up once users have had the chance to grow into it.

Mullenweg Urges Attendees to “Learn Blocks Deeply”

Millions of early adopters have already embraced the block editor during phase 1 of the Gutenberg project, which closed out with 1.2 million active installs and 1.2 million posts written. There have already been 277 WordCamp talks on Gutenberg, 555 meetup events focused on the new editor, and more than 1,000 blog posts discussing it.

Blocks are taking over the world of WordPress. Version 5.0 shipped with 70 native blocks and there are already more than 100 third-party blocks in existence and 1,000 configurations related to that.

“Blocks are predictable, tactile, and can be simple like a text block, or as rich as an e-commerce interface,” Mullenweg said. He described them as the new DNA of WordPress, from which users can create anything they can imagine.

Mullenweg showcased two sites built using the block editor, the Indigo Mill and Lumina Solar. These beautiful sites open the imagination to what Gutenberg is capable of bringing to websites.

WordPress.org will be highlighting plugins and themes to push the block ecosystem forward. There are also more than 100 Gutenberg-ready themes available to users on the directory and a new Gutenberg block tag that is currently live for plugins. It will also be available for themes soon.

Mullenweg highlighted tools like the create-guten-block toolkit, Block Lab, and Lazy Blocks that are making it easy for developers to create their own blocks. Block collections and libraries are also emerging. He said one of the priorities for 2019 is to build a WordPress.org directory for discovering blocks and a way to seamlessly install them.

Building on the homework he gave to WordPress developers in 2015, to “Learn JavaScript Deeply,” Mullenweg urged the community to “Learn Blocks Deeply.” Blocks provide a host of opportunities to improve the user experience beyond what Gutenberg’s creators could have imagined in the beginning.

Gutenberg Phase 2: Navigation Menu Block, Widget blocks, Theme Content Areas

Mullenweg announced the next phases for the Gutenberg project. Phase 2 has already begun and focuses on site customization, expanding the block interface to other aspects of content management. This includes creating a navigation menu block. Reimagining menus is will be challenging, and Mullenweg said they may even get renamed during the process.

Phase 2 goals also include porting all widgets over to blocks and registering theme content areas in Gutenberg. An early version of phase 2 will be in the Gutenberg plugin so anyone wanting to be part of testing can reactivate it.

During the Q&A time, one attendee asked a question about how this phase seems to include very little about making layout capabilities more robust. He asked if Mullenweg plans to let those the marketplace handle those layout decision or if core will define a layout language. Mullenweg responded that it may be more prudent to see what others in the ecosystem are doing and cherry pick and adopt the best solutions. He also remarked that it would be exciting if users could switch between different page builders in the future and not lose their content.

Gutenberg Phases 3 and 4: Collaboration and Core Support for Multilingual Sites

Mullenweg announced that Gutenberg phase 3, targeted for 2020, will focus on collaboration, multi-user editing, and workflows. Phase 4 (2020+) is aimed at developing an official way for WordPress to support multilingual sites. When asked what that will look like from a technical standpoint, given the many existing solutions already available, Mullenweg said he didn’t want to prescribe anything yet, as it’s still in the experimental stage.

Other major announcements included a highly anticipated bump in the minimum PHP version required for using WordPress. By April 2019, PHP 5.6 will be the minimum PHP version for WordPress, and by December 2019, the requirement will be updated to PHP 7.

WordPress releases are going to come faster in the future, as Gutenberg development has set a new pace for iteration. Mullenweg said he would like WordPress to get to the point where users are not thinking about what version they are on but instead choose a channel where they can easily run betas or the stable version.

Mullenweg Acknowledges Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned in the 5.0 Release Process

WordPress 5.0 was one of the longest and most controversial release cycles in the project’s history. Those outside the inner circle of decision-making endured a great deal of uncertainty, as dates were announced and then missed, with secondary dates thrown out in favor of pushing 5.0 out with just three days’ notice.

“We were scared to announce a new release date after missing our previous one,” Mullenweg said, acknowledging the controversial release date. He said this seemed to create a lot of fear and uncertainty until they announced a new date. The dates seemed to come out of the blue and were stressful for the community.

Mullenweg highlighted the lessons they learned in the process of releasing 5.0:

Need the various teams across WordPress working together better

Need to keep learning JavaScript, even more deeply

Importance of triage and code freezes

Always announce release dates

Mullenweg noted that WordPress 5.0’s beta releases were tested 100 times more than other releases, which he said contributed to Gutenberg becoming more robust before landing in 5.0. However, these positives seemed to be overshadowed by several critical breakdowns in communication that many feel betrayed the community’s trust.

He noted that people used the plugin review system as a way to vote on Gutenberg and that perhaps the community needs a different medium for expressing those kinds of things. Users did this because they felt it was one of the only feedback mechanisms where they had a voice. Negative reviews piled on in the early days of the plugin’s development but they continued steadily throughout the feature plugin’s journey into core. After 5.0 was released, negative reviews on the Gutenberg plugin have continued to pour in, and its rating has fallen to 2.2/5 stars.

Growing Pains and a Call for Transparency

photo credit: David Bisset for Post Status

Mullenweg said that Gutenberg development happened entirely in the public eye, surfacing many challenges associated with developing open source software in public. The code was public, but the most important decisions were made behind closed doors. This was compounded by the developer community voicing frustrations during core dev chats and on social media.

During the Q&A segment, several audience members called for more transparency in the release process, noting that most of the posts and announcements regarding 5.0 came from Automattic employees. Morten Rand-Hendriksen, who has become somewhat of a community firebrand at WordCamp Q&A’s, received applause for his question regarding the use of the word “we” in connection to posts on the make blogs. He pressed Mullenweg for more insight into where these decisions are made.

Mullenweg said the “we” he meant in regards to 5.0 release dates referred to a private channel where the release leads discussed it. He said with so many people showing up to the dev chats, the discussions became difficult.

“I don’t just go in a cave and come up with these things,” Mullenweg said. “A lot of people were showing up [to dev chats] who had never contributed to WordPress before and were crowding out the discussion of the core team.” He also said the private conversations were “every bit as feisty as the public one,” except there weren’t any drive-by opinions.

To those on the outside, these meetings appeared to be secret, as they were never referenced or summarized on the make blogs. This left the developmer community wondering where these decisions were coming from and whether or not they had a voice.

Gutenberg was developed in public, but too many decisions were made in silos and not clearly communicated. This can be improved for 5.1 and beyond #WCUS

— K. Adam White (@kadamwhite) December 8, 2018

During the Q&A, Mulllenweg said he listened to vigorous discussion and diverse viewpoints from release leads coming from different companies, while gathering as much information as possible from reading reviews, blog posts, and comments from the community. He described this process as part of the art of trying to make sense of all the different things people are saying and balance that.

Supporting a BDFL-led project requires a certain amount of trust that the leadership is listening. Over the past several weeks Mullenweg has made a strong effort to keep the channels of communication open.

The painful user testing videos Mullenweg shared demonstrated how desperately WordPress needed to grow out of its old editor. It isn’t often that core makes changes that affect nearly every corner of the WordPress ecosystem at the same time. This experience came with its fair share of growing pains. Despite communication missteps during the 5.0 release process, Mullenweg has successfully navigated the project through this rocky transition. Although WordCamp US attendees seemed road weary after 5.0, they were united by a shared desire to move forward and continue working together with the leadership that has kept WordPress on the course of growth and improvement for the past 15 years.

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