#pilot testing solutions

[marketingexplore123]

Accelerating Market Success: The Power of Innovation Cycles in Solution Testing and Iteration

In the vibrant ecosystem of business, the ability to swiftly adapt and evolve is paramount. This dynamism is captured in the practices of developing minimum viable products (MVPs) and pilot testing solutions — methods that embody the spirit of continuous innovation and rigorous validation.

[call-sign-shark]

✨Angel in Distress✨

Summary: Hangman always takes care of you, but what happens when he discovers that you’re pregnant? Bonus: Bob AGAIIIIIN.

(Part 1: Angel in Disguise || Part 3: Angel in Panic)

Words: 1,5k

Tags: unplanned pregnancy, mention of unprotected sex, funny, extreme fluff

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A second red line appeared on the pregnancy test you held between your hands.

Your heart skipped a beat at such a sight. It all started with Phoenix and you sitting on the warm sand of the beach, discussing boys. While not mentioning Hangman, you told her you had a friend with benefits and that, caught in the middle of the heat,  both of you often forgot about condoms but you were taking the pill, so you never worried about getting pregnant. Even though Phoenix laughed and teased you, she still warned you: birth controls, especially low-dose ones, are not 100% effective. All it took was forgetting it a few times. Her words felt like a punch in the guts. Admittedly you had not been consistent with your birth control lately, for the Uranium mission and Mav’s difficult trainings occupied all your thoughts. By the end of the day, you frequently released the stress with Hangman through steamy intercourses, then you took your shower and fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow. Natasha had barely left when you rushed to the local drugstore to buy two pregnancy tests coming from two different brands, which both turned out positive.

“I’m fucked.”  

These were the only words that came from your lips, carried by your shaky breathing.  You, a skilled and dauntless naval aviator who never thought about building a family, were pregnant. Even worse, the one whose seed belonged to was a cocky pilot who did not seem to want a serious and stable relationship. You pressed one of your cold palms against your forehead, eyes wide open in awe as you realized the whole situation. Your child’s father was Jake Hangman Seresin. Your heart pounded so hard in your chest that, at this point, you were pretty sure it was about to burst your ribcage open. Crippling anxiety crept through your body, weighting in your chest, and forming a ball of sobs in your throat. 

“Are you okay?” You heard Jake’s voice through the bathroom’s door.

Silence. 

The tall pilot frowned, a hint of worry glimmering in his beautiful green eyes. He waited one full minute before grabbing the handle and opening the door. His gaze caught sight of your trembling frame, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Back bent, teary eyes set on a pregnancy test you were holding between your hands, you remained petrified.

“Hey babe, what happens?” He asked, quietly. Jake did not see the pregnancy test yet, so for a moment he thought he did something bad. 

“This,” you answered in a calm yet cold voice, “This,” you repeated, showing him the positive pregnancy test. It did not take more than a few seconds for Jake to understand the whole situation. Millions of thoughts rushed to his brain, fogging his mind with fear, anxiety, surprise, and confusion. Paralyzed by the crushing news, all he could do was stand there, mouth open like an idiot. The confident and arrogant Hangman had been replaced by a stupid-looking scarecrow. To be true, you would have laughed your arse off if you were not the one pregnant. 

“You don’t want this, do you?” You said softly, your sweet voice candy-coated with undeniable sadness.  The pregnancy test fell from your hands, for you released it gently on the ground. Jake did not answer, he was unable to do so. The cocky pilot is still staring at you, his green emerald eyes observing each delicate feature of your face as if he expected to find a solution hidden in them. His silence broke your heart - what were you expecting? You were not officially together. Gosh, he did not even love you.

“Yeah, you’re totally ecstatic” You spat sarcasm as a snake spitting poison, “Nevermind, do what you do the best and leave me hanging.��  This time you had to turn your head to the side, unable to keep yourself from crying anymore. Crystal tears started to overflow from your eyes, forming wild rivers on your cheeks.

How could you be so beautiful, even when you were crying? Hangman shook his head, coming back to his senses.

“Listen-”

“Serves me right to love the adrenaline of fucking you! Now I’m fucking pregnant, you’re going to leave and I’ll have to stop flying in my jet  for at least 9 freaking months!” You started sobbing, hugging yourself in your cold arms. Usually, you made a point of honor not to show any weakness to Hangman, but it was all too much to handle. “I’m so scared…” You whispered to yourself, almost forgetting Jake’s presence. Somehow, your unconscious already did not rely on him to help you.

Jake gathered all his remaining strength, overcoming his own anxiety, and walked towards you. He placed himself between your legs and fell on his knees. His two large and warm hands gently laid on your thighs, massaging their inner parts with his thumbs. 

“Then we can be scared together.” 

You stopped crying, awestruck by what he just said. Yet, you probably misheard him. Confused, your glimmering eyes looked at him. Jake’s heart melt when your mesmerizing gaze met his: a faint but oh-so-sincere smile stretched his thin lips as he enjoyed the magnificent sight of your face.  Your eyes tearing, your sad pout, you looked like an angel someone just hurt. The pilot took a deep breath. From the moment he carried you to bed, kissing your lips in that dark corridor, Jake knew he was fucked. He, who had never fallen in love, was smitten. Smitten with the fearless yet vulnerable pilot you were. And this time, he did not want to fuck it all up.

“I know what you think about me, and I can’t blame you. Hell, I would have probably run away if it had not been you - and I’m not proud of that. But - “ He paused, taking another deep breath in an attempt to organize his thoughts and feelings “ I’ll hold your hand. No matter what happens to us in this life, I’ll be always there to hold your hand.” 

“But you don’t love me. You keep telling me we’re just having fun, no strings attached.” You shook your head. “Why would-”

“Hey, hey, hey.” Jake cut you in the middle of your sentence, only to gently cup your adorable face with his hands. His emerald eyes dove into yours, probing your very soul, “Did you ever wonder how you would wake up cozy in your bed after falling asleep in the meeting room?  Did you wonder why your fridge never runs out of your favorite drink?” His voice is a bit strict, even though his tone is still coated with tenderness, “Never wondered how there’s always a bucket, a bottle of water, and ibuprofen on your nightstand after you wasted yourself at the Hard Deck?” 

“Jake.” You blinked several times.

“I am anxious each time I lost sight of your plane during training and missions. I get fucking jealous every time a dude tries to hit on you” He laughed nervously, shaking his head. Jake’s thumbs gently rubbed your cheeks, “So don’t ever tell me I don’t love you,” 

Your heart sunk at his words and your mind gave up all anger at the mere sight of Hangman’s perfect smile. You sniffed, nose a bit runny because of your sobs, and Jake found you even more charming. Unable to proceed properly with what he just said, your tongue reacted quicker than your brain.

“All I want to do is punch you in the face but I love you so much so I don’t mean it.” You pouted, freeing your face from his hands like a sulking kid. Jake could not help but laugh. A hearty laugh, “Fuck, we’re going to have a baby… Got a baby Seresin in my belly…” You whispered, still not believing it, “ What are we going to do now, Jake?” 

“I’m going to tell you what we’re going to do.” Jake stood up, his soothing smile turning into his casual cocky, and flat-lipped grin, the kind of grin that made you want to slap his face but also made you want to spread your legs, “Come here!” Without the slightest warning, the blonde pilot carried you bride-style.

“Uh? What the hell Jake?!” You shout, surprised by being suddenly lifted from the edge of the bathtub you were sitting on.

“Well, I’m going to put you in your bed and cover you with warm, cozy blankets. Then, I’m going to buy a huge cup of ice cream we’re going to eat in front of your favorite movie. Disney included. The only exceptions are musicals.” He said, kicking the bathroom door open and laying your body on the comfortable mattress with indescribable tenderness, “Got it?”

“Got it.” You answered with a slight small, your heart beating hard.

Jake winked at you and left the bedroom. Admittedly, he was terrified. He had never thought about having a baby, and here he was, ready to buy ice cream for his pregnant girlfriend. Hell, he was afraid, but he could not deny the sparkle of joy he felt within. He had always been a family man.

As long as you were beside him, he knew everything would be fine. 

He closed the bedroom door, turned around, and jumped at the sudden apparition of Bob behind him.

“WHAT THE FUCK MAN! I’m really going to put a damn bell around your neck!” He grumbled, pressing one hand against his pounding heart. “How come you always appear in that damn dark hallway, out of no-fucking-where?” 

“Told ya, I snack at night.”  The tall WSO said, readjusting his glasses on his nose awkwardly. He stared at Jake for a while, silently.

“What’s your problem, Floyd?” Jake asked, slightly embarrassed. 

“You should buy strawberries alongside ice cream. And chocolate. A lot of chocolate. My Aunt would not stop eating chocolate when she was pregnant.” 

Jake opened his mouth, struck with surprise. He looked at Bob as if he was some kind of wizard. How the hell did he know that? Bob was starting to scare the hell out of him.

Witnessing the stupefied look on Hangman’s face, the WSO shrugged and opened his own bedroom door. Yet, he took a quick last glance at Jake.

“By the way… Don’t fuck it up, Bagman. She needs you.” He said, before disappearing into his room. 

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2 prompts used from @marvelhead17's pregnancy prompts

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - August 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. Zoo hails birth of 'one of world's rarest animals'

“[Jasper] the Persian onager was born to mum Azita after a year-long pregnancy. […] Conservationists at the zoo said there are less than 600 surviving wild onagers[, … which] only survive in two small, protected areas in Iran, a Chester Zoo spokesman said. […] Mike Jordan, animal and plant director at Chester Zoo, […] said Jasper is "doing very well" and added that "mum Azita is doing a fantastic job of nurturing and bonding with her new charge". "He’s full of energy and enjoys playfully kicking up sand as he races around his habitat", Mr Jordan added.”

2. Charity creates 50 community orchards in city

“Community orchards are returning to Birmingham, with the aim of teaching people how to grow their own food and be part of the solution to climate change. […] Once established, the long-term aim is to distribute the produce to those most in need, but local people are also invited to pick the odd bit of fruit. […] By planting trees and plants and encouraging biodiversity back to these areas the charity is also doing its bit to help climate change. They even use locally sourced wood chip which helps to put carbon back into the soil. […T]he hope is that these edible landscapes can also be enjoyed by local people for years to come.”

3. Farmer-led badger vaccination could revolutionize mission to tackle bovine TB

“[… T]he results of a four-year pilot badger vaccination program co-managed between farmers, scientists, and conservationists […] show the percentage of badgers testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the study area dropped from 16% to 0%[….] While most bTB incidents in cattle are caused by transmission between herds, transmission from wild badgers plays a role in the persistence of the disease. […] Blood sampling showed that the proportion of badgers with bTB fell even though overall badger numbers remained high[….]”

4. Every Colorado Anti-Trans Ballot Initiative Fails To Collect Enough Signatures

“Anti-transgender politics are becoming increasingly unpopular in polls. […] A recent LA Times/NORC poll found that 77% of voters believe elected officials use transgender debates to divert attention from more pressing issues. The poll also showed significant opposition to forced outing policies. […] A Gallup poll published in June revealed that while Americans have mixed views on the morality of transitioning, the majority oppose bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth. […] “The fact that they could not get enough signatures, barely half, to be placed on the ballot shows they lack support from everyday voters.”

5. In a fight to save a rare bird, Indigenous communities in Guyana are winning

“The partnership [between Indigenous communities and Smithsonian researchers] sparked a decades-long community-led conservation movement that has protected the red siskin and helped locals reconnect with nature. [… T]he South Rupununi Conservation Society […] established one of the country’s first conservation zones to protect the species, covering 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) of Indigenous land. […] To plant the seeds of conservation, they’ve implemented an after-school program in more than 16 communities, [introducing children] to ecological research and surveying, and also [teaching] about Indigenous culture and tradition, including fire management skills.”

6. North Adams hospital gets federal designation which pays for health care in rural areas

“[The hospital] received a federal designation on Wednesday that is key to its long-term financial stability. […] The designation pays for staffing regardless of the number of patients[… and] “works to resolve stark inequities in rural and underserved communities as it relates to our nation’s health system."”

7. Andrea Vidaurre: Leading the clean transportation revolution

“Thanks to Vidaurre’s relentless advocacy and strong community support, these regulations introduced the first national standards for train emissions and set a groundbreaking goal for all freight trucks to be zero-emission by 2036. This initiative promises cleaner air for Californians and paves the way for a zero-emission vehicle future across the country. Studies predict these measures will prevent thousands of respiratory illnesses and save countless lives in the coming decades.”

8. Boston announces a new climate resilience office

“Through its Climate Ready Boston initiative, the city has worked to […] design creative adaptation plans with community input[, …] includ[ing] everything from redesigning waterfront parks and planting more trees, to modernizing the city’s underground sewer system[….] The Office of Climate Resilience will be in charge of coordinating work across city departments and with community groups[….]”

9. Combining Green Thumbs and Sustainable Fashion in a Swap Event

“This unique plant and clothing swap event in NSW is championing both environmental and fashion sustainability through native plants and preloved clothing. […] To participate in the plant swap, attendees brought their environmental weeds in a bag to the Council stall and exchanged them for free native plants. […] The event sparked valuable community conversations about the benefits of plant and clothes swaps, the impact of textile waste[, …] support a circular economy and combine a love for nature with practical, eco-friendly practices.”

10. Growing Green Spaces to Protect the Endangered Regent Parrot

“On Schools Tree Day, celebrated on 26 July, students from a local NSW school planted trees and shrubs to create crucial forage habitat for the endangered Regent Parrot, enhancing local biodiversity. […] Approximately 50 [… plants of] native species were chosen for their ecological benefits, helping to attract native birds, bees and butterflies while providing essential habitat and food. […] They [also] raise awareness about the regent parrot, encourage conservation efforts and emphasise the importance of protecting local wildlife. Additionally, conserving [the regent parrot] supports the health of their ecosystem by helping with in [sic] seed dispersal and maintaining plant diversity.”

July 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[usafphantom2]

The SR-71 crew who training in anti-SAM tactics left a 5-mile-long contrail in the stratosphere after dumping fuel for 10 seconds to see if the afterburner would ignite the fuel trail

The Blackbird

The SR-71, unofficially known as the “Blackbird,” is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft. The first flight of an SR-71 took place on Dec. 22, 1964, and the first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., in January 1966. The U.S. Air Force retired its fleet of SR-71s on Jan. 26, 1990.

CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew the Blackbird from test flight in 1965 until 1973. Butch’s Granddaughter’s Lisa Burroughs and Susan Miller are graphic designers. They designed most of the merchandise that is for sale on Threadless. A percentage of the profits go to Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base. This nonprofit charity is personal to the Sheffield family because they are raising money to house SR-71, #955. This was the first Blackbird that Butch Sheffield flew on Oct. 4, 1965.

During its operational lifetime, the SR-71 provided intelligence about the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the US raid on Libya in 1986 and the revelation of Iranian Silkworm missile batteries in 1987. The USAF ceased SR-71 operations in January 1990.

Throughout its nearly 24-year career, the SR-71 remained the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft. From 80,000 feet, it could survey 100,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour.

SR-71 crews anti-SAM tactics

In 1968 the SR-71 crewmembers spent most of their time in the crew lounge, discussing anti-SAM tactics.

As told by Paul Crickmore in his book SR-71 Blackbird (Combat Legends), as the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing approached the time when they would be flying out of the country at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.

The SR-71 crew who training in anti-SAM tactics left a 5-mile-long contrail in the stratosphere after dumping fuel for 10 seconds to see if the afterburner would ignite the fuel trail

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. Dawn at 80.000ft – SR-71 Blackbird

The plan was to penetrate enemy airspace at Mach 3. If fired upon, the pilot would accelerate to Mach 3.2 and climb, thereby forcing the missile’s guiding system to re-calculate the intercept solution. One idea was also to dump fuel to become lighter, thereby increasing the climb rate.

A 5-mile-long contrail in the stratosphere

A crew ended that debate during a Sortie over Montana by dumping fuel for 10 seconds to see if the afterburner would ignite the fuel trail. Instead, this turned instantly into an ice cloud in the fridge -55° C stratosphere and left a 5-mile-long contrail finger pointing directly at the aircraft.

The pilot reported that he could see the trail for hundreds of miles after turning back towards the west. That plan was scratched. That was the opposite effect, but they wanted regardless, the SR-71 was the first attempt at stealth in an airplane.

Be sure to check out Linda Sheffield Miller (Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield’s daughter, Col. Sheffield was an SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer) Twitter X Page Habubrats SR-71, Instagram Page SR71Habubrats and Facebook Page Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats for awesome Blackbird’s photos and stories.

@Habubrats71 via X

[bi-turtle-enthusiast]

the more i read tgcf the more i get mad that quan yizhen's entirely rational responses to things are not treated as such.

if you think quan yizhen is behaving erratically you simply do not have all the facts yet. he does. he tries to wear robes to test if they're the brocade immortal because he sees lang ying (hua cheng in disguise) doing exactly that. oh, xie lian needs spiritual energy? doesn't it make sense for him to offer some?? his shixiong whom he loves SO much despite everything is refusing to talk to him? he misses him and wants to just clear the air at least. there are bone dragons around and he needs a powerful weapon? yeah of COURSE he's going to pilot one like a badass. xie lian is super poor and quan yizhen has a lot of money? well that's an easy solution—plus, xie lian was nice to him, so it's a thank you!

idk he's just so. i love him. he's neurodivergent coded for SURE and i hate the way he's infantilized or treated like he's stupid. i'm glad the book is written in a way that at least hints at the fact that quan yizhen is operating in an understandable if not mainstream way.

also quan yizhen refusing to respond to work calls is just beautiful i think.

[ryuki-draws]

How does having only half a brain left affect your survival odds in a Gundam? Time to find out!

N°3 was not meant to ever set foot in Asticassia but I decided she needed to join Geroge and Erik's emo band. I'm sure nothing bad will ever happen to her. (And I just wanted to draw her in a dress. As a treat.)

Rambling under the cut!

Marleen (name assigned by the researchers) has suffered severe epilepsy her whole life and anatomical hemispherectomy - surgery which removes parts of the brain that cause the seizures - was the last resort in effort to make the constant attacks stop. Unfortunately, the surgery was done at Claire's Peil under their enhanced person research program. So the now vacant space in her cranium was fitted with GUND implants and she was basically rolled off the operating table directly into a pilot seat of the company's prototype GUND format MS.

Luckily for her, having half a brain already running on the same format, the implants were able to process the information influx faster to a certain degree, thus making it possible to reach higher permet scores without getting what's left of her organic brain fried immediately. It is, however, not a solution to the overall problem - while the extra implants provide some added resistance, the data storm would still eventually kill her, even though it may take longer than previous subjects were able to withstand (RIP N°1 and 2). Plus, with her condition, permet score 3 and higher come with a risk of seizures unexpectedly returning while piloting, which opens a whole new can of problems.

When the duelling game started, she wasn't deemed suitable for a body double candidate and this ordeal was assigned to N°4 instead. She was, however, dispatched to school alongside him as a second year piloting student with a cover story of being a "test pilot" for Peil Technologies with clearance to participate in duels in non-GUND MS, unless instructed otherwise.

Additional assorted stuff (mostly EPs lore because I'm Unwell™)

the whole AU shenanigans primarly take place one year prior to the events of WfM, hence students with "K" designation in their ID number being second year, as opposed to third in the series

the duelling game started with the year of Miorine's admission to Asticassia, and with it the need for an EP body double to participate in the duels instead of Elan (who's a terrible pilot and would not be caught dead in a Gundam himself). There were three prior EPs at the research facility but N°4 was the first one who on top of everything has become a body double

when EPs outlive their usefulness to the company, they're sent back to the research facility, where they're further used as test subjects, as they may "still have research data worth obtaining in them." Deemed as truly expendable, they're first in line for anything too dangerous or unethical, but are not outright executed (no, I'm not over ep. 6, thanks for asking)

as mentioned in my previous posts, inspiration for Marleen's creation was Siri Keeton from the novel Blindsight by Peter Watts - who also had half of his brain removed due to seizures and replaced with implants - thus, the shared last name (the book is great, go read it. it's a sci-fi thriller and it has vampires in space! there's also a fan-made short film (4 minutes) based on the book worth giving a watch. this post is now Blindsight propaganda)

[techploration]

A Cascading Fix

The floating garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean a huge ongoing issue. Plastic is the worst offender (and no it’s not all drinking straws and plastic bags— it’s mostly discarded fishing nets). Skimming would be too costly and unrealistic (it’s country sized— big country). Plus is almost a biome at this point— you couldn’t scoop out the trash without also scooping animals/eggs/plants basically causing more havoc trying to clean it up.

So what do you turn to? Bacteria

So this area has been in active research for 25+ years as the ultimate solution to dealing with plastic waste.

Should be great right? The lifespan of a bottle in a landfill falls from centuries to weeks in a vat. It’s such an alluring goal that people gloss over the path

Brute forcing thousands upon thousands of mutations on an enzyme that specializes in breaking down hydrocarbons sounds wildly risky.

Because what if you get one that does too well?

Future Forecaste

Silicon Valley Tech Bro Billion wants to try and improve his image as a part of the private jet class by holding a big public competition for innovative solutions for the garbage patch. Encourages all of his tech bro buddies to pitch their ideas. Billionaire promises to fund a pilot project for the top idea.

What wins out? Bacteria

And they apply the Facebook ‘move fast and break things’ philosophy to brute forcing mutations. Garbage patch is in international waters, so no approval (or oversight) to go and test your ideas.

In fact, with being out in the middle of the ocean, you can build your lab right on a boat and sail out there. And test your iterations right there. In the ocean. Why test on a simulated garbage patch when the real one is right there?

Success! A strain that breaks down plastics in a short timeframe in the cold of the ocean! Your test site quickly goes from floating landfill to. something?

The enzymes broke the plastic into component nutrients. So you now have effectively dumped a whole flood of nutrients into the water. Kinda like dumping fertilizer

Cool. So now you you have turned garbage patch into the Great Pacific Algal Bloom and Dead Zone

And the bacteria isn’t staying put. Oceans have a way of moving things, and you just built a hardy sailor with a plentiful food supply.

The bacteria makes it to shore and suddenly, plastic isn’t permanent. Plastic isn’t safe in water. Every seal and gasket is now prone to failure. There is a rush to figure out which types of plastics are susceptible, which are resistant. New plastics with bacteria resistance are developed.

But that’s not even going to be the biggest issue

We’ve Got a Fuel Pox on our Hands

If it likes to eat plastic know what it’ll love? Gasoline and any other hydrocarbon

This bacteria would essentially turn gas into soy sauce. Think about fuel rotting

Suddenly world’s energy supply is at risk. Fear of contamination becomes the oil and gas industry’s number one concern. Gas becomes an even more precious commodity, and is only used when application demands. The industry takes on surgical level of cleanliness.

Meanwhile other people are prepping ‘Kombucha’ for their local pipeline

[lets-talk-gundam]

The ORX-005 Gaplant

With more incursions on Earth itself by Zeon remnant factions and other militant groups, the Federation sought a solution to the issue of MS mobility under gravity. While any mobile suit could make use of a sub-flight unit - such as the Dodai or Base Jabber - they were generally unreliable in combat situations, with rapid maneuvering potentially causing riders to lose balance.

Federation engineers began doing what they do best, and eventually produced the RX-78E Gundam GT-FOUR to serve as a proof of concept.

The machine - while plagued with issues - proved the viability of variable mobile suits, and was considered a success. With this success, the team was given the green light to continue development of variable machines.

The ORX-003 Domingo was one such machine, and would serve as the basis for development going forward. The Domingo stood at an impressive 25 meters in order to accommodate its transformation mechanism. It boasted an impressive mobile suit to mobile armor transformation time of under five seconds, but needed almost a full ten seconds to transform back.

The ORX-005 Gaplant saw its first deployment in UC 0085 as a joint project between the Augusta and Oakland research labs, incorporating lessons learned from the Domingo.

While the issue of unassisted flight was unimportant in space, the Gaplant was developed with space use in mind. Its MA mode was able to make use of the Active Mass Balance Auto-Control (AMBAC) system almost as efficiently as the MS mode, affording it extreme maneuverability.

However, this maneuverability came at a steep cost, and most pilots were unable to handle the intense g-force exerted on them in combat maneuvers. The Gaplant could only be handled by so-called Cyber-Newtypes, thanks to their enhanced bodies.

The Gaplant saw use during the Gryps conflict, where it was fielded by the Titans. At least two standard units are known to have existed at the time - piloted by Rosamia Badam and Yazan Gable respectively, with an unknown number of modified and/ or experimental units.

The Gaplant was also extensively experimented with by the Titans Test Team, resulting in a number of unconventional units, with some eventually falling into the hands of Zeon remnant groups. Recovered Gaplant prototypes were even modified and fielded by groups such as Karaba and the AEUG.

In UC 105, a group of hijackers used a Gaplant to approach and board Haunzen flight 356.

Known sightings of the Gaplant later on are rare. Notably, in U.C. 203, the wreckage of a Gaplant inspires Afranche Char to fight the Federation when it washes up on the shore of his home island.

The ORX-005 Gaplant was originally designed by Kazumi Fujita for the 1985 anime Moblie Suit Zeta Gundam.

This post was a request! Requests are always welcome!

[delimeful]

to know that song (and all its words) (9)

warnings: injury, lack of self care, fear, misunderstandings, a little bit of kidnapping, mistrust, cliffhanger

-

The dread set in as soon as Virgil dragged himself back to consciousness.

Even before he really knew what was going on, the sensation weighed heavy on him. His memories of the past three cycles were smeared into vague undefined blur, like a sand sculpture lapped at by seafoam, but the moment he opened his eyes, a distinct sense of foreboding curled up in his lungs and refused to leave.

The strangest part was that nobody else seemed to feel the suffocating weight of it.

The Humans seemed almost glued to his bedside, swapping places so smoothly that the chair set by his bedside was almost never unoccupied. He would have suspected it was a more intensive effort to keep him under watch if it weren’t for the complete lack of actual guarding going on.

(Half the time Heartfelt came in, they fell asleep with their head pillowed on their arms within a quarter-tide of sitting down. Not exactly strict warden behavior.)

It was strange. The Humans hadn’t quite reverted to their former hunted postures and exhausted eyes, but they’d unarguably been impacted by the invasion. There was a focused tension to their movements, murmured conversations in halls, an alert sort of attentiveness that they wore like a second skin.

And yet, they hadn’t turned any of that tightly-drawn energy on him.

Maybe if things were the same as before, with their weird unspoken agreement that Virgil would perform his role and not do anything stupid, and in turn they wouldn’t make the last however-long period of his life miserable with restrictions, this wouldn’t be so stressful.

But things weren’t the same. Virgil’s only useful skills involved having full use of both arms, and he’d been stripped of each and every one the moment his bone snapped on impact with the floor.

His life had been dependent on their need for someone small enough to fly the vessel for them this entire time, and now he couldn’t pilot.

They should be furious, frantic, trying to find solutions and making demands of him. Frankly, they should’ve just left him to die of shock once they realized what had happened and what it meant.

Instead, they’d settled him in the medbay with just about every medical device that might be even peripherally useful strewn about, constantly checked the information on his vital monitors, and the closest thing to a demand he received was the frequent questioning about how he felt and if he was in any pain or needed anything.

He didn’t know why they bothered asking, since they gave him dubious, disbelieving looks almost every time he brushed the question off. It wasn’t like they were his crewmates or anything, so who had tipped them off to his dislike of pain meds? They’d never even seen him injured before! Could Humans smell pain or something?

Stars and seas, he hoped not. His current plan was to bank on their ignorance of how long Ampens took to heal and get back in the pilot’s chair as quickly as possible, but that required they also be ignorant of the finer details of his injury. He’d be utterly screwed if they could somehow sense every time he re-agitated his fracture.

He would actually get started on that plan, too, except it required he was left alone long enough to actually test out how bad the pain was and sneak over to the piloting capsule, and that simply hadn’t happened even once in the past cycle of him being mostly-conscious.

Virgil felt insane for even thinking it, but the facts added up: The Humans were being clingy.

It was more subtle than expected, but once he realized, it became impossible to deny. Between the three of them, Virgil was receiving the same amount of fretting and hovering as a fledgling under the care of a first-time mother.

Sure, he’d heard rumors of Humans having fierce protective instincts, especially when it came to their young, but this level of brooding was ridiculous! Virgil was a fully-fledged adult, not a member of their pack, and completely capable of taking care of himself.

Now, he just had to make sure they knew that. Ideally without making them remember that he was currently a worthless liability to them.

Totally not stress-inducing at all, as Janus would say.

He waited until the next time Noisy was the only one watching him, since Heartfelt might not understand exactly what he was trying to say and Square looked far too exhausted and intense for him to feel good about his odds of directly asking to break a rule.

“You guys are smothering me,” he said, too wrung-out to dance around the issue. “Can I just have some time to myself, already?”

He forced himself not to bristle at the reluctant tinge that automatically sprung up to Noisy’s aether, both so the conversation didn’t escalate and because his feathers were already borderline painful from lack of grooming.

“It could be dangerous,” Noisy said, crossing his arms. “You’re not fully healed, and there’s—,” he trailed off, muttering a few phrases in Human like he was searching for a word.

Virgil struggled not to scrape his nails together in irritation. They were lucky he was going the negotiation route. If it had been his crewmates, he would already be well into biting people by now.

“I need a break,” he tried again, and then reluctantly added, “I’ll show you my pigment collection. But you can’t use them all!”

He gestured to the badly smeared and faded pigment that was still coating the downy small feathers around his eyes, a substance that his noisiest Human had asked about over and over.

Noisy brightened in delight, undeterred by Virgil’s tacked-on condition, before hesitating at the obvious bribe.

Man, they really were invested in keeping an eye on him, weren’t they? Noisy had been unbearably annoying about trying to get his hands on some pigment powder (he didn’t even have feathers?!) for ages, and now that he was being offered the opportunity, he was torn? It didn’t make any sense.

“Please,” Virgil was desperate enough to add.

“Okay, okay,” Noisy said, the tension in his aether snapping and settling into worried resignation. “I’ll go to sleep room. But only for a little while. And door open, so call and I’ll hear, okay?”

Somehow, it sounded more like a reassurance than a threat. Virgil shook himself, trying not to let stupid idealistic misinterpretations throw him off. He agreed hurriedly and waved Noisy out of the room with an impatience that clearly amused him.

Finally.

—

After a painstakingly slow climb out of the medcot, Virgil found he was actually extremely glad he hadn’t tried to remove his bulky sling just yet.

He’d started overheating from the strain before he even passed through the medbay doors. By the time he reached the cockpit, his ruff feathers were visibly vibrating from gular fluttering and his hand pads were well past damp.

He’d definitely need a dust bath after this.

To his surprise, the entrance was blocked off by a considerably large pile of materials. The array was a mishmash of everything, some items looking alarmingly expensive while others were barely more than scrap.

“What…,” he muttered, trying to puzzle out why this latest obstacle to his plan had been placed here, of all places.

A head popped up from behind the scrap. “Oh, thank Khiqea!”

Virgil made a short little alarm whistle, nearly toppling over as he scrambled back a few steps. “What are you doing on my ship?!”

The alien— they had curling mandibles and stout horned shoulders, Virgil recognized the species but couldn’t recall the name— stared at him with shiny black eyes for a long moment before speaking again, now with a slight buzz. “Your Humans kidnapped me here.”

They shuffled to the side slightly and lifted their arm, revealing that it was cuffed to… was that a medbay chair? And a chunk of medbay flooring?!

Did those idiots even know how much internal ship furnishing cost?

“Oh, I am gonna kill them,” he muttered to himself, and blinked when there was a high placating chitter from the stranger.

Right. Kidnapping victim. That was super bad, actually. “Why’d they kidnap you?”

“Did you not—,” the stranger cut themself off, before continuing in shorter, sharper words. “I was the only nonessential medic on the Hanssloane. It was part of the deal.”

The raiders. His injury. Some of it was coming back now. The Humans had abducted a whole person to make sure he didn’t die from his wounds? Why?

Instead of blurting any of that out, Virgil glanced down at where they were holding a clipboard and a simple welding tool. “You seem a little under equipped for a medic. Are you trying to bandage scrap metal, or what?”

“I— I know how to engineer,” they said hurriedly, their limbs drawing in defensively. “I have other uses! I can work for as long as you need, just— please.”

Well, if that wasn’t a familiar refrain, Virgil didn’t know what was.

“You’re a multitalented guy. Got it,” he said shortly. He wasn’t going to make any promises he couldn’t keep, but if they were so willing to talk… “What’s your name?”

“I go by Sveve,” they responded, running through a surprising number of politeness signals for a raider.

“Great,” Virgil replied, pretending not to notice the expectant pause. “Have you seen the other Humans around?”

If he wanted answers, he’d have to get them himself.

Sveve did that silent-surprise stare again, though this one was shorter. “Neither are onboard at the moment, Captain. They’re retrieving more machinery from the Hanssloane.”

Virgil resisted the urge to frown automatically at the formal address— the only time his crewmates called him that was when they were poking fun at him. Belatedly, the rest of the sentence registered.

“We’re still attached to the raider ship?” he asked, half horrified and half incredulous.

“The Humans negotiated the deal without you,” Sveve said, the words accompanied by a low click-click of realization. “They’re rogue agents. Grenghal’s balls, I’m so screwed.”

Virgil didn’t have time for their crisis. He was too busy having his own crisis.

“What was the deal? What happened while I was out?”

“You really don’t know. You weren’t there for the slaughter. And it’s not like you can trust me.” Sveve tapped their mandibles together consideringly, and then turned to check both sides of the hall before switching to a whispering buzz.

“There’s only one Human aboard now, so it might be the only chance you get. Check the footage of our boarding if you want to know the truth. Once you see it, you’ll understand the kind of monsters they really are, what they’ll do to me, to you. If we work together, we can escape.”

Virgil’s antennae pressed back as he shied away from the intent plea, but the paranoid part of him couldn’t help but perk up.

The records room was connected to Nav, more of a closet than anything. If the Humans really weren’t onboard, this might be the only chance he’d get to check without Square in the way.

Slowly, wordlessly, he edged around the pile of junk and continued down the hall towards Navigation.

He felt Sveve’s eyes follow him until he passed the curve, a familiar desperation in them that he hadn’t let himself dwell on.

He moved as quietly as possible, straining for any trace of Square or Heartfelt as he approached Nav. The Humans could be deathly silent when they wanted, but it was a habit they hadn’t kept up all the time.

The corridor was silent, and when he plucked up his courage and peered into the navigation room, it was empty, the lights low from a lack of detected motion.

Virgil took a deep breath and smoothed down his ruff as best he could, steeling himself. This was his last chance to turn back.

No. He needed to know.

He let his steps grow quicker and quicker as he crossed the room, eyes flicking from place to place warily as though Square could somehow wriggle out of an Ampen tunnel and descend upon him.

The records room door opened easily at his touch, and he let out a tense breath as he closed it behind himself. It was soundproofed, so he was as safe as he could be, for the moment.

The camera feed logs were all present and untampered with. It took only a few moments to locate the timestamps for the cycle the raiders had attacked, and he wound it back to shortly after his arm had snapped, feeling a little ill at the sight.

He ignored the urge to let it go, to ignore the gaps in his memory and the new hostage, to try and return to the status quo. Whatever he was missing, he would find out now.

He reached forward and started the footage.

[notallthoseinheadspace]

Thoughts/speculation on The Bad Batch:

Weirdly, I am actually more hopeful for a positive ending now than I was before Point of No Return.

(Episode spoilers, discussion, and speculation below cut)

So, this is coming from a point of being pretty sure that A) CX-2 is Tech (because who the fuck else in this series says 'domicile", literally nobody, I was on the fence until that tbh) and B) that Omega is Force-sensitive (and that they've been dropping hints about it since Season 1). Even if she's not Force-sensitive, she's incredibly intuitive and has an amazing mind for strategy, which has been repeatedly proven.

But minor things that could have been guesses on her part - identifying Cid, calling out Crosshair while they're in the brig, bonding with Batcher, and in a way never giving up on Crosshair - also could be manifestations of a minor and untrained connection to the Force. If we do see indisputable Force abilities from her, my guess is they'll manifest in minor prescience, sensing the emotions of others, and bonding with creatures, since those are all things she's already shown. (I don’t think she has Jedi potential, but it bears repeating that not every Force-sensitive is or needs to be a Jedi! [Or a Sith.])

And Omega - tactical prodigy who can (probably) sense the emotions/general thoughts of others, is alone in the shuttle with CX-Tech. Possibly with some form of tracker - she and Crosshair knew she’d be scanned. She gave up one comm and wasn’t scanned again. Not having fallback plans would be unlike them, even if those plans are sometimes very much by the seat of their pants.

Because the Batch had plans for everything and Tech made her learn them all.

Now, what sticks out to me about CX-2 in this episode is that he has notably, despite orders, very deliberately avoided killing any of the Batch members during the invasion of Pabu.

It would have been no trouble whatsoever for him to blow up the Marauder a moment later, when Wrecker was inside of it. And he made the decision to shoot the pilot of the gunship - in the neck, through the cockpit window - an arguably harder shot than Hunter, who was in the open bay, and easily capable of bailing out and swimming back to shore when the ship crashed.

And he's taken Omega in the shuttle with him, with no other guards, and left her unrestrained in the cockpit aside from a pair of binders. And while she’s a child, and was pressed into docility during her time on Tantiss, she’s still a clone, one who’s been trained and tested by the team that boasted a 100% success rate until Order 66.

And, if CX-2 is Tech and the storyline is mirroring itself, then let’s go back to 2x09, The Crossing, where they’re trying to extract ipsium from Cid’s mine. Omega is struggling, Tech is set against his family, and quiet heart-to-hearts are had as Tech and Omega sit together in the blue-lit dark, separated from their brothers - which leads to reunions, solutions, and escape.

So - it may not be the devastating reveal of a helmet pulled from an unconscious-or-worse body that I originally imagined - it may be quiet, knowing questions and a helmet calmly lifted off and set on the console to look at his sister with his own eyes.

...of course, whether he still knows her or not is the question.

[heliads]

Platonic imagine request: The female reader is a country singer and best friends with Natasha from Top Gun, and the dagger squad occasionally comes to her gigs. She just got out of a toxic relationship but still needs to get some of the negative feelings out of her system, and her solution to the problem is to write a song and debut it at a gig. I’m not a songwriter, so I’ll have to use a real song, and I choose What He Didn’t Do by Carly Pearce.

i love top gun

masterlist

It’s a Friday night, assignments won’t be posted for another few days, and for once, Top Gun’s very own Dagger Squadron is out early from work. Normally, everyone in charge puts their combined intellect and stubbornness to the test of making sure this never happens, but the weather isn’t hideously hot and humid for once, and everyone still stuck in the buildings kind of wants to go, too.

It’s a Friday night, and strangely enough, the Dagger Squadron cannot be found at the Hard Deck. Usually, this would raise all sorts of questions, but not tonight. Tonight, they’re headed towards something a little more exciting than the usual late night drinks at the usual late night spot. Tonight, they’re going to see you.

There is a group of hothead, ice-cold fighter pilots known affectionately to some as the Top Gun Dagger Squadron and irritably to others as just a bunch of cocky, high-flying assholes. They’ve got their reputations cut out for them, but they don’t care much. When you have your head in the clouds as often as they do, both literally and sometimes less so, you don’t really have the time for inconsistent musings from the general populace. If they want trouble, they’ll stir it up themselves.

The Dagger Squadron, although uncaring about their brand, all care very deeply about their friends. If you don’t get what it’s like to take a mission knowing there’s a very good chance you’ll never come back, if you don’t risk your life for your friends because you know they’ll always have your back, you don’t get it, and you don’t get them. It’s hard to win them over without practice.

There is, of course, one civilian who has all over their numbers on speed dial, and that’s Y/N L/N. That’s you. You were Phoenix's friend first, and since she’s so close to the rest of them, that meant you were their friend, too. They share like that. Jackets, flight tips, and yes, best friends. It all tends to work out in the end.

Besides, you’re special. You’re a star. You’re the one who’s out there at gigs and concerts, singing your songs to audiences who actually know the words. As much as they protest otherwise, when you go out with the Dagger Squad, only one of you gets recognized outside of your usual uniform or attire, and it’s not the kids who usually rattle around in bomber jackets and aviators.

The group of you love hanging out, but between their work schedule and your touring dates, it’s not uncommon to go a month or two without seeing each other, much to your chagrin. No matter the gap between group outings, though, the second all of you are in a room together, laughter is bouncing off the walls and conversations are exchanged at incomprehensible speeds just like you’d never parted.

More often than not, though, the Dagger Squad catches up to you by catching one of your shows and convincing you to get drinks afterwards. It’s a fine plan according to any of you, and although several of that group would insist that they’re not country music fans, you’ve looked out into the audience to see them screaming the words to your songs more times than they would care to admit.

By now, it’s sort of a tradition. This sort of thing has been going on for as long as anyone can remember. The first time around, they all kind of chafed against the idea of using their precious vacation time to go to the concert of some country singer they didn’t even know, but Natasha straightened them all out about it soon enough. What Phoenix says, goes. They’ve all learned that the hard way.

Besides, now the lot of them are friends with her. More than friends. They’re brothers and sisters, the special kind of family you only get by running wild after hours with total strangers who know your favorite drink order and hideout spot before they ever learn your last name.

Tonight, though, you couldn’t be more happy to see them all filing into the club that’ll serve as tonight’s venue. It’s been a rough few weeks, to say the least; bills are due, times always get harder before they get better, and to cap it all off, you finally managed to break out of a toxic relationship. It was the right call to say goodbye, but that doesn’t make it feel any better.

They know all about that, though. In fact, they’ve been beseeching you to break up with the guy for a long time. You took your ex boyfriend to meet the Dagger Squad as soon as you thought you were serious about him, but instead of the welcome reception you were hoping for, all of your friends immediately told you to get the hell out, to quote Hangman directly.

As it turns out, you should have taken your advice. Many heartbreaks, too many second and third and fourth chances, and a great deal of destroyed self confidence later, you’ve finally said goodbye for good. Your ex didn’t believe you when you first told him it was actually over this time, but he’s come to accept this. Blocking his number and getting rid of all his stuff must have sold the message, if not the constant guard of Top Gun pilots outside your house to keep him from trying to get to you again.

At last, your ex has accepted defeat, and you’re finally free. It feels good. That’s why you’re celebrating tonight with a show, and why your friends are here to make sure your wide smiles are real. They are, surprisingly, but you’re glad to see all of them out here nonetheless.

The crowd is just as supportive as your friends. You walk on stage to the sound of thunderous applause; it can be difficult to start as a musician, especially when you lack the significant backing of a parent already in the industry, but you’ve quickly become a household name around here. Hell, just last night someone told you they rescheduled their vacation plans so they’d be able to catch your show. It feels good. You’ve been needing something good like that for a while now.

After playing a couple of your top hits, you reach for the microphone to address the crowd. “I’m super grateful all of you are out here with me tonight,” you begin, “especially because I get to share something with you tonight, a new song. It’s fun to write songs for the good days, but sometimes we have to sing about the bad ones, too. D’you want to hear it?”

The crowd shouts back a thunderous yes, led in volume by your friends from Top Gun. You’re fairly sure that Rooster’s yell could be heard several towns over, a fact that immediately has Coyote and Payback teasing him, at least judging by their playful swats to his shoulders.

You debut the new song to great praise, and, after wrapping up with one or two more of your favorites, are ready to call it a night. You get waylaid by locals and fans wanting photographs, but after that, you’re able to escape out into the cool midnight and find your friends waiting for you by the backdoor.

Phoenix slings an arm around your shoulder affectionately. “Great show, Y/N! Just like always. You totally killed it up there.”

You smile at her. “Thanks, Nat. All of you, too. Thanks for coming.”

“Of course,” Bob assures you, “how could we not?”

Hangman chuckles. “I don’t think wild horses could drag Rooster away from one of your gigs. I’d ask if you heard him yelling, but I think it would be physically impossible not to.”

You snort. “Oh, trust me, I did hear him. I think the entire state did.”

Phoenix laughs as well. “That’s Bradley for ya. He’s completely crazy about everything.”

“I’m literally just being a red-blooded American boy,” Rooster argues, pretending to puff up his chest and flex aggressively towards Hangman, “What more could you want from me?”

Fanboy snorts. “If Cyclone heard you say that sentence aloud, I think he’d shove you off the aircraft carrier himself.”

Rooster rolls his eyes. “He’d do it if I didn’t say a word, too. Cyclone just likes getting mad.”

None of you can argue with this. You’ve had the privilege of meeting this particular Top Gun commanding officer before, when your friends had insisted on dragging you to the base so they could give you a personal tour. The group of you had run into Cyclone while you were looking around– quite literally, actually, Fanboy was walking backwards down a hallway and gesturing animatedly about some fact at the exact same moment Cyclone was emerging from his office– and you’d had quite an interesting first impression, to say the least.

Cyclone doesn’t hate you, though, surprisingly enough. This might be due in part to Phoenix immediately introducing you as Y/N L/N, legendary country singer, which isn’t entirely true but kind of close enough, or so she claims. Funnily enough, the excuse worked. Cyclone wasn’t mad at them for bringing you without proper approval, and he actually eased off of them for a while. Rumor has it that Rooster was working late one night and heard the sound of your debut album playing in Cyclone’s office, so maybe you have a concrete reason as to why.

You have, of course, only used the incident as proof to further your agenda that you could totally kill it in Top Gun if you ever bothered to give it a chance, much to the chagrin of your favorite pilots. You don’t need to go up in a plane to prove it, or so you say. Seeing as the best any of them can do to return the sentiment is have Bradshaw go up to a piano and start playing ‘Great Balls of Fire,’ they simply have to live with it. You love it.

Hell, you love all of it. This life, this crazy life of yours. If you had told a younger version of you that you’d be spending your nights playing sold out concerts and hanging with a group of the best fighter pilots in the country, you wouldn’t be able to believe your own words. Still, though, it’s true. It’s hectic and messy and utterly chaotic, but it’s more fun than anything, and it’s yours.

Up ahead, Coyote shouts that all of you have to get a move on if you want to get to a nearby bar before all the booths are taken up. You and your friends pick up the pace, sprinting through the inky night. Up ahead, bright pinpricks of stars wheel overhead, occasionally interspersed with scarlet flashes of aircraft, and you think to yourself:  this is exactly what healing feels like. Someday, someday soon, you’re going to be okay. Maybe even tonight.

top gun tag list: @luckyladycreator2, @atarmychick007, @ramenyul, @mayfieldss, @nonsensical-nonce

all tags list: @wordsarelife

[sunshinesmebdy]

Moon in Sagittarius: Bold Moves and Financial Optimism in Business

The Moon, in astrology, represents our emotions, intuition, and sense of security. When it transits through the fiery sign of Sagittarius, a spirit of optimism and adventure takes hold. We become more expansive in our thinking, eager to explore new frontiers and take calculated risks. This can be a potent time for business and finance, as it fuels our drive for growth and fosters a “big picture” perspective.

Positive Influences for Business

Innovation and Expansion: The Moon in Sagittarius ignites our creative spark. This is a prime time to brainstorm new ideas, launch ventures, or explore uncharted territories in your business. The Moon’s transit through Sagittarius ignites a potent blend of optimism, curiosity, and a thirst for adventure. This unique astrological alignment can be a game-changer for businesses, particularly when it comes to innovation and expansion. Let’s delve deeper into how you can harness this dynamic energy:

Unleashing the Creative Spark:

Brainstorming sessions: The Moon in Sagittarius sparks unconventional thinking and out-of-the-box solutions. Gather your team for brainstorming sessions, encouraging open communication and free-flowing ideas. Don’t be afraid to consider seemingly “out there” concepts — some of the most groundbreaking innovations stemmed from challenging the status quo.

Embrace new perspectives: Encourage diverse perspectives within your team. Sagittarius thrives on exploration and learning from different viewpoints. Consider collaborating with individuals from outside your industry or conducting market research to gain fresh insights and identify new opportunities.

Launching New Ventures:

Market testing: The Moon in Sagittarius fosters a willingness to take calculated risks. If you’ve been contemplating launching a new product, service, or even an entirely new business venture, this period might be the green light you’ve been waiting for. Conduct thorough market research to mitigate risks, but don’t be afraid to take the leap when the data aligns with your vision.

Piloting and testing: Embrace experimentation. Pilot your new venture on a smaller scale before committing full resources. This allows you to refine your approach, gather valuable feedback, and minimize potential losses while maximizing the chances of success.

Exploring Uncharted Territories:

Entering new markets: Sagittarius is associated with expansion and global thinking. If you’ve been considering entering new markets, domestically or internationally, this transit can provide the impetus to move forward. Conduct thorough research on the target market, comply with local regulations, and build strategic partnerships to increase your chances of success.

Investing in new technologies: The Moon in Sagittarius encourages embracing innovation. Explore how emerging technologies can be integrated into your business operations to improve efficiency, reach new customers, or streamline processes. Remember, conduct due diligence and weigh the potential benefits against the risks before making any significant investments.

Networking and Collaboration: Sagittarius thrives on connection. Leverage this energy to network with potential partners, build relationships with clients, and expand your reach. The Moon’s journey through Sagittarius ignites a fire within us, urging us to connect, collaborate, and expand our horizons. This period is exceptionally well-suited for networking, building relationships, and expanding your reach in the business world. Here’s how to leverage this cosmic energy:

Networking Events:

Attend industry gatherings and conferences: The Moon in Sagittarius fuels your desire to connect with like-minded individuals. Attend industry events, conferences, or trade shows to broaden your network, meet potential partners, and stay up-to-date on industry trends.

Seek out online communities: Sagittarius thrives in vibrant online spaces. Join industry-specific forums, online groups, or social media communities to connect with professionals from around the world, share ideas, and build relationships.

Building Strong Client Relationships:

Focus on building rapport: Sagittarius values authentic connection. Take the time to understand your clients’ needs and build genuine relationships with them. This fosters loyalty and trust, leading to long-term business partnerships.

Host networking events: Organize client appreciation events or industry meet-and-greets. This provides a platform to connect with clients on a personal level, strengthen relationships, and build a sense of community.

Expanding Your Reach:

Collaborate with complementary businesses: Sagittarius seeks synergy and collaboration. Partner with businesses that complement your offerings to expand your reach and tap into new customer segments. Ensure the collaboration is mutually beneficial and aligns with your overall business strategy.

Explore strategic partnerships: Look for opportunities to partner with established organizations in your industry. This can lend credibility to your business, open doors to new markets, and accelerate your growth.

Financial Optimism: The Moon in Sagittarius fosters a sense of abundance and optimism regarding finances. You might be more receptive to investments or feel a surge in confidence when negotiating deals. The Moon’s transit through the sign of Sagittarius brings a wave of optimism not just to business ventures but also to our financial outlook. This doesn’t necessarily translate to guaranteed riches, but it does create a positive mindset that can be harnessed to make sound financial decisions. Let’s explore how this manifests:

Sense of Abundance:

Increased belief in prosperity: The Moon in Sagittarius fosters a positive outlook on the future. This can lead to a stronger belief in our ability to achieve financial goals, motivating us to take calculated risks and pursue opportunities for growth.

Gratitude for what you have: Sagittarius is associated with appreciation and gratitude. By acknowledging our current blessings, we shift our focus from what we lack to the abundance that already exists in our lives. This positive mindset attracts more positive results, fostering a cycle of abundance.

Openness to Investments:

Exploring new opportunities: The Moon in Sagittarius encourages us to step outside our comfort zones and explore new avenues. This can translate to increased willingness to consider investments that may have previously seemed intimidating.

Thorough research remains key: While the optimistic energy is positive, it’s crucial to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Understand the risks involved, consult with financial advisors, and make informed choices based on your personal financial goals and risk tolerance.

Confidence in Negotiations:

Stronger negotiation skills: The Moon in Sagittarius instills a sense of confidence and self-belief. This can enhance your negotiation skills, allowing you to advocate for yourself and your business more effectively when it comes to pricing, contracts, or other financial negotiations.

Maintaining ethical principles: While confidence is crucial, maintain ethical integrity and avoid manipulating others. Focus on win-win solutions that benefit all parties involved, fostering long-term partnerships and building trust.

Tips for Harnessing the Moon in Sagittarius Energy

Think Big: Don’t be afraid to set ambitious goals. This transit encourages us to dream large and take calculated risks. The Moon’s sojourn through Sagittarius ignites a potent cocktail of optimism, courage, and a yearning for adventure. This astrological alignment is a prime time to set ambitious goals and step outside your comfort zone to achieve them. Here’s how to harness this powerful energy for audacious accomplishments:

Unleashing Your Inner Visionary:

Dream big: Sagittarius is all about thinking expansive and setting audacious goals. Don’t be afraid to dream big for your business or personal finances. What would your ideal scenario look like? What audacious goals can excite and motivate you? Write them down, visualize them vividly, and allow yourself to believe in their attainability.

Break down the big goals: While dreaming big is essential, it’s equally important to have a roadmap to success. Break down your long-term goals into smaller, achievable milestones. This will make them seem less daunting and provide a clear path forward.

Calculated Risks for Big Rewards:

Embrace calculated risks: The Moon in Sagittarius encourages us to be bold and take calculated risks. Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. Analyze potential risks, create a contingency plan, and take a measured leap of faith towards your ambitious goals. Remember, sometimes the greatest rewards lie just beyond our comfort zones.

Don’t be reckless: While calculated risks are encouraged, avoid being reckless. Sagittarius may nudge you to be impulsive, but it’s important to strike a balance between boldness and prudence. Carefully consider the potential consequences before taking any significant actions.

Fueling Your Ambition with Knowledge:

Knowledge is power: The centaur, Sagittarius’s symbol, represents the union of wisdom and the wild archer. Fuel your ambition with knowledge. Research, take courses, and surround yourself with mentors who can guide you on your journey. The more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll feel in taking on ambitious goals.

Embrace Learning: Sagittarius is a lifelong learner. Take this opportunity to expand your knowledge through courses, conferences, or attending industry events. The Moon’s journey through the inquisitive and expansive sign of Sagittarius ignites a burning desire for knowledge and growth. This period is a golden opportunity to embrace lifelong learning and equip yourself with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve your ambitious goals.

Rekindle Your Inner Student:

Embrace curiosity: Sagittarius is naturally curious and thrives on exploring new concepts and ideas. Reconnect with your inner student and cultivate a genuine curiosity about the world around you. Ask questions, seek out new information, and challenge your existing assumptions.

Lifelong learning mindset: Shift your perspective from viewing learning as a chore to embracing it as a continuous journey of growth and self-discovery. This mindset will keep you motivated and engaged in the learning process.

Explore Diverse Learning Avenues:

Courses and workshops: Enroll in courses or workshops related to your field, personal interests, or specific goals you want to achieve. The vast array of online and offline learning options allows you to tailor your learning experience to your preferences and schedule.

Industry events and conferences: Attend industry events, conferences, or trade shows relevant to your business or profession. These events offer opportunities to learn from experts, network with like-minded individuals, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends and innovations.

Learning Beyond the Classroom:

Read extensively: Sagittarius is drawn to knowledge, and reading can be a powerful tool for expanding your horizons. Explore books, articles, and online resources related to your interests or areas you want to learn more about.

Seek mentors and advisors: Surround yourself with individuals who possess the knowledge and experience you aspire to. Seek mentors or advisors who can guide you on your learning journey, offer valuable insights, and challenge you to think critically.

Delegate and Collaborate: Don’t try to do everything yourself. Leverage the collaborative spirit of Sagittarius by delegating tasks and fostering teamwork within your business. The Moon’s transit through the expansive and collaborative sign of Sagittarius encourages us to move beyond our limitations and achieve more through collaboration. This is a prime time to delegate tasks effectively and leverage the strengths of your team to propel your business forward. Here’s how to harness this powerful energy:

Recognizing the Power of Collaboration:

Strength in numbers: Sagittarius thrives on community and working together towards a common goal. By delegating tasks and collaborating with others, you can tap into a wider range of expertise, perspectives, and energy, leading to more creative and effective solutions.

Building trust and fostering ownership: Effective delegation isn’t just about assigning tasks; it’s about building trust and fostering a sense of ownership among team members. Delegate tasks that align with individuals’ strengths and interests, allowing them to contribute meaningfully and take pride in their work.

Effective Delegation Strategies

Clear communication: Before delegating, ensure clear communication by outlining the task, desired outcomes, and any relevant information. This empowers team members to understand their responsibilities and complete the task successfully.

Empowerment and autonomy: Don’t micromanage. While providing guidance is crucial, trust your team members with the autonomy to execute the task using their best judgment. This fosters creativity, problem-solving skills, and a sense of ownership.

Leveraging Diverse Skills and Perspectives:

Identify individual strengths: Recognize the unique skills and strengths of each team member. Delegate tasks that leverage their individual talents and expertise to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.

Embrace diverse perspectives: Sagittarius values openness to different viewpoints. Encourage brainstorming sessions and open communication to foster a collaborative environment where diverse perspectives are valued and can lead to innovative solutions.

Words of Caution:

Overconfidence: While optimism is good, be wary of becoming overly confident. Do your due diligence before making significant financial decisions. The Moon’s journey through optimistic and adventurous Sagittarius can be a double-edged sword when it comes to finances. While it fosters a positive outlook and increased belief in one’s abilities, it also carries the pitfall of overconfidence. Here’s how to navigate this astrological influence and make sound financial decisions:

Recognizing the Signs of Overconfidence:

Undue optimism: Be wary of unrealistic expectations. While optimism is crucial, don’t let it cloud your judgment regarding potential risks or uncertainties.

Ignoring red flags: Overconfidence can lead to overlooking crucial information or dismissing potential problems. Remain vigilant and don’t ignore any red flags that may arise during your research or decision-making process.

Relying solely on intuition: While intuition can be valuable, it shouldn’t be the sole factor in financial decisions. Always complement your intuition with thorough research and sound financial analysis.

Mitigating the Risks of Overconfidence:

Conduct thorough due diligence: Before making any significant financial decisions, conduct thorough research and due diligence. This involves evaluating investment opportunities, researching companies, and comparing different options to make informed choices.

Seek professional advice: Don’t hesitate to consult with financial advisors or experts for guidance and professional insights. They can help you analyze your financial situation, identify potential risks, and make sound investment decisions.

Maintain a healthy dose of skepticism: Approach any financial opportunity with a healthy dose of skepticism. Question everything, seek different perspectives, and avoid making impulsive decisions based solely on optimism.

Striking a Balance with Optimism:

Channel optimism into preparation: The positive energy of Sagittarius can be channeled into comprehensive planning and preparation. Use your optimism to envision your financial goals but ground them in realistic expectations and thorough research.

Celebrate small wins: Maintaining a positive outlook is crucial. Celebrate your financial successes, no matter how small, to stay motivated and keep your optimism in check.

Learn from past mistakes: Everyone makes financial missteps. Use them as learning experiences to refine your decision-making process and avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.

Impulsiveness: Sagittarius’ impulsive nature can lead to rash decisions. Take your time, analyze all options, and avoid getting swept away by fleeting enthusiasm. The Moon’s transit through the fiery and adventurous sign of Sagittarius can ignite a spark of impulsiveness. While this energy can be a catalyst for bold action, it can also lead to rash decisions with negative consequences, especially when it comes to business and finances. Here’s how to navigate this astrological influence and make thoughtful choices:

Recognizing the Signs of Impulsiveness:

Urgency to act: Sagittarius’ impulsive nature can manifest as a sudden urge to act without considering all the options. Be wary of decisions made under pressure or driven by a fleeting sense of enthusiasm.

Ignoring potential risks: In the throes of impulsiveness, we might gloss over potential drawbacks or fail to adequately assess risks. Pay attention to any red flags that may arise during your decision-making process.

Overlooking details: The urge to act quickly can lead to neglecting crucial details. Ensure you gather all the necessary information and don’t allow excitement to cloud your judgment regarding the finer points.

Strategies to Curb Impulsiveness:

Implement a waiting period: Before making any significant decision, especially financial ones, impose a waiting period. This allows the initial excitement to subside and provides time for rational analysis and a more balanced perspective.

Seek a second opinion: Discuss your decision with a trusted friend, colleague, or financial advisor. Their objective perspective can help you identify potential blind spots and ensure you’re considering all the angles.

Create a pros and cons list: This classic technique can be a powerful tool during the Moon in Sagittarius transit. Write down the pros and cons of each option, allowing you to weigh the potential benefits and risks in a structured manner.

Channeling the Positive Energy:

Embrace the initial spark: The initial surge of enthusiasm ignited by Sagittarius can be a positive force. Use it to fuel your research and planning process. Channel your excitement into productive action that leads to well-considered decisions.

Transform impulsiveness into action: Sagittarius thrives on taking action. Instead of acting impulsively, transform that energy into productive action based on thoughtful analysis.

Focus on calculated risks: While impulsiveness is discouraged, Sagittarius encourages calculated risks. Once you’ve thoroughly analyzed a situation, don’t be afraid to take a well-measured leap of faith towards your goals.

Neglecting Details: The focus on the big picture might lead to overlooking crucial details. Ensure proper planning and follow-through to avoid pitfalls. The Moon’s journey through Sagittarius, with its emphasis on big ideas and expansive visions, can be a double-edged sword for business ventures. While it fosters innovation and exploration, it can also lead to overlooking crucial details that can derail even the most brilliant plans. Here’s how to strike a balance and ensure your big-picture thinking is supported by meticulous execution:

Recognizing When Details are Neglected:

Rushing the planning process: Sagittarius’ impulsive nature might lead to rushing the planning stage. Ensure you dedicate sufficient time to thoroughly analyze the situation and develop a comprehensive plan that addresses all potential issues.

Overlooking logistical challenges: In the excitement of a new idea, essential logistical details can be easily overlooked. Be mindful of operational challenges, resource limitations, and potential roadblocks that may hinder implementation.

Missing deadlines or overlooking commitments: The focus on the grand vision might lead to neglecting smaller deadlines or commitments. Ensure all tasks and milestones are clearly defined and tracked to maintain progress.

Strategies to Maintain Focus on Details:

Break down big goals into smaller steps: Sagittarius thrives on big ideas, but don’t get lost in the vastness. Break down your vision into smaller, achievable steps. This creates a roadmap for execution and ensures all critical details are addressed.

Develop a checklist system: Creating and utilizing checklists for each stage of your project can be a powerful tool. This ensures you haven’t overlooked any crucial aspects during the planning and execution phases.

Delegate tasks with detail-oriented individuals: Sagittarius is not known for meticulousness. Delegate tasks that require a keen eye for detail to individuals with complementary strengths.

Maintaining the Big Picture Perspective:

Don’t get bogged down in the details: While details are crucial, don’t lose sight of the overall vision and goals. Use detailed planning as a stepping stone, not a destination.

Balance planning with flexibility: In the spirit of Sagittarius’ adventurous nature, be prepared to adapt your plans as needed. Unforeseen circumstances may arise, so maintain a degree of flexibility while ensuring a solid foundation in place.

Celebrate progress, not just completion: Sagittarius’ optimistic energy thrives on celebration. Acknowledge and celebrate milestones along the way, not just the final completion of the project. This keeps the momentum going and fosters a culture of accomplishment.

Remember: Astrology is a tool for understanding our potential and navigating life’s cycles. While the Moon in Sagittarius brings a positive outlook for business, it’s important to remain grounded, make sound decisions, and leverage your intuition effectively.

Do you have any experiences with the Moon in Sagittarius transit? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

[justalonelyslytherin]

Legacies | Five

Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter

Pairing: Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x Kazansky!OC

Summary: Tension is running at an all-time high between the aviators. Mavericks solution? An afternoon spent at the beach, bonding over meaningless games. Can this truly awaken the camaraderie between the squabbling bunch of daggers?

Warnings: military inaccuracies, some (mild) swearing

Wordcount: 4.7k

If you enjoyed reading this, please consider leaving a comment or reblogging. I don’t allow for my content to be copied, translated, or reposted on other websites/apps. Please don’t steal my work.

A/N: As you might be able to tell, the beach scene technically shouldn't be happening now but later on. I had to change the order of scenes a little for it to make sense with this story.

Taglist: open, message me or comment to be added, will be put as reblog

“What a load of bullcrap!”

Harvard swore loudly, the frustration of yet another failed dogfight against their instructor clearly resonating against the walls of the hallway before the latest group entered the ready room. The defeat was evident in all of them. Faces twisted in annoyance and disappointment, shoulders squared and pulled up towards their necks, hands clenched tightly beside their bodies, and feet angrily dragging on the floor. Yale looked close to chucking his helmet across the floor as he walked beside his WSO.

Coyote behind the duo didn’t look any happier. He kept scrunching up his face, jaw grinding and his eyebrows deeply furrowed. With one hand he kept rubbing at his chin. Their faces were littered with small drops of perspiration, pearls of sweat trickling down their temples or throats.

Ana watched them walk by her, Coyote going straight towards Hangman who was laying on top of the backrest of one of the couches. A heavy cloud hung over them all, it wasn’t just the defeat of the three pilots, it was everyone's defeat. Even after days of dogfighting, no one had managed to get a hit on Maverick.

They had gotten closer. 

But never close enough.

It ate at everyone, tested their patience, and ripped their confidence apart. They were supposed to be the best of the best. Yet they couldn’t prove that, no matter how hard they tried. 

It scared her as well. Ana didn’t tell anyone else that but if they were too, they didn’t show it either. Then again Ana believed them to be oblivious to what still lay in front. It was a curse and a blessing at once to have connections, to know Mav closer than anyone except for Rooster maybe.

Even if she still didn’t know what the mission was exactly about, she could sense it was something even harder than winning a dogfight against Maverick. How were they supposed to do a mission if they couldn’t win?

A team mission nonetheless. 

All these defeats didn’t just damage them individually. It harmed their bonds and teamwork. Tensions couldn’t have been higher between everyone. It was a fine line between the snarky jabs they liked to swap in friendly ways and a full-blown brawl.

“Man, this was bad,” someone murmured disappointed, causing Coyote to snort loudly. It was the catalyst that got the stone rolling. In a matter of seconds, Harvard slammed his hands onto the flat surface of the bar counter before he turned around with a furious glint toward Coyote.

“What the hell was that up there, huh?” 

Coyote turned around at the seething words spit at him, his shoulders drawn up all the way to his ears.

“That was me trying to get Maverick and I nearly had him if it weren’t for you interfering. What did it look like to you?!” 

Harvard scoffed and shook his head, clearly something more on his mind to say but he held himself back. Yale on the other hand couldn’t hold the thoughts back and muttered, “You trying to pull a Hangman now?”

Javy spun around so fast it made Ana dizzy. He was ready to pounce at Yale when Maverick appeared in the doorframe.

The thick tension in the room dwindled down at the sight of their instructor, yet still simmered under the surface.

All eyes were turned towards the Captain. Maverick looked calm but Ana could see the surprise in his eyes. The subtle hint of him perhaps being startled too. He didn’t say anything, just eyed them all.

It was enough for them to avert their eyes and look down like small children being scolded. Maverick had this intense aura of a disappointed father that left no one cold.

However, the scolding and disciplinary action they were silently awaiting never came. Instead Maverick surprised them like so many times before with the words, “Get changed and meet me at the beach behind the Hard Deck. Be there at fifteen-hundred.”

After that, he was gone again. Vanished from the doorframe, while they all still stood there perplexed. Phoenix looked over to Ana, raising a confused eyebrow. She had to shake her head, not knowing what just had happened.

In the end, they all shuffled out of the ready room and towards the locker rooms to get changed.

This early in the midday the Hard Deck was still closed, the parking lot and the beach behind the bar both empty of any soul except for the bunch of aviators standing off to the side as Ana arrived. 

She, like all the others, had exchanged her flight suit for civilian apparel. Ana eyed the many pairs of jeans with raised eyebrows as she stopped beside Phoenix and Bob.

“Glad I’m not the only one without jeans on,” she mumbled, her lips quirking up at the sportswear both her colleagues sported. Bob smiled at her as Phoenix hummed behind her sunglasses, “You have any clue why Maverick wanted us to gather here?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “I know as much as you do.”

Which was absolutely nothing. Not that Ana had tried to think of a reason for Mav’s last orders. Her guess was it had something to do with team building or perhaps Mav was simply planning on having them run laps at the beach. Making them run through the sand was both tedious and an annoying enough punishment for the bickering persisting in their ranks.

The sounds of another car arriving, the ignition turning off and doors being opened then closed tore her concentration away. Halo, Omaha, and Fritz were the last ones to join the group.

“Maverick not here yet?” Halo asked as she came up beside them. There was headshaking in unison from everyone which had Halo and Omaha furrow their brows.

“Why are you all wearing jeans?” Ana quipped up, eyeing the three of them with their capri jeans skeptically.

“Why not?” Fritz asked her with a grin as he wiggled around, it reminded her of a worm. “He didn’t tell us what to wear, did he?”

It made her chuckle quietly but nonetheless shake her head. Fritz was right, Maverick hadn’t. Then again he wouldn’t have ordered them to the beach for no reason and it certainly wouldn’t be to have a drink.

“It’s 15:00 now.” Omaha glanced at his wristwatch before he looked around. The moment he had lowered his arm, the door of the Hard Deck swung open. Out of the closed establishment came not their instructor but Hondo. 

The confusion could be grasped from the air directly surrounding the daggers, each of them staring at the Chief Warrant Officer. Ana raised a brow behind her sunglasses at the blatantly Navy-labeled jersey he was wearing.

“Everyone here?” Was the first thing he asked them, sweeping his eyes over the group and nodding to himself before he continued, “Alright, follow me then. Penny kindly allowed us to use the back porch, so you can deposit your things there.”

“Put our things there?” Fanboy asked as Hondo already moved around the bar, the group slowly following him towards the sand.

“Yes, you didn’t hear me right the first time, Lieutenant?” The way Hondo’s lips twitched upwards clearly showed the joy he had messing with Fanboy as the backseater stammered out a flustered “N-no, sir.”

“Why exactly are we putting out things there?” Payback asked the question they were all secretly wondering as they arrived at the porch that encompassed the backside of the bar and led directly onto the beach. Hondo stopped before them and turned around. Instead of answering he pointed his finger toward the water.

It was Fritz that started to cackle then and pull at his shoes, cheerfully telling them “Might want to remove your shoes too, fellas.”

Ana followed Hondo’s pointing finger with her eyes down the sandbanks onto the edge of the water. There she saw him. Maverick had set up a beach chair and a cooler beside it, as he sat in the chair and looked out towards the billowing waves crawling onto the beach. She snorted quietly. Amusement welled up in her, pushing out the previous confusion.

“Let’s see what it is that he has planned, shall we?” Pulling off her shoes she shoved her socks into them. Neatly placed beside Fritz’s, the collection of shoes grew with each dagger. Some of them lost their shirts too, piling them up just beside the shoes and the stack of wallets and phones and bags.

The group of aviators wasn’t very quiet as they descended the sand dunes toward their instructor. Multiple smaller groups of them speculated what would happen next. Mav turned his head towards them when he heard it, his sunglasses caught the light of the sun.

Ana noted the way his lips twitched up. It settled the unsure feeling in her stomach. The way the tension had been so high between all of them after the flight, she had reckoned Maverick would handle them much cooler and more seriously. But this didn’t seem like a punishment.

“I see everyone made it,” he announced as he stood up and turned around towards them. In an instant, the group quieted down. With his arms crossed before his chest, he swept his eyes over each aviator before him. “I bet you are all wondering why you are here?” 

A chorus of agreement followed Maverick as he uncrossed his arms and bent down towards the cooler. Out of it, he pulled two footballs, a blue and an orange one, which he held in both his hands.

“We are here to do some team bonding. Seeing as you are all lacking in that department more than your skills up in the air. All your skills won’t help you during the mission if you can’t trust your wingman to work with you.”

“And how are we going to change that, sir?” Harvard spoke up.

“Glad you asked. You are going to be divided into two teams. Everyone left of Payback you are team blue and the rest of you are team orange. And then we’ll play.”

Ana looked around her to see her teammates. Phoenix and Payback high-fived, clearly happy to be in one team. Bob who stood beside the both shot her a small smile. Beside them Yale and Harvard were also in her team together with – she wanted to groan – Hangman.

“Uh, what are we playing?” Bob asked, pushing his glasses up with his pointer finger. Maverick glanced over the brims of his sunglasses, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Dogfight football. Offense and defense at the same time.

Each team gets a football they have to protect and attack with. At the same time you are trying to score you have to stop the other team from doing so.” With that, he threw the blue football toward Omaha. He caught the football without trouble and looked around at his teammates.

“Alright, you got five minutes to set up a strategy then we start!” Hondo took over, clapping in his hands before he grabbed the whistle around his neck and put it between his lips. He looked down at the wristwatch on his arm, timing five minutes as both teams scrambled to form a circle and a strategy

“Okay, time’s up! Line up!” Hondo bellowed after exactly five minutes. The two clusters that had formed spread out on the wet sand, the players lined against each other.

“We can do that, yeah?” Payback shouted as they all took their positions. Ana grinned at his words and looked forward, readying herself for the play that was about to be played. The whistle sounded and with multiple shouts, they dashed forward.

Dogfight football was fun. And it served entirely the purpose Mav had wanted it to do. There was no bickering, no fighting. They all had fun and got along.

Even with Hangman, which surprised Ana. He didn’t seem like a team player but put him into a football team and the man became the definition of team spirit.

One game followed the other and with each round won or lost more shirts went off. By the time the sun was slowly starting to sink and envelope everything in a beautiful yellow, golden glow everyone but Bob had lost their shirts.

Ana was surrounded by glistening, muscular chests, abs, and arms. Even Phoenix and she had chugged their shirts off at some point in favor of running around in just their sports bras.

Fanboy had even run up to Penny and borrowed a pair of scissors with which they had cut Coyote loose. Long jeans had been turned into capris and the atmosphere hadn’t been able to get better. It was the first time all of them had agreed with one another and cheered in unison.

Now as the two teams faced each other off and got ready for another round, they were all fooling around. The score had been discontinued games ago, it was all about the enjoyment. Ana grinned brightly as she looked around at her teammates, lined up and squaring off with team blue.

Maverick acted as the quarterback for the blue team, standing behind the lineup as he pushed his aviators up with his finger before he pointed it at her team. He kept mouthing something she couldn’t quite catch.

To her right, Phoenix kept pointing her fingers between herself and Fanboy who was opposite her, just beside them stood Yale and Coyote, equally mouthing off toward the other with playful jabs and competitive displays. 

The good mood had spread through all of them, so much so that Ana couldn’t even be mad when Hangman winked at her from his position as their team's quarterback. Any other moment and she would have felt the need to roll her eyes at him. This time however she grinned back over her sunglasses before she turned her head to the front again, looking Fritz in the eyes as he grinned opposite of her. 

Over her head, she heard Rooster loudly shout “Hangman!” followed by the blonde's rebuttal “All right, all right.” The next thing she heard was Hondo’s whistle indicating the start of the game.

In a matter of seconds, their neat line had dispersed in a flurry, people running left and right to both chase and defend the footballs. Team Blue threw their football toward Mav while her team's orange one went to Hangman.

Yale charged forward, in hot pursuit of Maverick which promptly landed him face-first in the sand. While Yale took his tumble, Hangman passed the orange football toward Phoenix. Her catch was formidable, Ana cheered her teammate on as she and Bob were in close backing to defend her. Quickly the orange football was passed along towards Harvard, promptly being chased by Fritz. To no avail.

Hondo whistled, loudly announcing another “Touchdown!” that sent team orange into a cheering outbreak. Loudly laughing and cheering Ana high-fived first Bob and then Phoenix before she looked over her shoulder towards a certain blonde aviator.

Hangman had his hands high up in the air, walking sideways as he celebrated. His loud screaming, “Come on baby! Yehaaa!” had Ana snickering. 

There was amusement flowing through her as she shook her head over Hangman's antics. And deep down there also was a little fluttering in her chest as she watched the sun dance along his tan and glistening skin.

Too distracted by the goodness of his rippling muscles she didn’t even notice how he advanced on her until he stood before her, still whooping and cheering. The next moment he was lifting her in the air. With one arm across her back and the other around her knees, she was pressed against him and very much aware of how the side of his face came into pronounced contact with her bare stomach.

Her hands found the way to his shoulders, where she grasped for a halt. All the while her heartbeat had increased from a small excited fluttering to an aggressive pounding.

Hangman carried her over the sand, dancing and spinning along as he kept whooping. So much so that she couldn’t help but join in again on his cheering, even with her heart nearly jumping out of her chest. At some point, Hangman seemed to realize he still had her in his arms and was parading her over the beach. 

Luckily for Ana, her reflexes were good enough so she didn’t land on her ass but instead on her feet as he lifted her back to the ground with so much momentum he may as well have thrown her. There was a brief moment in which they looked at one another, breathless from all the cheering, and with racing hearts. Surprise formed their expressions as realization overcame them moments before grins broke out on their faces. Soon they were laughing at each other. 

Still laughing, Ana looked around at the rest of the team. Phoenix and Halo grinned brightly at each other and high-fived. As she looked further she saw Mav standing beside Hondo, one arm leaning over his shoulder as they both kept watching their silly little group. Everything felt so weightless and happy at that moment. It made her wish she could freeze time. 

Hangman beside her continued to grin, obviously still pumped from scoring and the general air of fun and relaxation. Ana had never seen her fellow aviators so laid-back and easygoing. They were able to all just have fun. 

Fun that seemed to fuel Hangman even more as he jogged towards the forgotten orange football in the sand and swiftly scooped it up. He was strutting through the group that slowly gathered around him. The sunglasses on his face glinted in the sun.

What caught Ana’s attention much more however was the way his arms and pecs flexed as he brought the football to his face. Imitating a biting motion he threw the football aimlessly behind him. Still very much occupied with his immaculate physique, Coyote, Fanboy, and Harvard dropped into the sand as the football hit the ground. They fell through the air, mimicking the force an explosive like a grenade would have.

Shortly after followed another game. Omaha threw the blue football back at Maverick, who sprinted towards Ana and her team. It was Coyote that tackled their instructor, sending both of them flying into the sand.

She cringed at the way her godfather spiraled before he landed square and rather harshly on his lower back and butt. Maverick had gotten his breath knocked out of him, so much so Ana wasn’t the only one to react. Everything in her told her to walk over to him and make sure he was alright.

The way Maverick kept laying in the sand concerned her greatly. He hadn’t hurt himself, had he? Distinctly she remembered her father mentioning a crash that had happened not too long ago and without even knowing she had made a step forward. 

Although, she wasn’t the only one to do so. From the side, she noticed Rooster moving towards Maverick. Rooted to the spot in surprise, she couldn’t trust her eyes.

Rooster going towards Maverick seemed like an impossible thing, like a dream. Since the dogfight with the cobra maneuver, the air between these two had been so tense. So much in fact it had spoiled her own relationship with Rooster. 

Now Rooster was walking over to Maverick, standing before the man who was still leaning in the sand. Ana’s heart leaped in her chest as she watched Rooster hold out his hand and help Maverick up. It might have been just a small moment between them and it was gone in a blink of a second as Rooster took the football Maverick had dropped the next moment and turned away, but to her, it meant so much more. Just days ago it had looked like Rooster might never stand to be in the same room as the man that had betrayed him.

Ana was much too caught up in the previous moment to notice the whistle announcing the start of the next game. In a flurry of movement, bodies flew past her. It was only when cheering resounded that she caught up and turned her head. Maverick stood at the other end of the makeshift football field that was the strip of beach, way behind her and any of her team members. Upon closer inspection, it was only team blue that was cheering, which meant Mav had just scored a touchdown.

Going out in a big show could sum up Maverick rather well. He liked to go big or go home which in most cases had caused him more trouble than was worth. At least if Ana could trust the stories her father had uttered all her life.

Sometimes she wondered if her father hadn’t made up some of them. To her, it had always seemed magical that he never ran out of stories to tell about his wingman and their time together but mostly about all the trouble Maverick had gotten into.

While he didn’t do anything against the rules, he decided to call it quits after the touchdown. Fanboy protested as Mav started walking off the field, the blue football now in his hands.

“But we’ll be one short!” He called after Maverick who kept walking towards his beach chair, the booing of the group following him as he grabbed his previously discarded shirt and put it on. There was no way he listened to their protests Ana realized as she watched the small exchange of hand waves between Penny and her godfather. It made her smile. How sweet it was to see the two of them and the little thing that was blossoming between them. She wished her godfather only the best, a little love in his otherwise lonely life would do him good.

“Doesn’t matter, we'll beat them no problem!” Omaha told Fanboy, who was still standing there with the football.

“Oh, you think you can beat us without Mav?” Payback jested, grinning brightly, his arms stretched out to both sides in boasting.

“We’ll see if you talk less and play more,” Hondo called out, pointing at them to assume their starting positions for the next round. That was all he needed to say to have the teams scramble back into their starting positions. With a newfound vigor buzzing all throughout them they carried on. 

Rooster took the lead directing team blue instead of Maverick and after the whistle had rung he aimed the blue football for a long throw. Ana’s eyes followed the blue football flying across the entire imaginary field of sand, her own team's football momentarily forgotten, as she watched Bob catch team blue’s football in one swift motion. The tall WSO was clearly surprised by himself. Ana couldn’t help but eye Bob with a huff of disbelief, smiling and shaking her head.

Seconds after Bob had caught the ball another round of cheers broke out. The teams and scores didn’t matter anymore, fun had taken priority, and if team blue cheered for Bob too, no one batted an eyelash against it. Instead, all of them cheered together.

It was like a hivemind between all of them. First Phoenix and Payback jogged up to Bob and surrounded him, celebrating and cheering. Ana saw the others also inching in on the little trio. She caught Halo’s eyes, the woman was closest to her. Both of them shared a grin and laugh as Rooster tried to lift the tallest of the aviators onto his shoulders.

“Come on,” Halo called over to her, waving and pointing at the gaggle of men that had almost managed to lift Bob on Rooster’s shoulders. Although it looked like a very shaky construction with Hangman, Harvard, and Fritz surrounding them, their arms stretched out to catch Bob in case he decided to take a dive off Rooster’s shoulders. 

It sounded distinctively like Payback to her when a voice started to chant Bob as both Halo and she joined the goofy group of adults. Soon everyone joined in on the chant of “Bob! Bob! Bob!”, their hands lifted high into the air as they jumped up and down in unison.

“Careful!” “Whoa!” “– going down!”

A mix of shouts and laughter rang out as they all circled closer, caging in Rooster and Bob. What followed were hands everywhere, playfully pushing and shoving until they all went down in a giant pile of people. It reminded Ana of silly little children roughhousing the way they were all piled over one another, arms and legs wiggling and sticking out from the group.

She wouldn’t have been able to tell where one person began and the other ended. Being one of the lucky ones she was on the top of the pile, Omaha wasn’t so lucky as he had a foot shoved into his face, his sunglasses hanging on only one ear. 

Groans and complaints started to rise and it was then that Ana figured it was time to dissolve the pile of human jackstraws. She was already on the way to slowly climbing off and backing away when she was pulled backward by two hands on her hips. She stumbled against a bare and sweaty chest mere seconds before two arms slung around her stomach and the hands on her hips returned. Said hands lifted her in the air.

“You look like you could use some refreshment,” Hangman murmured into her ear. His hot breath graced her rapidly heating skin as a shiver raced down her spine. Her feet were lifted far off the sand as the cocky blond pilot started carrying her away from the others.

“Hangman…,” she told him, relaxed and a laugh bubbling in her throat. The closer they got to the water the more she started to resist and wiggle around in his hold.

“Hangman!”, she warned him but he only laughed behind her. Ana could feel the way his chest vibrated against her back and the way his breath fanned across her shoulder.

“Jake, stop it,” she told him one last time as he had already waded into the water. It made him halt for a moment the way she had called him by his first name. Ana had never called him that before, so it must have been surprising for him.

But just when she thought he would let her go she flew through the air. The next thing she felt was cold water. Coming up she spluttered. Hangman still stood before her, laughing heartily and looking down at her with one of his bright, cocky grins.

Ana scowled at him, brushing her hair back as water dripped down the tip of her nose. However the longer she looked at Jake’s amused face the more her scowl faltered. The corners of her mouth started to twitch upwards and in the end, she started laughing with him. 

“You are an idiot!” she called out, splashing him with water.

“I ain’t an idiot if I made it through Top Gun. But if I were at least I’d be an immensely good-looking one,” he countered as he peaked down at her over the top of his sunglasses. Her laugh stopped then abruptly, causing him to look curiously at her.

Ana used the moment and slowly raked her eyes over him, taking in his sweaty, tan, and partially wet glory. He was incredibly good-looking, she had to give him that. Shrugging she stood up and waded through the water until she stood directly in front of him.

Hangman waited for her to make the next move, to say or do something. His adams apple bopped as he swallowed in anticipation. Leaning forward, close enough so she could reach his ear, she opened her mouth to whisper something to him.

Only instead of actually whispering an answer, she pushed against his broad chest when he least expected it. Hangman stumbled and fell backward into the water.

Now it was her standing above him and grinning down.

When Jake sat up water ran down his face. His hair was matted against his head and his sunglasses hung askew over his nose.

“Even if you are hot, you’re still an idiot.” With that she walked past him, chuckling as she waded back to the beach where the rest of the team was done with dispersing from the dogpile.

[usafphantom2]

Updated B-52 electronic warfare suite will be tested in flight in 2024

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/29/2024 - 10:36 in Military

Flying through the skies since the 1950s, the B-52 Stratofortress is a U.S. Air Force (USAF) workhorse and a lasting symbol of American military power. The eight-engine giant has unique capabilities unparalleled to any other American warplane - which is why, after more than 70 years of service, it continues to play a vital role in the defense and national security strategy of the U.S. And thanks to a collaboration between L3Harris and USAF, this iconic aircraft is prepared to remain ready for the mission against highly sophisticated emerging threats in the coming decades.

Under a 10-year contract worth $947 million granted in 2021, L3Harris is upgrading and improving the AN/ALQ-172 electronic war self-protection system (EW), which protects the B-52 and air crews from a wide range of electronic threats. Our current work is based on decades of experience in providing critical technology as a Manufacturer of Original Equipment of the AN/ALQ-172 systems for the B-52 fleet. And combined with other ongoing modernization efforts, these updates will increase the relevance and reliability of the B-52 by the 2050s.

L3 Harris AN/ALQ-172 systems.

"Our opponents continue to evolve, facing advanced and far-reaching threats that challenge our ability to operate in contested environments," says Robert "Trip" Raymond, USAF's Program Leader for EW Technology Development at L3Harris. "It is essential that we provide our B-52 crew with the necessary tools to keep the B-52 relevant, lethal and survivable as the backbone of the strategic bomber force of the United States."

The effort of modernization and support - ALQ-172 Maintenance and Reliability System (MARS) - intends to do exactly that, increasing the average time between failures due to its modular design, while further improving the performance, maintenance capacity and reliability of the system. Thanks to an integrated and improved radio frequency system, crews will be able to simultaneously combat multiple radar threats that interfere with aircraft operations. And by replacing analog systems with more economical software solutions, USAF will be able to reduce the size of B-52 crews from 5 to 4. This frees up resources for additional mission-critical activities.

Ultimately, the updates will further help USAF in its Global Attack Mission and strengthen the effectiveness of the B-52 in modern warfare, while making future upgrades cheaper and easier.

"We are implementing affordable solutions that not only reduce costs, but also provide crews with more advanced protection against the most sophisticated threats detected by radar," said Jimmy Mercado, Program Director at L3Harris. "All this results in a more modern, efficient and effective aircraft, ready to dominate the future struggle."

USAF plans to conduct a test flight with the new electronic warfare capabilities of the B-52 in 2024.

Tags: Military AviationBoeing B-52H StratofortressEW - ELECTRONIC WARL3HarrisUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

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

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[thisisyourauthorspeaking]

How To Write A Plane Crash

So. Your blorbos are on a plane, and something horrible needs to happen during that flight for the plot to move forward. Let's talk about it first.

- Does it even need to be a crash?

TL;DR: Plane crashes are very rare, and most of the time, when something happens, the solution is to Just Land The Plane.

First things first, consider why exactly this plot calls for a plane crash. Are you killing off a character(s)? Does the cast get stuck in the wilderness? Is it a canon event?

If it isn't something to that tune, then some possibilities that may better suit the plot include:

Diversion, where the airplane lands at a different airport because it can't land at the originally planned airport for any number of reasons. There is no imminent danger to anyone on board. Think weather along the route, emergency at the airport, weather at the airport doesn't allow a safe landing, etc.

Precautionary landing, where the crew decides to land the plane at the nearest practical airport to avoid a risky situation from developing further. There is still no danger to anyone on board, but there's a situation which may cause problems, such as an unusual indication on one of the instruments, strange noise, or deteriorating weather.

Emergency landing, where there is an imminent danger and the plane needs to be on the ground as soon as possible, be it an airport or not. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of emergency landings are completed with no injuries or deaths to anyone on board. Situations which call for an emergency landing include malfunctioning equipment, power loss, engine failure, onboard fire, violent passengers, or any other dramatized, scary-sounding "plane problem". More on this later.

Still want it to be a big, fiery crash that kills people and traumatizes the survivors? Onward!

- Why is the plane crashing?

TL;DR: Unexpected situation + human error = plane crash.

Air travel is, statistically speaking, the single safest mode of transportation on the planet. You're more likely to die in a traffic accident during the drive to or from the airport.

The single most common cause of fatal airplane crashes, regardless of the type of airplane, is human error. The average airliner has tons of redundancies, safety systems, self-tests, and fail-safes that all have to go wring in order for a mechanical issue to be the sole cause of a plane crash.

The most common phase of flight where an airplane crashes is either just after takeoff, or just before scheduled landing. It's rare for a crash to happen during cruise.

Yes, Boeing has these safety systems too - the airplanes themselves are very well-designed; the reason they're falling apart is due to humans cutting corners during manufacturing.

Some fatal crashes determined by investigators to be caused primarily by human error:

Air France Flight 447, although initially caused by an issue with the airspeed sensor, became a fatal crash when the pilots grossly mishandled the situation and caused the airplane to enter an aerodynamic stall, where it then hit the ocean.

KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, where the captain of the KLM flight began takeoff under the mistaken belief that he was cleared to do so, and subsequently crashed into the Pan Am flight, which was cleared for takeoff from a crossing runway at that time.

N3590T, a twin-engine private plane, where the pilot attempted to fly around a thunderstorm without understanding the limitations of the airplane's weather information display, nor grasping the true severity of the weather.

Notice a common theme among the incidents I posted - the incident starts with a minor hiccup, such as a sensor icing over, fog being too dense to see the other plane, or weather popping up along the route of flight, but the true cause of the crash is the pilot's failure to properly handle the situation.

This is how almost every fatal crash happens, and this is why a huge part of flight training revolves around drilling emergency situations into your head. My instructors did it to me, and I am doing it to my students. Because of this training, so many minor issues are prevented from ending in tragedy, but humans are not infallible - that is when incidents like these happen.

- "But that sounds like a hand-wave! Are there any freak accidents that kinda work?"

TL:DR: The things that cause full-blown plane crashes usually don't make for a juicy, dramatic headline.

Okay, we can work with this. Freak accidents are fun to write, but also exceedingly rare.

First things first: For the love of whoever's up there, DON'T use any of these reasons for a plane crash (unless you pair it with human error, but this section is for if you think human error is boring):

Turbulence: No properly-designed and tested airplane can be brought down solely by turbulence; the engineers know that turbulence is a thing and build the airplanes to handle it unscathed.

Mid-air collision: If the airplane is flying under instrument navigation, and in controlled airspace, it is ATC's sole job to make sure this doesn't happen, and it's almost impossible for an airliner to be involved in one given all of the safeguards in place. Of the mid-air collisions that do happen, most of them are at low altitude, near airports, and between small propeller planes.

Engine failure: Airplanes are perfectly capable of flying with one engine out of commission, and even with both engines gone, it's still perfectly possible to glide down to a safe landing spot. (NOTE: This situation may work if it's a small propeller plane, like a Cessna or a biplane. Even then, it should still be combined with another risk factor such as nighttime, flying in/over clouds, over wilderness/open water, etc.)

Engine fire: Although this warrants an emergency landing, the airplane's systems are fully capable of containing and putting out the fire before it spreads to the rest of the airplane. Looks scary, but once the fuel is shut off and the fire suppression is doing its magic, it just becomes a game of limping to an airport.

Terrorism/Hijacking: No. There's a big fuck-off bulletproof door between the crew and the rest of the cabin, and it can only be unlocked from the cockpit. (I'll save my rant about the TSA for another post.)

Now, let's talk about some incidents that were not preventable by crew action:

Flight control failure: United Airlines Flight 232 is a flight in which a freak mechanical failure caused simultaneous failure of all three hydraulic systems, resulting in a complete loss of steering control. 2/3 of people onboard survived, but this was only due to emergency management far beyond what any pilot trains for, and the help of an off-duty pilot traveling as a passenger.

Explosive decompression: In an explosive decompression, the pressurization system has failed, and it's typically accompanied by a large hull breach. The part about this scenario that makes it especially dangerous is the fact that at the altitude commercial airliners cruise at, the pilots may have 8 to 10 seconds at most to don their oxygen masks. If they fail, then there is nobody flying the plane.

Inflight wing separation: N106ER, a single-engine trainer airplane, lost a wing during final approach to an airport when practicing landings. The investigation concluded that this happened due to repetitive stress on the airplane's hull, which progressively worsened and was not able to be detected during annual inspections or preflight safety checks. IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS CANNOT HAPPEN TO AN AIRLINER - THEY ARE DESIGNED TO MUCH HIGHER SAFETY STANDARDS

All of these incidents were freak accidents that are, by their nature, unpredictable and not preventable. Therefore, I emphatically advise you to either a) stick to the human error formula above, or b) send me an ask with as much detail as you can, requesting information as to if or how it can be made believable.

Happy writing!

[starlightswordfight]

# ??? - CURE TESTING IN PROGRESS

VOYAGE LOG: YONNY.

...

It's day ---.

I've determined that with the power of glow sap combined with healthy, non-infected cells, I can immunize us to the leafling transformation procedure :D!! It saved some of our castaways already. I'm hoping we can recover our pilot.

I'm unsure how it would work as a preemptive measure. In theory, it'd function similar to a vaccine -- but so little is known about this planet's ecology that I'm simply not sure if using the substance for that purpose would be safe.

I brought these concerns to Russ. He offered himself up as a test subject. We'd both benefit from knowing how a leafling cure would affect someone who had yet to be affected, and if anything went wrong, we'd be able to minimize the damage and fix everything in a controlled environment.

I know he cares for the others as much as I do, even if he can't swallow his pride and admit it.

I administered the solution to him a week ago. No complications have arisen.

I've observed no signs of leafling behavior or physiology, nor has he brought concerns to me. It was successful enough that I'm moving ahead with preparing it for everyone at the post.

The Rescue Corps, at highest risk due to field exposure, are highest priority on my list. Haven't got to everyone yet, it's very busy around here. New Blood especially especially evades me ... I don't even have them on record yet.

But we'll get there. And in the meantime I made sure to immunize myself!

I have faith. My hopes are very high.

Of course, I'll still be taking notes.

Just in case.