#Might have to open up comms double time. And do more adopts | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

votederpycausemufins · 3 years

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I give you the final chapter of Summoning Family. It’s been a fun story, and while I have more ideas for it, there are other things I want to write. I mean, i got 114,984 words out of this thing! (so says ao3) I hope you enjoy, and read to the very end for something extra.

@petrichormeraki @helleborusangel

Grian smacked his alarm as it started to ring, making it shut up. He had been up late the night before getting everything ready. About a minute later, the alarm went off again and Grian groaned before shutting it off. The third time he sat up angrily and stared the clock down as he turned the alarm off. Why had past him set such an early alarm? They had done everything yesterday. Except get the cake. And decorate. And- okay they still had a lot to do.

Grian dragged himself out of bed and poured a bucket of water over his head to wake himself up. He then regretted that as he needed to dry his wings afterwards, but then he flew over to Mumbo’s base and barged into his bedroom.

“WAKE UP SLEEPYHEAD!” Grian shouted at the top of his lungs to wake Mumbo up, but was surprised when nothing happened. “Mumbo!” Grian then stomped over to the bed, only to find it empty. Confused, the avian started looking through the base, eventually finding the redstoner feeding it. “What are you already doing awake?”

Mumbo jumped a little before looking over. “I could ask you the same thing. At least for me I rigged up some redstone to make sure I got up at the right time. I’ve already gathered up some supplies and in making sure I’ve got everything ready, I actually remembered to feed this place.”

“Good for you. Do you need me to get anything else? I was going to pick up the cake. Do you think Tommy remembered the message on top when ordering it. Oh no, what if he didn’t and it doesn’t-”

“Calm down Grian. I’m barely keeping myself together as it is. If it doesn’t work out, I’m sure store bought will be fine as an emergency.”

“But this is his first birthday! And it wouldn’t be fair if he got a standard one while Jrum would get a fancy cake!”

“Grian, they can’t even eat cake.”

“You’re right! Why did I even bother wanting to get them a cake?!”

“For the guests who can eat cake.” Mumbo quickly answered before continuing. “Although there is the possibility of a mineral cake. If I get some lava I could theoretically- hang on.” And he put down a shulker box and started going through it. “Of course a diamond on top since it will probably just be a cupcake or something, though we don’t want to leave Jrum out. And I think I’ve still got a chisel in my ender chest.”

“Well, It looks like you’ve got something to do.” Grian responded, feeling much calmer now that it looked like they had a good plan in place. “So even if this cake doesn’t work out, we’ll still have something good. But I’m still going to see if I can pick up the one we ordered so I’m going to run and grab that.” Mumbo half nodded, giving a slight wave, too busy planning on a mineral cake for Grum.

Grian chuckled before making a portal and heading to the SMP. When he got to the other side, he pulled out a piece of paper. “Okay. Coordinates, coordinates… Ah, okay so the bakery is that way.” He turned in the direction of the coordinates and for a moment considered flying, but he remembered how close everything was and if he flew, he would probably pass it quickly.

It didn’t take long to actually reach the building, though Grian still double checked, even with the various signs of it being a bakery. Finally, he walked inside and went up to the counter, a bell ringing overhead as he opened the door. “I’ll be with you in a minute.” A voice from further in the building called and Grian just waited.

After about a minute and a half, a woman walked out and greeted Grian. “Hello there. Hoping to buy something or order?”

“Neither actually, I’m picking up an order. It should be under the name Tommy Innit but I’m the one picking it up.”

“Ah, yes! Tommy’s cake! I made sure to take special care of it!” The woman smiled and Grian narrowed his eyes slightly as it was a smile he was very familiar with, having used it plenty himself.

“Right, well did he remember to ask for a message to be written on top?” Grian asked, the woman shaking her head. “Right, I was worried about that. I hope it won’t be too much of a hassle to add that. I can pay extra if need be.”

“Hmm, yeah I can do that. What’s the message?”

“Well it’s… Here let me write it down just to be sure, I don’t want it wrong on such a special day.” The avian said before pulling a pen out and writing on his paper.

“Special… day?” The woman asked and Grian could hear the nervousness in her voice.

“Oh yes.” Grian couldn’t help but give a slight sly smile of his own. It looked like he’d have to get a store bought cake after all, but he wanted to see how this would go as he put the paper down. “It’s my kid’s first birthday. He’s… sort of adopted so while he’s not an infant, it’s still the first birthday he’s gotten to have so I’m making sure it’s perfect. So a simple

Happy Birthday Grum’ will do.”

The woman stared at the piece of paper like it had just shown up and killed her family as she watched. “Right… birthday party for a child. Hmm. I think I got the design a bit wrong. Let me get you a second one. I can always comp the other person for the delay.” And she went into the back again, leaving Grian smiling. This was probably another person who had it out for Tommy, so messing with her was proving to be fun.

Listening carefully, he could pick up the woman panickedly whispering to someone else. “Jack we fucked up, Tommy’s not eating the cake, he ordered it for someone else!”

“What? Who? Ranboo or Tubbo?”

“No! I don’t even know the person out there but apparently the cake is for the birthday of a previously orphaned child!”

“Oh shit!”

“Yeah! So now we need to find a way to quickly make a non-poisoned cake before this guy gets suspicious.”

“You passed that point a while ago.” Grian called out into the shop. “I’ve done my fair share of schemes and recognize a scheming smile when I see it.”

Grian couldn’t help but smile as there was complete silence before the woman slowly came back out of the shop. “Right, so I guess, I don’t really have a cake for you.”

“No it’s fine. You said it’s poisoned? Did you use poison as a substitute for milk?”

“Well…”

“So you put both in there. That’s going to make this much easier. It always depends on the person, but milk normally stops any poisons, so a cake like that will just make someone sick for a bit but not actually poison them. Maybe just cause some nausea. It’s an easy enough fix!”

“You’ve… poisoned cakes before?” The woman asked.

“I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of… but poison cakes are not one of them, that was hilarious. Just not when it’s people I care about, which is why I even know how to fix it. Essentially we just need some milk and some netherwart. I’m guessing you have that somewhere?”

“Uh, let me check.” She turned to yell behind her. “Jack do we have any netherwart?!”

“No, but I can grab some!”

“Hurry up!”

“Yeah I know!”

The woman turned back to Grian. “So… it might take a little bit.”

Grian just leaned on the counter. “Oh I’ve got time since I don’t need to pick up a new cake. How about you start with that message and we can talk. What’s your name?”

“Uh, Niki.” The woman nervously answered as she grabbed the poisoned cake.

“Well Niki, seems like you didn’t like my brother much. I’d like to know why that is if you don’t mind.”

“Alright team, let’s get this place built.” Scar said as he rubbed his hands together. “We’ve technically only got fifteen minutes, so let’s make it count. Plus I managed to get a good sale out of thi-”

“Can we just start building already man?” Ren spoke up, and Scar jokingly glared.

“Oh alright. Start building!” And Scar used some vex magic to set up a little bit of localized time displacement for some super fast build mode. Though he wanted to help out as well, someone needed to stop the spell if any certain robots wandered over. And of course the only one currently around to do that was Scar, so he had to stay outside of it. Having never actually been on the outside of the spell, he got distracted for a bit watching everything happen, which was perfectly fine. Neither of the bots made their way to Aqua Town, and even if they had, Jellie was keeping an eye on things.

As things were still being built, Mumbo arrived and set down shulker boxes. “Sorry I’m late. I was up early of course, and so was Grian, but we got talking and realized there was something we forgot, so then I got busy doing that.”

“Well don’t worry about that Mumbolio, the place isn’t completely built yet, so decorating is still yet to come. The kids are still with Tommy?”

“As far as I’m aware, yes. Hopefully if they’re awake, they’re not causing too much trouble. Do you think they’re upset about not being with us for breakfast?”

Scar thought it over. “Maybe they’re a little disappointed, but I’m sure they’re happy about knowing that you’re setting something up for Grum, even if they don’t know exactly what it is.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Yeah! Though could you also check with Tommy? I want to make sure I probably don’t have to worry about stopping the bubble and possibly also put up something for cloaking.”

“Right! Yes let me do that.” And Mumbo fumbled just a little bit before getting his comm to message Tommy. He sent a message off and waited for a bit for Tommy to respond. When one didn’t immediately come in, he got a bit nervous, but a few more minutes calmed him. “Well, they’re either still asleep or busy, so that’s probably good.”

“Good to know! Unless something changes in the next, I want to say five or so minutes, we should be good.” Scar responded, Jellie giving and approving meow as she groomed herself at Scar’s side.

“Well then I’ll keep watching for a message.”

“Got it. So, what did you get for decorations?” Scar asked, peeking into a shulker box.

“Well, his favorite colors are red and light blue, so there’s a lot of streamers and balloons and what not in those colors. Also got it in a music theme since I wasn’t sure how to make a party theme out of building.”

“Oh, that sounds nice. And got any plans for Grum?”

“Fantasy themed since he’s always going out to your village to play plus he seems to really like stories with that theme.”

“Alright, I’ll start drawing up plans for that tonight.”

“That sounds alright. Grian already sent an order in to The Boomers so this plot can be cleared again.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Keep it up. Better to keep the history around.I can sell another plot of land for the next party.”

“Well that’s very kind of you.” Mumbo started. “But again, it’s already been paid for. Though I’m sure they would be willing to listen to the change of plans.”

“Well, I normally wouldn’t suggest it, but you might buy a plot of land from Bdubs and get it cheap but using what would have gone to The Boomers.”

“Hmm, I’ll discuss that with Grian when he gets back.” Mumbo glanced down at his communicator. “Ah, they’re awake now. Tommy gave them the old reliable of a bowl or redstone though Grum got his with quartz.”

“Oh yeah, we’ll definitely finish building before they show up.”

“Then I’ll start prepping the decorations.”

Grian waved to Niki and Jack beforing picking up the cake box. “Thanks for the cake! And if you want to try killing Tommy again, you’ll need to try something sneakier to get past me!” Grian smiled at the pair, who gave nervous ones back. As he left, they retreated further into the bakery. To do what, Grian didn’t care since he had other things to pick up. Or rather, he had people to pick up.

Grian flew up into the air and looked around before spotting a snowy town to the north. That was probably Snowchester, which was where he was trying to go anyway. From there, flying to the town was easy, but actually knowing which house to go to was a bit more difficult. He didn’t immediately see any signs saying who lived where, so Grian’s first idea was to just knock on every door. That is, until he saw a certain ziglin looking out the window of one of the houses.

When the child saw him, he immediately started bouncing and ran off further into the house. Grian walked over to the house and knocked on the door, waiting as he heard movement inside. A few moments later, the door opened. Ranboo stood there, Michael now clinging to his leg and looking up at Grian. “Hey! I’m here to start picking people up and to be honest, this is the only place I knew to find people right now.”

“Well, I sort of know where some people are, but I can check if Tubbo is awake enough to help out with that.”

“Sounds good to me.” Grian agreed, then followed Ranboo into the house. As he waited for Ranboo to get Tubbo, the avian watched as Michael showed off some of his toys. Grian smiled and set the cake down to look at what was being shared with him. He was especially happy at the plush chicken, parroting a few clucks which made Michael squeal in delight.

Before long, Ranboo returned with Tubbo, who still looked a little tired, but was still awake and dressed. “Hey, sorry. Guess I slept in a bit.”

“No, it’s perfectly fine. I nearly did the same after being so busy the other day. We’re not supposed to start until a bit after lunch, so I’m early anyway, but Tommy’s back home and I only really knew about this place since Grum remembered it. No clue where everyone else lives.”

“Well, who all are you after again?”

“Fundy, Puffy, Wilbur, Techno and my dad.” Grian answered. “To be honest, just messaging them all would probably work if you could do that. My comm is a mess right now.”

“What happened to it?”

“I have never. Ever. In my life. Hated a chicken like the one I apparently own now.”

Tubbo and Ranboo glanced at each other. “Do we want to know.”

Grian sighed. “Probably not. It’s a long story. All I know is it messed with some ribbons, and when I tried to stop it, it broke my comm.”

“Well, I’ll message Fundy and Puffy. Ranboo, can you message Phil? I’m sure he’ll be near Techno or Wilbur, so that should get two birds with one stone.”

“Um, I’m the only other avian, thank you very much.” Grian said jokingly before he laughed. “But yeah, that sounds good to me.”

Tubbo nodded and sent some messages, Ranboo doing the same. Before long, they had responses from everyone and the only person who needed to be picked up was Techno, who was still living out in the middle of nowhere. Grian begrudgingly picked him up, dropping him on the landing absolutely completely on accident.

“Alright, I’ve got the cake, I’ve got all of you, you guys got presents or cards if you wanted to bring them?” Grian asked, looking at everyone, glaring at Techno to try and will him to not say he forgot something. Fortunately, Ranboo was the only one to have forgotten anything, and even then, Tubbo had remembered it for him. “Okay, good.”

Grian opened up a portal and gestured to it. “Alright, this should take you right in front of town hall, I’ll be the last through and lead you once I’m on the other side with you. Got it? Good! Let’s go.”

One by one, everyone made their way through the portal, the one exception being Ranboo and Michael who went through at the same time. Grian double checked everyone successfully got through before picking up the cake and- jumping as a chicken showed up, poking its head through the portal.

“Oh come on. Go back through!” Grian tried shooing the chicken with a foot, his hands full with the cake. Instead of listening, it just hissed at him, coming all the way through and pecking at his feet. “Ow! Hey! If you don’t go through, I’m going to close the portal behind me and leave you stuck here!”

The chicken hissed again before jumping back through the portal, Grian following behind. He handed the cake off before closing the portal and taking it back.

“So, I’m guessing that’s the chicken you talked about before?” Tubbo piped up, making Grian nod.

“Yep. Now let’s just head to the building. Follow me.” And Grian started walking, doing his best to dodge the chicken that kept following him and almost tripping him. “Please, how did you even get here from the mansion?”

The chicken of course didn’t answer, but it did move closer to where Michael was, the child enamored by the bird, especially as it currently donned a shiny ribbon around its neck. Michael wriggled to be put down, but after Grian’s reaction to the chicken, Ranboo was hesitant to let the ziglin leave his arms.

It fortunately didn’t take too long to reach the newly built building, a number of hermits on scaffolding around the place hanging up decorations. “Wait, what are you all doing? This wasn’t part of the plan.”

Etho slid down a bit of scaffolding to get down to Grian. “Yeah, well it’s a special occasion. At least it’s not another war right? But where are we putting the presents? I’ve got mine ready.”

Grian just sighed as Etho held up ribbons floating in the shape of a box. “I thought I paid for that.”

“Yeah, you did. But the kids didn’t.” Etho said, and Grian could hear the smirk from behind the mask.

“Alright fine, but there better not be any walls around.” Grian rolled his eyes and started walking towards the door.

“Wait actually there’s-” And Grian crashed into a wall of glass in front of the entrance. Etho grabbed the cake away just in time that it didn’t get destroyed, and Grian just laid on the ground.

“There’s a wall.”

“Yeah there’s a wall.”

“I hate glass sometimes.”

No one was able to stop Phil before he did the same thing as Grian and walked face first into the wall of glass he couldn’t see.

“Ace of spades.” Jrum said as he set down the card. To his left, Tommy smiled and put down a card of his own.

“As if that would work.” He set down an uno card. “Plus four.”

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

Tommy shrugged. “Too bad, I had it in my hand.”

“Yeah, I think it’s a great choice.” Grum nodded. “Jolteon, I choose you.”

At the same time Tommy and Jrum groaned at the card. “What the fuck Grum, I thought you were out of evolution cards!”

“Because you always forget there are branch ones.” Grum said smugly. “So that makes it your turn Jrum.”

“Okay fine! I’ve got garudamon. That’s a third stage card which stops your jolteon.”

“No it doesn’t, you used queen of hearts to get Philomena in there, so it only counts as a stage two.”

“Dammit! I forgot!” Jrum groaned, but then gestured to Tommy to take his turn.

“I play vertical half fire, half gold!”

“You added a seven dragons card to your deck?!” Jrum stomped his foot. “Where did you even get one?”

“Someone on the SMP had it for some reason. Cost a whole diamond for it.”

“Yeah, because you suck at bluffing.” Grum spoke up as he stared at his hand of cards.

“I do not!” Tommy retorted, crossing his arms.

“Yes you do. Mini outrage crowbar.” Grum put down a card which would normally be about the fourth the size of normal cards, but all of the cards were in sleeves so their backs couldn’t be seen, making it a level playing field.

“Ugh, I guess I’m down a point.” Tommy rested his head in his hand. “Fine, what do you have Jrum?”

“Battle!” He slapped down a very generic looking card. “Rock paper scissors!” Tommy threw rock while both the bots did paper. “Aww, no one did scissors!”

“Oh thank fuck. I need to draw anyway.” And instead of playing a card, he drew two instead.

“Well then that means I can play Legacy. The Revere ring means I won’t lose points the next time someone tries to take them!”

“Then I get to win!” Jrum smiled, making Grum and Tommy both look at him in shock. “I’ve got the two and a half of hearts! Steal double points if they would be protected!”

“Noooooo!” Grum groaned. “My points!”

From there, everyone dissolved into laughter and then put their cards away. “Alright, well I guess while we were playing your dad messaged me. Sounds like it’s birthday time.”

From there, Grum and Jrum stopped smiling to look at each other for a moment. “Are you sure? I mean, technically it’s my birthday, but at the same time, it’s also past then.”

“Because of the whole time thing? I mean, I guess, but did you guys actually celebrate or anything?” Tommy asked, the bots shaking their heads. “Then yeah, it’s your birthday. Don’t fight it. Even if you want to argue, pretend you don’t because you’re just going to get free shit out of it.”

“Hmm… I do like free shit.” Grum nodded. “Alright, I’m in. Let’s go.”

Tommy smiled at how he had rubbed off on the bot before leading them towards Aquoo town. Before they even landed, they spotted the new building and headed straight there, landing in front of it. Jrum and Tommy were both excited, but Grum still looked a bit nervous about it all. “What if something happens?”

Tommy turned around and went back to Grum’s side. “Hey, nothing bad’s gonna happen. Everyone’s in one place, only death that might happen is from minigames, but I think everyone made sure to not make those. I mean, there’s even a regen beacon set up just in case. Iskall and Stress said they’re going to try and stay away just to be safe, so they’ve probably already dropped off presents.”

“Why? I messed up with making it so they couldn’t come.”

“Hey Grum, remember my beach party? How I was freaking out thinking people wouldn’t show up like with my first one?”

“Yeah.” Grum nodded.

“And how I had no reason to be? This is kinda like this. There’s no reason to freak out, it’s safe and everyone’s trying to make you happy. And it’s not like you’re the only one getting this treatment, or are you forgetting my birthday.”

Both of the bots giggled at their memories of that. “Okay, I guess you’re right.”

“Does this mean we can go inside now? I wanna sca- I mean, see who’s here!” Jrum said, bouncing a bit.

“Yeah, let’s go in.”

The party was extremely eventful. A number of minigames kept everyone occupied and everyone was sharing stories. A few motes of interest came up during the stories, such as the wars Hermitcraft had had as well as the fact that L’Manberg started because of a drug van more or less.

When it came time for cake, the one Niki had made was presented for the whole singing of happy birthday. They had a little trouble as Jellie decided she wanted to try and eat some of the cake while the candles were still lit, but Scar managed to pull her away.

With a bit of help from a piece of paper being used as a fan, Grum blew the candles out. As everyone was given slices of the cake, Mumbo set a special cupcake in front of Grum that he could eat. The redstoner was about to give another one which wasn’t quite as extravagant to Jrum, but in the bot’s few moments of thinking he was left out, he stole a piece of cake and tried smashing it against his screen, only for it to disappear. “Huh… I think we can eat actual food now.”

No one was too upset about Grum getting a slice of actual cake, mainly as they were too busy trying to wrap their heads around what happened. Though it was also since Grum was the guest of honor. Before long, all the cake was eaten, no one showing any signs of being poisoned. From there, a whole cart of presents was pulled over, Grum wide eyed at the amount there was stacked there.

Grum looked at all of them, trying to decide which to grab. His eyes caught Etho’s gift and he pulled it closer and undid the ribbon. “Oh yay. Glass. How thoughtful.” Grum thanked, everyone giving Etho a few eye rolls or glares. Following that, everyone watched as the bot stared Etho dead in the eyes and ate it, Grian Mumbo and Jrum being the only ones that knew he could do that. “I eat quartz, redstone and diamonds. Why is this such a surprise?”

“Well, I guess let’s do real presents now.” Tommy said, handing an actually wrapped present to Grum. “That’s mine. I think you’ll know what to do with it.”

Grum was confused for a second before opening the present, eyes lighting up at the contents. “A stylophone! Yes I know exactly what to do with this!” Grum turned the small instrument on and tested the scale before just a few notes. “Okay, I think we want… eight ten eight ten ten eight, seven nine seven six.” He tested out the keys, glad that it sounded right, then he inhaled loudly before quickly playing the notes.

As soon as he finished playing the notes, he, Tommy, Jrum, Tubbo and even Grian all shouted at the same time. “LET’S GO!” And the room was filled with an extremely bass boosted song for a few seconds. Fortunately, since Grian had known what was about to happen, he quickly used some Watcher magic to save the ears of everyone with advanced hearing, something that Ren was grateful for since he had already gone through this once before.

When Grum went for the next present, everything shifted a bit and out popped the head of a certain chicken from the middle of the pile of presents. “Wh- how did you get in there?!” Grian asked, trying to pull the chicken out. It just hissed and pecked at him when he tried, leaving him to pull away.

Grum tried next and it gave no resistance, so he patted the chicken. “Were you trying to be one of my birthday presents?” The chicken gave a single cluck. “Well then, I guess Kokatori is my chicken now.”

“It’s named what?” Phil asked.

“Apparently it’s name is Kokatori.” Grian answered. “That’s what I was told when he was given to me.”

“Huh. Good to know.”

Grum’s next present was from his brother, it being a number of various cards and a new set of card sleeves. After that was from Wilbur, which was a guitar perfect for Grum’s size. Techno had found some sort of journal to give as a present. Scar gave him a diamond statue, which was also packaged together with Bdubs’ gift of lots of bedsheets, which he said were for pillow forts and not just because he had plenty of spares. Beef’s was a voucher for a piano, mainly because he couldn’t wrap it.

There were plenty of presents after that, but once they were all unwrapped, Grian and Mumbo pulled out one more. “Alright, currently it’s just covered by blankets because we didn’t have wrapping paper to cover something this big.”

“What is it?” Grum asked, walking over to the giant present.

“Well, when building you two, there were some things we had to leave out, so this is a recreation of something we had to leave out of you.” Mumbo explained.

Grum grabbed the blanket covering the thing and pulled it off, revealing a redstone machine that he soon recognized. “My music making system! I can finally make the thing that’s been stuck in my head!”

Before anyone could stop him, Grum started messing with the machine, and before long, a music disc popped out. Tommy always had a jukebox on him in some form, so he put it down and they played the disc. “So, what’s it for?”

“Well, Dad said he wanted to make a minigame for the barge.” Grum started to explain.

“It’s a shopping experience. Not a minigame.” Grian complained, getting a few laughs.

“Yeah, anyway, he needed music for it, and I had an idea, and, well, now he’s got something for it!”

“Well thanks for that.” Grian said, taking the disc out again. “Uh, we can make copies, right?” Grum nodded. “Alright. Well, the next question is if you want to keep this here and we can change this place into a music studio for you, or if you want it at the mansion or the ruin.”

“Hmm, here works, but maybe keep it out of the way ‘cause I want to play more games with people!”

“Yeah, I’m sure everyone’s down with that.”

The presents were put aside and people either went back to games, or excused themselves if they had somewhere to be. Grian had to take Puffy back as well as Wilbur, and then Fundy left to go see Iskall, Grum being understanding that he wanted to be with someone who wasn’t there and he knew longer.

Though he didn’t officially leave, Phil still stepped outside to get away from the noise of the party. When it was quiet enough, he pulled out a communicator and flipped through the contacts, finally reaching one he hadn’t touched in a long time. He pressed the call button and held the comm to his ear, waiting as it rang.

“Yeah, hello?”

“Hey, it’s Phil.”

“Phil? Hey, haven’t heard from you in, what, how many years?”

“Who knows. Just, A lot has happened recently and-”

“Hey while I’d love to talk, I’m sort of running out of battery and I’m currently the prisoner to some pirates who hurt my dragon and got them to fly off. I can call you back when I can, but for now it’s got to be quick.”

“Finally found Xelqua, I’ve got grandkids, looks like there’s a spy here.”

“Haven’t killed the spy yet?”

“Yeah that’s an issue because one of the grandkids likes it and has it as a pet now.”

“Oh wonderful. Whose kid by the way?”

“Xel’s.”

“Huh, thought he’d still be in jail. I didn’t think he had any sort of bail.”

“Wait, what are you talking about? You knew where he was this whole time?!”

“I sent you letters. I mean, before I moved to Minecrack, I was still doing my tv series. I’m actually back to doing it, which is where I am right now.”

“So one of your letters actually said you knew where he was? Now I wish I had read them all. Why couldn’t you just text or call for something important?”

“Because you never know what a spy can get into with all those digital things. The one you’ve got could-”

“Could what? Hello? Paul? Are you there?” Phil sighed and put his comm away. “Right, guess the batter died. Guess that’s something I’ll have to look into.”

The sun wasn’t quite setting when the party officially ended, but it was getting late. Everyone headed home left, Though Ranboo and Tubbo stayed behind to let Michael and the bots have a sleepover. Grum was especially excited about it when Grian came back from taking everyone home and seeming a bit out of it.

“Does this mean we can have a cuddle pile?” Grum asked, getting a nod from Grian.

“Oh hell no. I’m too manly for cuddling.” Tommy tried to argue, but GRum went over to him and gave him big puppy eyes.

“Please? It’s still my birthday.”

“...Fuck you.” Tommy replied, failing to the eyes with a sigh. “Alright fine, but the couples better not get too lovey dovey and shit.”

“No promises.” Grian said, tiredly. “But speaking of, where’s Mumbo?”

“Daddy said he was putting all the presents in some shulker boxes.” Jrum answered. “Amd I gonna get as many presents as Grum did on my birthday?”

“Yup.” Grian answered. “Welp, now that we know where he is, time to go to the mansion.”

Instead of flying them there, Grian just used a bit of magic to teleport them to his nest platform, flopping down on the hay a moment later. Tommy went and got blankets since he knew where they were while Tubbo and Ranboo watched over the bots and Michael as they played. Kokatori had also been brought along and played with the kids, though any time Ranboo or Tubbo got too close to it, it hissed at them.

Eventually Tommy returned with blankets as well as Mumbo, who had returned and helped Tommy with the blankets. Before long, everyone was curled up in blankets or wings or arms. Tommy was the last to fall asleep, thinking about how it all started when he and Grian were hanging out here. Now, here they were, a few weeks later with more friends and closer together.

Tommy shifted a little to pull one of Grian’s wings over him as a blanket, then finally fell asleep, and everyone was quiet.

Except…

With everyone asleep, Kokatori carefully got out of Grum’s arms and hopped out of the nest. It opened its wings and let a communicator fall to the floor. Opening it up, it saw the most recent use: a phone call in the middle of the party. Just what they were after.

oh whoops, I’ve got a sequel planned.

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zrtranscripts · 3 years

Text

Season 9, Mission 1: Cry For Help

Security breach detected

[alarm blares, crowd of soldiers rushes around in response]

GENERAL BAKARI: [over intercom] Dispatch is green, green, green. I repeat, this is General Bakari reporting from guard station 39. Security breach detected on my monitor. Access violation at east loading hangar. Full response dispatch is green, green, green.

[gate slams, crowd noise dissipates, alarm continues, GENERAL BAKARI approaches 555]

Sorry about the din, soldier. Hell of an alarm on the base. I know you're wondering why I asked you here. It's 555, isn't it? That nickname of yours. After your service number, I assume. 639555 is a bit of a mouthful.

I've noticed you're a quiet one, soldier. Always liked that about you. We haven't spoken much, but I haven't forgotten saving your squad from those mountain bandits. You owe me, and everyone says you're the honorable type. I need a favor. I want you to take something to the transmitter tower on the west side of Red Scorpion base. It's a portable data drive. I'll explain more when you're en route.

You know what security's like in the complex, soldier. If anyone gets caught out of place, it's shoot first, shoot second. Neither of us is cleared to access the tower, so this has to be done on the QT. I've set off a fake alarm to keep all the guards busy on the other side of Red Scorpion base. I'd go myself, 555, but I'm an old man with a bad leg, and the fake alert can't last.

I've reviewed your performance logs. You're faster than me. This is essential business, soldier. Trust me, lives are on the line. Head down that corridor toward the west side hangar door. I'll be on your comms set guiding you. We have to be fast, before someone clocks the false alarm. Run!

[alarm blares, drone whirs]

GENERAL BAKARI: Don't worry about the camera drone overhead, 555. I've commandeered it so I can follow you. Keep going through the storage bay past the metal crates. [running footsteps] Duck behind the crates, quickly!

FIRST SOLDIER: Three more storage bays to go.

SECOND SOLDIER: [speaks foreign language]

THIRD SOLDIER: Keep those eyes open, people.

GENERAL BAKARI: Six soldiers across the bay from you. Must be a stray patrol in the area. [a soldier whistles, running footsteps fade away] They're moving on. Keep going straight, soldier, quick sharp.

You know, 555, I'd rather not be doing this. Breaking the rules. Before I was here, I was in the UK for a long time. Had children there, of sorts. Jane and Tom. Adopted them after their parents died. I did my best to rear them. There was a lot of trial and error, I admit. They turned out difficult, disruptive. Got me in trouble with a local government, left me needing to flee the country.

This place seemed like the perfect escape. Isolated, secure, nothing unauthorized in or out. A bastion of routine willing to take an old soldier. At least, willing to take one with knowledge of certain UK research programs.

[sighs] It's been a sanctuary. I wish I could leave it undisturbed, but there's something here that needs to get out into the world. The thumb drive I've given you holds an encrypted message. Link it to the base's comm tower and the message will upload and send. The tower's just beyond the west hangar door outside the compound, but once you're there...

[gates rattle shut]

Damn! All the base exits are locking down. New orders from the head of security. The west hangar's been secured, 555. We need an alternative route. Stay calm! There's a fire exit near your position, needs to be locked manually. You can reach it before anyone else. Opens to the wrong part of the base. No choice. Down the stairs on your right, run!

[gate rattles open, alarm fades]

GENERAL BAKARI: That's it, soldier, you're out of the main compound and into the open. I've got my drone hovering nearby. Hell of a view, isn't it? Sand stretching off in every direction. It's easy to forget how alone we are out here, just a fence around a few gray buildings, surrounded by miles of empty nothing.

SOLDIER: Over here!

GENERAL BAKARI: Uh-oh.

SOLDIER: This way.

GENERAL BAKARI: That sounds like... Let me check my security feeds. Damn! Using the fire door triggered an automatic fire alert. The base knows someone's active in that area. Patrols are honing in. Look at that big greenhouse on your left, soldier. Guards are coming from that way. Turn right, 555. See the field of solar panels? Damn bright, aren't they? Reflecting sunlight like flares. Head towards them. The glare'll keep anyone from making visual contact. That's it, keep your eyes on the ground. There's dozens of those panels. Get lost in them.

Marvelous things, solar cells. Had to learn their workings to help Thomas with his homework once. Poor boy. Good at taking orders, but could be slow sometimes. Often ran afoul of bullies, needed someone to look after him.

SOLDIER: Triple check the area. Sweep for movement.

GENERAL BAKARI: The guards are searching the area you just left. Two squads. Stay low. If you can sneak across the solar field, the tower is nearby. [exosuits whir] Hell! The troops are using motion trackers. They've detected you. And those are fire team mechs, fully powered exosuits with heavy gun turrets. They're breaking out the anti-zom gear. That's not good.

It's okay, 555. One thing I learned from children: always be ready to improvise. Cut northeast across the solar field toward the stellar observatory. You know, the building that looks like a golf ball on its tee? You can lose the soldiers there. They won't fire on you in the panels. Go!

GENERAL BAKARI: That's it, soldier. You're in the observatory foyer. You'll see a steel staircase leading up to a second floor balcony. Take it now. [footsteps on stairs] They won't be able to fit the exosuits through the observatory entrance. You know how strict Red Scorpion base is about protecting equipment. That just leaves the troops on foot. [soldiers shout]

All right, 555. You've crested the stairwell. The troops are crowding through the entrance behind you. Throw a grenade. Aim it for the middle of the stairs. Trust me, do it! [grenade pin clinks, grenade explodes, soldiers scream, stairs shatter] Good job! The explosion scrapped the stairs. The soldiers are scattering. That'll buy time. Head along the balcony through the double doors ahead.

[doors open and close] I've had to pull my drone back, 555. The soldiers might have noticed it. It's funny, most of them don't even know what they're really protecting here, just following orders. You should be in a large domed room with a mounted telescope in the middle. Go to the leftmost control panel and hit the green switches. [switches click] The switches will open up the observatory dome. [walls roll open] Head to the seam where the dome walls are parting.

SOLDIER: Stop them! [other soldiers shout]

GENERAL BAKARI: Damn! The guards found another stairwell. Get right up to the opening, 555, and look down over the edge. You'll see the observatory building beneath you. There's a metal maintenance gantry wrapped around it. Jump down onto the gantry, go! [boots clatter on gantry] You're down, good. The gantry spirals around the building. Follow it to the ground. You'll end up a short way north of the transmitter tower. The soldiers have reached the telescope room. They'll be coming down after you. Get down the gantry, then bolt south. You'll see the tower. Fast as you can, go!

GENERAL BAKARI: I've got you on camera, soldier. You're nearly there. See the transmitter up ahead? Looks like a huge radio antenna, doesn't it? You've performed incredibly today, 555. I want you to know this was essential. We are reaching out for help. Red Scorpion base is keeping secrets that must get out.

All right, you're at the tower. There's a touch screen on its base. Plug in the thumb drive, then hit upload. [computer beeps] You're probably wondering where this message is going, 555. I admit I'd rather not be reaching out to the UK, but I don't have anywhere else to turn.

It was my father who first got me into the service. He taught me what it means to be a soldier. You've got to have a code. Country, honor, family, hope. A soldier fights for all these things with whatever means they have. Damn fool wouldn't give up his cigars. Cancer got him, throat and lungs. Pneumonia finished him off. The way he just withered... He wouldn't have been proud. He didn't go out in uniform

[computer beeps] Ah, message uploading. It'll take a few minutes to send. Don't worry, soldier, I have an extraction planned for you. [soldiers shout, fire guns] The guards are catching up. Head to the southeast corner of the perimeter fence, fast as you can. I can get you out from there. Run!

GENERAL BAKARI: That's the way, 555. Keep following the barbed wire fence straight forward. I have a lot of respect for you, 555. You do your uniform proud. It means something special, a uniform. My father taught me that. It means being part of a whole greater than yourself, joining others to be strong enough to serve. You've served well, soldier, but I couldn't let them catch you near the transmitter. They might have found the message.

[over intercom] Attention, this is General Bakari, level three security adjunct. Emergency update to follow.

[over headset] I hope you understand, 555. Once the message is broadcast, the drive will wipe the data logs. Your mission is complete, and that's what really matters.

[over intercom] Source of security breach confirmed as soldier 63955, currently at perimeter fence southeast corner. Target is absconding with base secrets.

[alarm blares, soldiers shout]

[over headset] Put the gun down, soldier. You don't want to fight your own. It's okay to run, it'll look more convincing. I know this is a hard pill to swallow, but you're going out a hero. That message could save countless lives. We may not have ended on good terms, especially Janine and me, but I know the De Lucas well. They won't turn down a cry for help when there are innocents at stake.

[over intercom] 63955 is confirmed armed and extremely dangerous. Terminate on sight.

[over headset] That corner's a dead end, 555. Nowhere to go. I salute you, soldier. You've done our countries proud.

[armed patrol approaches]

SOLDIER: Open fire.

[gunfire]

GENERAL BAKARI: [very faint, over intercom] This is Bakari. Target down. Security breach resolved. All troops return to patrol positions. Repeat, return to patrol positions.

AUTOMATED VOICE: Data upload complete. Message tag: to Abel Township. Beginning transmission. Beginning transmission. Beginning transmission...

#zombies run #zrs9 #s9m1 #zr transcript #zrs9 spoilers

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smarchit · 3 years

Text

Do No Harm, Pt 5

Hey y’all, it’s been exactly.... /checks watch/ well over a month since I last posted a chapter of this. Oops. Oh well. Found this while digging through my drafts while procrastinating working on Poetry.

"No, spread your legs a little further," Mando instructed. He used the tip of his boot to nudge Wynn's own foot back a few more inches in the dirt. "You want to have a wider stance. It makes it harder for someone to knock you down. You take up more ground space this way."

Wynn adjusted her stance and took a deep breath as Mando circled her, taking note of the position of her arms and legs. She didn't even realize she had a white knuckle grip on the spear until Mando tapped on her fingers.

"Too tight. You want it to be firm, but loose. Steady. Good."

Wynn loosened her fingers and watched Mando take his own stance across from her, his back to the early morning sun. She tried her best to mirror his form; he made it look effortless.

"Arms in," he corrected, reaching over to lightly touch her elbow. "Keep everything as close to you as you can."

She nodded and did as he instructed.

"Hit me," he ordered.

Wynn brought her spear up and tried to smack it off his arm. Her attack was easily blocked by a parry from him.

"You didn't say you were going to block me!" she cried.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I didn't. But neither will your enemy. Again."

Wynn gave a cry and tried to strike him again. This time, her attack was countered by Mando's own spear knocking against her exposed torso. Lucky for her, both of their vibroblade tips had been removed for the sake of practice, but she didn't doubt that Mando would still be able to cause harm with just the metal pole. Already, she could feel a bruise forming on her ribs.

Wynn quickly ducked under the second of his rapid attacks. The pole barely missed the top of her head when she tried to go around him and catch him from behind.

Mando grabbed the end of Wynn's pole and jerked it to the ground within the blink of an eye. It was quick enough that Wynn couldn't change her trajectory and she ended up tripping over the spear.

She landed on her side and quickly turned onto her back to face Mando. Wynn tried to roll out of the way of his next spear attack - a rough jab with the end of the weapon - before it could catch her in the throat.

Mando lifted her chin with the end of his spear so she would have to look up at him. "Do you yield?" he asked as he stood over her.

"Yes!" Wynn gasped. "I yield!"

Mando kicked her spear over to her. "Get up. We'll try again."

It went on for hours. By the time the moons rose over the horizon, Wynn's body was covered in bruises. She was doubled over, shaking and out of breath as she gripped her spear.

"Again," Mando growled, his helmet inches from her ear. When she shook her head, he got closer to her. "Go. Again."

Wynn let out a scream and cracked her spear across Mando's chest. "No!" Her shout, accompanied by the metallic thunk of the spear against beskar echoed off the nearby hills and sent a flock of birds squawking and flying away.

Mando barked out a rough laugh when the top half of the spear went flying off into the dirt.

Wynn was staring at the broken edge of the spear handle, her eyes wide with fear. She had done that. She had broken one of his weapons.

He turned to face her quickly, his helmet tilted to the side to look at her. He reached out to take her wrist in his hand, the metal spear handle falling from her grip.

"You've got some nice blisters forming," he said, turning her hands over in his. "These will hurt. They will break and bleed. But you'll get stronger."

Wynn nodded, already feeling the ache in her muscles from the rough day of training. They'd only stopped briefly for dinner, though Mando insisted she practice on a tree stump while he fed the Child.

"Get some rest. We'll go again tomorrow," he said, letting her hand fall from his grasp.

Two weeks passed quickly on the tiny planet while they looked for any sign of the Child's people. They never stopped Wynn's training though, going at it in the early hours of the morning and resuming after their search late into the night. Wynn had never been more exhausted in her life. She would collapse into her cot for a few hours at a time, only to be awoken by the Child's loud cries for food. Mando would help with that more often than not, but it still roused her from sleep.

She was definitely getting the hang of fighting with the spear. That had been made evident earlier that evening when she had landed on her back in the dust, her own spear the only thing keeping Mando's from puncturing her throat, when she twisted the staff in her hands, effectively disarming her sparring partner. She thrust her spear up, the metal tip pinging off of his beskar chest plate.

He raised his hands in defeat and reached down to help her up off the ground. Mando had to admit to himself that she was an incredibly fast learner. She insisted they put the spear tips back on after only a few days.

I need to feel the danger, she insisted.

Mando only wished that she could see the pride that was constantly painted on his face at her success.

"Wynn," he called up the ramp after her. "Tomorrow, we should do some fist fighting. You won't always have access to a weapon."

She turned to him and nodded before she headed off to the fresher to clean up.

Mando sighed and leaned against a crate to relax. He looked over at the sleeping Child and smiled. The little guy didn't know it, but he was about to have two protectors instead of just his adopted father. Mando checked some coordinates on his wrist comm and swore softly before he picked up the Child and went back into the Crest.

They couldn't stay on this planet much longer without getting a surprise visit from their friends.

The very next morning, Mando was surprised to find Wynn not on board the ship. The manual locks had been disconnected from the inside, but she was nowhere to be seen. He could feel anxiety creeping its way up his stomach to wrap icy fingers around his heart. He ran to check on the Child and found him still sound asleep in his pod. But where was the young doctor?

She'd left her comm unit along with her blaster on the table in the hold, though her bag was missing. Odd, he noted, if someone took her, why let her take the bag?

Mando shut the Child's pod and locked the door to his quarters. He would be safe there for a few minutes. He grabbed a blaster and rushed down the ramp. He had to find her. Who knows how long they had before the Imps showed up? If there was any time left at all...

The thought of Wynn being taken by Gideon sent a shiver up his back. He didn't want to think about what they might do to her because of her association with him.

He followed her footprints through the dirt to the nearby forest. Mando knew he could track her without a problem. She didn't appear to be leaving with anyone, but he knew better than to take a chance with that.

It only took him a few minutes to find her. She was in the middle of a clearing a hundred yards or so into the forest, leaning up against a tree. A book was resting on her crossed legs and her shoes were kicked off several feet away from her. A few blossoms from the tree above her had fallen into her unruly hair.

Mando watched her for a few minutes. For how long they'd been travelling, he never saw her this relaxed or this calm. He thought back to the morning after he'd first met her when she was singing to the Child. She looked so unaware that he was standing so close to her.

Wynn immediately looked up when he approached her and she gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "Oh, Maker! You scared me!"

"Why are you out here alone?" he asked, "It isn't safe."

"We've been out here for weeks," she said, raising an eyebrow. "We haven't seen anyone or anything. I think I'm fine." She stood up and stuffed her book back into her bag.

"There could be an animal," he continued as she crawled past him on her knees to get her shoes.

She kneeled in front of him and scoffed. "You mean that cute little thing we saw the other day? Yeah, real threatening."

Mando ignored the way his pants felt just a little tighter when she looked up at him from her knees.

"The Child was worried," he countered.

"Ah, right," she hummed as she stood. "He was very worried."

Mando flushed under his helmet.

"Come on, we have to get going anyway," Wynn said with a sigh. She stood up and grabbed her book. "We wouldn't want the baby to worry."

Mando sighed and followed her out of the clearing and back into the woods. He admired her genuine sarcasm, but as always, he worried for her safety. What would have happened if an Imp found her? Or Gideon?

What if he had to leave without her? He quickly came to the conclusion that he would never be able to leave her somewhere alone. Even if she had the proper training.

"We need to keep working at your training," he said, quickening his pace to join up with her. "How's your aim with a blaster?"

Wynn shrugged. "I don't know. My dad had an old model. He showed me how to turn it on and aim it, but I never actually fired it or anything."

Mando sighed and nodded. "Okay, we'll work on that next."

When Wynn and Mando reached the ship, she turned to him and grabbed his arm for attention. He stiffened and slowly looked at her.

"I am sorry, by the way," she said. When he didn't respond, she shook her head. "For running off this morning. Sometimes it's too quiet on the ship and I just like to breathe air that isn't recycled, you know?"

He looked at her briefly before turning to the door control. "I know," he said as the door slowly opened. "Just let me know next time, okay? I don't-- I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

She smiled and then nodded. "Okay. I can do that."

Mando nodded once and turned to go back into the ship. He could already hear babbles and coos coming from his quarters. The baby was already awake and would soon be demanding attention.

Wynn chuckled and bounded up the stairs after him, but not before sparing one last glance at the planet they'd spent the last several weeks on. It had almost started to feel like home.

TAGLIST: (I really hope you guys don’t mind me tagging you in this) - @the-feckless-wonder @gallowsjoker @phoenixhalliwell @waatermelon-sugaar @huliabitch @miscellaneous-mando @lestrange2703

#do no harm fic #the mandalorian #the mandalorian fic #the mandalorian x ofc #my writing #din djarin x oc

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ejzah · 4 years

Text

A/N: Hope you’re enjoying all the ridiculousness. We’ll see how long I can keep this up for.

***

The Agent and the Lawyer, Part 4

“Ok, this goes in your ear,” Eric directed Deeks as he handed him a comm device. “I’ll be monitoring everything you say from up here and the rest of the team will be able to check if they need to.”

Eric and Deeks had hit it off almost immediately. All it had taken was Deeks gushing over Eric’s tech, and he had the man’s heart. Kensi had rolled her eyes as they had geeked out together over Eric’s tablet.

A picture of Robert Davies, the man Deeks would be meeting, along with several pertinent documents were still on the big screen after their hastily conducted briefing. He wasn’t a particularly intimidating looking man, dark haired and slight, based on the picture, but there was something menacing in his eyes. There was a darkness that Kensi had come to recognize in the last few years and it made her worry for Deeks even more.

“If at any point you think you might be in danger, use the safe word,” Callen reminded Deeks. He was standing back, arms folded, watching in a disapproving manner.

“Very kinky,” Deeks said, now taking a wire from Eric and threading it through his shirt. For someone who claimed to have no prior experience, he seemed to know his way around surveillance equipment.

“Deeks, this is serious.”

“I realize that,” he responded, his expression suddenly intense and anything but humorous. “Believe me, I can be completely serious when the situation warrants it.”

“Just don’t get yourself killed,” Sam said, showing something other than disdain for Deeks for the first time since meeting him.

“Aw, you do care.” And there was the joker again. Kensi thought she saw Hetty’s lip twitch slightly, but otherwise she remained composed.

“Do you understand your instructions, Mr. Deeks?” she asked once he they’d made sure all his equipment functioned, giving him a look that cowed most people. Deeks just adopted a model-esque pose, giving Hetty his full, if slightly irreverent, attention.

“Yes, Miss Lange. Crystal clear. I’m to get as much information from Robert Davies as I can. And if possible, get him to confess to the murders or implicate anyone else who was involved,” he recited dutifully.

“And if he should do anything to threaten your life, which is likely, you call for back up. Understood?”

“Understood.” She nodded and the clapped her hands together. “Let’s get Mr. Deeks to his meeting.”

***

Deeks blew out a long breath and rearranged his hair, looking outside the passenger window. Kensi, Sam-Agent Hanna he corrected himself sarcastically in his mind-, and Callen had driven him to a spot a few blocks from where he was supposed to meet Roger Davies where another, less federal looking vehicle was waiting. Deeks had then driven the rest of the way by himself.

“Everything ok, Deeks?” A voice said in his ear and he jerked, nerves already on edge.

“Yeah, I’m good,” he told Callen, taking another deep breath before he opened the car door and grabbed the briefcase filled with fake documents. The walk to the warehouse seemed unnaturally long and Deeks felt suddenly vulnerable out in the open.

He had no second thoughts about seeing this through, but he did feel a lot more nervous than he was letting on. The side door to the warehouse creaked when he opened it and he was greeted by a blast of damp, musty air.

The layout was large and open with a few concrete support beams running down the middle and sides. As Deeks slowly walked in, Roger Davies appeared from behind one of the beams.

“Do you have the papers?” he asked, stepping closer. He wore a gray suit, like Deeks. Unlike Deeks, he had a gun and based on the casual way he had it resting against his thigh, he was very comfortable using it.

“Some of them,” Deeks said nonchalantly, ignoring his racing heart. Robert Davies snarled, jerking the gun a little higher.

“The agreement was that you would bring all of the incriminating documents.” Deeks smirked, drawing on the bravado that had helped him through many difficult court cases.

“Yeah, but I figured you might not be super cooperative when I got here. Let’s just call this security. You let me in on the operation, the remaining documents stay in a safe location. Everybody’s happy.”

“And how do I know you won’t double cross me?” Davies asked and Deeks smiled.

“Because I intend on our business relationship lasting a long time. If I turn you in, how does that benefit me?” Deeks explained. Davies chuckled and used the gun to point at Deeks.

“You know, Greg could be pretty chatty he wanted to. He liked to tell anyone who would listen what he planned to do with his cut of the money. He talked about his women. And he talked about you, Marty Deeks.” A shiver went up Deeks’ spine as Davies said his name and his smile turned feral.

“He couldn’t stand you. Thought you were a self-righteous prick, a real pain in the ass. Said you wouldn’t take a case if you thought your client was guilty. Now, somehow I find it hard to believe that a guy who hated you that much would tell you anything about his side job.”

Deeks shrugged, feigning indifference.

“Well, Greg didn’t exactly tell me. I overheard a few conversations and put the pieces together.”

“Or, maybe you’re an undercover cop,” Davies suggested, closing the space between them and crowding Deeks closer to the concrete wall.

“Wow, you think I’m a cop,” Deeks said, chuckling as he desperately tried to think of a way to talk himself out of this. He could always call his babysitters in, but Davies would likely kill him before they got there. “Yeah, that’s definitely wrong. I’m just a lawyer with a new Porsche to pay off. I thought we could work something out to our mutual benefit, but if not we can pretend this never happened.”

“Now why don’t I believe you? Even if you’re not a cop, people always talk. Greg talked. His army buddies talked.”

“Is that why you killed him?”

“I don’t like loose ends,” Davies said with a smirk. “Now, tell me who else know about the operation or things will get very unpleasant for you.”

“There’s nothing to tell, man,” Deeks insisted.

“We’ll see.” Something about Davies’ tone sent warning bells off in Deeks’ head. “Hector, Jessie!” he shouted and two more large, muscular men came out from the shadows. Deeks’ stomach sank. He might have been able to fight off Davies, but three to one was impossible.

“You kill me and you lose everything,” Deeks warned him.

“Oh, I’m not going to kill you. Not yet.” He gestured to Hector and Jessie. “Hold him.” Deeks resisted, jamming his elbow into the larger thug’s ribs. The man let out a yell, but didn’t stop moving and forced Deeks into the wall, shoving his gun beneath his jaw. Deeks stilled, breathing heavily, his heart pounding as both men held him in place and Davies slowly approached.

Davies looked him up and down in an unnerving way, then without warning punched Deeks in the face. Deeks couldn’t hold back a gasp of pain as his lip split and warm blood filled his mouth.

“Who else knows about me?” Davies growled. Something in Deeks shifted and he suddenly was filled with rage. He spat a mouthful of blood, grinning as it splattered down Davies’ gray pants.

“Bullseye,” he muttered right before the next blow came.

***

“I don’t like this,” Kensi said, shaking her head. Deeks had disappeared from her line of sight several minutes ago, but she was still staring in the direction he had gone.

“None of us do, but there’s nothing we can do except try and make sure he doesn’t get killed,” Callen replied.

“Well, if he makes it out alive, I bet he won’t want to play hero again anytime soon,” Sam commented grimly. Feeling like someone needed to defend him, even if she silently agreed, Kensi said,

“He’s just trying to help.” Callen smirked and he and Sam shared another one of their looks.

“It’s the fluffy hair. Gets her every time.” Glaring at them, Kensi spoke through her teeth.

“If you mention Deeks’ hair, or his eyes, one more time-“

“Uh guys, you need to turn your comms on,” Eric interrupted. “Like right now. Deeks is in trouble.”

They tuned in right as Davies threatened to kill Deeks slowly, like he had Greg Morton.

“And there’s our proof,” Callen said with grim satisfaction. “Nice going Deeks.” Kensi was out of the Challenger before either of the men, strapping on her vest and automatic rifle.

“Eric, let Deeks know we’re coming. When we give the signal, tell him to get on the floor,” Sam ordered. “We’re five minutes out.

Hopefully Deeks could withstand another five minutes, Kensi thought grimly as they ran toward the warehouse.

***

A/N: Did I model bits of this off of the scenes in Human Traffic where Deeks goes to meet Lazik? Why yes I did. Please excuse any inaccuracies as I don’t have a clue what I’m doing.

#ncis la fanfiction #marty deeks #kensi blye #sam hanna #g callen #eric beale #hetty lange #au #eventual densi #the agent and the lawyer #part 4 #ridiculousness #ejzah fanfiction

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entering-mymind · 4 years

Text

Chapter 8 - The Redemption

This is the eighth episode of the series where I have inserted my OC character (Mando’s daughter) into the Disneyplus television show. With her addition I believe this helps the viewers understand the choices Mando makes in the series. Would love to hear feedback! I do not own these characters and the story and dialogue goes to the respected credit of the screenwriters and creators of the show.

The two Scout troopers sped their way back to the city when they stopped and radioed their fellow comrade.

“Speeder bikes have arrived at the checkpoint with the asset awaiting confirmation,” the first trooper said over his comms when the child began squirming in his satchel, giving the trooper no choice but to punch it, “Knock it off. Waiting for confirmation to continue into town,” he ended.

“That’s a go to proceed, but I advise you to double-check,” the operator began, “The Moff just touched down and already took out a squad of local troopers.”

The two Scout troopers glanced at each other in shock.

“Standing by,” the first trooper replied.

“Did he just say that Gideon killed his own men?” the second trooper questioned.

“Oh, who knows? These guys like to lay down the law when they first arrive into town. You know how it is,” the first trooper pointed out as the child stirred again when the trooper hit it once more, “I said, shut up, geez.”

“What is that thing anyways?” the second trooper asked.

“Uh, I don’t know. Maybe Moff wants to eat it. I don’t ask questions.”

“Can I see it?”

“Did you not just hear that Moff Gideon killed a dozen of his own troopers just to make a point,” the first trooper reminded.

“Okay.”

“I get that point. Do you get the point?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

Becoming bored the second trooper decided to practice shooting his blaster but couldn’t hit, for the life of him, the item in the ground. Believing his comrade was inadequate, the first trooper also took out his weapon to hit the target but even he could not hit it.

Baffled the first trooper shook his gun to his ear believing the weapon was the issue, not him. Realizing their target practice was useless they put their blasters away when the second trooper made a recommendation.

“Should we offer that thing some water?”

“You just wanna look at it,” the first trooper pointed out.

“So what? You got to see it.”

“Barely. I mean, I grabbed it up off the ground and I stuffed it in the sack.”

“It’s more than I got to see,” the second trooper pouted.

“Look, I’m not taking it out of this bag until I deliver it to the Moff.”

“Fine.”

“Okay. Stop asking.”

The two Scout troopers got off their bikes and stretched their legs when the first trooper radioed again, “Let me check on this thing. This is crazy. Any update yet?”

“That’s a negative. Still waiting on confirmation. He just killed an officer for interrupting him, so this might take a while,” the operator informed.

“Thank you. Standing by still. Unbelievable,” the first trooper sighed along with his comrade.

“Hey, how long has it been since that thing moved?” the second trooper questioned.

“I don’t know, like a minute of two. Don’t worry.”

“Uh, it’s been way longer than a minute.”

“Oh my God,” the first trooper was getting annoyed.

“Shouldn’t we check and see if it’s still alive? You hit it pretty hard.”

“You just wanna see it.”

“We should check and see if it’s hurt. The last thing you want is to give Gideon a bag and have him open it and find whatever is dead,” the second trooper suggested.

“Okay, okay, look,” the first trooper opened the satchel to revel the coherent child,” Here you go. See? Take a peak. Everything’s fine.”

“What is that,” the second trooper began poking the child with his finger.

“I don’t know. It’s a pet or something.”

“A pet? I thought you ,” but the child quickly bite the finger of the second trooper sending him in yelps.

In anger the second trooper vigorously punched the satchel making the child yip in pain.

“Serves you right,” the first trooper stated when IG-11 approached.

“Stop that,” the droid commanded.

“Identify yourself,” the first trooper ordered when both raised their blasters.

“I am IG-11. I am this child’s nurse droid and require that you remand him to me immediately.”

“A nurse droid? I thought it was a hunter. Aren’t IGs usually hunters?” the second trooper stated.

“Yeah, well, evidently this one’s a nurse. I’m sorry, nurse, but you’re gonna have to get out of here,” the first trooper ordered.

IG-11 made his way towards the troopers as did they when the first trooper shot at IG-11 point blank and still missed.

“Are you refusing my request?” IG-11 asked.

“No, I’m telling you to get out of here,” but the droid responded by snapping the first troopers arm and power driving him into the ground.

IG-11 then disarmed the second trooper and then smashed him into his speeder bike repeatedly. The droid then mounted the other bike, powering it up when obtaining the sack and revealing the child, “That was unpleasant. I’m sorry you had to see that,” IG-11 apologized to the child when he sped off towards the city.

* * *

Gideon stood fierce with his troopers positioned neatly behind him ready to go into battle with the wave of his hand. Trapped, Karga, Mando, his daughter, and Cara all looked to each other for a plan when Cara spoke first.

“Is there another way out?” she questioned to Karga since this was the Guild’s establishment.

“No, that’s it,” Karga informed.

“What about the sewers?” young Mando suggested to her father.

“Sewers?” Karga questioned.

“The Mandalorians have a covert down in the sewers,” Mando revealed, “If we can get down there, they can help us escape.”

“Yeah, sewers are good,” Cara said with hope.

“Checking for access points,” Mando pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet when he began scanning with his visor.

“What the hell are they waiting for?” Cara speculated when she witnessed what the troopers were assembling, “Hold up. They’re setting up an E-Web.”

“It’s over,” Karga declared.

“I found the sewer vent,” Mando stated seeing the access point hidden behind a booth.

“Let’s get out of here,” young Mando insisted when her, Cara, and Mando ran at the sewers location dismantling the area in order to expose their escape route. Mando and Cara gripped at the grate but it wasn’t budging.

“The cannon is assembled,” Karga stated seeing a trooper get behind the E-Web ready to fire at will, “How long until the vent is cleared?”

“Blow it,” Cara suggested.

“I’m out of charges,” Mando informed.

“Maybe I could…” but young Mando was cut off.

“No!” Mando enforced.

“Get out of the way,” Cara shouted when she picked up her blaster and started shooting rapidly, but the grate barely cracked.

“Your astute panic suggests that you understand your situation,” Gideon spoke, “I would prefer to avoid any further violence and encourage a moment of consideration. Members of my escort have completed assembly of an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. If you are unfamiliar with this weapon, I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advise you that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporize mid-descent facing the predecessor of this particular model.”

“Or perhaps the disgraced Magistrate Greef Karga should search the wisdom of his years and urge you to lay down your arms and come outside. The structure you are trapped in will be razed in short order and your storied lives will come to an unceremonious end. But maybe not from the latest information given to me,” Gideon said cryptic.

“I am speaking to you Mandalorian hunter, Din Djarin. I am sure you have heard the songs of the Seige of Mandalore when gunships outfitted with similar ordnance laid waste to fields of Mandalorian recruits in the Night of a Thousand Tears, but let us not dwell on the past when we should be looking to the future with our kin.”

By Gideon’s last word he knew what was to come and looked at his daughter in fear.

“You sure do have a tendency for stealing children who are property of the Empire, Din. First the girl and now the child,” Gideon revealed.

“What did he say?” young Mando asked through an escaped breath.

“It wasn’t clear to me at first, where I found it odd that the only bounty hunter in the Guild would deny missions on Tolarian. Why avoid a planet unless you have something to hide. You did an amazing job concealing her from me for fifteen years, but your caution was what made you slip,” Gideon addressed.

“What is he saying? I don’t understand what he is saying?” young Mando was starting to panic when Mando went to her placing his hands on her shoulders.

“I can only guess what you named the asset since Anara never got the chance to tell you. Which I’m sure you can guess it was I who shot her down in that alley,” Gideon reminded Mando, “Ah, of course,” he thought and then came to a conclusion, “Who wouldn’t name a newly adopted child after the first woman a boy never stops loving; his mother. So, Osa,” Gideon addressed young Mando, “How does it feel to finally learn the truth?”

“He’s lying, he’s lying, you’re my father,” young Mando screamed but Mando stayed silent.

“What do you purpose?” Karga shouted at Gideon.

“Reasonable negotiation,” Gideon replied.

“What assurance do you offer?”

“If you’re asking if you can trust me, you cannot. Just as you betrayed our business arrangement, I would gladly break any promise and watch you die at my hand. Or who knows maybe Osa will do that for me,” Gideon stated ecstatic of his accomplishment with her abilities.

With this address, Cara could see objects taking life and the floor beneath them slightly quake, “Mando, calm her,” Cara briefly whispered when Gideon continued talking.

“The assurance I give is this: I will act in my own self-interest which at this time involves your cooperation and benefit. I want both assets back in my possession by nightfall, if not then I will have the E-Web cannon open fire and I will dissect Osa’s body instead,” Gideon ended when he headed back to his ship followed by his Death Troopers.

* * *

“I say we hear him out,” Karga bluntly said without thinking, “Is it true Mando?”

But he wasn’t paying attention to anyone else but Osa.

“You are my father, right?” she said through a tight chest.

“Search your feelings, what do they tell you?” Mando asked wanting her to come to the ultimate conclusion.

“What does that mean? It’s a simple question. Are you or are you not,” young Mando stressed through tears.

“I am your father no matter what, but I need you to give me the vile and syringe,” Mando out stretched his hand seeing the unraveling events. Hesitantly Osa caved and gave Mando what he wanted.

“I’m really sorry kiddo on what you’re going through but the minute we open that door, we’re dead,” Cara informed.

“We’re dead if we don’t,” Karga said, “At least out there, we’ve got a shot.”

“That’s easy for you to say. I’m a Rebel Shock Trooper. They’ll upload me to a Mind Flayer,” Cara said.

“Those aren’t real. That was just war time propaganda,” Karga informed.

“I don’t care to find out. I’m shooting my way out of here.”

“We need to know who we’re up against.”

“I know who he is, its Moff Gideon,” Mando declared.

“No, he can’t be. Moff Gideon was executed for war crimes and experimentation,” Cara clarified but then realized now why Gideon wanted the child and young Mando so bad.

“It’s him. He knows about us and our names,” Mando informed.

“So, what does that prove?” Karga asked.

“Our names are only spoken within the Tribe, never revealed to outsiders, I haven’t heard my name spoken from an outsider since I was a child,” Mando stated.

“On Mandalore?” Karga asked.

“We were not born on Mandalore.”

“But you’re both Mandalorians.”

“Mandalorian isn’t a race,” Cara said.

“It’s a Creed,” Mando confirmed, “I was a Foundling. They raised me in a Fighting Corps. I was treated as one of their own. When I came of age I was sworn to the Creed just like Osa was. The only record of my family name was in the registers of Mandalore. Moff Gideon was an ISB officer during the purge and later was Moff of Tolarian where Osa was given to me at the age of three. That’s how I know it’s him,” Mando said looking over at his daughter who stood frozen while locked in a deadpan stare.

“So Osa’s the reason why you never took jobs on Tolarian?” Karga questioned.

“I wasn’t sure if I had been marked, so I never went back in order to ensure her safety, but Gideon says he needs us, which might mean the child got away safely plus Osa is with us. I was worried when the Ugnaught didn’t respond but if they captured the kid we’d already be dead,” Mando declared.

“Ummm you might want to rethink your statement,” Cara said while pointing to Osa who suddenly fell to her knees hunched over.

“What’s wrong with her?” Karga asked when he noticed a cup floating in front of his face. Perplexed he tapped at the object when the cup flung in the opposite direction, hitting other free floating objects.

“Osa!” Mando screamed about to get the syringe ready when she glared up and raised her hand.

“No!” Osa knew what he was going to do and froze Mando mid-step.

“What are you doing?” Mando questioned through clenched teeth unable to move his body.

“Finally getting control,” Osa declared when she forced Mando, unwillingly, to the ground with her abilities.

Mando tried to fight off the hold that the invisible force had on him, but was unsuccessful. His body contorted to the floor when Osa slide him to a corner of the cantina pinning him to the wall.

Cara discretely reached for her weapon, just wanting to hit Osa in the armor to distract her, but Cara’s motives were revealed. Osa rose to her knees and noticed Cara’s actions, Osa pointed her other hand at Cara and performed the same motion, forcing Cara to the ground and sliding her in the exact corner Mando was pinned to. Seeing both their fates, Karga put his hands up in surrender when all Osa did was nod her head in the same direction her other two hostages were kept.

Complying, Karga sat next to Mando when Osa rose to her feet in a stagger and looked at them in sadness. It appeared Osa was gaining control over her episode and transferred the hold she had on Cara to the exact same hand where she held Mando, she grunted in pain by feeling the force surge through her body and knew the time had come.

“Osa, please, Mi Pequeno, let us go. We have to fight together,” Mando said broken and afraid of what his daughter was going to do.

“No, this time I’m going at it alone,” young Mando approached the shot out window, one hand still pointed at the three when her other hand extended towards the band of troopers, ready to release havoc.

* * *

Seeing an individual draw near, the Stormtroopers were unclear of what to do, put this person down or engage against Gideon’s orders? Some of the troopers raised their weapons for a scare tactic but they were the ones that should have been afraid.

Like an instinct, Osa listened to what the energy inside of her told her. She focused on all the tiny shards of glass scattered on the floor and picked them up with her mind. As if she was a ticking time bomb she could feel the energy wanting to release from her core. Osa would use this to her advantage in order to add extra strength to the glass so it could easily pierce through the trooper’s armor, taking them out.

Finally the moment arise when she let out a bellowing scream, more out of anger than from not being in control. Like a bomb exploding, the troopers didn’t know what hit them as they were punctured by glass and blown off their feet. With the massive blow, the TIE-fighter was propelled backwards and banged itself into an adjacent building.

With the lose of her consciousness, Mando and Cara were immediately released from Osa’s hold, but Karga still sat there frozen as if he had now been pinned by her abilities.

Mando instantly went to his daughter’s aid while Cara witnessed the destruction but was lost for words. Believing they were out of the woods, Cara peered from the window when back up troopers moved in taking a shot.

“Get down!” Cara exclaimed but the trooper’s attention quickly turned to something fast approaching, a speeder bike with IG-11 and the child occupying it drew near coming to their rescue as well.

Throughout the droids journey through the city it took out the surrounding troopers making them scatter. Knowing they would have to get in on the fight, Mando positioned his daughter out of harms way when he ordered Cara to cover him.

Quickly complying Cara hopped on a table rapidly firing her weapon at the new swarms of troopers while Mando instructed her to protect Osa. Cara nodded in approval when Karga and Mando left the cantina to join in on the, now even, fight.

The two held up their own where Mando saw IG-11 being hit several times and going down with the child secured around its chest. Mando wouldn’t lose anyone today and saw the E-Web cannon unoccupied. Seizing his opportunity Mando picked up the heavy artillery and began rapidly firing anything in white or black armor.

Giddy with glee, Cara chuckled and continued firing her own blaster when the door to the cantina was blown open, sending Cara flying to the ground. The sound of the blast got everyone’s attention realizing the cantina had been breached.

Cara immediately collected her weapon trying to keep out of view from the impeding Death Troopers entering the cantina. Just about to round the corner and take her shot, Cara was pulled back from a conscious Osa as the Death Troopers opened fire.

The two pressed their backs against the bar when Cara waited for an opening from the troopers fire. She peered around the corner ready to take aim but was grazed in the arm.

“Ah!’ Cara shouted slamming herself against the bar.

“Are you alright?” Osa was about to tend to Cara’s wound but she suggested something else.

“I’m okay, can you throw them or disarm them somehow?”

“I can try but I need a visual,” Osa stated when she caught a reverse glimpse of the troopers helmets in a wine glass, the reflection reveled an exposed pipe located in the ceiling above them.

Immediately Osa concentrated on the heavy steel above the Death Troopers dropping it on them with a smack and taking them out of commission. Relieved that they were, for now, out of harms way, Osa approached the window to see how their team was doing when she saw Gideon walk towards Mando who wasn’t aware of his exposure.

In surprise, Mando was hit in the back by Gideon’s blast but the Beskar held up, getting Mando’s attention he turned the cannon right at Gideon ready to end him, but Gideon struck first. With one shot Gideon hit the fuel tank, which operated the cannons fire power, engulfing Mando in flames and blasting him into the air several feet and onto his back, going lifeless.

“DAD!” Osa shouted in a frantic, hopping out of the cantina window and straight for her father.

Karga and IG-11 saw Osa and covered her as more troopers began to encircle them. Osa made it to Mando putting her hands underneath his shoulders and trying to lift him, but he was too heavy for her. She immediately fell to the ground with Mando in her arms when blaster fire was directed their way. Without hesitation Osa covered her father’s body with her own absorbing the shots with her armor.

“Obtain the asset,” Gideon pointed at Osa when a team of troopers headed her way.

Seeing the ranks collapse, Cara exited the cantina and shouted for Karga and IG-11 to cover her as she made her way towards the Mandalorians.

“I can’t carry him,” Osa said defeated.

“It’s okay. I’ll get him to safety, here,” Cara handed Osa her blaster signaling for her to take out the advancing troopers.

Cara put her arms underneath Mando’s shoulders and dragged him inside the cantina, the rest followed but was ambushed from another team.

“Stay with me, buddy. We’re gonna get you out of here,” Cara said trying to encourage Mando when Karga dove in as IG-11 and Osa continued firing, taking out as many troopers as they could.

Karga headed for the sewer grate and questioned Cara, “This is our only path out. Can you clear it?”

But her attention was solely on Mando, “Stay with me.”

“I’m not gonna make it,” Mando responded through a strained voice.

“Shut up. You just got your bell rung. You’ll be fine,” she said shaky.

“Please, protect my daughter and the child, she won’t leave me, you have to convince her,” Mando said when Cara removed her hand from behind Mando’s helmet, which was covered in his blood.

“I’m gonna need to take this thing off,” Cara said in certainty.

“No,” he gripped Cara’s hands, preventing her from removing his helmet, “You make sure the children are safe. Osa knows the way in the sewers, once you get to the Mandalorian covert you give my daughter this,” Mando dug underneath his tunic and revealed a necklace with a Mythosaur emblem attached to the end, it seemed symbolic.

“No, you give it to her yourself,” Cara declared when IG-11 entered along with Osa who locked the secondary door behind them.

IG-11 set the child down and confronted Karga who he was unfamiliar with, “If you go near this child, I will have no choice but to kill you,” the droid threatened.

“I understand. Can you do anything to move the grate?” Karga asked in panic.

“Yes, of course.”

“Oh, I love IG units,” Karga praised as IG-11 began welding through the metal.

“Papi!” Osa shouted running at Mando and falling to her knees. She started to look him over when she glared at Cara and noticed her bloody hand, “No, no, no,” Osa said in distress, “IG I need you to scan my dad.”

“Osa,” Mando stressed her name trying to get her to focus on him.

“IG-11, now!” she screamed, rattling the building’s structure.

“Osa, look at me,” Mando placed his hand on the side of her helmet as if he was caressing her cheek and turned her to face him.

Cara could sense a last goodbye and didn’t want to ruin their intimate father/daughter moment.

“Osa, please, you must leave me,” Mando instructed.

“No, I won’t, I can’t. I don’t care, I’ve searched my feelings. You’re my father. You will always be my father,” Osa rested her head on his chest and he placed a hand on her helmet when a burst of flames erupted through the cantina window.

Everyone took cover realizing they were losing time where IG-11 was still chiseling away at the grate.

“You know this is the way,” Mando began raising his daughter’s head, “I can hold them back long enough for you and everyone to escape. Here,” Mando handed Osa the Mythosaur emblem, “You have earned your independence and the title, now you are the Mandalorian,” Mando said proudly.

“No, I won’t leave you,” Osa declared when the cantina door burst open and more flames erupted.

Upon entry, one single Flame Trooper stood in the doorway ready to incinerate the place to the ground. The trooper raised his flame thrower, not giving anyone time to protect themselves when he ignited a ball of flames.

Everyone stared at their demise as Osa would die a warrior’s death at her father’s side when the child, heroically, stepped in front with both hands stretched out. With one flick of his wrist, the child propelled the ball of flames back onto the trooper, igniting an explosion and sending the trooper out of the cantina engulfed in his own fire. In exhaustion the child fell into unconsciousness when IG-11 kicked open the sewer grate.

“Come on! It’s open, let’s go!” Karga informed.

“Go,” Mando tried to convince his daughter.

“We have to move! Now!” Karga shouted.

“I have an idea,” Osa said releasing her grip on her father’s hand.

She went and picked up the child cradling him in her arms, Osa approached Cara placing him in the satchel and then handing it to her gently.

“Take him and this,” Osa gave the emblem as well.

“I’m not leaving both of you,” Cara stated.

“You’re not. My father won’t remove his helmet around others, but he will around me. IG-11 I need you to run a medical diagnostic on him while I go over the plan with Cara,” Osa instructed.

“Of course,” IG-11 said and walked over to Mando kneeling in front of him.

“Do it,” Mando suggested.

“Do what, your daughter has instructed me to run a medical diagnostic on you,” IG-11 informed.

“Don’t bother. I know my fate. Just get it over with. I’d rather you kill me than some Imp.”

“I told you. I am no longer a hunter. I am a nurse droid.”

“IGs are all hunters.”

“Not this one. I was reprogrammed by the late Ugnaught named Kuiil. I need to remove your helmet if I am to diagnosis you,” IG-11 placed its hand underneath Mando’s helmet when he pulled his blaster on the droid.

“Try it and I’ll kill you. It is forbidden. No living thing has seen me without my helmet since I was sworn back into the Creed,” Mando revealed briefly reliving the tender moment he shared with Anara when he glanced over looking at his pride and joy.

* * *

“The sewers can be very confusing,” Osa started, “If I’m visualizing my whereabouts correct, in order to reach the covert you must head straight and then turn right. You will have to make a left at the third corridor and then at the fork you must go left, now this is where it gets tricky.”

“Aren’t you going to lead us?” Karga questioned.

“Yes, okay scratch that, just head straight until you can’t go any further and then turn right. I’ll meet you there.”

“Promise me you’ll both be there,” Cara said.

“You have my word,” Osa swore and then watched Karga, Cara, and the child leave the cantina.

She sighed in sadness and then turned to see her father’s blaster pointed at IG-11, “Papi, no, don’t,” Osa put her hand on the weapon signaling for him to lower it.

Surprisingly he complied and just gazed at his daughter in taking her image for one last time, but she had other intentions. Without thought Osa removed her gloves believing this would give her additional assistance to heal her father.

“What are you doing?” Mando was slowly fading.

“I’m going to heal you, but I need IG-11 to run a diagnostic on your head so I know where to concentrate, which means I will have to remove your helmet. You’re not going to try and shoot me too?” Osa attempted to joke but could sense the light slipping from her father.

Mando tried to chuckle when Osa placed her hand underneath his helmet and clicked it open. Slowly she lifted it off not wanting to cause him further damage or discomfort. Osa placed his helmet beside her and looked upon her father’s face, which she hadn’t seen in almost a year.

He was still very handsome, even through all the blood that stained his skin and ran from his nose. She smiled wide while glaring at his round face that had stubble slowly growing back, his brown hair –that had a touch of white on the sides- was disgruntled and drenched in sweat while it slightly curled at the ends. His brown eyes beamed with pride up at her and glistened over, believing this would be his last image of his daughter and he didn’t want it to be of her helmet.

“Let me look at you,” Mando said through a shaky voice.

“But it’s not my date of existence,” Osa assured.

“No, it’s not,” Mando replied not caring.

Without hesitation Osa immediately clicked her helmet open revealing similar features he possessed but feminine. Osa couldn’t understand how she could not be Din Djarin’s daughter, she had both his hair and eye color, the same quirk of the ends of her hair curling from the humidity, to even sharing the shape of his nose and jawline.

Immediate tears filled her eyes when she removed her father’s glove and placed his actual hand finally on her cheek, absorbing his touch and smelling his skin. Din wasted no time and finally caressed her cheek, in taking the smoothness of her skin with his thumb while feeling her tears rain from her chocolate eyes.

Osa smiled into his palm and then placed it on the ground so she could dig her face into the crook of his neck, slightly crying. Din put his hand into her hair truly embracing her closer when he placed his nose beside her head. There, right above her ear, was always a distinct smell she always possessed.

He remembered when Osa was little and would fall asleep in his arms, he would rest his nose in that exact spot inhaling her scent; Anara’s scent, the only trait she inherited from her mother. He would brush Osa’s hair out from her face, hoping to relax her from the horrid nightmares that invaded her dreams. He would even hum a tune that he remembered his mother use to sing to him as a child, in order to bring his daughter solace.

Even now, Din wanted to brush his hand through her hair and hum the melody in order to bring her closure, but Osa quickly rose and noticed the touch of white coloring the sides of his hair. She went and smoothed the area with her thumb showcasing a half smile.

“Oh no, I hope this isn’t due to me,” pointing out how stressful she had made his life.

“Never, Mi Pequeno, just getting old,” Din replied finally seeing her fully smile; his smile.

In reaction he smiled back reaching for her once again when she didn’t waste the chance, kissed his palm and then placed his hand on her cheek. Realizing time was of the essence, Osa set her father’s arm down and instructed IG-11 to run the medical diagnostic. The droid ignited a red beam and scanned from the top of Din’s head to the bottom of his chest.

“He has suffered severe damage to his central processing unit,” IG-11 informed.

“English please,” Osa declared confused.

“His cerbal matter is fried,” IG-11 tried to be funny.

“I don’t speak medical.”

“He means by brain,” Din clarified.

“I tried a joke. It is meant to put everyone at ease,” IG-11 clarified.

“We will need to reprogram your sense of humor later,” Osa stated when she nodded her head for encouragement to herself and placed her hands under her father’s head, “IG-11 once I heal him still spray him with bacta incase I can not close the wound. It’s just me this time. Okay, here we go.”

Osa secured her hands behind her father’s head and closed her eyes, sensing the injury, seeing the injury, and then willing it to heal by transferring her source of energy into him. Through her touch she began propelling her own essence into her father, sending him in discomfort because it was happening faster than his body could handle.

He closed his eyes, concentrating not to pass out when the blood on his face started to retract up his nostril and reenter the cuts on his face when even those sealed. Osa was deep in concentration, deeper than she had ever expected to go and saw the very thing her father always kept hidden from her; the memory of when he received her.

The event played out like a film, she could see through his eyes, the commotion of chaos, and dead Stormtroopers lining the alley. There in the distance a woman stood, mouthing words he couldn’t hear, she prevented his advancement with a hand of warning when she was gunned down. The memory continued rapidly as it imprinted within her mind, but the overload was too much when Osa dropped to the ground unconscious, unable to register the rest. Once her hold on him was released, Din opened his eyes and breathed heavy, exhausted and yet rejuvenated at the same time.

Seeing this as his cue, IG-11 sprayed the bacta ointment on the back of Din’s head when he suddenly realized Osa was not in his sight. Faster than he expected, Din sat up, noticing his daughter’s body twisted and not moving.

“Osa,” Din got to his knees and cradled her head in his hands, noticing the exact same white that painted the sides of his hair now colored hers, “What happened?”

Din caught a glimpse of his reflection in his helmet noticing a completely healed face and a full head of brown hair. He brushed the white with his thumb on Osa’s head hoping to smear the color out, but it had become permanent.

“I must run another diagnostic on you to make sure you have healed completely,” IG-11 declared.

“I’m not worried about me, scan my daughter now!” Din commanded and the droid complied.

IG-11 performed the exact same scan as he did with Din, from the top of her head ending at the bottom of her chest, “She is completely healthy, just depleted, the reason for her unconsciousness.”

“But how did she receive the white from my hair?”

“It appears the only logical answer would be is she absorbed some of the years you already lived.”

“You’re suggesting she de-aged me by taking years off from my life and absorbing them herself?” Din questioned in anger.

“Yes.”

“How do I take them back?” he shouted in frustration.

“I believe you can not because you do not possess abilities like her.”

Din exasperated in sadness, he brushed Osa’s hair away from her face and kissed her forehead, he then placed his own forehead on hers feeling defeated because it was his duty to protect her, not the other way around.

Understanding there was nothing he could do, Din reassembled both their armor and helmets ready to rejoin the others in the sewers.

* * *

Cara, Karga, and the child waited, becoming a bit impatient, Cara was starting to get worried when she heard loud clanking footsteps draw near. Around the corner they noticed a light shine as Mando had his helmet flashlight illuminated. He staggered a bit due to carrying Osa in his arms.

Cara approached in concern, “What happened to her? Are you alright?”

“We’re both fine, she’s just unconscious,” Mando informed.

“Will she recover soon?”

“I hope so,” when everyone moved out.

All five of them walked aimlessly through the tunnels and became frustrated.

“Do you know which way to go Mando?” Karga asked.

“No, I don’t know these tunnels like Osa. I’ve only entered from the bazaar.”

“Well, if we get the smell of sulfur and we follow it, it’ll lead us up to the plains where the river flows,” Karga suggested as everyone continued walking.

“If we keep this up the Imps will catch us before we make it to the ship. We need the Mandalorians to escort us to safety,” Mando stated.

“Ugh, this place is a maze. What did Osa say before? Go straight and then turn right, then at the third corridor turn left,” Cara began going through the instructions Osa briefly laid out, “There was something about at the fork we go left.”

“Which we did, but then she said after that is where it becomes tricky,” Karga chimed in.

“Tricky is right.”

“Wait, I think I know where we are,” Mando was starting to get his bearings because these corridors was where the younglings liked to play hide and seek, and the place he would always find his daughter, “We’re close, turn here.”

Everyone followed Mando when they rounded one more corner and then stepped down into an abandoned area that was only occupied by a pile of battle scorned Mandalorian helmets and armor. Shocked and then saddened, Mando slowly approached and knelt before his fallen comrades. He placed Osa in front of him when he picked up an empty helmet analyzing the damage and who use to wear it.

Slowly Cara drew near afraid of Mando’s reaction when she suggested that they leave.

“You go. Take the ship. I can’t leave it this way. Did you know about this?” Mando turned to Karga, “Is this the work of your bounty hunters?” his voice became angry.

“No. When you and the kiddo left the system and took the prize, the fighting ended and the hunters just melted away. You know how it is? They’re mercenaries. They’re not zealots,” Karga explained.

“Did you do this? Did you?” Mando laid Osa down when he rose to his feet digging his finger into Karga’s chest and getting into his face.

“No!” Karga shouted back.

“It was not his fault,” the female Armorer exclaimed while stepping out of the Armory, “With your daughter’s pleas we revealed ourselves. We knew what could happen if we left the covert,” The Armorer approached the pile, “The Imperials arrived shortly thereafter. This is what resulted,” she glared at the armor also in sadness.

“Did any survive?” Mando questioned and put Osa back in his arms.

“I hope so. Some may have escaped off-world,” she began placing the armor into a bin.

“Come with us,” Mando suggested.

“No. I will not abandon this place until I have salvaged what remains. What happened to your daughter?”

“She is unconscious.”

“Why?”

Confused Mando believed everyone knew of her episodes, “You know why.”

“Hmm, I know more than what you think,” the Armorer said cryptic and then pushed the bin into the Armory.

“Wait,” Mando rushed after her as everyone else followed.

Mando handed Osa to IG-11 so he could pursue the conversation more freely.

“All these years and you’ve known something about her?” Mando started but the Armorer was busy melting down a chest plate and began her own topic.

“Show me the one whose safety deemed such destruction,” the Armorer commanded when Cara unfolded the satchel the child was kept in reveling it, “This is the one that both of you hunted, then you saved?”

“Yes. But it helped save me as well,” Mando reminded.

“From the Mudhorn?”

“Yes.”

“It looks helpless just like when your daughter was small, but we all witnessed what she can do.”

“He can do the same and move things with his mind, tell me what you know,” Mando was getting frustrated, “For fifteen years I have searched for answers to help her, so she wouldn’t live in fear of herself and this whole time you have been with holding necessary information.”

“Silence your tongue, unlike yourself I am a descendent from Mandalore so I know the stories of which have been passed down from our history. What I can reveal is the songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great, and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers like hers and what you compare with the child.”

“The Jedi, are they an enemy? Is that why you never revealed these stories in order to protect her?”

“Yes and no. Their kinds were enemies, but Osa and this child are not. Just as you were given Osa, by Creed, the child is also in your care.”

“You wish me to train the child?”

“It is too weak. It would die. You have no choice. You must reunite it with its own kind.”

“Where?”

“This, you must determine.”

“You expect me to search the galaxy for the home of this creature and deliver it to a race of enemy sorcerers?”

“You did for your daughter, besides it appears these two are more connected then meets the eye. She will most likely benefit as well. This is the way.”

“Hey, these tunnels will be swarming with Imps in a matter of minutes. We should at least discuss an escape plan,” Cara informed with a hint of panic.

“If you follow the descending tunnel, it will lead you to the underground river. It flows downstream toward the lava flats,” the Armorer instructed.

“I think we should go,” Karga said.

“I’m staying. I need to help her and Osa needs time to heal,” Mando declared.

“You must go. These children are in your care, by Creed, until they have reached their day of independence or reunited with their own kind you are their father. This is the way,” the Armorer finished what she had been forging in the fire and turned to Mando, “You have earned your Signet,” in her design she forged a skeleton in the Mudhorn’s shape and welded it on his right pauldron, “Never have we had a clan of three, lead them well.”

“Thank you. I will and wear this with honor,” Mando said with sincerity.

“We should go,” Karga stated.

“IG, please guard the outer hallway. A scouting party draws near,” the Armorer said when IG-11 handed Karga the unconscious Osa and exited the Armory.

“I have one more gift for your journey,” the Armorer began, “Have you trained in the Rising Phoenix?”

“When I was a boy, yes,” Mando declared.

“Then this will make you complete,” the Armorer held out a jetpack Mando previously desired.

“Thank you.”

“When the time is right you will begin your drills. Until you know it, it will not listen to your commands.”

“I understand,” suddenly a wave of blaster fire and screams could be heard when IG-11 came back.

“You are protected,” the droid clarified.

“More will come. You must go,” the Armorer said.

“Come with us,” Mando hoped.

“My place is here,” she reminded, “Restock your munitions.”

IG-11 took Osa back from Karga when Mando began replenishing his depleted artillery.

“IG, also carry this for Din Djarin until he is ready to wear it. Now go. Down to the river and across the plains. Be safe on your journey,” the Armorer ended.

“Thank you,” Mando replied as everyone left and headed for the riverbank.

* * *

The armorer sat on her knees with her welding tools crossed in front of her chest, a team of Stormtoopers entered her sanctuary uninvited as they commanded to know the whereabouts of the criminals. She sat in silence contemplating which one to take out first when the decision was made for her by the trooper, who clanked his blaster against her helmet, demanded to know where they were.

Like a striking snake, she wielded her tools with fierce blows, smashing metal against armor taking out her assailants with ease. Their blasters didn’t even graze her Beskar due to her quick reflexes and combat skills. She stood in victory as her attackers lay on the floor where they belonged.

* * *

It didn’t take long until they reached the lava river when they came upon a large gondola powered by an R2 unit. Upon inspection the boat didn’t seem in good shape plus the ferry droid seemed unoperational as Mando pointed out.

“Yeah, but if we push the boat out, we can get it to float downstream. Come on,” Karga suggested and began pushing but the boat didn’t move.

“Looks old. Will it take the heat?” Mando questioned for their safety.

“You got a better idea?” Karga said frustrated.

“Guess not,” Mando realized when him and Karga started to push but the boat would not budge.

In agitation Mando kicked the boat and grabbed a pole hoping to lodge the gondola free. Karga and Mando began their tactic again but Cara had a different solution.

“You guys mind getting out of the way?” she said while holding the child in one hand and her blaster gun in the other.

Immediately Karga and Mando moved as she opened rapid fire freeing the boat from being cemented to the edge.

“Good job,” Karga complimented when everyone climbed aboard as it began floating down stream.

“Watch your feet. It’s molten lava,” IG-11 informed while placing Osa down.

“No kidding,” Mando sarcastically said under his breath while checking on his daughter who would have most likely made that comment, “Come on Osa, wake up,” he put his hand on the side of her helmet a bit concerned why she was still unconscious.

Granted the child still seemed depleted from stopping the fireball, it was only logical that Osa was still unconscious because she had healed a massive injury in his head, plus took off years from his life, which meant she absorbed them, possibly even aging herself up.

Suddenly a beeping occurred getting everyone’s attention, drawing their blasters as they watched the R2 ferry droid thrive with life. It broke through the hardened lava that had encased it, revealing arms and legs as it extended to a standing position with a stick ready to steer its passengers.

“I don’t suppose anybody here speaks droid?” Mando asked.

“I believe he is asking where we would like to go,” IG-11 chimed in.

“Down river. To the lava flat,” Karga instructed.

With this the droid complied happily chirping while rowing them down the lava bank. The ride wasn’t long when Karga spotted the opening.

“That’s it. We’re free,” Karga said in enthusiasm.

Mando stepped forward igniting his heat sensor on his visor, spotting a team of Stormtroopers awaiting their arrival.

“No, we’re not. Stormtroopers. They’re flanking the mouth of the tunnel. It looks like an entire platoon. They must know we’re coming,” Mando informed.

“Stop the boat,” Cara demanded, “Hey droid, I said stop the boat. Hey I’m talking to you, I said stop,” Cara approached the droid and blasted its dome clean off.

“We’re still moving,” Karga said.

“Looks like we fight,” Cara stated.

“There are too many,” Mando declared.

“Then what do you suggest? Both of our strongest defenses are decommissioned,” Cara pointed to the child and Osa, “I can’t surrender,” she added.

“They will not be satisfied with anything less than the child,” IG-11 began, “This is unacceptable. I will eliminate the enemy and you will escape.”

“You don’t have that kind of firepower, pal,” Mando reminded, “You wouldn’t even get to daylight.”

“That is not my objective,” IG-11 said.

“We’re getting close. Saddle up,” Cara handed the child back to IG-11 when she moved to the front of the boat prepping for battle.

“I still have the security protocols from my manufacturer. If my designs are compromised I must self-destruct,” IG-11 informed.

“What are you talking about?” Mando asked walking up to the droid.

“I am not permitted to be captured. I must be destroyed,” IG-11 said.

“Are we gonna keep talking or get out of here?” Karga declared.

“I can no longer carry this for you,” IG-11 set down Mando’s jetpack, “Nor can I watch over the child.”

“Wait. You can’t self-destruct. Your base command is to watch the child. That supersedes your manufacturer’s protocol, right? Right?” Mando tried to find a loophole for the droid.

“This is correct,” IG-11 confirmed.

“Good. Now, grab a blaster and help us shoot our way out.”

“Victory through combat is impossible. We will be captured. Your children will be lost. Sadly, there is no scenario where the child is saved, in which I survive.”

“Listen, you’re not going anywhere. We need you. Let’s just come up with a…,” but Mando was cut off.

“Please tell me the child will be safe in your care. If you do so, I can default to my secondary command.”

“But you’ll be destroyed.”

“And you will live, and I will have served my purpose.”

“No. We need you,” Mando’s voice almost broke.

“There is nothing to be sad about. I have never been alive,” IG-11 informed.

“I’m not sad,” Mando tried to pass off.

“Yes, you are. I’m a nurse droid. I’ve analyzed your voice.”

IG-11 handed the child to Mando when the droid stroked the tip of the child’s ear with care, without thought IG-11 stepped into the lava river and walked towards the mouth of the tunnel, its legs slowly disintegrating from the intense heat, but he proceeded forward in determination.

* * *

The troopers stood fierce, blasters drawn, ready to take out their assailants when IG-11 emerged from the tunnel and spoke a warning, “Manufacturer’s protocol dictates I can not be captured,” a plate slide down from its chest revealing the thermal detonator already activated, “I must be destroyed,” when IG-11 exploded taking out all the troopers with him.

Slowly the boat glided forward revealing the destruction IG-11 left behind, no trooper survived where only fire burned. Cara had her gun drawn ready in case for a second wave but none followed.

All was quiet when suddenly the sound of a TIE-Fighter soared overhead as Cara stated the obvious, “Moff Gideon!”

Everyone drew their blasters firing at the ship but their firepower did not penetrate the fighter’s steel.

“He missed,” Karga said.

“He won’t next time,” Mando informed.

“Our blasters are useless against him,” Cara pointed out.

“Can you wake up the kiddo? Or let’s make the baby do the magic hand thing. Come on, baby! Do the magic hand thing,” Karga held up his hand displaying three fingers hoping the child would understand but it only waved back at him in glee, “I’m out of ideas.”

“I’m not,” Mando said determined.

“Here he comes,” Cara shouted raising her weapon when Mando strapped on his jetpack.

Gideon approached head on, ready to take them all out, assets or no assets, when he blasted his cannon fire but Mando shot straight into the sky. Immediately Mando released his grappling hook, strapping onto the TIE-fighter and igniting his jetpack so as to get a firm grip.

Mando landed on top of the fighter, getting a visual on Gideon inside trying to blast his way through but the shields held up. With one turn of his wheel, Mando lost his hold and was flung onto the fighter’s wing. Desperately he held on for dear life, grabbing a thermal detonator but the wind pushed it out of his hand.

Gideon attempted a few more maneuvers but Mando was able to secure his last detonator and released his grip. Instantly a rapid beeping informed Gideon of the device but it was to late. The detonator exploded sending the fighter into a wielding spiral and crashing in the distance. Falling hard and fast, Mando ignited his jetpack allowing him to ease into his landing.

“That was impressive, Mando. Very impressive,” Karga complimented, “It looks like both your Guild rates have just gone up.” Mando tilted his head hoping Karga would receive the hint, “Sorry not the kiddos, her secret is safe,” Karga stated.

“Any more Stormtroopers?” Mando asked.

“I think we cleaned up the town,” Cara said in confidence, “I’m thinking of staying around just to be sure.”

“You’re staying here?” Mando questioned with bafflement.

“Well why not? Nevarro is a very fine planet. And now that the scum and villainy have been washed away, it’s very respectable again,” Karga informed.

“As a bounty hunter hive?” Mando asked.

“Some of my favorite people are bounty hunters. And perhaps, this specimen of a solider might consider joining our ranks,” Karga tried smooth talking Cara.

“Yeah. I’ve got some clerical concerns regarding my chain code,” she informed.

“And if you would agree to become my enforcer, clerical concerns would be the least of your worries,” Karga hoped he was convincing her, “But you, my friend, you and your daughter will be welcomed back into the Guild with open arms. So go off and enjoy yourself. And when you’re ready to return, you will have the pick of all quarries,” Karga stated in honesty.

“I’m afraid I have more pressing matters at hand,” Mando said taking the child from Cara and moving towards his daughter.

“Take care of them,” Cara said with sincerity.

“Or maybe, they’ll take care of you,” Karga spoke hypothetically.

Mando strapped the child to his chest, double checking he was secure when he picked up his daughter in his arms, curling her body close. Mando ignited his jetpack and rose into the sky while Karga and Cara watched them fade into the distance.

Once Mando reached the ship he placed Osa in her bed hoping she would awaken soon. He placed his hand on the side of her helmet gazing at her with affection when Mando placed the child next to her.

“Do you think you can awaken her?” Mando asked the child but it only stared back at him, snuggling up next to her.

Realizing he gave it a shot Mando knew he had one last thing to do. In honor, Mando buried Kuiil creating a rock grave and placing Kuiil’s headgear and goggles as his marker, forever leaving Kuiil’s legacy behind.

Mando went back to check on his children and noticed the child was gnawing on something, “What do you got there?” Mando reached for the item and realized it was the Mythasour emblem, “I didn’t think I’d see this again or either of you,” Mando spoke while pondering over so much.

“Why don’t you hang onto that until she wakes up,” he handed the emblem back to the child when it started suckling on it again, “Can you keep her company?” Mando asked as the child snuggled back up against Osa, drifting off to sleep himself. Mando smiled and placed a blanket over the two when he went to the cockpit, fired up the Razor Crest and headed into the vast darkness of space.

* * *

At the crash site Jawas had already began collecting parts to sell. They rummaged through vigorously trying to find all the best parts when suddenly a crackling startled them. A bright flame sparked but then was replaced with a saber, colored black, cutting through the TIE-fighter’s steal creating a path of escape. Once freed, out stepped a furious Gideon searching for his assailants, with no luck he climbed to the top of his destroyed fighter, cape billowing in the wind, and gripped in his hand was the Mandalore sacred relic that had united the clans; the dark saber.

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neuroticphysiologist · 4 years

Text

Quarter to Three

It sure took me a very long time to get me motivated to write...

Probably some sad old songs might help.

Man, this is one of the hardest fics I wrote. At least I made it.

My OC from my one shot "Itinerary" is back! But the setting of this is before Scott and Bethany are in a relationship.

Contains language.

Also available in AO3 and FF.net

***

He can't handle it anymore. He wanted to leave. He's fucking exhausted.

After a rescue mission in Alaska, he decided to stop by in New York. He switched into a full black casual outfit, fixed his hair, and grabbed his jacket with a few bucks, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter in its pocket before he hopped off Thunderbird 1. He rode on a cab, heading to the main street full of bars.

He looked around the street. It's a gloomy Saturday at around quarter to three in the early morning. Few people walking, wearing trench coats, some of them having a smoke, just like those black and white pictures back in the old times.

He had been thinking about his life. With both parents gone, and now living with four younger brothers, one adopted sister, and his grandma. He's currently the head of the family, he had a lot to do, and now he's exhausted.

He had to leave for a while.

It started to rain, so he entered a small bar, sat near the bartender's table, and ordered a drink. He lit up a cigarette and took a drag.

Surely is a sad day. Quarter to three, a little quiet, few people in the bar, some are asleep because of drunkenness, the jukebox playing slow paced songs. Scott listened to the song currently playing. He thought about his situation again, but then, a young woman sat beside him.

"There he is."

He turned to the right to see who it was.

"Beth?"

"Hey, Scott, glad you stopped by," she ordered a drink. "I haven't seen you since the opening of the new building in Manhattan, which turned out to be a disaster. You wished to see me but your brother needed you for his next mission."

"You came in the same time as I did?"

"Nope, I've been here for hours. I almost ran out of cents for that jukebox right over there. The local standup comedians earlier were a bore. Ten minutes before you came in, I had a great talk with the bartender named Mick over there. He made the best margarita, gotta tell you that."

"At least we have the time to meet again."

"Yeah. I missed you, Scotty."

"Missed you too, Betty."

He had another puff.

"What brings you here?"

"Disadvantages of living alone. Got to pay the bills, my aunt seeking help, and now I only have a few bucks for the gas tank. And I left my boyfriend because he's being a dick. My second cousin responded to my call and she helped me out, which is a relief."

"If you need more help, you can always contact me."

"Of course I'll call. And what about you?"

"Been hella busy. Dad's business, taking care of my brothers, especially Gordon and Alan since they're still in school. I have a few weeks left before going back for the last semester but still I'm in a fucking mess. Sorry I didn't get to call you, Beth."

"It's alright."

Beth took her drink, and so did Scott.

"That doesn't taste like the scotch I usually have."

"Mick probably gave you the heavy one."

"But that helped, thanks, Mick."

"Hey Mick, next time I come back, you know my usual."

Mick gave them a thumbs up.

Scott sighed. "I'm tired, Beth. It's been a month since Dad left us. It's like I'm carrying this really huge backpack with a heavy load of tasks that I have to do, and I'm climbing this steep hill. Also there are boulders coming in to knock me over. I jump over them to keep going. At times, I feel like I wanna drop the backpack and give myself some time off."

Beth rubbed his shoulder. "They'll understand if you want to rest. Just ask for help."

Scott felt like he was about to tear up. Losing his father and now taking care of his business and the whole family, that's a double, and it's stressing him out.

"Beth, your hand..."

"Sorry."

He nodded. She rested her hands on the table.

"What about you?"

"As I said, I have my cousin. You're the one who needs it more. You're stressing yourself out. It's your health I'm concerned about, and it's not just me. Your family's gonna be worried about you if you don't tell them."

"You're right. I did put myself into so much stress."

He stood up, put his cigarette on the ashtray, and took his last drink. "Alright..." he paid for the drinks, and then puts his hand on Bethany's shoulder. "Thanks for the reassurance."

"Anytime."

"Maybe I could give you some money for your gas tank, or your necessities..."

"I got it. You don't have to worry about me much."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll call you if this situation is fucking me up."

"Okay then. And you might wanna go back home too."

"I was planning to. I'll go back at 4:30."

"See you when I see you."

Beth smiled.

Just in time, the rain has passed. He closed his jacket and rode on a cab. He looked through the window to have a view of the night lights. He couldn't stop thinking about the same thing. He was close to crying in front of Beth earlier but he didn't want to get through it.

He entered the hangar and found his 'bird. He hopped in, went through systems check, and Thunderbird 1 flew off the city.

Thinking about his current situation made his emotions get worse, and again, he's close to crying, this time in the cockpit. His heart felt heavy and he felt tears running down from his eyes. He hurriedly wiped them off.

When he landed, he did not change to his usual clothes. He went back to his father's desk, supposedly to finish his report from his mission earlier. His footsteps woke Virgil up, who's at the sofa.

"You didn't turn on your comms since the time you rescued those workers, Scott."

"Sorry."

"Brains tracked down your last location. Did you have a drink?"

His brother nodded.

"Don't do that again, bro. Drinking then flying Thunderbird 1 isn't good."

Virgil sat up. "Why did you go somewhere without telling us, Scott?"

He did not respond.

"Scott?"

Virgil heard him sniffle. He approached to him.

"So this is how heavy Dad's job is like," tears fell from Scott's eyes again. "How does he do it, Virgil? I can't do this myself."

Virgil knew that Scott could handle anything, but this is the only moment that he'd say the opposite. Scott is the one who never gives up on anything, well, not only him but all of them, of course.

"It's building up every day. I have rescues to handle, I have to prepare for the last semester, and I have to take care of you all, and... I can't..."

"Come here."

Scott came in closer to hug his brother and cried.

"I was concerned about you, Scott. You're taking over Dad's job and I think it's hard to manage it by yourself."

"It's not just these tasks, Virg," he croaked. "It's just... I miss him. It's hard without Dad."

That last statement made Virgil tear up. The loss of their father has affected their lives so much.

"We all miss him."

"Oh, Virgil, I..."

The sound of him crying made his younger brother cry too. Virgil hugged him tight and rubbed his back.

***

The two elder brothers released from the hug. Scott wiped the tears from his eyes. Virgil glanced at their father's desk containing the files his brother had to finish.

"Alright," Virgil said. "I'll tell Grandma, I'll tell John. You need a day off, Scott. We can manage this without you."

"But I only oriented you a few."

"Don't worry, bro. I can handle it. Head back to your room, turn off your alarm clock just for today, and get some sleep. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Virgil."

"And then you'll come back strong again. Come on."

Virgil followed as Scott headed to his room.

Scott turned off the alarm clock. Before Virgil left his room, he hugged him again. "Thank you, little brother."

"You're welcome. Good night, Scott."

#thunderbirds #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #scott tracy #virgil tracy #my first whump in thunderbirds?#though it wasn't my first time #i whumped three pups in my fics two years ago so yeah #neurotic phys tag

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knittastically · 5 years

Text

A Lioness Amongst the Wolves Pt 26

Raymond de Merville did not die on a beach in Ireland, of course he didn’t. He made it back to Rouen and has decided to marry a feisty little baggage called Isabé.

A fiction, based hardly at all on a fiction, with the addition of some other fictional characters and one or two real ones

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25

You can also find all chapters here on AO3

If you want in or out of the Tag List (at the bottom of the page) just let me know via message and it’ll be done in a flash

“I must go Isabé.” Raymond’s breath is warm, his lips are barely touch my skin as he brushes them against my temple. Leaning back against the planks of the stable wall he holds me gently against him. There is a tender look in his eyes and boyish smile on his lips as he strokes his fingers down my cheek and gently traces them along my jaw. “l am neglecting my duties and being a poor host to his Majesty,”

I can’t help but laugh at him. “Raymond that’s the third time you have said you must return Home. If you really think His Majesty doesn’t know where you are, then you’re a fool, of course he knows and so, if he needed to speak with you, he would no doubt have sent for you long before now.”

“Well I suppose can’t argue with your logic Chérie.” Cupping my chin in his palm, he brushes his lips against mine, his beard is soft against my skin and tickles a little.

“Whilst you’re here talk to Blanche again about your Father, and this time really listen to what she has to say.”

“Maman did tell me about him Raymond.” I have the grace to sound contrite.

“But it will do no harm for you to hear it once more hein? He brushes his lips across my forehead. “Shall I speak to Sebastien for you when I get back to the Chateau?”

“No, it falls to me to make it right, I’ll speak to him tomorrow. I promise.” He strokes his hands up and down my arms, his fingers barely brush the sleeves of my gown, but I feel the heat from his touch and I look up at him, as our eyes lock I feel my face begin to burn. 1*Tu te souviens de ma Chérie, tu te souviens de la sensation de ma bouche sur ta chatte?

The words slide from his lips in a low feral growl, my breath stalls and before I can answer his mouth curves in a lazy smile and he spins me around. With that one smooth move he now has me pressed hard against the side of the stable; arms high above my head with both wrists gripped firmly in his right hand he sweeps his left up my side. When his thumb strokes over the curve of my breast, my breath hitches and my eyelids flutter. His smile is oh so innocent, but his eyes aren’t. Tightening his grip on my wrists, he leans in, his breath is hot against my ear. “Isabé you did promise that when you returned to the Chateau, you would be a good girl and behave; will you be a good girl for me?” He presses his lips to that sensitive spot at the back of my jaw then nips, hard.

I stutter out, “I did not promise, you arse, I simply nodded and that was just to shut you up.” He seems amused and jut out my chin staring at him in defiance. Beneath his high arched brows, there is sweet danger lurking in those blue eyes, will I ever learn?

“Then promise me now Isabé, promise me you will be very good.” The words rumble from him as he thrusts his knee between my thighs pressing his own thigh hard against me, the double meaning of his words is not lost on me, but his kiss is not what I expect, it’s teasing, slow, a gentle suckling of my lips as he grinds his thigh even harder against me and curls his fingers a little more tightly around my wrists.

“I promise.” The words float into his mouth and he breathes them back into mine as he kisses me again then releases me chuckling. “But I beg you don’t be a simpering miss for too long my love, I doubt I could stand the boredom of it.” Pursing his lips, he gives a long low whistle and, on the command, Diable walks out of the stall towards him, two shorter whistles and Voluceur follows suit.

“You are taking Diable back with you?”

Raymond shoots me a look; it’s the look every parent gives to a child who has just asked the most stupid of questions. “Isabé do you think I would leave him here only to have you racing around on him as soon as I’m out of sight, you must think I’m simple woman.”

I huff and carefully study my foot as I scuff it against the dirt floor. “I wouldn’t, but I could ride him back tomorrow if you leave him here.”

“No.”

I open my mouth to argue.

“I said no Isabé, now be content.” He means it.

When we are out in the yard I try again. “I could accompany you as far as the road, will you at least allow me ride him that far?”

Raymond blows out his breath and slowly shakes his head, but he is smiling “Sweet Christ I swear you are worse than Nicolette.” He steps quickly behind me and I squeak as he lifts me up. “You ride at my pace mind.” As he vaults up onto Voluceur I hear him hiss in his breath, there is a hint of pain in his eyes, he looks across at me with a tight smile. “It’s nothing Chérie, I will have Guillaume look at it later.” Then he sets Voluceur at a sedate and boring walk, twice I look sidewise at him and both times I catch him watching me with a silly smile on his face. We amble along in silence, but as usual the devil is on my shoulder, a press of my legs, the slightest touch of my heels and Diable springs forward. Raymond isn’t caught out; he notices my slight shift of balance and Voluceur matches Diables stride.

“A race Raymond, a race to the road or are you afraid I’ll win?”

“Isabé no.” He yells at me above the sound of hooves pounding on hard ground.

I kick harder and race ahead laughing as the dust swirls up and my hair streams behind me. But Voluceur is lighter, faster, Raymond draws alongside, passes me and stops dead in front of me blocking my way. I am laughing with the sheer joy of the ride, but as he dismounts the laugh dies in my mouth and my stomach twists. Raymond’s expression is hard and cold, he’s seething; for a few moments he glowers up at me, my heart is thumping, and I try to speak, but he holds up his hand to silence me.

2*”Tais-toi, ne me parle pas et surtout ne me défie plus jamais comme ça.” His voice is low and surprisingly calm, but his anger is unmistakeable; blinking rapidly he grabs at my waist and without another word hauls me from the stallions back then snatches up Diable’s reins and remounts Voluceur. His back and shoulders are rigid with fury as he rides away. I watch until he reaches the turn of the road, sure he will at least raise his hand but there is no acknowledgement and he keeps riding.

Cowed and miserable I trudge my way back to the Manor, feeling the stab and press of every stone through the thin leather soles of my shoes. Then I hear hoofbeats on the hard ground and my mood lifts, though I steel myself not to look and when the horse is reined to a walk beside me, I keep plodding along head down.

“Isabé, ma Chérie, I heard you had fled back to the Manor, is something troubling you?

It isn’t Raymond, the voice is too light, and has the affected, nasal twang I have noticed some members of the court have adopted. I am covered in dust, my hair is likely in rats’ tails, but I think of Eleanors advice and try to remain poised and calm as I shoot him a look of pure contempt.

“Théo I am not, and doubt I ever was, your Chérie, and I strongly advise you not to call me that in Raymond’s hearing.”

He reaches down offering me his hand. “Sit up behind me, we can ride to the Manor together.”

“No thank you Théo.” I smile sweetly “I’d sooner walk barefoot over hot coals than ride up with you.”

He turns his horse, riding round and round me gradually tightening the circle then stops close, leans right down and grabs a fistful of my hair, pulling it so hard it makes my eyes water and I’m forced to look up at him. “Remember bitch, you were mine once, I had you body and soul, long before Raymond grew hot for you. You’re used goods Isabé; if you think he’s marrying you for any other reason than to get an heir on you then you’re more stupid than I thought. I doubt though that you’ll manage to give him a brat that lives or did you perhaps make sure mine would not, what did you procure, did you go to some old witch hein?.” He keeps tight hold of my hair; his smile is pure evil as he sees the shock on my face.

“Christ, he knows about the child, he thinks I rid myself of it.” I feel sick, my voice is a broken whisper.

“Théo, I did not kill your child, though God forgive me if it had started to grow in me, I might have done so and would have either been damned, dead or both; I wanted nothing to remind me of you, nothing.”

His tightens his grip on my hair and tugs so hard that I can feel small strands tearing from my scalp.

“Have a care Isabé, don’t think you can hide anything from me and don’t try to cross swords with me woman, I give no quarter and take no prisoners; make no mistake if I want you back I shall have you, and no one, not even Raymond de Merville will stop me.” He laughs and lets go of my hair. “Cat got your tongue, hein?”troubling you?”

I shiver, not with fear but with pure loathing as he strokes his gloved fingers down my cheek, he takes it to mean something else.

“Leave that ageing old warhorse here in Rouen Chérie, let me take you to Paris, you will love court life and the court will love you. His Majesty already admires you and I would make sure you wanted for nothing.”

I spit back at him. “Except for perhaps a long life; tell me Théo, exactly how did your wife die?” I blurt out the question and immediately regret it. It does not do to challenge Théo Fontaine, especially on a quiet track with no one else around.

“Stand your ground girl, show him no fear.”

He releases his grip on my hair and is remarkably calm as he answers. “There was nothing that could be done to save her Isabé, but praise God her release was swift and easy.” It is really no answer at all.

“Are you proposing marriage Théo?”

“If that is what it takes to persuade you, then yes.”

I manage a sweet smile. “Hell will freeze, and Satan will fart perfume out of his arse before I abandon Raymond for the likes of you. I don’t know how I ever could have thought myself in love with you, I must have been crazed. You always were an arrogant bastard but you’ve changed, now you’re cruel there is something unsettling about you; but I’m not afraid and you have no claim on me, so go back to the Chateau and leave me alone.”

Scowling he slides down from is horse and his vile grin reappears. “Oh, I think I shall stay for a little while, it would be discourteous of me to ride here and not visit old friends don’t you think, so will you ride with me?”

Shaking my head, I step away from him. “No, I shall walk, I prefer my own company.”

His right arm snakes around my waist but as he pulls me forward I slam my palms hard against his chest. “Just one kiss sweetheart, just one.” With his left hand he forces my head towards him; I twist and turn my face and body this way and that, pound my fists against his chest as I try to avoid a kiss. His lips slam against my tightly closed mouth as I kick at his shins and try to wrestle myself free; when I jerk my knee upwards he shifts but his mouth never leaves mine, letting go of my waist he grabs between my legs; as I gasp in surprise he forces his tongue into my mouth. I gag then bite, sinking my teeth into that lump of probing flesh. Yelping he jumps back red faced with rage and raises his arm to slap me.

“Mam’selle, Mam’selle Isabé.”

“Thank God.” As Hugh lopes towards us, Théo steps away from me, his eyes full of malice in spite of his smile. I compose myself as best I can.

“Yes Hugh, what is it?”

“Forgive me Mam’selle but you have been gone for such a time that Madame sent me to look for you, she thought you might have changed your mind and decided to return to the Chateau with Sieur Raymond.” He forces a grin but it’s obvious from his expression and tone of voice that he has seen what has just happened.

“No Hugh, I just rode down to the road with him, we had much to discuss and took no notice of time, besides I would not have left without saying goodbye, but look we have another visitor, you remember Master Fontaine, we were just ambling along talking of old times and the wonderful life he now has in Paris.”

“Aye, Master, I remember you well, it’s good to see you again.” The lie drops easily from Hugh’s lips, he has never liked Théo, and gives him the most grudging of bows. “Mam’selle Isabé, Madame is waiting for you in the orchard, and if you would care to ride up the the Manor Master Fontaine, one of the lads will tend to your horse.

Théo has no choice, he takes my hand and presses his lips to the back of it.

“Perhaps we shall meet later Isabé.”

“Perhaps.” I give him the best smile I can manage, pull my hand away and slip through the little gate into the orchard. Glancing through the trees I see Theo remount as Hugh starts to make his way back up the track, I should be hard pressed to say who has the more thunderous expression on their face.

“There you are Isabé, I felt sure you had decided to return to the Chateau.”

“No Maman, I only went down to the city road with Raymond.”

“For a sweet, farewell?” She slides her arm through mine.

“Hardly, he was in a foul temper and left without a word, then as I was walking back Théo Fontaine came riding up the track.”

She links arms with me, and her tone is one of resignation as she sighs, rolls her eyes and asks, “Oh Isabé, what have you done now?” I hope I manage to look at least a little contrite and as we stroll through the orchard towards the Manor, I tell her.

“Isabé, Raymond loves you; anyone can see that; be warned though, if you cross him once too often, he can be unforgiving.” There is a cool edge to her voice, it tells me she knows just how harsh he can be she adds “As Henri’s mother used to say, it may come back to bite you on the arse.” She smiles then presses a kiss to my cheek. “Growing up you had far more freedom than any of the other young girls around here and sometimes I wonder if that was the right thing.”

“It was Maman, but look at those girls now, they are mostly all dutiful wives, hidebound, hobbled and cowed, without a thought in their heads save for the ones their husbands put there.”

Blanch smiles and shakes her head at my passionate reply.

“Daughter, I love you dearly just as you are.” Maman slides her arm around my waist and I know there is a “but” there always is. “But I beg you Isabé, listen to me, as a young, unmarried woman, your behaviour might be excused up to a point, it may even be considered a little amusing.” I start to speak but she raises her hand. “It will not do Isabé, you are soon be married to a powerful man, a man who has the ear and favour of the King, you will be the Chatelaine of a Great house and you will do yourself and Raymond a disservice if you don’t rise to that. I’m not asking you to change completely and I’m sure Raymond wouldn’t want that either but do try on occasions to be a little more decorous.”

“I can't make that promise, because I’m certain I would break it, but I shall do my best.”

“I suppose that is the best I can hope for child.” Her smile is infectious and we both begin to laugh. “I should like something cool to drink, perhaps we should go and join Henri and Théo?”

“Maman I’d rather not see Théo again, not ever, if that’s possible.”

“Was he unkind to you?”

“I give her the barest details of our meeting, and she watches me closely. “The man is a fool, what possessed him to say such idiotic things to you?”

“I have no idea, but it seems Théo is a man who will always crave what others have."

By the time he enters the courtyard Raymond’s anger has cooled. Riding back he thought of little else but Isabé and her unconventional and sometimes rebellious behaviour which makes her infuriating and endearing in equal measure. He smiles to himself, certainly marriage to her will never be dull, but he also knows that she will need to temper that feisty side of her nature if she is to be respected and well regarded as the Chatelaine; but not for one moment does he relish the thought of being the one to point that out to her.

As soon as he rides into the exercise yard and reins up outside the stallion stables, Mathieu and Guillaume leave off their sword practice and stride towards him.

“Sieur,” Mathieu bows his head. “His Majesty requires your presence in his chamber….

Guillaume is quick to notice that Raymond is in some discomfort as he dismounts, and the small dark stain on his master’s tunic gives him cause for concern. “Sieur, let me examine your wound before you go to meet with the King.”

“Later Guillaume, His Majesty won’t wait, so your ministrations will have to” He tosses the reins to his squire. “Stable these two, then wait in my chamber I will meet you there as soon as I’m able then you can do your worst.

“But Sieur, I really think you should..”

Raymond stops him short; his voice is firm though the tone is gentle as he pats Guillaume’s shoulder.

“I said later, a few more minutes will make no difference.”

“With me Descoteaux.” He jerks his head towards the chateau and Mathieu hauls on his tunic and falls into step beside him.

“Trouble?” Raymond flashes a wry smile at Mathieu”

“Truly Sieur, I can’t say, though his Majesty does seem a little agitated.”

“Not what I would have wished to hear, is he at odds with things in general or something in particular?”

“I think his Holiness has been rattling him.”

“About the problem in the South?”

“Yes.”

Shaking his head Raymond mutters. “I have a bad feeling about this my friend, a very bad feeling.”

They climb the stairs two at a time and with each downward press of his right foot, Raymond feels a stab of pain from the wound. Mathieu notices the tightness around his eyes.

“Perhaps you should have let Guillaume tend to you first?”

“It’s nothing, stop fretting like an old woman.”

The Guard opens the chamber door, steps aside and salutes. Raymond can feel the tension seeping out of the room, his heart sinks and he forces a grin.

“Mathieu, why don’t you go and find Jehanne, I’m sure she would be more than happy to spend some time with you away from the wedding preparations.” He winks. “I’ll send word if I need you.”

Descoteaux frowns, after years in service to Raymond he knows his Lords moods, and this one says “Spoiling for a fight.”

Raymond strides towards Philip, who doesn’t rise to greet him and merely extends his right arm. The large red stone set into the ring on his third finger, appears to throb with a life of its own. His Majesty is signalling his authority and expects the appropriate response, It seems to be of no consequence that Raymond is a close friend and confidante. Being the dutiful subject and soldier that he is, Raymond genuflects before his Sovereign, takes hold of the proffered hand and barely touches his lips to the jewel before leaving go. He remains on his knee, head bowed, because until Philip gives him leave to stand, Raymond must stay where he is. Philip takes his time.

“It would seem you have had an interesting morning de Merville, rumour has it that your pretty little bird has flown.”

Raymond clenches his jaw and flicks his gaze upwards, blue eyes to blue eyes. “Sire I have never known you deal in rumours, your information is accurate, and I don’t doubt most extensive, but I doubt you know that Isabé will return here tomorrow morning.”

The Kings lips twitch as he stifles a smile, “No doubt, bound hand and foot and slung over your saddle?” At the withering look he receives Philip laughs. “Oh for God’s sake get up Raymond and pour yourself some wine, we have matters to discuss and it is impossible to conduct a conversation with the top of your head”

Guillaume has set out everything he might need to attend to his Lord: A large basin, ewers of hot and cold water, clean clothes are ready and waiting. On the flat topped chest beside the bed is a tray of food and a jug of wine.

With an expression on his face that would make Satan blench, Raymond bangs and crashes his way into the chamber muttering foul oaths under his breath. Guillaume does not speak straight away but pours a cup of wine, he knows his Lord too well, knows it is better to wait. The wine is downed in one. “I see you have your instruments of torture ready.” Raymond nods towards the table as he holds out his cup for a second fill and downs it as quickly as the first, not a good sign.

“Ready and waiting Sieur, so if you will allow I shall set to work.”

Raymond slams down his cup unbuckles his belt and begins, Guillaume’s help to haul off his clothes.

“Kings, Guillaume, the bastards pull our strings this way and that like puppet masters” he wipes the back of his hand across his mouth.

“You'd best have pity on me boy, pray for me too if you feel inclined, because as sure as hell is hot, your dear Sister will likely have my balls on a platter when I give her my news.”

Straight faced Guillaume stares at Raymond. “Then might I suggest Sieur, that whatever it is you need to tell Isabé, you do so after your Wedding Night!” His tactic works, Raymond glares back, then he shakes his head and laughs.

“Good advice, though I think it would be better to do it sooner rather than later.” Stripped to his braies, Raymond stretches out on the bed and winces as Guillaume cuts away the bandage and removes the pad of linen. The wound has bled enough to soak through, stitches have torn from the flesh, but there is no smell, the edges of the cut are a little swollen, but pink and clean.

“Well, am I likely to die from this scratch?

“Rather more than a scratch Sieur, though it’s unlikely to send you to an early grave and at least it has stopped bleeding.”

“Fuck!” With a hiss Raymond grips at the undersheet as he jerks upwards, his back arching up from the bed as his squire continues to clean the wound with old wine and then it dry with a fresh piece of linen. “Christ's Pizzle I’m getting too old for this, every year It hurts more and I take longer to mend.”

Guillaume says nothing as he trickles more wine where the stitches have torn away then sets to replacing them. There is not a murmur from Raymond now, he has endured this more times than he cares to remember. Though he has released his grip on the undersheet his jaw aches from being clenched tightly for so long and his eyes are narrowed beneath a deep frown.

“My Lord, Brother Anselme cautioned you against too much exertion and he will have my hide if the wound turns bad. This would not have happened if you hadn’t decided to vault on and off horses to career around the countryside after my troublesome sister. If only for my own sake I beg you, take care and do not exert yourself overmuch.”

Straight faced Raymond drawls. “In which case my wedding night will prove to be extremely uneventful.” Guillaume catches the glint in Raymond’s eye and smirks back at him.

“Are you done with mauling me about?”

“Yes, Sieur.”

“Good then help me dress, I wouldn’t want to ruin your needlework; Satan’s Arse but this is going to be a boring day without your sister around the place, she tends to keep everyone on their toes.”

“It was always the same at home Sieur, never dull.” Guillaume speaks with the deep feeling borne out of being a younger brother and Raymond grunts in sympathy.

“I doubt I will need you much more today, Guillaume, I want you to go and find Mathieu and Jehanne, but I suggest you don’t search too soon or too diligently, he winks. When you find them, send them to me, we will be leaving for the Manor early tomorrow morning, you too and it’s “Best Rags” Guillaume, I intend that my bride-to-be shall return home like a Queen, not some scullery maid sneaking in through kitchen door; we leave straight after breakfast.”

“Of course, Sieur I will be ready to leave as early as you wish.”

Guillaume clears away everything but the food and takes his leave. He knows that Sieur Raymond de Merville, is head over heels in love and it is bittersweet that it should be Isabé, not himself that has captured his Lords heart.

Raymond stands in the deep embrasure of the window and stares absentmindedly into the distance. He wants Isabé here with him, to whisper inappropriate and wickedly funny comments about the courtiers and their ladies, to make him laugh and bring some light to his dark places; to watch her as she goes about her business or engages the King in easy conversation. It’s going to be a long day indeed and the weight of what he must tell her presses heavily on him.

As he rests his head against the cool stone, he groans, yes, it will be a long day and an even longer night.

1*Are you remembering my darling, are you remembering the feel of my mouth on your cunt/pussy?

2*Be quiet damn you, don’t speak to me and above all don’t ever defy me like that again.

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ldarchive · 5 years

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all or some of: 10, 18, 19, 20, 25, 28, 30, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42 for the ask meme =) lay all the ari facts on me

ty indigo ilu… shepardposting no limits (HOPEFULLY THE READMORE WORKS?)

10. What kind of friend is Shepard?

the “will give you shit but also go to the ends of the earth” for you type i suppose…he shows his affection thru gentle bullying. he can also be kind of genuinely an overbearing asshole at times, but he gets better with it; it takes him a while to, uh, adjust to having “friends” in the first place. he’s a dad friend if your dad is kind of a grumpy punk with a rude and morbid sense of humor

18. Share a headcanon about Shepard and their LI.

[struggling to come up with something i haven’t talked about a million times] uhhhhhh

kaidan wanted to propose with one of his dad’s old rings but he figured out it wouldn’t fit ari’s finger, so (with his mother’s blessing/assurance that his dad would have been more than happy abt it, etc) he had the gold melted down to make a new ring. in my mind it looks smth like this and yes ari totally cried a little

it also took kaidan weeks of near-misses to work up the nerve to propose even tho he Knew ari was gonna say yes, he was just really worried about getting it right. eventually he just did it on their balcony and ari got surprised and dropped his cigarette and kaidan got a cool new engagement burn scar on his arm but it was nice

19. Why did they fall for each other?

ari fell for kaidan bc he’s not just intelligent, but perceptive; he’s a realist who errs toward optimism and making the best of bad situations; he believes people can and should be better; he has a surprisingly understated sense of humor; he can keep up with ari’s teasing; ari asks him if he’s a romantic and he denies it and then gives, like, the most romantic answer in the world. he’s cute.

kaidan fell for ari bc……. he has big arm. ok but uh i think it’s because he’s, pretty practical and matter of fact and doesn’t care all that much about the social trappings that kaidan continually tortures himself with… he makes kaidan feel Seen and Understood but doesn’t make a big dramatic deal out of everything kaidan tells him, he just treats him… like a person. for someone who’s been living with & defining themselves by their issues for as long as kaidan has, it’s pretty incredible to find someone who just makes him feel like a human being again

20. What are their common interests or hobbies?

a lot of their relationship is like, meeting each other in the middle haha, but there are some things they both enjoy a lot with no caveats:

- cooking! kaidan’s a foodie and it becomes ari’s therapy hobby after me3, so it’s smth they enjoy doing together a lot. they try to do it more often if possible, but their general friday night tradition is to come home, crack open a couple beers, and cook a big meal together

- they are both outdoorsy Adventure Dads… it takes a while before ari can handle more than a walk around the park but eventually he and kaidan can go hiking again and they both rly love it. i imagine theyd be into stuff like camping, swimming, kayaking, etc too dfjnfg

25. Is there something they fight about?

well, everyone gets into arguments occasionally, but i don’t really think they fight all that often… not that they agree on everything all the time, but they’ve both gotten pretty good at talking things out and also deciding whether or not something is even worth arguing about in the first place. when you are dating someone during the apocalypse and don’t have to any time to waste those are both pretty valuable skills haha [i think the most they ever fought in their relationship was post-me3, when ari got out of the hospital and they’d both started to ‘settle in’ to their new lives but it was a bumpy adjustment and they were both going thru a lot of trauma and stress and bottling it up etc. it wasnt a great time but they worked thru it]

28. What would they like to change about the other?

it’s a double-edged sword, bc it’s part of what attracts kaidan to him as well, but sometimes kaidan really wishes ari had more a self-preservation instinct!! sometimes his tendency to charge headfirst into trouble is sexy, sometimes kaidan is tired and sad and it just gets really old

ari wishes kaidan would loosen up a little although, again, the straight-laced military thing (unfortunately) kinda does it for him. he would also take away kaidans chronic pain if he could

30. When did they realise they fell in love?

fr kaidan it was shortly after virmire and it absolutely scared the shit out of him ahaha

ari is dumb so he didn’t really realize until after horizon, which was probably a bad way to figure that out,35. Is there anything they dislike about the other?

ari appreciates how thoughtful kaidan is but sometimes it’s like… a bit… much lmao, he’s not as navel gaze-y as kaidan is so sometimes the process of having to talk everything out gets tiring. for kaidan it’s kind of the opposite, he sometimes perceives ari’s lack of forethought as a lack of care, which isn’t really true, he just works differently

on a much pettier level, ari gets annoyed that kaidan wants to sleep in all the time and kaidan gets annoyed that ari drowns all his food in hot sauce. hello, i worked hard on that steak36. What are their best memories together?

advtykefd cheesy but i like to think they got to take a little bit of leave after me1 so… they rented a log cabin somewhere (not sure if they went back to earth or just a colony planet somewhere?), turned off non-emergency comms on their omnitools and just chilled for a bit… went hiking, had drinks at the tiny bar in the closest small town, holed up in the cabin all day and had sex lmao it was probably the most peaceful week of aris entire life and it left a big impression on him

ofc later there’s stuff like their wedding day, their son’s birth, adopting their daughter etc. kaidan would probably even say, with the emotional distance provided by time, that horizon counts cuz even tho it sucked at the time nothing could have been better than realizing ari was alive

40. Is there someone in the squad of ME/ME2/ME3 Shepard dislikes? Why?

MIRANDA LOL… they just. do not see to eye or get along at all. i find their relationship very entertaining for this reason bc the dynamic of commander & XO who are both trying to be professional but do not respect e/o even the tiniest bit is so funny. theres a convo w her in me2 (i think it might be the one where you can initiate her romance?) where if you choose the renegade dialogue is hilarious to me… miranda makes some snide, passive aggressive comment about shepard based on their background (it’s like “it’s amazing how you’ve managed to succeed despite being _____” lmao) and then shepard is like “OH i get it, you’re jealous bc i’ve been more successful than you and TIM likes me more even tho i’m a big piece of shit idiot?” i love it it’s so funny. they both suck. eventually they do build some kind of mutual respect btwn them but theyre still… not exactly friends. i think in me3 ari was like “damn i hope miranda’s ok” and then when he actually met her again remembered why he used to be so pissed at her all the time lmao. (after me3 tho she saves his life Again and they probably have a lot of time in the hospital to just talk so maybe they do become genuine friends)

41. Are there any important relationships in Shepard’s past that defined their character? /42. Is there someone who had a great influence on Shepard?

just gonna try to combine these i guess,

- his parents, although he only got an unfortunate short time with them, he takes after both of them a lot, and the things his parents imparted on him stuck with him, but especially as he gets older he’s also really aware of the mistakes they made

-the reds, in general. not a really positive influence lmao but. they were his home for years & he learned how the world works through them, for better or worse… it’s why he’s a bit of a cynic, although later he is able to characterize it more as “this shit sucks But we can make it better” rather than just “this shit sucks”

- anderson was the first person ari ever felt saw him as a human being, and it was… a slow-going thing to learn to trust him ahah, but wanting to be worthy of anderson’s approval shaped a lot of his career decisions

#neositter #ask #oc: ari shepard

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dingoat · 6 years

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The Right Way | Part Six

[ previous | the beginning | next ]

In the timeline where Crow turned right, Artur Crow got onto the comm as soon as he’d heard about the civil unrest on Ruweln.

“Artur, you old shabuir, is that you?” came the bright, accented voice through the loudspeaker.

“Aye, Jinn, got a possible job opportunity for you ‘n the crew if you’re less than a day’s jump from Ruweln…”

“Oh? We’re listenin’…”

Though they’d never met in person, Artur was familiar with Jinn Charka and her crew, part of the same network of otherwise clanless Mandalorians who would exchange useful information with one another, keeping an ear out for work that might suit another group more than themselves. An honour system, based on fair play and paying it forward; pointing someone in the direction of good credits one day would more than likely have the favour returned in the future. Artur had gotten more than a couple of tip-offs for high target bounties from the odd trio.

Within a day, Jinn, a Zeltron about as beautiful as they come, her diminutive Chadra-Fan partner Santha, and their young Zabrak friend Bes’laar were on the ground, recovering munitions after a messy bit of action somewhat atypical of political strife in Bothan space.

“Ugh!” Santha exclaimed in disgust, as she and Jinn prowled the rooms of what was proving to be an empty and fruitless bunker. “Ain’t nothin’ but empty shelves and guano in here, love.”

Sighing, Jinn replied. “Same here, cyare. Next set.”

As they walked to the next two doors, Santha suddenly froze, her enormous radar-dish ears swiveling to and fro. Jinn halted beside her, once more on full alert, and waited patiently. After a moment, Santha looked up at Jinn, and whispered, “End room. Tryin’ real hard to be quiet. Rapid heartbeat. Small thorax.”

Jinn nodded once, and they double timed to the end of the hallway, taking up positions on either side of the doorway. Santha held up the three fingers on her offhand, and deliberately closed one at a time. As she clenched her fist, Jinn stepped into the doorway, autocannon ready, her stance wide. Santha knelt close behind her, framed by her partners long legs, the muzzle of her blaster carbine sweeping the room.

Huddled in a corner, ineffectually attempting to hide behind a lonely durasteel crate, was a giant pair of eyes between a pair of overly large, droopy ears. There was a little squeak, and the eyes dropped below the level of the crate. Jinn gasped, immediately put her enormous weapon aside, and removed her bucket, shaking out her dark pink hair, damp with sweat.

***

Jinn and Santha hadn’t ever discussed children at any length; biology being what it was, they weren’t exactly going to become parents by accident, or have a biological child of their own. But the day Jinn tugged that tiny Bothan girl out from behind a crate and set her on her hip, they both realised that accidental parenthood could happen to even the most unlikely of couples.

The little Bothan, who they guessed at anywhere between six and eight years, never really said a lot during the first couple of weeks after they took her in. Jinn and Santha put it down to shell-shock, but it made it near impossible to track down any family. Bothan missing persons lists were not readily available to offworlders, and neither of the Mandalorian women found they could bring themselves to leave the child with what struck them as singularly cold and disinterested officials.

She never even gave them a name, but quickly earned one for herself. A meek little shadow, she clung close to the heels of her adoptive parents and ‘Auntie’ Bes, showing next to no inclination to wander off on her own. Ahuska; a name roughly meaning ‘one who accompanies’ in their native tongue, first became the word they used to refer to the girl. It started out as a bit of a joke; Santha would laugh, watching the fuzzy little Bothan toddle after Bes’laar. “Look, it’s a Melody-“ she said, using the Basic translation of the zabrak’s name. “And her Accompaniment!” As time went on and Ahuska gave them nothing further to work with, it became her name in every proper sense.

It was Bes’laar’s idea to get the quiet, attentive girl a pet, and the Akk pup they dropped into her lap one afternoon caused Ahuska to really begin to open up. Quiet and shy became bubbly and inquisitive, and those days became Ahuska’s earliest conscious memories.

In years to come, Jinn and Santha would never fail to state that their trip to Ruweln was easily the most fruitful scavenging trip of their lives.

--------

In the timeline where Crow turned left, Jinn never received the tip-off to head to Ruweln. By the time she and her crew heard about the skirmish and upended government, they were reasonably certain the site would have already been picked clean.

The little Bothan girl wouldn’t be picked up for another five days, at which point hunger had driven her from the bunker and out into the streets. And it was hunger that saw her lurking around the camp of a small handful of Mandalorians, called in discreetly by government officials to round up stray insurgents and deal with them in varying degrees of finality.

The galaxy at large generally saw Mandalorians as savage, brutal, unforgiving. But there were few who wouldn’t have their hearts plucked at by children in need of a home.

Dirty, wary, and skinny as could be, the little Bothan trailed after their camp. Their little Ahuska’a, their accompaniment, was quickly won over by some decent food in her belly, and likewise won over the warriors with her cautious but fierce little attitude. They took her in without even making an attempt to locate her family, making the casual assumption that if they were alive, they’d have surely been visibly searching for their daughter in the blast-charred streets.

And so Ahuska’a came to Concord Dawn, the newest recruit of Aliit Ga’ihlr. She was quiet, barely spoke a word, but was attentive and obedient, quick to answer the Alor’s call and an eager, if somber participant of group activities. She gravitated toward the pack of rangy Anooba that the clan kept, and in the ever practical way of the people was promptly given duties concerning their care.

One morning, almost a month down the line, Ahuska woke to a buzz of heightened energy about the clan stronghold. Pulling herself out of her bed, she padded barefoot out to the common area, squinting against the sun that was already far too high. Clanmates were gathered, milling about, laughing, exclaiming, slapping each other on the back. It didn’t take her long to recognise the fact that there were strangers here, at least a dozen young warriors she’d never seen before.

“Hus’ika!” Kartja, one of the clanmates who’d originally recovered her from Ruweln waved her over brightly. “Come meet the rest of your Vode!”

Bobbing her head, the little Bothan, already sporting her first set of lightweight armour plates, trotted up to the brawny woman who’d called to her.

“Youngsters are back from a campaign,” Kartja beamed, motioning toward the nearest trio who stood together, arms about one another’s shoulders, already bragging about some misadventure or other. “Been gone the last three and a half months, and it looks as though most have come home to us.”

Ahuska’a took them in, wide-eyed. Most were human, as she’d come to accept was the norm in her new home, but there were a few other aliens about, including a couple of species she’d never seen before. The broad-shouldered, four-armed reptilian being who seemed to prefer his beskar’gam without a flight suit, she later learned was an Annoo-dat, while the squat, bug-eyed Gand was a type she’d heard about, but had never seen in the flesh. She was fascinated, her oversized ears lifting and huge blue eyes blinking out at the constant exchanges of good cheer, strong embraces and good-natured shoulder punches. A few of them went out of their way to come by her, crouching down, offering a grin or a pat on the head, while Kartja largely spoke for her.

When it all became a bit much, Ahuska’a retreated to her sanctuary, around the back of the compound where the Anooba were kept.

And it was there that he found her, some hours later.

“Hey there, new kid!” His tone had an unusual brightness to it that immediately caught Ahuska’a’s attention. “Fancy a scrap?”

She blinked at him, suddenly desperate to find her voice. “I…”

The Anooba pup curled against her side lifted its head and thumped its tail heartily against the ground.

The young warrior, somewhere in his late teens or possibly just pushing past twenty, flashed the little Bothan an impossibly broad and utterly infectious grin.

“I don’t know.. h-how,” she stammered, frowning intently. “I don’t think I’d be… much good…”

He stepped forward, bending down to give the pup a rough pat between the ears, and then give one of the Bothan’s ears a little tweak. His eyes were sparkling, the brightest blue she’d ever seen. “Ah, come on, Pout Snout!” The way he said it was an endearment rather than an insult, and Ahuska’a felt her tiny heart swell like she’d never felt before. “You’ll be fine!”

He offered her an arm, and she grasped hold, letting him tug her up to her feet.

“I heard you got adopted into the clan a few weeks back. Me, it was years ago, now, but I’m the same as you. Didn’t have any other family till Ga’ihlr took me out of the Coruscant undercity. Never looked back, and you’ll like it just as much, you’ll see. What do they call you?”

“Hus’ika,” she answered, a tiny, shy squeak. She gulped, and tried again. “Ahuska’a.”

“Cute,” he grinned. “I’m Mar’an. You can bring your little pup there, let’s have a little spar somewhere out of everyone’s way, hey? I’ll talk you through it…”

She clung to his hand as he lead her off, and as time wore on it seemed she was never quite willing to let it go.

-------

I was looking forward to this bit!! This time it features a bunch of characters created by my husband, @nutterbutterbox , as well as a chunk of writing lifted directly from the piece he’s been putting together for me regarding Ahuska’s adoption. Jinn, Santha and Bes’laar are all designed by him and I love her adorable family. <3

#writing #swtor #swtor writing #swtor fic #ahuska #crow #bes'laar #chadra fan #bothan #anooba #bounty hunter #mandalorian #mandalorians #jinn charka #santha charka #the right way

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antonystvrk · 6 years

Text

Puppy, Puppy Please With A Cherry On Top

Tony landed next to Steve fully clad in the newest Iron Man armor, hands on his hips. “I want a puppy, Rogers. Pretty, pretty please?” Tony asked, voice slipping into a high plea. He pouted inside the suit and even though Steve couldn’t see him, they knew each other well enough for Steve to know exactly what Tony was doing behind his faceplate. (Also known as: Tony wants a puppy and Steve pretends he doesn't.) Word count: 2k+ (also on ao3)

This is a secret santa gift from the Secret Santa exchange that took place on the Tony Stark Defense League discord server. The prompt was: sooooo, I kind of adopted a puppy. Merry late Christmas, @lushstark ! I hope you enjoy! Incoming fic below the cut!

“Are we really discussing this now?” Steve yelled over the comms, ducking just in time to avoid the chunk of metal that came hurtling his way. It may have been a car at some point, but it didn’t look that way now. Kids were to playdough as Hulk was to cars.

Tony landed next to him fully clad in the newest Iron Man armor, hands on his hips. “I want a puppy, Rogers. Pretty, pretty please?” Tony asked, voice slipping into a high plea. He pouted inside the suit and even though Steve couldn’t see him, they knew each other well enough for Steve to know exactly what Tony was doing behind his faceplate. Steve shook his head and made a run for it over the closest pile of debris. He could feel Tony’s eyes boring into his back, but he resisted the urge to turn around.

Tony was in his Gimme Mode, and Steve had a tendency of handing over whatever it was that Tony wanted at that given moment. They both knew that Tony could buy whatever he wanted ten times over and he did more often than not. But there were things they had both agreed would have to be a group decision, namely getting a puppy. They’d had the same conversation what seemed like a million times in a million different places; in the kitchen over breakfast, in the middle of sparring practice, in a SHIELD meeting with Fury glaring at them with his one good eye the entire time. One time Tony had even cornered Steve in the shower under the guise of joining him only to give an endearing, impassioned speech about the pros of getting a puppy. When Steve had started listing the cons, Tony had huffed his way out of the shower, leaving a trail of water droplets in his wake.

“Ouch. Did mommy dearest say no?” Clint’s voice came through the comms, ringing in Steve’s ears. Steve glared up at the building that Clint had claimed as his perch. Clint waved down at him like a pageant girl. Steve could see the shit-eating that he must have been wearing in his mind’s eye. He flung his shield with no real vigor, watching it spin in a perfect arc towards the top of the building. Clint saw it coming, but he had nowhere to run. He dropped down onto his belly with a loud squawk. Steve’s wholehearted laughter mixed with Clint’s string of obscenities.

Their battle was over before it even had a chance to fully begin. Steve had just begun his quick recap of events when Tony dropped to his knees with a clang. Small sparks flew off the pavement where the suit thudded against the ground. His faceplate lifted with an almost imperceptible whir to reveal the pout that Steve had tried to avoid. “Please say yes,” Tony pleaded, threading his fingers together. Steve tried his hardest to look unimpressed, but something must have betrayed him. Tony hopped up, clapping his hands together in glee.

He pressed a quick kiss to Steve’s cheek. “I’m gonna count this as yes,” he said, still grinning.

“This is a maybe,” Steve responded, but his words were lost in a woosh as Tony lifted off of the ground and into the sky.

Things never quite happened the way Steve intended them to happen.

The sun had begun to rise when Steve finally finished his usual morning run. He plopped down beneath a tree, nestling back into the rough trunk and watching as the people began to go about their daily lives. He wondered what it felt like to have a daily routine, a quiet day at work, a time to come home. It had been so long that he had even a semblance of a normal life.

His reverie was interrupted by a low whine. Steve looked down and found a pair of wide eyes looking back at him. The puppy couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old. Its fur was ink black, shining in the early sun, with a single patch of white in the center of its small chest. “Hey there, little buddy,” he cooed, wiggling his fingers in hopes that the puppy would come closer on its own. It sniffed Steve’s fingers, inching closer and closer. Steve outstretched his hand and waited. He watched in fascination as the puppy scooted forward, snuggling into the warmth of Steve’s palm.

“Now where did you come from?” Steve asked, rubbing a careful finger along the puppy’s side. He looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone keeping an eye out, but no one was paying either of them any attention. He picked the puppy up easily, cradling it against his chest like he would a baby. Steve couldn’t help but smile when it rubbed its nose against his shirt and sniffed indignantly. It looked up at him confused, seemingly asking Steve why he would wear such an offensive shirt.

He walked around the park aimlessly, watching everyone around him. He even stopped to ask the street vendors if they’d seen anyone’s puppy run off, but there was no sign of a panicked dog owner. No one seemed to be looking for the puppy. It made something stick in Steve’s throat. Maybe someone had abandoned it here, the poor thing. And who would Steve be if he left it there, too?

The walk back to the tower seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. The puppy watched everything as Steve walked, little ears perking with every sound. Steve was scared to put it down and let it walk, afraid that it might run off and get lost again. The closer Steve got to the tower, the slower he walked. He knew Tony was going to be beyond ecstatic, but he didn’t want Tony to get too attached in case they did find the puppy’s owner. Tony would play the strong card, but Steve knew that he would be heartbroken.

He couldn’t delay forever. He fell into the Tower’s shadow with the puppy still clutched in his arms. The security posted at the entrance let him through with a nod. One of them did a double take, eyes zeroing in on the puppy in Steve’s arms. Steve stood up taller, pushing his shoulders back and easing into his Captain persona. The guard glanced down quickly, busying himself with something behind the desk. Steve’s shoulders dropped once he was in the elevator, cheeks pinking with a tinge of embarrassment. He didn’t like playing the Cap card, but puppies could make people do incredible things. He set the puppy on the floor gently, smiling as it sniffed its way around the elevator. It stopped short when it noticed its reflection in the paneling, pawing against the elevator walls curiously.

The elevator pinged, announcing his arrival. The doors slid open onto the main floor of their living quarters. The large living room presented so many new possibilities for the puppy with its wide couches and ceiling-to-floor windows. It ran from the elevator before Steve even had a chance to stop it.

“I told you not come back unless you brought a puppy with you,” Tony singsonged, too engrossed in his tablet to notice the furry ball of energy that was bouncing around the room at full speed. He was elbows deep in couch pillows with his tech glasses perched on his nose and his tablet propped up on his chest. Steve dropped down next to Tony. He stifled a laugh as Tony’s tablet slid sideways, disappearing beneath the pillows.

“Come on, sweetheart. It’s time to take a break,” Steve crooned, pulling Tony’s hands away from their journey into pillow mountain. Tony huffed and rolled away from Steve, off of the couch and onto the floor, landing with a small oomph. If Steve could rewind time and take a picture of Tony’s face when the puppy waddled up to where he was laying on the floor, then he would. Tony’s mouth dropped in awe as the puppy pawed at his hands, little snout running over his knuckles. Something akin to wonder glittered in his wide-eyed gaze. He turned to look at Steve over his shoulder with a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue.

“I found him in the park,” Steve explained, fidgeting under the warmth that settled in his chest as Tony scratched just behind the puppy’s ear. “He was all alone.” His words fell on deaf ears. Tony was fascinated. He was wearing the same look that he got when he thought of something new.

“Look at you,” Tony whispered, tapping its paws with a single finger. His wondrous smile was infectious and Steve found himself smiling, too. “You look like a Nox. You like that?” Nox barked, tail wagging ferociously. Tony laughed, running his hand in circles around Nox’s head. “Yeah, I like that, too,” he managed to say through a fit of laughter.

After much prodding from Steve, Tony begrudgingly agreed to put out flyers and posts announcing that they’d found someone’s puppy. He’d insisted on using a picture Steve took of Nox wearing the smallest Santa hat that he could find. They didn’t attach their names to the flyers to keep away people who would only come forward for a profit. They waited and waited for weeks, but no response came in. Steve could see that Tony grew more hopeful each day. Steve tried to remain neutral, but he secretly hoped that no one would come forward. He’d grown fond of Nox and enjoyed having something constant that he could come home to after battling it out with the villain of the week.

Nox adjusted to living in the tower quickly. Tony gave him full reign of anywhere he wanted to go, but Nox preferred to curl up on the mountain of pillows that he’d claimed. Much to Steve’s surprise, Tony even let Nox into his workshop, cheering when Nox behaved and stayed put near his side. Steve was surprised by how quick Nox grew. It was hard to imagine how small he’d been when Steve had first brought him home. Every time that Steve came home Nox looked sleeker and taller. Tony was ecstatic about this and he was sure that Nox was a Great Dane.

At the six month mark, Tony came home with a small box clutched in his hands. Tony whistled, clapping one hand against his thigh. Steve could hear Nox pounding his way to the living room, paws slapping against the floor in a rush. “What’s that?” Steve asked from his perch on the couch, craning his neck to get a better look. The box gave nothing away. It was plain red with a thin gold trim. He started to get up to take a better peek when Nox stormed into the living room, leaping onto Tony. Tony tumbled to the ground with a shout, bursting into a fit of laughter under Nox. Nox liked to think he was still tiny and Tony liked to let him pretend.

“It’s a present for our son,” Tony said breathlessly, pushing Nox back with an outstretched hand as he sat up. Steve raised an eyebrow in question, watching Tony wiggle the top off of the box. Nox cocked his head to the side, watching Tony closely. A red collar sat neatly in the center. Tiny Iron Man faceplates were spaced out evenly around the whole thing. A small Captain America shield hung from the center of the collar with Nox’s information etched into the backside. Tony smiled at Steve widely, holding it up for Steve to see. Steve watched with a fond smile as Tony beckoned Nox closer. Nox came easily, dropping down onto his haunches in front of Tony. Tony clipped the collar around his neck carefully. “There you go, buddy,” Tony said, smoothing it down against the soft fur at Nox’s neck.

Nox barked happily, giving Tony a nudge with the tip of his nose. “I think that means thank you,” Steve said, holding his arms out for Tony. Tony crawled towards him, settling in between his legs with his back against the couch. He motioned for Nox to follow, leaning into Steve’s knees when Nox settled in front of him. He laid his head in Tony’s lap, closing his eyes as Tony scratched gently near his floopy ears.

“Thank you,” Tony muttered, voice soft. Steve hummed in response, leaning forward to plant a kiss on the top of Tony’s head. Steve had everything he could ever ask for.

#stevetony #stony #steve rogers #tony stark #marvel #merry christmas!!!#i love puppies with all my heart #this is just a big whopping of fluff

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trbl-will-find-me · 7 years

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Every Exit, An Entrance 4/?

There are two (and only two) possibilities: either she led XCOM to victory and they are now engaged in a clean up operation of alien forces, or XCOM was overrun, clearing the way for an alien-controlled puppet government to seize control of the planet.

She’d really like to figure out which it is, but asking hardly seems the prudent option.

In nine months, they have broken protocol once and only once, and even then, she’d argue extraordinary circumstances absolved them.

They had transgressed far more egregiously in the process of building XCOM. There were the little things, like the drawer in his dresser she’d claimed as her own, that they could pass off as matters of efficiency, practicality. Then, there are the incidents that are harder to ignore: November in Zurich, August in Rome, and of course, June in Berlin.

So, by comparison, they have behaved with absolute professionalism.

Time and place, she tells herself. Get through the clean up, deal with the Council, and you can deal with it then.

“Commander,” Shen’s voice crackles over the comm, snapping her from her thoughts. “Looks like we’ll be on target to deliver the new Firestorms by the end of the month.”

“Seems like that new art inspired the whole team. Give your daughter our thanks.”

The engineer chuckles. “I’m sure she’ll be pleased.”

“And so will Europe and Africa. Good work, Doctor.”

She breathes a small sigh of relief. Firestorms are bargaining chips --- good bargaining chips. Even if the plans were released, the crafts are still to resource-heavy to be built by a single member nation, and without Shen’s expertise, they’re far too difficult.

Even then, Shen’s brilliance hadn’t spared them a rocky first construction. Between salvaging enough parts and learning to negotiate the alien machinery, there had been more mishaps, accidents, and notably, explosions originating in engineering than anyone had thought possible. They’re all fortunate the fire containment system is well-maintained.

She shakes her head, smiling to herself, and turns her attention back to the tracking terminal in front of her. The skies are quiet, but they’ve begun to detect strange energy readings from cities that had previously been sites of alien incursions. Something is nagging at the back of her mind, something she’s forgotten, something that she hopes this might snap back into focus.

Her fear, her greatest fear, is another ambush, a new landing of alien forces even stronger than the ones they have already seen. She fears being overwhelmed, unable to defend effectively against an invader whose technological prowess still greatly outstrips their own. It is why the psi ops still train, why the lab has nearly free reign to pursue more in-depth analyses of recovered artifacts, and why she intends to have global Firestorm coverage by the end of February. She just has to keep the Council off their tail long enough to make it happen.

The energy reading flashes across her screen, but it’s gone too quickly for their recon network to pinpoint a location beyond the most general level. Asia, she thinks. Good. Very helpful. Not like Asia’s huge, or anything.

Still, she sets her datapad on the console and opens the media aggregator. Scanning the headlines, she’s at a loss to find anything out of the ordinary. Even a more detailed search of side stories fails to add anything to the puzzle. Whatever’s happening, it’s not a problem yet.

“Commander,” Vahlen’s voice sounds in her ear. “We’ve completed the protein analysis of the carapace armor. We believe we may be able to resynthesize it in a flexible form, but we’ll need more time.”

“Excellent, Doctor. Thanks for the update. Keep working at it.”

“Understood.”

Moira Vahlen has always worried her. It’s not that she doubts the woman’s intelligence or capability, and certainly not her absolute dedication to her work, a passion bordering on reverence. Without her keen mind, they would never have made the kinds of gains that they had in the fight against the invaders. Still, her sheer delight in employing the interrogation device was unsettling to say the least.

“High intelligence, low wisdom,” Central once said to her when she’d expressed her misgivings.

“More like: high intelligence, wisdom is a dump stat.”

“That’s what they pay you for.”

She thinks back on that conversation more often than she would like to admit.

There are other worries, though. Allowing the men brief periods of leave to make their way through downtown Manhattan always has its risks, chief among them the risk of exposure. Kansas State provides a veneer of plausible deniability for the range of accents and languages, but one drink too many, and her soldiers are liable to expose them all with one too many tales told just a little too loudly. There is the matter of the Council and the research, a matter that eventually cost her her freedom.

And there is the fact that, at the end of the day, she’s forgotten how to relax. She doesn’t know what to do with herself if there’s not some crisis to respond to. She’s afraid she’ll lose her edge, go soft, and when something does happen, as she’s certain it will, she won’t be ready.

It’s not that she misses the invasion, not at all. She is grateful that the world is safe, for now, save for its own machinations. She is grateful to no longer sleep with the sounds of screaming in her ears, the images of soldiers and civilians alike cut down in their tracks by plasma weapons at best, a Berserker’s fists at worst.

But she can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the end, that it isn’t over. This is a respite, a lull, and they’re wildly unprepared for what’s next. It’s just a feeling, of course. There is no evidence to back it, save for the energy readings and even she can admit those might be harmless anomaly.

That knowledge does nothing to soothe the pit in her stomach every time she wakes. Always with a start. Always with the feeling that something is wrong.

She knows she isn’t the only one the war has taken a toll on. She doesn’t see Hershel without medkits hanging from her belt, or Bernard without a shoulder holster. Martin’s reliance on Aleve to keep the headaches associated with suppressed psionic abilities is getting to be all too common knowledge. Even on the best of days, there’s a haunted look in Royston’s eye, something the Commander doubts will ever truly disappear.

Then there’s Central, whose smile is a little less easy, whose jokes have taken on a darker edge, who still thinks nothing of taking a double shift as insurance.

Yes, they’ve won the battle, no doubt, but they’ve all paid in blood.

And she can’t shake the sense that the real war is still coming.

Two days later, and he still isn’t speaking to her, outside of the most necessary interactions. They keep to separate shifts on the bridge, and he makes himself scarce when she’s out and about. He goes on a bender that leaves them low on liquor and Kelly breaking up ever escalating Royston-Bradford shouting matches.

She is lucky the crew has not followed his lead.

If anything, the men and women under her command have embraced her, adopted her as one of their own. She has been called on to mediate disputes about the world before ADVENT, to prove her worth at darts, to entertain them all with stories of their predecessors. She has had company at lunch and dinner, and more quietly proffered cups of coffee than she can count. In truth, she suspects Kelly and Royston of having more than a hand in the gestures, though she can only feel gratitude towards them for their efforts.

She is not alone.

Herlihy gets the debris cleared, making way for Rilke to start on the Proving Grounds facility. There is a minimum of difficulty, save for a few busted knuckles. Tygan and Shen come through with a means of contacting other Resistance cells, and they are off and running with some scavenged equipment, and a full facility next on the build queue. For being a week out of the tank, things are progressing well enough.

She is not sure whether she should take this as a sign of imminent danger. She has learned time and time again not to underestimate the aliens. If they could decimate the Kansas base, it is well within their power to rip the Avenger from the skies, to turn its crew on each other, to dash them into the ocean somewhere far from land --- or worse, into a city center.

She wakes one night to the roll of thunder and the patter of rain against the hull. She laces her boots and shrugs on a nylon shell, then makes her way out and down. She passes Royston, half asleep on a monitoring console, Central’s coat draped over her shoulders, likely by the man himself.

It is third shift and the ship is quiet. ROV-R chirps at her as she passes through engineering.

“I’ll be right back,” she says, as if the tiny robot might harbor concerns. “I just need a minute.”

Undeterred, it buzzes alongside her, hesitating only as she crosses to exit onto the ramp.

“I’ll be fine, ROV-R. Go back to Shen.”

After a moment’s thought, it pushes on at her side.

Gently, she lowers herself onto the deck of the ramp, the chill of the metal seeping through her pants. She pulls her knees towards her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and draws in a deep breath, enjoying the petrichor hanging heavy in the night air.

She tries not to focus on loss. It’s not productive, and it fails to take into account all of the good that still remains. She’s been freed from the aliens’ control, she’s been shown kindness, and she has capable senior staff. Save for the damnable headache, she’s in good health --- maybe even better than before she was taken. The memory of wires and needles blinks into existence, but she shakes her head, willing it away.

Not now. We’re not thinking about that now.

She scrubs at her eyes. The new crop of rookies is good – better than good, even. They’re brave and ferocious and dedicated, even if their aim does leave something to be desired. They know the odds, and yet, here they are. She is grateful for each and every one of them, for the sacrifice they are willing to make in the hopes of a better world.

She’s seen what happened to former XCOM personnel, at least insofar as Central’s been able to ascertain, thanks to the archives. Bernard was killed defending civilians outside of Nice six weeks after the base was attacked. Hershel and Molchetti took their own way out once ADVENT began seeking XCOM’s psionic operatives. Martin was captured, tortured and experimented on; the file on the incident is attached to his service record, but she’s had neither the heart nor the stomach to read it. Royston was the last surviving member of Strike One, working as a Resistance operative until the end. She’d been killed during a retaliation, though the wound had been suspiciously inconsistent with ADVENT’s weaponry. Her file notes she’d been tracking an informant; the Commander wonders if it’s the same one Sally had hunted.

She doesn’t want the new faces she’s surrounded by to meet the same ends.

Her train of thought is cut short by the sounds of rustling in the bushes not far from the ship and she realizes too late that she’s completely unarmed. ROV-R bobs overhead, his capacitors beginning to crackle in preparation for discharge. She imagines dying here, on the ramp of the Avenger, to some unknown thing in the dark because she was too stupid to remember a pistol; the idea probably shouldn’t make her laugh, but that’s what eeks out amidst the terror. She can’t move, she can’t yell, but she can sit and laugh at her own stupidity.

It is neither a ferocious animal nor a crazed madman that emerges from the bushes. It is not some lost ADVENT bastard, either. Instead, it is Krieger and Thomas, covered in dirt and leaves, one looking self-satisfied and the other underwhelmed. They both turn a bright shade of red upon noticing her, tripping over one another’s words to explain themselves.

She just shakes her head. “I didn’t see anything, and I don’t know anything. Though, I’d get back inside before you trip the perimeter alarm.”

She takes comfort in the fact that some things never change.

Lighting cleaves the sky in two and rain begins to pour slantwise onto the ramp. ROV-R nudges at her shoulder, the message clear: time to go inside. She pushes herself up slowly, reluctant to let the storm pass without an audience, simultaneously loath to leave and absolutely unwilling to traipse through the bridge soaking with rain water.

Outside of engineering, she pries off her boots, hoping to avoid making an excess of noise as she passes the bar. She has no idea where her XO is, but she’d prefer not to have a confrontation at this time of night. She makes it back to her quarters without incident, and drapes the shell over her desk chair, then slips off to sleep to the sounds of the storm.

#xcom #every exit an entrance #commander/central

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freereignastarwarsstory · 7 years

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Prologue: Run

Disclaimer: I (@draksisreborn) own nothing but my OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Many thanks to my fellow writer @zazabelle, who has been amazing as always and who also did the cover art and character designs for this project. Please review and critique this tribute to the characters of SW who are never spoken of, the ones who only wish to survive.

Rating: T (sci-fi violence and language)

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. - Albert Camus

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The fire, the smoke, the agony.

I couldn’t breath.

I couldn’t think.

I didn’t want to anymore.

The closet door had caved in on me during impact, I couldn’t tell if my vision had gone dark or if I was being smothered to death. There was blood coming out of me somewhere I could feel it. Gashes, bruises, blood, I didn’t want to move. My lips tried to open, they tried to make a sound come out of me, but nothing worked.

What do I do… What could I have done?

Suddenly, I felt something tug at me. Pulling at my heartstrings.

My guide was still with me.

My mind snapped back into place.

My guide! My guide please help me! My thoughts screamed in panic as the fog in my mind began to clear and the smoke in the room thickened.

I began to wiggle under the weight of the door as I tried to pull myself free.

I saw the fire rise in the hull of the ship, and with that I found my voice.

“Please! You told me this was going to happen! I tried to warn them! Why didn’t they listen!? Why won’t you help me!” I screamed as tears ran down my face with the taste of soot gathering around my lips.

I built up pressure in my head to try and speak with the guide. Everything in the room began to become connected in my head. I felt everything. The rapid vibration of the fire. The energy draining from the ship’s hull and the draining of… no.

“NO PLEASE! MOMMY HELP ME! SOMEONE!”

I screamed for my mommy, I felt her. Her energy draining with the ship. I felt my family. All of them. Dwindling.

I screamed as the pressure in my head was released.

The door fell away.

The guide desperately pulled at me.

The path was clear, there was somewhere else I needed to be. But I didn’t want to go. There had to be something I could do with all this power, with all this rage. I could stop their energy from draining. I could stop their death.

I ran from the path. I ran to my mom. My seven year old legs propelling me on through our burning ship.

The guide still telling me where to go. But this felt different, it felt… wrong. Nonetheless, there she was, shrapnel piercing her skin all over. Her blood spilling out.

“MOMMY!” I ran to her side, her eyes barely focusing.

Her head lolled to her side as she turned to look at me.

“Vis… Go… Please…” she whispered above the sound of my crying.

“I won’t leave you! I can fix this! There has to be another way!” I built up the pressure in my head and placed my hand of her as I tried to make the guide fix this.

She took my hand and she took a breath.

“Vis… I feel it now. All those times you tried to explain it to me. The connection to everything. I. Can. Feel. It.” Her breath labored, “The guide you talk so much about. Your path does not lay here with me. Your connection, I… we, will never leave you. Your guide connects us. Follow it’s path. You can see it. I know you can… Find what you’re looking for. I. Love… you…”

Her energy left.

It was gone.

And yet, the guide was still there, so quiet amongst the raging flames, but it was there. The path was clear. The future uncertain. And all I could think about was my mommy laying in the crashed ship that was my home, now burning on a planet I didn’t know.

I stood, the guide almost pulling me along by my empty hand as I walked numbly through the smoke filled ship. It took my hand, I would grab an object, and this continued as I shuffled past the bodies of my adoptive scavenger family. I couldn’t make the connection cut off, it was the only thing making me walk, but their pain swelled over my body and it was a silently awful relief when I felt their energy slip through my fingers and meld into the guide’s path. I was being puppeted, and I felt the familiar pressure in my head trying to snap me back to thinking.

“Please. Just, keep telling me what to do.” I choked out as I looked at the trinkets the guide had told me to pick up, one of my tears falling and rolling off the smooth river stone my mother loved so much.

The guide flowed on, directing each one of my hollow legs towards the bundle of cloth lying on the ground. The scavenger captain’s green trench coat. My chest sputtered as I became wracked with tears. I picked it up and hugged the favorite thing of the man that had helped raise me. I felt his bravery in the cloth. It flowed into me as I continued to let the guide push me down the singeing walls of the hallways, down the breaking stairways, and out through a hole on the ship’s hull.

I watched as my feet walked through the moist dirt of the dense forest that surrounded the broken ship. I looked down at the trench coat in my arms, as tears kept streaming down my face mingling with the blood running out of my nose, I slipped it on.

In my hand still, I looked at the trinkets of the family who had loved me, the family who had taught me to keep looking for all the paths I could take to find what I was looking for, the family that accidentally introduced me to the guide, the guide that always showed me the way.

I wanted to look back… but there was a new path. I sensed something hiding in the forest. A place I would grow to love. A place I would grow to protect and avenge for the family I couldn’t say the same for.

“Where are we going?” I asked as the guide kept pulling me on.

And for the first time, it answered.

Home.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“The vault is sealed captain. The goods are likely still intact.” A robotic voice calls out from across the derelict transport ship.

The old CIS droid, a BX series commando droid, crouched at one of the many sealed doors, its connector plugged into the one of the ship’s control boards as it scans for the contents of each room. The droid looks over at his organic partners, it’s chassis is worn from age but still durable, with a line of fresh white paint down its face and a white eagle emblazoned on its chest. He beckons the two over.

“Lerti, pass BX-19 the breach charge.” The voice commanded from behind the sealed faceplate of his spacesuit.

“On it captain.” A third voice responded.

The Mandalorian female of the two, clad in red and dull white armor, hands the explosive to the droid, who applies it to the sealed door of the cargo vault before walking off a few feet and hitting the detonator without warning.

The captain and Lerti jump back in surprise, their arms shielding their faceplates.

The charge creates a small explosion, shattering the handle, allowing BX-19 to pull open the vault door and inspect its contents. Five light brown cargo containers, left by the ship’s former occupants as they fled towards the escape pods.

“A little more warning next time BX?” Lerti asks curtly as they approach the broken door.

“Might I remind you that we need to move fast? What we are doing is not legal, and I didn’t realize I needed to be your babysitter.” The droid retorted, obviously mimicking the sarcastic voice of another crew member.

“Okay, we got the goods. Now let’s load them up and get out off this wreck.” The captain ordered through his communications device as he grabbed the first crate, his two companions following suit.

Silence went through the comm.

“Cholmon! Are you listening!?” The captain nearly yelled into the comm.

“Ya sorry! Roger that captain.” The pilot, a Mon Calamari, responded over the comm before going back to lazily tracing the edge of the control panel in the cockpit of his Simiyiar-class ship.

He could spend hours tracing the delicate, ornate curves of the Raving Titan, lost in the beauty of its design. He listened over the comm as his crew began loading up the cargo, only half paying attention to the empty space around him decked in escape pods while the transport ship sparked.

Suddenly he was startled out of his daydreaming by a soft beeping sound, sending a shiver down his spine as he hoped against hope that it wasn’t what he thought. Quickly knocking several items off the panel he examined the radar system, a stream of curses rolling off his tongue in Mon Cal.

“Soron we have a major problem. Imperial Star Destroyer incoming.”

“Have they scanned us yet!?” The captain growled over the comms.

“I don’t know, no way I can tell from here.”

“Alright shut it down. Everything but air systems. BX, Lerti, double time it now!” He commanded as he increased his pace as much as he could, the other two following suit.

Back on the ship, the pilot began struggling to shut everything off.

“Nek! Get up here now!” The pilot yelled over his shoulder.

Thirty-seconds later a relatively short Devaronian sprinted through the door, panting slightly.

“What is it you need Cholmon?” The devilish-looking alien panted.

“Get your red behind down to the engine room, shut down everything!” Cholmon shouted, clearly not in the mood.

“On it, no need for such nastiness.” Nek replied before sprinting out of the room.

“Talk to me Chol, how's it looking up there?” Soron asked as he approached the cargo door.

“I can’t tell captain, they seem to be ignoring us.” Immediately the radar system began to beep rapidly.

“Nevermind, they just deployed TIEs. ETA 3 minutes.” Chol groaned.

“Everyone in now.” Soron commanded as the other two passed by him onto the ship with the goods, the door closing behind them. He quickly took his helmet off, revealing his black furred Shistavanen appearance with glowing yellow eyes.

“Lerti, man the left turret, I’ll get on the right. BX, get to the cockpit and be ready to have Chol use the ion cannon.” He then took off on a dead sprint towards the cannon. Sliding into the seat and putting on the headset he quickly contacted Nek over the backup comms. “Nek power the engine back up, we’ll be cutting this one close. And make sure the ion cannon is prepped.”

“On it boss.” Came the reply.

The sleek ship powered back up, accompanied with a pleased grunt from its pilot, and pulled away from the derelict ship, turning to face the incoming swarm of TIE fighters. Chol turned the Titan to face the swarm, turrets already working to eliminate a few fighters.

“Any day now BX.” He growled, itching to fire the ion cannon.

“Wait for it.” The droid responded.

“They’re closing in, I have to fire now!” The pilot panicked, seeming to forget the cool down time of the cannon and his finger hovering over the trigger. “They’re almost on top of us!”

“Wait.” BX continued, voice never losing its monotone quality. He clenched the back of Chol’s seat, running through a million calculations at once, they couldn’t afford to miss this shot.

The TIEs sped closer.

They started to fire.

“Now!” The droid shouted as the last fighter came into critical range.

The pilot blasted the cannon.

Like watching a lightning show, the chain reaction in the blast disabled most of the TIEs immediately and forced the rest to scatter. By the time the rest of the fighters had regrouped the ship had already escaped to hyperspace.

Soron sighed as he collapsed into the gunner’s seat, hearing the victory cheers from the Mandalorian across the hall.

Yeah, He sighed mentally, we won. For now…

The captain reached for the comms.

“Alright crew, let’s take a look at this cargo that apparently ‘the Empire doesn’t care about at all.’” Soron said sarcastically as he started for the cargo hold. “I swear when we see Dordo I’m going to ask him for his definition of an easy job.”

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Link to character designs: https://zazabelle.tumblr.com/post/163154250430/hello-everyone-over-the-course-of-this-summer-me

#Free Reign: A Star Wars Story #zazabelle #draksisreborn #Star Wars fanfiction #collaborative writing projects #character design

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ask-a-robot-pilot · 7 years

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(Chapter 1: The man that walked amongst machines.)

He was covered a forest camouflage hood and cape. In his bag pack there was his B3 Wingman and mastiff and additional ammo for them. Styx was sane but he claims he can hear a voice in his head guide him whenever he needed help. That voice only referred to itself as CP and it would assist styx no matter the action and long as it was not out of it’s capability. On his hip Styx also wore a jump kit. His memory loss took away his wall running skills and limited him to only jumping and double jumping with it as he found he could do. However, this hermit’s life was about to be changed forever this faithful day.

When he walked out of the alleyway he saw a group of civilian shot and killed by a spectre group. They eventually saw him and went into position to target him next, but before they could even fire the first bullet. The whistle of 3 titans falling from the sky above could be heard. One of them was headed on a crash course onto the spectre group. The first one to land was Meat Man. He had started blaring All-star by Smash Mouth the second he landed and didn’t even bother with deploying a shield. He just hit the ground, crushing several spectres before grabbing them, ripping apart and throwing them. Once he finished, he yelled “STAY OUT OF MY SWAMP.” His hatch opened and a pilot with the grappling hook pilot armour jumped out. The mech closed its hatch and did a special handshake and double fist bump with his pilot before looking over at Styx. John looked over his shoulder at him and gestured him over.

Styx’s first action was admiring the titan, such a marvel of engineering. He eventually snapped out of the trance and took out his Mastiff shotgun and B3 wingman revolver out of his bag and holstered them on his back and waist respectively before throwing the bag to the side. Styx then sprinted towards John before stopping at arm length’s distance from him.

Styx: “yesss…sir?”

“Can you shoot, run, and think?” He simply said as he turned to him, his head was shaved but he had a nicely waxed moustache.

“Yes sir!” Styx exclaimed. Styx was a simulacrum a consciousness, either artificial or from a human in a robotic body. Styx’s interface had a stim ability integrated in, allowing him to speed up his actions and reflexes once activated.

“You’re going to get your metal plated ass on top that beefy ass motherfucker over there. You can’t link to him, but you can help assist him by riding on him. Help evacuate any civilians you can and link up with a Northstar Prime with cat paint. To get on top of that Legion Prime without him stomping you like a bug, just yell ‘Ocean Man, take me by the hand, lead me to the land, that you understand’ and he’ll let you on.” He said before hopping back into the Ion Prime. “I’ll tell you my name when you survive this.”

“Understood sir!” Styx said with a soldiers confidence. Styx proceeded to ocean man and loudly sang the magic phrase and as expected ocean man let Styx rodeo him. Styx crouched before engaging his jump kit as the same time he executed the high jump before grabbing onto the titan’s top with finesse and ease. Styx felt like he had done this before but didn’t remember when, his past was a jumble like the static on a television or background radiation in space. Styx then proceed to ask, “so when do we go?”

“We hold position and fight our way up. Get as many evacuated as possible.” The Legion Prime said as he gutted a Ronin that had been cutting apart civilians with the Ronin’s own sword. “The name is Ocean Man. And if you need me, I’ll take you by the hand and lead you to the land that I understand.” “Points noted” Styx said as he hung on while the legion proceed. “It has been 7 days since our previous combat scenario, your combat effectiveness has increased by 10% pilot.” CP’s voice ringed inside Styx’s head.

“CP i need you to tell me how to call of this imc invasion, we can’t continuously keep on evacuating civilians or killing enemies.” Styx pleaded. “I have intercepted incoming imc comms signals. Most of the infantry down here are taking control from a pilot named Justin Barber of the rank captain. Eliminating him may do mighty fine.”

“Alright then CP, give us his nav points.” Ocean man received the nav points from CP but was confused before CP introduced himself as a friendly. “Got it, LETS KILL DA HOE.” Ocean Man said as he began fighting his way towards Justin Barber.

“S-H-I-T” Styx exclaimed as a bullet scraped the side of his head. It was fired from a spectre using the dmr longbow. That impact somehow racked a part of his pain sensors, that overloaded him with memories. That pain he felt just now he felt just now, the same injury on his first mission as a pilot and as a simulacrum. Each memory recovered lead to more memories, Styx recalled his whole life up to now in a span of mere seconds. The militia and his adopted sister and daughter, his teammates, everything. Styx was reawakened. “I’ll TEACH YOU JUSTICE!” Styx roared as he fired his b3 wingman at the spectre, destroying him immediately with a headshot that tore through it’s central motherboard.

In the distance Justin Barber’s Titan could be seen ripping apart a militia Titan before a loud railgun shot blew a chunk out the Titan and sent it fling into a building. A Northstar Prime with cats painted on the front be could be seen chasing after Justin Barber. “Purge Man’s doing is job as always.” “HOLY SHIT!” Styx gasped in awe. He had seen great snipers in his time but purge man’s shot takes the cake and eats it.

However, Justin barber was not done, his silhouette charged out from the smoke the debris caused and proceed to knock purge man down into a submission hold. “Never say never” Justin smirked before engaging his tone’s sonic scream right in front of purge man’s face. “AAAAAAAAAA” the tone screamed as it’s vibrations destroyed most of purge man’s electronics on his surface. Purge man collapsed onto the ground after Justin let him go, he was still alive, his data core was undamaged but serious damage had been done to his surface electronics.

Purge Man fizzled and stood up and shook. “Next you’re going to say ‘WHAT? YOU AND YOUR PILOT SHOULD HAVE DIED!’” “WHAT? YOU AND YOUR PILOT SHOULD HAVE DIED!” Justin barber gasped. “Oh no this is a trap” Justin realised just before ocean man shot 2 power shots at Justin and his tone, one took out his tone’s speaker system disabling his screams and the other was a head straight for his face. The shots sent Justin falling down and crushing his own squad of spectres damaging his tone’s propulsion systems disabling his front and back dashes.

Purge Man flew over and jammed his gun into Justin Barbers titan, blowing a hole into the safe containment of the Titan’s core, causing its reactor become unstable before pulling the gun out just as Meat Man jumped in, the Ion Prime plunged his fist through the cockpit and grabbed Barber and throwing him to the side before firing his laser straight through Barber’s Titan.

Barber’s sonic titan was destroyed. As he landed Styx had already appeared in front of him using his stim. “Who do you work for?” Styx questioned barber. “Ge..general pol…po” Justin answered in fear. “Reason for invading this peaceful city?” Styx questioned smirking. “To..to abduct special civilians for his experiments.” Justin spoke while almost crying like a baby.

“People like them deserved to be punished, that includes you.” Styx chuckled before kicking Justin into a almost settling cement mixture. “AHHH!” Justin yelled as the cement started to harden around him due to Styx activating the concrete settling machine the pool of concrete was in. After a few seconds the cement had fully hardened and Justin was embedded in it like a beautiful carving by an artist.

“Heh, serves him right. Abducting innocents like some kind of alien.” Styx sneered. “A-A-A-aSsHOLe..” Purge Man said, his electronics were still glitching due to the blow from earlier. “That’s going to hurt in the morning.” The Titan said before going to a power saving mode and falling. Ocean Man picked up Purge man and put him on his back.

Meat Man’s eye looked over to Purge Man. “Damn, he needs some milk!”

John then could be heard over the coms. “Not the time, Meat Man.” CP’s voice can then be heard in their comms.

“A better phrase would be “dam he needs some batteries!”“ Styx chuckled, he knew CP was fond of jokes as well. Styx then walked to john before asking. "So what’s your name, mate?”

“John.” The pilot said, looking at Styx. “That’s a manly name, mine’s Styx.” Styx looked around at the rag tag group. “There should be a ship to come pick us up now right?” He puzzled.

“Evac is in 15 minutes. Be patient.” John said before going over to play Rock Paper Scissors with Meat Man. “I owe you a favour today, had it not been you that came and rescued angel city, those imc scum might have abducted all of them.” Styx thanked john before confessing. “I also have to thank you for restoring my memory, i was shot here and presumed dead but i only lost my memories your actions brought them back. I have to thank you for that.”

“I’m not a hero. I’m just doing it because it’s what my brothers would have wanted.” This was half true. “Yep, this is what any brother or sister would have wanted.” Styx huffed as he recalled Alizeh his adopted daughter and Lalah his adopted sister.

“Ocean Man and Purge Man were their Titans. They were separated from their Titans and publicly executed.” “By imc i guess? Always those scum.” Styx growled. “Yes. I was told their Titans would be assigned to new pilots, but I demanded they be synced with me.” “Must be alot of weight on your shoulders linking up to 3 titans like that.” Styx replied awestruck before walking to meat man and discussing memes while the evac came.

“Yo dawg, i heard you like robots so we put a robot inside your robot, so you can beep boop while you beep boop.” Styx chirped.

“WOW.” Exclaimed meat man. “Have you ever heard of that Szechuan sauce McDonalds released in 1998 back when humanity was still stuck in the home system?” Styx questioned. “What….?”

“The one that’s so sweet and spicy it ascends your soul to cloud 9 as you eat.” Styx preached. “That honestly sounds horrible.” “Whelp everyone has their own tastes, tell me about any memes you like the most.” Styx spoke.

“You reposted in the wrong neighbourhood’s pretty good.” “Ah yes so versatile, you could fit into any genre. You know what play that song for me. I have got some moves to bust.” Styx exclaimed. Meat Man began to blare it on his speakers.

“This is what I’m talking about!” Styx cheered as he proceed to perform a dance from a comic book he once read as a kid. John laughed softly.

Eventually evac came and the 2 hopped on board. “You know what? My old friends in the militia told me to build tech and save lives. Angel city seems to need the angels now more than ever…and that’s why i want to join the Angel City Elite.” “You need to say that to the man in charge, not me. It’s not my position to do decide.” “Alright” Styx muttered as the two ships took of. One with the pilots and the other with the titans.

After they meet up with barker, he was genuinely surprised at why a ex militia would have wanted to join the elites but after listening to his reasons barker allowed him a temporary role in the elites before assigning him the most suitable position.

“HA, now I’m an angel city elite” Styx exclaimed gleefully as he left barkers office with a angel city elite badge in his hand that he later pinned onto his vest. John sighed and leaned against the wall, lighting a cigar.

Styx’s video chat suddenly lighted up as Alizeh appeared on the screen. “Thank god you are okay dad, I’ve missed you. But not is not the time for a reunion, big sis lalah has been captured by the imc!” Alizeh cried out. Styx worryingly questioned “Where is she now? Is she okay?”. “She’s being experimented on the moon Astatania which is just in the same solar system as angel city. Please save her.” Alizeh pleaded.

Styx replied with a warrior’s valour. “I will!” but just as the video chat was disconnected.

“Please help me rescue my sister!” Styx fell to the ground pleading john.

“Sure. Why not? It’ll help.” He said putting on his helmet and gesturing for his three Titans to follow him.

“Thank you john, i could not ask for a better friend” Styx said as he stood up.

Elsewhere, In the slums of a city, a lone spectre, wearing a long coat and hugging itself tightly travels through. Passing by alleys and buildings and undesirables, only to come up to a seemingly abandoned warehouse. It bangs on the door with its metal fist three times, jiggles the handle, then bangs on the door the same three times. The door opens and it is lead inside.

“Here again, huh? Let me guess. High priority target in need of a skilled multimech user.”

They move to a barely lit table, the man who spoke sits on one side, his forearms and hands in the light. Long, seemingly slender in the clothes he wears. The hands encased by leather gloves. The spectre lays down a device, and a voice speaks from it.

“Of a sort.”

“Do you have the case?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Give it now, and you already know my terms.”

“Of course.”

The hands, that were once clasped together now rest on the table, as the spectre pulls a case out of its coat and opens it.

“Good… Now where do you need me?”

Meanwhile on planet Astatania, A roar is heard over the prison as a 40 meter long assault ship lands down 'Urban Symphony’ painted across the hull guards stare in awe of the titanic gun ship that they don’t notice the hatch open and Revan step out helmet in hand “Alright ladies stop staring” he smirks as his titan steps out from behind him “Let the real men do their job”.

*TO BE CONTINUED”

——————————————- This chapter is written by @ask-a-robot-pilot , @sweatpants-gramps-the-kensei

( @s-sokuma and @ask-the-pilot-squad tagged cause you showed intrest durring the production of the chapter.)

#titanfall 2 #writing #roleplay

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endenogatai · 4 years

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Automattic pumps $4.6M into New Vector to help grow Matrix, an open, decentralized comms ecosystem

Automattic, the open source force behind WordPress .com, WooCommerce, Longreads, Simplenote and Tumblr, has made a $4.6M strategic investment into New Vector — the creators of an open, decentralized communications standard called Matrix. They also develop a Slack rival (Riot) which runs on Matrix.

The investment by Automattic, which is at a higher valuation than the last tranche New Vector took in, extends an $8.5M Series A last year, from enterprise tech specialists Notion Capital and Dawn Capital plus European seed fund Firstminute Capital — and brings the total raised to date to $18.1M. (Which includes an earlier $5M in strategic investment from an Ethereum-based secure chat and crypto wallet app, Status).

New Vector’s decentralized tech powers instant messaging for a number of government users, including France — which forked Riot to launch a messaging app last year (Tchap) — and Germany, which just announced its armed forces will be adopting Matrix as the backbone for all internal comms; as well as for the likes of KDE, Mozilla, RedHat and Wikimedia, to name a few.

Getting Automattic on board is clearly a major strategic boost for Matrix — one that’s allowing New Vector to dream big.

“It’s very much a step forwards,” New Vector CEO and CTO and Matrix co-founder, Matthew Hodgson, tells TechCrunch. “We’re hopefully going to get the support from Automattic for really expanding the ecosystem, bringing Matrix functionality into WordPress — and all the various WordPress plugins that Automattic does. And likewise open up Matrix to all of those users too.”

A blog post announcing the strategic investment dangles the intriguing possibility of a decentralized Tumblr — or all WordPress sites automatically getting their own Matrix chatroom.

“This is huge news, not least because WordPress literally runs over 36% of the websites on today’s web – and the potential of bringing Matrix to all those users is incredible,” New Vector writes in the blog post. “Imagine if every WP site automatically came with its own Matrix room or community? Imagine if all content in WP automatically was published into Matrix as well as the Web?… Imagine there was an excellent Matrix client available as a WordPress plugin for embedding realtime chat into your site?”

Those possibilities remain intriguing ideas for now. But as well as ploughing funding into New vector Automattic is opening up a job for a Matrix.org/WordPress integrations engineer — so the Matrix team has another tangible reason to be excited about future integrations.

“One of the best and the biggest open source guys really believes in what we’re doing and is interested in trying to open up the worlds of WordPress into the decentralized world of Matrix,” adds Hodgson. “In some ways it’s reassuring that a relatively established company like Automattic is keeping its eye on the horizon and putting their chips on the decentralized future. Whereas they could be ‘doing a Facebook’ and just sitting around and keeping everything centralized and as locked down as possible.”

“It’s a bit of a validation,” says Matrix co-founder and New Vector head of ops and products, Amandine le Pape. “The same way getting funding from VCs was validation of the fact it’s a viable business. Here it’s a validation it’s actually a mainstream open source project which can really grow.”

New Vector co-founders, Matthew Hodgson and Amandine le Pape

While the strategic investment offer from Automattic was obviously just a great opportunity to be seized by New vector, given ideological alignment and integration potential, it also comes at helpful time, per le Pape, given they’ve been growing their SaaS business.

“The business model that we’re looking at with New Vector to go and drive — both to fund Matrix and also to keep the lights on and grow the projects and the company — is very, very similar to what Automattic have successfully done with WordPress.com,” adds Hodgson. “So being able to compare notes directly with their board and our board to go and say to them how do you make this work between the WordPress.org and the WordPress.com split should be a really useful tool for us.”

While Matrix users can choose to host their own servers there’s obviously a high degree of complexity (and potential expense) involved in doing so. Hence New Vector’s business model is to offer a paid Matrix hosting service, called Modular, where it takes care of the complexity of hosting for a fee. (Marketing copy on the Modular website urges potential customers to: “Sign up and deploy your own secure chat service in seconds!”)

“Some of our highest profile customers like Mozilla could go and run it themselves, obviously. Mozilla know tech. But in practice it’s a lot easier and a lot cheaper overall for them to just go and get us to run it,” adds Hodgson. “The nice thing is that they have complete self sovereignty over their data. It’s their DNS. We give them access to the database. They could move off at any time… switch hosting provider or run it themselves. [Users] typically start off with us as a way to get up and running.”

Talking of moving, Hodgson says he expects Automattic to move over from Slack to Riot following this investment.

“I am very excited about what New Vector is doing with Matrix — creating a robust, secure, open protocol that can bring all flavors of instant messaging and collaboration together, in the way that the web or email has its foundation layer,” added Automattic founder, Matt Mullenweg, in a supporting statement. “I share New Vector’s passion for open source and the power of open standards. I’m excited to see how Automattic and New Vector can collaborate on our shared vision in the future.”

Mullenweg was already a supporter of Matrix, chipping into its Patreon back in 2017. At the time the team was transitioning from being incubated and wholly financed by Amdocs, a telco supplier where New Vectors’ co-founders used to work (running its unified comms division), to spinning out and casting around for new sources of funding to continue development of their decentralized standard.

Some three years on — now with another multi-million dollar tranche of funding in the bank — Hodgson says New Vector is able to contemplate the prospect of profitability ahead, with ~16.8 million users and 45,000 deployments at this point (up from 11M and 40k back in October).

“I think there’s also a high chance — touch wood — that this injection gives us a path straight through to profitability if needed,” he tells us. “Given the macroeconomic uncertainty thanks to the [COVID-19] pandemic, the opportunity to say we have this amount of cash in the bank, assuming our customers follow roughly the trajectory that we’d seen so far… this would be a way to get out the other side without having to depend on any further funding.

“If things are on track we probably would do additional funding next year in order to double down on the success. But right now this at least gives us a pretty chunky safety net.”

The coronavirus crisis has been accelerating interest in Matrix “significantly”, per Hodgson, as entities that might have been contemplating a switch to decentralized comms down the line feel far greater imperative to take control of their data — now that so many users are logging on from home.

“As lockdowns began we saw sign ups increase by a factor of about 10,” he says. “It’s tapered off a little bit but it was a real scaling drama overnight. We had to launch an entirely new set of videoconferencing deployments on Jitsi’s offering, as well as scaling up the hardware for the service which we run by several times over.

“We’re also seeing retention go up, which was nice. We assumed there would be a huge spike of users desperately trying to find a home and then they wouldn’t necessarily stick around. In practice they’ve stuck around more than the existing user base which is reassuring.”

In some cases, New Vector has seen customers radically shrink planned deployment timescales — from months to a matter of days.

“We literally had one [educational] outfit in German reach out and say that tender in September — we want you to go live on Monday,” says Hodgson, noting that in this instance the customer skipped the entire tendering process because of they felt they needed a secure system school kids could use. (And privacy concerns ruling out use of centralized options such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.)

“The biggest impact from a New Vector perspective at least has been that a lot of our slower moving, bigger opportunities — particularly in the public sector with governments — have suddenly sped up massively,” he adds. “Because it was previously a nice to have premium thing — ‘wouldn’t it be good if we had our own encrypted messenger and if everybody wasn’t using Telegram or WhatsApp to run our country’ — and then suddenly, with the entire population of whichever country it might be suddenly having to work remotely it’s become an existential requirement to have high quality communication, and having that encrypted and self sovereign is a massive deal.”

In terms of competing with Slack (et al), the biggest consideration is usability and UX, according to Hodgson.

So, over the last year, New Vector has hired a dedicated in-house design team to focus on smoothing any overly geeky edges — though most of this work is yet to be pushed out to users.

“We’ve actually pivoted the entire development of Riot to be design led,” he says. “It’s no longer a whole bunch of developers, like myself, going and hacking away on it — instead the product owner and the product direction’s being laid by the design team. And it is an unrecognizable difference — in terms of focus and usability.

“Over the coming year we are expecting Riot to basically be rebuilt at least cosmetically to get rid of the complexity and the geekiness and the IRC hangovers which we have today in favor of something that can genuinely punch its weight against Slack and Discord.”

In another major recent development New Vector switched on end-to-end encryption across the piece in Riot, making it the default for all new non-public conversations (DMs and private chats).

“It’s the equivalent of email suddenly mandating PGP and managing not to break everything,” says Hodgson of that feat.

A key challenge was to “get parity” with users of the non-encrypted version of Matrix before it could be enabled everywhere — with associated problems to tackle, such as search.

“Typically we were doing search on the server and if the messages are encrypted the server obviously can’t index them — so we had to shift all of our search capabilities to run client side. We went and wrote a whole bunch of REST that allows you to basically embed a search engine into Riot on the client, including on the desktop version, so that people can actually reach their encrypted message history there and share it between devices,” he explains.

Another focus for the e2e was the verification process — which is also now built in by default.

“When you now log into Riot it forces you to scan a QR code on an existing login if you’ve already logged in somewhere. A bit like you do on WhatsApp web but rather than just using it to authenticate you it also goes and proves that you are a legitimate person on that account,” he says. “So everyone else then knows to trust that login completely — so that if there is an attack of some kind, if you admin tries to add a malicious device into your account to spy on you or if there’s a man-in-the-middle attack, or something like that, everybody can see that the untrusted device hasn’t been verified by you.

“It’s basically building out a simple web of trust of your devices and immediate contacts so that you have complete protection against ghost devices or other nastier attempts to go and compromise the account. The combination of using QR codes and also using emoji comparison rather than having to read out numbers to one another is I think almost unique now, in terms of creating really, really super robust end-to-end encryption.”

The e2e encryption Matrix uses is based on algorithms popularized by the Signal protocol. It was audited by NCC Group in 2016 but plans for the new funding include a full stack audit — once they’ve ironed out any teething issues with the new default e2e.

“[We want to] at least pick a path, a particular set of clients and servers — because we can’t do the whole thing, obviously, because Matrix has got 60-70 different apps on it now, or different clients. And there are at least four viable server implementations but we will pick the long term supported official path and at least find a set which we can then audit and recommend to governments,” says Hodgson of the audit plans.

They’re also working with Jitsi on a project to make the latter’s WebRTC-compatible videoconferencing platform e2e encrypted too — another key piece as Jitsi’s tech is what New Vector offers for video calling via Matrix.

“We partner with Jitsi for the videoconferencing side of things and we’re working with them on their e2e encrypted videoconferencing… They [recently] got the world’s first WebRTC -based e2e encrypted conferencing going. And they plan to use Matrix as the way to exchange the keys for that — using also all of the verification process [New Vector has developed for Riot]. Because end-to-end encryption’s great, obviously in terms of securing the data — but if you don’t know who you’re talking to, in terms of verifying their identity, it’s a complete waste of time,” adds Hodgson.

So when Jitsi’s e2e encryption launches New Vector will be able to include e2e encrypted videoconferencing as part of its decentralized bundle too.

How much growth is New Vector expecting for Matrix over the next 12 months? “We’ve tripled almost all of the sizing metrics for the network in the last year, and I think we tripled the year before that so I’m hoping that we can continue on that trajectory,” he says on that.

Another “fun thing” New Vector has been working on, since the end of last year, is a peer-to-peer version of Matrix — having developed a “sufficiently lightweight server implementation” that allows Matrix users to run ‘riot’ in a decentralized p2p space via a web browser (or via the app on a mobile device).

“We turned on the peer-to-peer network about a month ago now and they’re at the point right now of making it persistent — previously if all of the clients on the network went away then the entire network disappeared, whereas now it has the ability to persist even if people start restarting their browsers and apps. And it’s very much a mad science project but as far as I know nobody else is remotely in that ballpark,” he says.

“The nice thing is it looks and feels identical to Matrix today. You can use all of the clients, all of the bridges that people have already written… It just happens to be that the Riot is connecting to a server wedged into itself rather than talking to one sitting on the server… So it’s a total paradigm shift.”

“We weren’t sure it was going to work at all but in practice it’s working better than we could have hoped,” he adds. “Over the next year or so we’re going to expect to see more and more emphasis on peer-to-peer — possibly even by default. So that if you install Riot you don’t have to pick a server and go through this fairly clunky thing of figuring out what service provider to trust and do you want to buy one from us as New Vector or do you want to a Swiss ISP. Instead you can start off bobbing around the ocean in a pure peer-to-peer land, and then if you want to persist your data somewhere then you go and find a server to pin yourself to a home on the Internet. But it would be a completely different way of thinking about things.”

Those interested in dipping a toe in p2p decentralized IM can check out this flavor of Riot in a web browser via p2p.riot.im

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