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trashcanlore · 7 hours

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My Chemical Marriage

The chemical wedding is an allegory used in alchemical writings to refer to the union of opposites, particularly a union that produces a new and improved product, the Rebis.

One popular version of the allegorical wedding takes place between the Red King, the active principle (sulfur) that shapes the material and passive principle of the White Queen (mercury). However, this allegory can refer to the union of sun and moon, silver and gold, or even body and spirit.

The Rebis refers to the end product of the magnum opus, and is typically depicted as a hermaphrodite.

The child of the chemical marriage is sometimes called the philosopher’s child and fun fact, is associated with the myth of Orion and his three fathers (Jupiter, Mercury, and Neptune). The myth is very different but I can’t help but think of the Simurgh.

Though the chemical marriage allegory is very much referring to marriage and procreation, etc, in the context of Genshin, it’s used more to refer to a union of opposites, or a collaboration between two types of being, which will be elaborated on later. Of the four examples I will be going through, only two of these relationships have any kind of (canon) romantic associations attached to them. Basically what i’m trying to say is that this is definitely not about ships please don’t eat me.

It’s a well established trend in the history of Teyvat that there have been many god-king-like beings associated with gold or the sun, who had some kind of relationship with a knowledgeable and moon-associated woman, who then dies tragically during the god-king’s quest to Change The World.

And now, in thematic order, I present the doomed pairings:

Imunlaukr and the princess of Sal Vindagnyr

Imunlaukr is an outlander, destined to wield the Snow Tombed Starsilver sword to “shatter ice and snow.” The wiki cites a stanza where this name is used as a kenning for a sword. Imunlaukr tried to save Sal Vind from the catastrophic ice and snow caused by the Skyfrost Nail hitting an Irminsul tree, but he failed. Sal Vind had a princess who was also the daughter of the priestess of Vindagnyr, and was “born beneath this white tree” (Frostbearer). She is described as being “bright as the moonlight,” and had the gift of prophecy, painting her visions as frescos on the walls of the city - you can see them in the room where you find the Starsilver sword.

Guizhong and Zhongli

According to the Stone Tablet Compilations: Vol. I, Rex Lapis descended to Liyue. This isn’t the same descending as Descenders, and it has been argued that a better translation would be ‘demoted,’ but this has similarities to the way Deshret and Remus are described as founding their kingdoms. Rex Lapis is also called Deus Auri, the Golden God, and in the Dialogue of the Desert Sages description, it says that “transformation into gold and Mora is the sole province of Deus Auri.” Guizhong’s moon connection is on the weaker end, but she is strongly associated with glaze lilies, a flower that only blooms at night, like the Nilotpala, or Lunar, lotuses. She gave Zhongli a stone dumbbell, the Memory of Dust, which contains her “wisdom.” Zhongli is still unable to unlock it, and before Guizhong’s death, she told him to forget about its contents. On a more superficial note, Zhongli and Guizhong have a color scheme that will also be part of the pattern discussed here- black and gold and blue and white.

Remus and Sybilla

Sybilla was the former “envoy that protected the silver tree,” but she had lost her “mind and form.” However, she still retained her gift of prophecy, and told Remus about his destiny to found Remuria (and its inevitable downfall). Sybila’s loss of her physical form and mind is reminiscent of the Aranara stories about how Seelies were cursed to lose their body and intelligence if they fell in love with a human.

After making an arrangement with Remus, the silver tree that Sybilla was protecting transformed into a golden ship, which according to The History of the Decline and Fall of Remuria , was called Fortuna, and with it, Remus “descended” onto Meropis. Together with Sybilla, Remus created Phobos, the Great/Golden Symphony. Phobos is the name of one of the moons of Mars, the red planet. Combined with the Primordial Sea-derived ichor, it would allow his people to shed their physical forms and transcend their prophesied doom. Sybilla even sacrificed her life to make the symphony possible, but she wasn’t completely dead in the end, and her lack of “persona” led to the Symphony going awry.

And MOST IMPORTANTLY, the Golden Troupe of Remuria used a magical technique Rene called the “seal of chymical marriage,” and which I think was used to seal the Primordial Sea. Rene would later attempt to reverse its power to Evangelion-ify the people of Fontaine.

We don’t know what Remus or Sybilla actually looked like, but the color scheme of both the Remuria based artifact sets are white/blue/gold and black/blue/gold.

Decarabian and Amos

Decarabian was the god-king and founder of Mondstadt approximately 2600 years ago. He created a wind barrier to protect his people from the storms outside (and from Andrius), and in an effort to keep his people safe, micromanaged their lives, even banning certain kinds of music that could incite rebellion (Song of Broken Pines). Interestingly, his goal to protect his people is described as a ‘dream’ multiple times in item descriptions. The Scattered Piece of Decarabian's Dream: He tried so hard to make his dream come true, and so the fragments of that dream are still mighty.

Fragment of Decarabian’s Epic: If it were not for the song of freedom that shattered the city in an instant, Decarabian's dream would have gone on forever. I wonder if this is meant to be another incidence of the literal power of music, like Remus’s symphony, or the Source Song. |Decarabian had a human lover named Amos, although from her perspective, he did not understand her or her mortal love, or even the (lack of) devotion of his people. This reminds me of Scylla telling Remus that as a Usurper, he is cursed to love humanity. But maybe not understand them, which would be both of these god-kings’ downfalls. Though Amos was human, she also seems to have had prophetic dreams: "I dreamt of ocean waves and sand, of lush forests and land." "I dreamt of boars playing in berry bushes, of a towering spire." These words she spoke to the God King in a soft tone, but they were left unheard. (Amos’ Bow) Eventually, she would join the rebellion against him, and attempt to assassinate him. Amos also fits into the blue and white color scheme, and has a feather ornament similar to Lumine in her hair:

And we come to the piece de resistance. The ultimate example. One of the weirdest things in genshin lore (in a good way). I present:

Whatever TF is Going on With Deshret and the Goddess of Flowers

In The Lay of Al-Ahmar, Deshret is described as a “son of the sky,” with abilities that earned him the reverence of the tribes in the desert. One of his titles, Al-Ahmar, is Arabic for “the red one.” Deshret dreamed of creating a utopia for humans, and the final manifestation of that dream was the (failed) Golden Slumber, where like Remus, he attempted to separate his mind from his body. God-kings and their hiveminds…. Deshret received assistance in the form of access to forbidden knowledge from the Goddess of Flowers, also known as Nabu Malikata. The title Nabu refers to the Babylonian god of wisdom, who is associated with the planet Mercury in Babylonian astronomy. The title ‘Nabu’ has the same linguistic root as the Arabic ‘nabiyy’ (نبي) and Hebrew ‘navi’ (נביא), meaning prophet. According to Arama, the Goddess of Flowers was a survivor of the Seelie race. After her exile, she wandered the desert, where her blood turned into streams of water that allowed gardens of water lilies to grow, which in turn birthed the Jinn. Additionally, wherever she stepped, purple flowers called Padisarahs, described as “bearing semblance to the moon,” bloomed (Flower of Paradise Lost). Together with Deshret, she founded Ay-Khanoum, meaning "[City of the] Moon Maiden.” In addition to being known as “the red one,” Deshret is also known as the “Lord of Sand.” Combined with the Goddess of Flowers association with both water and mercury, I consider their respective titles to be a reference to Ibn Umayl’s Silvery Water and Starry Earth, a 10th century alchemical text. The ‘silvery water’ refers to mercury, or quicksilver, and the ‘starry earth’ is sulfur. This text is also referenced in the refinement materials for Dialogue of the Desert Sages, where this time the mercury-looking material is called “exalted earth.” The mercury-sulfur theory of metals was popular in medieval Islamic alchemy, and it refers to the idea that all metals are formed in the earth out of a combination of these two elements. Like Sybilla, it’s implied the Goddess of Flowers sacrificed her life to help Deshret fulfill his goals. Secret Keeper’s Magic Bottle: "I shall fashion you a bridge to allow you to slake your deepest wants. But you must fear not the crystalline sapphire nail..." "I will deliver you unto higher knowledge. But as I have warned, you are fated to lose much in this exchange..." "Nevertheless, hide my lesson in your heart. Remember the punishment that once was inflicted on the fallen envoys of heaven." "Know this: if there is to be hope in this world, it will be found kindling within mortals most ordinary." Wreathed in darkness, she guided her dearest friend toward the path to understanding all there was to know about the skies and the abyss. Using her body as a conduit and offering the oasis in trade, she let the dazzling radiance consume her to see his deepest desires be made manifest… It’s not clear exactly when she died, as other sources of in-game info attribute her death to the “malice of the burning sun and yellow sand,” as well as imply her death was part of a larger plan she had (Oasis Garden weapon mats). That being said, the Flower of Paradise Lost description states that after she performed this exchange, she was never seen again. As for the color scheme mentioned earlier, we don’t know what Deshret or the Goddess of Flowers looked like. Our only hints as to their human forms are the Gilded Dreams TCG card/artifact design, and a throwaway line in the Sumeru Archon Quest where Nilou says her stage costume is inspired by legends about how the Goddess of Flowers dressed.

As of 4.7, we also have the Flower of Paradise Lost TCG card, which may depicted the Goddess of Flowers. The color scheme is purple and white, but the woman in the art is wearing a dress that looks similar to Guizhongs (delulu). The crown on this card has little wings, which are reminiscent of the winged helmet Mercury is sometimes depicted as wearing.

The defining feature of the chemical marriage is that the metaphorical union produces something greater than the sum of its parts. Sybilla and the Goddess of Flower’s sacrifices allowed the fulfillment of plans that were intended to create new worlds, something I would consider greater than the combination of god and Seelie minds. Another common thread in these transactions is wisdom, or lack thereof, with both Goddess of Flowers and Guizhong offering wisdom, and Sybilla saying that she no longer has hers - although that didn’t stop her from becoming part of Phobos. This theme of wisdom also has alchemical significance, since the philosopher’s stone is the lapis philosophorum; the 'stone of wisdom'. I’ve written a theory about the philosopher’s stone and Descenders and alchemy, including the chemical wedding motif, in the Narzissekreuz Ordo questions: you can check it out here. Two points that I want to carry over to this theory is that a) there is evidence to suggest that the philosopher’s stone and a Descender are the same in Teyvat and b) the ability to successfully change Fortuna (fate) is directly linked with Descender status. I��m not saying that Deshret and Remus were trying to become Descenders, but there are clear thematic parallels with their goals, and Rene’s goals. Additionally, these four examples are not the only time a union resulted in world changing consequences. Records of Jueyun recounts the story of the traveler from afar and the seelie: At a far-flung moment in the distant past, the ancestor of the seelie met a traveler from afar, with whom they swore an oath of union witnessed by the three sisters of the Lunar Palace. Just thirty days later, a sudden disaster struck. The seelie and their lover fled into exile as the world collapsed around them, fleeing until the terrible calamity caught up with and seized them. Their cruel punishment was to be separated from each other for eternity and to have their memories wiped without a trace. The book goes on to directly connect this union with the curse of the Seelies that Arama mentions: The graceful but heartbroken seelie and the sisters grew more sullen and withdrawn with each passing day, to the point where their wondrous forms withered away, leaving fragments of their former selves scattered in the mountains and ruins, where they turned into tiny little life forms. They had forgotten so much, lost so much, and been stripped of their voices and wisdom, yet they continued to sing the same songs of grief. Because of this, still harboring a shred of the deep love they once had for their long-lost lover, they will act as guides to travelers who stop in the mountain mist, seeking to retrace their memories of an ancient story in long-abandoned ruins, disused makeup cabinets, and now-undecipherable poetry. Moonlight Bamboo forest has another version of the story, where the three moon sisters loved the “stars of daybreak,” and after some kind of cataclysmic event, only one (dead) moon remained in the sky. Mitternacht’s Waltz also described a sword shattering one of the moons: Two of the three bright moons that caused the perfumed sea of the primordial universe to shine and stirred up the beasts of the Arianrhod Realm were shredded by a sword that tore the horizon asunder, left in smithereens too small even for the mystical sight of the Prinzessin. Ever since the Narzissenkreuz quests, I am very suspicious of all swords mentioned in lore. If we put all these themes and narratives together, another possible metaphorical union emerges:

Since the dawn of Genshin lore, there have been various theories regarding the duality in the designs of the twins, with some also suggesting that they are two separate halves of one being. However, I’d like to propose the opposite: if the twins follow the path of their fellow black/gold and blue/white predecessors, then it seems likely a fusion that is also a sacrifice is in the future for our protagonist. There are other similarities between the twins and the god-king/seelie pairs. The twins have sun and moon symbolism on their clothes, constellations, and swords: Aether’s has a star (sun) shaped hilt and Lumine’s a moon. The Traveler is frequently described as being ‘golden’ (ex. Golden Nara), and Liloupar says that they remind her of Deshret. The Traveler is already a Descender, but they definitely don’t seem to have the strength or knowledge to exercise their world-equivalent Will yet - and maybe their sibling who has been spending time in the Abyss and has learned the “truth of this world” can help. In that case, the knowledge of the Abyss-aligned twin would fulfill the role of the Seelie knowledge in this pair, helping the Traveler complete their power-up. But what about Paimon, the emergency food? She's the dove, representing the spirit and- [is dragged offstage].

P.S. I didn’t know where to fit this in, but I think Before Sun and Moon is also referring to a chemical wedding. Sun -> sulfur and gold, Moon -> mercury and silver. The title could be an incomplete phrase, and actually be something like “Before Sun and Moon joined.”

#genshin lore #genshin #lumine #aether #alchemy #the category is: genshin lore theories that sound insane when you explain them

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artistic-misf1t · 2 days

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I am UMM extremely new to posting here! Hi! For those who DONT know me from my instagram ( Artistic_Misf1t) already, my name is Soup!

I am a digital artist, a major fan of things such as Fnaf, Cotl, Batim, Fnaf, WH, PPT, TSP, Indigo Park, Demon Slayer, HxH, Call of Duty, Marvel/DC, Etc.

Despite the circumstances of which I am here, I’d like to think i’m here to stay so before I start moving all my SHENANIGANS here, Here are some boundaries and just things about me!

0.5. ) For my posts I will be organizing my asks and actual art by tags!

#soupyspeaks for asks or random thoughts and replies

#soupyshenanigans for my actual art !

1.) Some other names ppl may refer to me by are Biscuit, Misfit, Artistic, or Scott - While Soup is the most common, you may call me whatever you like!

2.) My pronouns are she/they, use that however you will

3.) While I may post some suggestive content, there will never be downright NSFW on my page - I would however still prefer if my audience were 15+

4.) With the last one in mind, Please try not to be TOO spicy around these parts 😨 Ive seen the freaks that reside ‘round here 👩🏾‍🦯 —Just keep in mind my audience does usually include some children! (We all know we cant just expect them to not be on this app whether it’s 17+ or not, just remain mindful!)

5.) I do not allow incest, pedophilia or ANY of that kind around here 🤨 I’ve heard about some Bishop-shipping going around in the Cotl Community and I am NOT having it. You will be blocked on sight, no discussion.

6.) I’m here for a good time! I’m here to inspire, entertain, share my shenanigans, meet new ppl and have fun so let’s try our best to enjoy ourselves here! <3

#soupyshenanigans #soupyspeaks

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aealzx · 5 hours

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“So… Leo sent me to give you guys the scoop, huh.” April’s comment came from the doorway where she had taken temporary residence, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed much like Raphael had been shortly before. The comparison caused Don to smile internally, but he thankfully remembered to keep it off his face this time.

Don thought about joining April in making light of the situation, but eventually settled against it. “He said you and Mikey were the only ones able to talk about it.”

April hadn’t been expecting any of their hosts to take them seriously on the matter, so the response caught her off guard for a moment. But she fell into the mood easily, and dropped her arms to slouch over to the table Lil Mikey was on, scooting up next to him. “Well… he’s not wrong,” she agreed, not looking all that excited to be discussing the matter. “Everyone already knows the bulk of what happened, so it’s not like we really have to talk to understand…. Sometimes I wonder if that makes it worse though. We never had to figure out how to put what we felt into words.”

As Raphael pulled up another stool to sit on, Don prodded April to continue, being able to understand her concerns. “...Can you tell me what happened? What Leon’s flashbacks are over. All the injuries.”

The spunk April usually had was hard to muster up. And after a moment of trying she ended up giving in with a huff. “Sure. I guess,” she relented before drawing a breath to give the long story. “About six months ago New York - our New York- got invaded by three aliens from another dimension called the Krang. They used to be from space, but ended up sealed in something called the Prison Dimension by mystic warriors some hundreds or thousands of years ago. And then the Foot clan from our dimension found the key and let them out. As far as the city knows some mysterious heroes just showed up and blew up their mother ship before disappearing. But… well, it’s a different story for those heroes.” The look April gave Lil Mikey was full of fondness, pride, as well as heartache and concern even as Lil Mikey gave her a brief toothy smile in return.

“...Judging by all the fresh scars almost all of you have, I’m guessing no one got out of that uninjured,” Don commented, showing that he was following well and understood it hadn’t been one of those lighthearted children’s stories for them. “...Yeah. Casey, Splints and I took care of Lady Brainface on the ground. But the boys had to deal with their leader in the sky. And this was after they took Raph hostage and mind controlled him. That’s what got his eye all messed up, from ripping the parasite out I hear,” April continued, gesturing at her own right eye when talking about Raph’s eye. “We couldn’t really beat them, y’know? So we had this plan to just send them back to the Prison Dimension by Donnie piloting their spaceship back through the portal, and then everyone escaping before we closed it. Except…” She had to pause, swallowing around the lump that had formed in her throat. “Except the stupid freak of nature wouldn’t stay put, so Leo got the stupid idea to hold him back in the Prison Dimension himself and have Casey close the portal on both of them. If Mikey hadn’t have… If…. Well, let’s just say Mikey is the reason Leo’s still with us.”

So that was it. This group of teenagers had fought against something they shouldn’t have had to, and had barely survived through a clever plan that almost involved self sacrifice. No wonder they were all so affected.

“Well, I just brought him home. It’s thanks to Barry and Dad and Mom that we’re all okay now,” Lil Mikey chimed in, giving his best attempt at a smile while swinging his feet slightly.

Three people. Don noted the name of three people helping them, and also the omittance of Leon being mentioned as part of the team of medics. “...How bad was the damage? What injuries did everyone have?” Don was almost reluctant to ask, especially after Lil Mikey’s smile fell so quickly.

“... A lot,” Lil Mikey admitted, looking to the ground. “Of the four of us I was the best. Just some throat bruising from being choked, and then all these burns that ended up scarring from opening the portal to save Leo. The others… my brothers kept protecting me.” The last line was almost a whisper as Lil Mikey blinked a tear from his eye and quickly raised a hand to brush it from his cheek.

“All of the scars you see on Leo and Raph are from it. Leo was bedridden for a while. Cracked shell, broken ribs, broken knee, cracked eye bones, and a bunch of bruises and smaller fractures all over the place. Raph ended up with that gash on his shoulder and missing a piece of his shell from protecting Leo before he got caught. And then it also ended up dislocated later, and his eye took forever to get the infection out of. And then Donnie…,” April paused, giving a slight huff and shake of her head. “The Krang ship required biological integration or something like that to pilot. So Donnie ended up in a coma for six days, along with wounds wherever the ship was connected to him. Then also both his arms got broken, and some minor internal bleeding. Mikey says those last two were from him protecting him from the Krang leader punching them off the ship.”

By the time April finished explaining Raphael was resting his head in his hands, and Don was staring down at his own hands. There were a lot of events in their own lives that they could use to easily relate to what April and Lil Mikey had told them. They had made it through their own troubles, Raphael could still remember being stuck to a bed when his ribs were broken. And their own brother Mikey had ended up with chronic leg and ankle injuries ever since both his legs had been broken in the same event. Heck, even Leo had ended up in a coma for a time, but it hadn’t been for six days. There were so many similarities, but for some reason it was hard to accept that all of this had happened at once to this group of teenagers.

“... Mikey,” Raphael spoke up finally, not yet looking up.

“Y’yeah?” Lil Mikey asked, startled about being addressed now.

“....Is it alright if I hug you?” Raphael then asked, feeling a little embarrassed now that the words were in the open, but not willing to take them back in the slightest.

It helped that after a moment of stunned silence Lil Mikey sputtered a soft laugh. “Sure you can. Hugs are great,” he accepted, raising his hand.

It was enough for Raphael to finally pull his head away from his hands, standing up to walk over and scoop Lil Mikey off the table and into a bear hug. It earned another surprised laugh from Lil Mikey, but he ended up just giving a content hum. Hugs always made him feel a little better.

“...You didn’t do this because you felt you had to, yeah? It wasn’t because someone made you do it. No super soldier requirement duty kind of bullcrap, right?” Raphael suddenly asked, remembering a few days before when Lil Mikey had mentioned that someone had created him and his brothers to be super soldiers.

“Huh?” Lil Mikey voiced, momentarily confused. “No, of course not. We did it because we wanted to help people, and because we were the best ones for it. Sure we got hurt, but if regular humans tried to deal with them, or the yokai, I think there would have been a lot more deaths. It’s … Yeah, it’s scary, and I’m still scared sometimes. But I’m still glad we could help everyone.”

They did it to help. They were all of some kind of protective type of personalities it seemed. And after a moment’s thought about how they interacted with each other that became even more obvious. The way Leon shielded Lil Mikey when he thought Raphael might hurt them in retaliation for holding a blade to his throat. The way Donnie’s first move had been to order them to help Lil Mikey and then create a shield around them. The way Lil Mikey refused to let them see Donnie’s back until they told him he might be injured, and even after being so critical of the way they handled him. And the way Raph ignored his brokenleg for the sake of hiding Donnie underneath himself when Donnie had been distressed over Casey’s antics.

It took some time for Raphael to respond, just holding Lil Mikey in a protective hold of his own, before he drew a deep breath and slowly released it. “...Let’s get you back to your brothers… Both of you,” he suggested, including April in the group of siblings since it was obvious now that she had an almost life long connection with them beyond just friends.

“I’ll bring the supplies out to the living room to take care of changing the bandages on Lil Raph’s leg. Then we can bring you guys to an actual bedroom to sleep for the night. Hopefully it’ll be more comfortable than being stuck in the infirmary for more time than you’d probably like,” Don spoke up now, adding support to the suggestion. These kids had probably seen enough of infirmaries for a while, and being back in one probably wasn’t helping them feel comfortable enough to fully relax.

April ended up watching Raphael start to leave with Lil Mikey with slightly wide eyes, and slightly turned back to Don, delaying her own departure. “I thought I would have to say a lot more,” she admitted, having expected a way longer conversation than that.

The comment earned a brief smile from Don, understanding her thoughts after they were said. “We can fill in the blanks well enough. It’s actually worse to keep asking questions before the affected person is ready to talk about it. I just wanted enough to have an idea on what I, what we, need to be careful about so we don’t end up causing more harm than good,” he explained, moving to follow her from the room since he’d already gathered all the items he needed to tend to Raph.

“Huh,” April grunted, still semi surprised that that was all they needed, but also still grateful for it. It only took her a few steps before she voiced a new thought that came to her mind. “How much shit have you guys gotten into?”

The question caught Don slightly off guard, but only because of the phrasing, and he ended up huffing a short laugh. “A lot,” he responded with a slanted grin.

____________________

This one was easier to get soon 'cause it was mostly just retelling stuff that already happened X'D

#my art #rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #long post #writing #fanfic #cross dimension kidnapping #rise + 2003 crossover

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awkward-tension-art · 3 days

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Darkness on Umbara Chp.11 (Rex x Reader)

Chapter. 10

Hardcase

cw: Rex x Reader, Reader is a medic, incorrect military procedure, graphic descriptions of injuries, blood, swearing, death and battle, Canon character death, Spoilers for the Umbara Arc, Pong Krell is an asshole, reader insert, names of non-canon dead clones, Grief, bottling up emotions to appear strong, Mentions of breakdowns, reader is gender neutral, no use of (Y/N), if i miss a tag LMK

Minors DNI

As it turned out, Dogma was correct.

Hardcase, Fives and Jesse had stolen Umbaran fighters and managed to infiltrate the supply ship that was the source of such a powerful resistance. You had been outside, walking the airbase to check up on previously injured them when they returned.

Your heart dropped when you realized there were only two ships. Seeing Jesse and Fives step off the ships, but no Hardcase…

No.

No. No.

No!

Wordlessly, you turned and went back into the medical bay.

Ignore it. Hardcase is fine. He's fine.

You refused to accept his death. It didn’t happen. Hardcase was alright. He was just late.

As a doctor, you’ve seen all five stages of grief. You’ve experienced the five stages before. Felt them in your own way.

Denial.

Anger.

Bargaining.

Depression.

And acceptance.

Logically, you knew this denial was part of the process. Emotionally however? You were going haywire. Hardcase was your friend. You’ve known him the same length of time as the rest of Torrent Company.

You couldn’t think about it. You had work to do. You had injured soldiers to wake and evaluate. You had others to hunt down and check their injuries. You couldn’t collapse into your grief, not yet.

So you threw your feelings aside and focused.

“What happened?” Kix’s voice sounded concerned as soon as he saw you walk in, “Are you alright?”

You shook your head. He had to know. Shifting your mindset, to that of a medical professional, you told him, “Kix, I’m sorry.” your hands were on his shoulders, “Hardcase is gone. He didn’t return with Fives and Jesse.”

The medic’s eyes widened. They were from the same batch. Cadets together, “Hardcase..?”

“Kix, I want you to go. Go to the barracks and get some sleep. Go be with your brothers.” You commanded him gently. You could swallow your mourning long enough to fill in for him. Let him grieve and process.

With a nod, he stepped back, away from you. His brown eyes roamed the floor, as if trying to find something.

Shock, most likely. Hardcase was a powerhouse, almost nothing could take him down.

Except fucking Umbara.

“Kix,” You murmured, “Kix, look at me.” Your hands held his face, forcing his gaze into yours, “Leave the medical bay, go to the barracks, and take some time for yourself.”

He croaked in response, barely holding it together, “The men..”

“I can handle it.” You responded calmly, “Go. Be with your brothers.”

With a nod, Kix left you. His shoulders were shaking with silent sobs just as he walked out the door.

The clones were brothers. All of them were connected in a way you couldn’t fully understand. It was a deep familial bond that you were sure transcended the damn Force. Even the word for brother in Mando’a seemed so much…deeper than any other word.

“Vod.” You whispered the word in Mando’a to no one but yourself, It means Brother.

You didn’t feel the tears as you whispered the language.

It hit you that Hardcase didn’t speak much Mando’a. Did he know these words? Probably. Most clones knew the basics. You could ask him-.

No. You couldn’t.

“Vod’ika Hardcase…” You breathed, heart tightening.

Dearest brother Hardcase. That's what the clones would call him as they mourned. Dearest brother.

You sank to the floor, staring ahead as you silently cried. Your palm slapped over your mouth as your emotions hit you in waves. Just when you thought you could breathe, another sob would rock your body.

Hardcase. Hardcase.

You let yourself cry. It was good for the brain, you knew that. Your medically trained mind kicked in. You were allowed this grief and this pain. Hardcase wasn’t your brother, but he was your friend.

So you cried. You let your brain release its emotions. At some point you had moved, leaning against the wall between two troopers on medical cots, Rusty and Cobalt, both down with broken ribs and severe blaster burns. Mindlessly, you ran your fingers through their hair.

You’ve found that even under the effects of sedatives, they could register touch. Sometimes they would also remember words spoken near them as well.

“I got you guys,” you stared ahead in your grief as you mumbled, “I got all of you. Whether you hear me or not, I got you.”

You found some comfort in taking care of these soldiers. Maybe it was because you were a doctor and you wanted to help. Or maybe with Rex as your lover, they were your brothers in a way.

Either way, you cared so much about them.

The doors opened some time, possibly an hour, after you calmed down. Tup walked in on you sitting between Nax and Ink. You were aimlessly massaging Nax’s hand when the young trooper saw you. He took one look into your eye and figured it out.

“You know about Hardcase?” He asked, walking over to you and sitting down on your left.

“Yea.” you mumbled, “I sent Kix to the barracks. To get some rest, so it's just me here.”

He nodded, draping an arm around your shoulder, “Everyone stable?” Clones were affectionate by nature with each other, so you didn’t read into the closeness. You’ve been hugged and held by plenty of Rex’s brothers. He trusted you, and he trusted the troopers, so platonic affection was just that. Platonic, but still appreciated.

“For now,” your answer was quiet, “What’s going on with Fives and Hardcase?”

“Court martial,” He responded, tilting his head to rest on yours, “It's not fair. They did the right thing. Krell is just…being cruel.”

“I’m sure Anakin will do something about it when he returns.” You mumbled, “He’d probably compliment Jesse and Fives, then let them go.”

Tup chuckled, but it sounded hollow and sad, “Wish Hardcase would have made it back.”

You nodded slowly, continuing to stare ahead at nothing. Carefully, you rested Nax’s hand back on the bed before resting your head on Tup’s shoulder and closing your eyes, “I’m not going to let this happen ever again.” You whispered, making a promise to the 501st, “I promise, Tup, I’m never going to stand back and let a bad General hurt any of you ever again.”

He hummed softly, “I would pay real credits to watch you rip into Krell.”

“You don’t need to pay me. I’ll do it for free.” you snarked, earning a snicker from the soldier.

“I’m sure General Skywalker would too, once he knows about all of this.” He responded, moving his head to lean against the wall, “Who do you think would win in a duel? Krell or General-.”

The doors to the med bay opened again. You opened your eyes when you heard the steps come to a stop in front of you. Tup stiffened and sat up straighter.

Rex was standing above the two of you, His eyes were a storm of grief, agony and frustration. You’ve never seen such a look on your lover.

You raised a hand to him, “Take a break and grieve with us.” You rasped.

He took your hand but remained standing, “Krell has ordered the execution of Jesse and Fives.”

“What!?” Tup scrambled to his feet, “Why!?”

Your eyes widened and you shot to your feet. It felt like someone dumped ice water over your head and your stomach dropped. Desperation hit you like a speeder. Jesse and Fives can’t be executed! They did nothing wrong!

“He has asked me to put a firing squad together.” Rex continued to speak, “Dogma is going to oversee the execution.”

“No, I refuse.” The younger trooper snapped, “I won’t kill my own brothers!”

“None of us have a choice.” The clone captain sighed.

“Rex,” Your voice cracked, “Is there really no other way?”

“I’m not forcing anyone to execute,” He responded, “The men will have the freedom to choose. I was just commanded to put the squad together.”

Tup looked at his captain, eyes going wide before he shook his head, “I’ll be on the squad.” His voice trembled, “But I won’t shoot.”

“I can’t force you too.” The clone captain responded. He looked over at you, “I want you to remain here.”

“Respectfully decline that order, captain.” You answered him, “They’re my friends.”

Rex’s expression was unreadable. Was he proud you wouldn’t look away? Worried you might break down? Or was he angry you declined to follow his orders?

Could be all three.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, the 501st captain didn’t argue, “Go to the back of the tower. Speak with Dogma about placement.” He mumbled to Tup before turning to leave.

“Yes, Captain.” the other trooper responded with a salute. The both of you shared a look before you followed him to the back of the tower.

To your horror, Kix was among those selected for the execution.

Rex chose a medic for an execution!?

Was this a particular act of cruelty? Or did Krell specifically order him to pick the only other medical professional on the 501st?

With Krell not present and Rex going to get Fives and Jesse, your ire was directed at Dogma, “Is this some kind of joke!?” You snapped at him, “How are you not sick of the taste of Krell’s boots?!”

You must’ve startled him, but he whirled to look at you, almost seeming scared. To his credit, he did manage to recover quickly and retort, “General Krell has given an order to execute traitors. We are soldiers and we follow orders that will benefit the republic!

“Make your own fucking decisions before your lips need to be surgically removed from Krell’s ass!”

Hardcase would be proud of you for that one. You thought to yourself.

Kix stepped out of the firing line and approached, getting between the two of you, “Doctor, stand down. Now!”

Dogma kept a steady glare on you, “We are made to be soldiers. Good soldiers follow orders, something you will never understand.”

Good soldiers follow orders.

Why did that phrase send a shiver up your spine? You swallowed and took a step back, folding under Dogma’s critical gaze, “You all are more than just soldiers.” You responded, “But you're right. I will never understand. But I’m still staying.”

He seemed to accept his petty victory. Dogma was vindictive, something you learned a little too late, “Line up the prisoners!” he called out, and Kix returned to his place in line.

You remained off to the side, eyes on Fives and Jesse. The ARC trooper had his head held high, as if proud to be in such a position. Even facing down death, he was courageous.

Rex and Appo had the two prisoners stand in place before stepping away. The former found his place beside you, putting a hand on your shoulder.

Dogma stepped forward, “Do the prisoners request to be blindfolded?” His question was met with defiant silence, “I’ll take that as a no.”

“I hope you can live with yourself, Dogma.” Fives spat.

You knew in your heart that Hardcase would have said a lot more swears. Maybe even try and swing at Dogma for this display of coldness.

The soldier overseeing the execution didn’t react to the ARC trooper's words, “Ready weapons!” he called. Just as he gave the command, the soldiers in line prepared their rifles.

Jesse hung his head and mumbled, “I never thought we’d go out this way…”

“Aim!”

Before Dogma could give the command, Fives interrupted, “Wait! This is wrong and we all know it!” He looked over the line of his brothers, desperate to reach them, “The General is making a mistake and he needs to be called on it! No clone should have to go out this way!”

You noticed Kix made eye contact with Tup. the both of them shifted slightly, body language reading as ‘unsure’. Others in the firing squad did so as well.

The ARC trooper continued, “We are loyal soldiers, we follow orders but we are not a bunch of unthinking droids! We are men! we must be trusted to make the right decisions especially when the orders we are given are wrong!”

You couldn’t help but smile softly with unshed tears in your eyes.

Hardcase would be so proud…

“Fire!”

The blaster shots rang out, startling you. But you refused to look away. Your eyes took in the reality of the situation.

Jesse and Fives, still alive, stood still, looking at their brothers. Every single blaster shot missed, littering the tower with smoking holes. Yet, none of them went anywhere near the two troopers. The firing squad dropped their rifles, the weapons clattering to the ground in unison.

Dogma gasped beside you, “Wait what!?” He hurried in front of the line.

“They’re doing the right thing, Dogma.” Rex stepped beside the confused and frazzled trooper, “Because if this,” The 501st captain motioned to the two prisoners as he spoke, “is how soldiers are rewarded for heroic actions then one day every man in this battalion may face a similar fate.”

You wiped your tears with your sleeve, and Kix looked at you with a chuckle.

Bastard, stop laughing at me. You couldn’t hold back your own relieved giggle. Apparently you were worried for nothing.

“Take off their binders!” Rex commanded, and Appo followed his orders loyally.

Dogma argued frantically, “No! We have orders! We have to go through with this!”

“Good luck finding anyone to do it,” Your lover damn nearly growled as he approached Jesse and Fives.

You turned away, intending to go back to the medical bay. The arguing of Rex and Dogma was tuned out as Kix and Tup appeared at your sides.

“You ok?” the medic asked you, looking relieved himself. His hands were shaking ever so slightly.

“You stressed me out!” Your tone wasn’t harsh, but it was clear the entire situation got to you, “Next time, give a doctor a warning before you deliberately miss a shot!” In a friendly manner, you grabbed his ear and tugged slightly, “I am going to age as fast as all of you because of this battalion!”

Tup laughed beside you as you manhandled your medic comrade. Of course you didn’t mean anything by your words, and they knew that. Still, you let him go, “Hardcase would have done the same as you, I think.”

Kix nodded, giving you a sad smile, “He’d probably have gone after Krell himself.”

“I’d have loved to see that,” Tup chimed in, clear in his own state of mourning still.

You looked at the two of them before sighing and grabbing the medic in a hug. At first he was startled, but you felt his arms wrap around your waist soon enough. Wordlessly, you reached and tugged Tup’s hand, pulling him in as well.

Clones are affectionate to their brothers. You always kept such a thing in mind, I’m no clone, but I hope they appreciate it.

The two melted into the warmth, and it was the younger trooper who mumbled, “Thanks Doc.”

“I’m here for you. I’m here for everyone.” You reassured him kindly. Your grief could wait. It had to, just for them.

Sadly, the group hug was broken up by Kix’s comm buzzing. Once he answered, Rex’s words came through, “Umbarans have stolen clone gear. Krell has ordered we take them out.”

“So the Umbarans think they can trick us, huh?” Tup put a hand on his hip, “I say we go after them. Care to join us, doc?”

Your nod was uncertain. Not because you didn’t want to join the men and help, but because you couldn’t take the unease you’ve felt over Rex’s words.

You had the worst feeling about this.

#reader insert #captain rex #captain rex x reader #rex x reader #clone trooper tup #clone trooper kix #clone trooper jesse #arc trooper fives #star wars the clone wars #star wars x reader #star wars #tcw x reader #tcw x you #umbara arc #clone trooper dogma

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toushindai · 2 days

Note

Do you have any thoughts on the relationships between characters so far in Hades II? Any predictions? How would you say they compare to those of Hades 1? Btw, love your megzag fic. You were The Author I went to for them back when 1.0 just came out.

Hello anon, and thank you!! I miss megzag so much, they are my everything. I will say that no one in Hades II so far is seizing me quite the way they do, especially not ship-wise—but let’s put the rest of this under a cut.

Below the readmore is an absolute free-for-all of spoilers so please be careful!

Overall the impression I get—especially from how Mel talks to and about Aphrodite—is that Mel thinks of love as something she’ll get around to once she has a chance to sit down and study how it works, which obviously comes after her task in importance. Now this is not how matters of the heart work, which presumably is why it’s immediately obvious that she and Icarus are BIG into each other. Which is cute, undeniably. I wish them happiness. Though that’s not really quite shipping, is it.

I’m still waiting for melnem to seize me like it has everyone else; I’m not opposed, but as of yet I’m not quite seeing what they have to offer each other. They are both striving for each other, that’s something; I just don’t yet see how that pulls them into bed with each other. It seems like the last thing on either of their minds. Except they do keep talking about taking each other’s clothes off. Are they flirting? They may be. At the very least I think SGG is sending deliberate “don’t worry, we ARE going there” signs. So far I am not drawn in by Mel/Moros as a ship, either. I’d much rather that shit-stirring suggestion of Eris’s (that the Fates are trying to set him up) be something that he finds kind of perturbing, that his sisters would try to set him up with someone just because she’s been nice to him. I would ship Moros/Dora. I think that would be cute and funny.

No despite all odds what I am 4k words into so far is some meleris. Well. I mean, that’s what the file name is called, and there’s some making out involved, but I don’t know if this is going to become a romantic or even physical relationship by the time I get wherever I’m going with it. Listen… I just love Eris. This horrible little gremlin whose ideals absolutely no one around her respects, so in response she doubles down on her gremlinhood. She’s at odds with Mel by their very natures and yet Mel keeps coming over to her little corner to give her the same gift over and over. I think they find each other frustrating but in the way a pet finds a puzzle treat toy frustrating, and I don’t think they know what kind of relationship they’re building with each other, but certainly one is building. I don’t think Eris really knows what a friend feels like and I don’t think she knows how to behave to keep a friend. I don’t think Mel knows why she is extending kindness to Gal Who Keeps Shooting Her And Littering. I, the player, am absolutely approaching this from the perspective of “someone in Eris’s entire life needs to be stubbornly kind to her as opposed to every authority figure in her life treating her like a problem child” but I don’t know if Mel feels the same way, consciously or un-.

Eris is just all around a deeply interesting presence in the game—the Unseen seem to me to be a cult (neutral use of the word) to Nyx and Eris is absolutely a dissenting voice against that. And everything else. The game has done the opposite of selling me on either “Chronos should rule” OR “the Olympians should continue unopposed” so I think we should hear Eris out. Did you know that “strife” and “strive” come from the same root. Something something the importance of dissent. Let her cook. Explosives. And drink bath water I guess.

Other things of interest.

The “your family may be vain idiots you hate being around but it’s still an inherent good to interact with them” tone of the epilogue of Hades I never pleased me greatly; so far, Hades II seems to be going “got it, just because someone is related to you by blood doesn’t mean you inherently have to feel anything for them” which I—I—I agree with that. Fundamentally. BUT THAT’S MY FAMILYYYY AND I LOVE THEMMMM TToTT… Supergiant is doing a fascinating thing where the majority of their players know Mel’s family better than she does, where Mel questions how strongly she even wants revenge for the family she’s never known while we, clutching our keyboards or controllers, are snarling Let Me At Him Let Me At Him I Love Those People. The “what do I care? I don’t even know them” is so deeply upsetting and I think that once there is an actual endgame that will get addressed but I a little bit wish we had not been given that line until we were ready to deal with it because it currently gives me an emotion.

Hecate is so interesting as a contrast to Hades—in some ways she is encouraging Mel towards much better emotional health but also. but also. Putting tremendous pressure on her, and telling her she must not think of Hecate as her mother or the Crossroads as her home. Asking Mel to leave these gaping holes in her heart so that her blood family and original home can fill them someday. I have to wonder if there’s a part of Melinoë that feels like Hecate is withholding these things because Mel isn’t good enough yet, and—deeper still—a part of her that fears that if she cannot become good enough, she will be subject to the same impatient disdain that Hecate aims at Nemesis and Eris. I don’t think Hecate is evil but I think she maybe doesn’t see the effect her single-mindedness might have.

And lastly, Chaos. Chaos!! Last night Chaos asked me, “Do you tolerate my gates stabbing you and my mark making your life difficult just because you want to look at me” and you know what. Yeah. Their new design is everything in this whole world to me. Chaos I am going to change how I dye my undercut to be more like you. But also I absolutely love what they’re going through emotionally in this game. Listen, if they had turned the Fates over to Chronos just because they like thwarting the Fates, I would have winced but forgiven them. This is a known! I don’t require them to operate under human morality! But the fact that they feel they were deceived and the indications that this troubles them, that they are not USED to feeling troubled, that they look at the way things are currently and say I would like things to be different actually, that they ask Mel for a response when they confess their part in the current goings-on (despite there not really being a question there IIRC!) but wait until so deep into the game to do so—Chaos I Love You. Would You Like A Hug. We stan an alexithymic primordial originator. Also “perhaps he shall release them if you use sufficient violence” is the funniest sentence in the world and I will continue to do my best 🫡

#hades ii spoilers #hades ii #hades ii game #tou and the murder kitten #thanks for the ask!

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anonymousewrites · 2 days

Text

Logos and Pathos (AOS Edition) Chapter Four

AOS! Spock x Empath! Reader

Chapter Four: Ship in Distress

Summary: The Enterprise arrives at Vulcan to find their ships destroyed and a Romulan wants negotiations.

“Spock,” greeted (Y/N) as they took their spot next to him.

“(Y/N),” said Spock, nodding to him.

“Welcome back, Commander, Lieutenant,” said Pike to them.

“Hello, Captain,” said (Y/N), smiling.

“Captain,” greeted Spock. “Engineering reports ready for launch.”

“Thank you.” Pike looked around the bridge. “Ladies and gentlemen, the maiden of our newest flagship deserves more pomp and circumstance than we can afford today. A christening will just have to be our reward for a safe return. Carry on.” He sat down and pressed the comms button. “All decks, this is Captain Pike, prepare for immediate departure.” He stopped the announcement. “Helm, thrusters.”

“Moorings retracted, Captain,” said Sulu. “Dock reports ready. Thrusters, fired. Separating from Spacedock. The ship’s ready for warp.”

“Set course for Vulcan,” said Pike.

“Aye, aye, Captain. Course laid in,” said Sulu.

“Maximum warp. Punch it,” said Pike.

Sulu pressed a button, but the ship sputtered in a failed attempt to fly forward. All heads turned to Sulu, and (Y/N) tilted their head in confusion.

“Lieutenant, where is Helmsman McKenna?” asked Pike.

“He has lungworm, sir. He couldn’t report to his post,” said Sulu as he fiddled with the controls. “I’m Hikaru Sulu.”

“And you are a pilot, right?” said Pike.

“Uh, very much so, sir. I’m, uh, not sure what’s wrong,” said Sulu.

“Is the parking brake on?” suggested Pike, amused.

“Uh, no, I’ll figure it out. I’m, just, uh…” Sulu trailed off.

“Have you disengaged the external inertial dampener?” asked Pike.

Silence. Sulu sheepishly pressed a few buttons and cleared his throat. “Ready for warp, sir.”

“Let’s punch it,” said Pike.

This time, the Enterprise leapt into motion and moved to warp speed quickly.

“Engines at maximum warp, Captain,” said Sulu, turning around to face Pike.

“Russian whiz kid, what’s your name?” said Pike. “Chankov? Cherpov?”

“Ensign Chekov, Pavel Andreievich, sir,” said Chekov.

One of Uhura’s friends, thought (Y/N).

Their friend had told them about him and his skills. Even if he was a bit awkward at times, he was a hard worker and intelligent. Having him on the Enterprise would be helpful.

“Fine, Chekov, Pavel Andreievich. Begin a ship-wide mission broadcast,” said Pike. He leaned back.

“Yes, sir, happy to,” said Chekov. “Ensign authorization code 9-5-Wictor-Wictor-2.”

“Authorization not recognized,” said the computer due to Chekov’s accent.

“Ensign authorization code 9-5-Victor-Victor-2,” forced Chekov. Access was granted, and he could begin his broadcast. “May I have your attention, please? At 2200 hours, telemetry detected an anomaly in the Neutral Zone. What appeared to be a lightning storm in space. Soon after, Starfleet received a distress signal from Vulcan High Command that their planet was experiencing seismic activity. Our mission is to assess the condition of Vulcan and assist in evacuations if necessary. We should be arriving at Vulcan within three minutes. Thank you for your time.”

Pike leaned back and focused on the viewing screen. “Lightning storm…Are those typical for Vulcan?”

“Not particularly, and not to the degree to warrant a distress call,” said Spock.

“And earthquakes?” asked (Y/N).

“The same issue. This is unprecedented,” said Spock.

Bam!

“Captain!”

(Y/N) and Spock’s heads whipped around to stare at the swollen face of Kirk. He stood on the bridge in non-regulation attire, which wasn’t surprising since he was on academic suspension and not supposed to even be on a ship. Bones and Uhura trailed behind him, having tried to catch him before he burst onto the bridge.

“Jim, no!” snapped Bones, trying to grab him.

“Captain Pike, we have to stop the ship!” said Kirk.

“Kirk, how the hell did you get on board the Enterprise,” said Pike.

“Captain, this man’s under the influence of a severe reaction of a Melveran flea vaccine, completely—” began Bones.

“Bones, Bones,” said Kirk, trying to dodge his needles.

“—Delusional. I take full responsibility,” said Bones.

“Vulcan is not experiencing a natural disaster. It’s being attacked by Romulans,” said Kirk firmly.

“Romulans?” Pike groaned. “Cadet Kirk, I think you’ve had enough attention for one day. McCoy, take him back to medical, we’ll have words later.”

“Aye, Captain,” said Bones.

“Look, sir, that same anomaly—” Bones tried to drag Kirk back.

“Mister Kirk,” said Pike, narrowing his eyes.

“Mister Kirk is not cleared to be aboard this vessel,” said Spock, stepping in officially.

“Look, I get it, you’re a great orator,” said Kirk, rolling his eyes at Spock. “I’d love to do it again some time.”

“I’ll remove the Cadet,” said Spock.

“Try it! This Cadet is trying to save the bridge,” said Kirk.

“By recommending a full-stop mid-warp during a rescue mission?” said Spock. To his own home.

“It’s not a rescue mission, it’s an attack,” said Kirk firmly.

(Y/N) touched his arm. They wanted to hear Kirk out. There was nothing but pure firm ferocity in his aura. Nothing seemed to be indicating lying…It concerned (Y/N).

“What are your facts, Kirk?” asked (Y/N).

Kirk turned to them, and relief at someone hearing them out flashed through them. “That same anomaly, a lightning storm in space that we saw today, also occurred on the day of my birth.” His gaze turned solemn. “Before a Romulan ship attacked the U.S.S. Kelvin.” He looked at Pike. “You know that, sir, I read your dissertation. That ship which had formidable and advanced weaponry was never seen or heard from again. The Kelvin attack took place on the edge of Klingon space, and at twenty-three hundred hours last night, there was an attack. Forty-seven Klingon warbirds destroyed by a Romulan, sir. It was reported that the Romulans were in one ship, one massive ship.”

His logic was sound, and even if he didn’t end up being right, there was nothing indicating deception. Kirk was being absolutely serious and trying to be helpful. (Y/N) was inclined to believe that he had a point.

“That is a similar situation,” murmured (Y/N).

“How do you know about that Klingon attack?” demanded Pike.

“Sir, I intercepted and translated the message myself,” said Uhura, stepping up. “Kirk’s report is accurate.”

“We’re warping into a trap, sir. The Romulans are waiting for us, I promise you that,” said Kirk.

“He doesn’t appear to be lying, and Uhura’s reports are unmatched due to her expertise in xenolinguistics,” said (Y/N).

Spock’s jaw tense as he considered what could be happening at Vulcan. “The Cadets’ logic is sound. We would be wise to consider our options.”

Pike nodded. “Scan Vulcan space, check for transmissions in Romulan.”

“Sir, I’m not sure I can distinguish the Romulan language from Vulcan,” said a lieutenant.

“(L/N), will you step in?” sighed Pike.

“Sir, I’d prefer to remain free to monitor any other issues,” said (Y/N). They gestured to Uhura and smiled. “Cadet Uhura speaks Romulan excellently. She can handle it; I’m sure.”

“Can you, Cadet?” said Pike. He trusted (Y/N)’s judgement, but he wanted to know that Uhura had the confidence to do her duty well.

“I speak all three dialects, sir,” said Uhura, raising her chin.

“Uhura, relieve the lieutenant,” said Pike.

“Yes, sir.” Uhura instantly sat down and put on the earbuds to scan the channels.

“Hannity, hail the U.S.S. Truman,” ordered Pike.

“All the other ships are out of warp, sir, and have arrived at Vulcan, but we seem to have lost contact,” said Hannity.

(Y/N) and Spock exchanged a look. That shouldn’t have happened if it was just a natural disaster.

“Sir, I pick up no Romulan transmission or transmission of any kind in the area,” said Uhura, and (Y/N) frowned as worry flashed through her aura and moved into Pike’s as he furrowed his brow.

“It’s because they’re being attacked,” said Kirk firmly.

“Shields up, red alert,” ordered Pike.

“Arrival at Vulcan in five seconds,” said Sulu as the red alert went up. “Four…three…two—”

The Enterprise jerked as it came out of warp and was immediately in a cloud of debris.

“Evasive action!” commanded Pike.

The Enterprise dove to the side to avoid the remnants of the other starships. Several officers were thrown from their seats, and (Y/N) gripped their station tightly. Spock reached out subconsciously and gripped their arm to steady them.

A horrifying thought appeared in (Y/N)’s mind. The Enterprise was only intact because it had arrived late. If there hadn’t been the problem before warp, they would have arrived and been ambushed in an instant. If they had been on time, they would be dead debris floating endlessly in space.

“Damage report,” said Pike as the Enterprise cleared the greatest heaps of debris.

“Deflector shields holding,” reported an officer.

“All stations, report. Engineer Olson, report.” While he waited for reports to be sent in, he looked at the bridge crew. “Full reverse, come about starboard ninety degrees, drop us underneath and…”

Pike trailed off as the screen’s view of the stars was blocked. A large, hulking, squid-like ship moved through space towards them. It overshadowed everything, and its maw was wide and foreboding, like a shark waiting for unsuspecting prey to swim in and be bit to pieces.

(Y/N) stared in shock. They had never seen any ship like that, not even schematics for something so…huge.

“Captain, they’re locking torpedoes,” alerted Spock, turning around in his seat.

“Avert auxiliary power from port nacelles to forward shields,” said Pike.

Several torpedoes fired and slammed into the hull of the Enterprise. The starship shook, but it didn’t break.

“Sulu, status report,” said Pike.

“Shields at thirty-two percent,” said Sulu grimly. “Several decks badly hit.”

People will be injured or dead, thought (Y/N), heart sinking.

“Their weapons are powerful, sir. We can’t take another hit like that,” said Sulu.

“Get me Starfleet Command, (L/N),” said Pike.

“Captain, the Romulan ship has lowered some kind of high energy pulse device into Vulcan atmosphere,” said (Y/N). “The signal is blocking communications.”

Pike gritted his teeth, and (Y/N) felt the heat of his frustration. However, he kept a clear head and handled the situation to the best of his ability. “All power to forward shields. Prepare to fire all weapons.”

“Captain,” said (Y/N), spinning around in their chair in surprise and alarm. “We’re being hailed.”

Pike nodded tensely.

On the viewing screen, the face of a tattooed Romulan appeared. (Y/N) felt everyone’s emotions take a darker turn for the negative, but they stared calmly at the person. They refused to let any of their apprehension show.

“Hello,” he said plainly.

“I’m Captain Christopher Pike,” said Pike, trying to take control. “To whom am I speaking.”

“Hi, Christopher. I’m Nero,” replied the Romulan.

“You’ve declared war against the Federation. Withdraw. I’ll arrange a conference with Romulan leadership at a neutral location,” said Pike.

“I do not speak for the Empire,” said Nero. He narrowed his eyes as they passed over the bridge crew. “We stand apart, as does your Vulcan crewmember. Isn’t that right, Spock? Or perhaps your Celian officer would answer, correct, (L/N)?”

Everyone’s gaze flicked to Spock and (Y/N), who looked at each other. They hadn’t anticipated being singled out.

“Pardon me, I do not believe that you are acquainted with us,” said Spock, quirking an eyebrow as he stood. He moved between the screen and (Y/N) slightly.

“No. We’re not,” said Nero. “Not yet.” His lip curled. “Spock…there’s something I would like you to see.” Spock furrowed his brow, but Nero addressed Pike again before he could ask any questions. “Captain Pike, your transporter has been disabled. As you can see by the rest of your armada, you have no choice. You will man a shuttle, come aboard the Narada, for negotiations. That is all.” The viewing screen cut off and left the crew alone.

“He’ll kill you. You know that,” said Kirk, staring at Pike.

“This is a trap,” said (Y/N).

“Your survival is unlikely,” said Spock.

“Captain, we gain nothing by diplomacy,” said Kirk.

“Going to that ship is going to be futile,” agreed (Y/N).

“I, too, agree. You should rethink your strategy,” said (Y/N).

All three stared at Pike, a united front. Pike was undeterred, though.

“I understand that.” But he turned away. “I need officers who have been trained in advanced hand-to-hand combat.”

“I have training, sir,” said Sulu.

“Come with me,” said Pike. “Kirk, you too. You’re not supposed to be here, anyway. Chekov, you have the conn.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” said Chekov.

Pike headed off the bridge with Sulu and Kirk. (Y/N) and Spock only had to exchange a glance before following. They wouldn’t let Pike leave without knowing he had something in mind.

Pike led the way to Engineering and motioned for Engineer Olson to join the small group he’d created.

“Without transporters, we can’t beam off the ship, we can’t assist Vulcan, we can’t do our job,” he said gravely. “Mister Kirk, Mister Sulu, and Engineer Olson will space-jump from the shuttler. You will land on that machine they lowered into the atmosphere that’s scrambling our gear. You’ll get inside. You’ll disable it. Then, you’ll beam back to the ship.” The group nodded, and Pike looked at Spock. “Mister Spock, I’m leaving you in command of the Enterprise. Once we have transport capabilities, communications will be back up. (L/N), you’ll contact Starfleet and report what the hell’s going on here.” Spock and (Y/N) nodded. “And if all else fails, fall back and rendezvous with the fleet in the Laurentian system.” His eyes went to Kirk. “Kirk, I’m promoting you to First Officer.”

Shock rippled through the group, even Kirk himself.

“What?”

“Captain, please, I apologize, but the complexities of human pranks escape me,” said Spock, furrowing his brow slightly.

“It’s not a prank, Spock. And I’m not the Captain, you are.” Pike gazed at Spock for a moment as the facts settled in. Then, he blinked and nodded to the three men he’d gathered. “Let’s go.”

“What happens to you, sir, when we knock out that drill? Nero will know it’s an act of hostility, and you’ll be stuck with him,” said (Y/N).

“I guess you’ll have to come and get me,” said Pike. He smiled at Spock in wry amusement. “Careful with the ship, Spock. She’s brand new.”

Spock nodded curtly, and (Y/N) just stood beside him, tense. Neither approved of Pike’s plan, but they knew there was no other option at this point to try to stay alive and help Vulcan. Pike turned and headed towards a shuttle. He stepped in, and the door closed.

It was done. The plan was set.

“Well,” said (Y/N). They straightened and faced Olson, Sulu, and Kirk. “It’s time to follow his orders.” Their gaze went to Spock. “Ready?”

He nodded. “I’m ready.”

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