#PLOS Climate

[wordforests]

new research on gendered violence, environment, and research

[centrally-unplanned]

I somewhat favor mass deportation from Palestine. I don't see how the situation on the ground will get better, and while deportation will in itself be awful, "100 years from now, the Palestinian diaspora will enjoy quality-of-life (social, political, economic) equivalent to their local communities" seems more plausible than, "100 years from now, the Palestinian people will enjoy a fair standard of living in Palestine."

I don't like this. I feel bad about this. It's not a "good" plan. But I don't know what else is more than "pie in the sky" thinking, and the status quo is worse.

I am not gonna be an asshole to you about this like I bet you would expect many here to be, I am a realist and I think that realism is typically the right approach. I see the logic that given [X], it would be better for the people of Gaza to simply leave. After all, I approve of refugees in general! I do not blame for "not staying" or some other dumb bullshit, becoming a refugee is the good and right response to many situations. If we could welcome the entire population of Gaza into the wider Austin metro area (climate match + capable of building the housing) I would do so.

But it seems very important to clarify what that [X] is - in this case, it is the myopic obsession the Israeli right has with being genocidal maniacs in order to paint-by-numbers a semi-arid scrubland to match the deranged musings of a book from over a thousand years ago. They could just not do that! They don't have any reason, whatsoever, to do it. The "unsustainability" of the Israeli-Palestine conflict is entirely an invention of the Israeli state. That does not mean there could be kumbaya-levels peace or anything - the PLO are corrupt reprobates and Hamas are, of course, radical authoritarians worshiping at the altar of useless historical grievances and infected with a death cult. But that describes like 30% of the planet, and they get along. China-Taiwan is sustainable, North Korea-South Korea is sustainable, India-Kashmir is sustainable! The median number of deaths from "terrorism" in Kashmir doesn't even glance the murder rate in the typical large Indian city. The world keeps turning, life goes on. It is only human action, direct choices by individuals with full capacity to do better, that takes these conflicts and make them unsustainable.

Israel could, trivially, recognize Palestinian statehood or even just general autonomy, defend its borders, punish the occasional missile strike that would surely still occur with minimalist force, and turn the world against the aggressors diplomatically. Saudi Arabia would sell out Hamas in a heartbeat for that. The rest of the world, could - less trivially but not actually that hard because Israeli is tiny - simply inform Israel they will no longer recognize their silly crusade against Palestinian statehood and if they want to block US/EU navy ships from delivering food they can meet our nuclear weapons out in the parking lot. You will not have perfection but you will have millions of people living their normal lives, neither being faced with anything close to a threat of mass-scale ethnic cleansing.

So I do get what you're saying, I just think that hope has to be framed correctly - given that the millions of other much easier paths to a better outcome that could be easily pursued by any of the involved people are going to be ignored because the actors in question are combinations of vile or incompetent, maybe your path is the right one. That isn't ironic, I actually do get it. But I do think once those paths are fully visible, swallowing that pill becomes a lot harder.

(I'm not saying there are no Palestinian sins or agency btw, this is just a post about depopulating Gaza - this is a situation where Israel holds all the cards. Different topics would have different framings)

[mindblowingscience]

If you look from above, you can see thousands of stone structures dotting the landscape of the Arabian peninsula. On the ground, you can find a bounty of stone tools and ancient fireplaces scattered along the edges of ancient lakes, as well as rock art depicting hunting and herding scenes in the surrounding mountains. Despite the visibility of these sites, only in the past decade or so have archaeologists taken a dedicated interest in them. Some of the structures have now been dated at up to 10,000 years old. However, the arid climate, baking days and freezing nights, and intense wind erosion are not kind to some of the other relics archaeologists prize. To date, there has been little found in the way of fossils or the kind of deeply buried, layered deposits that can open a window onto the history of a place. Until recently, no archaeologists had surveyed any of the hundreds of caves and lava tubes recorded across northern Arabia. In 2019, our team began to look in these subterranean locations—and in a new study published April 17 in PLoS ONE, we report on the first documented occupation of a lava tube in the Arabian Peninsula.

Continue Reading.

[elsgone]

Wolffe/Fox "I could tear you apart if I wanted"

Coruscant never really got that cold unless something drastically happened with the climate. However, Fox personally liked to keep his quarters very cold because he spent almost all day out in the sun with senators and ships that had next to no air-conditioning. 

Wolffe was the opposite, he would always come back to the barracks or into the ship's quarters, and he was used to sleeping in humid and heated environments. It became the only way he was able to sleep.

So whenever he visits Fox, he is a bit jarred by the colder air. He always shows up in all of his armor because he made the mistake once of just showing up with his arm guards, shin guards, and gauntlets when he walked into Fox’s office he froze on the spot.

His skin flared up with goosebumps and he would swear till the day he died that his muscles froze up for a split second.

So he had learned from his mistake and when his ship landed on Coruscant, Plo Koon had to attend to Jedi Council duties, he immediately made a beeline for his office. He knew Fox would be there instead of in his quarters because he always worked himself nearly half to death all the time even though most of the time it was just flimsiwork. 

No one was in the halls, not that Wolffe noticed, so it was a quick and easy walk from the landing pad to the senior officer office’s. He looked at the doors until he found the one labeled “Office-1010.”

He knocked on the door and when he didn’t get a response, he knocked again. Finally, the door opened and Wolffe stepped inside. When the door shut behind him his head jerked to the side as a natural reaction to the cold. 

He saw Fox sitting on his office chair with his legs propped up by the desk, datapad in one of his hands while the other was resting on his knee facing the door from just having opened it.

Wolffe felt the goosebumps starting to form on the back of his neck and his scalp. Despite how cold he was, the sight in front of him made his heart melt and made his mouth quirk up just a bit in a smile.

“Enjoying the view, Commander?” Wolffe was snapped out of his momentary warmth by Fox’s husky voice that carried through the room.

“I mean, I think you know how much I enjoy it, cyar’ika,” he responded, beginning to walk over to where Fox was sitting. As he made his way behind the chair he began massaging Fox’s shoulders. He visibly relaxed.

“How do you always know exactly where it hurts?” Fox groaned out, his head tipped back a bit, his eyes closed and the datapad lowering a bit to rest on his lap.

“Cause you always carry your stress in your shoulders and your arms. Thorn gets a pass since his weapon of choice of course has to be the heaviest and hardest to use effectively and on time but you just build it all up into here.”

 He annunciates the last word with a harder push into a particularly hard knot in Fox’s back.  Fox groaned and he went all but limp under Wolffe’s hands.

“Feel good?” Fox could hear the smirk in Wolffe’s voice.

“You know it does.”

“I could tear you apart if I wanted.”

“Mhm, but you won’t. Who else would be here to deal with your bitchin' and moaning?”

Wolffe shot out a huff of laughter at that. He continued kneading battle-torn into the shoulders of one of the only people in this entire god-forsaken army who bothered to understand him on a deeper level.

Despite how much Wolffe knew Fox would have no qualms with falling asleep at his desk. It's happened quite a few times. He knows he always sleeps much better on a bed and also it gives Wolffe a chance to get warm when he has to take his armor off. 

He leaned down to whisper in Fox’s ear, “get up and take your armor off.”

Fox turned his head slightly and a small smile formed on his face. “That eager to see me out of my clothes, mesh’la?” Wolffe smacked him on the back of the head lightly.

“Shut up and come to bed. I'm tired, you’re tired and I’m cold.” Fox laughed and Wolffe removed his hands as Fox worked the kinks out of his back and stood up.

He placed the datapad he had been working on down on his desk and started to remove his armor piece by piece. First his gauntlets, then his arm guards, shoulder guards, and bicep guards, placing them down by his helmet. He then removed his chest plate, belt, and codpiece. He put his foot up on the chair so he could remove his leg plates and knee pad and folded his kama over his armor pieces. He removed his boots and placed them by the foot of the bed. He was now just in his black and looked over to see Wolffe already staring at him.

He was already out of his armor, had stacked in an almost identical way to Fox, and was just, staring at him.

“Come on, di’kut. I know it's too cold for you in here.” Fox walked over to the bed he kept in his office when he couldn’t be bothered to go back to his quarters. Wolffe followed.

He moved the blanket away and moved over to the far side of the bed, against the wall. He knew Wolffe preferred to be the closest to the door and closest to his things so he could grab his gun easily if anything were to happen. He hated the reason for it but it gave him an excuse to be the big spoon and it kept Wolffe from having nightmares so he dealt with it.

Wolffe climbed into the bed and settled against Fox’s chest tucking his head under Fox’s chin. Fox pulled the blanket up over both of them and bent one arm to go under his head and the other to wrap around Wolffe’s torso. Wolffe sighed deeply and Fox could feel the vibration settle in his bones.

“You good?” He asked, meaning it mostly as a rhetorical question.

Wolffe mumbled in response and that's how Fox knew that Wolffe did this more for himself than for Fox, though it was an added benefit.

“Good.” Then he promptly passed out for the good bit of seven hours.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from The Revelator:

In these divided times, it seems everyone is ready to start an argument at the drop of a hat, especially on topics that have been made so politically polarizing, like climate change.

But is that true? Are conversations about climate change really doomed before they even start?

As it turns out, they’re not — we just think they are, so we avoid having these conversations in the first place.

Here’s the reality: According to multiple surveys and scientific studies, between 80-89% of people want the world’s governments to take stronger action against climate change. At the same time, the people who want action don’t realize they’re in the majority because not enough people are talking about it — especially in the media.

One new study, published April 17 in PLOS Climate, found that this lack of media coverage contributes to a negative feedback loop that perpetuates “climate silence.”

And it isn’t just the media: The study found that “perceived social norms” — specifically, the incorrect perception that other members of society may discount climate science — are the major factor influencing whether or not we have climate conversations.

The conclusions are clear: People don’t hear enough people talking about climate change, so they don’t talk about it themselves. And that inability or unwillingness to discuss such an overwhelming issue slows or stops climate progress on both individual and societal levels.

But we can escape this feedback loop. The paper suggested several ways to break through this climate silence: describing why climate change worries you or puts you or something you care about at risk; communicating the reality that most people are concerned about climate change; sharing news articles; and even including climate messages in public entertainment.

[im-a-wonderling]

Rescue Me, Part 2 ~ Obi-Wan Kenobi

Dedicated to @sassysaxxy for quoting my own writing at me, showering me with compliments, and sending me your screams and other genuine reactions to my snippets. Your enthusiasm as a reader ignites my enthusiasm as a writer. I hope you enjoy this! 💗

Summary: Y/N is succeeding as Obi-Wan Kenobi's padawan, but who knew succeeding brought other kinds of difficulties with it?

Word count: 7.7k

Warnings: war

Rescue Me masterlist | Main masterlist

I swiped at my forehead, wiping the moisture that had collected there away with my sleeve. Obi-Wan warned me about the thickness of Felucia’s climate, but I hadn’t realized this was how it felt to breathe in equal amounts of water vapor and actual air. I felt as though a mesh swatch had been implanted in the back of my throat, making me work twice as hard to gain half as much oxygen. 

All the Coruscant patricians spending hundreds of credits on expensive moisturizing hair and skin treatments just needed to visit here. 

Obi-Wan’s voice flowed through the comm in my ear. “We need more fire towards the east!” 

“Units C3 and 4, fire three clicks east!” I shouted over my shoulder. The brief telltale clatter of the artillery units calibrating behind me was nearly deafening. 

“Yes, sir!” two clones chorused. I twisted my neck slightly at the sound of it. All Jedi were called ‘sir’, but that didn’t mean I would ever get used to it. 

“How’s the view from up there?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“It’s stunning. Too bad you can’t see it.” His huff made me grin as I raised my binocs to my eyes, looking out at the southernmost front in some hope of catching sight of him. But the only thing I could see were the white flashes of clone armor and the streaking red and blue blaster bolts. “How’s the view from down there?”

“Clanky.”

Droids. 

“How many of them?” 

I heard the telltale sound of Obi-Wan’s lightsaber slicing through metal. “One less now,” he grunted. 

I sighed. “Only a few hundred thousand to go.”

The war continued to gnash its way through the galaxy, and few planets were as devastated as Felucia. Sparsely inhabited, the value of the planet came from nysillin. The Separatists and the Republic had been battling for months over control of the precious healing herb. My master and I had only been here for a few days to resolve the current standoff, but I was ready to leave the moment we were allowed to. 

Directly in front of the mountain I stood on was Master Plo Koon’s battalion, arguably the most important part. If the middle of the field was lost, the battle was lost. To the south was Obi-Wan’s battalion, steadily gaining ground, in no small part because of my master. 

The northern regiment, the smallest group of the three, was currently at a standstill. Commander Cody reported no action and no sightings of the Separatist forces, and so, that battalion was currently out of combat.

My position with the artillery gave me the perfect vantage point, not only of all three fronts, but of the village at my back, one of the only villages the Separatists hadn’t managed to pillage. It would stay that way, if the Republic had anything to say about it. 

My master’s voice crackled in my ear. “There’s more trying to cut through the mountains.”

“Unit B, two clicks to the south!” I relayed to the closest artillery gunman. 

“Yes, sir!” He immediately started punching in calculations for trajectory, and I preemptively clapped my hands over my ears to try and hear Obi-Wan’s next words. 

“When the droids fire up their backup generators-” My master’s voice garbled, becoming unintelligible amidst the horrid clatter from behind me.

“Repeat orders!” I requested, pushing my comm-link further into my ear in the hopes of hearing better. But instead of getting clearer, the words got softer and more garbled before completely cutting out.

“Obi-Wan?” No response. “Obi-Wan, can you hear me?!” No response.

I waved over at the comms technician. “I’ve lost Master Kenobi. Can you restore the connection?”

“Right away, sir.” The clone’s helmet tilted down as he started tapping on his screen. Then, his fingers stopped. “Uh…sir?”

My brow furrowed. “What’s the problem? Is the machine malfunctioning?” 

The helmet shook from side to side. “No, sir, it’s not the machine, it’s something external.”

“What about Master Koon? Can we reach him?”

“No, sir, I can’t locate any signals on any frequency, much less hone in on what they’re saying.”

“No other signals?” I said under my breath. Surveying the ground below me, I searched for any suspicious movement, anything that could resemble a jammer. But the battlefield resembled how it looked before with conflict on the central and southern fronts. Desperate, I panned to the north. My eyes caught sight of the glimmering of the shiny, gray armor of battle droids.

“Oh no.” I quickly adjusted the settings on my binocs and let out a gasp. 

Four clicks ahead of Commander Cody’s battalion, the Separatist AATs were charging. And because of the foliage, Commander Cody wouldn’t be able to see the tanks until they were already within range.

“Scrag!” I ripped the binocs from my eyes, breathing heavily as I stared out at the valley. 

“What’s going on?” one of the clones asked. 

I didn’t reply, still staring. What was I supposed to do? Communications were down. If Commander Cody’s unit was overcome, the Separatists could easily incapacitate the artillery before storming the village.

It’d be a massacre.

And they didn’t even appear to have a jammer with them.

The group marching on the front were still a few minutes away from firing distance, which meant I had a chance to act. How should I seize it? How could I seize it? I was here, with the artillery, removed from the battlefield. 

“Obi-Wan,” I said weakly into my comm, knowing he wouldn’t hear me. “What do I do?” I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm down.

In the darkness, Obi-Wan’s wisdom came back to me.

From the Force were we formed and to the Force will we return, he once told me. Sitting cross-legged, his tone perfumed with his seemingly infinite patience, even as I struggled to master the elusive practice of meditation. The Force is your ally. Let it use you, and it will let you use it.

Sentiments that appeared contradictory, but instead formed a perfectly balanced harmony, like the Force itself.

The beginning and ending of all things.

I took in a deep breath, inhaling the humid air before breathing out, letting the cacophony of worries and what-ifs go.

I am here, I thought. 

And the Force answered.

“Commander Y/L/N?”

My eyes flew open to reveal a nervous looking clone.

“What is going on?”

“Communications are down, and there’s a massive force about to reach the 3rd regiment.”

“What are your orders, sir?”

“Fire two kilometers in front of the 3rd regiment’s line and keep firing!” I gave a strained smile. “You’ve just gotten a promotion, trooper.”

There was no path leading up or down the mountain. The artillery was only set up here after being transported by a slow carrier, and I wouldn’t be able to land that thing down on the field. A target that big would be shot down by the Separatists immediately. 

So I stepped right to the edge of the mountain, looking down below. 

I reached out with the Force, took a few shallow, bracing breaths, and jumped.

One of the clones let out a cheer, but the sound whipped away as I free-fell, gaining speed. The wind whipped past me in a roar, and my eyes watered so badly, I had to shut them.

Blindly, I reached out for the Force and felt its aura surrounding me, imparting soft comfort instead of hard, cold fear. The wind around me slowed. I suddenly felt as though I were floating instead of tumbling. I opened my eyes, and I could see the whole valley. 

A searing warning came, and I immediately tucked in my head, bent my arms and legs, and waited for impact.

My feet touched the ground, and I immediately rolled forward.

I stayed there for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest as I fought against the water vapor to catch my breath. 

Then, I took off running, ripping through the Felucian vegetation as I sprinted towards the northern front. 

No other planet I’d been to had plants which compared to the size of the ones on this one. The cyan pitcher plants, shaped like the bulb of a flower, stretched far above my head while long, wispy red growths bent and curled every which way. The dangling parts of the yellow plants made them seem like they dripped with sticky yellow syrup. The dull light from Felucia’s yellow sun was colored by the translucent nature of the plants, shining all manner of different hues around me. All the plants grew so fast, it was all the Republic forces could do to keep clear paths between battalions. If I hadn’t been on the mountain looking down at the battlefield a moment ago, I might’ve taken a wrong turn. As it was, I knew precisely which paths to take.

My heart raced when the white tents and equipment came into sight. I tore through the camp. “Where’s Commander Cody?” I asked the first clone I found. He wordlessly pointed, and I rushed in the provided direction. 

A helmetless Commander Cody stood above a projected map of the area, the very view I’d just seen from my position. The commander looked up, clearly surprised to see me. “Commander Y/L/N? What are you doing here?”

I skid to a stop. “I saw the Separatists moving on this position, they’ll be here any minute.” My own voice sounded so even, a marvel considering how out of breath I should’ve been. 

Commander Cody cursed. “That’s why the long range comms aren’t working.”

I nodded.

“We have to hold this line while Master Koon and Master Kenobi are informed and push their lines forward.” Cody turned to one of the clones standing beside him. “Take my speeder to inform Masters Koon and Kenobi of the situation!” The clone nodded and ran the direction I’d come. 

“How long until the troops can be deployed?” 

Commander Cody’s face went grim. “There’s only a platoon assigned to the front. The rest are sleeping or eating. The clankers will be here before I can get them ready.”

I started running towards the front. “I’ll buy you that time!” I called over my shoulder.

Subtly reaching out with the Force, I let the life forces of the clones ahead of me guide my path, and it was a good thing I did. 

The only reason I recognized the edge of the battlefield when I reached it was the gradual dwindle in the number of large pitcher plants, allowing for a slightly more unobstructed view ahead. Heart pounding, I dodged the ferns and giant mushrooms, waiting for the thick air to suddenly fill with blaster shots.

SCREECH!

That was my only warning before a shell screamed over my head. My heart dropped, because I knew I hadn’t reached the squad in time. 

“AATs ahead!” the voice of a clone yelled, and all hell broke loose.

The air filled with blaster shots, and I was surrounded by the high pitched whines following their discharge and the heat that followed them. I deflected as many shots as I was able, trying to reach the platoon. I spotted the camouflage helmet of a clone scout trooper and bounded towards it. 

“Where’s this fire coming from?!” one of the clones behind me cried from his defensive position. “We didn’t hear a warning!”

I managed to reach whom I assumed was the squad leader, an ARC trooper I recognized as being called Driver. “Commander Cody is rallying the troops now!” I shouted over the noises of combat. 

Driver gave a curt nod before crouching out from behind the pitcher plant to fire a few shots at the Separatists and then rolling back to safety.

I glanced around at the other clones I could sense, all valiantly returning fire. Nine clones and a Jedi had no hope of winning against the infantry corp that was bearing down on us, but we just needed to buy time.

Another shell barreled towards us, and I threw my hand out, diverting it into the trees. Sending a glare at the AAT that came so close to destroying the platoon, I deflected every blast I could. “Hold your ground!”

But it couldn’t last forever.

“Dank’s been hit!” one of the other squad members yelled.

Distracted, I looked behind me to see the white-clad body of a clone on the ground, not moving. Turning away to parry another shell, I reached behind me with the Force to feel Dank’s life.

I felt nothing.

And in that nothing, suddenly, everything slowed down.

A shell came hurtling towards me, slowly rotating in the air as it came closer and closer. With a yell, I threw out my hand, sending the shell back in the direction it’d come from. 

The explosion of an AAT made the corner of my mouth twitch up. Take that, I thought with satisfaction. 

“Engage!”

I dared a glance over my shoulder to see scores of clones running out of the foliage, taking cover behind the pitcher plants and returning fire.

Commander Cody joined me behind the pitcher plant I was using for cover. “Took you long enough!” I called over to him. He waved his hand in the air, dismissing my teasing. “Have either of the masters sent back word?” The commander shook his head, and my heart sank. To win this battle, it was imperative that the other two battalions pushed forward. Cody could hold the line, but he wouldn’t be capable of pushing the Separatists back. 

I ducked behind another pitcher plant, gripping my lightsaber in front of me as I panted for breath. “Obi-Wan,” I said quietly. “Where are you? Why aren’t you here?” I shut my eyes, tuning out the commotion around me.

I am here.

The Force rose up, the crackles of energy surrounding me.

Obi-Wan. I need Obi-Wan.

The answer was a grab of my consciousness. The Force dragging it at top speed, not bothering to weave through the trees and fighters. It was an odd sensation, to fly through solid things and feel only the energy that knit them together.

Then, I felt the light.

“Obi-Wan,” I breathed, my own voice sounding far away. “You need to attack.” The light didn’t react, and I knew he hadn’t felt me. Reaching out with my conscience, I prodded the light sharply. “Attack.”

Suddenly, I got ripped away, flying back to the confines of my own body. I opened my eyes, once again hearing the blasters firing.

Had he heard me?

I wasn't sure.

I peeked over the edge of the plant. The hundreds of droids were nearer, and with it, the crowd of AATs. I was about to turn away when an AAT in the middle caught my attention.  Standing with its top half outside the hatch of an AAT, was a droid, tapping onto a large, welded addition to the AAT.

It could’ve been anything, but I knew better. 

Eighty meters away, there it was.

If I were still with the artillery, I could order them to fire on that AAT, but I was in the battle, and my options were limited.

I scanned the field. The fighting was thick, but the foliage was thicker. With Cody holding up the rear, I might be able to sneak past the droids, get to the jammer, incapacitate it, and turn the tide of the battle.

I’d need back-up.

My eyes fell on Driver, and the plan started to form. “Driver!” I called. The ARC trooper turned, and I waved him over. “On me!” Without hesitation, I started on a zig-zag path, darting from cover to cover, never staying still enough to be a target. Driver and two other clones followed me.

It was harrowing, leaping from side-to-side, hoping that no droid would notice us before we got around. Finally, we got to the edge of the battlefield.

“What’s going on, sir?” Driver asked.

I peeked over the tree we hid behind. “We’re going to take out the AAT that's jamming our comms,” I told them breathlessly.

Driver and the other two clones exchanged looks, but none of them raised an objection. They nodded at me, and together, we snuck through the foliage, trying to keep the battlefield within sight, but remain unseen.

Finally, we reached as far as we needed. Maybe fifteen meters into the battlefield, and we’d reach the AAT.

I singled out the AAT with the welded addition. “That’s the one!” I shouted above the clamor on the battlefield. 

“Click,” Driver yelled, “you’re up! We’ll cover you!”

One of the clones nodded, his hand drifting to his belt where a number of dangerous looking items lay. He took off in a zig-zag jog, ducking around droids and staying low to the ground.

I watched him, my anticipation rising.

Click reached out to lay a hand on the AAT when suddenly his body contorted. I caught sight of a blaster mark in the center of his chestplate before he crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

Horror rose up in me, and with it, the distress of the two clones standing with me.

I shook my head. Time to do my job. My eyes shifted to the thermal detonator on Driver’s belt. 

“I need your detonator!” I hissed at Driver. 

Driver’s helmet shifted slightly, and I could feel the sense of duty that tugged at him. “Sir, I should be the one to–”

“Driver, now!”

Grabbing the detonator from his belt, he tossed it at me, and I caught it. Before I could talk myself out of it, I sprinted into the battlefield, the air around me filling with red and blue blaster bolts alike. I didn’t check my surroundings to see if the droids or other AATs had noticed me, trusting the Force to warn me of an impending threat. 

I felt the blaster bolt before I saw it and ducked, the bolt whizzing over my head. I didn’t bother to look in the direction it’d come from, solely focused on my target. 

Finally, I reached the AAT and jumped onto it, throwing open the hatch door. Hitting the activation button, I dropped the detonator into the interior and slammed the hatch closed. 

I slid off the AAT as fast as I could. Dropping beside Click’s body, I hooked my arms underneath his armpits and yanked. 

Another clone appeared beside me. “Sir, we need to lea–”

The detonator blew. 

The vigor of the blast threw me backwards. I landed hard on my back, my head snapping back.

“–and do it now!”

I nearly cried with relief upon hearing my master’s voice through my comm. 

“They’re retreating!” said Commander Cody’s voice in my ear. “Push forward!”

I lifted my head up in time to see droids retreating…right in our direction.

The clone beside me let out a groan, and I caught sight of the bashed side of his helmet. I was on my feet in an instant, slinging his arm over my shoulder and practically dragging him with me. 

Driver ran from the tree, coming to the clone’s other side. 

Together, the three of us reached cover, just in time to hear the shouts of victory and aggression as the clone forces ran forward, chasing the Separatists away. 

Driver and I leaned the clone against the tree. I could sense his pain, which only increased my guilt. This clone had just been trying to get me to safety and ended up injured because of it. I was not going to let him die like the others. I crouched in front of him, reaching out to inspect his helmet. “What’s your name?” I asked softly. The clone didn’t respond; his arms were out to the sides, as if he were trying to balance himself. Resting a firm hand on his shoulder, I asked again. “Soldier, what’s your name?” 

“CT-7563.” Even through the modulator of his helmet, I could hear that he tripped over the numbers. 

My eyes flicked to Driver, who now kneeled beside me. “What’s his other name?”

“We call him Exit,” Driver answered. 

I grabbed both sides of the helmet, preparing to ease it off. “Okay, Exit, I’m going to take off your helmet so I can see your wound better.”

I could feel Exit’s hesitation, but when he raised no objection, I gently tugged on the helmet, pulling it off his head. 

The right side of Exit’s head was already swelling, and there was a nasty gash oozing blood into his buzzed hair. Exit blinked rapidly, and I wished I had a flashlight to check his pupillary response. But I didn’t have a flashlight; I didn’t even have a bandage to stop the bleeding.

I glanced around to see what was available to me, and my eyes fell on a red spotted plant—the very plant responsible for this skirmish. “Here,” I said. I delicately plucked a leaf. “Chew this, it’ll help.” 

Disoriented as he was, I didn’t expect Exit to hold up his hand. “I s-shouldnnn’t.” 

I threw him a stern look. “There’s more than enough to go around. Chew it.” Exit obediently put the plant in his mouth, and Driver knelt down to help him up. “Help him back to the FOB, will you?”

“Yes, Commander Y/N.”

Another clone joined them, and together, they brought their injured brother onto the battlefield, towards the camp. 

I stopped, crouching onto the ground to take a moment. As my adrenaline receded, the muscles of my neck started to ache from the detonator’s kickback. I could only hope for no more explosions in the near future. 

Click’s body still lay where I’d abandoned it, and the sight made my chest feel tight. 

“May the Force be with you,” I murmured under my breath as two clones walked up to their brother, rolling him onto a stretcher so they could carry him off to the field. Had he died on Coruscant, his body would be cremated. But I’d been in this war long enough to know his body was headed for a mass grave, marked only with the helmets that no longer had anyone to claim them.

The only funeral rites these warriors were likely to receive.

A hand patted my shoulder. “You did good,” Commander Cody said. Through the thicket of gruff and stern words, I could make out the undertone of pride. 

I sighed, knowing it was undeserved. “I deserted my post.” I reflexively tightened my grip on my lightsaber. “I was supposed to stay with the artillery.”

“You saw a problem no one else did, and you acted before it was too late.” Commander Cody glanced over at where the Separatists had been minutes ago. “Your leadership prevented the worst case scenario and turned it into a victory.”

I straightened. “We can only hope my master agrees.” 

“Padawan Y/N!”  Master Plo Koon approached. Normally, his presence was a calming one, but at that moment, I was unnerved by the inability to see his eyes.

“Master.” I bowed my head, ignoring the twinge from my neck muscles.

“I’m glad to see you’re alright.”

“Thank you, master.”

Master Koon and Commander Cody started for the camp, sharing information on the battle as they went.

The sound of humming light filled my head, causing me to look up.

Obi-Wan walked straight towards me, dirt covering his grim face and unignited lightsaber clenched tightly in one hand as he crossed the field with his long, uninterrupted strides. He looked tired, but uninjured. 

I walked to meet him, a soft smile on my face. “In one piece, old man?”

Obi-Wan huffed. “Of course it would be too much to hope the Separatists might’ve goaded you into holding your tongue.”

“Well, they couldn’t goad me into holding onto my thermal detonator.” I grinned.

“Equally as explosive,” Obi-Wan muttered, shaking his head, but he couldn’t hide a small smile. “Come, we must go check on the village while the troops secure the field.” 

Obediently, I fell into step behind him. “How long do you think the Separatists will take to regroup?”

“No way to know,” Obi-Wan answered as we strode through the camp. “They took a hit today, but it’s just another step in the dance.”

I lowered my eyes somberly, the day’s victory coming into perspective. He was right, as always. In fact, I couldn’t think of a single time when Obi-Wan had been wrong about–

“Master Kenobi?” a voice from behind us said.

Commander Cody stood there, his arms folded in an imposing stance. 

“Yes, commander?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Commander Cody jerked his head to the right. “The village is that way.”

I pursed my lips to keep from smiling.

-

“Don’t put any weight on that leg, y’hear?” I said, playfully narrowing my eyes at the Felucian villager as I wrapped bandages around her wound.

She laughed, bending her long neck sheepishly. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Alright, let’s get you up.” I helped her shift to the end of the rickety cot in the med tent, hoisting her up onto her right leg.

“Thank you,” her husband told me, bowing his head as he reached his arm around his wife, helping her balance. 

“No problem,” I replied, watching the two of them hobble towards the mess tent to join the other villagers that had joined the Republic camp to receive some nourishment. Judging by the tightness around the villager’s eyes, she was still in pain, but her husband watched her with such tenderness, as if he was counting himself lucky to be nothing more than a crutch.

“How’d she get injured?”

I jumped, then relaxed when I recognized the voice as Obi-Wan’s. I’d been so focused on the villager, I hadn’t noticed the nearing of his light. “She got caught in a Separatist trap and nearly lost her foot. Unfortunately for her, the village still hasn’t found a shaman to replace the last one.” I walked over to the makeshift sanitizer, quickly cleaning my hands. “Honestly, she still might lose the foot if she’s not careful.”

When my statements were met only with silence, I glanced up at my master and caught sight of the calculation on his face. 

“What?” I asked. 

“Nothing. Shall we go eat?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. He was thinking something, and he was thinking something about me. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He let out a little sigh, his mouth curling into a smile. “Seeing you acting as a healer. It’s…satisfying.”

Heat bloomed in my cheeks. “Well, don’t go getting any ideas about jumping in a Rathtar den again, ‘cause I’m not patching you up this time.”

Obi-Wan laughed easily, clearly aware that I would patch him up every time he needed it regardless of my complaining. “C’mon, let’s go eat.” 

Perhaps when the clone wars ended, there would be things I missed. I would miss getting to explore new planets and meet new people. I would miss the demands of battle, whether it demanded more energy where there was none or ingenuity in the face of stress.

I would not, however, miss the rations.

I popped another sweet energy cube into my mouth, chewing it and trying not to grimace. 

Opposite me, Obi-Wan was staring at the cube in his palm with great distaste. The delighted cry of a child filled the air, and a stampede of them started to run past in the strange waddling way of Felucians. 

Obi-Wan slyly reached out to them, allowing one of the children to pluck the cube off his palm and into her mouth with a grin. 

I sent him a sideways glance as the children ran out of the mess tent. “You’re going to go hungry.” 

Obi-Wan conspiratorially lowered his voice. “Better an empty stomach than a stomach with that stuff inside it.”

I snorted. “I’ve fought on an empty stomach. Trust me, it’s no good.”

Obi-Wan’s face fell. “Krell?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to, Obi-Wan already knew more than I’d ever meant for him to know. Instead of dredging up the past, I looked down at my plate. "Agh," I blurted at the burst of pain that ran up my neck.

Obi-Wan tensed. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no." I rubbed at the sore spot. "Caught the wrong end of an explosion and earned myself some whiplash."

"I think I saw some cream in the med tent." Obi-Wan started to get up, but I grabbed his arm.

"I'm fine."

Obi-Wan didn't ask me if I was sure, he simply fixed me with his classic I-know-better-than-you look.

"It'll clear up on it's own," I insisted. "Save the supplies for the clones and the villagers."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth.

“Are you ready, Master Kenobi?” Master Koon approached our table. “The council is waiting.”

My master threw me another look and then got to his feet. “Yes, Master Koon.”

“Your padawan will have much to tell us,” Master Koon said. 

I shot upright in my seat. “What?” I looked at Obi-Wan, hoping he would provide me with insight, but he was staring at Mast Koon as well, a slightly wary expression on his face. His Force light was flickering with uncertainty.

“What am I telling?” I asked Master Koon.

“We will want to speak of your actions today,” Master Koon replied, seeming absolutely calm. 

My…actions?

An uncomfortable tension settled in my stomach, and the souring of the previously sweet energy cubes made me wish I’d followed my master’s example and refrained from eating. 

“Whenever you’re ready, Master Kenobi.” Master Koon left us, walking towards the erected tent for the council meeting.

Obi-Wan didn’t move for a moment. He kept his eyes on Master Koon’s retreating back, but I could feel the buzzing surrounding us, like the Force was flocking to my master. Whatever he was thinking, the Force was drawn to it. 

Obi-Wan started walking towards the tent, not sparing me another glance as he left me alone in my panic.

If Master Koon thought my actions deserved a place in a council meeting…perhaps my desertion of my post in the battle was a bigger deal than I thought. 

Of course it was. What had I been thinking? I must’ve been possessed by some maverick spirit, urging me to leap into battle without instruction from my superiors. Perhaps the spirit of Skywalker, I thought nervously to myself, except I don’t have the role of the Chosen One to cushion my fall. 

Now I was to defend my actions in front of the council? Not once in all my appearances before the Jedi council had they asked me to speak. Every time, I stood in Krell or Kenobi’s shadow, keeping my thoughts and feelings to myself. 

The longer I waited to be summoned, the greater the buzzing of the light grew. Only Master Koon and Obi-Wan were physically inside the tent. If the Force gathered around any of the other members, I wouldn’t be able to feel it, not this far away from Coruscant. What could the council be discussing that would send Obi-Wan into such a flutter?

After what felt like ages, Obi-Wan poked his head outside of the tent, making eye contact with me. 

I sucked in a breath, slowly rising to my feet.

But then Obi-Wan’s eyes moved to something behind me. “Commander Cody, the council wishes to speak with you.”

Commander Cody appeared as aghast as I felt. “As the council wishes,” he said finally. He got up from his chair, shooting me a look before ducking into the tent. I stared at the tent flap. Why did they want to speak to Cody? Was it simply for a report on the battle? Or were they asking Cody to give a report about me? 

Altogether too soon for my tastes, the tent flapped opened as Commander Cody came out. I searched for something in his face to clue me into what he’d said about me, but his stoic face revealed nothing.

“Y/N.” My master stood, holding the tent flap open. “We’re ready for you.” I stayed where I was, trying to read his face, but the words there were in Shyriiwook. 

“Hells,” I muttered. “Here comes the heavy weather.” After lingering a moment to lift my chin high, I walked inside the tent.

Master Koon stood off to one side while Obi-Wan moved to stand at the other. In between them, life-sized holograms of each member of the Jedi Council was projected. With the glitching and imprecision of the transmissions, it was impossible to tell what expressions they wore. 

“Padawan Y/N,” Master Windu began, “the 3rd Regiment went into conflict under your discretion, correct?”

Aware of Master Windu’s deep distaste for excuses, I erred on the side of brevity. “Yes.”

“And you joined them once the comms went out?”

“Yes.”

“Can you please tell us why?”

“When the comms went out, I surveyed the battlefield with binocs, and I spotted the enemy making a move towards the 3rd Regiment in force. Knowing they weren’t expecting conflict and being unable to communicate with them, I left orders for the artillery to fire upon their position while I got to the line as quickly as I could.”

Master Fisto tilted his head. “Commander Cody informed us you arrived on foot.”

It wasn’t a question, and yet there was still a suspicious silence. “I…looked for a speeder of some sort, but the only ship with the artillery was the command platform, and I wouldn’t be able to land that by the front without it getting shot down.”

“How did you get down off the mountain?” Master Windu asked.

“I jumped.”

The humming of the light dissipated for a moment, and it took everything in me to keep my focus on Master Windu. 

Master Windu cleared his throat. “So once you…jumped…and you reached the northern front, then you took control of the regiment?”

I hesitated. “No.”

“No?” Master Tiin asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

Sweat gathered on my palms. “I told Commander Cody of the oncoming fighters, and once a messenger was sent to Master Koon and Master Kenobi, I went to the front line to buy enough time for the regiment to deploy.” A few of the masters glanced over at each other, and I couldn’t keep quiet. “I didn’t give Commander Cody orders. I informed him of the situation and gave him the time he needed to rally his troops.”

“But you did take three clones with you to bring down the jammer.”

“Yes.”

“And you brought it down how exactly?” 

I swallowed hard. “A thermal detonator.”

“Why didn’t you go to Master Koon or Master Kenobi directly when the comms went out?” Master Mundi asked. 

I hesitated. It felt like a trick question, but it was impossible to know what the masters wanted me to say, so I opted for the truth. “Protecting the village was the most important. That’s why the Republic is here, to defend life. There was very little time, so I trusted my–”

Gut, I very nearly said, but Jedi didn’t make decisions on gut feelings. 

“I trusted my training.”

No one spoke, and a skittish feeling scratched at the walls of my stomach. To stand in front of the most powerful Jedis while none of them spoke? How royally had I screwed up?

“Impressive,” Master Yoda muttered, stroking his chin. “Impressive, very.”

…impressive? 

Did he speak of my disobedience? Were my actions a kind of wrong of epic proportions, it was impressive someone could have behaved so poorly?

My hands started shaking. 

“Padawan Y/N, have you started preparing for your trials?” Master Unduli asked. 

“Yes,” I said hesitantly, unsure of where the question was leading. “I’ve been studying for months.” A strange, shuddering pulse of light shot through the Force like a bolt of lightning, and I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at my master. His stony face offered no insight. 

“I don’t think you’ll be studying for your trials much longer,” Master Unduli said.

Desperation rocked through my core. I knew it, I thought. Abandoning my post would get me kicked out of the Jedi Order.

“The way I see it,” Master Unduli said, looking over at Master Windu beside him, “Padawan Y/N acted as a Jedi Knight in this situation and turned the tide of the battle.” My mouth fell open as murmurs of agreement rippled through the tent. I quickly closed it, hoping none of the masters had noticed it.

“We commend you on your quick thinking and serenity under pressure,” Master Windu said.

Commend? Serenity? I hardly dared to believe it. “Thank you, masters.”

“The jogan doesn’t roll far from the vine, eh, Master Kenobi?” Master Fisto asked, and appreciative chuckles rippled through the room. Not even my years of strength and endurance training kept me from smiling. They were comparing me to Obi-Wan? That was surely one of the highest compliments in the galaxy.

Aching to see the approval on my master’s face, I dared a peek at him.

But instead of a beam of pride, Obi-Wan’s brows were furrowed and his lips downturned. My stomach flipped. Was he displeased with me?

“We’ll be keeping our eyes on you, Padawan Y/N,” Master Mundi said, drawing my attention once more. “As for right now, you are dismissed.”

“Yes, master, thank you, master.” I bowed low and left the tent, leaving Obi-Wan and Master Koon to finish up their business with the council. Once the tent flap closed behind me, I breathed in the heavy air, trying to process what had just happened.

“Well?” Commander Cody asked from his chair, helmet off and eyebrows raised. “What did they say?” 

“They’re pleased with me,” I answered, surprised by my own words. “They commended me.”

Commander Cody rose from his seat to clap me on the shoulder, celebrating with me in his own grisly way: without saying a word. No reassurances or comments.

“I thought they were going to kick me out of the Order,” I confessed. “Or give me some consequence, not…not tell me I did well.” I smiled at Cody. “But they did.”

Cody went back to his chair. “I’m sure your master is very proud.”

I stopped.

Obi-Wan didn’t seem proud. In fact, he hadn’t said a single thing about the battle. If I’d done something right, Obi-Wan would’ve given a quick affirmation before we went to the village. If I’d done something wrong, we would’ve been knee-deep in a lecture instead of spending time with the children. But Obi-Wan hadn’t done either. If I didn’t do anything right and I didn’t do anything wrong…then what had I done?

Was the Jedi council being generous in their commendation? 

No.

The Jedi Council showing kindness to me had never been much of a priority before, so they must’ve meant it. 

Why was it, then, that Master Windu of all people praised me, and Obi-Wan hadn’t even smiled? Was Obi-Wan simply withholding his pride to save it for the right time? Or did he disagree with the other masters? Did Obi-Wan believe that I’d acted rashly and deserved to be scolded for my disobedience?

I felt weirdly jittery, as though my bones were shaking underneath my skin.

“Safe travels, Master Kenobi,” Master Koon said as he and my master came out of the tent behind me. “May the Force be with you.”

“And with you,” Obi-Wan replied. 

With a nod in my direction, Master Koon walked off in the direction of the mess tent, and Obi-wan brushed past me to walk in Commander Cody’s direction.

I caught up to Obi-Wan. “We’re leaving? 

“The council is pulling us out,” he said, not bothering to look over his shoulder at me. “The Separatists have pulled back, and the Felucian platoons can advance without us here. Master Koon will remain to supervise until this heats up again.”

Dreams of Coruscant filled my mind. The tall buildings, the tempered weather, the crowds. “Are we returning to the temple?” I asked hopefully.

“No, they're assigning us to a diplomatic mission.”

“Diplomatic mission?” I echoed, coming to a stop. I’d never been on one. They were rare these days, and in the days when they’d been common, Master Krell would most certainly not have been the council’s first choice to go, which meant I wouldn’t have been either.

Obi-Wan, the great Negotiator, would be. 

My master and Cody exchanged quick words.

“Y/N, let’s go,” Obi-Wan said, his every word clipped.

There was no point in telling me to gather my stuff; the only things I possessed with the robes on my body and the lightsaber at my belt.

Cody flicked two fingers out from his forehead in a tiny salute. “See you later, kid.”

“Next time you see me,” I said with a smile, “I might be a Jedi Knight.”

“About time,” he said gruffly.

I could’ve hugged him for his words, and I stood for a moment, debating doing so.

“Y/N,” said a firm voice behind me.

Ducking my head, I followed Obi-Wan towards the rudimentary spaceport. His light was casting uncertain shadows through the Force. I tilted my head, honing in on the flickers, but the nearer I got to it, the more light skittered away from me.

How strange that I'd felt him as clear as day across a battlefield, but now I couldn't when I walked beside him.

When we reached the ship, I wordlessly went to the cockpit, preparing to take off. According to the rumors, Obi-Wan was an excellent pilot, but I only saw him occupy the pilot’s chair when we were under fire. If we were simply navigating from one planet to another, he left the piloting to me.

“Where are we going, Master?” I called behind me.

“To Taris, in the Outer Rim.”

Taris.

A planet of overgrown swamps and yellow smog that choked the atmosphere. And if we were headed there for a negotiation, we were headed to the far side, where all the wealthy lived. 

Fantastic.

-

The ship’s engine hummed as it hurtled through lightspeed. 

I settled myself on the floor, ducking my head to catch sight of what I needed in the mirror I’d propped up against the wall. I lifted the pair of scissors in my head, grabbing a section of hair.

“What are you doing?” 

Obi-Wan stared down at me, the grime gone from his face. He must’ve washed it.

“My hair’s too long, so…I’m cutting it.” 

A strange heaviness shot through the Force, as if Obi-Wan’s light had tumbled to the ground with a loud and hollow thunk. Before I could try to reach the light, Obi-Wan turned away from me.

His Force signature was confusing me left and right today. The exorbitant turmoil I felt through the Force seemed disproportionate to the lack of words coming out of his mouth. Usually when I sensed this much distress in him, we dialogued about it.

Perhaps the issue now wasn’t with him, but with me. As the battlefield on Felucia had shown, sometimes the receiver was a problem just as much as the transmitter. 

I shook my head softly, raising the scissors again to make the first cut.

“You’ve been my padawan for less than six months,” Obi-wan said suddenly, nearly making me jump out of my skin. He stood above me again, his lips pursed. 

Why was he mentioning our timeline? “I’m sorry?”

“I didn’t realize,” he said, the words curt, “that you were studying to take the trials.”

“Oh.” I looked away, my scissors hovering uncertainty as I tried to decide whether to go ahead with cutting or put them down. “Well, I’ve been a padawan for years.” Obi-Wan said nothing. I shifted to face him, gripping the scissors in my lap. “I’m twenty-two. Everyone I trained with as a youngling has passed their trials already, and some of them even have padawans of their own now.”

“Right,” came Obi-Wan’s unenthusiastic reply. 

“Do you think I’m not prepared?” I asked worriedly.

“No, no!” he burst out. “I mean, yes, you are, you’re capable, to be sure.” He scratched his chin. “I guess I thought I had more time…” he trailed off, his expression troubled. “More time to…to teach you, to help you…improve.”

“What do I need improvement on?” He didn’t answer, sending my anxiety through the roof. I got to my feet, abandoning the scissors on the floor. Obi-Wan took a step back so as to keep us from colliding. “If there’s something I should be working on, something that would hold me back, I would like to know.”

“There’s…” He paused, his eyes darting all over my face. Why did he seem so…uncertain?

Then it dawned on me, the reason he was reluctant to speak. I crossed my arms, trying to hold the pieces of myself together through the implosion of disappointment. “It’s because of Master Krell, isn’t it? No one wants me to pass the trials because no one trusts me.”

“That’s not true,” Obi-Wan said sharply.

“It’s because of what I did with the regiment, then. I should’ve found some way to contact you first."

“Y/N-”

“Or maybe it’s my combat skills, I know I’m not the best fighter–”

“Y/N!”

I bit my lip, keeping the flood of words from bursting forth. 

With the opposite problem, Obi-Wan didn’t form any words, didn’t move. He just…examined me.

“Why am I not ready?” I asked, slowly and clearly.

“It’s…you’re…I think…” Obi-Wan visibly wrestled with the words coming out of his mouth, seemingly unsure of which sentiment to land on. Finally, he let out a large sigh. “You’ll be a good Jedi Knight.”

I blinked. That was not the answer I was expecting, nor was it a true answer to my question. When Obi-Wan minced words like this, he minced with great care. So what was the hidden meaning, the intent hiding behind his words?

Obi-Wan shuffled towards the cockpit, leaving me alone with the burgeoning company of my thoughts.

He had doubts. He must’ve, for why else would the echoes of his thoughts fall so heavy?

It was strange. Obi-Wan fought for me, fought to overpower my reputation within the Order and establish me as a true Jedi. The council had always been skeptical, and it hadn’t hindered him one bit. In fact, it seemed to spur him on. 

Now I’d received affirmation from the council, yet Obi-Wan had doubts?

I returned to my reflection, trying to resume my planned activity. But my hands were shaking so much, I couldn’t hold the scissors straight. Every time I worked up the courage to make a cut, the scissors faltered.

-

Part 3

Overall tag list:

@thelastpyle @valiantlytransparentwhispers

Rescue Me tag list:

@penfullofwordsaheadfullofstories @starlazergazer @blackqueengold @ajwild220 @exploringalaxiesfarfaraway @mortallycrispyglitter @nerdory10 @shinybananapastanickel @sassysaxxy @sunshine-girl013

[coochiequeens]

This is why there is an ecofeminist conference.

Prolonged droughts linked to rise in sexual violence against women in poor nations: Study

https://share.google/Y5l1Leuy0rYcuAsAI

Jun 27, 2025 04:05 PM IST

New Delhi, Extreme, prolonged droughts, sometimes lasting up to over three years, in low- and middle-income countries can worsen social vulnerabilities indirectly, increasing levels of sexual violence against girl teenagers and women, a study has found.

Researchers, including those from Curtin University, Australia, said the findings emphasise how climate change can have a negative impact on women who have to travel long distances for water, are sometimes forced to migrate for resources and are encouraged to marry early as a downstream effect.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health, analysed survey responses of over 35,000 women, aged 13-24, from across 14 countries in south America, sub-saharan Africa and southeast Asia. Data for the 'Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys' was collected during 2013-2019.

"The analysis revealed that exposure to prolonged and extreme drought, lasting 8-43 months in a 48-month period , was associated with higher odds of sexual violence," the authors wrote.

"Very dry periods are also associated with increased odds of experiencing sexual violence," they said.

Evidence emerging from previous studies have suggested a relation between extreme weather events and an increase in domestic violence.

An October 2024 study, published in the journal PLOS Climate, analysed national level data of 156 countries and found that extreme weather events, such as storms, landslides and floods, can increase intimate partner violence over the two years following the events.

This study is the first to provide a population-level analysis specifically of sexual violence against young women and girl teenagers, the authors said.

They added that rural communities in low- and middle-income countries are especially vulnerable to environment-related stress, as droughts can impact livelihoods and resources.

This can increase risk of sexual violence because of having to rely on distant water sources, requiring migration and encouraging early marriages to preserve scant household resources, the team said.

Citing a qualitative study conducted in Indonesia and Peru, the authors said that the women participants also categorise the extreme burdens due to water insecurity as a form of violence, which can result in adverse sexual and reproductive health.

The team looked at individuals with and without a partner, thereby broadening the scope to understand how droughts can increase violence outside of intimate relationships, they said.

"These results underscore the need for comprehensive strategies that address drought's immediate environmental and economic impacts and the broader social and health consequences," the authors wrote.

[ptseti]

PLO: WORLD NOT BOTHERED ABOUT AFRICA, ONLY ITS RESOURCES - FACTS

Selfish interests drive foreign concern for Africa, says PLO Lumumba.

In this 2017 clip, the Pan-African scholar laid out the many resources the West covets and the methods foreign interests employ to acquire them.

For example, foreign powers look to African land to generate carbon credits so wealthy countries can continue polluting. Meanwhile, heavy emitters like the US military, which has a larger carbon footprint than 100 countries combined, rarely pop up in climate conversations.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.21 (after 1940)

1943 – Wehrmacht officer Rudolf von Gersdorff plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler by using a suicide bomb, but the plan falls through; von Gersdorff is able to defuse the bomb in time and avoid suspicion. 1945 – World War II: British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma. 1945 – World War II: Operation Carthage: Royal Air Force planes bomb Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. They also accidentally hit a school, killing 125 civilians. 1945 – World War II: Bulgaria and the Soviet Union successfully complete their defense of the north bank of the Drava River as the Battle of the Transdanubian Hills concludes. 1946 – The Los Angeles Rams sign Kenny Washington, making him the first African American player in professional American football since 1933. 1952 – Alan Freed presents the Moondog Coronation Ball, the first rock and roll concert, in Cleveland, Ohio. 1960 – Apartheid: Sharpeville massacre, South Africa: Police open fire on a group of black South African demonstrators, killing 69 and wounding 180. 1963 – Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary closes. 1965 – Ranger program: NASA launches Ranger 9, the last in a series of uncrewed lunar space probes. 1965 – Martin Luther King Jr. leads 3,200 people on the start of the third and finally successful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. 1968 – Battle of Karameh in Jordan between the Israel Defense Forces and the combined forces of the Jordanian Armed Forces and PLO. 1970 – The first Earth Day proclamation is issued by Joseph Alioto, Mayor of San Francisco. 1970 – San Diego Comic-Con, the largest pop and culture festival in the world, hosts its inaugural event. 1980 – Cold War: American President Jimmy Carter announces a United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet–Afghan War. 1983 – The first cases of the 1983 West Bank fainting epidemic begin; Israelis and Palestinians accuse each other of poison gas, but the cause is later determined mostly to be psychosomatic. 1986 – Debi Thomas became the first African American to win the World Figure Skating Championships 1989 – Transbrasil Flight 801 crashes into a slum near São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, killing 25 people. 1990 – Namibia becomes independent after 75 years of South African rule. 1994 – The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change enters into force. 1999 – Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon. 2000 – Pope John Paul II makes his first ever pontifical visit to Israel. 2006 – The social media site Twitter (now officially named X) is founded. 2019 – The 2019 Xiangshui chemical plant explosion occurs, killing at least 47 people and injuring 640 others. 2022 – China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crashes in Guangxi, China, killing 132 people.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

El Niño increases infestations of mosquito that transmits dengue in São Paulo state, Brazil, study concludes

A study by a group of scientists shows that larval infestations of Aedes aegypti in open-air disused containers increased in response to the effects of the weather phenomenon, especially mean seasonal temperature and rainfall above 23.3 °C and 153 mm respectively.

An article published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases reports the findings of a scientific study that shows El Niño to be linked to an increase in infestations of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and zika. The authors analyzed data from 645 municipalities in São Paulo state (Brazil) for the period 2008-18, concluding that larval infestations in open-air disused containers increased in response to the effects of the weather phenomenon, especially mean seasonal temperature and rainfall above 23.3 °C and 153 millimeters (mm) respectively.

The larval infestation parameter used was the Breteau Index, which measures the ratio of the number of detected containers with mosquito larvae to the number of properties inspected by health workers.

The analysis showed that the cities most vulnerable to proliferation of A. aegypti are mainly in the central and northern parts of the state and that social disparities also contribute to infestations.

Considered one of the most important climate phenomena on Earth, El Niño is a pattern that involves unusual warming of surface water in the Pacific Ocean due to weak easterly trade winds. It affects atmospheric circulation over the Pacific and results in changes to humidity and temperature in various parts of the planet. In light of the expected increase in the frequency and intensity of El Niño in the coming decades, more effective methods of detecting mosquito breeding sites are needed in order to combat proliferation of the disease vector.

Continue reading.

[plokoonsdisapprovingeyebrows]

random kel dor headcanon: part of advancing to the highest ranks of the Baran Do is essentially getting a high-level degree in some specialisation of meteorology/earth sciences in general. You pick a topic to specialise in, study that topic, learn all about how it works and how the Force interacts with/reflects that topic (for example, using the Force to read climatic factors that go into storm formation), you write a dissertation of sorts, and then you get to put your new skills into practice for a bit before you find out if you passed :D

headcanons also that this is where sages learn to throw lightning. It's the culmination of the lightning-rod techniques, and it's very different to sith lightning - you just get one big flashy bolt, as opposed to the tesla-coil shit that comes out of sith stuff - because this is dealing entirely with natural forces as opposed to rawdogging the force with the power of ur absolute bullshit. it's powerful, but v dangerous, as u can imagine.

anyway i like to think that Plo did his Sage!PhD on short-term hazard response, since that would probably have a lot of crossover with like. half of the usual Jedi work. It probably would have meant studying a whole bunch of hazard types but tbh that's a feature not a bug lol

[ebisul]

TCW Rewatch notes: Season 1 Episodes 1-4

This started as an attempt to analyze the political climate of the star wars galaxy in timeline order, however, my notes on the clone wars series slowly became less and less serious bc it is infact a kids show.

There is probably some entertainment value to be found here so enjoy!

Episode 1: Ambush

Dooku attempts to sway Toydaria to the separatists side

Sent Ventress to sway Toydarian ruler from allying with the Republic

Ventress challenges Yoda to fight for Toydarias alliance

Toydarian ruler didnt appreciate ventress and dookus underhanded methods

Yoda wins the alliance and Ventress attempts an assassination on the Toydarian Ruler which was then stopped by Yoda

Ventress manages to escape arrest fleeing back to separtist forces

I didnt have much to say past the narration. Although Yoda is the first Jedi we see interacting with the Clones in the show and i wish I had made more notes on that

Episode 2: Rising Malevolence

Plo Koons fleet track grievous’s ship searching for a devastating secret weapon, Plo contacts Anakin but his communications cut out due to interference

Both ships engage in combat and Grievous uses the weapon to drain Plos ships of power and destroys the ships

Plo escapes with Commander Wolffe and other clones in an escape pod and Dooku sends droids to hunt down survivors

Is that a war crime? Its definitely fucked up

Ahsoka and Anakin want to run a rescue mission but the council and Palpatine have deemed it unnecessary due to the lack of previous survivors and Plo and the clones are presumed dead

Arguably palps clearly just didnt want them snooping and he had sway over the council but presuming they were dead because they just must be is wack

The clones don’t believe their lives are of value and thus assume no one will rescue them, Plo disagrees

Plo and his remaining troopers are targeted by the hunter droids, they defend themselves obvi

“We’re just clones, sir, We’re meant to be expendable” “not to me”

I do love seeing Plo’s relationship with his men

Anakin and Ahsoka save plos survivors and Plo reveals the secret weapon is an ion canon

Dooku doesnt want any witnesses to the weapon, Anakins ship outruns the ion canon and returns to his own fleet

Its worth noting that I actually am not familiar with what are and are not war crimes as defined and listed by the geneva conventions. Its mostly guessing and what I think is just egregious enough to be a war crime

Episode 3: Shadow of Malevolence

Anakin prepares a counterattack on Grievous and the weapon

The ion canon fs goes in the star wars geneva conventions right?

Dooku plans to exploit the fact that the jedi treat the clones like people which is wild

The separatists attacked medical transports thats definitely in the geneva convention

The separatists are specifically targeting the injured soldiers

Yeah fuck that ion canon up

Anakin grieving the clone deaths

Again mostly narration, from here on out I start including my personal thoughts as well.

Episode 4: Destroy Malevolence

Obiwan aims to capture grievous causing grievous to attempt to flee

Dooku tells Grievous to take Padme hostage whose ship stumbles into the path of the Malevolence. Padme is sent by Palps to investigate a lead on the banking clan potentially leaving the separatists.

This is potentially a ploy to put her in greivous’ path by putting her in the area and giving Dooku her information

Padme was told by palps that the Banking Clan wanted to discuss a treaty

Padme is captured and tells Ani to disregard her safety and destroy the ship

She knows its a trap but she doesnt suspect palps?? Come on Padme

Padme is what Satine wants to be

Thats is to say, a Badass

“Stowaway” bro you abducted her

Padme and Anakin having the worst kept secret relationship

Obi wan is trying to destroy the hyperdrive to stall Grievous’ escape while Anakin and Padme escape to the Twilight

Or Ani is sabotaging the Hyperdrive with Padme and Obi is playing as a distraction

The barrage continues

Grievous ghosts Dooku and Anakin drive the Malevolence into a moon (hopefully uninhabited and not dire to any solar systems…)

Thusfar the War Crime count is:

Separatists: questionably 3?

Republic: 0 as of now. This will change

[dukeoftheblackstar]

For Plo duchess 😌😌: 11. Who is the most physically affectionate? 24. Have they dedicated songs to each other? 42.Thoughts on each other’s family? 65. Who loves kids more? (😈😈) 87. Do one of them sleep talk? If so, what do they say?

Thank you @kimiheartblade ♥ With you and @t3mpest98 working on your OC's, I'm getting the vibe and want to do the same ♥ I really enjoyed this! Thank you :) Now I see the appeal of prompts LOL

11. Who is the most physically affectionate?

Within the confines of privacy, Plo Koon is more physically affectionate since he needs to maintain a sense of propriety being a General and a Jedi Master. However with his age, he can be quite moody.

Duchess's species (Celestian) are akin to the concept of touch (I'll expound on this someday maybe), which is why I cannot have her as the most physically affectionate since she is physically affectionate by default, regardless of location and time.

24. Have they dedicated songs to each other?

Yes! And I love this question so much because it's music-related, so I'm sorry for the lengthy answer on this. Eep!

♥ I couldn't pick just one ♥

Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody -> I'm also gonna link the wedding dance that I have allocated for them because it's more of head-touching since Plo needs to wear his mask all the time.

Mickey & Sylvia - Love Is Strange -> Sunday songs at the House of Koon while they be making panna cakes, all silly-lovey-dovey and share breakfast dates ♥.

BØRNS - Electric Love -> Context/HC: Plo can do Electric Judgment (lightning) while Duchess is a conduit. This means Plo, with the use of the force, can use/direct lightning while Duchess can just absorb or contain it. She cannot produce lightning unless she is near someone who can and then be able to use/direct it if need be.

Tessa Violet - Bad Ideas -> Since this is a pre-established friendship spanning from childhood, she's just madly smitten for Plo Koon but they can't.

Lana Del Rey - Once Upon A Dream -> All for Plo ♥

Taylor Swift - Enchanted -> Confession arc ♥

42.Thoughts on each other’s family?

Plo has met Duch's twin brother and they're quite casual. They're a little a like with being level-headed, calm, and curious sentients. Her twin brother is gay, by the way. Has major hots for Wolffe but keeps it on the down-low.

Duch is very close to Papa Ziar Koon (OC Father for Plo Koon) and the rest of his family because while Plo has spent more of his life detached from attachment (family ties including), being a childhood friend allows her to, in a way, bridge that gap.

Duch and Papa Ziar are unhinged over bearing the next Koon lineage. Mama Koon is Duch's inspiration on wanting to learn how to cook and be a good traditional wife because Duch has mommy-trauma issues (Celestian mothers eat female young as they prefer boys over girls).

Duch is also pretty chill with Plo's siblings.

The Koons do not know that PloDuch aren't officially married yet, let alone engaged. The House of Koon (Ziar's) just assumed at this point, they were.

65. Who loves kids more? (😈😈)

I'm dying to share you the AU me and @saengak have with the kids. ;/////////; I will write that maybe eventually.

They have a clutch of five kids and they're equally obsessed with their little ones.

Back when they were just eggs being incubated (since Duch cannot pouch like a Kel Dor), Plo would make it a point to constantly count the number of eggs in the nursery. This is primarily because he gets mini-heart attacks every morning when Duch makes omelet for breakfast. Gotta make sure she doesn't cook the bebbies and use chicken eggs.

Plo is obsessed with keeping the temperature optimal for the eggs because he and Duch has opposing temp preference. Celestians thrive in very cold environments while Kel Dors prefer warm climate.

As the kids get older and begin to craw and walk, Duch spoils them too much by not reprimanding them if they break things. She's too scared that the bebbies will despise her if she plays the strict role (due to childhood trauma). Plo has to step in and teach the little ones that 'clawing at momma' is not good behavior.

Plo would need to refrain from being overly affectionate with the babies when they visit the temple. He just goes, "Yes, yes, very cute, child. Carry on." But the moment no one's looking, he'll happily scoop them babies up in his arms and they'd all make the cutest babbling, giggling Kel Dor noises — Yes, Plo included because he out there cooing at his sons.

87. Do one of them sleep talk? If so, what do they say?

Duch sleep talks and Plo gets his fix of fun of writing them down in a little notebook. Sleep talk includes

murderous intent for anyone who dares 'touches' her husband

"not sharp enough" ; she has an affinity for all things sharp/weapons like blades, swords, daggers, and her favorite scalpels, scissors, and axes.

"snip snip" ; she has a thing for cutting

"more babies when"

babbling complaints as to why she's not allowed to pry Wolffe's cybernetic eye and suck on it like a jawbreaker

"Mm! Popcorn" <- This is a common one

'Plo' <- she gets happy Plo dreams when they cuddle before sleepy times ♥

Since Plo Koon sleeps with no mask on, his voice would not be loud enough to be heard, but she hears. She also can survive Dorin gas but requires to "hit" her tiny, portable rebreather of sorts to fill her lungs with Celestian air. She does this too even in oxygen-rich planets.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the New York Times:

What’s driving ominous declines in insects?

While a growing body of research shows decreases in many insect populations, it has been hard for scientists to disentangle the possible causes. Are insects suffering from habitat loss as natural areas are plowed and paved? Is climate change doing them in? What about pesticides?

The latest insight comes from a study on butterflies in the Midwest, published on Thursday in the journal PLOS ONE. Its results don’t discount the serious effects of climate change and habitat loss on butterflies and other insects, but they indicate that agricultural insecticides exerted the biggest impact on the size and diversity of butterfly populations in the Midwest during the study period, 1998 to 2014.

Especially detrimental, the researchers found, was a class of widely used insecticides called neonicotinoids that are absorbed into the tissues of plants.

“It’s a story about unintended consequences,” said Scott Swinton, a professor of agricultural economics at Michigan State University and one of the study’s authors. “In developing technologies that were very effective at controlling soybean aphid and certain other agricultural pests, non-target species that we care about, butterflies in particular, have been harmed.”

Europe largely banned neonicotinoids in 2018, citing risks to bees. The new findings come as wildlife officials in the United States weigh whether to place monarch butterflies, which range coast to coast, on the endangered species list. (They have already found such protections to be warranted but said they were precluded by higher-priority needs.)

In addition to delighting humans and pollinating plants, butterfly species are a critical food source for other animals, notably birds, during their life stage as caterpillars. In fact, research has linked some bird declines to insect declines.

For the new study, researchers integrated multiple data sets and used statistical analysis to make comparisons between different potential drivers of decline across 81 counties in five states. They found that in the median county over the 17-year study period, pesticides were associated with an 8 percent decline in butterflies when compared with a scenario in which pesticide use remained unchanged over the same period. For monarchs, that comparative drop was a whopping 33 percent.

[mithliya]

Ah no worries then! I'm a much different time zone, Pacific! :) also rip other anons but I'm worthier of menalez😌🙏 and also there's definitely debate about how "Jewishness" is like, identified by various ppl - this person in specific I think I remember saying some things about how they represent Judaism (religion and culture) which were really odd, but maybe it's that they are a usamerican? Anyways, just because someone is my psychic nemesis of the day it doesn't mean they are known to all lol

Oh so like I was thinking about in general is about the different ways that people have approached the current state, and the collapse of the option of a two state solution (which while historically maybe could have worked when originally offered, at this point I don't think it really could function). I know that people disagree with Edward Said's analysis, but I feel like it is the one most logically following - as while people claim that Israelis and Palestinians are not intertwined, they really are geopolitically and are ever aware of their shared social positioning. I don't think two states are feasible to be accepted at this point, especially as militarily it's just going to be going from extremely volatile neighbors to being extremely volatile neighbors. How do you think?

Aside though as I did take a long scroll through your recent blogs, I think you said something along the lines of repatriation of land to Palestinians and "Palestinian Jews" - I am not so sure how you mean by the latter? As diaspora Jewish groups return to the region at various points depending on the local political climate, which was often turning hostile. I am not really sure how we distinguish that from Jewish groups in general... For example, we see establishment of some number of Sephardic/Russian/Bukhari communities in the 1800s, but then many are kicked out early in the 1900s - like I'm not sure if that's the kinds of community you mean? Like I'm not really understanding where you make the cutoff for what is a Palestinian Jew? Like the communities in the area pre 1948 I don't think were that markedly different than those post 48 (of course, just in much larger numbers and changes in ratios of certain communities moving)

hm i have no idea what her life is so for all i know maybe she was raised with jewish traditions etc so i can understand if she feels like her cultural and religious upbringing reflected that even if shes american (plus in many parts of the US, theres massive jewish communities that are quite tight-knit but i dont think that applies to her)

i shared a post yesterday about the two-state solution which i think generally summarises my views. i just do not believe that the two-state solution is going to be fair to palestinians and i think it ultimately would serve israel more than anything. im in support of there being a singular, joined state, but that would also need a lot of work after decades of resentment built up (which, i believe palestinians' resentment is very much understandable but.. i dont think a state could be built when there is resentment between the groups) so im not sure how it should be approached but there should be work done to build bridges between the two groups, starting with ending the dehumanisation of palestinians and making them more self-sufficient and allowing them to build up a state instead of sabotaging them at every turn the way the israeli govt has been doing.

as for palestinian jewish ppl-- i am not referring to a specific genetic makeup. i am referring to jewish people who were already in palestine through peaceful means and coexisted with non-jewish palestinians in palestine.

here is what palestinians said in 1947:

The Palestinian National Charter, as amended by the PLO's Palestinian National Council in July 1968, defined Palestinians as "those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or stayed there. Anyone born, after that date, of a Palestinian father—whether in Palestine or outside it—is also a Palestinian. The Jews who had normally resided in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist invasion will be considered Palestinians."

when palestine was under the ottoman empire, thousands of jewish people lived on the land and were around 5-7% of the population. they were palestinian jewish people too.

at the end of the day, there were jewish people in palestine long before the state of israel was established. there were jewish people who lived in palestine among their christian and muslim neighbours and they did not do so through violent or colonial means, they were citizens of the country like anyone else and have equal right to that country.

you can also read this which shows that jewish people were recognised by anti-zionist palestinians in 1919 as equally palestinian:

https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031156/http://www.jerusalemquarterly.org/pdfs/predicament.pdf

they were referred to as "arab jews" or "palestinian jews". it was not about their genetic origins, to my knowledge. hopefully that clarifies what i mean!

[arcobalengo]

Secondo uno studio di PLOS Climate, il 10% delle famiglie americane più ricche emette il 40% di CO2 degli interi Stati Uniti.

Però il problema lo devono risolvere i poveri modificando il loro stile di vita.

Eric Packer.

🔴 Per ricevere tutti gli aggiornamenti segui Giorgio Bianchi Photojournalist