#AT&T network outage

[gitzette]

Ever felt cut off from the world? 🌍 That's exactly what happened during the AT&T network outage. Discover how this nationwide impact revealed our digital dependency and the urgent need for resilient connectivity. Read our analysis on the Gitzette and learn how we can prevent future crises. #ATTNetworkOutage #DigitalConnectivity #StayConnected

[memenewsdotcom]

AT&T to give customers $5

[olberic]

did yall know… sometimes the 8 hour workday really does require 7 hours worth of work… and you cant just be on your phone all day….

[egberts]

bruh 😭 last night when i was talking to cox customer service they were insistent that there was no outage in our area and that the internet being out all day must be a technical issue on our end and if they send a tech out and "find out" it's our fault (not specifying what that means even though i reassured them everything was connected and working except the network.) anyway i was salty af I was like "no we have already paid for two tech visits and still have constant internet problems, if this isn't fixed tonight I'm switching to at&t" and I ended the chat (politely) when they said they couldn't do anything and I'd need to schedule a tech I simply said "I don't want to do that" and left but today??? today on our block when allegedly nobody else in the area was having a problem? at least four cox trucks lining the road from our house and down the block. all with their cherry pickers up. but we were gonna have to pay a $75 tech fee because it could've been "our fault" 🙄 whatever I switched to at&t anyway and they gave us a first month free, a cheaper bill for the same speeds, and $350 in gift cards for switching. bye cox 👋

[ncdweller]

Helene Reflections

Cell service

I don’t think anyone knows how this is strung together. Our neighbors lost service hours before we did. We have T-Mobile, but almost everyone here uses Verizon.

Cell service was available in Georgia and Tennessee, so if you are close to those state lines, you had service.

My understanding is usually cell towers are connected with fiber to a network. I doubt that’s the case here because 1. Fiber is very rare here, and 2. These towers are usually on high mountain tops, but generally close to major highways.

I’m thinking they may use microwave links.

That would explain the disruption. Power outages are everywhere and if one tower is down, then the chain may be broken. There is no mesh network that I can tell, at least not out here.

Verizon and T-mobile have set up satellite linked trailers around Asheville, but you have to be close to them to use them. T-mobile says anyone can use their access, no matter which service you subscribe to. Verizon has not said that about their access.

Indeed, even here, we started getting the SOS status on our phones a day before T-mobile restored service here. That tells me either AT&T or Verizon had stay coming back online. But our phones kept switching from SOS to No Service, so it must have been a pretty distant tower.

We drove south on Saturday looking for a cell signal, and it was interesting seeing vehicles abruptly pull off the highway when they got a signal. We didn’t get a good signal until we got close to Clayton, GA, where my in-laws live, so we checked on them. They had trees down everywhere and no power. But they had cell service.

Conspiracy theororists at the local church claimed that Verizon turned off cellular service before Helene arrived.

Which brings me briefly to the rumor mill.

The most egregious one I’m aware of is someone walking to the fire station in Black Mountain and telling them that the dam was failing and everyone in its path needed to evacuate.

This was completely false, but they brought in FEMA engineers and local authorities to investigate. This tied up emergency resources that were needed elsewhere.

On the positive side, we have visited all of our immediate neighbors face to face. Social media is truly isolating.

[mariacallous]

The causes of the power outage that left millions in Spain and Portugal without electricity on Monday have yet to be fully determined, though service has now been restored across 99 percent of the Iberian peninsula. Red Eléctrica, the public company in charge of operating Spain’s transmission infrastructure, has preliminarily ruled out a cyberattack, human error, or unusual weather or atmospheric conditions as a cause of the outage. The company points out that the incident could have originated from two “disconnections of generation,” possibly linked to the inherent volatility of renewable sources.

Specialists emphasize that this type of total blackout—an exceptional and infrequent event—is also a security mechanism of the electricity system itself. For a grid to operate stably, energy production must be kept in balance with consumption; imbalances can cause blackouts as well as potentially damage infrastructure.

Maintaining grid balance is the responsibility of the system operator, who monitors parameters such as electrical frequency, voltage, and load from substations in real time. When there are significant discrepancies between generation and demand, automatic disconnections are activated in specific areas of the grid to avoid imbalances. In the most serious situations, the impacts of these triggered disconnections can extend to the entire network.

“This generalized blackout occurred because, in just five seconds, more than half of the electricity-generation capacity was lost,” Álvaro de la Puente Gil, professor of electrical engineering at the School of Mining Engineering of the University of León, said in comments to the Science Media Centre (SMC) in Spain. The grid, unable to balance such a sharp drop between generation and demand, protected itself by automatically disconnecting both internally and from the rest of the European grid.

In comments to the SMC, Miguel de Simón Martín, professor of electrical engineering at the University of León, explains that balance on a grid is typically guaranteed by three things. First is a complex network of interconnected lines, known as meshes, that distribute electrical flows across the grid to prevent overloads. Second, there are interconnections with neighboring countries’ grids, which allow energy to be imported or exported as needed to balance generation and demand.

Finally, there is something called “mechanical inertia.” Synchronous generators—the large spinning machines that generate electricity in power stations—also store a lot of energy in their very large rotating parts. Imagine, say, a coal-fired power station. Even if it stops burning coal to generate more power, the huge, heavy turbines it uses to create electricity will continue spinning for some time because of the energy stored up in them. Known as mechanical inertia, this phenomenon can act as a buffer against abrupt fluctuations in the grid. When there are imbalances between energy generation and demand, synchronous generators can speed up or slow down their rotational speed to balance things out, essentially acting as a shock absorber to the grid by absorbing or releasing energy as needed.

“A large, well-meshed grid, with strong interconnections and abundant synchronous generators, will be more stable and less prone to failures,” says De Simón Martín “The Spanish peninsular power grid has historically been robust and reliable thanks to its high degree of meshing at high and very high voltage, as well as its large synchronous generation capacity. However, its weak point has always been its limited international interconnection, conditioned by the geographical barrier of the Pyrenees.”

According to his data, the electricity exchange capacity between Spain and the rest of Europe—in other words, how much energy the country can draw from or send into the continent—barely represents 3 percent of the country’s installed capacity. This is well below the European Union’s 15 percent target for member states to achieve by 2030.

Users board buses outside Atocha station in Madrid after its closure due to a massive blackout that affected Spain on April 28, 2025. Photograph: THOMAS COEX/Getty Images

The increasing integration of renewable energy into the Spanish system may have exacerbated the disconnection issues and subsequent need to balance the grid. According to Spain’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, the country has set a target for 81 percent of its electricity to come from clean sources by 2030. At the end of last year, renewables already accounted for 66 percent of installed capacity in Spain and generated 58.95 percent of the country’s electricity. The main sources were wind, solar, and hydro.

De Simón Martín points out that, unlike thermal or hydroelectric power plants, wind and solar systems lack mechanical inertia, as they are connected to the grid not via synchronous generators but by electronic inverters. The robustness of the overall energy system therefore falls as the proportion of these inertia-lacking energy sources grows—essentially, fewer synchronous generators means less grid-wide ability to handle sudden changes in balance. “With low interconnection capacity and a high share of inverter-based renewable generation, our grid today is more vulnerable and has less margin to react to disturbances,” De Simón Martíne concludes.

How to Prevent Another Massive Blackout

Although the probability of a similar event occurring again in the short or medium term is low, experts agree that it is urgent to implement measures to strengthen the resilience of the system.

Manuel Alcázar Ortega, deputy director of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, told the SMC that an immediate solution would be to “limit the production of photovoltaic energy at times of low demand, in favor rolling generation that provides inertia to the system and can respond better to frequency variations.” He also considers it necessary to incorporate frequency and voltage stabilizers in the grid to counteract the loss of inertia caused by the high presence of renewables.

De la Puente Gil adds that a priority should be “to increase electricity interconnections with France and other European countries, so that the peninsula is no longer so isolated.” He also thinks there needs to be more flexibility in the existing system on the peninsula, with “more storage mechanisms that can compensate for the variability of renewable energies. All of this requires investment, planning and a clear strategy for a secure energy transition.”

In press conference held on Tuesday, Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, denied that high use of solar and wind or poor links with the European power grid were the main causes of the outage, but also said that no hypotheses as to what happened could be ruled out. Both the Spanish government and the European Commission have said that they are launching investigations into what caused the grid to fail.

[deathlygristly]

One more Helene-related thing:

I've seen a few things where people try to get all conspiracy-minded and/or make it a political issue that there doesn't seem to be much coverage. Which I don't watch/read mainstream news because it mostly sucks now so I don't know about all that. Local news is definitely covering it a lot.

But also there's a simple reason for lack of coverage. A lot of places don't have internet, don't have cell service, are inaccessible by vehicles, etc. Can't show what you have no way of showing.

Coverage is probably starting to pick up as temporary communication solutions start to work. I know in the press conferences they're asking people to occasionally turn their phones off and back on to try to get access, but a lot of people don't have a way to hear the press conferences.

Immediately assuming nefarious motivations for everything without trying to learn what's actually going on isn't good for your mental health. If you notice yourself doing that, reach out to others if you can because you need some friends and new perspectives and maybe some professional help.

[almondenterprise]

Top 5 Factors to Consider When Choosing Switchgear in Qatar

The energy infrastructure in Qatar is evolving rapidly, driven by ambitious development plans, a booming construction sector, and growing demand for reliable and efficient power distribution systems. As such, selecting the right switchgear — an essential component in electrical distribution networks — is more important than ever. Whether for industrial, commercial, or residential projects, choosing the appropriate switchgear can significantly impact safety, operational reliability, and long-term costs.

In this article, we explore the top five factors to consider when choosing switchgear in Qatar, keeping in mind the country’s unique climatic, industrial, and regulatory environment.

1. Environmental and Climatic Conditions

Why It Matters:

Qatar’s climate is characterized by extreme heat, high humidity, and frequent dust storms, which can adversely affect the performance and longevity of electrical equipment.

What to Consider:

· Ingress Protection (IP) Ratings: Choose switchgear with high IP ratings (e.g., IP65 or above) to ensure resistance to dust and moisture.

· Temperature Tolerance: Equipment should be capable of operating in ambient temperatures above 45°C without derating.

· Corrosion Resistance: Opt for enclosures made from stainless steel or coated with anti-corrosive materials to withstand coastal and desert environments.

Tip:

Ask for switchgear that has been tested and certified for desert and tropical climates to ensure long-term reliability.

2. Compliance with Local Regulations and Standards

Why It Matters:

Qatar’s construction and energy sectors are tightly regulated. Non-compliance with local codes can lead to project delays, penalties, or unsafe installations.

What to Consider:

· Kahramaa Regulations: Ensure the switchgear complies with Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) specifications.

· International Standards: Equipment should meet IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) or ANSI standards for design and performance.

· Vendor Certifications: Choose manufacturers and suppliers who are approved by local authorities and have a track record of regulatory compliance.

Tip:

Request documentation and third-party certification to verify compliance before purchase.

3. System Voltage and Current Ratings

Why It Matters:

Mismatched ratings can lead to equipment failure, increased downtime, or even safety hazards.

What to Consider:

· Voltage Level: Identify whether your application requires low-voltage (LV), medium-voltage (MV), or high-voltage (HV) switchgear.

· Short-Circuit Withstand Capacity: The switchgear must handle the maximum fault current expected in the system.

· Load Type and Growth: Consider both current and future load expansions when sizing the switchgear.

Tip:

Conduct a detailed load analysis with a qualified electrical engineer to ensure proper equipment sizing.

4. Reliability and Safety Features

Why It Matters:

Switchgear is central to ensuring electrical safety and minimizing power outages, especially in critical infrastructure.

What to Consider:

· Arc Flash Protection: Look for internal arc classification (IAC) and arc-resistant features.

· Automation and Remote Monitoring: Smart switchgear with SCADA integration can improve uptime and facilitate preventive maintenance.

· Redundancy and Segmentation: Ensure the switchgear design allows for maintenance without shutting down the entire system.

Tip:

Consider intelligent switchgear with diagnostic features to enable predictive maintenance and minimize human error.

5. Availability of Local Support and Spare Parts

Why It Matters:

Even the best switchgear can require maintenance or part replacement. Having quick access to support minimizes downtime and operational losses.

What to Consider:

· Local Service Network: Choose brands with authorized service centers or partners in Qatar.

· Spare Parts Availability: Ensure that spare parts can be sourced locally with minimal lead time.

· Training and Technical Support: Ask about operator training, maintenance contracts, and emergency response services.

Tip:

Opt for suppliers with a strong presence in the GCC region and a proven track record in Qatar’s market.

Conclusion

Choosing the right switchgear in Qatar requires a thoughtful evaluation of environmental, regulatory, technical, and logistical factors. With the right equipment, businesses and developers can ensure electrical safety, regulatory compliance, and long-term operational efficiency in one of the world’s most challenging climates.

When evaluating options, always consider:

· Local conditions and regulatory landscape

· Equipment ratings and design

· Vendor support and technical reliability

By focusing on these core considerations, stakeholders can make informed, cost-effective, and future-ready decisions for their electrical infrastructure projects in Qatar.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Research projects protect national security assets from space weather

Space weather is a double-edged sword: It's capable of delivering majestic phenomena like the auroras near Earth's poles, but it can also have more alarming consequences with significant national security implications.

In 2014, for example, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, discovered that plasma bubbles connected to space weather partly contributed to communications outages during a major battle in the Afghanistan War, during which three Navy SEALs died.

APL researchers continue to work on applications such as atmospheric models and new sensors and instruments not only to aid in discovering anomalies caused by space weather but also to investigate how to keep critical national security assets safe both in space and on the ground.

"Society has such a dependence on space now," said Ben Estacio, an APL researcher who supervises a team that investigates how space systems can work within the space environment. "Most people don't realize how much of their daily lives rely on space."

The sun's Influence

A powerful solar flare or a coronal mass ejection—events where plasma bursts away from the sun into space and possibly toward Earth—can potentially disrupt power grids, affect railroads or harm astronauts operating in space.

But space weather events can also affect national security in various ways, such as disrupting GPS, radio and satellite communications; affecting radar performance and capabilities; and creating drag on satellites, knocking them off course.

For example, in radio communications, space weather can cause ionospheric scintillation, a phenomenon during which subtle changes in the ionosphere alter how radio waves travel. In some scenarios, radio signals sent at the appropriate frequency typically bounce off the ionosphere. When space weather events occur, those signals can bounce in unexpected directions or escape through the ionosphere.

"If you're broadcasting on the ground through a disturbed ionosphere, other spacecraft may receive radio signals you're trying to send securely," said Bob Schaefer, an APL space physicist.

Space weather events can also lead to a loss of assets and could leave national security capabilities vulnerable. "Strong space weather events can adversely affect one system or a combination of systems," said Pat Dandenault, a physicist specializing in space weather research at APL.

"When that happens, other people can take advantage of critical systems and networks. The ability to forecast these dynamics and the potential impacts of space weather phenomena in near-real time is critical."

Assessing space weather's impact

APL experts have developed a myriad of research areas and applications aimed at helping the Laboratory's sponsors better understand how space weather impacts the nation's assets.

Initiated in 2020, the NASA Center for Geospace Storms (CGS) is developing a holistic, predictive space weather simulation that will estimate how space weather events impact Earth. In April, CGS made this model available for simulations upon request through NASA's Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC).

"The availability of these simulations at CCMC marks a significant step forward, empowering the scientific community to work together toward deepening our understanding of how space weather affects the near-Earth environment," said APL's Slava Merkin, director of CGS.

Multiple APL efforts aim to measure and model space physics properties to specify and forecast ionospheric behavior, uncovering when disruptions in the upper atmosphere might happen and monitoring changes in atmospheric satellite drag conditions caused by space weather. These include:

Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager (SSUSI): A series of APL-built instruments that power more than 20 space-weather-related products in near real-time for the U.S. Space Force to help describe the state of the ionosphere, thermosphere and auroral zone environments

Next-generation Ionosphere Model for Operations (NIMO): A predictive, assimilative model of the ionosphere that can use data from ground GPS receivers, radio occultation from satellites, ionosondes and SSUSI data

OVATION Prime: A predictive model of auroral location, boundaries and energy flux used operationally by the Space Force and NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center

High-Latitude Ionosphere Specification: An ensemble of models that have been combined with data assimilation capabilities to generate detailed, near-real-time ionosphere specifications for use in multiple Department of Defense applications, such as radar systems in the high northern latitudes

Having these resources is especially beneficial to national security sponsors as they troubleshoot and mitigate problems that may impact critical assets, Estacio said. "Understanding if something was done to your spacecraft intentionally or was just the result of natural high-energy particles is a crucial distinction to be able to make."

[weyrwolfen]

Caveat Emptor: Chapter 4 - Mala Fide

Rating: T

Characters: Gen, Commanders Fox, Thorn, Thire, and Stone, Quinlan Vos, Coruscant Guard

Warnings: canon-typical violence; references to self-harm and suicidal thoughts, injuries, loss of autonomy

Previous chapters can be found here on Tumblr or here on Ao3

[X] Request for Repairs Costing Over 10,000 GSC

Affected Facility:

[X] Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center

Specific Location Within Facility: Jenth Block, Cells 02:118 – 02:132

Nature of Requested Repairs: Replacement of facility’s security cameras and reprogramming of security network.

“I need access to the side of your neck,” Scav said brusquely, pulling Fox’s attention away from the datapad in his hands. His CMO was holding a jar of pale green gel in his hands.

Fox refrained from sighing in irritation and instead just tipped his head to the side. Scav smeared a generous glob of the gel on Fox’s neck, just below and behind his ear. It was cold and left behind a faint tingling sensation.

“Don’t move,” Scav said, reaching for the medical monitor he’d obtained… somewhere. The thing had a bulky design and a truly excessive number of lights, strongly suggesting it was civilian in origin.

Then again, they were safely hidden away in the base’s covert investigation room, so perhaps there were some questions Fox could stand to ask.

“What is the point of this?” he asked as Scav pressed the device’s baseplate into the side of Fox’s neck. The thing beeped once and then earned a slight wince as it tightened down against his skin with, from the feel of it, a combination of suction and a ring of multiple fine needles.

“Something about your lapses is triggering uncontrolled spikes in your blood pressure,” Scav replied with a distracted scowl, plugging a cord from his datapad into the monitor. “I intend to track down what before you have a stroke.”

Great. Something else for Fox to worry about.

He had an itemized list, most of which he was actively avoiding thinking about at the moment, and speaking of which…

Have Repairs Been Attempted by On-Site Maintenance Teams? Yes [ ], No [X]

***Attempt Repairs Before Completing This Form***

Fox swore under his breath, backed up, and wiped his previous answer.

Have Repairs Been Attempted by On-Site Maintenance Teams? Yes [X], No [ ]

Describe Attempted Repairs: During previous outages related to this system, CG personnel were instructed that all security cameras and networked systems in the central detention facility contain proprietary technologies owned by Livion Insights (LI) GRC. Repair attempts made by anyone other than approved service providers represent violations of LI GRC intellectual property rights under the terms of the original contract with this vendor. CG personnel assessed the affected cameras, determined them to be LI GRC property, and ceased any further attempts at repair, as per those standing orders.

Select The Type of Area or Item to be Repaired from the Following List (If Unknown, Select Unknown): [Electronic/Non-Droid -> Computer/Computational System -> Networked, >10 Nodes]

Is The Vendor for the Computer/Computational System known? Yes [X], No [ ].

Select The Vendor from the Following List (If Unknown, Select Unknown): [Livion Insights GRC]

***Vendor Has Negotiated Exclusive Service Contracts, Cease All Repair Attempts***

***File Request Has Been Forwarded to Contract Enforcement***

Do You Want to Archive a Copy of This Request? Yes [X], No [ ].

If prior experience was any guide, it would take at least two weeks for anyone to actually see that form, and Fox called it roughly even odds whether it would end up forwarded to the correct department after that or not.

In any case, filling out the kriffing thing wasn’t about actually getting the repairs done. It was about making a trail of flimsiwork, demonstrating due diligence in responding to the situation in the event of an investigation into the inmates’ deaths. It wasn’t much, but it might be enough to keep his troopers from becoming convenient scapegoats, if this developed into a public scandal.

This next form, however, was more of a calculated experiment.

[X] Request for Senate Judiciary Oversight Committee Investigation

Nature of Complaint: Repeated outages of the security systems in the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center, occurring co-incident with targeted inmate deaths suggest a high probability of sabotage within the facility.

Supporting Documents:

Fox selected the copy of the service request he had just filed, the three inmate autopsy reports he’d signed earlier, and the initial incident report Thire had filed last night. Then he linked the new complaint back to the chain of his previous requests and more than a few files he’d had his slicers exhume of similar incidents that had occurred prior to the clone army’s deployment, just for good measure. Something fiercely anticipatory simmered in his chest when he entered the command to forward the whole thing to the Chancellor’s office for processing.

Of course, the entire reporting process was supposed to be anonymous, and according to Guard and G.A.R. regulations, Fox should have sent the complaint directly to the relevant Senate committee. But some Naval analyst had flagged one of Fox’s early reports as containing potential evidence of Separatist sabotage rather than internal corruption, so the Chancellor had ordered that all future reports related to security irregularities or corruption accusations be routed through his office.

That had smelled faintly of strill osik, but orders were orders, and Fox knew very well the price of overt defiance. So the Chancellor got to screen any Guard requests for external investigations, and Fox got to watch most of his requests disappear into the Republic Office of Naval Intelligence, sealed away under a high security clearance designation on the whims of various natborn admirals.

It was galling, but the few times Fox had raised his concerns about this lack of action with the Chancellor had yielded distracted indifference at best and delicately phrased rebukes at worst, both delivered with a kindly façade over dangerously cold eyes. And maybe the natborns who’d just died on Fox’s watch weren’t particularly upstanding citizens of the Republic, but their continued physical wellbeing was as much a part of the Guard’s duty as preventing their escape. Any failure risked reprimands or worse for his men, and the suspicion that these failures stemmed from someone intentionally sabotaging the Guard for some kind of personal gain made him coldly murderous.

Of course, now Chancellor Palpatine was missing, and it would be valuable to know if Amedda would hold to all of Palpatine’s policies in the man’s absence.

…He would try, but Amedda hadn’t been half as far in his Master’s confidences as he liked to think…

The monitor on Fox’s neck beeped.

“The kriff was that?” Scav asked sharply, looking up from his datapad.

“The kriff was what?” Fox asked dryly, rubbing at his eyes. The combination of low-lighting in the room with the bright datapad screen was starting to get to him.

“Your cortisol levels just spiked.”

Fox squinted up at him. “No idea,” he finally said.

Not that Scav believed him, given the ferocious scowl that answer earned. “Hold still,” he said, rummaging around in his crate of decidedly non-regulation medical equipment that had appeared some time during the last rotation.

“Am I going to have to cover up another burglary report from the Grand Republic Medical Facility?” Fox asked dryly as Scav fished several sensors out of the crate.

Scav stuck the first sensor on Fox’s temple and said, “No” without any further elaboration.

Fox just sighed and pulled up the next form on his to-do list. There was something to be said about maintaining plausible deniability.

Scav had just finished taping down the leads between the sensors and the Sith-damned monitor on his neck when the door to the room hissed and then swept open.

It was Stone, bucket tucked under one arm. His expression was so blank, it had to be intentional.

“What happened?” Fox asked, a sinking sensation setting up shop in his guts.

“Nothing, yet,” Stone said, sliding his helmet onto one of the cluttered tables and then easing down onto the rickety stool across from Fox’s makeshift cot. “But Thorn’s got a developing situation up in the Dome.”

The sick roiling that was hollowing out Fox’s guts only strengthened. “Any reason why he didn’t comm directly?” he asked.

There was a momentary silence, and then Stone finally said, “He’s in a briefing with the Acting Chancellor and the Senate Security Council.”

… What?

“Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?” Fox snapped, even though he was pretty certain he already knew the answer.

Stone didn’t answer, but his eyes slid sideways, over to Scav.

Karking hells.

“You’re grounded, unless it’s an emergency,” Scav said with a glower.

Fox knew that. Of course he knew that. With his current… lapses, it had made the most sense for him to take over administrative tasks from his subordinate commanders today. It freed up his officers to continue their investigation without having to manage Fox’s kriffing issues. It was galling, but he’d agreed with the logic. The last thing any of them needed was Fox having an episode in front of witnesses.

He hadn’t agreed to being wholly blocked out of his own karking command structure. And his comms had been suspiciously quiet all morning.

“Don’t make me make this an order,” Fox snapped, glaring at Scav.

Scav just glared back, but he did enter something into his datapad that must have cleared the medical override, if the way Fox’s vambrace immediately lit up was any indication.

Un-karking-believable.

Fox started to reach for the monitor on his neck, but Scav, who was already on thin ice, still had the temerity to snap, “The monitor stays on.” Scav didn’t back down one centimeter in the face of Fox’s dark glower, but he did add, “You should be able to get your helmet on over everything if you’re careful. I need more readings.”

Fine. Kriffing great. Because that wasn’t going to chafe like a shabuir.

But Fox did manage to get his helmet on, easing it gently over the nest of wires and medical tape until the magnetics finally engaged and his HUD lit up. A whole cascade of previously blocked messages scrolling through Fox’s HUD, including…

“A summons from the Acting Chancellor didn’t constitute an emergency?” he finally asked in a dangerously flat tone all of his officers had learned to recognize. The message had gone out across the Guard’s entire command comm network. He should have been informed, even with the override in place.

“Thorn handled it,” Stone replied.

Scav just went back to whatever he was reading on his datapad, looking utterly unrepentant.

Fox was going to kill his CMO. And then his subordinate commanders. And then probably himself, if only to avoid the ensuing flimsiwork.

“You and I both know that the Chancellor specifically requested me.”

“That is debatable.”

“Stone,” Fox said his subordinate commander’s name with an essay’s worth of scathing rebuke.

“Acting Chancellor Amedda requested the highest-ranking clone on site,” Stone replied, falling into the more elaborately formal language and tone the Guard’s entire command structure defaulted to when dealing with uncooperative natborns. Fox did not appreciate the implications. “Thorn was the highest-ranking officer on Senate rotation.”

“We both know what he meant,” Fox said, not bothering to rein in the iciness in his tone. He was perfectly capable of performing his duties.

He was.

“It is not the Guard’s place to project layers of meaning onto our orders,” Stone continued in the same, blandly polite tone of voice. Shabuir. “We are to carry out the Senate’s commands as stated.”

And Mas Amedda was exactly the kind of politician who rarely used a trooper’s numbers, much less learn their names. Not when he could refer to them by function, like pieces of equipment. The Acting Chancellor had vaguely demanded ‘the ranking clone trooper on site,’ and so he was going to receive ‘the ranking clone trooper on site,’ as broadly interpreted as the Guard found convenient at the time.

Fox knew this script. Fox had karking-well written this script. Malicious compliance could be an exceedingly useful weapon in their political arsenal, but he’d never kriffing intended for his officers to turn it on him. And using it on the Chancellor of the entire kriffing Republic, Acting or not, was just dangerous.

Fox shut his eyes in the privacy of his own helmet to simply breathe and gather his thoughts.

“We will be discussing this later,” Fox finally said, addressing Stone and Scav both.

“Sir, yes sir,” Stone said, reverting back to his usual, clipped delivery. To anyone else, he would have sounded calmly professional.

To Fox, he sounded infuriatingly smug.

And Scav, who had wandered over to the terminal on the workbench, just waved dismissively over his shoulder.

Satisfying as it might have been to explode at the both of them, it looked like Fox had bigger osik to handle.

Thorn had sent a link to a preliminary report, which Fox forwarded to his datapad for easier reading. It was little more than a log of personal notes, and as Fox read, a new line appeared at the bottom, which meant Thorn was still in the thick of the meeting. It was all diplomatically-worded enough to pass an external review of the files, but Fox was well-versed in reading what his officers weren’t reporting.

It didn’t take long to find the first bombshell in the text.

“Any idea why the Jedi were assigned the lead on the investigation?” Fox asked, glancing up at Stone.

“I looked up SB 1468-28 subsection 12.2,” Stone said evenly, referencing one of Thorn’s more opaque notes, but Fox recognized the pause and the long breath Stone took as a concerning show of anxiety from the usually unemotive commander. “Apparently the Jedi have beskar-clad jurisdiction when it comes to cases involving Sith artifacts.”

Karking hells, that wasn’t good. For all that the Jedi Temple was in the Guard’s jurisdiction, Fox didn’t have very much direct experience dealing with Force osik, but he read his brothers’ incident reports.

Fox distinctly remembered the odd, metallic cylinder the Generals had pulled from the Chancellor’s desk, but they had ended up leaving with multiple crates of materials. He hadn’t seen the interiors, and it was possible that each crate held only a single item in isolated containment, but Fox rather doubted it. It had taken the Jedi several hours to pack up whatever had gone into those crates.

How the kark had none of them noticed a treasure trove of Sith artifacts before? Jedi representatives were constantly in and out of the Chancellor’s office. Maybe something new had only just arrived, a gift from some systems representative or another, or perhaps a questionably sourced art piece from one of the high end antiquities dealers on Coruscant.

Was one of those artifacts responsible for whatever had happened to Chancellor Palpatine? Maybe Fox’s concerning lapses weren’t related to the man’s disappearances after all?

That level of cosmic coincidence strained credulity, but a clone could hope.

Fox skimmed further down Thorn’s notes, teasing out the most pertinent points from the tactful, vague text. The Chancellor had protested what he perceived as the Jedi’s overreach, but had no legal grounds to deny their jurisdictional claim. That was interesting. While the Jedi had been steadily falling in public opinion as the war had dragged on, blocking their efforts could be interpreted as impeding the investigation. That was politically dangerous if word got out. and given how unpopular the Acting Chancellor was proving to be with some members of the Senate, it would. Fox didn’t think Amedda would risk that kind of public backlash without a good reason.

…He has a good reason. The Jedi tend to be more perceptive and less susceptible to bribes or threats than the average CSF investigator…

Force. The karking monitor was beeping again. “Can you turn that off?” he asked Scav, annoyed.

“What?” Scav said, thoroughly distracted with whatever he’d been reading on his datapad. “Oh, yes. Here.” The beeping thankfully cut off. “Did you really not notice anything just then?”

“No,” Fox said. He really wanted to rub his eyes again, but that would require taking off his helmet, and he doubted that the nest of wire leads would survive the process unscathed. “Should I have?”

Scav just made a thoughtful, vaguely concerned sound in the back of his throat. “I’m going to need more data to get a better baseline,” he finally said.

Fox waved a hand in vague permission and dismissal. As long as the kriffing thing stopped beeping at him every few minutes, he really didn’t care.

That wasn’t entirely true. He cared a great deal about figuring out what – or who – was hijacking his mind. And he cared about finding out why, at least some of the times when he was being controlled in that way, he had done things he was actively avoiding considering in much detail. And that this somehow involved him disposing of bodies, using the Chancellor’s private hanger and one of his speeders. And that he was almost entirely convinced that he’d had something to do with the Chancellor’s disappearance, and that his men were all actively covering for him, and that the entire Guard might end up decommissioned en masse for treason if half of Fox’s suspicions turned out to be true.

Oh yeah, and he was also curious to know why each time he started to remember anything that might actually help explain the karked-up situation, he was apparently at risk of popping a blood vessel in his already kriffed up brain and dropping dead. Yeah. That too.

But given that he couldn’t avoid thinking about the entire unfolding disaster just then, he might as well get back to Thorn’s preliminary notes.

The CSF representative has protested the Coruscant Guard being placed in direct support of the Jedi, effectively icing them out of the investigation. Which yes, Fox just bet they did. Not that he was complaining, it was convenient, but why had they…?

Oh. Oh hells…

Apparently the Senate Security Council was extremely displeased that the CSF had mishandled key evidence. The CSF representative had blamed the Jedi, who had evicted them from the Chancellor’s office mid-processing, but the fact remained that there were several unlabeled pieces of evidence in holding, a few of which no one on the team could even remember collecting.

And one of those had contained a sample of blood consistent with the Chancellor’s genetic profile.

Osik.

Osik, osik, osik.

It had to be the swab from Fox’s own armor, the one he’d slipped in amongst the CSF’s other samples during the confusion of the Jedi’s decidedly non-regulation appropriation of the crime scene and eviction of all non-Jedi personnel.

Fox looked up at Stone, who’d been waiting in tense, grim anticipation.

Stone didn’t actually say anything, he just nodded slowly.

Fox didn’t say anything either. Not to Stone in the immediate aftermath of the realization. Not when he finally received Thorn’s call for backup securing an emergency session of the Senate. Not until he was forced to, upon arriving at the Dome and having to pull on the mantle of Marshall Commander of the Coruscant Guard.

What was there to say? Fox wasn’t sure there even was a word for how karked he and his brothers were.

“Fox, anything from your vantage?” Thorn asked over the open comm line.

Fox was standing at attention at the rear of the pod, a careful distance behind the natborns he had been tasked with guarding. He held himself rigidly still, but his eyes were roving over the Senate chamber, looking for… something. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Well, something else. Something here. He couldn’t pinpoint what exactly, he just knew.

“No,” he said, eyes landing on the vacant, powered down pod which was reserved for members of the Senate press corps. This was a closed session, Fox had overseen clearing and sealing of the vast chamber himself, but something about that empty pod was making him feel unaccountably uneasy.

One of the natborns in the front of the pod, some kind of legal scholar from the Republic Judicial Archives named Dr. Pen Prima, turned slightly to give Fox a questioning, slightly accusatory look.

Fox pretended not to notice. The medical monitor on his neck was throwing off his helmet’s magnetics. Normally, his current settings would have allowed him to speak freely in the confines of his bucket without being overheard, but apparently the misalignment was enough to kriff up his seals. Given the flashing red light in the upper right of his HUD, his environmental systems weren’t able to fully engage either. That was currently of lesser concern, but if anyone decided to gas the Senate chamber, and with Fox’s luck he wouldn’t bet against that happening today, he was going to rip the monitor off of his neck and deal with Scav’s displeasure after the fact.

He did, however, type a short, private message to Thorn, explaining the problem.

“The investigation into Chancellor Palpatine’s disappearance has been mismanaged from the start!” Senator Agrael was shouting from his pod, directly across the chamber from Fox’s current position. “The Senate has received hardly any updates on the process, and now we hear that the Jedi have been given control of the investigation over the rightful, civilian authorities!”

“Only after those authorities mishandled key evidence!” another Senator yelled out from somewhere several tiers of pods higher in the chamber. From the gurgling sound of the voice, Fox guessed that it was probably Senator Saal.

So basically, the Security Council’s report to the entire Senate body was going about as well as Thorn had predicted. At least this was a closed session. Once this news broke to the general public, the Guard would most likely be facing protests and worse.

And the news would get out, sooner rather than later. Acting Chancellor Amedda could plead for discretion all he liked. This scandal was too politically unstable to stay under wraps for long, and the Senate leaked sensitive intelligence like a sieve on its best days.

At least the Guard was being spared the worst of the current political fallout.

At least Fox and his commanders were the only ones who knew or even suspected the real cause of the apparent mismanagement of the investigation by the CSF.

He should probably feel a little guiltier about his role in the whole cascading fiasco, but frankly, the CSF had been making his troopers’ lives as difficult as possible from the very moment the clones had been assigned to this osik posting. The current dragging the CSF was unfairly receiving for this case didn’t even begin to rebalance the scales for all of the other investigations they’d actually bungled and then passed the public blame onto the Coruscant Guard.

Honestly, this couldn’t be happening to a nicer group of shabuire. Seeing Captain Axion fuming from the guest pod that had been assigned to the CSF for this hearing was a memory Fox was going to cherish for a good long while.

However, he really shouldn’t be lingering about any of that right now, especially given the pod full of Jedi Generals to Fox’s immediate left.

“Please, Senators. The transition of certain aspects of the investigation to the Jedi has nothing to do with the performance of the brave civil servants within the CSF,” said Senator Amidala in a placating tone of voice clearly meant to deescalate the situation. “It is my understanding that their role is confined to investigating a number of potentially dangerous Force artifacts recovered from the Chancellor’s office.”

“Cultural artifacts!” Senator Deechi protested, joining the argument for the first time. “Artistic relics! What evidence have the Jedi provided that these pieces are in any way related to the Force?”

It hadn’t escaped anyone’s notice, Fox’s included, that Palpatine’s Umbaran Administrative Aide, Sly Moore, was positioned in the pod alongside Senator Deechi, standing in symbolic solidarity with her home world and conspicuously leaving Acting Chancellor Amedda to face this unfolding scandal in his central pod, alone.

It was almost definitely a play for power of some kind, but whether her primary target was Mas Amedda, the Jedi, both together, or someone else entirely was anyone’s guess.

“Most moderately powerful Force artifacts emit a kind of low-level radiation that is visible with a standard spectral analysis,” Chief Jedi Archivist, General Jocasta Nu answered from the Jedi Order’s pod, sharp tone sounding terribly dry. General Windu, standing at her side, looked like he very badly wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose, if the dignity of his position would allow it, while General Vos, who was sprawled casually in one of the pod’s rear seats, just seemed to find the proceedings to be deeply entertaining. “Of course, unshielded exposure to Sith artifacts has also been known to result in possession, evisceration, temporal displacement, and any number of other, unpleasant side effects. However, I am sure that we can draft up the proper legal waivers for any Senators who feel dutybound to verify our identification of artifacts in person.”

That earned scattered laughter from a few Senators and an almost comedic widening of Senator Deechi’s pale eyes at the rather bluntly delivered, mildly threatening rebuke from a rather frail-looking, exceedingly elderly Jedi General.

“’Chief Archivist means she’s stationed on Coruscant all the time, right?” Cooper said over the open comm channel. “So why wasn’t she assigned as our General?”

Fox didn’t disagree with his trooper’s thought in principle, but…

“Keep the comms clear,” Thorn said, sounding more exasperated than anything.

Yes. That.

But then, because Thorn was just as bad as the rest of their brothers despite his rarefied rank, he proceeded to ignore his own order by shifting over to a private channel with Fox and saying, “Kind of makes you understand why they recalled the 212th the second all of this started.”

Fox refrained from snorting. Much. Cody’s general was always being called in, whenever there was a political disaster for the Order to navigate on Coruscant. Fox couldn’t find it in himself to complain much, not when it meant he got to see Cody far more frequently than his other batchmates ever seemed to manage.

Not that the 212th and General Kenobi were going to arrive in time to avert this particular fiasco. They were still at least a day out, having just engaged a small Separatist fleet which had been harassing Republic supply lines all along the Pfaresian hyperspace lane.

Senator Agrael and Senator Laothru had started shouting over one another, making it nearly impossible to tell what either one of them were saying.

Acting Chancellor Amedda, bereft of a vice chair to do him the honors, banged the Speaker’s Staff against the floor of his own pod in a bid for order.

He was resoundingly ignored.

In the clamor, Fox found his gaze subconsciously drifting back towards the empty press box. His fingers twitched almost subconsciously towards his twin, holstered blasters, but there was no one there. It was almost as if he was expecting someone, some threat, to appear in the empty pod.

Trying to focus on what was bothering him left Fox with a faintly disorienting sense of nausea and a sneaking suspicion that somewhere back at Guard headquarters, Scav’s datapad was lighting up with all sorts of concerning data. He refrained from reaching for the monitor under the high collar of his blacks, as if poking the Sith-damned thing might give him any kind of answers.

Any potentially clarifying memories remained frustratingly out of reach, beyond the bone deep knowledge that CC-1010 was involved somehow. Was something about to happen to one of the members of the press corps? Was CC-1010 about to ‘happen’ to one of them? Or had he already? Probably not. The dedicated pool of reporters assigned full time to the Senate did not change much, and Fox would have received a report if any of them had mysteriously disappeared.

But he wasn’t entirely sure, and that uncertainty was eating at him.

Deeming any action better than simply standing here like an ornamental plant, watching over two scholars quietly debate the galactic ramifications of the ongoing unhinged Senatorial shouting match, Fox pulled up the text function on his vambrace and typed out another message for Thorn.

‘Tell Hound to take Grizzer on a perimeter walk. Check the press pod, make it look routine.’

The reply was a simple, terse, ‘Understood.’

“I say the root of the problem lies with the sentient who has been giving the orders since Chancellor Palpatine’s disappearance,” said Senator Agrael, when the shouting seemed to be dying down to just a dull roar. “A sentient who we never elected to office, and one who is most likely sabotaging this investigation to prop up his unearned position of power!”

That set off a new wave of shouting, as several more Senators pulled their pods away from their docks and demanded to be recognized amidst the chaos. Acting Chancellor Amedda looked murderous as he continued banging his staff against the floor of his platform to no net effect.

Fox sighed quietly to himself. This was developing along a wholly predictable path, even if he hadn’t expected the speed of Mas Amedda’s political fall from grace.

Chancellor Palpatine’s staunch supporters saw the lack of progress in investigating the man’s disappearance as a political and moral betrayal.

The anti-war voting block was already unhappy with Palpatine’s policies and saw this as a convenient opportunity to oust his politically weaker proxy.

The more xenophobic of human Senators despised the Chagrian Acting Chancellor on principle.

The Senators who were more focused on their own personal power and comfort were watching their investments shrink in value during the ongoing instability.

Given all of that, the next words out of Agrael’s mouth weren’t all that surprising.

“I call for a vote of no confidence,” he said, gravelly voice amplified across the vast Senate chamber.

That resulted in a new eruption of shouts. Fox scanned his immediate surroundings again, an instinctive threat assessment even if he did not truly expect any of the Senators to physically assault one another. His eyes soon landed on the Jedi Order’s pod.

General Vos was watching him, expression thoroughly unreadable.

Fairly caught and quietly desperate to not seem concerned by that fact, Fox just nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

One of General Vos’s eyebrows rose at that, but he did nod in return.

Fox pointedly looked away, out over the assembled Senate body. He could feel the General’s gaze still on him, and it made his skin crawl.

“He is only the Acting Chancellor,” said Senator Miri-Dolith was saying scornfully. “Is a vote of no confidence even applicable?”

Thousands of sets of eyes turned to Fox’s pod and the two natborns he had been specifically tasked with guarding.

“Oh,” the one on the left, Dr. Shinzel, said in a very small voice, apparently realizing exactly why he and his colleague had been summoned to the Senate Dome. “Oh my.”

Sith-hells, they were going to be here all night at this rate.

The two legal scholars tried, with many interruptions, pauses to pull up specific passages of law from their respective institutions’ databases, and verbal detours into completely tangential details of Republic policy, to explain the general problem. That Acting Chancellor Amedda could not be removed by a vote of no confidence, since legally, he was simply a temporary stand-in for Chancellor Palpatine. That Chancellor Palpatine could be removed with a vote of no confidence, which would trigger a new election, thereby removing the Acting Chancellor from power. Or that alternatively, they could declare Chancellor Palpatine dead, which would also trigger a new election, yielding the same net result. Granted, if it turned out that Chancellor Palpatine wasn’t dead, well, that would generate a whole new suite of legal problems.

The word ‘unprecedented’ was thrown around a lot.

So was the phrase ‘constitutional crisis.’

It was almost a relief, when Fox finally spotted Hound and Grizzer casually walking into the empty press pod. At least it gave Fox a worthwhile distraction from the flustered, frustrated exclamations of the two academics who, while probably on the largest stage of either of their respective careers, found themselves trying to explain an esoteric facet of Republic legal doctrine to thousands of sentients who 1) clearly thought they were already perfectly well-informed on the topic, and 2) only wanted to hear the details that supported their specific stances.

Except then the spikes down Grizzer’s back bristled up and he opened his jaws and barked in a trained signal Fox recognized, even if he was too far away to actually hear the massiff over the din.

Osik.

Hound knelt down, looking at something under the lip of one of the pod’s padded seats. Thankfully, his body language did not appear to be particularly alarmed when he rose, gloved hand held carefully flat, like he was supporting something small and fragile in the palm of his hand.

Finally, when Fox was about to lose his patience and comm the ARF trooper directly, Hound closed his fist around whatever it was and rolled his arm over to enter something into his vambrace.

‘Datachip. Possible dead drop. Advise?’ popped up in Fox’s HUD, tagged with Hound’s designation number.

‘Log it on Guard internal record. Bring it to Thorn,’ Fox sent to Hound, and then he shifted to the channel he’d opened with Thorn and sent, ‘Hound incoming with datachip. Copy and wipe contents. Return to previous location before session ends.’

…Zara Salaveda of the HoloNet News network would be disappointed to find the files corrupted, but it would not be the first time promises from an anonymous source didn’t pan out. And while CC-1010’s Master had clearly wanted the security leak handled, he had not been terribly specific with his final orders.

And as satisfying as that had turned out to be, it was somewhat unclear if he was still obligated to tie up these final loose ends…

The stray thought crystallized in Fox’s mind, clear and complete and thoroughly damning. He breathed through the pain that bloomed behind his eyes, trying to conjure up specific memories that would make those thoughts make sense. Nothing came to him, except a pulse of dizziness.

‘And then set a watch?’ Thorn asked, completely unaware of Fox’s ongoing, internal crisis.

‘And then set a watch.’ Fox sent, trying to keep up appearances, even though his hands were shaking faintly with the effort.

He didn’t look over to see if General Vos or any of the other generals had sensed this lapse. Fox was fairly certain he already knew the answer, and he was afraid that taking any course of action to confirm it one way or the other also risked giving too much away.

Charger, who was a credit to Kamino’s cloning program and was clearly due for some kind of commendation, formed up his squad around the Generals as an honor guard and escort to guide the Jedi out of the Senate Dome. It was all very respectful, very proper.

It was also just enough of a distraction that it allowed Fox to escape without being too obvious about it. General Vos had continued to watch him, off and on for the several additional hours it took for the Senate to get bored with their stalemate and call for a recess.

Fox’s skin had been crawling, under the thoroughly unwelcome scrutiny.

While most of the Guardsmen cycling off shift from the Dome had piled into several larger transports, Thorn had pointedly herded Fox to one of the two-person speeders. He’d also shucked off his helmet and then dropped in the floorboards before climbing into the pilot’s seat and flashing a quick hand signal for Fox to do the same.

Getting out of his helmet was a bit trickier than getting into it had been, and Fox ended up pulling two of Scav’s sensors free in the process. He couldn’t seem to summon up the motivation to try to fix them and instead started pulling them more completely free, to hang unceremoniously from the high collar of his blacks.

Thorn waited until Fox had pulled the last line free and let his hands drop into his lap before asking, “Scav’s handiwork?”

Fox nodded slowly, leaning back against the speeder’s hard headrest and shutting his eyes.

With their helmets off, there weren’t any comm lines to be compromised, and the Guard swept their vehicles for listening and tracking devices daily. They could speak freely here, and yet it still took Thorn a few minutes to work up to asking the question Fox had been expecting.

“How did you know about that datachip?” he finally asked.

“I remembered some things,” Fox admitted, without further elaboration. It wasn’t like he had much more of an explanation to offer. “What was on it?”

With his eyes still shut, Fox heard the rub of plastoid against the hard, synthetic lining of Thorn’s seat. A shrug, most likely.

“The files are encrypted, but there are a lot of them,” Thorn said.

“They were meant for the HNN reporter. Salaveda.”

Thorn didn’t ask more details, for which Fox was inordinately grateful. He didn’t have them to share, or he would have already offered them.

They were maybe halfway back to headquarters before Fox convinced himself to just ask his own burning question, the one he’d been trying to suppress all rotation.

He thought he’d been starting to see the outline of the pattern here. The fragments of memories, the pieces of disjointed evidence, the covert interactions between Fox’s brothers he’d tried so hard not to notice. They fit together. Mostly. He’d tried to not think about any of it, and speaking his suspicions into existence seemed to risk somehow making them more real. But Fox had always preferred dealing in facts, and the facts had been painting a picture he did not like.

CC-1010 had been the last sentient on record as having seen Chancellor Palpatine.

CC-1010 had the access codes to the Chancellor’s private hanger bay and turbolift, which meant that Fox could not point to their later use as an alibi.

CC-1010 had killed sentients. A lot of sentients. And he had used the Chancellor’s hanger and speeder to dispose of at least some of the bodies.

The chances that he had been doing all of that without the Chancellor’s knowledge or consent seemed slim. And that suggested that if he wasn’t the one pulling CC-1010’s strings, then he almost certainly knew who was.

And Fox’s men knew it too, or at least they suspected a great deal of it. They’d figured out a way to track his movements, and they were using that information to actively cover up CC-1010’s actions.

It explained some of their silence, their seeming lack of concern that helping Fox was risking fatal repercussions. If CC-1010 had been acting against the Republic’s best interests, then that would be treason, and the Guard had made itself complicit in it. But following the Chancellor’s orders, even if they were ones Fox couldn’t remember? That was just what they had been made to do. There was some safety for them all, in Fox just being a product, performing to its design specifications.

But CC-1010 had also come back to base with Chancellor Palpatine’s blood on his armor.

And that last part didn’t fit with the rest of the pattern. Fox was sorely afraid of making it fit.

But he needed to know. He needed to understand the extent of the risk he was posing to the rest of the Guard, and if his suspicions were correct, then keeping him in the dark about CC-1010’s actions wasn’t necessary anymore.

“Thorn,” Fox finally said, so quietly it was almost a whisper. But he could say this here; it was safe. They wouldn’t be overheard. “Did I kill the Chancellor?”

Thorn’s silence was already damning enough, but when he did speak, his words were almost worse. “If you did,” he said slowly, clearly picking out each word carefully. He cleared his throat and tried again, “If you did, then he deserved it.”

AN: If anyone else wants me to tag them as this gets updated, please just let me know. @tazmbc1

[learnwithmearticles]

Renewable Energy - T & SD

One browser search will provide multiple sources with conflicting claims about which U.S. state is leading in the clean energy industry. Two that have made exceptional changes are Texas and South Dakota.

Texas

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that Texas has become a leader in wind energy, accounting for ~16% of the nation’s renewable electricity production in 2023. It’s only behind California in wind production, according to the EIA.

Texas has large expanses of clear land, with a portion of the 360-mile long Gulf Coastal Plains taking up about ⅓ of the state. Wind speeds reach up to 12 mph and transmission lines already span the state to deliver energy produced from the wind farms. This industry, as well as solar, has already supported more than 25,000 jobs in the state, with 73% not requiring a college degree.

Unfortunately, the use of the produced energy is limited. In 2022, the Texas Tribune discussed the fact that the Texas transmission network cannot deliver energy outside of the state. This has caused issues with energy production, storing, and accessibility to consumers.

But there are also distribution issues within the state itself, which in recent years have become apparent multiple times from outages and lack of electricity availability to certain regions. Since a major blackout event in 2021, there have been improvements to make the Texas energy grid more resistant to weather damage. Still, the Austin-American Statesman newspaper emphasizes the need to drastically upgrade the Texas power grid, though they will likely have to fund it without federal help.

South Dakota

South Dakota is also a leader in renewable energy initiatives. The EIA reports that 77% of the state’s electricity production was from renewable sources in 2023. Wind energy makes up 55% of this, while hydropower makes up 21%. South Dakota has slightly less percentage of flat land than Texas, but with wind speeds similarly reaching up to around 12 mph.

In 2022, clean energy jobs accounted for about 12,000 jobs in the state, and that is expected to continue growing. While the South Dakota energy plan is difficult to find, if it exists in solid terms, the federal government is improving policies around renewable energy across the nation.

Additionally, solar energy production is especially expected to increase in South Dakota. This is fortunate because, according to the Clean Grid Alliance, solar prices have dropped 53% since 2012.

South Dakota also produces bioethanol as another renewable product, accounting for 9% of the nation’s production.

Coal, natural gas, and oil now make up less than 20% of the state’s energy production. These will likely take time to completely phase out, as many concerns exist around limiting energy dependency during weather crises. South Dakota has a more reliable electricity infrastructure, but there have been risks of rolling blackouts in recent years.

This page has focused on the progress in New Jersey towards clean energy, but it is far from the most changed state in terms of production. Many other states like Texas and South Dakota have seen benefits of moving towards renewable energy. It has permitted Texas to turn away from natural gas and coal, for example. It has created new jobs, and drawn more attention to the need for improved energy infrastructure.

The move toward renewable energy has been a long fight. It has come with challenges and seen a lot of resistance. Fortunately, it is happening, anyway. The Inflation Reduction Act that provided billions of dollars in tax credits for clean energy initiatives has made a difference. The clean energy goals of the federal government and the states are decreasing our dependence on pollution-producing resources. As much as we hope for swift, effective change, even these spread out changes are measurable and important to recognize.

Additional Resources

1. Texas Energy Production

2. Texas Clean Energy Jobs

3. Texas Transmission Issues

4. Austin-American Statesman

5. South Dakota Energy Production

6. South Dakota Clean Energy Projections

7. South Dakota Production Details

[carpediem-celebrpg]

National Network Outage:

There's been a network outage today, mostly impacting AT&T but some T-Mobile and Verizon customers are experiencing issues as well. Right now unless I am in wifi I can't use my phone. I was going to try to do activity checks this weekend but since this is happening I'm going to push it another week or so to insure everyone has the ability to get online. Please like this post so we know you read it.

[stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland]

Does anyone from USA or Europe etc having issues with their phones (conection) ? As it has been said, the e/l/i/te/s will cause a blackout and I think it s about to happen, very soon, its recommended to have the app Signal installed on the phone which will connect ( supposedly) with starlink, putting the phone on airplane mode. This is the news of today, remember internet comes next (remember it's all planned, it won't be a ciberatack for real) > ShadowofEzraNationwide : cell networks are experiencing outages, leading to crashes in 911 services across America. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile customers from New York to LA are reporting no service or connection, with many phones displaying SOS messages. Service disruptions have been reported in various cities including New York, Boston, Washington, Montreal, Honolulu, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco. The cause of the problem is unclear, and there are suspicions of a potential cyber attack.

I think the cyber attack is true, I don't remember if it is because of the war in Israel or because of the conflict with Russia, but it does seem that it is affecting a certain part of Europe due to the interoceanic fiber optic connection

[reasonsforhope]

Holy shit it's real.

--

From the first linked source:

"The US government aims to restore sweeping regulations for high-speed internet providers such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, reviving “net neutrality” rules for the broadband industry — and an ongoing debate about the internet’s future.

The proposed rules from the Federal Communications Commission will designate internet service — both the wired kind found in homes and businesses as well as mobile data on cellphones — as “essential telecommunications” akin to traditional telephone services, said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The rules would ban internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking or slowing down access to websites and online content.

In addition to the prohibitions on blocking and throttling internet traffic, the draft rules also seek to prevent ISPs from selectively speeding up service to favored websites or to those that agree to pay extra fees, Rosenworcel said, a move designed to prevent the emergence of “fast lanes” on the web that could give some websites a paid advantage over others.

With Tuesday’s proposal, the FCC aims to restore Obama-era regulations that the FCC under Republican leadership rolled back during the Trump administration...

The logic behind the rules

Beyond their immediate impact to internet providers, the draft rules directly help US telecom regulators address a range of consumer issues in the longer run by allowing the FCC to bring its most powerful legal tools to bear, Rosenworcel said. Some of the priorities the FCC could address after the implementation of net neutrality rules include spam robotexts, internet outages, digital privacy and high-speed internet access, said Rosenworcel in a speech at the National Press Club Tuesday to announce the proposal.

Rosenworcel said reclassifying internet service providers as essential telecommunications entities — by regulating them under Title II of the FCC’s congressional charter — would provide the FCC with clearer authority to adopt future rules governing everything from public safety to national security.

Rosenworcel argued, “without reclassification, the FCC has limited authority to incorporate updated cybersecurity standards into our network policies.”

She added that traditional telephone companies currently cannot sell customer data, but those restrictions do not apply to ISPs, which are regulated differently. “Does that really make sense? Do we want our broadband providers selling off where we go and what we do online?”

Regulating internet providers using the most powerful tools at the FCC’s disposal would let the agency crack down harder on spam robotexts, Rosenworcel said, as spammers are “constantly evolving their techniques.”

And the proposed rules could promote the Biden administration’s agenda to blanket the country in fast, affordable broadband, she argued, by granting internet providers the rights to put their equipment on telephone poles.

“As a nation we are committed, post-pandemic, to building broadband for all,” she said. “So keep in mind that when you construct these facilities, utility poles are really important.”

Timeline info

The FCC plans to vote Oct. 19 on whether to advance the draft rules by soliciting public feedback on them — a step that would precede the creation of any final rules."

The latest net neutrality rulemaking reflects one of the most visible efforts of Rosenworcel’s chairwomanship — and one of her first undertakings since the US Senate this month [September 2023] confirmed Anna Gomez as the agency’s fifth commissioner, breaking a years-long 2-2 partisan deadlock at the FCC that had prevented hot-button initiatives from moving forward.

The draft rules also show how a continued lack of federal legislation to establish a nationwide net neutrality standard has led to continued flip-flopping rules for ISPs with every change of political administration, along with a patchwork of state laws seeking to fill the gap.

If approved next month, the FCC draft would be opened for public comment until approximately mid-December, followed by an opportunity for public replies lasting into January. A final set of rules could be voted on in the months following.

-via CNN, September 26, 2023

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Cannot overstate how big this would be. I'll be posting the link when the proposal opens up for public feedback, because we should flood this thing as hard as we can (we've got some giant internet companies to drown out, after all)

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[blazingsporerebel]

Best Frontier Internet Service Providers in Palm Springs, CA

When it comes to reliable and high-speed internet in Palm Springs, CA, Frontier Communications stands out as one of the best internet service providers (ISPs) in the region. As a trusted name in the industry, Frontier offers a range of plans to suit different needs, from basic browsing to high-definition streaming and online gaming. At Andrea's Communication LLC, we understand the importance of seamless connectivity, which is why we’ve put together this guide to help you choose the best Frontier internet service for your home or business in Palm Springs.

Why Choose Frontier Internet in Palm Springs?

Frontier Communications has built a strong reputation for delivering dependable internet services with competitive pricing. Whether you're a remote worker, a streaming enthusiast, or a small business owner, Frontier provides fiber-optic and DSL options to ensure fast and stable connections. With Andrea's Communication LLC as your trusted advisor, you can explore Frontier’s offerings with confidence, knowing you’re getting a service that matches your needs.

Frontier Internet Plans and Pricing

Frontier offers a variety of plans tailored to different usage levels. Their Fiber 500 plan, for example, delivers speeds up to 500 Mbps, perfect for households with multiple devices. For heavier users, the Gig Service provides lightning-fast 1 Gbps speeds, ideal for 4K streaming and large file downloads. Pricing is competitive, often with promotional discounts for new customers. At Andrea's Communication LLC, we can help you compare these plans to find the best fit for your budget and internet requirements.

Frontier’s Fiber-Optic vs. DSL Services

Frontier provides both fiber-optic and DSL internet in Palm Springs. Fiber-optic is the superior choice, offering symmetrical upload and download speeds, lower latency, and greater reliability. DSL, while more widely available, is slower and better suited for light internet users. If fiber is accessible in your area, Andrea's Communication LLC highly recommends opting for it to future-proof your internet experience.

Customer Service and Reliability

A major advantage of Frontier is its improving customer service and network reliability. With expanding fiber infrastructure, outages are less frequent, and support teams are more responsive. Andrea's Communication LLC values transparency, so we encourage checking recent customer reviews to gauge satisfaction levels before committing to a plan.

Comparing Frontier to Other Palm Springs ISPs

While Frontier is a top contender, it’s worth comparing it to other ISPs like Spectrum or AT&T. Spectrum offers cable internet with no data caps, while AT&T provides fiber in select areas. However, Frontier’s fiber plans often deliver better value for speed and price. Andrea's Communication LLC can assist in evaluating these options to ensure you make an informed decision.

How to Sign Up for Frontier Internet

Getting started with Frontier is simple. Visit their website or call their sales team to check availability in your Palm Springs neighborhood. Promotional deals often include free installation or discounted rates for the first 12 months. For personalized assistance, Andrea's Communication LLC can guide you through the sign-up process and help secure the best deal.

Final Thoughts: Is Frontier the Best Choice for You?

If you're seeking fast, affordable, and reliable internet in Palm Springs, Frontier is an excellent option—especially if fiber is available at your location. With flexible plans and improving service quality, it’s a strong contender for both residential and business users. For expert advice on selecting the best Frontier package, reach out to Andrea's Communication LLC today and enjoy a seamless online experience!

By choosing Frontier through Andrea's Communication LLC, you’re not just getting an internet connection—you’re investing in a hassle-free digital lifestyle. Contact us now to explore the best deals and get connected!