#Computer Repair Service Provider

[mobilecomputerrepairusa]

Dell & Mac Computer Repair Service: Restoring Performance, Reviving Possibilities

Whether it's a sluggish MacBook or a malfunctioning Dell laptop, Mobile Computer Repair brings devices back to life. Our Dell & Mac Computer Repair Service offers expert on-site diagnostics, swift fixes, and optimal performance restoration. Say goodbye to frustrating tech issues and hello to seamless computing. Call now to get your computer repaired today!

[customlansltons]

The Power of Remote Work : Embracing the Future of Employment

The concept of work has undergone a transformative evolution, and at the forefront of this revolution stands remote work. Working away from the office might provide you a sense of control over your life and more time to organize work and home responsibilities. Employees are more productive as a result of this sense of accomplishment. In this blog, we delve into the myriad benefits and opportunities that come with embracing a remote work model.

1. Enhanced Work-Life Balance : Remote work liberates individuals from the confines of a traditional office. It allows for a more harmonious integration of professional responsibilities with personal pursuits, resulting in a healthier work-life balance. You can also take jobs regarding the USA Remote IT Support Services.

2. Increased Productivity : Studies have shown that remote workers often report higher levels of productivity. Freed from the distractions and interruptions of a bustling office, employees can focus deeply on their tasks, leading to greater efficiency and output.

3. Global Talent Pool : Employers no longer need to restrict their search for talent to a specific geographic location. Remote work opens the door to a global talent pool, enabling companies to recruit the best individuals for the job, regardless of their physical location.

4. Cost Savings : For both employees and employers, remote work translates into significant cost savings. Employees save on commuting expenses, work attire, and often enjoy greater flexibility in managing household expenses. Employers benefit from reduced overheads related to office space, utilities, and facilities.

5. Diverse Perspectives and Inclusivity : Remote work fosters inclusivity by breaking down geographical barriers. It allows companies to tap into a diverse range of perspectives, experiences, and talents, creating a richer and more innovative work environment. You can also opt for Computer Repairing Services in Knoxville.

6. Environmental Impact : Reduced commuting means fewer cars on the road, resulting in lower carbon emissions and a positive impact on the environment. Embracing remote work aligns with sustainability goals and contributes to a greener future.

7. Autonomy and Empowerment : Remote work empowers employees to take charge of their work environment, providing a sense of autonomy. This sense of ownership often leads to higher job satisfaction and increased engagement.

8. Resilience in Challenging Times : The COVID-19 pandemic showcased the resilience of remote work. Businesses that had already adopted a flexible work model were better equipped to navigate the uncertainties, demonstrating the value of this approach in times of crisis.

Conclusion

Remote work is more than a trend; it's a paradigm shift in the world of employment. It offers benefits that extend beyond convenience, touching on productivity, inclusivity, and sustainability. By embracing this new way of working, businesses and individuals can unlock a future of greater flexibility, efficiency, and opportunity. You can also take jobs regarding the USA Remote IT Support Services.

[sirfrogsworth]

Oof.

I've been fixing and building computers since I was 12.

I consider myself to be a technologist.

I have repaired hundreds of technological gadgets in my lifetime.

One of my jobs was providing phone support for a local dial-up internet service.

If there is one thing I know, it is "turn it off and on again."

It's a meme for a reason.

So when I just called technical support for my glucose monitor app and the guy asked me if I had turned my phone off and on again, I felt pretty stupid.

Because I hadn't done that.

And it fixed my problem.

[astroismypassion]

✨PART OF FORTUNE IN SIGNS AND HOUSES SERIES: 6TH HOUSE✨

Credit goes to astrology blog @astroismypassion

ARIES PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Aries and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via fitness training, personal training, firefighting, law enforcement, emergency healthcare services, competitive sports, trading, stockbroking, automotive repair, mechanics, tech startups. You feel abundant when you come up with new, fresh ideas.

TAURUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Taurus and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via offering a service connected with pet sitting, tutoring or helping people to organise their kitchen, fridge, storage. You may also clean offices or make work environment more beautiful (for example putting on pictures, cleaning the computer). You feel the most abundant when you are stable on a daily basis and know what to expect from your daily schedule and when your work ethic, work relations are stable and grounded.

GEMINI PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Gemini and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via freelance journalism, you can write for newspapers, magazines, online publications. You can have abundance via starting a podcast or YouTube channel. You may offer translation, interpretation or language teaching services if you are multilingual. You feel abundant when you organise a networking event or a conference even. You could also blog about your profession or teach people about what is it that your job entails.

CANCER PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Cancer and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via blogging about topics related to home, family and well-being. You may start a blog or write for publications that focus on these areas. You would be an excellent planner! Planning and organising family-oriented events, such as weddings, birthday parties or even community gatherings in your local town. You could also offer pet sitting, dog walking or even start a pet grooming service.

LEO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Leo and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via voice acting or doing voice-over work for commercials, animations or audiobooks. You will find fulfilment, joy, success and wealth in activities that promote mental and physical wellness. You might make organic make up or creams. You feel the most abundant when you incorporate hobbies, interests and passion into your daily life. You could also be a health advocate.

VIRGO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via starting your own online store selling products related to your interests connected to books, tech gadgets or dietetics/nutrition. You can set up a shop on Shopify or Etsy. You experience wealth by providing consulting services in your area of expertise. You may be a travel blogger or write travel articles, but more so on a local level, maybe also connected with short-distance travel.

LIBRA PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Libra and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via providing recipes for lunches for working people, like easy DIY ideas. You may also create meal plans for school children. You can create wealth by selling prints, stock photos or offering photography services.

SCORPIO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Scorpio and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via working in alternative medicine or wellness, becoming a financial advisor or running your own cleaning business or provide services for neighbours or in your local town. You can offer cleaning or yard work services to neighbours or in your local community.

SAGITTARIUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Sagittarius and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via working in non-profits, via wellness coaching, physical therapy, working in educational institutions, hospitality industry, tour guiding, working for airlines, travel blogging, working in media, especially related to educational content, travel, running a small business that involves sharing knowledge or providing specialized services.

CAPRICORN PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Capricorn and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via farming, gardening, manual labor and agriculture, management, administration, working with your hands, project management, quality control and research. You definitely need to ask for a promotion.

AQUARIUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Aquarius and Virgo Sun people in your life. You could make money via information technology, software development, working with cutting-edge technologies, via astronomy or astrology, via social enterprise, digital marketing, advocacy work, activism and community organizing, via renewable energy, sustainable development or green technologies.

PISCES PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 6TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Pisces and Virgo Sun people in your life. You make money via tarot, healing, holistic medicine, work with elderly people or at a hotel. You could find success in making jewellery, specializing in anklets. You feel acquire wealth through counselling, psychotherapy, psychology, nursing, holistic therapies (like reiki or acupuncture), teaching meditation, drama/music therapy or dance/movement therapy, caregiving, hospice work, starting a creative arts studio, a holistic wellness center or socially conscious business.

Credit goes to astrology blog @astroismypassion

[houseofbrat]

Take note, all those who live in hurricane areas.

If you live in any of these areas in red, be prepared on all your weather alerts, particularly those in hurricane areas this summer and fall.

The National Weather Service is in worse shape than previously known, according to interviews with current and former meteorologists, due to a combination of layoffs, early retirements and preexisting vacancies.

The nation’s forecasting agency is in tatters as what could be a destructive hurricane season nears. Several current and former agency meteorologists told CNN they are concerned forecasts and life-saving warnings are not going to be issued in time.

Responsible for protecting life and property from severe weather impacts, the National Weather Service is headed into hurricane season with 30 of its 122 weather forecast offices lacking their most experienced official, known as the meteorologist-in-charge.

These include offices that cover major population centers such as New York City, Cleveland, Houston and Tampa.

There is not a single manager in place at the hurricane-prone Houston-Galveston forecast office, according to a NOAA staff member who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

That office was the main source of information during Hurricane Harvey, which killed at least 68 people, dumped a record 60.58 inches of rain and flooded large parts of the Houston metro area in 2017.

Already, multiple offices have reduced or eliminated daily weather balloon launches and more are likely to follow suit following a wave of early retirements taking place this week, the NOAA employee said. The balloons provide critical data for computer models that forecasters use to predict the weather, raising the likelihood that projections will be more unreliable.

One NWS forecast office, in Goodland, Kansas, is no longer operating 24/7, with about a dozen more likely to shift to non-24-hour operations if action isn’t taken this month. These offices include several in the Plains states and stretch into the Pacific Northwest.

Such a change is virtually unheard of in the absence of an extreme weather event, such as a hurricane or tornado, that either threatens the lives of the forecasters themselves or knocks them offline.

There are also more than 90 vacancies among the staff responsible for repairing NWS Doppler radars and automated surface weather observation stations, the NOAA staff member said, greatly raising the likelihood of prolonged equipment outages that could affect air travel. Weather stations provide pilots and controllers with crucial data on wind direction and speed at airports to determine how to take off and land safely, among other parameters.

Radar outages during tornado and hurricane seasons could cause forecasters to miss hazardous conditions till after they strike.

The NWS has lost more than 550 people all told, since the start of Trump’s second term, according to tallies kept by sources inside and outside of the agency. That’s about the same number as the agency lost in the 15 years between 2010 and 2025, according to Tom Fahy of Capitol Meteorologics.

Of the hundreds of vacancies, the 30 open meteorologist-in-charge roles are particularly worrying, current and former NWS meteorologists told CNN.

Meteorologists-in-charge serve as the captain of a team of forecasters and other specialized staff members. Their decades of experience often comes into play during high-impact weather situations, an active-duty NWS meteorologist told CNN. They also requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

“They’re usually the glue that holds it together,” the NOAA staff member said of these chief meteorologists.

These leaders work forecast shifts when needed, interpret guidance coming from NWS headquarters, and help push their forecasters to adopt new technology, forecast and warning techniques, said a weather service employee who also requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

“The MICs are the critical linchpin in the operation of our weather forecast offices,” said former NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad, using the acronym for these managers. “They ensure the forecasters have all they need to be most effective, and they are the direct link to NWS HQ for safe and timely communications during weather events,” Spinrad, who led NOAA during the Biden administration, told CNN.

[...]

With FEMA limping into hurricane season with staff vacancies of their own, the state and local emergency management interactions that meteorologists in charge typically have may be even more important during the coming months.

“They too are meteorologists and often fill shifts when folks are sick or on vacation or there are vacancies,” the NWS employee said, and their absence makes it harder to fill those shifts and keep the lights on.

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

Turkina Bb 'Stephanie'

(mini and photos [standard Turkina B] by u/ValkryrieRaptor)

Mass: 100 tons Chassis: JF Composite-X Power Plant: 285 JF Extralight Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph Maximum Speed: 54 kph Jump Jets: Standard Jump Capacity: 90 meters Armor: JF Standard Armament: 62.5 tons of pod space Manufacturer: Complex Beta, Olivetti Weapons Primary Factory: Ironhold, Sudeten Communication System: JF Integrated w/ Nova CEWS Targeting & Tracking System: Series JFIX/Olivetti Pinpoint Advanced w/ Advanced Targeting Computer Introduction Year: 3153 Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-X Cost: 36,672,750 C-bills

Type: Turkina Technology Base: Mixed (Experimental) Tonnage: 100 Battle Value: 3,285

Equipment Mass Internal Structure Composite 5 Engine 285 XL 9.5 Walking MP: 3 Running MP: 5 Jumping MP: 3 Double Heat Sink 22 [44+11 (RHS+CC)] 12 Compact Gyro (Armored) 4.5 Small Cockpit (Armored) 2 Armor Factor 288 18 Internal Structure Armor Value Head 3 9 Center Torso 31 45 Center Torso (rear) 14 R/L Torso 21 31 R/L Torso (rear) 9 R/L Arm 17 31 R/L Leg 21 39

Weight and Space Allocation Location Fixed Space Remaining Head None 2 Center Torso Jump Jet 3 Right Torso Jump Jet 9 2 XL Engine Left Torso Jump Jet 9 2 XL Engine Right Arm None 10 Left Arm None 10 Right Leg None 2 Left Leg None 2

Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm

Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Heat Tonnage Talons (Armored) RL/LL 2/2 - dw abt it Medium Pulse Laser CT 1 4 2.0 Double Heat Sink CT 2 - 1.0 Nova Combined Electronic Warfare System RT 1 - 1.5 ER Medium Laser RT 1 5 1.0 Radical Heat Sink System (IS) RT 3 - 4.0 2 Double Heat Sink RT 4 - 2.0 2 Large Pulse Laser LA 4 10 12.0 3 Double Heat Sink LA 6 - 3.0 Targeting Computer LT 6 - 6.0 ER Medium Laser LT 1 5 1.0 Double Heat Sink LT 2 - 1.0 Armored Cowl (Armored) HD 1 - 1.0 Medium Pulse Laser HD 1 4 2.0 2 ER Large Laser RA 2 12 8.0 4 Double Heat Sink RA 8 - 4.0

Features the following design quirks: Accurate Weapon (all), Battle Computer, Combat Computer, Cowl, Easy to Pilot, Extended Torso Twist, Improved Communications, Improved Cooling Jacket (all), Improved Sensors, Multi-Trac, Nimble Jumper, Reinforced Legs, Variable Range Targeting, Illegal Design (overweight)

Overview: The Turkina is a powerful OmniMech that was first seen in the Turkina Keshik at the Battle of Tukayyid, and entered general service with Clan Jade Falcon following the end of the Refusal War. In a design oddity, the Turkina mounts enough jump jets to vault 90 meters hardwired onto the frame, rather than using them in modular pods. While this simplified repair, it also uses tonnage that could be devoted to other systems when a mission does not call for jumping.

Capabilities: The Turkina Bb is a one-off 'Mech built specifically for Khan Stephanie Chistu of Clan Jade Falcon. Uprated to a 100-ton chassis, the Bb was directly inspired by the Turkina B configuration. Like that variant, the Bb uses pairs of Large Pulse Lasers, ER Large Lasers, Medium Pulse Lasers, and ER Medium Lasers. All of these are linked to an advanced Targeting Computer loaded with Variable Range Targeting programming, while the individual weapons themselves have been accurized and tuned for decreased heat generation. Eleven extra double heat sinks are fitted - three less than the standard B. In their place, a Spheroid Radical Heat Sink system was put in place, which - even in passive mode - renders Khan Chistu's 'Mech nearly heat neutral, even in the most heat-intensive situations. One small holdover of Chistu's time under the hated Malvina can be found in the armored talons emplaced on the 'Mech's feet - along with extensive leg reinforcement, this gives Chistu the ability to affect devastating Death from Above attacks. With no weapons that need ammunition, this configuration can stay in the field as long as its MechWarrior can, aided by an armored cockpit and head-mounted armored cowl to provide additional protection, while an armored compact gyro ensures the 'Mech will remain standing even after significant punishment. Rounding out the package, a Neutron Star CEWS system ensures the Khan can remain in contact with and fully command all her forces, as well as provide the benefits of active probe and ECM sensor systems.

Deployment: Built in 3151, the sole produced Turkina Bb serves in Turkina Keshik of Clan Jade Falcon, piloted solely by Khan Stephanie Chistu.

History: The Turkina Bb has so far seen service only a handful of times so far - the first mission for the 'Mech was spearheading Jade Falcon forces during the Third Star League's Operation PERSUASION. It was during the drop on Caph that Khan Chistu - fighting alongside her lover and abtahka Tara Jade Falcon - first met Cadha Jaffray of Northwind. This meeting and the frank discussions that resulted would ultimately culminate in the accession of Northwind to the Third Star League in December 3152, and result in an agreement between the Falcons and the Northwind Highlanders to share the planet under the New Jointly-Owned Worlds Agreement of 3153. The second notable mission to date took place in October 3152 - Khan Chistu led a Falcon/SLDF force to "rescue" the Jade Falcon Remnants centered around Sudeten. Taking Jiyi Chistu as her new saKhan after he won a Trial of Position against Khalus Pryde, Khan Chistu's mission granted the Third Star League an outpost in the Hinterlands, as well as bringing them into direct negotiation with the Tamar Pact, the Arc-Royal Liberty Coalition, and Alyina Mercantile League - the relationships forged by this mission would come to later prove instrumental in the SLDF's intervention in the Lyran War of Reclamation.

[beardedmrbean]

Inflation eased to a four-year low in April as the nascent impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs were offset by their cost-dampening effects in a slowing economy.

Overall consumer prices increased 2.3% from a year earlier, down from 2.4% rise the previous month, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index, a measure of average changes in goods and services costs.

That’s the lowest annual increase since February 2021 but still leaves inflation moderately above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal.

On a monthly basis, costs rose 0.2% after dipping 0.1% in March.

Prices for groceries, including eggs, used cars and airfares all fell sharply, while medical services and auto insurance and repairs continued to drift higher.

The report provides a snapshot of consumer prices just as Trump’s reciprocal tariffs were kicking in, capturing the economic uncertainty they spawned but only partly reflecting the projected jump in costs.

Further blurring the picture: the Trump administration announced a 90-day pause on the highest import fees for dozens of countries in early April and a similar truce with China on May 12 that allows the two sides to negotiate further.

Some forecasters hailed the reprieve, but others said the levies will still push inflation sharply higher within months.

"This may be the low point in 2025," Nationwide senior economist Ben Ayers wrote in a research note. "As tariff costs increasingly flow into consumer prices, we expect a jump in the CPI this summer."

What is core inflation?

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items and is watched closely by the Fed because it reflects more sustainable trends, increased 0.2% after inching up 0.1% in March. ,That kept the annual increase at 2.8%, the lowest in four years.

Do tariffs affect inflation?

Economists were split over whether the tariffs nudged inflation higher in April.

Barclays said it was too early for the fees to filter into prices.

Wells Fargo said “the reality of tariffs will likely have started to influence pricing decisions” but business’ efforts to avoid alienating customers along with confusion over Trump’s shifting policies likely meant just a modest uptick in costs.

Goldman Sachs anticipated some effects on items “particularly exposed” to duties on Chinese goods, such as clothing and cell phones.

There were some signs that tariffs have started driving up prices for Chinese-made products last month, according to Capital Economics and Pantheon Macroeconomics. The cost of audio equipment jumped 9%; photographic equipment, 2.2%; furniture, 1.5%; and computers and accessories, 0.7%.

Apparel prices, though, edged down 0.2%.

Used car prices declined 0.5% but their costs are expected to leap within a couple of months as a 25% tariff on imported cars boosts demand for used cars, economists say. Wholesale used car prices are already rising.

At the same time, tariffs have raised recession fears and heightened uncertainty. In March, such jitters softened consumer demand and lowered costs for items such as gasoline and travel services, said economist Ryan Sweet of Oxford Economics. A similar dynamic played out last month, with airline fares falling 2.8%, the third straight sharp decline, and hotel rates slipping 0.1% following a 3.5% drop the previous month.

What is the agreement between the U.S. and China?

Meanwhile, the United States said on May 12 it was reducing tariffs on Chinese imports to 30% from 145% while China lowered its duties on U.S. shipments to 10% from 125%, igniting a huge stock market rally.

Nationwide Chief Economist Kathy Bostjancic estimated the 30% fee on China and 10% charge on other countries would still drive inflation to 3.4% by year’s end, though that’s down from her prior 4% estimate. Manufacturers and retailers are expected to pass most of the fees to consumers through higher prices, sapping household buying power.

In a research note, economist Michael Reid of RBC Capital Markets said the average U.S. tariff rate is now 13%, down from 24% before May 12's news of the truce with China. But he added the deal “does little to help get inflation’s path back to 2% as a 13% effective tariff rate is still nearly 5 times higher than the 2.4% rate seen in 2024.”

How soon will the Fed lower interest rates?

A milder-than-expected inflation reading typically might prompt the Fed to consider reducing interest rates as soon as next month. But with a tariff-driven inflation spike still ahead, that's unlikely, economist Stephen Brown of Capital Economics said.

While the pause on duties for Chinese imports could soften the potential inflation surge, it also could mean a somewhat stronger economy that dodges recession, giving the Fed leeway to wait longer to gauge the effects of the fees.

Fed fund futures markets have pushed back their forecast for the Fed to resume its market-friendly interest rate cuts from July to September. Capital Economics believes the central bank will hold off on rate cuts until next year.

Are egg prices expected to go down?

Egg prices tumbled 12.7% after a flurry of increases tied to a long-standing bird flu outbreak. The crisis has eased recently, bringing down wholesale costs that were expected to push down retail prices. Egg costs are still up nearly 50% over the past year.

Grocery prices overall slid 0.4%, largely offsetting a 0.5% rise the previous month. Breakfast cereal fell 2.5%; rice, 2.3%; chicken, 0.3%; and bacon, 1%.

Other staples got a bit pricier, with bread rising 1.6% and fresh fish and seafood climbing 0.8%.

Dining out also continued to get more expensive. The cost of food away from home rose 0.4% for the third straight month and is up  about 4% the past year, with pandemic-related labor shortages and pay increases still pushing up restaurant bills.

Why are gasoline prices dropping now?

Gasoline prices dipped 0.1%, the third straight monthly decline, and are down 11.8% over the past year. Regular unleaded averaged $3.14 a gallon on May 12, down from $3.20 a month ago, according to AAA.

Oil prices have declined sharply this year on worries that the trade war will hobble the global economy, putting downward pressure on gas prices. Also, OPEC countries agreed to increase oil production starting in April.

Is rent going to keep increasing?

Rent rose a relatively modest 0.3% for the fourth month, keeping the annual increase at 4%, the smallest since January 2022. Lower rents for new leases are finally filtering into rates for existing tenants.

Housing costs have been the biggest inflation driver, making up 35% of overall price increases in April.

Other service costs crept higher. Car insurance rates increased 0.6%; auto repairs, 0.7%; and medical care, 0.5%.

[ask-sweetie-and-pip]

Pip, darling, I understand you have a Sweetiebot staying with you. If you need, I can send you any parts you might need. Riche Corp started carrying parts for Robo ponies since we came across this strange dimension where Celestia, Luna, and Discord were turned into weird robot computers. We decided to help the residence of Celestia labs by providing parts and services.

Dear Diamond,

That would be much helpful! But I don't have much bits to buy any latest equipment or parts. Right now I'm using a old military mobile repair lab vehicle at the moment donated by some unknown pony; it's enough to fix Sweetie Bot!

I don't know who donated it, but thank Celestia! (I found it together with Sweetie Bot)

I am a one man team for now...- Pipsqueak

[virtuestarcomputers]

Laptop Repair Dubai |Virtue Star Computers

Virtu Star Computers is a trusted name in laptop repair services in Dubai, providing expert solutions for all major brands and models. We specialise in providing fast and reliable diagnostics, hardware and software repairs, data recovery, and component replacement based in Bur Dubai. Whether it is a broken screen, battery problem, motherboard repair, or system upgrade, their skilled technicians provide a high-quality service experience with a quick turnaround time.

[rise2research]

The Automation Revolution: How Embedded Analytics is Leading the Way

Embedded analytics tools have emerged as game-changers, seamlessly integrating data-driven insights into business applications and enabling automation across various industries. By providing real-time analytics within existing workflows, these tools empower organizations to make informed decisions without switching between multiple platforms.

The Role of Embedded Analytics in Automation

Embedded analytics refers to the integration of analytical capabilities directly into business applications, eliminating the need for separate business intelligence (BI) tools. This integration enhances automation by:

Reducing Manual Data Analysis: Automated dashboards and real-time reporting eliminate the need for manual data extraction and processing.

Improving Decision-Making: AI-powered analytics provide predictive insights, helping businesses anticipate trends and make proactive decisions.

Enhancing Operational Efficiency: Automated alerts and anomaly detection streamline workflow management, reducing bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

Increasing User Accessibility: Non-technical users can easily access and interpret data within familiar applications, enabling data-driven culture across organizations.

Industry-Wide Impact of Embedded Analytics

1. Manufacturing: Predictive Maintenance & Process Optimization

By analyzing real-time sensor data, predictive maintenance reduces downtime, enhances production efficiency, and minimizes repair costs.

2. Healthcare: Enhancing Patient Outcomes & Resource Management

Healthcare providers use embedded analytics to track patient records, optimize treatment plans, and manage hospital resources effectively.

3. Retail: Personalized Customer Experiences & Inventory Optimization

Retailers integrate embedded analytics into e-commerce platforms to analyze customer preferences, optimize pricing, and manage inventory.

4. Finance: Fraud Detection & Risk Management

Financial institutions use embedded analytics to detect fraudulent activities, assess credit risks, and automate compliance monitoring.

5. Logistics: Supply Chain Optimization & Route Planning

Supply chain managers use embedded analytics to track shipments, optimize delivery routes, and manage inventory levels.

6. Education: Student Performance Analysis & Learning Personalization

Educational institutions utilize embedded analytics to track student performance, identify learning gaps, and personalize educational experiences.

The Future of Embedded Analytics in Automation

As AI and machine learning continue to evolve, embedded analytics will play an even greater role in automation. Future advancements may include:

Self-Service BI: Empowering users with more intuitive, AI-driven analytics tools that require minimal technical expertise.

Hyperautomation: Combining embedded analytics with robotic process automation (RPA) for end-to-end business process automation.

Advanced Predictive & Prescriptive Analytics: Leveraging AI for more accurate forecasting and decision-making support.

Greater Integration with IoT & Edge Computing: Enhancing real-time analytics capabilities for industries reliant on IoT sensors and connected devices.

Conclusion

By integrating analytics within existing workflows, businesses can improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, and enhance customer experiences. As technology continues to advance, the synergy between embedded analytics and automation will drive innovation and reshape the future of various industries.

To know more: data collection and insights

data analytics services

[computerrepairservices-post]

Computer repair services that are highly rated in Miami.

We are your one-stop electronic store; whether your smartphone screen is worn out or your gaming PC is in need of a performance boost, or your laptop is not responding, our team of certified technicians is here to diagnose, repair, and get you back in the game, and for passionate gamers seeking the ultimate edge, we offer customized Gaming PCs. Don’t settle for a pre-built machine that limits your potential. Tell us your gaming needs and budget, and our technical experts will design and assemble a high-performance PC that perfectly fits your gaming style.

PC & Notebook Repair & Upgrades:

Whether your PC has stopped working completely, has become slow and frustrating to use, or is in need of upgrading, then we have the in-house expertise to help you. Please note, we do not work with Mac or other Apple products.

Networking Solutions:

If you’ve got several PCs at home or in the office and want to maximize their potential by sharing documents, files, and media, you probably need a network.

Photo & Document Recovery & Hard Drive Cloning:

We can recover lost documents, files, photos and any important data from a broken computer.

Networking Solutions:

It is not just inexperienced users of a PC or laptop that can fall prey to the effects of a computer infection. Even the most experienced user can inadvertently allow a virus or other malicious software to enter and spread.

Our Services:

Virus/Spyware Removal

Hardware & Windows Repair

Booting Issue Repair

Slow Computer Tune-Up

Hardware Installation

Home Networking

Laptop Screen Repairs

Keyboard/Touchpad Repairs

DC Power Jack Repair

Booting Issues

Power Button Repair

Wi-Fi Connection Issues

Network Management

Network Cable Installation

Website Development

Data Backup Management

All Computer Services

All Laptop Services

Rapid Response Time:

One of our main advantages over most companies is our quick response time. Most on-site computer repair companies make you wait days for service, and if you drop it off at a shop, they make you wait days to complete the repair. Why does it take them so long? Because they do not prioritize every single customer! We consistently offer same day or next day service, with most repairs being finished on-site that day. For the repairs that need to be taken back to the shop, we prioritize those too. We boast an average turnaround time of only 2 days, and we drop it off to you when it's done, or you can pick it up.

Full Service On-Site Support:

Don't touch a thing. We come directly to your home or business, and perform the repair right there. We handle it all, from start to finish, without you having to lift a finger. We provide on-site computer repair in most cities and towns in Miami Dade including: Miami Gardens, Aventura, Golden Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, North Miami Beach, North Miami, Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek, Surfside, Biscayne Park, Miami Shores, El Portal, North Bay Village, Opa-locka, Miami Lakes, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Doral, Miami Springs, Virginia Gardens, Sweetwater, Miami, Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, West Miami, Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Homestead, Florida City.

Website: Computer Repair Mia

[ahiswg]

Please help

**To Whom It May Concern,** My country, Syria, has endured more than a decade of challenges and conflicts that have left deep marks on everyone. During this time, many opportunities were lost, and the pursuit of rebuilding our lives and achieving stability now requires support and assistance. I am one of those striving to rebuild their lives from scratch. Like many young people, I have big aspirations to achieve financial and professional independence and to contribute to rebuilding my local community. However, I face financial challenges that hinder my ability to start this journey. ### **A Brief About My Current Situation** - I live in a region heavily affected by the events, which has made finding stable employment extremely difficult. - I have extensive experience in **mobile phones, programming, and application development**. Over the past years, I have acquired various technical skills that enable me to work on mobile phone repairs, software development, and creating innovative digital solutions. - I am seeking to invest in a small project idea that combines my technical expertise in mobile phones and programming with the needs of the local market, which can make a significant difference for me and the surrounding community. ### **The Business Plan and Required Amount** I plan to establish a **specialized tech services center** that includes: 1. **Maintenance and repair of mobile phones** with high efficiency and affordable prices. 2. Development of customized applications and software to meet the needs of individuals and small businesses in the area. 3. Providing **training courses for young people** interested in entering this field, helping them acquire essential technological skills. **Estimated project cost: [$4,000-$5,000].** The funds will be allocated to: - Purchasing the tools and equipment needed for mobile phone repairs. - Equipping the workspace with computers and essential software for development. - Marketing the project's services to attract customers. ### **Why Do I Need Your Support?** I believe that support at this stage can be a turning point in my life, enabling me to stand on my own feet and become self-reliant. This support will not only help me but will also have a positive impact on the community by: - Providing high-quality local tech services. - Training young people in modern technological skills. - Boosting the local economy by offering tech solutions to small businesses. ### **In Conclusion** I sincerely thank everyone who reads this message and considers providing support. Any help, no matter how small, will be a big step toward building a better future. You can contact me at

androo.kien@gmail.com

t.me/Goko1200

**With great appreciation and gratitude,** [Abdul Rahman]

[flowersandbirdsflyingfree]

The boomershooter / postal matchup thing… omg… im so embarrassed to participate in this but im gonna self indulge, i hope these arent getting annoying to you..! My focus is on postal but you can include whatever you want yes!

Idrk how I should do this, but im a enby femboy kinda critter if that makes sense? 20 y/o 5’5 slim and kinda awkward looking i think? Short messy brown w bangs hair that i bleach, brown eyes round face stuff like that. I like wearing anything from boxers and a comfy silly hoodie to jfashions like lolita and jirai. Am autistic, im not super social and of course dislike crowds and all that, am a neet. Paranoia and delusions yada yada very silly and whatnot. Special interests are niche music genres and artists as well as physical music media collecting, plus computers / retro gaming / internet history. Love collecting old tech and consoles, repairing them and the sort. Can be found browsing the internet archive for interesting software or music. Am an avid collector and preservationist, owning several collections of different things ranging from vinyl to vintage magical girl figures. I keep bugs like praying mantis, beetles and snails as pets, often just catching whatever bug i think looks cool!

When it comes to relationships (ive never been in one and wld probably cry if i got my hand held bc itd be so overwhelming and kinda awesome,,,) i prefer commitment and can get really attached super easily i fear. Would hope to find someone who doesnt mind my anxiousness and cringefail neet lifestyle. Id stay home and clean or cook for them when im not playing vidyagames in return, itd be nice methinks… would bite and chew on provided matchup as a stim so hopefully they are cool with that.!

sorry if this is too long i dont usually ever do asks or things like this, thank you…! I love your blog-!

Thank you so much!! I think we’ll give you a double whammy

Your Boomer Shooter Boyfriend:

Gordon Freeman

Gordon is selectively mute. When he does talk to you, it’s usually a two to three word sentence. Despite his silence, there is a loud confidence about his presence.

Be assured that if you ever get in an uncomfy situation that Gordon will lead you by the arm to breathe somewhere. As long as you are comfortable, Dr. Freeman best expresses himself with acts of service and quality time. I can see him holding your hand or pulling you in for a long hug if you need help to cool down from an overstimulating crowd.

Your preservation interest is really interesting! Science and history go hand in hand usually. You can share with him all about physical and digital media. He’s a great listener.

In return, maybe he can bring you to Black Mesa one day to see some of his work. Gordon has an interest with chemistry and physics that continues outside his job. He hopes you’d be interest to learn from him too

Your Postal Dude:

Brain Damaged Dude

He likes your insect friends. Picture you finish dressing up. You hear to the living room to be greeter by Dude sitting on the couch with snails running up his arm and a praying mantis dancing on his head. “Mornin’, honey.” They’re watching Mythbusters together

I headcanon that Brain Damaged takes place post-Paradise Lost from Postal 2. For a while, he just stays in his trailer to cool off from all the events of everything that fucking happened. Dude is fucking tired of everyone so it’s a miracle he met a cute femboy enby who he can just vibe with from the noise outside

He’s all for your special interests, especially when it comes to video games and internet archival stuff. The Dude has surprisingly deep knowledge for lost media too. I can see you blowing his mind with some of the stuff you have collected over the years. Oh and Dude has some serious munchies so it’s heavily appreciates that you can actually cook stuff! But he will steal your french fries in addition to him already having his own.

Dude has paranoid delusions too. Usually coming from his nightmares. But he’ll do his best to try and comfort you. While he lacks in expressing himself in words (that have niche references every 0.5 seconds), he can at least be by your side to provide a way to ride it out. Lean on him and let him be there to take good care of you.

Bonus mention bc I see this happening with the chewing stim

[basic204]

I got bored and decided to create a proposal for a law I want you guys to tell me what you think of it.

## Abandoned Technology Reclamation and Preservation Act

### Section 1. Short Title

This Act may be cited as the “Abandoned Technology Reclamation and Preservation Act.”

---

### Section 2. Purpose

1. Prevent the indefinite withholding of obsolete and unsupported products from consumers and preservationists.

2. Enable public preservation, study, and continued enjoyment of software and hardware products when the rights holder discontinues support or stops selling them.

3. Protect good-faith preservers (e.g., archives, museums, and consumers) from legal actions when they make or distribute functional copies or ROM emulations of abandoned products.

---

### Section 3. Definitions

For the purposes of this Act:

1. **“Abandoned Software”**

- Any software application, operating system, or digital game:

(a) No longer actively sold or distributed by the rights holder in any official format; **and**

(b) No longer receiving meaningful updates or support from the rights holder (including online services or server support) for a continuous period of two (2) years.

- “Meaningful updates or support” includes (i) genuine bug fixes, (ii) security patches, (iii) compatibility updates for modern systems, or (iv) continued operation of required online services.

2. **“Abandoned Hardware”**

- Any computing device, console, or peripheral:

(a) No longer manufactured or sold by the rights holder or licensed distributors; **and**

(b) No longer supported via firmware updates, parts, or official repair services for a continuous period of two (2) years.

3. **“Rights Holder”**

- Any person, corporation, or entity possessing copyright, patent, trademark, or other intellectual property rights in a given software or hardware product.

4. **“Public Domain”**

- The status of a work in which no person or organization holds any exclusive intellectual property rights, allowing free use, modification, reproduction, and distribution by any party.

5. **“Preservation Activities”**

- Any lawful efforts undertaken by individuals, non-profits, archives, museums, or educational institutions to copy, emulate, or otherwise maintain products for historical, academic, or cultural purposes.

---

### Section 4. Determination of Abandonment

1. **Voluntary Declaration**

- A rights holder may file a written declaration with the designated government authority that it is discontinuing sales and support for a product. Upon filing, the product immediately enters the public domain.

2. **Presumption of Abandonment**

- Any software or hardware product that meets the criteria in Section 3 for a period of two (2) continuous years shall be presumed abandoned.

- The designated government authority shall maintain a publicly accessible “Abandoned Products Registry.” Once listed, the product automatically enters the public domain 90 days from posting unless the rights holder rebuts the presumption.

- **Burden of Proof**: The rights holder can rebut this presumption by providing documented evidence of continued genuine sales or updates (e.g., version releases, patch notes, server logs) within the last 24 months.

3. **Failure to Rebut**

- If the rights holder fails to rebut the presumption or does not respond within 90 days of registry posting, the product is conclusively deemed public domain.

---

### Section 5. Transition to the Public Domain

1. **Automatic Release of Copyright and Related Rights**

- Upon the determination of abandonment, all exclusive rights—including copyright, patent (to the extent it applies specifically to the abandoned product), trademark, and trade secrets integral to the functionality—are forever released into the public domain.

2. **Mandatory Source Code or Documentation Deposit**

- The rights holder, at or before the time of abandonment, must deposit relevant source code, schematics, documentation, or firmware with the designated repository or registry for archival and public access.

- If no official deposit is made, the product is still deemed in the public domain. Individuals who have copies of source code or hardware specifications may legally share them without penalty.

3. **Partial IP Overlap**

- If a product relies on shared libraries, engines, or patents used in actively supported products, only the portions exclusively tied to the abandoned product must be released. Shared resources remain protected to the extent they are still actively sold, maintained, or used in other non-abandoned products.

---

### Section 6. Preservation and Emulation Protections

1. **Legal Protection for Preservers**

- Individuals or organizations engaging in emulation, ROM creation, or other preservation activities for an abandoned product shall be immune from copyright infringement or other intellectual property claims once the product is publicly listed as abandoned.

- The Act overrides conflicting statutes (e.g., any anti-circumvention provisions) to the extent required to enable preservation, copying, modification, or emulation of abandoned products for historical, cultural, educational, or private use.

2. **Exemption from Civil or Criminal Liability**

- No person shall face liability for non-commercial preservation, emulation, or distribution of abandoned products.

- Commercial Distribution is also permitted once the product is in the public domain, provided the distributor does not falsely claim or enforce IP rights.

3. **Consumer Protections**

- Consumers who legally obtain copies or emulations of abandoned products may freely use, modify, and share them without interference from the former rights holder.

---

### Section 7. Enforcement and Administration

1. **Designated Agency**

- The [Agency/Department Name] shall administer and enforce this Act, maintaining the Abandoned Products Registry, adopting regulations, and resolving disputes.

2. **Complaint and Investigation Process**

- Any individual or entity may submit a complaint alleging a product has been improperly withheld as abandoned.

- The agency shall investigate and, if sufficient evidence of abandonment exists, list the product on the Abandoned Products Registry, triggering the 90-day rebuttal period.

3. **Penalties for Non-Compliance**

- A rights holder that knowingly fails to comply with an agency order to release abandoned IP into the public domain or attempts to enforce IP rights on an abandoned product may be subject to:

- Civil fines up to [amount determined by legislation],

- Liability for attorneys’ fees and court costs incurred by defendants in infringement suits,

- Additional damages for willful misrepresentation or bad-faith litigation.

---

### Section 8. Exceptions and Limitations

1. **National Security or Public Safety**

- If release of certain software or hardware poses a significant threat to national security, public safety, or personal privacy, the agency may delay or partially withhold sensitive components for a defined, renewable period.

- The rest of the product enters public domain status, and once the threat is resolved, withheld components shall also be released.

2. **Third-Party Licensed Components**

- Components licensed from third parties that are actively supported or still being sold must be excluded or redacted if they can be functionally separated from the abandoned product.

- The product’s overall functionality, to the extent possible, must still be public domain.

3. **Conflicts with Existing Laws**

- This Act shall be interpreted and enforced in a manner consistent with export controls, consumer protection, and data protection laws, without unduly restricting the fundamental intent of freeing abandoned products.

---

### Section 9. Effective Date

1. **Implementation**

- This Act shall take effect one (1) year after enactment. The designated agency must establish relevant regulations within six (6) months of the passage.

2. **Retroactivity**

- Products already meeting the abandonment criteria before the Act’s effective date shall be listed and automatically transition to the public domain no later than 90 days post-listing, unless the rights holder successfully rebuts the listing.

---

### Section 10. Severability

If any provision of this Act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this Act or its application to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA to test solution for radiation-tolerant computing in space

Onboard computers are critical to space exploration, aiding nearly every spacecraft function from propulsion and navigation systems to life support technology, science data retrieval and analysis, communications, and reentry.

But computers in space are susceptible to ionizing solar and cosmic radiation. Just one high-energy particle can trigger a so-called "single event effect," causing minor data errors that lead to cascading malfunctions, system crashes, and permanent damage. NASA has long sought cost-effective solutions to mitigate radiation effects on computers to ensure mission safety and success.

Enter the Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) technology demonstration, one of 10 NASA payloads set to fly aboard the next lunar delivery for the agency's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. RadPC will be carried to the moon's surface by Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander.

Developed by researchers at Montana State University in Bozeman, RadPC aims to demonstrate computer recovery from faults caused by single event effects of ionizing radiation. The computer is designed to gauge its own real-time state of health by employing redundant processors implemented on off-the-shelf integrated circuits called field programmable gate arrays.

These tile-like logic blocks are capable of being easily replaced following a confirmed ionizing particle strike. In the event of a radiation strike, RadPC's patented recovery procedures can identify the location of the fault and repair the issue in the background.

As an added science benefit, RadPC carries three dosimeters to measure varying levels of radiation in the lunar environment with each tuned to different sensitivity levels. These dosimeters will continuously measure the interaction between Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind during its journey to the moon. It will also provide detailed radiation information about Blue Ghost's lunar landing site at Mare Crisium, which could help to safeguard future Artemis astronauts.

"This is RadPC's first mission out into the wild, so to speak," said Dennis Harris, who manages the payload for the CLPS initiative at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "The RadPC CLPS payload is an exciting opportunity to verify a radiation-tolerant computer option that could make future moon to Mars missions safer and more cost-effective."

IMAGE: The Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) payload undergoes final checkout at Montana State University in Bozeman, which leads the payload project. RadPC is one of 10 NASA payloads set to fly aboard the next delivery for NASA's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative in 2025. RadPC prototypes previously were tested aboard the International Space Station and Earth-orbiting satellites, but the technology demonstrator will undergo its biggest trial in transit to the moon—passing through the Earth's Van Allen radiation belts—and during its roughly two-week mission on the lunar surface. Credit: Firefly Aerospace

[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