#Extended Lunar Operations

[northopalshore]

South Node Persona Chart

This is more of a theoretical type of astrology observation. However, whether you believe in past reincarnations or not you may mind that your south node persona chart does mirror a version of you that may have caused whatever it is you're feeling & experiencing in the present moment; including memories or karmic debts carried onto this life. Shaping the way you act and feel, as well as the experiences you go through.

Observations

Masterlist| South Node persona chart masterlist| union persona chart masterlist | Venus persona chart masterlist| Briede persona chart |

How to find? astro.com, extended chart, persona charts, desc. lunar node

₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑

☕ Aries Stellium

You likely had a very rough life. One where you had to be independent & do everything on your own; fending for yourself, taking care of others. Either way, it was not an easy time for you. This likely made you stronger & more independent in this life.

☕ Pluto in the 2nd house

Money was likely a problem in your life, it felt like it was so hard to gain & even if you did earn it you'd have to work your ass off for it. It was likely a hard life for you financially.

☕ Pluto in the 1st

Mayhaps, you suffered from an accident that injured your face of physical looks. You may have spent a lot of time obsessing over how you look, being told that you are too this or too that. You were attractive, but you seemed to be always obsessed with yourself or had the need to control everything around you.

☕ Mercury in Scorpio

You were very intelligent in a past life. Often having to use your mind for life or death situations, analizing others, speaking on behalf of others as well. You likely held a sort of position of power as there was control and motivé behind your words, what you wrote and what you thought. There was a tendency for you to indulge in overly negative thoughts, thinking of the worst that could happen. You may even had to manipulate the way you spoke or your thoughts were often manipulated by others. Some of you may have taken a vow of silence.

☕ Sagittarius 6th house

You could have been an educator in a past life. A researcher, a philosopher, an explorer or navigator. Christopher Columbus? Is that you? Lolol

☕ Chiron in the 6th house

You may have gotten a serious illness or injury while working, or an ailment might have stopped you from being able to work or live life freely.

☕ Chiron in the 3rd House

You may have lived your life being criticized by your thoughts and ideas; people seeing you as obnoxious, loud or even stupid. People didn't value your opinions and your voice which has left a great scar.

☕ Chiron conjunct Groom in Aries

Your past partners may have been quite abusive or selfish. They may have been a survivalist with the mentality of scarcity as they have lived their life in agony & selfishness. Either your partner had to be independent to survive the world or you had to be to survive them.

☕ Sun conjunct Groom

If you are a man, or identify as the masculine counterpart in any relationship, or even just in this past iteration of yourself you took much pride in being a husband. That was also one of your main motives; being a husband, being in a long-term relationship. This aspect of your life may be brought up now as well (unless different placements say otherwise).

☕ Sun/Mars/Mercury/Saturn in Aries 6th house

You might have worked in the military, or in defense/safety operations. You were likely forced into hard labour, or may have had a career where you needed to be strong physically. Did you enjoy it? Hell no. Though this can manifest as you having more physical endurance & stamina in the current life.

☕ Chiron in the 7th house

It was almost impossible for you to find & connect to people that you could really trust or depend on. For some of you, your actions (whatever it may have been) drove a lot of those that loved and cared for you away due to betrayal or distrust. This may have carried over to your current life as severe trust issues, or deep attachment to whomever gave you that live or attention that you craved.

☕ Saturn in the 5th house

You often had to repress your desires, due to either your sense of discipline, need for control, or disgust towards "tainting" yourself. That repression could have stemmed from the desire to be faithful, to abide by religious beliefs or to abstain from it indefinitely by preference. You may have wanted to explore and do more than you could, but stopped yourself from truly indulging in those desires.

☕ Pisces Stellium

You could have had a life lived as a musician or a singer. Your spirituality was the cornerstone of your entire existence. Some semblance of it will follow you into this life; whether choosing to fully embrace it or abandon it completely. Still, it calls for you now and again.

☕ 4150 Starr in the 11th house

You were likely very popular, famous even to some degree especially if moon or venus is accompanying it. Either way, you had a lot of friends or people on your side, admiring you. It was very easy for you to get around and catch the eyes of those around you!

☕ North node in the 7th house

Relationships, love and diplomacy were a driving force behind your very living being in a past life. You may have been destined to a specific person, group or organization/company and have spent many a lives dedicated to them (either pursuing, living for or just tied to them through some sort of contract/legal binding agenda which yes, includes marriage but not completely limited to!)

☕ Jupiter in Leo or °5,°19,°29 in the 1st house

You were a sight to behold. Likely someone rather revered too wherever you were. You may have had great pride in yourself and was praised of everything that you did. Your presence was big and unmistakable. You were likely very proud or boastful. As this is related to your karma you may crave the same attention that you were given in the past. Though some light remains, it's dim compared to what you were like in the past.

☕ Pisces Stellium in the 8th house

You were a very spiritual person in the past, some of you could have devoted your entire life to a religion or spiritual belief wholeheartedly. Especially if you have Neptune, Sun, & Mercury in the mix. Though for some, it might have led to your demise due to a connection with a cult or deep obsession towards spirituality.

☕ Groom 5129 in retrograde

Love was likely difficult for you. Your spouse (usually masculine) could have left you alone often or have contributed nearly nothing to you. They/you may be the rather lenient type when compared to other men at the time. Usually meaning you/your husband was quite a gentle person too.

☕ Groom 5129/Briede 19029 in Aries or the 1st house

You or your spouse likely were involved in the military in some way. Life way hard for the both of you, and it seemed like trouble was coming left and right either preventing you from being together, or pushing you to your limits. You likely lived a hard life together.

Ex: I have Briede in the 1st in Libra°0 & Groom retrograde in Aries°5 in the 7th. I've had dreams of living with a woman who seemed to be my maternal figure who had some sort of position of power. I wouldn't be surprised if my husband was in the military either with these placements & a couple others sprinkled around my chart.I also have a Stellium in the 2nd house (Libra Jupiter °29, Scorpio Sun°0 & Scorpio Mercury°21). In my dreams I always used my voice in some way. I was likely more affluent than my spouse at the time as well. Both my parents have Aries influences in their charts too, but looking at their lives, it makes sense to think that they had something similar going on in their past life (poverty, instability, fights, wars etc)

☕ Groom 5129/Briede 19029 in Pisces or the 12th house

You were likely deeply attached to someone, mayhaps a soulmate in a past life. The idea of true love was something that you truly believed in. Both of you could have been very religious or spiritual as well, believing in a love that that last forever. However, there could also have been a lack of maturity or focus on the more practical side of life due to that. Could also have been "the one that got away" type of situation. Unrequited love.

☕ Briede 19029 in Libra in the 2nd, 8th & 12th house and Groom 5129 retrograde in the 6th house

Love and marriage may have felt or have been equivalent to a transaction in the past. You may have had many suitors or have found it difficult to settle down with a man that you genuinely loved. You may have had many lovers as well treating them as "work". Mayhaps you were an escort or a consort (kept maiden) of sorts. Though that's not necessarily the case. Your spouse may have always been away for work for example and you were left in solitude.

₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑

🔍 Additional note

This time around, I wanted to share some observations (or rather speculation based theoretical knowledge & chart comparison). There is no concrete way to determine who we were in any past life (like literally name them), but we can uncover our experiences which have led us to how we are today. You will however, find a connection with your south node pc placements & your natal albeit in a different form. Still, there is no true definitive way to determine it's credibility (at least from a material i.e tangible perspective).

Hope this was interesting ♡

@northopalshore

@northopalshore south node 2025 all rights reserved. Disclaimer

[livingforstars]

Moon Robot: Lunokhod 1 - April 20th, 1997.

"On November 17th, 1970, the Soviet Luna 17 spacecraft landed the first roving remote-controlled robot on the Moon. Known as Lunokhod 1, it weighed just under 2,000 pounds and was designed to operate for 90 days, guided by a 5-person team at the Deep Space Center near Moscow, USSR, Planet Earth. Lunokhod 1 actually toured the Lunar Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) for 11 months in one of the greatest successes of the Soviet lunar exploration program. The futuristic looking eight wheeler is pictured here in an artist's conception atop its landing module. Ramps extend from both sides of the spacecraft allowing an alternative route to the surface if one side is blocked by boulders."

[satanachia666]

Astaroth's Menstrual Moon Ritual

Astaroth’s Menstrual Moon Ritual uses the powers of lunar energy and menstruation to manifest specific intentions and desires. In this ritual, one gives offerings of menstrual blood and rose petals to Astaroth in exchange for the manifestation of intentions and desires. This ritual has helped me deepen my connection to the Great Duke/Duchess of Hell, and I hope it does the same for anyone interested in performing it on their own!

Perform this moon ritual with Astaroth while menstruating and feeling well enough to actually do the ritual. Some of us experience more severe period pain and discomfort than others, including myself. I speak from experience when I say that doing a ritual is usually/often not doable when one is experiencing severe PMS and menstruation symptoms. I intentionally made this ritual short so I could do it while operating with lower spoons. I’ve found that making rituals accessible according to my needs leads to the most effective ritual performance and better results. Feel free to adapt this ritual according to your specific practice and needs, regardless of whether those needs are physical or spiritual.

This ritual is best performed under a moon in a Venus-related zodiac sign, but feel free to perform it during any moon phase. The best times to perform this ritual are at night, sunset, and sunrise. This ritual has only 8 steps, so it’s flexible enough to do on its own or incorporate into a larger ritual.

Items:

A rose gold, red, or pink chime candle

Dried rose petals

A cauldron or burning bowl

Astaroth’s seal drawn on a piece of paper - Feel free to write your intentions on the back!

Most Importantly: Menstrual Blood!

Carve words or symbols related to your intention(s) into a rose gold, red, or pink candle.

2. Light the candle and say the following invocation and incantation:

Hail Astaroth! Demon of love, lust, beauty, creativity, and friendship! Great Duke of Hell! I’ve lit this candle in your honor. By your infernal powers of the _____ moon in _____, I call upon you with full love and respect: Please bless, charge, and empower this candle so as it burns, my intention(s) of _____ manifest to full fruition for me in my life. So mote it be!

3. Hold up a cauldron or burning bowl with flowers in it and say:

Hail Astaroth! I offer these rose petals to you as a gift and sacrifice from the bottom of my heart. These rose petals represent your star-kissed beauty, power, passion, and prosperity. Please accept these rose petals as an expression of my love and esteem for you. As these rose petals intermingle with the elements, my intention(s) of _____ become my lived, tangible reality. Thank you, Astaroth, now and forevermore. So mote it be!

4. Meditate and/or chant as the candle burns. While doing so, focus on attuning to Astaroth’s energy and receiving her/his messages.

5. Hold up a paper with Astaroth’s seal on one side, with or without your intentions written on the other side. While holding Astaroth’s seal on paper, state your intention to offer menstrual blood to Astaroth:

Hail Astaroth! As a final gift and sacrifice to you, I shall anoint your seal with my menstrual blood and burn it so you receive its smoke in this realm and all others realms beyond it. By your infernal powers of the _____ moon in _____, my intentions of fully manifest for me in my life. Thank you, Astaroth, now and forevermore. So mote it be!

6. Anoint the seal with menstrual blood. Once the paper dries, burn it with the rose petals present in the cauldron. Once it’s done burning, thank Astaroth verbally or in your thoughts.

7. State your intention to scatter the rose petals nearby, outside, and/or somewhere dear to you:

Hail Astaroth! Thank you for accepting the offerings I’ve extended to you with love. I shall scatter these ashes upon the earth so my intentions become my lived, tangible reality. By your infernal powers of the _____ moon in _____, my intentions of _____ fully manifest for me in my life. Thank you, Astaroth, now and forevermore. So mote it be!

8. Scatter the ashes outside while saying a personal prayer to Astaroth. Keep an open awareness of signs, dreams, and visions from Astaroth.

🌕 Pearl Satanachia 🌕

[thesilliestrovingalive]

Sagan

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, crime, drugs, infidelity, child abuse, neglect, self-harm, unhealthy romance, sexism/misogyny, incest, and SA.

Real name: Xochiquetzal Wildgrube(renamed to Sagan Roswitha Wildgrube)

Aliases: Explosive Vixen and Princess of Jewels

Nicknames: Roswi

Occupation: Major General of the Rebel Army and Sergeant of the P.F. Squad (formerly)

Retirement plans: Opening a pawn shop building that serves alcohol and has an underground nightclub with casino-style games and adult entertainment

Special skills: Proficiency in accurate aiming and smuggling illicit goods, handling of rifles and anti-tank weaponry, knowledge of the criminal underworld, self-care techniques, and courtesan work

Hobbies: Herbarium, gambling at fancy casinos, frequenting underground nightclubs and beauty shops, putting on makeup half-naked in her bedroom while listening to erotica, pop, and punk songs, and weaving blankets and shawls before embroidering colourful lunar, serpentine, and floral designs onto them

Likes: The severed heads of enemies and traitors brought by her most loyal soldiers, her childhood collection of Ty Beanie Baby snake, dragon, and cat plushies, laying on a hammock during a sunny and peaceful day, collecting vintage jewellery and alcohol, and luxurious spa days

Dislikes: Not being able to blow stuff up and getting her way, missing out on a good joyride, abusive and loveless relationships, uncomfortable sexual situations, and white supremacy

Favourite food: Sauerbraten with Kartoffelklöße and caramel fudge vanilla ice cream with pecans and strawberry sauce

Favourite drink: Cherry vanilla soda

Sexuality: Sex-favourable, bicurious heterosexual

Gender: Female

Age: 29 (in 2022), 35 (in 2028), 37 (in 2030), 39 (in 2032), 41 (in 2034), 48 (in 2041), 50 (in 2043), 51 (in 2044), and 54 (in 2047)

Blood type: O+

Weight: 166 lbs. (75 kg)

Design: She’s a 5’ 11” (180.34 cm) Quechua-Polish mesomorph of Peruvian, Brazilian, and Welsh descent with a bottom hourglass body shape, semi-broad shoulders, well-toned muscles, a voluptuous bust, and curvy legs. She has dark copper-toned skin, sunburst green-hazel eyes, frown lines, high cheekbones, a slightly straight nose, and black freckles scattered across her face and chest. She has ashy black hair that reaches slightly above her shoulders and is styled in a lob with spiky, messy waves and nose-length, middle-parted, side-swept bangs. She dyed her hair a ruby red that gradients to tangerine in the middle then transitions to yellow-green near the ends.

When Sagan becomes a cyborg after she was decapitated during the Extraterrestrial Alliance Clash, she possesses a revolutionary self-resurrection mechanism. A small stellated dodecahedron microchip embedded in her spine springs into action whenever her vital systems fail. The chip emits a low humming frequency and flashes a cyclical pattern of blue, white, and red for precisely 50 seconds. After this brief interval, she awakens in a newly prepared cyborg body, fully restored and operational with all of her memories intact.

She has received some scars, including a vertical stab mark on the palm of her right hand, self-inflicted slices on the underside of her left forearm, and a series of horizontal cuts running along her inner thighs. Located just below her buttocks, she has a large, blotchy patch of scar tissue on the back of her left thigh. She has a slice mark extending from the centre of her scalene neck muscle to just above her sternothyroid muscle. She sustained a bullet wound just below the middle of her right calf and her right pinkie finger amputated. Her left ear sustained a horizontal laceration extending from the centre of the tragus through the helix, caused by a violent tearing of the skin as a bullet flew past. Her back and buttocks bear numerous self-inflicted whip marks, and she has a gnarly, curved scar extending from the top of her left breast down to the centre of her diaphragm.

On her stomach, an Aztec-style carmine-crested rattlesnake stares forward, its body covered in golden green to blue-green plumage. The body of the feathered serpent is comfortably coiled on a patch of golden grass surrounded by a ring of smoke. Atop the serpent's head rests a four-petalled jade flower with a turquoise feathered rim and a circular obsidian mirror at its centre. An earthy green spiral Pachamama symbol is tattooed on her left shoulder, surrounded by twelve rays of undulating sunlight. She has two tattooed turquoise bands, one on each arm, and a zigzag cochineal red band encircling the centre of her neck, bisected by a semi-thick golden line.

On her left outer thigh, she has a full white gold moon surrounded by two wiggly, glowing silver-white circles. In front of the moon and partially below it are two Cantua buxifolia flowers with jade calyxes attached to a spiky branch. Blood drips from the petals like raindrops, while two male birds—a resplendent quetzal on the right and a shining sunbeam on the left—idly perch on the turquoise branch. On the left side, near the centre of her right calf, an Aztec-style adult green iguana lies on its side, its tongue sticking out and its mouth slightly open. An obsidian-tipped arrow with a burgundy wooden shaft and jade fletching pierces through its heart. In the background, to the right of the iguana, a turquoise-outlined silver-grey thin waxing crescent partially encircles it.

Sagan’s military uniform consists of a metal dog tag necklace with her name, bronze-plated sunglasses with pink-tinted lenses, and viridian driving gloves. Her shoulders are draped with a hip-length cape-like reseda green coat featuring sleeves that reach just above her mid-thighs. It has a honeydew Henley-style collar and cuffs, each adorned with a single golden button near the centre, both edged with scarlet piping. It’s adorned with golden epaulettes, each featuring two Apricot Brandy hibiscuses seated atop, and a six-petalled turquoise flower button, which has a circular piece of emerald at its centre. She wears a misty rose blouse with medium-length cuffed sleeves, two breast pockets, a golden ten-button front, and a cerulean faux tie neatly tied into a bow that falls just above the breastline. She wears a blue-green waistband featuring a thick cochineal red horizontal line in the middle, accompanied by twenty-two golden dots evenly spaced above and below the line.

When off-duty, she wears a sage green tight-fitting pencil skirt that falls to her mid-thighs, paired with silky black pantyhose and a pair of heeled phthalo blue boots that reach up to her mid-calves. She wears a reseda green peaked cap emblazoned with the Rebel Army insignia and an artificial Plumeria rubra flower on the right side. The cap features a black visor, a green gold band, and a blue-green cap strap secured by two gilded buttons.

When on duty, she wears earthy green army cargo pants tucked into a pair of navy blue combat boots with carmine spiked soles and held up by a viridian belt featuring a golden snap-on buckle. She wears a bittersweet shimmer Pickelhaube emblazoned with the Rebel Army insignia, featuring a wine red chinstrap, black visor trim, and golden side posts and spike. Additionally, she wears two black bandoliers: one slung over her right shoulder, holding explosive shells for her Anti-Tank Rifle, and a second slung over her left shoulder, containing throwing daggers and the tonfa that Tequila gave her, which once belonged to him and is secured in the central strap on her side.

When on and off duty, she wears a Kevlar bulletproof vest underneath her blouse, along with a shoulder holster for her Korth Combat revolver and two pouches for dual .38 Special magazines. Furthermore, she has three medals: above her right breast pocket, a green-tinted silver bar edged in black features a scarlet square in the centre; on her right breast, a golden circle with a pearlescent white rim and black draconic wings is on a rose red ribbon; and on her left breast, a bronze jawless skull with obsidian eyes on a malachite ribbon, featuring a magic mint stripe running along its centre.

During her time in the Peregrine Falcons Squad, her military gear consisted of a metal dog tag necklace with her name and blue-green fingerless gloves. She dons a Cambridge blue T-shirt with ripped sleeves and a sage-outlined crew neck and hem. She wears a jade vest with four pockets and an embroidered logo of the P.F. Squad on the back, alongside rufous army cargo pants tucked into her rosewood paratrooper boots. She wears a right-side drop leg holster for her handgun, along with a gold-buckled dark mossy green belt that holds her tonfa and has a sheath for her combat knife. She wore the same sash that her Rebel Army outfit currently sports.

Over her T-shirt, she wears a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) with a MultiCam pattern, which carries her walkie-talkie and ammo for other firearms. She has a malachite waist pack secured at the back of her belt, storing ammunition for her handgun. Additionally, she wears two black bandoliers that cross in an X-shape: the right one holds multiple throwing daggers, while the left one carries explosive shells for her Anti-Tank Rifle. Sagan carries a rufous load-bearing backpack containing camping equipment, tactical explosives, portable ammo boxes, a canteen full of water, a Gatling Shot, a Shotgun, and a Rocket Launcher.

She temporarily wore a drill instructor outfit, which she has kept as a personal trophy to commemorate her accomplishments during the Survival Island Occupation. The outfit consists of black knee pads, a pair of spike-soled seal brown combat boots, and a boonie hat with a woodland Flecktarn camouflage pattern and an auburn adjustable chin strap. She wears an olivine sleeveless shirt and earth yellow army cargo shorts that fall just above her knees. Her cargo shorts are held up by a gold-buckled phthalo green belt that has a tight strap compartment that securely holds her black riding crop with a burgundy handle when not in use. She dons a military jacket with a woodland Flecktarn camouflage pattern, two breast pockets, short sleeves with tea green cuffs, a golden eight-button front with the top button unbuttoned, and a Johnny collar. She wears a shoulder-length light brown wig with gentle curls and wispy bangs that cover her eyebrows.

For all of her outfits, she wears a madder red tank top that exposes her stomach and a Prussian blue bra with Chantilly lace and panties. She wears a round cabochon-cut emerald labret piercing and a turquoise-hued nose piercing with gilded lines that's a slightly slimmer version of Xochiquetzal's nose plug. She dons earrings that feature medium-sized golden hoops, a large circular bone bead, and blue-green tassels. For her Rebel Army and P.F. Squad outfits, she carries a blue-green duffle bag containing extra portable ammo boxes, Stielhandgranate, pineapple grenades, smoke bombs, a sheathed obsidian knife, a cat o’ nine tails tipped with metal barbs, a bottle of diuretics, two lipsticks, eyeliner, a small makeup brush, an eyeshadow palette, a square green gold blush compact with a built-in mirror, pepper spray, condoms, a couple of cans of cherry vanilla soda, and jewellery she isn’t wearing while on duty. It carries hand-sized chunks of her favourite rocks and minerals: carbonatite, kimberlite containing a couple of translucent white diamonds, litchfieldite, a unakite pebble, jadeite, sodalite, and pyrite.

It also includes a multicoloured ballpoint pen (black, red, orange, blue, and pink) and an emerald leather-bound journal with gold-trimmed pages and a blue-green ribbon marker. She uses the journal to contain her herbarium collection, record her unfiltered thoughts on current situations she finds herself in, and keep notes on acquaintances and important details. Once the Rebel Army is established and she joins, she uses the duffle bag to carry the keys to the Shoe, extra food rations and weapons for her platoon, and rolling bombs. It also carries a plastic bag full of weed joints, three boxes of cigarettes, an iridescent black lighter, and her golden bracers whenever she isn’t wearing them. She also keeps a supply of alcohol, hallucinogenic drugs, modafinil, Pervitin, cocaine, and fenethylline on hand for her platoon whenever they require pharmaceuticals and stimulants.

She often wears bold golden-brown double-winged eyeliner, sunset blush on her cheeks, glittery, smoky pinkish-orange eyeshadow with light purple blended in the centre, and shimmering dark scarlet lipstick edged with a seamless blend of old mauve.

When off-duty, she wears some jewellery, which is mostly inherited from her mother. Around her neck, she wears a braided camelid cord necklace that she made as a young child, featuring an Aztec-style turquoise jaguar's head centrepiece that faces downward with a snarling expression. The centrepiece is flanked by two circular bone beads, one on each side, four amethyst rondelle beads, two on each side, and six jade lentil beads, three on each side. A single resplendent quetzal tail feather protrudes from the amethyst beads. She wears another necklace, which is made from a cotton cord and features square sodalite beads. She wears three golden rings on her left hand: an upside-down triangle-cut fire opal ring on her pinky finger; a horizontally-set, rectangular rose pink rhodochrosite ring on her ring finger; and a marquise-cut red aventurine ring on her middle finger. She doesn’t wear any jewellery when donning her drill instructor outfit for disguise and stealth purposes.

She owns the only known Anti-Tank Rifle in existence, a large sniper rifle that fires a penetrating explosive shot. Its ammunition consists of explosive shells resembling 12-gauge red shotgun shells with a pineapple-like texture, which provide very strong firepower. Although it can rapidly fire three shots at a time, its rate of fire is relatively slow. The rifle features a black sling and a gradient colour scheme, transitioning from saffron-yellow at the rear to crimson at the front.

She owns the Shoe, a super-heavy tank that launches missiles from a ramp. The tank features pumpkin orange stripes and a black finish. However, she'll repaint it with a more camouflage-like finish if the situation requires stealthier measures.

Character summary: As a lustful person, she enjoys indulging her sexual desires, especially after a difficult or draining day at work, and her mind is often filled with erotic thoughts and fantasies. She tends to engage in sexual activity as a maladaptive coping mechanism to escape emotional pain and distress as well as to seek validation. She loves to flirt shamelessly with those who pique her interest, lavishing them with sincere praise and compliments. She isn't afraid to seduce people with the promise of sexual gratification, even if she doesn't intend to follow through it. Sagan strategically engages in sexual relationships, particularly when it helps with disarming adversaries, acquiring confidential information, and breeding loyalty. However, she maintains a strict personal boundary, refusing any involvement with sex offenders because she finds them disgusting and irredeemable.

She enjoys playfully teasing others, but she knows when to stop, respecting people's boundaries and outspoken feelings. While she's unapologetically confident and promiscuous, she prioritises consent and values the importance of respecting others' limits. Whenever she has a hangover or is preoccupied with her latest intimate encounter, she tends to run late or not have enough time to prepare for important meetings. She doesn't care about physical appearance, but she does have a personal preference for two types of men: those who are strong and have rigid muscles as they remind her of the statues of Greek gods; and those who are slender or heavier-set as she finds them adorably pathetic.

She secretly has an interest in women, particularly those she finds beautiful and feisty or sweet and adorable. However, she feels uncertain about how to approach the idea of becoming romantically and sexually involved with women, especially given Logan's past struggles with homophobia from their parents and strangers who took advantage of him. She keeps her sapphic desire a secret, not wanting to face the potential homophobia and biphobia that could harm her mental well-being. It doesn't help that she has openly presented herself as heterosexual, leading her to fear that many of the men who care for her and have been sexually intimate with her might be shocked and could potentially distance themselves if she were to come out as bisexual.

She's physically affectionate, freely giving kisses and embraces because she wants the people she genuinely cares about to know that she's approachable and worthy of attentive love. However, she also uses physical touch, often of a sensual nature, to purposefully disarm her opponents. She genuinely enjoys the warmth of human connection, finding comfort and a sense of vitality in it. She has a tendency to play coy and feign innocence, particularly when pretending to be friendly and sweet towards those she opposes. It's also a way for her to deny knowledge of or involvement in something she's actually aware of or has done. She's perceptive enough to recognize manipulation and has the confidence to address it directly. She appreciates it when men treat her with gentlemanly courtesy because she values respect and enjoys being treated like a real lady. Like Logan, she's pleasantly kind, polite, and approachable, yet she can also be rude and distant when the situation calls for it. She tends to act impulsively and sometimes makes poor judgments, which can give her the impression of being moronic, awkward, and careless.

She's a generous individual capable of showing genuine concern and compassion for those who are clearly in mental anguish. She's often shocked and in disbelief when someone reveals that they've endured many terrible situations. She often treats traumatised individuals who never wanted to be forced into war, survive in brutal ways or fight for a cause they didn't believe in with empathy and maternal concern. While she can easily escalate a situation for her own amusement, she knows when to act with kindness and seriousness. However, she reassures those she's trying to comfort that it's not her place to impose her understanding on them; that's for them to determine, and she knows she's incapable of changing crucial decisions like that. She conceals her emotional intelligence behind an overconfident and distant exterior, revealing it only to those she genuinely cares about and understands. She finds it abhorrent how some people prey on innocent and naive children, abuse the mentally ill, and force young individuals into the military. She could never hurt a child or young person who was forced to fight, even if she were told to do so.

She struggles with unresolved trauma, atypical depression, occasional suicidal thoughts, mild anger management issues, body dysmorphia, and bulimia nervosa. She uses binge eating and purging as a coping mechanism to manage the emotional pain stemming from her past trauma. This behaviour is also driven by a need to control her body and attain her idealised self-image. Furthermore, she grapples with a negative body image, obsessing over her physical appearance and striving for beauty, despite receiving affirmations of her attractiveness. She avoids mirrors because her reflection triggers intense insecurities, causing her to perceive herself as repulsive. In extreme cases, this self-loathing can be overwhelming, leading to vomiting and breaking mirrors. However, she's comfortable looking at her eyes and lips in a small mirror because those are the parts of herself she isn't insecure about. Additionally, she has a quick temper and is prone to angry outbursts, often resorting to crass insults, fierce retorts, and sudden violence when faced with minor frustrations or difficult people and situations she strongly dislikes. These episodes can be challenging for her to calm down from, often leaving her feeling remorseful afterwards.

Although she identifies as a sadomasochist, her tendencies lean more towards masochism. She has a strong desire to experience intense sensations to satisfy her burning arousal, but she sometimes uses it as a means of self-punishment for feelings of guilt and shame. Additionally, she often craves attention and sometimes acts impulsively to receive it, driven by a deep-seated need for validation and cherishment. Sagan struggles with chronic feelings of loneliness and misery, which she often attempts to ignore through substance abuse, excessive partying, and reckless promiscuity. She isn't fond of situations that make her feel sexually uncomfortable and hates being rudely insulted or treated as a mere object. She has difficulty expressing her genuine emotions, so she tends to keep them private and records them in her journal.

She's a bluntly honest and fiercely independent leader who doesn't worry about hurting the feelings of people she doesn't care about, often blurting out crude and brash remarks. However, she's more considerate when telling the truth to her loved ones. When dealing with adversaries, she can be fiercely intimidating, using aggressive tactics and harsh language to assert her dominance and manipulate them to do her bidding. She's notorious for following through on her death threats and getting rid of cowards and traitors, going as far as to shoot at and cut the throats of any treacherous and cowardly soldier in her platoon, order violent physical punishments or brutally maim them by removing one of their external organs. She recruits new people through a combination of seductive charm, blackmailing, and ideological persuasion, often appealing to their unique worldviews and exploiting their vulnerabilities. She finds amusement in watching others squirm and face serious humiliation and physical pain, and derives genuine pleasure from outmaneuvering her opponents.

As an outwardly brave hothead, Sagan has a thirst for adventure, living life on the edge and reveling in the rush of excitement that comes with it. She's a cunning, watchful, and relentlessly stubborn loudmouth, being slow to forgive and quick to challenge others. She often exhibits malice, delivering scathing criticism and maintaining a cold distance towards those she distrusts and dislikes intensely. She can seamlessly shift from warm and charming to utterly ruthless in an instant, her pleasant demeanour sometimes remaining eerily unchanged. She meticulously keeps detailed mental notes on the vulnerabilities of those around her, facilitating effortless manipulation when opportunities arise. Sagan takes pride in effortlessly "cleaning up" sensitive issues, such as treachery, that could compromise the Rebel Army's plans.

She has a tendency to ramble about her life, even when it's troubling or embarrassing, make off-color jokes with dark humour and sexual undertones, and request specific foods she craves, especially when she's intoxicated. When she's drunk or wants to annoy her twin half-brother, she likes to sing Katy Perry, Nessa Barrett, MARINA, and P!ink songs at the top of her lungs. She kisses her favourite rocks before every battle as a good luck charm, seeking victory and favourable weather. She sometimes sleeps with her thumb in her mouth, a subconscious longing for the innocence and unconditional love of her childhood when she was showered with genuine warmth and affection by her mother. Sagan is deeply proud of her heritage and refuses to let dehumanising insults and opinions diminish her sense of self-worth. She has no tolerance for jealous and possessive men, abhorring the feeling of being owned and believing that life is too precious to be squandered on toxic resentment and bitter grudges.

She recognizes that true power stems from controlling information rather than merely holding authority. She views the world as a chessboard where most individuals are pawns to be maneuvered. She perceives herself as a crucial agent for change and the most effective weapon in General Morden's strategic arsenal. She fully supports General Morden's vision for a New World, convinced that authoritarian control is necessary and that democracy is inherently flawed and ineffective.

She deeply admires her platoon for their unwavering loyalty to the Rebel Army's cause, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice to protect confidential information. She finds it intriguing how some are willing to risk everything or charge headfirst into battle on her command, no matter the strategy. She takes pleasure in the gifts they confidently give her, especially the severed heads of their enemies and traitorous Rebels, which demonstrate how deeply devoted they are to eliminating threats to the Rebel Army's power and ambitions. She always finds it endearing when they give her chocolates and flowers on Valentine's Day. She feels obligated to reciprocate their gestures, often in the form of sexually intimate favours, sharing illicit substances, and fine liquor. At times, she showers them with praise and approval or gives them gentle, affectionate kisses. She proudly showcases the gifts they give her in her bedroom, while storing and prominently displaying the alcohol in a glass-front cabinet and the severed heads in jars of preservative fluid in her private office.

She was once close friends with Gimlet, often playfully teasing him with platonic kisses and jokes laced with sexual innuendo. Despite their falling out after she betrayed the Regular Army and revealed her Rebel allegiance, she harbours a desire to mend their fractured friendship. Knowing he's unlikely to forgive her, Sagan remains doubtful of reconciliation, yet still occasionally wonders how he's doing.

She's deeply devoted to her twin half-brother, Logan, and their unbreakable bond has seen them through countless challenges, always supporting each other in times of need. She tries to help Logan with various problems, but her methods are sometimes misguided or counterproductive. She often playfully teases him about his good looks and his poor sense of direction when he's lost in the wilderness. She encourages him to take pride in his heritage instead of allowing shame to define him. She often has to hide her food from him because he loves to devour her leftovers and treats in secret, especially if she has ice cream lying around. Things often escalate into lively arguments because Logan enjoys teasing her by playfully disregarding her wishes, deliberately pushing her buttons. When he really tests her patience, she's not above engaging in an aggressive, violent wrestle to set him straight.

Besides this, she often sticks by Logan's side through thick and thin, whether they're on a mission together or off-duty. Her deep-seated fear of losing him under unfair circumstances drives her to be overprotective because he represents her main connection to humanity. She'll stop at nothing to keep him safe, even if it means putting her own well-being at risk. She's aware of his doubts about the Rebel Army's plans, specifically whether they'll succeed in rooting out corruption, and if General Morden's methods are becoming too extreme, but she keeps his concerns confidential. Although she strongly disagrees with his concerns, she acknowledges the possibility that the Rebel Army's plans may end in total failure. However, she chooses to remain silent on the matter because she doesn't want to risk damaging their bond, harming Logan's mental health, and tarnishing his good reputation within the Rebel Army.

She looks up to General Morden as a positive paternal figure, wishing he was her and Logan's father. She deeply admires his charisma, competent leadership, and dedication to his soldiers' well-being. General Morden serves as a trusted mentor, providing valuable life advice and tactical guidance whenever she seeks it. She enjoys sharing a few drinks and going hunting with him. Like Logan, she's extremely protective of her older distant cousin and will stop at nothing to ensure his safety. She often fears the worst, recognizing that he is the key to holding the Rebel Army together. She has no patience for anyone who disrespects him and strongly opposes his vision for a New World.

She loves to shamelessly flirt and tease Abul Abbas, reveling in his flustered reactions to her playful attitude. She finds his attempts to woo her with luxurious gifts and promises of fancy night outs to be amusing. Although she doesn't think he's the worst person in the Rebel Army and finds him tolerable for the most part, she understands why many people despise him. She isn't afraid to give him a stern and angry earful when the situation calls for it, especially when he's being a major distraction or has botched a perfectly good plan devised by her, Logan and/or General Morden.

Backstory: Xochiquetzal Wildgrube was born on October 31, 1993 in the isolated forests between Oberammergau and Munich in Bavaria, Germany. The Wildgrube family has a long history of exploration, military service, and pioneering achievements. Wildgrube soldiers were recognized for their tactical brilliance, fierce belligerence, and extraordinary bravery, leaving a lasting impact from the forests of Prussia to the shores of the Mediterranean. Wildgrube explorers were well-known cartographers who contributed significantly to the creation of accurate maps of Central Europe.

In the 18th century, the Wildgrube family made significant contributions to forestry and land management, developing sustainable hunting grounds and forest management systems. On their estates, the Wildgrubes developed a system of underground food cellars and storage spaces, which enabled them to become important traders during harsh winters. This encouraged the wealthy family to venture into the merchant business, establishing extensive trade connections across Central Europe and the Far East. Through carefully cultivated professional relationships and strategic marriages, the Wildgrubes became influential intermediaries in international trade.

Miyahuaxochtzin, a member of the Nina Runakuna ("fire people" in Quechua), and Rochus, the last descendant of the Wildgrube family, got married and became officially involved in a business venture together. Her company formed an agreement with the German corporation he worked for to process farmed materials into sustainable textiles. However, he began making business-related decisions without her input or consent. Over time, Rochus began to reveal a controlling side. He attempted to dictate her life, hoping to keep her with him forever and alleviate his fear of losing her. He heavily restricted her movements, insisting she remain close to him. He also controlled her friendships, limiting her to relatives and coworkers he knew personally, and manipulated her career choices to ensure they benefited him and their business. The lack of transparency and extreme restrictions led Miyahuaxochtzin to develop feelings of betrayal, mistrust, resentment, and a desire for autonomy.

Feeling trapped in a loveless marriage and mistreated by Rochus, Miyahuaxochtzin escaped from the castle and fled to Munich, seeking temporary refuge. During her time apart from him, she pursued excitement and passion, seeking a distraction from the suffocating stresses of her restrictive relationship. In a bold moment of clarity, she devised the ultimate revenge against her husband: a deliberate, carefully calculated affair. This was designed not only to inflict emotional pain on Rochus but also to rekindle the romantic spark she had been desperately craving.

During this time, she encountered a sci-fi author and university botany professor of Polish-Welsh descent, who took her under his wing while she was lost, alone, and exhausted, wandering the streets of Munich. They had a one-night stand, and she left him a day later. The Polish-Welsh man had fathered one of Miyahuaxochtzin’s children, a baby girl named Xochiquetzal. Notably, Xochiquetzal and her twin half-brother, Xochipilli, were the result of heteropaternal superfecundation. Rochus was horrified to discover that his wife had been unfaithful to him with two different men, making him increasingly manipulative and overprotective of her. The fact that he wasn't the biological father of her children only added to his bitterness, leading him to harbour a deep-seated resentment towards them. Despite this, he attempted to conceal his true feelings behind a facade of false fatherly affection.

Her parents had a volatile relationship, marked by heated arguments that frequently escalated into physical altercations, and Rochus often responded with temper tantrums. Beyond these conflicts and the stresses of work, Miyahuaxochtzin's parenting style fluctuated between excessive attentiveness and neglect. Despite her outward affection for her children, she frequently sought escape from her marital difficulties by leaving the house to engage in partying, excessive alcohol consumption, and infidelity.

When Miyahuaxochtzin was home, she adorned Xochiquetzal in beautiful embroidered dresses and fine jewellery, styled her hair, educated her about the Nina Runakuna, taught her Quechua and Nahuatl, and shared stories of Aztec and Inca myths. Upon returning home and finding her daughter distressed, she always offered comfort, berated her stepfather, ensured she was well-fed, and engaged her in exploring nature and traditionally feminine handicrafts like weaving, embroidery, and jewellery making. This maternal attention, while loving, was sometimes so all-consuming that Xochiquetzal had limited time to spend with Xochipilli. She felt pressured by her mother to be the perfect woman, and she didn't appreciate her nosiness. Her mother always wanted to know every detail: what she did at school, her plans for the weekend, her activities with Xochipilli, and how she spent her free time.

While Miyahuaxochtzin was away, Rochus neglected Xochiquetzal, denying her attention, parental guidance, and even sustenance. He saw her as a painful reminder of her mother, his unfaithful wife, due to their shared physical traits. He unfairly projected his misogynistic rage onto Xochiquetzal, using the same demeaning and hateful language he used against her mother. He frequently sought solace in luxury booze and remained preoccupied with his work. He forced her to perform chores around the Fortress of Königsdrache, and if her work was deemed unsatisfactory, she would be badly beaten and confined to her room for an entire day without food or water.

He imposed strict control over her actions and attire, seeking to suppress any hint of rebellion. He even required her to read Christian scripture regularly in an effort to make her more like-minded and enlightened, but he would sexually assaulted whenever she decided to refuse. He dictated how she dressed, fearing she would appear "slutty", and any perceived transgression resulted in harsh reprimands, dehumanising insults, and physical violence, including kicks to the ribs and blows to the face. To pretend he cared about her, he would give her every snake, dragon, and cat Ty Beanie Babies he could get his hands on whenever she successfully completed a chore.

One day, before her 11th birthday, Miyahuaxochtzin suddenly vanished from the lives of Xochiquetzal and Xochipilli. Rochus seemed unfazed by this disappearance and decided to rename Xochiquetzal as Sagan Roswitha Wildgrube. He also forced her and her twin half-brother into a more assimilated, Christianised way of living. Not much is known about this period of her life, but she did have the chance to fully connect with Logan. They spent a lot of time together, doing everything from playing marbles and taking peaceful strolls in Oberammergau to beating up bullies and helping each other with homework. Additionally, Rochus treated Sagan more like a boy, which made her uncomfortable and undermined her pride in her feminine identity. Despite this, she made an effort to appear more masculine as her stepfather had always desired a male child. Rochus was somewhat less abusive toward Sagan during this time, but he remained strict and harsh in his treatment of her, sometimes physically beating her, molesting her, and belittling her appearance.

At the age of 14, she dropped out of secondary school, packed some clothing, makeup, money, and basic essentials into her backpack, and ran away from home after discovering that her stepfather planned to place her in a secret eugenics program that performed illegal hysterectomies. She sought refuge in Munich when a local group of teenage and young adult bikers and jewel thieves, who lived on the margins of society, took her in. She would live with them in the slums of Munich for two years, enjoying the drug-filled orgies they threw, the excitement of their lives, and the attention they gave her. They showered her with romantic compliments, physical affection, promises of forbidden pleasures, and gifts of stolen jewellery and clothing she wanted to wear. She was sexually involved with the leader of the gang and his second-in-command, who treated her like property. She participated in some of their illicit activities, including planning drug trafficking routes to evade law enforcement and assassinating threats to their illegal operations, sometimes by posing as a sex worker.

With her consent, a couple of the jewel thieves staged the assassinated death of her stepfather to resemble a suicide by gunshot. After this event, they began to treat her more like a soldier and displayed behaviour that was borderline misogynistic at times, making her feel uncomfortable, terrified, and betrayed. After some stealthy investigating, she discovered they were working for a mysterious organisation she had heard stories about from Logan. He had recounted tales of their mother's life and how her people were enslaved by a cult with paramilitary forces called the Serapion Fellowship. She packed her belongings, stole a couple of their weapons, and fled from Munich at the first opportunity, returning to her home city in a panic.

During her desperate escape, Sagan committed larceny by stealing a package containing food but was caught by a male police officer who was on neighborhood watch. She was placed in juvenile detention and interrogated by the officer who apprehended her, during which she explained how she ended up in her unfortunate situation and how much she deeply missed her twin half-brother. He recognized her family name and realized she was the girl who had suddenly vanished from Rochus' home. With his assistance, she was reunited with Logan and learned that they had been admitted into the Regular Army’s orphan program after German law enforcement informed them about the perilous situation involving the two Wildgrube teenagers and the assassination of Rochus. With Logan's emotional support and the Regular Army's educational and financial assistance, she was able to rebuild her life. At the age of 16, she felt motivated to join the Peregrine Falcons Squad’s cadet program, hoping to protect others from the evils of the world and contribute to a brighter future.

When the Phantom Strike was still serving as the Regular Army’s main mercenary branch, she met Lieutenant Colonel Macba after turning 18. Macba emotionally manipulated her into dating him, deliberately taking things slow to control the pace of the relationship. He employed tactics like lovebombing, showering her with excessive attention and gifts, and offering consensual physical affection. As a result, she spent increasing amounts of time with Macba, often accompanying him after work and unintentionally drifting apart from Logan. When Logan attempted to warn her about Macba's intentions, she would become defensive and argumentative, blinded by her strong feelings for Macba. Macba's control over her was marked by sadistic physical and sexual abuse. This abuse led her to associate pain with sexual arousal, resulting in masochistic tendencies, and left lasting physical marks, including her curved scar and patch of scarred tissue above the buttocks.

At the age of 20, Macba abruptly disappeared from her life, leaving her emotionally devastated and isolated. Before he left, she became pregnant, feeling both thrilled and terrified at the prospect of motherhood. However, the pregnancy ended in miscarriage. The experience was so overwhelming that she decided to get her tubes tied, vowing never to go through that again.

She reunited with Logan shortly after her breakup and, still reeling from the loss, became overly reliant on him. Over the next two years, they participated in several missions together, during which time she developed strong romantic feelings for him. She also behaved inappropriately with her twin half-brother, becoming flirtatious and making unwanted advances. However, she stopped after he angrily rejected her attempt to sleep with him.

In the hopes of making her more independent and less reliant on her twin half-brother, the Regular Army high command assigned her to a mission with Tequila in Russian territory. Their objective was to dismantle a human trafficking ring allegedly supported by influential politicians. She used her tactical brilliance and seduction skills to gather intelligence and neutralise the politicians, while Tequila and his team focused on eliminating the criminal operatives and rescuing the hostages and children at risk of trafficking. Once the mission was over, Tequila gave his tonfa to Sagan as a symbol of recognition and respect, referring to her as a "strange lady". They formed a strong friendship while enjoying a brief break in the Siberian wilderness. Seeking comfort and attention, she confided in him about her past relationship with Macba. He then shared his insight that Macba's behaviour towards her had been abusive, suggesting that his actions weren't driven by genuine love. Consumed by rightful anger and a thirst for revenge, she vowed to destroy Macba.

One time, when Sagan discovered that Logan's team might've been fed false intel about a corrupt politician and a sex ring, she went rogue and gathered information without proper authorization, secretly accessing classified data. She even managed to get herself assigned as a last-minute replacement communications specialist for his mission after seducing a higher-up to secure the position. She shared the information with Logan to assist with the operation, but it turned out to be misleading and overly complicated, leading them to be ambushed by a criminal mercenary group hired by the politician, forcing them to abandon the mission and wasting months of planning. Sagan got into a bitter argument with Logan's twin half-brother and accidentally hurt his feelings by calling him a "soft, stupidly privileged fucktard with lacking leadership skills". This caused him to socially and professionally distance himself from her for a couple of months while she faced reprimands from her superiors for ruining the mission and worked to carefully rebuild her somewhat tarnished reputation. They eventually reconciled after Sagan admitted her faults, and she began to feel lonely without him.

She learned about Gimlet's recent escapades through Tequila and Red Eye, who shared stories of his troublesome behaviour. Intrigued, she persuaded Logan to join her in paying Gimlet a visit while they were vacationing in the Bahamas. She attempted to push the awkward memories of their recent one-night stand aside by focusing on teaching Gimlet the art of throwing daggers.

The beginning of the Arms Deal Barrage involved Sagan and Logan with minimal assistance from Gimlet, Red Eye, and Tequila. Their primary objective was to infiltrate the material distribution centre, capture Colonel Hilde Garn and Lieutenant Colonel Macba. Meanwhile, Gimlet, Red Eye, and Tequila focused on gathering intelligence on Serapion Fellowship operations and repelling enemy soldiers when necessary. Sagan and Logan collaborated on several key objectives, including destroying the Ptolemaic VTOL, pursuing a transport train carrying weapons and Intelligence Agency hostages, and rescuing prisoners from a prison camp after Sagan's SV-000 was destroyed and she was subsequently captured. During a jungle flight, her Slug Flyer was crushed by an incline, forcing her to eject. She infiltrated a near-labyrinthine Serapion Fellowship base and escaped, joining Logan, who had recovered an SV-000 after defeating Macba. Driven by a desire for revenge, Sagan relentlessly pursued Macba, often taking direct routes in her search. Upon locating him within the main facility, she aggressively confronted him, culminating in a fierce battle that she ultimately won.

With her initial objective complete, Sagan was offered the opportunity to withdraw from the mission. However, she chose to remain, driven by a desire to suppress the knowledge of the Regular Army's corruption and earn Morden's respect by demonstrating her dedication and courage. From this point forward, Sagan and Logan primarily supported Gimlet, Red Eye, and Tequila, intervening only when absolutely necessary. Sagan often engaged with Serapion Fellowship cultists and paramilitary soldiers, using sexual favours as a means to gather valuable intelligence on enemy operations before neutralising them. She also prioritised rescuing any overlooked hostages and, upon learning of Macba's survival, resumed her pursuit of him.

Once the bombardment on the Serapion Fellowship fortress ceased, she chased Macba, who was attempting a swift escape, into the building. She fell into a trap in a dimly lit mining area, where Macba ambushed her, taking her hostage and dragging her into an elevator leading to a power facility. Inside the elevator, he attempted to sexually assault Sagan, touching her inappropriately and trying to kiss her. She fought back desperately and was rescued by her twin half-brother, Gimlet, Red Eye, and Tequila before the assault could escalate. After navigating the lowest level of the trolley area alone, she confronted Macba again. Their vicious battle nearly ended with him overpowering her, but she managed to cut his stomach open and shoot him between the eyes, securing her victory.

Eight months prior to the Central Park bombing, she became romantically involved with a high-ranking officer in the Regular Army who admired her. This high-ranking officer was named Lohengram, a charming military genius and brooding political idealist. He was close to the Chief of the Regular Army and held the positions of Lieutenant Commander of the Marine Corps and Assault Captain of the Asian Garrison. Through their relationship, Sagan often accompanied Lohengram to social gatherings hosted by the Chief of the Regular Army or President Marx. These events provided her with opportunities to overhear conversations that reinforced her suspicions of corruption within the Regular Army. They often engaged in sexual activities at his private suite in China and several luxurious love hotels in Japan. However, he exhibited controlling behaviour, dictating her attire, speech, and eating habits. He also kept her under close surveillance, personally observing her and enlisting close friends to monitor her. His goal was to obtain nude photographs, which he intended to use for potential blackmail, ensuring she wouldn't expose the Regular Army.

Lohengram would often rudely insult Sagan if she didn't dress the way he wanted and refused his advances, using derogatory language that targeted her appearance. However, she had been plotting her revenge since the third month of their relationship after discovering the nude photos he kept of her in the secret office of his private suite. While he was briefly out of his suite, she seized the opportunity. A quick search through his contact book, a who's who of powerful figures and hired killers, led her to Oghma. She provided the assassin with Lohengram's suite number and a detailed schedule of his likely activities. Later, after another sexual encounter, Lohengram was shot in the head, collapsing onto a naked Sagan. She then meticulously staged the scene as a suicide, placing his pistol precisely where he'd fallen. Shortly after this incident, she dyed her hair and got tattoos and piercings as a way to cope and leave her tumultuous past behind, hoping to feel more beautiful and confident while still honouring her cultural heritage.

Morden, on the verge of deserting the Regular Army, recruited Sagan and Logan to help him establish an organisation dedicated to overthrowing corrupt government and military powers. While Sagan, having been personally mistreated by a superior officer, was eager to leave the Regular Army behind entirely, she ultimately agreed to serve as a double agent due to a deal Logan had made with Morden. She was promoted to Major General by her distant older cousin. While the Rebel Army was being established and funded, Sagan gathered intelligence by cultivating brief sexual relationships with high-ranking officers in the Regular Army. She used her sexual charm and military influence to gain their trust, extracting information about their operations.

She secured funding for the Rebel Army's weapons and tanks by manipulating President Marx into providing support after a brief sexual encounter, and also participated in a global drug trafficking ring to raise additional funds. She expanded the Rebel Army's ranks by recruiting from emerging terrorist groups, offering them a sense of belonging and purpose while exploiting their vulnerabilities with promises of sexual favours. She even received a new outfit and her own personal tank, the Shoe, as surprise gifts from General Morden and her newly assembled platoon, who had grown to dearly love her.

A year before the Great Morden War, she caught Tarma's attention with flirtation, exchanging a couple of kisses and sharing a few beers with him. After their night out together, he introduced her to Marco, whom she quickly bonded with after complimenting his intelligence. She would later befriend Eri and Fio over pastries, sharing life stories and telling bad jokes. She received a gift from Tarma, who admired her professional tactical knowledge and fierce fighting skills. It was the Anti-Tank Rifle, which he had spent three months building from scratch. He hoped she would like it and taught her how to wield it, also providing her with the blueprints in case she needed to repair it if it ever got damaged. Sagan ended up loving the rifle, which became her main weapon from then on.

During the Great Morden War, she secretly aided the Rebel troops by providing them with supplies, including weapons, food rations, alcohol, and stimulants. She also gathered intelligence on the current positions and activities of Marco's team, which she then passed on to General Morden. Her other activities included maintaining the Shoe, taking frequent smoke breaks with her twin half-brother, eliminating Regular spies, and making love with her assigned Rebel troops. When Rebel engineers created replicas of the original Shoe and Karn tanks, she assigned Torquil and Ferdinand as pilots. This decision was motivated by her desire to conceal her and Logan's true allegiance. While Torquil and Ferdinand survived, they were ultimately forced by Marco and Tequila to give up information on the Rebel Army's location.

As Marco's team were about to depart Gerhardt City after defeating the Iron Nokana, General Morden launched his ambush. Sagan initiated the attack, firing her Anti-Tank Rifle and creating a blinding explosion that nearly killed Gimlet. With the assistance of Logan and her large group of surviving troops from her platoon, mainly consisting of fanatics, bazooka wielders, and shielded soldiers, she managed to corner Marco's team in a ravaged butcher shop, forcing them to surrender. After Marco's team was captured, she, Logan, and a group of Rebel soldiers went into hiding at a partially constructed Rebel base in Siberia. They awaited the opportune moment to resurface and execute their pre-arranged plan to rescue General Morden. When the Pipovulaj located the remnants of the Rebel Army, she was intrigued by the Martians' offer of an alliance for world domination. She readily agreed to assist them in freeing Morden from prison.

During Morden's second coup, when the Monoeyes' arrival infected a small handful of Rebel Infantrymen, she grew fond of them, treating them like adorable, clumsy children and showering them with plenty of physical affection to motivate them. In an effort to stall Marco's team, Sagan ordered her soldiers to use a Double-Decker Bus to block the path to the dry creek. They also stationed a Ferry Boat and set up wells for rocket divers to use in the dry creek. Despite lacking proper experience, Sagan piloted the Big Shiee, but ultimately lost the battle against Marco's team. Fortunately, she was rescued just in time by the Rebel Army's special forces and a contingent of Pipovulaj troops, narrowly avoiding death from the explosions and falling debris within the Big Shiee.

In New Godokin City, she hosted a massive party in an abandoned shopping mall for her platoon to unwind before their impending battle with Marco's team. However, the celebration got out of hand, and she became intoxicated, sharing intimate moments with a couple of her closest soldiers. Unbeknownst to her, Marco's team had already arrived in New Godokin City, aided by Hyakutaro and Division 6. They were closing in on the mutated soldiers the Rebel Army was desperately trying to conceal from the outside world. As a result, she and her platoon were caught off guard by Division 6 and their reinforcements, led by Rumi. Due to her intoxication, she was unfit for battle and forced to flee, relying on the timely arrival of more Rebel troops who provided crucial support to her platoon. Their assistance allowed her to escape, narrowly avoiding elimination. The incident left her with a humiliating and regrettable experience that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

She aided Morden's soldiers in guarding the front entrance of the Rebel Army's Siberian base, piloting her Shoe tank to gain an advantage. However, the Shoe was badly damaged, and she exited the tank, preparing to engage Eri, who had destroyed it with grenades. Before she could act, Marco intervened, fatally slashing her throat and decapitating her. According to reports from the troops who witnessed the event, Marco displayed her head as a warning to surviving Rebel soldiers, forcing them to surrender in fear. Through Doctor Amadeus' intervention, her digital consciousness was transferred into a custom-made cyborg body. This resurrection fueled a deep-seated hatred for Marco, leaving her feeling humiliated by her gruesome demise. She vowed to exact revenge, seeking to make Marco experience a similar fate.

Following the plan for the Rebel Army's revenge attack, which she helped plan, she disguised herself as a drill instructor. She made the cadets she trained feel empowered and relatively safe. Unlike Allen, who had a harsh but encouraging persona, she adopted a softer and gentler approach with a ruthless and cynical edge. After work, she would sometimes flirt with the male cadets over drinks or join the female cadets for smoke breaks. She mainly stayed behind the scenes, focusing on tactical planning and allowing her twin half-brother to showcase his combat prowess. This also gave him a much-needed break from the constant demands of planning. Additionally, she ensured that the Rebel Infantrymen and cadets were well-equipped and supplied.

She attempted to brainwash the P'isqu Runakuna ("bird people" in Quechua) into collaborating with the Rebel Army, eliminating the cadets and other resistance forces using methods of their choice. However, this alliance was short-lived. After Dilovar broke free, he rallied the P'isqu Runakuna to fight against the Rebel forces, who had planned to eliminate the native population in order to minimise resistance against their regime in the South Pacific archipelago. Upon learning of Logan's death, she prematurely activated the Cabracan, triggering minor earth tremors that caught the surviving cadets and Division 6 off guard. While they were distracted by the Cabracan, she called for rescue and dragged Allen's reviving body to a hidden helipad. Morden's Hi-Do helicopter arrived just in time, allowing her to escape.

[impossiblesuitcase]

I know this type of fic will seem strange, but do you remember where Cinder in the first book says that everyone will be aware of what Kai does, and that he will forget her, if this happened as an alternate universe, do you really believe that Kai forgot? of it, or remember it as nostalgia for what could have been as couple

Thanks your for your answer

I intended for this to be a five sentence response. Ha.

(Remember?)

He doesn’t remember her.

Granted, he doesn’t even remember what it feels like to take a full, unstrained breath. Kai is a busy teenager, a grieving son, an ill-prepared emperor and then the happiest widower alive. He can’t pretend to not be overjoyed by his wife’s untimely passing after her brief but bloody one-year stint as empress. The Earthen population didn’t seem to mind much either when the evil Lunar queen was assassinated in her bed by a group of revolting malcontents.

Kai only remembers her when the storm takes mercy on them and calms. The girl at the marketplace. Who’d never worn the gloves he’d given her to the ball she hadn’t attended. The brown eyes he’d never seen again. As the New Beijing Market celebrates a new era of peace with streamers and lanterns and sticky buns, Kai is pulling on his grey hoodie and weaving through the crowds to an unmarked booth. Instead he finds the musty, dark store replaced by a coffeé vendor. The nearby sellers tell him the young mechanic skipped town.

(Kai does remember her joking prod in the elevator, offering up that she was planning to run away to Europe. Now, Kai doesn’t think it was all that much of a joke.)

He searches for her, briefly. Her name turns up no more net results than what had been there the first time he’d sought her services. In checking government records he learns that her guardian reported the disappearance, inciting a police investigation. He has his own staff put on the case, who probably interpret this as a conscientious initiative to apprehend a fugitive as any responsible emperor would. 

Reading the conclusions from the fruitless search by his agents, this is where Kai learns that Linh Cinder is a cyborg.

Something blankets him. Not...disgust or revulsion. Thick, encompassing understanding. He’s near laughter when it strikes him precisely between his third and fourth ribs because he knows that it doesn’t matter if he finds her.

The gloves. The obfuscation. A cyborg, an emperor. This is why she rejected him.

After this, the expressed need to find find find her feels vain. Find her and what? Tell her that—although he likes her—a cyborg would never be accepted by the public as his partner? Then he’d be tearing her away from whatever sanctuary she’s found herself in and subjecting her to capture by the authorities. Because she has cut out her ID chip—illegal. Fled the country without a permit—illegal. Disobeyed orders from her guardian—illegal for cyborgs. Whatever Imperial pardon he could try to extend would be nullified by the Cyborg Protection Act.

It doesn’t matter. She hasn’t been found. He’s no luck at searching for things anyway. That’s why he gave up on Selene. What’s one more thing to give up on?

So Kai doesn’t remember her. But he does revise the Cyborg Protection Act. He is appalled to discover that—despite having Levana’s antidote in his tenuous possession—the cyborg draft is still in operation. Luna is not a trustworthy government under regent Sybil Mira, they fearmonger. They might still need to develop an antidote of their own, they reason.

Both Earth and Luna are barely refraining from seeking blood as it is. After Levana was assassinated, Luna declared full-scale war on Earth, killing hundreds of thousands. Earth retaliated by detonating bombs on the craters of the moon, threatening that next time they wouldn’t spare the inhabited domes. The ceasefire went as follows: Luna and Earth would not intermingle. Luna would provide Earth with the Letumosis antidote in exchange for Earth sending Luna their desperately-needed supplies. No one deemed this agreement as trustworthy. No one had better ideas.

His decision to end the draft is met with mixed response. Kai just secretly hopes that Cinder is watching, holed up in her new musty, dark booth in her new European city with a flicker of pride.

Years past. Funnily enough, Kai learns that—at some point—pretending to forget and forgetting are not so dissimilar.

But sometimes he sees a malfunctioning android down a palace hall and remembers her steady gloved hands on Nainsi. Sees a woman with almost the right shade of brown in her hair and eyes and skin but never close enough. Yet each time, he collects himself, shakes his head and doesn’t give in, and when he marries a second time to a woman he actually wants to be with, his wife’s radiant smile expels any romantic thought of any other girl that has ever crossed his mind.

— — — 

Fourteen years. That’s how long it takes for his loose threads to finally fray. Kai is in his office being briefed by Torin for an upcoming public statement by his cabinet. It has taken fourteen years after Levana’s death to fully uncover all the scrupulously concealed records of the atrocities she committed. As former empress, her crimes have to be reported by the Eastern Commonwealth, though no reasonably-minded Earthen would attribute her crimes to anyone but her own wicked self.

This report intrigues him. It’s not the usual analytics of Levana’s sins against the Earthen public, rather a detailed list of all the Lunars she victimised.

“Why are we reporting this?” Kai asks Torin, keeping his daughter from bouncing off his lap with steady hands. “What Levana did to the Lunar citizenry is beyond our scope of responsibility.”

“Not those on Luna, Your Majesty,” Torin informs. “This report refers to the illegal Lunar refugees who were hiding on Earth.”

Kai vaguely recalls Levana screeching once about how she would kill all the Lunars he had insubordinately smuggled into the country. He hadn’t believed that there were any Lunars on Earth at that naïve eighteen, but a thirty-three-year-old Kai is not surprised. He scrolls past the initial pages of exposition and gets right to the list of victims. He wants a number. How many Lunars were there really on Earth? That day on the balcony, when Levana had claimed that there had been a Lunar among those protestors—had it been true?

It’s page eight that he sees her name.

Linh Cinder. Cyborg. Lunar. Licensed mechanic in New Beijing. Records found to be falsified. True age unknown. True name unknown. Date of immigration unknown.

Cyborg. Lunar.

Kai’s hands are shaking. He places his daughter on the ground. “Torin,” he wheezes, “take her to her mother.”

His daughter’s soft, “Daddy? Was wrong?” goes unanswered.

Once they’ve left the room, Kai is alone with the horror lying in his hands. He clicks on her profile and a full page with her name and portrait appears. It’s a mugshot, but without the official stamp of the Earthen Union law enforcement, he knows it was Levana’s own team of minions doing the arresting. Her hair is loose, glossy and slick. Her eyes defiant but sunken into dark sockets. Her cheeks are full. She was not starving, wasting away in poverty. Evidently she did manage to make a life for herself on the run.

The biography is short. Linh was reported missing by her guardian on 28 August 126 T.E. at 08:31. CCTV footage shows her driving a second-era automobile from New Beijing to France over the course of 8 days. Linh hid in Nice for 7 months using a false ID chip and started a small mechanic business. Records of an apartment lease were found under the false identity. She was discovered by Lunar authorities when a mandatory Letumosis blood test identified Lunar genealogy in her genome. She was swiftly sentenced and executed without a trial on an unknown date for crimes of illegal departure from Luna.

That’s it. The only information. It limns a tale of another victim of the tyrant with not a stroke of sympathy. Kai thrusts down the port, clawing his hands through his hair.

Cyborg. Lunar. Executed.

He calls his wife.

The line clicks immediately. “Honey, is everything okay?” asks his wife, concern cooling her timbre. “Torin said you were all out of sorts.”

His words are faint. “Hey, love, do you remember that girl I liked before you?”

He can hear her smile. “The mechanic?”

“Yeah.”

"What about her?" her voice heaves and Kai hears a small giggle; Torin has brought their daughter back to their quarters. His wife is picking up the heavy three-year-old.

He has no strength to censor himself, even with young ears present. “She’s dead. Levana killed her.”

A long silence. The thread being pulled, pulled, pulled as the fraying creeps up to the heart of it. The girl whispers to her mother, “who Mummy? Who’s Daddy talking ‘bout?”

Her mother doesn’t explain. “Oh, love, I’m so sorry,” she consoles plaintively in that genuine lilt he knows is sincere. His superlatively gracious wife has never judged him for his grief over the lost cyborg, for regretting he couldn’t help the troubled young girl from a bad home. Never has she assigned ulterior motives of him mourning ‘the one that got away’ in some jealous plea for validation. 

He says nothing. He had forgotten her brown eyes, her smile and her gloves. The sarcasm and the pessimism. Each detail had slipped away and now a single photo, an unuttered apology, is trying to resuscitate the dead.

“Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?”

Kai reclaims his port and returns to the cover page. It’s entitled: A Comprehensive Account of the Genocide of Lunar Refugees by Queen Levana Blackburn: Names and Implications.

A name. An implication. That’s all she’d be, immortalised in a forgettable list. After the cover page, a number is bolded.

3,582.

The number of Lunar victims. Miniscule compared to Earth’s population. Cinder was almost certainly the only Lunar Cyborg on the list. An oddity. A friendly statistical anomaly.

Never meant to exist. Always meant to be out of reach.

“Kai?”

“It’ll be fine,” he promises, convincing himself of it. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine?” she repeats.

That picture is burnt in his retinas; Cinder, forever sixteen. He, now so much older. He doesn’t mourn a lost love. He didn’t love her; he didn’t know her. He mourns an abandoned child who never even knew that someone was looking for her.

Kai exhales slowly and rests his port on the desk next to his wedding photo and his father's signet ring. 

“I’ll be fine,” he affirms, “You know, I don’t really remember her.”

— — — 

@cindersassasin @hayleblackburn @spherical-empirical @salt-warrior @just2bubbly @gingerale2017 @icarusignite @kaider-is-my-otp @slmkaider @luna-maximoff-22 @cosmicnovaflare @kaixiety @snozkat @mirrorballsss @skinwitch18 @vincentvangothic @bakergirl13 @wassupnye @linh-cindy @therealkaidertrash21

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA and Italian Space Agency test future lunar navigation technology

As the Artemis campaign leads humanity to the moon and eventually Mars, NASA is refining its state-of-the-art navigation and positioning technologies to guide a new era of lunar exploration.

A technology demonstration helping pave the way for these developments is the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) payload, a joint effort between NASA and the Italian Space Agency to demonstrate the viability of using existing GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals for positioning, navigation, and timing on the moon.

During its voyage on an upcoming delivery to the moon as part of NASA's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, LuGRE would demonstrate acquiring and tracking signals from both the U.S. GPS and European Union Galileo GNSS constellations during transit to the moon, during lunar orbit, and finally for up to two weeks on the lunar surface itself.

The LuGRE payload is one of the first demonstrations of GNSS signal reception and navigation on and around the lunar surface, an important milestone for how lunar missions will access navigation and positioning technology.

If successful, LuGRE would demonstrate that spacecraft can use signals from existing GNSS satellites at lunar distances, reducing their reliance on ground-based stations on the Earth for lunar navigation.

Today, GNSS constellations support essential services like navigation, banking, power grid synchronization, cellular networks, and telecommunications. Near-Earth space missions use these signals in flight to determine critical operational information like location, velocity, and time.

NASA and the Italian Space Agency want to expand the boundaries of GNSS use cases. In 2019, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission broke the world record for farthest GPS signal acquisition 116,300 miles from the Earth's surface—nearly half of the 238,900 miles between Earth and the moon. Now, LuGRE could double that distance.

"GPS makes our lives safer and more viable here on Earth," said Kevin Coggins, NASA deputy associate administrator and SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "As we seek to extend humanity beyond our home planet, LuGRE should confirm that this extraordinary technology can do the same for us on the moon."

Reliable space communication and navigation systems play a vital role in all NASA missions, providing crucial connections from space to Earth for crewed and uncrewed missions alike. Using a blend of government and commercial assets, NASA's Near Space and Deep Space Networks support science, technology demonstrations, and human spaceflight missions across the solar system.

"This mission is more than a technological milestone," said Joel Parker, policy lead for positioning, navigation, and timing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

"We want to enable more and better missions to the moon for the benefit of everyone, and we want to do it together with our international partners."

The data-gathering LuGRE payload combines NASA-led systems engineering and mission management with receiver software and hardware developed by the Italian Space Agency and their industry partner Qascom—the first Italian-built hardware to operate on the lunar surface.

Any data LuGRE collects is intended to open the door for use of GNSS to all lunar missions, not just those by NASA or the Italian Space Agency. Approximately six months after LuGRE completes its operations, the agencies will release its mission data to broaden public and commercial access to lunar GNSS research.

"A project like LuGRE isn't about NASA alone," said NASA Goddard navigation and mission design engineer Lauren Konitzer. "It's something we're doing for the benefit of humanity. We're working to prove that lunar GNSS can work, and we're sharing our discoveries with the world."

The LuGRE payload is one of 10 science experiments launching to the lunar surface on this delivery through NASA's CLPS initiative.

Through CLPS, NASA works with American companies to provide delivery and quantity contracts for commercial deliveries to further lunar exploration and the development of a sustainable lunar economy. As of 2024, the agency has 14 private partners on contract for current and future CLPS missions.

Demonstrations like LuGRE could lay the groundwork for GNSS-based navigation systems on the lunar surface. Bridging these existing systems with emerging lunar-specific navigation solutions has the potential to define how all spacecraft navigate lunar terrain in the Artemis era.

The payload is a collaborative effort between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Italian Space Agency.

[lonestarflight]

A 1966 study by North American Aviation to use the Apollo Service Module (SM) as a lunar logistics vehicle (LLV). It required putting a landing gear on the SM and developing software to land on the moon unmanned.

'It was proposed for use in an unmanned, direct landing mode. The system required the addition of remote guidance and control and a suitable throttling engine.

So-called 'conversions' of the present SM engine really inferred a new engine development, probably of the same magnitude as that required for the LM descent engine. It was considered wiser by NASA's Bellcomm consultants to develop a new pump-fed engine or use a converted Agena engine and take advantage of the superior performance available.

Advantages of the SM Lander were said to be simple mission configuration; straightforward development; and substantial payload capacity at an early operational date (5,000 kg with an Apollo Block 1 SM; 7500 kg with a service module extended in length by 107 cm). Technical challenges included designing the landing gear and throttling engine provisions, and remote guidance and control for lunar landing."

-information from Astronautix: link

This was one of a number of studies and proposals for a lunar logistics vehicle done in the 1960s using existing designs/hardware.

[mistressofduskanddawn]

Meridia On Earth: the Sunlight, the Black Hole

[IMG ID: A scene of beams of light breaking through the heavens of a dark forest, with a distinct outline of a tree to the left. A single branch is to the right of the tree, barely illuminated in the light yet distinctive from the trees in the background. The dark forest contrasts the light yellow beams with a abyssal blue tinted forest.]

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A LARGE PART OF TES POLYTHEISM TODAY IS HOW IT OPERATES IN THIS WORLD, and how the divine fits within. Azura is rather easy to understand here—a gatekeeper of heaven, who opens up the night and day, and a queen of the night sky. Boethiah can be witness within revolutions and will to end oppressive empires, Akatosh in time, Mara in marriage, etc. However, I have begun to think of Meridia and her relationship to Mangus: and with some discussion with my fellow dear TES polytheists, I have found Meridia in the sunlight—and the dark star. This will mostly be a structured rambling of my beginning thoughts upon Meridia upon Earth, which should really be taken with a grain of salt, so let us begin: 

SUNLIGHT, MERIDIA, AND THE GREED OF LIGHT 

One particular aspect of Meridia I can understand as a kin of draconic nature is greed—but we take it in different forms. Meridia is known for her greed of people and her hatred of free will: rather preferring to have her will as all-consuming. Rather inspired by the darker interpretation of light, I have come to see Meridia in the sunlight—and light seeks to touch all, photons bursting forth to output energy. This is by no means a revolutionary take, she is depicted as the sun in the Skyrim tarot deck, but the possible mechanisms of how are what I am fascinated with. 

Energy is the process of life, which for a goddess of light, is only natural. 

The Red Star. Harbinger of Dawn. Second Daughter of … She is the Light of … who bore witness to the Crucible of Creation. … Refraction within reason … Goddess Who Holds […] Free will is to be surrendered to passion … destiny is fulfilled for the vessel … Radiant in times of … blinding the Dragon and bending his form … Mirror of the Lie … revealing purity in chaos with fervor … that false-life might be abolished … with the fire of new light may the Mundus be reforged.

The aspect of reforging Mundus could perhaps refer to her hatred of the undead. Meridia often seeks to conform things to her will and loathes the undead, which are contrary to her nature as life. Her father Magnus designed Mundus, yet ended up abandoning his plans. Meridia as his daughter—well, I would not be surprised if she wished for the father’s plans to be complete, and the impurity she sees arising from his light not being honoured. 

Her nature of refracting light is further expanded upon by in-game commentary on the Exegenis of Merid-Nunda, similar to how the coloured rooms refract light: 

A curious passage indeed. The “Dragon,” of course, traditionally refers to the Divine we know as Akatosh, the God of Time. This seems to suggest that by traveling the “rainbow road” (a reference to the prismatic refraction of light?), Meridia can in some sense alter the rate at which time flows forward. Altering the “speed” of time? Is this merely an absurd conceit of the late Ayleid sorcerer-priests, or a genuine insight into the nature of one of the least-understood Daedric Princes? Who can say?

Time for us humans—beyond the bounds of capitalistic senses of time and clock—is relative to the light of the sun, the moon, and the cycles they are bound within. When I think of her blinding Akatosh and creating dragon-breaks, I think of the way light defines our melatonin production, our idea of day, and the lunar cycle of which people of old defined their months by. Her time bending abilities obviously extend beyond this, but Sunlight is certainly an aspect of time. And her being called a Mirror of the lie: this is once again speculation, but if Magnus’ plans were abandoned and as such Mungus is flawed, then some could view Mundus as in need of reforging.

While silly to realise despite it being so obvious, Meridia is the prism of light. Through her light is filtered, and that is why she can stretch across a rainbow road. The coloured rooms were made through light being refracted within herself—and with this knowledge of her prismatic nature, she is the origin of the rainbow. A constant movement of light—the Daedra are change, afterall. She may not have originally been a daedric prince, yet she fits in rather well through that lens. Refraction also seeks to make light its own separated hue, which is a fun more UPG way to view her greed. She is the sunlight and refraction of light and light seeks to illuminate and refract all. And light spreads as much as it can, just as she tries to go as far as she might.

The Exegesis of Merid-Nunda also speaks of her being unfearing of the dark;

“… thus we call upon Cenedelin to bind the earth, as we speak to Merid-Nunda regarding the light, for she is the scintilla that fears not darkness, and swims the waves of pull and spin ….”

Cenedelin in particular references the Ayleid king of Delodiil defeating the Molag Baal worshipping city of Abagarlas. Scintilla means “a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling,” making her the courage against the dark. Light has no fear of darkness, for it conquers and illuminates all. 

MERIDIA, THE BLACK HOLE 

Another theory to Meridia is that she is, within essence, a black hole. Black holes bend light and time as they consume, which aligns with Meridia’s nature of being able to warp time and her greed—black holes consume everything, which poetically, is likened to that of ideal mortal greed. She is a star who fell when consorting with illicit spirits as the lore says, which could be seen as the collapse of a star that creates the black hole. This interpretation is not one I am quite familiar with, but certainly one to intrigue. The source given to me goes into it far better than I could, so I shall link it here. 

THE DAY CYCLE 

Something I have noticed is that Azura, unlike many dawn goddesses of other religions, is her stronger connection to night compared to day. While ESO does depict her star in more the shape of the sun, Azura’s star is meant to be analogous Nirn’s Venus[1]—and our own, on Earth, the star of dawn and dusk. For myself, being a multi-tradition pagan, when I was coming to understand Azura in this world, I thought of Thesan and Eos. Both are far more associated with Hemera, Helios, and Usil—and not quite as strongly with Nyx, Selene, Cilens, and Tiur. 

While Azura is the one who releases Magnus into the sky, she is not nearly as associated with the day compared to night—and this is where I see Meridia shine. And in an obvious lore sense, she is called the Harbinger of Dawn.This puts her as a forerunner of the Dawn cycle, so when Azura opens the day, Meridia and Magnus’ light pours through. On a deeper aspect, Meridia reflecting the sun’s light through herself may be the way she is the daedra of life: by reflecting it, it shines upon the world, allowing for all manners of crops to grow. Her energy is infinite in this sense—as long as Magnus produces light, she can bend it into another will. The will for light to give energy to life, while Azura’s light rules magic and liminality. 

Perhaps that is her idea that free will should be replaced with passion. Such passion begets energy, and free will often ends passions and seeks to replace it with one’s own design. As a daughter of Magnus, who seeks to reforge this world—wouldn’t Meridia loathe a mortal’s ability to completely alter fate, no matter how much time and light she bends?

— Piraakyuonliv, Dovah, Gazing Upon Dawnbreaker

References

[1] Venus is often called a star in ancient world lore, associated with dawn and dusk. Deities such as Hesperos and Eosphoros. The lore page I am referencing is here.

EOS – Greek Goddess of the Dawn (Roman Aurora). (n.d.). https://www.theoi.com/Titan/Eos.html

Lore:Exegesis of Merid-Nunda – The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP). (n.d.). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Exegesis_of_Merid-Nunda

Lore:Meridia – The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP). (n.d.). https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Meridia

[sfaccountant]

Character Focus: Penumbra Shard

Unit type: Moon Mage

(Note: penal conscript class. Unit is to be under guard at all times)

Rank: Cult Magistra

Species: Unicorn

Psyker rank: Unclear (suspected Beta-rank)

Cult: Lunar Ascendance (defunct/disbanded?)

Tactical Specialty: Close support caster

(Note: Unit is to be deployed to night operations only)

Penumbra Shard - Penny to her friends, and Magistra Shard to her subordinates - is the effective leader of the Moon Mages, or at least the closest thing they have after the secretive cult of Lunar Ascendance was outed and convicted for treason against the Equestrian throne. Like everything else about the order, the hierarchy of the Moon Mages is shrouded in mystery, and much of what has been pried from the Mages through interrogation has been kept secret for one reason or another. At present all Moon Mages have been seized, sentenced, and transferred to the 38th Company fleet for service as combat sorcerers.

Penumbra herself is - probably - the oldest and most powerful of the Moon Mages. She claims to be 30"ish" years old, but this is confirmed as false. Surviving records of her presence date back more than 60 years, and it is suspected that she has significantly slowed or frozen her aging process, not just disguised it.

These records are disputed, however. Like all Moon Mages, there is physical evidence of her upbringing in ordinary Equestrian society, but no corroborating accounts. Penumbra claims to have attended and then taught at the Manehattan Institute of Magic, and was married to Ash Torchlight. None of her would-be peers remember her name or appearance, and her would-be husband disappeared without a trace roughly one year ago.

Penumbra Shard is a perfectly pleasant and ordinary mare at first glance, which sets her apart somewhat from the other Moon Mages. She is not prone to sociopathic dysfunction or violent outbursts and doesn't flinch at exposure to sunlight. She even has an affectionate motherly side toward ponies she feels close to. However, extended interaction inevitably reveals patterns of malicious and deceptive behavior as her facade of normalcy slowly falls apart. Penumbra lies often, and purposefully. She thinks of most other ponies as tiresome dregs she tolerates out of polite obligation, and has a cruel streak that emerges frequently in combat or when she thinks she can get away with harming a pony she dislikes. She is selfish and lecherous (a trifling problem when the subjects of her affection are willing, and a serious one when they're not), and eagerly manipulates others to her advantage or sometimes for her petty amusement.

Although a prolific liar and schemer, Penumbra is admittedly not the best at it. She has difficulty planning very far ahead and tends to react poorly when under stress. She also has great difficulty hiding her own emotions, particularly strong distaste or attraction for particular ponies. She could never stand to seduce or even feign mild affection for somepony she disliked, for example. On the other hoof, her desire for Lieutenant Dusk Blade is strong enough that it can easily impede her plans or cause sudden missteps because she's suddenly afraid of his disapproval or frustrated by his rejection.

Penumbra is not known for her temper, but when she does lose her cool her malevolent tendencies causes her to default to violent outbursts. More than once this has utterly ruined a greater plot or hurt somepony she nominally cares for. Despite these problems, Penumbra Shard finds it easier to forget her regrets than correct her behavior.

Like most Moon Mages, Penumbra Shard is largely untested in combat. The 38th Company Iron Warriors respect the power of sorcery but consider it an inferior tactical solution to their war machines, fortifications, and strategic bombardments. They also routinely underestimate the ponies of Equestria, and unlike certain other equines the Moon Mages do not resent being overlooked. Princess Luna, the Commander of the Lunar Guard, mistrusts the Moon Mages deeply, and as a result they've mostly been confined under Nightwatch tower training other combat mages.

When deployed to combat - assuming, of course, it is during the nighttime - Penumbra boasts a fantastic spread of useful spells: light-bending shadow barriers, freezing explosive bursts, and dark lightning that excites the pain nerves to such a degree that it can immobilize even an Ork through sheer agony. Her most useful spell, however, is the ebon vector.

The ebon vector generates multiple discrete "tendrils" of magic force that emerge from the ground or the body and act with semi-intelligent autonomy. They can bludgeon, twist, ensnare, pierce, or slice the enemy, adapting the exact point of contact as necessary for the task at hand. The tentacles are solid enough to block gunfire and strong enough to crush stone, and can adopt a solid "crystal" state capable of piercing or smashing stronger armored materials.

The spell even has non-combat utility, able to safely restrain creatures, lift objects Penumbra could not possibly move with her own strength, and even lift and propel her for the purposes of evasion or getting around an obstacle. She HATES doing it, though; evidently the magic tendrils are quite uncomfortable to have pressed against you, as numerous aliens and ponies can attest.

Penumbra doesn't seem especially discouraged by her imposed service to the 38th Company. The Nightmare failed. The rebellion was thwarted. Eternal Night is a grim myth, while enslavement and genocide at the hands of Orks is a constant threat. Her life as a battle thrall and magic drill instructor is a humiliation, but it's a more dignified fate than a long imprisonment in stone or in Canterlot's dungeons. And really, what other fate could she hope for from this war-torn world, with Equestria allied to Chaos and the Nightmare vanquished?

Penumbra Shard isn't telling.

(Art by KlaraPL, Rozmed, Cotton Candy Pone, Fenwaru, Skyren, and SpoopsB)

[clockmotorskit]

Clock Parts

Maximizing Capability of Clock Motors

Clock parts motors regulate the timekeeping and other useful habits of wrist watches. In today's world, clock electric motors (or "movements" in the trade) are digitally powered, and a quartz crystal is the timing source, vibrating at a high frequency and producing a train of pulses, their count proportional for elapsed time. Hence, we have a contemporary way of maintaining time, equivalent in look from the older mechanical clocks; however, the modern movement runs mainly in software, allowing for extra attributes, some unique and uncommon, to be applied reasonably quickly, specifically when compared to their mechanical relatives.

Conventional clock electric motors were mechanically designed and built, the only feasible approach. A coiled spring or hanging weight supplied possible energy, which in turn was exchanged kinetic energy by causing a flywheel to turn. Pendulums and escapements managed the regularity of turning, resulting in a constant tick-tock at an accurately fine-tuned pace of one secondly.

But the mechanical structures had difficult and large parts, which restricted their capacities and made it difficult to adjust them to prolonged or cutting-edge layouts. For this reason, once it was uncovered that by subjecting a quartz crystal to a voltage decrease causes it to resonate and give off pulses at an exact rate, the tables were set for switching from a mechanical technique to a digital one for keeping time. The schedule of digital memory additionally facilitated the change to an extra electronic operation.

Artisans of the past produced wrist watches that exhibited striking effects, yet the effort was complex, painstaking, and involved innovative mechanical couplings to get the impacts to be in sync with temporal events. And, thus effort became less and less cost-efficient, it declined eventually into a lost art. However, the contemporary programmable clock electric motor makes it very easy to imitate these historic impacts and also to attain greater ones.

Naturally, digital clocks (which are digital) offer a different user interface and extend the ordinary period (when whatever resets) by tracking the moon stage, the weekday, and the full day. However something is shed in this all-digital user interface, and the motors we describe here are essentially analog (moving hands, typical dial, and so on), though with some solid-state wiring. And yet they can duplicate the treasure wrist watches.

The quartz crystal pulse-train is so accurate that timing is near specific, and simple community brings the speed to the world of secs and minutes. In addition, it is straightforward to extend the size of the reset period by expanding its trigger moment. Place additional details on the dial and include one more hand to aim at that details, and the days of the week or the dates of the month are revealed as well as normal time.

It is additionally as simple for the watch to show the existing level of the trend. This is also a periodic phenomenon, however based on the lunar cycle of 1 day and 50 mins. You can locate clock motors that execute this function, either as a standalone piece or incorporated with common timekeeping.

However you can likewise get movements that track changes in the weather (barometric pressure, humidity, or temperature). These modifications are not routine, so the crystal is not the source of the details displayed; rather, sensors take regular measurements, and their values are exchanged a relative position along a range. The traditional dial and hands are replaced with a single hand that rotates backward and forward over the range printed in an arc along the area.

There are still more features that we could review, such as constant sweep useds, chimes, different cosmetic pendulums, and high-torque versions that allow one build structures 3 feet throughout in diameter. But our area is used up. The reader should now have the essentials and the understanding for making best use of the functionality of clock electric motors.

[katgametable]

TAZ Balance Episode 28: Lunar Interlude II: Internal Affairs

Written 01 May 2025, shortly after relistening, having listened to the entire Balance arc some time ago.

The three have returned to the moon base from Goldcliff, and there’s a huge crowd waiting that bursts into applause as they arrive. Turns out they were all watching the battle wagon race. They go to the Director’s office; she’s a little less happy. Davenport brings out the lead sphere, Merle places the Sash inside, and they watch it get destroyed. The Director is still sad, though; she was impressed by the race, but she really wants to know what happened in Captain Bane’s office. They insist on extreme secrecy, so she shows them into her private rooms, and Taako casts Detect Magic. He finds a painting of the Director has a lot of illusion magic over it, but he can’t determine anything more. Magnus recounts what happened in Captain Bane’s office; when Magnus mentions the insubstantial man in a red robe, she gets very concerned, for the Red Robes were the people who made the Grand Relics, and are meant to all be gone. She urges them to flee if they ever encounter a Red Robe again, lest they use mind magics to find out about the Bureau. The Director blames Captain Bane’s betrayal on the Sash corrupting him. She tells them she’s reassigning the other Reclaimers, and that they’re getting new quarters – their former roommate Robbie (aka Pringles) has been sent to the brig for unspecified reasons. They also have a new Seeker assigned to assist them directly – Angus McDonald!

They are sent down to feed the Voidfish with Captain Bane’s profile. In the Voidfish’s chambers, Johan is having an argument with a man called Lucas who doesn’t trust the Voidfish, given how little they know about it and how much they rely on it. Lucas wants to study the Voidfish more closely. He’s not actually a member of the Bureau, more of a contractor, and when he threatens to go to the Director, the Voidfish blasts out some loud, extended notes. Lucas leaves, and Magnus puts a hand on the glass – the Voidfish touches a tentacle to the other side. Johan is very confused, and starts playing the Voidfish’s song on a harp. They play together, and Johan comments that he’s never heard that song before. They feed Captain Bane’s memory to the Voidfish and remember him.

The three head for Leon’s workshop and the Fantasy Gachapon (Davenport gave them tokens as they left). Taako tries to get Leon to operate the Gachapon, but Leon just walks out. Magnus goes ahead, and get a belt with a dial on the buckle, the Defender’s Dial, which can provide protection from fire, cold, or lightning damage. Taako does the Gachapon perfectly, and gets a black leather hooded cloak – a Cloak of the Manta Ray that increases AC by 1 and in water, increases AC by 2, gives water breathing, and a swimming speed. Merle plays with the token, drops it, tries again, and gets a red cross pendant, the Physician’s Pendant, which gives a 1 in 4 chance to not expend a spell slot when casting a healing spell. (Travis asks Griffin if each character is pulling from their own pool of items, and Griffin confirms that that is the case, so no-one ends up with an item they can’t use.)

They head for the Fantasy CostCo. They have 1800 gold each. Magnus is attracted to the Flaming Poisoning Raging Sword of Doom, but it’s too expensive for now – it does an extra 20 damage. Instead he goes for the Shield of Heroic Memories, which “learns” which enemies it’s faced and grants +1 to AC, and Magnus can also tell tales of real or imagined battles for a chance to gain the bonus – the shield starts with a mirror finish but gain engravings with the memories. He also picks up the Glutton’s Fork, which allows him to eat any inedible object for an HP boost, but trades in his old shield as a signed-in-blood collectible to make up the cost. Merle goes for the Nitpicker, a garden gnome statue that can open locks, but will also insult the party for their failures while doing so, and picks up Phone-a-Friend scrying bones, which allow him to ask Griffin a yes/no question, and a rusty can of Cheer Wine (apparently that’s a brand of drink? I don’t get it) which increases his max HP. Taako gets a single-use anti-gravity sphere, and a plastic sheriff’s badge that gives advantage on Charisma check while impersonating a person in authority. He also trades in the Gustmaster for an immovable rod.

Level-up time. They go from Level 6 to Level 8. Magnus gets Know Your Enemy and increases Constitution and Wisdom, plus two new manoeuvres, another superiority die, and more HP. Taako can cast Fourth Level spells, increases Intelligence and Dexterity, and gets more spells and HP. Merle improves Turn Undead into Destroy Undead, learns Dominate Beast and Grasping Vine, gains Divine Strike, increases Wisdom and Constitution, and gets more spells and HP.

I like these more pedestrian house-keeping episodes. I like the development of the Bureau. I like the wild range of magic items – even is a lot of them don’t get used. (Maybe I should keep tally of every time one is used and see if I’m right about that – but I’m not sure if they say when they’re using passive bonuses.) It’s also wild to see the differences in how the classes level up. And I like the Voidfish. Big friendly jellyfish jamming with Johan. Nice fishy.

[livingforstars]

Lunokhod 1: Moon Robot - January 13th, 1996.

"On November 17th, 1970, the Soviet Luna 17 spacecraft landed the first roving remote-controlled robot on the Moon. Known as Lunokhod 1, it weighed just under 2,000 pounds and was designed to operate for 90 days, while guided by a 5-person team on planet Earth at the Deep Space Center near Moscow, USSR. Lunokhod 1 actually toured the Lunar Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) for 11 months in one of the greatest successes of the Soviet lunar exploration program. The futuristic looking eight wheeler is pictured here in an artist's conception atop its landing module. Ramps extend from both sides of the spacecraft, allowing the rover to choose an alternative route to the surface if one side is blocked by boulders."

[stillnaomi]

A New Year's address from President Xi Jinping

Greetings to everybody! Time flies fast, and the new year will be with us shortly. I extend my best wishes to you all from Beijing.

In 2024, we have together journeyed through the four seasons. Together, we have experienced winds and rains and seen rainbows. Those touching and unforgettable moments have been like still frames showing how extraordinary a year we have had.

We have proactively responded to the impacts of the changing environment at home and abroad. We have adopted a full range of policies to make solid gains in pursuing high-quality development. China's economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with its GDP for the year expected to pass the 130 trillion yuan mark. Grain output has surpassed 700 million tons, and China's bowls are now filled with more Chinese grain. Coordinated development across regions has gained stronger momentum, and mutually reinforcing advances have been made in both new urbanization and rural revitalization. Green and low-carbon development has been further enhanced. Indeed, a more beautiful China is unfolding before us.

We have fostered new quality productive forces in light of actual conditions. New business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging. For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year. Breakthroughs have been made in integrated circuit, artificial intelligence, quantum communications and many other fields. Also for the first time, the Chang'e-6 lunar probe collected samples from the far side of the moon. The Mengxiang drilling vessel explored the mystery of the deep ocean. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link now connects the two cities across the sea. The Antarctic Qinling Station is now in operation on the frozen continent. All this epitomizes the lofty spirit and dreams of the Chinese people to explore stars and oceans.

This year, I have visited many places across the country and seen how our people enjoy their enriching lives. I saw the big, red Huaniu apples in Tianshui, Gansu and the fishing boats in Aojiao Village, Fujian loaded with their catches. I watched the millenium-old "Eastern Smile" in the Maiji Mountain Grottoes, and I learned more about good-neighborliness passed from generation to generation in Liuchixiang Alley. I enjoyed the hustle and bustle in Tianjin's Ancient Culture Street, and I saw how the people in Yinchuan's mixed-ethnic residential communities live together as one family. The concerns of the people about jobs and incomes, elderly and child care, education and medical services are always on my mind. This year, basic pension has been raised, and mortgage rates have dropped. Cross-province direct settlement of medical bills has been expanded, making it easier for people to seek medical treatment across the country. And consumer goods trade-in programs have improved people's lives... All these are real benefits to our people.

In the Paris Olympics, Chinese athletes raced to the top and achieved their best performance in Olympic Games held overseas, fully demonstrating the vigor and confidence of young Chinese. The PLA Navy and Air Force celebrated their 75th birthdays, and our servicemen and women are full of drive. When floods, typhoons and other natural disasters struck, members of the Communist Party of China and officials stepped forward to lead disaster relief efforts, and our people were of one mind and reached out to each other. People in all fields -- workers, builders and entrepreneurs, among others -- are working hard to fulfill their dreams. I presented awards to recipients of national medals and honorary titles. The honor belongs to them; it also belongs to every hard-working person who has lived up to their responsibilities.

In a world of both transformation and turbulence, China, as a responsible major country, is actively promoting global governance reform and deepening solidarity and cooperation among the Global South. We are making deeper and more substantive advances in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was a full success. We put forward China's vision at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, APEC, G20 and other bilateral and multilateral forums. We have contributed greatly to the maintenance of world peace and stability.

We celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China. With deep affection, we looked back at the sea change that has taken place across China since the birth of the People's Republic. Nurtured by our 5,000-plus years of continuous civilization, our country, China, is engraved not only on the bottom of the ancient bronze ritual wine vessel of He Zun, but also in the heart of every Chinese. At its Third Plenary Session, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sounded a clarion call for further deepening all-round reform. We will march forward in great strides to advance reform and opening up as the trend of our times. We will surely embrace even broader prospects in pursuing Chinese modernization in the course of reform and opening up.

In 2025, we will fully complete the 14th Five-Year Plan. We will implement more proactive and effective policies, pursue high-quality development as a top priority, promote greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development. The Chinese economy now faces some new conditions, including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones. But we can prevail with our hard work. As always, we grow in the wind and rain, and we get stronger through hard times. We must be confident.

Of all the jobs in front of us, the most important is to ensure a happy life for our people. Every family hopes that their children can have a good education, their seniors can enjoy good elderly services, and their youngsters can have more and better opportunities. These simple wishes are our people's aspirations for a better life. We should work together to steadily improve social undertakings and governance, build a harmonious and inclusive atmosphere, and settle real issues, big or small, for our people. We must bring more smiles to our people and greater warmth to their hearts.

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, I visited the city again, and I was gratified to see the new progress and changes there. We will unswervingly implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao. We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same family. No one can ever sever the bond of kinship between us, and no one can ever stop China's reunification, a trend of the times.

As changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, it is important to rise above estrangement and conflict with a broad vision, and care for the future of humanity with great passion. China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world.

Dreams and wishes may be far, but they can be fulfilled with dedicated pursuit. On the new journey of Chinese modernization, everyone is a key actor, every effort counts, and every ray of light shines.

Splendor adorns our motherland, and starlight graces every home. Let us greet the new year with hope. May our great country enjoy harmony and prosperity! May all your dreams come true! May you all have a new year of happiness and peace

source: People's Daily, China via twitter

[shootybangbang]

[Arthur Morgan/Reader vampire/vampire hunter AU]

[tagging @cowgirl---bebop!]

In his hand, the silver dagger. Slender as a maiden’s wristbone and yet it weighs in his palm now heavy as an iron club. Arthur turns the brass knob of the bedroom door and steps over the threshold, peers into that shrouded chamber with its windows constricted by black sheets of muslin and velvet. 

Outside, beyond the tomblike shutter and rotting grandeur of this house, the orchard and garden are joyous with noonday sun, bright and lovely as a churchglass vision. But within this stifling dark that holds within it the sonorous silence of a catacomb, there burns but a single candle whose withered glow serves only to intensify the gloom. It has an unearthly flicker that pulses as though underwater, the same murky film of fluorescence that is equal parts shadow and light, and it stretches his silhouette monstrous across the curtain wrapped around the bed as he grasps it in his unworthy hand and drags it open with a rustle like stirring silk.

Within its confines, you slumber with the leaden-limbed stillness of the recently departed. Nightgown buttoned up to your throat, its mother-of-pearl buttons gleaming opaline in the momentary flare of candlelight. Scarcely any rise and fall of that breast, and he would be forgiven for believing he beheld a corpse. 

Yet it had been just three days prior that he had attended you in the greenhouse that lay in the cold shadow of the manse, still masquerading at fieldhand as he watched you twine a fall of night-blooming jasmine through your fingers and breathe in their funereal scent. You crouched among trumpets of datura white as snow and strands of wisteria that hung like flowering willow. Things which, like yourself, unfurled only under the pale suspension of the moon, and with the intrusion of day hid themselves away, curling inward as all things that have spurned the condemnation of light must. Shunning that which men revere as sacred in its clarity, and which banishes the liminal to pockets of shadow and derelict crevices that crack deep into the very bowels of the earth, where no holy trace can penetrate. As such is the sanctuary of creatures who dwell in the twilit transition between certainties, and who live with the cold ichor of death bluing their veins.

I suppose there’s no way I can persuade you to extend your contract, you’d said.

Afraid not.

Probably a rather futile question on my part, considering the way you drifter types operate. Eyeteeth sharp as knives in the reveal of your smile, but the soft, wistful turn of your lips had nearly made him recant. Still, I figured I may as well try.

You cupped the head of a gardenia in your hand, and caught in lunar shine its petals seemed wrought of milk glass, or bone. It’s too bad, you continued, drawing a pair of shears from the pocket of your dress. Your eyes fixed upon your task as his fixed upon the curve of your neck, noting the faded pucker of its perforated scar. The twin blades snipped, the gardenia’s slender stem cleft twain. I’ve enjoyed your company, Mr Morgan. So do me a favor, will you?

He nodded, against his better judgment.

If ever you find yourself back in this corner of Lemoyne… your palm briefly cradled the decapitated rosette before you proffered it to him, and the exchange had something in it the flavor of transgressed folklore. A mouthful eaten at the fair folk’s table, a pomegranate seed accepted from the king of the depths, a flower gifted from a woman who imbibed men’s blood as wine. Come see me again.

In a way, he reasons, tightening his fingers round the dagger’s hilt, this is but the fulfillment of his promise.

(Does the heart beneath that gown yet beat? If he were to unbutton it and press his hand to your unmarred breast, would it warm to his touch, as marble to flesh? And if he had instead stayed, if he had cast off his vows, if he had turned from duty—)

You sigh, and he stiffens. Nearly drops the knife when you flash him a baleful, exasperated glance with one eye open and say, “You know you’ve been standing there now for about five minutes now.”

“Jesus fucking christ, how long’ve you—”

“Been awake? Only since you climbed in downstairs through the parlor window.”

He can only stare, dumb as an ox. From the yard outside, a thrush trills a few cheerful notes that seem to emanate from a layer of reality both worlds away and perilously close. 

“Having second thoughts?” Both your eyes are open now, pinning him in place with irises the same dire, arterial hue as sunset. “Or maybe you think I’ll kill you for trying? Or maybe…”

You lift your hand, and as his arm jerks crosswise to defend himself the blade glints like a star swiped sidelong through the dark. But it is useless; he has miscalculated your route of offense entirely. For you raise your fingers not to his throat but to the lace collar of your dress, pinching its topmost button through its eyelet. Then the next, and the next, and the next, until the garment separates like the shores of a linen wound, and the slow window of skin that you reveal is as disconcertingly intimate as a view into the red mechanism of your entrails. You may as well have reached through muscle and bone to show him the blooded core of your very heart.

“Maybe,” you say. “You’re in need of some assistance.”

[sunaleisocial]

NASA Selects Four Commercial Companies to Support Near Space Network - NASA

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/nasa-selects-four-commercial-companies-to-support-near-space-network-nasa/

NASA Selects Four Commercial Companies to Support Near Space Network - NASA

NASA has selected multiple companies to expand the agency’s Near Space Network’s commercial direct-to-Earth capabilities services, which is a mission-critical communication capability that allows spacecraft to transmit data directly to ground stations on Earth.

The work will be awarded under new Near Space Network services contracts that are firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. Project timelines span from February 2025 to September 2029, with an additional five-year option period that could extend a contract through Sept. 30, 2034. The cumulative maximum value of all Near Space Network Services contracts is $4.82 billion.

Some companies received multiple task orders for subcategories identified in their contracts. Awards are as follows:

Intuitive Machines of Houston will receive two task order awards on its contract for Subcategory 1.2 GEO to Cislunar Direct to Earth (DTE) Services and Subcategory 1.3 xCislunar DTE Services to support NASA’s Lunar Exploration Ground Segment, providing additional capacity to alleviate demand on the Deep Space Network and to meet the mission requirements for unique, highly elliptical orbits. The company also previously received a task order award for Subcategory 2.2 GEO to Cislunar Relay Services.

Kongsberg Satellite Services of Tromsø, Norway, will receive two task order awards on its contract for Subcategory 1.1 Earth Proximity DTE and Subcategory 1.2 to support science missions in low Earth orbit and NASA’s Lunar Exploration Ground Segment, providing additional capacity to alleviate demand on the Deep Space Network.

SSC Space U.S. Inc. of Horsham, Pennsylvania, will receive two task order awards on its contract for Subcategories 1.1 and 1.3 to support science missions in low Earth orbit and to meet the mission requirements for unique, highly elliptical orbits.

Viasat, Inc. of Duluth, Georgia, will be awarded a task order on its contract for Subcategory 1.1 to support science missions in low Earth orbit.

The Near Space Network’s direct-to-Earth capability supports many of NASA’s missions ranging from climate studies on Earth to research on celestial objects. It also will play a role in NASA’s Artemis campaign, which calls for long-term exploration of the Moon.

NASA’s goal is to provide users with communication and navigation services that are secure, reliable, and affordable, so that all NASA users receive the services required by their mission within their latency, accuracy, and availability requirements.

These awards demonstrate NASA’s ongoing commitment to fostering strong partnerships with the commercial space sector, which plays an essential role in delivering the communications infrastructure critical to the agency’s science and exploration missions.

As part of the agency’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program, teams at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will carry out the work of the Near Space Network. The Near Space Network provides missions out to 1.2 million miles (2 million kilometers) with communications and navigation services, enabling spacecraft to exchange critical data with mission operators on Earth. Using space relays in geosynchronous orbit and a global system of government and commercial direct-to-Earth antennas on Earth, the network brings down terabytes of data each day.

Learn more about NASA’s Near Space Network:

https://www.nasa.gov/near-space-network

-end-

Joshua Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Jeremy Eggers Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 757-824-2958 jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov

[jimmy-carmine]

Moon's Haunted

Realised I could replay missions for the intro videos of my Guardian looking all cool in his jacket and armour combo

Having custom characters appear in cutscenes is such a fun little gaming experience, doubly so when you've gone for silly over serious and you get something wacky. Clearly I'm too much of a coward to do this for Destiny 2, but I recall my giant mohawked Saint's Row 2 character with joy

It's also nice seeing my Arcadia-class jumpship, The Jackdaw, pulling some sweet maneuvers as it drops Jimmy into the Lunar Battlegrounds. The Jackdaw is one of three ships I keep equipped, and the one I like to bumble around in the most.

With the Jackdaw being effectively a single seat fighter craft, it's cramped cockpit is fine for pottering about the inner planets. When heading out for longer patrols or just taking the longer travel times out to Nessus, The Wayfarer is Jimmy's go to ship.

While lacking any of the offensive capabilities of the Jackdaw, this jumpship is more of a recreation vehicle and has the cozy interior cabin those Golden-age travellers would expect. Great when you're going to be camping out on Nessus for three weeks on an extended patrol.

(L-R) The Jackdaw, The Long Haul and The Wayfarer

The game engine shows all ships to be the same physical size, effectively matching the length of the Arcadia. However, from looking at some of the models I think this is just a limit of the game-engine, and that some of the ships should be imagined to be bigger. This quick photoshop merges three screenshots of my 'fleet' in orbit of the moon, and nicely sums up how big I think they actually are.

The Long Haul for example (which in game is the Deep Space Hauler exotic jumpship) looks to have two sets of cockpit windows, the first around the midpoint of the main fusalage and the second on the bulge at the top of the fusalage which makes it look to be the size of a Boeing or Airbus commercial jet and suggests that it much larger than the Arcadia Jumpship. Perfect, if the Vanguard need a bunch of cargo shifting from the Tower to an operational outpost somewhere.