#i probably would’ve had more satisfying success with something less extra but

[heliianth]

new super sonic form from the dlc?

yeah i am never drawing this shit again

[the-odd-job]

Ashes of Icarus chapter 8 - Dance With the Devil

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Chose Not to Use Category: Other Fandom: Transformers Characters: Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Megatron, Ratchet Relationships: Megatron/Sunstreaker, Sideswipe & Sunstreaker Additional Tags: Dubcon, Unplanned Pregnancy, Mechpreg, Sticky Words: 4468

( Previous )

Well, they managed to escape Ironhide’s training for a bit.

Four damn months straight in the brig.

And after that they expected them to be in any mood to follow orders. Jumping off the walls was the only thing they were doing. They’d sparred with each other, with Ironhide, and with some of the other warriors—beating up Cliffjumper in particular had been intensely satisfying—which had burned off some of their restless energy, but nowhere near enough that they would’ve given a single fuck about what they were told to.

Perform this attack, defend then, do that here and that there, and by Primus stop attacking already!

Ratchet had gotten a lot of guests, and had yelled much at everyone and no one in particular. Ironhide received some of that too, and the rumor had it Ratchet had even visited Prowl.

Probably to complain about the stupidity of doing what he had to the twins. They were high energy and temperamental, and that combined very badly with forced inactivity. The end results were… Explosive.

Ratchet knew that. He knew them better than most did, after fixing their frames and rooting around in their heads as much as he had. The medic had always done what he could do to fix and manage the damage their coding had endured and thus mitigated as much as could be mitigated of what their behavioral issues were caused directly by warped programming. 

But a lot of it couldn’t be fixed, and a lot of it originated from the spark, not the processors. Even Ratchet could do nothing about that, at which point it became a game of dealing with the external factors that could cause them to flip some unpleasant switches.

Prowl should have known that too, and he probably did, but the methods to get them to obey had always been scarce. They had little respect for rank, a lot of trust in their own ability to do things better, and in general lacked a lot of the motivation to just listen. They didn’t doubt Prowl was one fantastic tactician and could no doubt turn the tides of any fight with his carefully placed orders, but…

Frag, it just chafed to do what they were told. Plus it was boring more often than not.

They were loose cannons, always had been. Point them at the enemy and hope for the best, that was really all you could do most of the time. Prowl had had more success in commanding them than really any of their previous superiors, but even his control was far from perfect.

And it had failed entirely in the last battle. It wasn’t that surprising he’d try some drastic measures—by Autobot standards—to force their cooperation. Keep them from the battlefield if that’s what it took, extort them until they caved and listened just for the chance to get to fight. 

How the Autobots intended to manage without them on the field, he didn’t know, but Prowl seemed confident they weren’t necessary. Useful, but not necessary.

Sunstreaker hoped they’d find out that wasn’t the case. They couldn’t be so irrelevant that the Autobots could do well without them. 

There had been two battles so far, though, and the word was that those had gone… Well enough.

But he’d seen the amount of injuries the combatants had returned with. Enough to signify a hard battle.

Would it have been easier if the twins were present? He liked to think so.

Even if that was the case, Prowl had clearly come to the conclusion the extra injuries were worth it if it meant forcing the twins into taking heed of the things he told them. Did that mean they were just that much more effective when they played according to Prowl’s plans?

Who the fuck knew.

But Ratchet had given his recommendation, and according to it the twins had gotten sent out on the single longest patrol route to get rid of some of their energy. They were under strict orders to not speed, but everyone knew that for as long as the roads were asphalt, they would speed. The human speed limits were for humans, not for beings in all ways superior to them, complete with reflexes and bodily controls that far surpassed anything the humans could manage.

Of course, the human authorities wouldn’t agree with that, but by the time they were climbing the mountain roads to far quieter areas, they'd run into no police cruisers that could’ve tried to chase them or otherwise signal their disapproval of the speeds they were going.

Sideswipe was blasting music and singing along as they drifted around bends in the road and rocketed the straight spans, the roar of their engines not quite enough to drown out his voice. Very pleasant voice. Sunstreaker didn’t mind listening to it. With the sounds of their frames, they would have never gotten to enjoy those of nature anyways, even if he’d been so inclined.

He could still enjoy the scenery. Well, sans color. But at the speeds they were going, they’d need to stop to kill time at some point anyway, lest they wanted to be done with the patrol route way ahead of schedule and give away that they had definitely broken every single speed limit along the way. He could transform and have a look at the colors then. What would there be, green, green, and more green...

The jam fell upon them fast, all thanks to the speed they were going. The music Sideswipe was streaming cut off as did their access to all external signals, all within the span of seconds. 

Why did he feel like they’d been here before?  

They both screeched to a stop, reading their scanners, although nothing was showing up on them yet. What had Ratchet said to do if this happened? Back out of the jammed area and report it?

Sideswipe was waiting on him to decide what he wanted to do. On the chance this was due to what they thought it was…

They would continue. Even if it was something else, they could probably handle it without dying.

He could feel Sideswipe’s phantom nod before his brother set back in motion and they drove onward, not quite as fast as before.

Until… Two spark signatures showed up on their scanners.

Excitement surged in Sunstreaker’s spark even as his engine growled. Megatron’s signature was unmistakable, as strong as the mech himself.

And the other one was none other than Soundwave, again. What was he, his leader’s wingman on top of everything else? Must be nice.

Once they made it to a valley between two mountain peaks… The trees were more sparse here, giving room for their kind to maneuver. The two signatures on their scanners stayed put through their approach, until they could make visual contact with the Decepticons.

Sideswipe felt considerably less wary than the last time now that they had different expectations of how this might go down. And Sunstreaker? If he’d anticipated last time, that was nothing compared to the pissed off expectation of this time. Oh, he hadn’t forgotten how Megatron had flat out ignored him the last battle they were allowed to attend. 

They transformed a good distance away from the other two mechs. Soundwave was standing off to the side again, but Megatron was blocking the entire road, and they weren’t exactly built for off-roading. Even if they’d wanted to get by, they’d had to have gone through him.

Not that Sunstreaker particularly wanted to get through. “You have some fragging guts,” he hissed at Megatron instead, throwing all caution out the window and stalking towards the tyrant. This time he didn’t bother hiding his field, because the anger in it was very, very real, and worked well to drown out his other emotions. “What, just gonna show up when it suits you?”

Sideswipe hung back, his laughter echoing in their spark. He didn’t bother hiding his field either, and it was full of mirth for all the world to teek. 

Yeah yeah, laugh it up, this was so much fun. 

Fragger.

“Was I supposed to do something else?” Megatron asked, cocking an optical ridge at him. Sunstreaker snarled and lunged the last few feet, hooking his digits into a gap in Megatron’s armor and wrenching.

Megatron growled right back at him, but Sunstreaker dodged the fist that was flung at him—only to get clawed by Megatron’s other servo.

“I haven’t seen you in battles recently,” the warlord noted, and for the life of him Sunstreaker couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or entertained.

Sunstreaker was annoyed, though. More than, he was fragging furious, and let that sound in his voice when he responded, “Oh I’m fragging surprised you’d even notice.”

Megatron gave him a look, but what the emotion behind it was was no clearer. “Is this about the last battle you attended?”

Yes.

Sunstreaker grunted noncommittally, then from pain when Megatron tore him off his pedes and sent him crashing into the ground. He managed to scramble back on his feet before the tyrant could pin him this time, though, and charged right back at the larger mech like it wasn’t one of the most foolish things any Cybertronian could do.

“You do realize I don’t owe you anything?” Megatron asked next. Sunstreaker glared up at him between one attack and the next, his face twisting into a snarl he’d never manage to make look anything other than pretty. Ah, the curse of being unbelievably attractive.

“You raped me! I think you slagging well owe me.”

Megatron growled at him. “Don’t pretend you weren’t into it.”

“Not the point,” Sunstreaker ground out, landing another dent on Megatron’s armor and barely dodging out of the way of a hit that would’ve given him a significantly larger dent.

“You could have told your side what happened.” This time he didn’t manage to jerk out of the way in time and Megatron’s claws dug into his side. Blood splurted from the wound deep enough to damage larger fuel lines.

Neither of them paid the pink any mind. Megatron stared him down. “Did you?”

He had to already know the answer. Or guess it, anyway, if he didn’t know for sure.

Sunstreaker grit his denta, but confirmed it anyway. “No.”

“And why is that?” Neither Soundwave nor Sideswipe made a single move to interrupt them, verbally or physically. Sunstreaker didn’t know if he was grateful or not when Megatron steadily drove him towards admissions he did not want to give.

Some distraction from this line of discussion would’ve been welcome.

Sunstreaker stayed silent aside from the revving of his engine, and Megatron continued. “You want it.”

He did. 

“I do not!”

Megatron snorted.

“Oh slag right off,” Sunstreaker snarled at the lack of belief he was met with, ramming his shoulder into Megatron with enough force to make him take a step back. He couldn’t truly test the tyrant’s balance, though, and had to retreat that instant to deny Megatron the chance to grab him.

“Why have they kept you from battles? You tore through my troops last time, you and your brother.”

Sideswipe puffed up with pride and even Sunstreaker felt a burst of satisfaction. All he did was sneer, though. “So you did notice, huh?” Megatron didn’t say anything to that, only forced Sunstreaker to dance away from another grab that would’ve likely ended the fight right there and then. Injuries were piling on the both of them. Dents, torn plating. The kind that could be explained away with just regular hand to hand combat.

No sword marks that would’ve made very little sense. “It was because we tore through your troops,” Sunstreaker eventually responded, on this side of reluctant, but ultimately seeing no reason to not disclose reason—and offer an explanation for why they were out of the fight for the foreseeable future.

You know, just in case Megatron would think it had something to do with him. He shouldn’t flatter himself like that.

“Did the Prime disapprove of your violence?” Megatron sneered, a touch of genuine displeasure in his field, as was probably the norm when he thought of Optimus. The leaders of the two sides of the war predictably just didn’t get along. 

But could it be something more than just that?

“We had our orders,” Sunstreaker grumbled, biting back a groan when Megatron’s fist glanced off of his already injured side. Fragging hurt. “We didn’t listen.”

“The Autobots keep you muzzled and shackled.” There it was, that heat of beliefs the tyrant held tight to. A burst of curiosity ricocheted between him and Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker wasn’t sure which one it had come from.

Did Megatron really give a damn about how the Autobots treated them? His field teeked offense that Sunstreaker didn’t quite understand.

“If you fought for me I would use your full potential.”

...What had he said last time about not letting surprise get the better of him again?

Well, he just failed at that. Sunstreaker stumbled a step, and that was enough of an opening for Megatron to grab him by the upper arm, yanking him flush with the larger mech’s chassis. He snarled and fought against the grip, useless as that was. It was too tight, Megatron was too strong—and completely ignored the digits of his free arm that dug into his side.

And the kick to his shins, for that matter. “I’m not a traitor,” Sunstreaker hissed, staring up at the burning red optics, feeling their heat—and knowing his own frame matched it, his vents panting already, and harder by the moment.

“Oh, but you already are,” Megatron growled at him. “You want my spike, enough that you lie to your leaders. Aren’t relations with the enemy explicitly forbidden in the Autobot code, hmm?”

Damn him, but he wasn’t wrong.  

Sunstreaker had no argument to that, but he revved his engine all the same, even as something thick and hot pumped through his lines, setting him aflame.

“You know it as well as I do,” Megatron said in a low rumble before wrapping a servo around his waist and pulling him up off his pedes. Sunstreaker scrambled against his chassis, but then rough lips had already found his. His vents gasped, Megatron pressed him against himself, and if their kiss had been brief and chaste last time, this was nothing like that. Megatron bit his lower lip and when Sunstreaker’s mouth fell open from the sting, the tyrant’s glossa pushed straight in.

Sunstreaker shivered from helm to pede as his mouth was thoroughly plundered, the heat of it traveling down his frame until it settled solidly in his groin. He could feel his valve slicking even further, and Primus, but here he was again, about to get fragged by the enemy and turned the fuck on from it. 

He moaned. Slag him to pit and back but he moaned into the kiss and didn’t even try to pull away. He should’ve. He really, really should’ve.

But he didn’t.

Megatron’s servo, the one not holding him about his waist, traveled along his frame until his aft was cupped. Before he could think better of it, Sunstreaker wrapped his legs around the tyrant’s waist, pressing their frames closer together until the heat from their engines mingled, the thrum of Megatron’s frame vibrating into his own. 

Megatron ground them together, and pits, but the heat wafting from his cover matched the one coming off of Sunstreaker’s. Sunstreaker took pleasure in knowing Megatron wasn’t unaffected by this either—but then again, if he wasn’t, why would he do any of this?

One day—one day he’d find out why the warlord had taken a sudden interest in him… But in the right now Sunstreaker only wanted one thing, and Megatron had it. 

But he wasn’t about to ask for it.

It didn’t matter. Megatron wanted it too, and he had no qualms about taking it, with or without a permission. That worked for Sunstreaker just fine.

Without ever letting up from his mouth—the press of lips against lips—Megatron lowered them to the ground, Sunstreaker’s back hitting it surprisingly softly.

But what wasn’t soft was the way Megatron moved against him. He might’ve removed his glossa from its thrusts into Sunstreaker’s mouth, but it was only to bite his lips instead, sharpened denta more than grazing the mesh of his faceplates. One of the tyrant’s servos slipped between them, brushing against his valve cover before the tips of his claws pressed into the seams again, the demand clear.

Sunstreaker didn’t open. The claws pressed harder—Megatron bit harder. And he didn’t need to say it when it was so clear in his gestures—open, or this comes off entirely.

And that still wasn’t something Sunstreaker wanted to explain to his side. 

He relented with that threat, retracting it. Megatron’s digits slipped into the sopping opening, first one, then two, then three, until Sunstreaker was grinding against them, his vents blasting scorching air. He had to strangle his vocalizer to keep his moans from breaking loose, but his engine revved and his field became a viscous thing, bleeding his arousal all over the place. 

He wanted it. Everyone on the scene knew he wanted it, and Sideswipe only stood by and let him have it. Soundwave too, for that matter, but then his only reason to be here was likely to keep Sideswipe from interfering.

That was no concern.

Megatron grabbed his aft tighter and lifted his hips after he’d removed his digits from his valve, and there was the snap of another cover retracting before the impossible width of the larger mech nudged against his valve, then pushed in. It split him so fucking wide–

And Sunstreaker wouldn’t have it any other way. He groaned with utter satisfaction as Megatron thrust in all the way, sheathing the entirety of his spike into his body—and there was a lot to take there, both in girth and length. He was full in the best fucking way by the end of it, and Megatron, the slagger, barely gave him time to adjust before he’d already fetched his spike, only to ram it back in. 

It was violent, harsh, uncaring, and Sunstreaker loved every second of it, the scrape of the warlord’s spike against the sensors of his valve, over and over again as Megatron chased his pleasure and drove Sunstreaker higher on the side, slam after slam. His engine couldn’t keep up, stuttering and roaring as his arousal built to that point where his mind turned to fragging mush and only the pleasure mattered.

And still Megatron pressed into his frame until his crotch and the backs of his thighs complained with every impact, sure to dent under the assault of Megatron’s thicker, stronger armor. 

Sunstreaker closed his optics to the torrent of sensation, but even so he just knew Megatron was watching his every reaction. The fragger’s field had that taste of self-satisfaction to it, the like that a mech got when they knew they were unraveling another despite the victim’s best efforts.

And oh, but Sunstreaker tried to hold back, to deny the pleasure in his systems, to prolong the experience–

But it was a battle he was quickly losing. His valve tightened until Megatron was growling against him–

And Sunstreaker came. A hoarse cry rose from his throat, his frame snapped taut, charge crackled all across his plating, and fucking Primus but it was one of the best overloards of his goddamn life. Megatron kept thrusting through the spasmodic ripples of his valve, drawing it out further and further until Sunstreaker thought he might go mad, the pleasure multiplying to levels that utterly blinded him and fritzed his processors.

He could only focus on that, Megatron’s spike hammering into him… And Sideswipe.

Sideswipe, who was on his knees on the ground, moaning through his own overload, overwhelmed by what Sunstreaker was experiencing. 

And then Megatron, finally, lost his restraint and slammed against him one more time before the arcs of miniature lightning shot out from the gaps of his armor and the hot pulse of transfluid joined the mess in Sunstreaker’s already drenched valve.

He was panting, but with Megatron’s frame atop him, there was little he could do to truly cool himself. Sunstreaker’s optics opened and he stared up at the sky, past Megatron’s bulk…

Then he tilted his helm back to have an upside down view of his brother. Sideswipe was staring at the ground, his fans running high, but as unexpected as his reaction had been… He wasn’t opposed to it.

It was pretty fun, actually.

Sunstreaker chuckled, prompting Megatron to look at him, and at the last minute the twin remembered he was supposed to glare.

Which he proceeded to do. The corner of Megatron’s mouth twitched like he was fighting back a smile.

Fucking bastard.

...Who was really good at fucking.

Like, really good.

...He was fragging doomed, wasn’t he?

“Did that feel good?” Megatron rumbled at him, and this time he did smile.

Sunstreaker glared harder. “Go jump in a fucking smelter.”

Megatron had the audacity to laugh at him, but he chose that moment to pull out, thoroughly distracting Sunstreaker from any retort he might’ve had. Instead he shuddered, hating the cold air that invaded his gaping, empty valve, and immediately missing the heat of Megatron’s frame when the tyrant sat back.

Missing that? What the pit was wrong with him…

A lot of things, honestly.

“You were driving along your patrol route–” Megatron spoke up. He’d pulled a cloth from his subspace and was wiping his spike with it. “–Until a few of the Stunticons intercepted you. You fought.”

“We’ll tell that much once we get back to the Ark,” Sideswipe said, drawing everyone’s attention. His brother was inspecting the lubricant leaking from the seams of his panel.

It didn’t look one bit like Sideswipe had fought anything, because he hadn’t, but they could fix that easily enough. “I mean, that’s totally something we’d fail to report right away,” Sideswipe continued, looking up with a wry grin.

“Very well,” Megatron said, his optics shifting back to Sunstreaker and flashing with… What? Lust? Anticipation?

Megatron leaned down, and before Sunstreaker could string two thoughts together, another scorching but chaste kiss was already pressed to his mouth, melting away any thoughts he was even trying entertain.

He was going to hell for this, but Unicron’s tailpipe if he wasn’t enjoying the ride there.

“I look forward to our next encounter,” Megatron growled at him, the tip of his digit resting under his jaw, sharp and dangerous–

And then Megatron pulled away and rose to his pedes, his equipment safely tucked away, but fluids still splattered on his groin and an unholy amount of paint transfers telling the story of their illicit affair.

But it wasn’t like there was anyone to tell Megatron he shouldn’t be doing this. He could go home looking however he wanted to.

Sunstreaker, on the other hand?

He and Sideswipe would need to do some covering up again. 

Sunstreaker didn’t even bother sitting up as he watched Megatron walk away. Soundwave transformed onto his servo again, and then the tyrant and his Third were already shooting away from the scene of the crime, just like last time.

Sideswipe came over to him once the Decepticons were gone, a grin on his brother’s face. They’d both had fun, hadn’t they? “Okay, let’s get cracking. Prowl might still send someone to check out this location.”

And Sunstreaker very well couldn’t march into the Ark looking like he did now, yeah.

------------------------------------------------------------

It was an appropriately long time later that they arrived back at the Ark, a little worse for wear. They’d banged up Sideswipe too, in keeping with their story of the both of them having fought the Stunticons.

First stop, medbay. Sideswipe commed Prowl on their way there. ::Hi Prowl! Yeah, yeah, it went well. But! We ran into Drag Strip, Dead End, and Wildrider. Didn’t sustain any serious injuries but we’re gonna run by Ratchet. You want our reports afterwards?:: And there it came, the ‘why didn’t you comm. anyone about this?’ ::Weeee didn’t think it was that important?:: Sideswipe offered with just the right amount of hesitation to sound truthful. ::I don’t think they were doing anything more ‘an driving around before they ran into us and decided to start trouble.::

Ah, yeah, they shouldn’t be the judges of that. ::Sorreeeeh. We’ll make the reports extra good to make up for this, deal?::

And they got their permission to do that. Fantastic.

Now, Ratchet. “Raaaaatch!” Sideswipe hollered the moment the medbay doors opened for them, which was perfectly unnecessary because the medic was in the medbay proper and looked up when they entered.

His expression darkened when he saw them. “What the slag did you get up to?!” he asked as he dropped whatever he was doing and marched towards them. “Berth apiece, stat!” 

The twins walked over to the nearest two berth and sat on them. Sideswipe grinned. “Fun with some Stunticons~ ‘Least Motormaster wasn’t there, imagine how that would’ve ended.”

Sunstreaker snorted. Yeah, the messes they’d be if the crazed Optimus wannabe had been present…

The messes they should be because Megatron had been present.

Except he hadn’t wanted to fuck them up, just fuck one of them. 

“Did you call the Ark?” Ratchet asked, and oh dear but those were promises of bad things in his voice, right there. Sunstreaker had to fight back a grimace.

“Uhhh… No?” Sideswipe was very careful when he said that, but it wasn’t enough to save them. Sideswipe got a hit on the helm first, then it was Sunstreaker’s turn. He growled in affront, rubbing at the new dent on him that blended very well with all the dents Megatron had caused.

They’d fixed the uh, ones around his thighs and crotch, to the best of their ability anyway, but that was it. He was banged up, his plating torn at places, claw marks on him—Sideswipe looked a little better, but not by much after what they’d done to him in the name of their cover story.

“Do you at least feel calmer?” Ratchet growled at him as he began his scans. 

Boy, did they. Sunstreaker couldn’t stop his grin. Sideswipe laughed. “Do we ever~ That was good.”

Heh. Yeah.

Ratchet rolled his optics. “Good, I guess. So help me if you do that again, though! What is it with your inability to accept help?”

“Not our fault we can handle shit,” Sunstreaker huffed.

He got banged on the helm again. Ratchet, seriously.

“Stow that attitude. You’re not invincible.”

Yeah, Megatron had proven that well enough.

...These would be very long repairs if he was all Sunstreaker could think about.

( Next )

[vulpinmusings]

Ski’tar and Friends part 5: The Ulmarid Asteroid Shuffle

Ski’tar, Vemir, and Six prepare to leave Ulmarid in their dust, but the asteroids surrounding the planet hold one last surprise for them.

The first part

The previous part

We spent about a day in low orbit, inside the asteroid shell surrounding Ulmarid, for a little recuperation, a lot of Drone repair, and to give Captain Navasi time to come to grips with the deaths of so many fellow Starfinders.  Once Sixer, Vemir, and I were back in shape, though, we started getting restless.  Being a transport ship, the Odyssey had no workshops or other amenities that could hold our attention for long, and I was feeling particularly anxious to learn more about the mysterious shiny rock we’d found on the Unbounded Wayfarer.  The three of us eventually concluded that we didn’t strictly need an active-duty Captain just to fly back to Absalom Station, but before I could suggest that we just take off, Sixer pointed out that we should at least talk to Navasi about leaving, if only to avoid trouble from Iseph.

The Captain had not left the cargo hold since the Starfinder corpses had been brought on board, so it wasn’t difficult to find him.  We listened to him mourn for a little, and then I said that we wouldn’t mind him staying in the cargo hold for the duration of the return trip if he wanted, but we really should be getting back. Navasi agreed, and so off we went to our stations.

Vemir took his seat in the pilot’s chair, fired up the engines, and immediately flew us into a small asteroid.  As I dutifully routed power to recharge the forward shields, I gently reminded Vemir that the goal was still to go around the big space rocks, not through them.  As we slipped around the asteroid, I came up with a brilliant idea: if Vemir can’t navigate around the asteroids, why not make sure there aren’t any asteroids in our way?  I told Sixer to warm up the forward guns and start blasting, and we made it into the heart of the asteroid field without further collisions.

Likely concerned about the impact and the sound of our guns firing, Captain Navasi decided to join us on the bridge to see what in the name of the gods we were doing.  Just as I started to explain my genius plan, Vemir and Iseph both reported something odd: some of the asteroids seemed to be abruptly changing course toward our general location.  My suspicions immediately went to some extraplanar intelligence inhabiting the asteroid field – I mean, this was the Vast; who knows what you’ll find out here? - but Iseph’s scans of the area revealed a much more conventional explanation: there was another ship out there in the rocks, firing wildly as it came our way.  It was a rust-encrusted heap with a sharp-toothed mouth painted onto the front of the hull to make it look like some interstellar predator come to prey on us.

That visual impression proved to be spot-on.  The other ship hailed us with a long-winded and altogether too giddy declaration of their intent to shoot us down and loot our ship, dressed up as a prayer to Besmara, the goddess of space pirates.  Navasi traded some harsh words with the pirate captain and determined two things: these were the pirates who shot down the Unbounded Wayfarer and crippled the Endless Vermati, and they also happened to be the exact pirate crew Vemir had taken a bounty out on.  Convenient.

There was no chance of talking our way out of a ship battle, nor of getting out of the asteroids and to a safe Drift point without getting shot to pieces first, so I strapped in for trouble and got the auxiliary power routing commands ready to go.

Now, here’s something interesting about Vemir’s piloting skills: ask him to fly through a field of asteroids with no time limit or other extra pressure, and he’ll bump every third rock along the way.  Face him off against another ship that’s determined to kill us, and suddenly he’s pulling off perfect turns and dodging around asteroids like a champion stunt flier while always keeping our strongest shields turned toward the enemy.  Of course, when I say “strongest shields,” that doesn’t always mean much.  The pirate’s guns hit as hard as that Ulmarid bug-worm, and there were more than a few times that a shield quadrant went down entirely despite everything Ispeh and I could do to keep them charged and balanced.

Iseph actually had a real rough time at the Science Officer’s station.  Either she just wasn’t comfortable with the Odyssey’s systems, or she doesn’t work well under pressure.  She’d handled the battle with the Vermati well enough, but that had been less of a battle and more of stabbing at an already wounded animal until it died.  This fight was a much more stressful situation because not only was our opponent fully functional and well-armed, but the pirate captain was constantly on the comms, praising Besmara and mocking our efforts to get away every time his ship flew across our bow.  Our life support got a little damaged at one point, but since that only resulted in minor temperature fluctuations and a slight decrease in air quality and our shields were in constant need of recharging, I decided to forego any repairs until after we survived the battle.

Our ship’s turret had a long-range missile launcher, which Sixer fully depleted over the course of the fight while landing only one actual hit with it.  For the most part, we had to rely on our aft or turret coil guns as we dodged around.  Whenever Vemir managed to point us at the pirates and maintain a reasonable distance at the same time, however, Sixer unleashed the full fury of our forward heavy laser cannons and cut the pirate’s shields down as quickly as they did ours.  Unfortunately for them, they evidently didn’t have a genius Ysoki engineer like me on board to get theirs shields back up.

After much weaving about between rocks and taking shots at one another, we ended the battle by managing to get two heavy laser blasts into their port side in quick succession, causing enough damage to shut down their core.  Once we were sure the threat was no longer such, we debated what to do about the pirates.  I voted that we board the craft and see if they still had anything of value from the Unbounded Wayfarer.  Captain Navasi expressed doubt that the Wayfarer had been carrying anything more important than the iridescent rock and the planet information we’d already obtained, and nobody else felt up to a boarding action.  I thought Vemir would be on my side, since he would need to bring something back as proof that he’d completed his bounty hunt, but he said that a fragment of the pirate’s ship would be proof enough.  Utterly outvoted, I didn’t bother pushing for looting and just turned my attention to patching the life support while Sixer blasted the pirates to bits.  Vemir did a quick spacewalk to get his bounty token, and then we finally got out of the asteroids (without hitting any more!) and en route back to Absalom Station.

Although our mission hadn’t resulted in rescuing any survivors, Venture Captain Arvin was immensely satisfied with our efforts and with the data we’d managed to bring back.  I will admit, I didn’t intend to turn over the rock we’d found, since I wanted to discover it’s secrets (and potential volatility) for myself, but Navasi remembered the thing, and once he’d brought it up there was no chance I was going to get to keep it.  Oh well, it’s probably for the best.

Captain Arvin paid us the rather exorbitant reward money that Vemir and Sixer had haggled out of him way back at the start, and I found myself suddenly richer than my entire clan back on Akiton, at just under 50000 credits.

Akiton is a planet with a nearly dead economy, you see.  Even 5000 credits would’ve made me a fabulously wealthy rat there.

The Venture Captain wasn’t done with the rewards, though.  As a second instance of what may be a trend, beginning with those candied meats he sprang on us after the Vermati episode, Arvin gave us the coordinates to a planet with many high-end clubs, theaters, VR parlous, and other entertainments the likes of which the three of us had never seriously considered to be within our reach.  We graciously thanked the Captain for the unexpected gift and unanimously decided to put off visiting the place until the vague future.  Of greater import, Arvin also extended us invitations to remain available for missions for the Starfinder Society.  Having rather enjoyed the taste of adventure this little search for a missing ship had given me, I was the first to accept.  And, to my relief, Vemir and Sixer also agreed to keep working with the Society.  We Ysoki are social creatures at heart, and it doesn’t take long for us to learn another person’s character.  Six and Vemir may be an emotionally stunted android and a tradition-bound Vasantha, respectively, but they’re good people and I can’t imagine facing the mysteries of the Vast without them by my side.  Or standing between me and danger. Either works.

[sp4c3-0ddity]

Hello! Can you somehow do #24 and #32 together? If not that's fine, just do #24. Thank you. :)

hi!! so you didn’t specify a pairing so i did plance but it can maybe also be read as platonic ~1600 words so enjoy!!

also:  this is from an AU i’ve been kicking around in my head for a while that i may end up expanding later, so there is that

(24) “You’retrembling.” / (32) “You could have died.”

Pidge didn’t expect the water to be so cold.

It almost shocked her out of the fog in her mind, almostmade her turn around and swim back to the ship, and it would have…if she didn’thear her brother’s and father’s voices calling for her to join them.

So she dove.

Head submerged under the iron-colored waves, her visionblurred, but her family’s voices were amplified. Holding her breath, Pidge swamtowards them, but she had never been a strong swimmer so her progress waspainfully, frustratingly slow.

The world underwater was gray, green, and blue, everythingindistinct since her human eyes were unsuited for the environment. But Matt andher father spoke so clearly, of safety and being together and adventuring and learning.

Pidge ignored the burn in her lungs, the ache in her head,the expanding numbness in her limbs as she dove deeper. She only felt warmth inher eyes, and she already smiled, anticipating a reunion, telling them how happy she was to see them, how muchtheir disappearance scared her, how—

Something strong and firm wrapped around her waist and towedher back up. Pidge thrashed, fighting to escape the hold; she turned and clawedat the arm that held her, but they resisted, somehow.

Matt yelled for her then, begging for her to free him, andPidge kicked at her captor. Her fist connected with a face, but her strength wasdiminished from fighting water and the dwindling air in her lungs, the blowineffectual.

They broke the surface, and Pidge gasped for air. “Matt!”she screamed, pushing at the person that held her and turning, trying to diveback down. “Dad!” She could still hear them, their cries for help and rescue,their anguish at having escape wrenched away from them.

“Pidge!” a too-loud voice yelled directly into her ear…

…but Pidge barely heard it, so focused on her family members’.Her captor towed them further and further away, taking away her opportunity torescue them…what if this cost them…what if she never had the chance again…whatif…

Matt’s and her father’s voices finally faded, and Pidgesagged against…Lance, she now saw, his usually smirking face turned down into afrown. He had something stuck in his ears – dripping beeswax – and sheremembered.

The tears finally came, burning tracks onto her otherwise coldcheeks, while she let Lance hold onto her, swimming with a power and efficiencyshe couldn’t even bring herself to envy towards the ship already past thesirens’ rocks. She avoiding looking at his face – what if he pitied her? – andinstead gritted her teeth, berating herself for falling for an obvious trap.

At the hull of the ship, Lance tugged on a dangling line.Pressed against him, she could feel him heaving breaths and guessed he wouldpass out within minutes of being aboard again.

“Grab on,” he said, too loud because he couldn’t hearhimself speak over the beeswax still stuffed into his ears.

Pidge did, mechanically obeying in her shock. She shiveredas the crew tugged her up and over, collapsing as soon as a sailor grabbed herarms and heaved her onto the deck.

She sat in a soaking wet pile while they helped Lance up. Hecrawled over to her, frowning, as if to reassure himself he hadn’t just lugged acorpse back to the ship.

“You’re trembling,” he observed as Hunk – one of the few crewmatesfriendly to her – brought them blankets.

Pidge glared at him, not caring for his pointing out theobvious, and bundled herself with the blanket. An overcast autumn day wasn’tthe best time to go for a dip.

Lance rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something,but the captain wandered over before he could.

“You disobeyed direct orders,” he lectured Lance withoutsparing a glance for Pidge. “Anyone that jumps after sirens is a dead man.”

“Apparently not…him,sir,” Lance retorted, standing and meeting the captain’s eyes. It might’veseemed insolent, but he wasn’t smirking.

The captain steadily held his gaze and said, “He’s only aship’s boy, and I can pick up a dozen more next time we make port. You, on theother hand, are a decent sailor that would be difficult to replace.”

A tiny, self-satisfied smile peeked out from Lance’s forcedstoicism, and Pidge snorted, exasperation finally displacing her irritation. “Thankyou, sir,” said Lance, and he threw up a salute for extra measure.

Pidge exchanged a glance with Hunk, who still hovered nearbyand rolled his eyes. He helped her to her feetwhen the captain left them, and Lance rejoined them, still wrapped up in hisown blanket but looking significantly less waterlogged than Pidge did.

“What were you thinking?” Lance demanded, rounding on her. “Youhad beeswax! Why didn’t you use it?”

Pidge gripped the edge of her blanket tightly and admitted, “Iwas curious.”

“Are you…serious?”He stared at Hunk, who frowned – looking more worried than indignant – but didn’tsay anything. “You could’ve died!” Lance flailed his arms, dropping his blanketin the process.

Pidge scowled at him. “But I didn’t,” she pointed out. “I’mfine now.”

“Did you not hear the captain?” Lance said. “He ordered us not to go after you.”

“Clearly you didn’thear him because you were still wearing your beeswax.”

Hunk snorted, a small amused smile on his face, but whenLance shot a glare at him he hid it behind his hand.

“Obviously I’m glad I’m not dead,” Pidge said, meeting Lance’seyes, “so thank you, Lance. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

Lance glared at her and crossed his arms. “No, but I guessthat’s good enough for now.”

“So then if you don’t need me,” she said, turning on herheel so she could toss the last words over her shoulder, “I’m going to take anap.”

Pidge left them, in search of a rare private spot where shecould sulk alone.

No one sought Pidge for the rest of the day, not to get herto serve the captain’s meal or to scrub the deck or any of the other mind-numbingphysical tasks required of a ship’s boy. That is, no one except Lance.

Of course.

“What do you want,” she said, tone flat, when she spied himfrom the corner of her eye close to sunset.

Despite her exhaustion, she’d been unable and unwilling to nap,her brother’s and father’s screams - real or not - still haunting her, and the discomfort shegenerally felt around the crew out in the open making it difficult to relaxmuch more than to lean against the railing in a secluded part of the ship.

“Just to talk, I guess,” said Lance. Without waiting for aninvitation, he sat beside her, careful to keep his distance.

Pidge narrowed her eyes at him, instantly on guard. “Aboutwhat?”

“Why are you here?” he wondered, raising an expectanteyebrow at her.

“For a job,” Pidge said, shrugging. It was a partial truth, andshe couldn’t even begin to imagine why he’d bother asking.

“That’s not what I meant.” Lance then furtively glancedaround, and after ascertaining that no one was – probably – within earshot, heleaned towards her, close enough she could feel his warm breath on her ear, andasked, “Are you a girl?”

Pidge flinched away from him. “What?”

“Are you a—”

“I heard you thefirst time,” Pidge said. She searched their vicinity, wary that someone could’veoverheard, before glaring at Lance. “What the hell?” she hissed.

“So that’s a…yes?”

Pidge wrapped her arms around her legs and avoided his eyes.And slowly, she nodded. “How did you guess?” she wondered. What am I doing wrong? she thought.

Lance rubbed the back of his neck, and Pidge thought shespied a blush on his cheeks when he said, “When I hauled you back to the ship,I felt your…” He gestured towards her chest.

Pidge couldn’t help smirking despite her own mortification,not when she recalled all of his talking big, how he tried to flirt – withlimited success – with the barmaids at the inns frequented by sailors wheneverthey made port. She quipped, “A first time for you too then?”

Lance blushed even redder, and Pidge felt her own face warmat her boldness. He cleared his throat and said, “I won’t tell anyone.”

Oh. For some reason, it hadn’t even occurred to Pidge thathe would, not when he disobeyed thecaptain to save her from her own stupidity. She clutched the hem of her shirtand inhaled shakily, something like shock stiffening her body.

Suddenly his original question took on a whole differentmeaning, especially when Pidge thought of her old life, that girls and womenusually only sailed in safe waters in summertime, on vessels captained by theirfathers and brothers and husbands…rather than in autumn, a time rife with stormsat sea, in waters occupied by sirens and serpents…and frequented by pirates.

Pidge relaxed, stretching her legs out in front of her;something about the day’s events emboldened her, that she could survive thesirens’ song and a crewmate discovering such a crucial, secret facet of her identity. And despite the despair she tastedearlier, despite the disappointment of learning her family was still missingand that her captain would’ve happily left her for dead, she met Lance’s eyesand smirked.

Why are you here? he’dasked.

Pidge answered, “I’m here to fight pirates.”

[batterymonster2021]

A rich life with less stuff | The Minimalists | TEDxWhitefish

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/a-rich-life-with-less-stuff-the-minimalists-tedxwhitefish-3/

A rich life with less stuff | The Minimalists | TEDxWhitefish

Translator: Bob Prottas Reviewer: Leonardo Silva My title is Ryan Nicodemus, and that is Joshua Fields Millburn. And the two of us run a internet site referred to as: "theminimalists.Com", and in these days we want to talk to you about what it approach to be a part of a community. But first, I wish to share a story with you about how I grew to become rich. Assume your lifestyles a 12 months from now — 2 years from now — 5 years from now. What’s it going to seem like? Suppose a existence with much less: much less stuff, much less clutter, less stress, and debt, and discontent. A life with fewer distractions. (mobilephone cell ringing) Dude, you’re joking right now. Correct? Dude, we’re seeking to provide a speak. (mobile cellphone continues ringing) Sorry about that. Now, assume a life with extra: extra time, extra significant relationships, extra progress and contribution.A life of passion unencumbered by the trappings of the chaotic world round you. Well, what you are imagining is an intentional life. It is not a excellent lifestyles, it is not even an convenient lifestyles, however a easy one. What you’re imagining is a wealthy life, the type of rich that has nothing to do with wealth. You know, I used to suppose rich was once incomes $50,000 a year. Then after I started mountaineering the corporate ladder in my twenties, I swiftly begin turning fifty grand. However I did not feel rich. So i tried to adjust for inflation. Maybe $75,000 a year was wealthy. Possibly $90,000. Maybe 6-figures. Or might be owning a bunch of stuff, possibly that was once wealthy. Good, whatever wealthy was, I knew that once I got there i would sooner or later be comfortable. So as I made more money, I spent more money, all in the pursuit of the American dream, all in the pursuit happiness. However the closer I obtained, the extra away happiness was. 5 years in the past my entire life used to be one of a kind from what it’s in these days.Radically distinct. I had the whole thing I ever desired. I had everything I was once imagined to have. I had an outstanding job title with a reliable enterprise, a effective profession managing 1000’s of workers, I earned a six-determine income, I purchased a fancy new auto each couple of years, I owned a massive 3-bedroom condominium, it even had 2 living rooms. I don’t have any idea why a single man needs two residing rooms. I was residing the American dream. Every person round me said I was once victorious. However I was once simplest ostensibly victorious. You see, I also had a bunch of things that had been rough to see from the outside. Although I earned a lot of money, I had hundreds of debt. However chasing the American dream rate me a lot more than money. My existence was once filled with stress, and anxiousness, and discontent. I was miserable. I may have regarded victorious, however I undoubtedly failed to feel successful. And it obtained to a point in my existence the place I failed to recognize what was predominant anymore.However one factor used to be clear: there used to be this gaping void in my existence. So i attempted to fill that void the equal way many people do: with stuff. Plenty of stuff. I was once filling the void with purchaser purchases. I purchased new cars, and electronics, and closets full of steeply-priced clothes. I bought furnishings, and luxurious dwelling decorations. And i consistently made certain to have all the latest gadgets. When I did not have sufficient cash within the financial institution, I paid for high-priced ingredients, rounds of drinks, and frivolous holidays with credit cards. I was once spending cash turbo then I earned it, trying to purchase my option to happiness, and i idea i’d get there one day ultimately. I mean happiness needed to be somewhere just across the nook, proper? But the stuff didn’t fill the void, it widened it. And due to the fact that I failed to comprehend what was predominant I persisted to fill the void with stuff, going further into debt.Working rough to buy things that weren’t making me glad. This went on for years. A horrible cycle: Lather, rinse, repeat. Via my late twenties, my life on the external regarded first-class. However on the inside, I was once a destroy. I was a few years divorced. I was unhealthy. I was caught. I drank, so much. I did drugs, quite a bit. I used as many pacifiers as I would. And that i persisted to work 60, 70, sometimes eighty hours every week, and i forsook one of the crucial primary points of my existence.I barely ever thought about my health, my relationships, my passions. And worse of all, I felt stagnant. I most likely wasn’t contributing to others, and that i wasn’t developing. My life lacked meaning, reason, ardour. In case you would have requested me what I was once , i would’ve looked to you like a deer in headlights, "What am my passionate about?" I had no notion. I was once residing paycheck to paycheck, living for a paycheck, dwelling for stuff, residing for a profession that I didn’t love. But I wasn’t really living at all. I was once depressed. Then, as I used to be approaching my thirties, i realized some thing different about my best friend of twenty-some thing years.(Laughter) Josh appeared joyful for the first time in a particularly very long time — like truly completely satisfied, ecstatic. But I failed to comprehend why. We had labored part with the aid of part on the same corporation during our twenties, both mountain climbing the ranks, and he had been just as depressing as me. Whatever had to have converted. Besides, he had just gone by way of two of probably the most complex routine of his life. His mom just handed away, and his marriage ended, each within the identical month. He wasn’t purported to be joyful. He surely wasn’t presupposed to be happier than me. So I did what any excellent satisfactory friend would do.I took Josh out to lunch, I sat him down, and i requested him a question: "Why the hell are you so pleased?" (Laughter) He spent the next 20 minutes telling me about whatever known as minimalism. He mentioned how he spent the final few months simplifying his lifestyles, getting the litter out of how to make room for what was truly most important. After which he offered me to an entire community of humans who had executed the same factor. He introduce me to a guy named Colin Wright, a 24-year-historic entrepreneur who travels to a new nation each four months, carrying with him the whole lot that he owns. Then there was once Joshua Becker, a 36-12 months-ancient husband, and father of two, with a full time job, and a car, and a apartment in suburban Vermont. Then he confirmed me Courtney Carver, a 40-year-old wife, and mother to a teenage daughter in Salt Lake city.And there was Leo Babauta, a 38-yr-historic husband, and father of six in San Francisco. Even though all these folks had been dwelling substantially one of a kind lives, humans from extraordinary backgrounds, with kids, and families and distinct work instances, all of them shared at least two things in usual. First, they have been living deliberate, significant lives. They have been passionate, and cause-driven. They appeared much richer than any of the so-known as wealthy guys I labored with in the company world. And second, they attributed their meaningful lives to this factor known as "minimalism." So, me being the hindrance-fixing guy that i am, I decided to emerge as a minimalist right there, on the spot.I appeared up at Josh, I excitedly declared: "very well man, i go do it, i’m in. I’ll be a minimalist. Now what?" i do not need to spend months paring down my gadgets like he had. That used to be great for him, however I wanted rapid results. So we came up with this inspiration of a packing party. We made up our minds to % all my belongings as if I were moving, and then i would unpack only the gadgets I wanted over the subsequent three weeks. Josh literally helped me field up everything: My clothes, my kitchenware, my towels, my tv’s, my electronics, my framed pix and artwork, my toiletries, even my furniture, everything. After 9 hours, and a few pizza deliveries, the whole lot was once packed. So there Josh and that i had been, sitting in my 2d dwelling room, feeling exhausted, staring at bins stacked halfway to my 12-foot ceiling.My rental was empty, and everything smelled like cardboard. The whole lot I owned, each single factor I had worked rough for over the last decade was sitting there in that room. Simply bins, stacked on top containers, stacked on top boxes. Now every field was labeled so i might recognize where to head after I needed a distinctive item. Labels like "dwelling room," "junk drawer #1," "kitchenware," "bedroom closet," "junk drawer #9," so forth and so forth. I spent the subsequent 21 days unpacking best the items I wanted: My toothbrush, my bed and bed sheets, the furnishings I surely used, some kitchenware, a toolset, just the things that brought worth to my life.After 3 weeks, 80% of my stuff was still sitting in these bins, simply sitting there, unaccessed. All these matters that had been supposed to make me completely satisfied, they weren’t doing their job. So I determined to donate and sell all of it. And what? I began to believe rich for the first time. I began to feel wealthy after I acquired everything out of the best way. I made room for the whole lot that stays. A month later, my complete point of view had converted, after which I concept to myself, "might be some people might in finding price in my story — in our story." Joshua: So Ryan and i did, i suppose what any one would do, we started a weblog.(Laughter) We called it "the minimalists", and that used to be 3 years ago. Then something robust happen, fifty two individuals discuss with our internet site within the first month. Fifty two! I realize that would sound unremarkable at first, however that intended that our story was once resonating with dozens of persons. And then different amazing things began happening. Fifty two readers was 500, 500 grew to become 5,000 and now more than 2 million persons a year learn our phrases. It seems that, while you add value to folks’s lives, they’re lovely keen to share the message with their acquaintances, and their family, so as to add price to their lives. Adding value is a common human instinct. Correctly, that’s why we’re right here today. A few years ago, Ryan and that i moved from Ohio to Montana. And what we discovered right here used to be an whole neighborhood of men and women, people who weren’t quite often rich, however who have been wealthy in another way.We discovered so many men and women who had been willing to contribute past themselves. And that is what makes an actual neighborhood: contribution. And so we would wish to motivate everybody to take a appear at your day-to-day lives. Take a look at something eats up the majority of your time. Is it checking email, or facebook, or looking at television? Is browsing on-line, or at retail stores? Is it working difficult for a paycheck to purchase stuff you don’t want, matters that won’t make you blissful? Now it is not that we consider that there’s whatever inherently mistaken with material possessions, or working a 9-to-five — there is now not.We all need some stuff. We all must pay the fees, correct? It is just that, after we put these matters first, we tend to lose sight of our actual priorities. We lose sight of lifestyles’s intent. And so possibly getting some of the extra stuff out of the way, clearing the clutter from our lives, can aid us all focus on, well, everything that remains, things like wellbeing, relationships, development, contribution, neighborhood.Thanks. (Applause) .

[johnmuffus]

7 Figure Skills Review

7 Figure Skills: A Dropshipping (High Ticket) Course Review (AJ Jomah Course)

A course focused mainly on high ticket dropshipping isn’t a common sight by any means. However, is it really worth its $1,297-5,997 packages? Is it just another dropshipping basics course? Is it good?

We’ll review today a course made by AJ Jomah on that subject. It offers 3 packages for $1,297, $2,497 and $5,997 depending on how much guidance you need, from the standard course to a “done for you” offer at the highest price.

AJ mostly dedicates to launch products, and he’s released a huge variety of courses. They span from Amazon FBA all the way to print on demand, and he’s recently focused on high ticket sales through Google ads.

He says selling high ticket products changed his life and that Google Ads is one of the best sources for finding interested buyers ready to spend money on what you’re selling.

However, you must keep in mind that high-ticket products are harder for selling, and newcomers should always start with less expensive items as you build experience.

The issue with high ticket

A lot of people forget that you take payment from your customer. Any issues and warranties must be sorted out by yourself, including refunds and replacements. The problem arises when the supplier fails to respond to your inquiries.

Imagine your customer starts a dispute with you and wins; the following step would be to initiate a dispute with your supplier. Now, what if you lose against your supplier? You’d lose both a client and a supplier.

That’s not all; you also lose the price on your item.

Dropshipping products like toys, phone accessories, or similar items would have you losing around $10-30. However, high ticket items translate into losses that could reach the $10,000 mark.

If you’re starting with a small capital (like a lot of dropshippers do), going with high ticket products could end your business with a single dispute.

Who’s the author?

Taylor owns the website remotelikeme.com, a travel blog she uses to record her experiences as well as offering worksheets, eBooks, and courses among other tools useful for digital nomads.

She started travelling in 2014 to Guatemala as a volunteer worker, and that hooked her into travelling. She’s visited almost all places in Europe and Latin America, and she started working with email marketing.

She has a Facebook group as well, and she says she’s helped many to start their remote careers. She then dedicated her time to creating courses, groups, and eBooks about getting remote work.

It’s easy to see she knows what’s she’s talking about as well.

Reviewing 7 Figure Skills

The course teaches you the basics of dropshipping high ticket stuff, and it also provides the standard dropshipping content regarding getting conversions, finding products, sales funnels, and making large profits.

Since I already know about the topic, I don’t really mind the guidance or having someone make the store for me, so I got the standard subscription for $1,297.

The other two plans include coaching for a month for $2,497 and a store done for you for the $5,997 plan.

Module 1

Here, you’re taught how to find a product or niche for your store. You get all the methods used by AJ for that goal, explained with steps. While some of the videos are mostly basic stuff, there’s also good insight, and I even managed to pick up a few tips I hadn’t considered.

You have some information on common myths and issues and how you can beat them. There’s another video on brainstorming, and all modules have downloadable plans, guides, and even worksheets.

However, it would’ve been nice to see a bit more content inside this module.

Module 2

Here, you’ll develop the ideas exposed in the previous module, with a real-life study on the possibility of generating more than $100,000 each month with a single product. Keep in mind this is for high-ticket; a $1,000 will get there much faster than a $10 or $20 one.

AJ also offers you a trademarked tool by himself to help your brainstorming, so that’s a nice addition.

You finally get a report with 214 product ideas, both high and low ticket, but they’re probably all taken now by members with the same knowledge. There’s also a worksheet for picking products.

Module 3

The third module goes into Google Ads and ways to find out the ideal price for each product. There’s also content on finding the best niches, coupled with another invitation to use his online tool.

He offers a directory with 4,000 suppliers that’s strikingly looks like Salehoo. There’s also one video with an actually neat trick for finding what your competitors are using for success, and it closes with more downloadable content like the action plan and some worksheets.

Module 4

Here’s the first time you’ll learn something you’re going to replicate. You learn how to create your store, and it includes how to set it up, which templates are good, how to expose it, developing your brand, and which plugins are the best for automating it.

Of course, there’s the mandatory downloadable plans and worksheets as always.

This module is mandatory, of course, but it’s the same content you can find on most courses available. You can even find free videos on how to use Shopify, so it’s still little to make up for the price we’re paying for the course.

Module 5

This section focuses mainly on suppliers. You’ll learn how to find and contact your suppliers, and it includes methods both for inside and outside the US, so it’s a nice addition. Besides the tips, AJ also gives you some templates and scripts.

Besides, you have a step-by-step process you can use to deal with your suppliers, and he closes the package with some reselling agreements.

A problem here is that AJ doesn’t tell you that US-based suppliers are unlikely to partner with you if you’re not a citizen in the US or own a company (offshore) in either Delaware or Wyoming.

You need a reseller ID or at least a social security number, and all of this is knowledge that AJ simply skips for some unknown reason. That’s also why so many dropshippers go to AliExpress.

Module 6

The 6th module is all about optimizing your store to get more conversion. Besides the knowledge, AJ includes some templates you can use for several pages, including your Contact and About sections.

While it’s a good intention, you should just use them as inspiration. The reason is that all other students will likely be using the same templates, so you’ll just repeat other people’s content, and Google doesn’t like that at all.

Always make sure to use content of your own, but the templates are a good reference nonetheless. You also get templates for following up emails and some final tips for conversions.

Module 7

There’s really not much to say about the 7th module on automating emails. It’s mostly just some videos explaining how to do it.

I guess his advice is OK, and you can certainly use the knowledge here and automate your emails, but he really didn’t add anything here that would set this $1,297 course from cheaper ones or even YouTube videos you can watch for free.

Module 8

The 8th module the goes into traffic and how you can use Google Ads and Shopping in your favor regarding this issue.

AJ will teach you about how you can set up your first campaign in the right way using the two platforms, and you can then build on the knowledge here for further campaigns. You also get some “hacks” you can use on Google for netting some extra traffic easily.

Besides that, he also teaches you how you should manage your marketing budget efficiently regarding the two platforms covered.

The last feature is a coaching call for free directly with either AJ or one of his associates to discuss and help with Google Shopping.

Given how AJ seems to be always busy, it seems you can only reach out to his associates, so that’s quite a boomer and makes me wonder whether or not you can actually talk to AJ.

However, the content on using Google platforms is quite good, and there’s definitely a lot of stuff you can apply there. The only issue I had (personally) was that it focuses too much on the “for dummies” approach, and there’s little to expand if you already know how to run basic campaigns or want to work on better and more advanced campaigns further down the line.

Module 9

The last module also goes into advertising, but this time it’s Facebook. Admittedly, it does feel a bit rushed and just done “for the sake of it” since high ticket dropshipping doesn’t really benefit a lot from traffic generated through Facebook.

Think about it: most people use social media to kill some time, know what’s going on with their friends and people they like, and of course, looking at memes. It’s a bit naïve to think that someone who’s focused on that is prone to spend over $1,000 on some furniture just because it showed up on their feed.

However, there’s always a few things to pick up from AJ, it seems, so this knowledge actually works for people looking to retarget their ads.

Facebook group & refunds

Finally, you have the standard eCommerce private Facebook group, yet AJ claims that accessing this community would normally be worth nearly $2,000. That claim is really hard to believe, seeing how having a private group is the norm with these types of courses.

This one in particular is pretty inactive as well.

Finally, you can get your money back via Stripe if you don’t feel satisfied by the course within the first month. The refund says to be given without asking any questions, and I certainly didn’t find any terms stating you have to prove completion of the necessary steps for a refund.

Final Verdict

Overall, the course doesn’t quite match my requirements for it to be worth its asking prices. The standard plan’s price tag is already really expensive, and I seriously doubt that the coaching can make up for the additional cost on the 2nd plan.

Finally, the third one does offer you an entire business set up with all pages and traffic strategies. However, it also offers you an entire year of coaching and accounting calling plus whatever the annual beach retreat is.

It all sounds too good, and it’ll probably be.

As is, I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s some quality insight and knowledge spread throughout, but it’s just not enough for its asking price.

What you should get instead

I’d recommend you get eCom Elites for either $197 or $297. It offers more content, more depth and a larger community.

Besides, you’ll also save over $1,000 which can go right into your marketing campaigns and business or learning more about all the other tools available!

I hope you found this review useful and if you have any questions, please comment down below. I’ll be more than happy to assist you.

Once again, thanks for reading my 7 Figure Skills Review and I wish you the best of luck.

The post 7 Figure Skills Review appeared first on Only Genuine Reviews.

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[nazih-fares]

Three months after its release, Destiny 2 finally launches its first expansion: Curse of Osiris. Suffice to say that Bungie had no interest in skipping on expansions with this sequel, especially since hardcore fans of the series were already feeling a lack of challenge for veterans, and Curse of Osiris was the optimal thing to renew the experience and add some new challenges. While I was incredibly excited by the announcement of this expansion being centered on the iconic guardian Osiris, the hype was killed within hours of playing the new content, and I’ll explain why in this review.

Released early September on home consoles, then around the end of October on PC, Destiny 2 was a sure enhancement of the original title from Bungie. Despite a longer campaign, a better written story than the first, more logical leveling mechanics, or even redefined PvP content, the game within several weeks after its launch started to witness the same annoying faults of the original game. Starting with an obvious lack of challenge in the long run, especially for those with little interest in its endgame content like the raid or harder PVP modes. The issue is that despite the many activities offered in Destiny 2, those who returned from the first game in search of exotic weapons and hidden quests found themselves having to farm the same strikes in hope to get some extra loot, which is not very exciting, when we did the same thing more than three years ago in the Vault of Glass.

Curse of Osiris now released on all platforms as a standalone expansion pack (or part of the Destiny 2 Expansion Pass which includes the second upcoming one coming in Q1 of 2018) will take you to planet Mercury, where this new adventure begins. Kicked off by Ikora, the warlock Vanguard, this new story will send you on a mission to the planet after the discovery of Sagira, Osiris’ ghost, found inanimate and the planet now filled with Vex ever since the Traveler woke up. A rather attractive pitch for fans of Destiny, for whom the name of Osiris has a particular resonance, long been surrounded by mystery. For fans of the lore, Osiris is known to those that played the original game as an infamous Warlock guardian, probably the most powerful of all time, which was banished from the City because of his obsession in the Vex. Over the course of time, he had amassed a horde of worshipers and had come into conflict with the Vanguard, and hasn’t been seen since his exile on Mercury. Nevertheless, in the original Destiny, the only true link to this iconic guardian was limited to . the Trial of Osiris, a high-level PvP activity which used to be one hell of a challenge, awarding the best with Egyptian themed guns, armors and loot. Suffice to say that this extension was eagerly awaited by those who were eager to learn more about Osiris, including myself.

Sadly, the Curse of Osiris does not take long to disappoint. Extremely short (count less than three hours to complete the main story mission), this expansion’s campaign is of an appalling banality, chaining levels with uninspired design and uninteresting goals. If the first steps on Mercury are promising, thanks to its amazing artistic direction, you quickly understand that most of the game will take place in the Infinite Forest, which probably will be remembered as Bungie’s most tasteless creation. While the concept of travel through space and time opened up endless possibilities, the Infinite Forest consists mainly of platforms suspended above a void, without ever being able to create this amazed feeling of discovering something truly great. This area seem to be the weakest part of the Destiny lore artistic direction, rather flat and missing true originality, almost as if it was randomly generated with a basic level editor, and extremely repetitive. Some would argue that this is precisely the concept of this Infinite Forest, which is above all a tool of the Vex collective consciousness, but for a millenia of enhancements, I believe that these robots would’ve simulated some better looking possibilities. I mean c’mon, think about all these amazing Vex locations we’ve visited already, like Destiny 2’s Pyramidion or even the original Destiny Vault of Glass which are impressive.

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Nevertheless, some of the adventure missions will make you return to some fun part of the European Dead Zone, and other very successful trips back in time which will allow you to visit Mercury before the Vex came. The planet takes on the appearance of an Eden with absolutely splendid orange and pink hues; you’ll also discover the other sad truth of what Mercury would look like if the Vex completely take over the system, plunged into darkness. The settings offered by these two temporal realities are absolutely superb, but unfortunately we spend barely any time in those areas, as the Curse of Osiris expansion keeps on having us venture, again and again, in this boring Infinite Forest that you’ll end up hating after couple of visits. As for the character of Osiris, this was my biggest disappointment, as no time does the adventure do him honor: you will meet him only a few times and the script of the story is such that at no time will the player feel the weight of the threat that scares him. Without real stake, the player is content to eliminate mechanically everything that is in between him and his final objective.

I can’t help but to my discontent on that front, especially after three years of lore pieces put together to understand who Osiris is, for in the end get an expansion pack that doesn’t live the hype of the character is just mean. In truth, the legendary Warlock should’ve deserved an expansion of scale, in the manner of The Taken King or even Rise of Iron, with a proper care of the narration, attention to details, exotic weapon quest, other hidden secrets, and a wide environment to explore… Instead, Bungie gives us this expansion pack that is worst than the original game’s first expansion – The Dark Below – which at least gave us more content including two new strikes, a brand new raid even if it wasn’t that great.

And so when the story missions are over, what’s left for Destiny 2 players? Well not a lot of things as you will quickly realize. Brother Vance, the mysterious disciple of Osiris well known to players that competed in Trials of Osiris the original game, will propose a small series of missions, which will eventually toss you back into the Infinite Forest, and unlock some extra weapons which can be forged in the new social hub known as the Lighthouse. It is thanks to this Forge that player will be able to build Osiris themed weapons, which are mainly a series of grinds to find new collectibles which will be formed into 12 new weapons. For this, you will first recover a relic, by completing one of the Heroic Adventures proposed by Vance (which are three in total), and harvest the various resources needed to build it by farming public events, strikes and PvP games. Those who were looking for a reason to farm the game will be satisfied, but on the long run it will be really boring as the Curse of Osiris adds only one public event (which is rather well done at least) and two Strikes which feel more of recycled missions of the core game.

What remains is the new Raid, on which many veteran players were hoping to get some extra challenge. The good news is that Bungie did not miss this, and while it will also take place on the Leviathan, as the first raid of the game, the “Eater of Worlds” leads the Guardians to another area of ​​the gigantic ship with new challenges. Where in September the players had been able to discover the habitable areas of the Leviathan, this new Raid leads them into the bowels and deepest parts of the ship. Here we find a progression and level-design similar to the raids of the first Destiny, with large open areas, more conducive to exploration. There’s a great pleasure to play several phases mixing platforming and puzzles, in the manner of what I remember from the good old days of the Vault of Glass or King’s Fall raid, except that the players must progress together.

I’m really worried about the future of Destiny 2, especially since after 3 years in development, the team should have known what players wants in term of content and challenge. This expansion marks a sad return to the “dark days” of Destiny, a sloppy way to cut content into more paid content, which I get are critical for the remuneration of the studio and publisher, but are starting to be unfair for the players. Let’s hope the second expansion fixes this.

Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris was reviewed using an Xbox One digital copy of the expansion pack purchased by the writer. The expansion pack is also available on on PlayStation 4 and PC via digital and retail stores. We don’t discuss review scores with publishers or developers prior to the review being published.

Destiny 2's first expansion Curse of Osiris could've been a unique opportunity to tell an exciting story around a legendary figure of the lore, but instead added a disappointing amount of new content and bland story. Three months after its release, Destiny 2 finally launches its first expansion: Curse of Osiris. Suffice to say that Bungie had no interest in skipping on expansions with this sequel, especially since hardcore fans of the series were already feeling a lack of challenge for veterans, and Curse of Osiris was the optimal thing to renew the experience and add some new challenges.