#l3 helmet

[operation-priority]

SCP AMTF Nu-7 Cosplay - Assault Pack Maneuvers

Depicted here is the theoretical appearance of a conventionally armed AMTF Nu-7 operative during assault pack maneuvers. While most missions undertaken by Nu-7 revolve around direct action light fighter operations with constant logistical support from SCP Foundation elements, there are times where Nu-7 must operate alone without any form of logistical support. Examples include anomalous exploration missions or deep infiltration into enemy territory that require the unit to remain within the working area for extended periods of time without support. In such a case the standard light fighter loadout so commonly seen would not be sufficient in terms of individual sustainment. The longer the unit stays on the ground without support, the more sustainment equipment they will need to survive. This includes water, food, medical supplies, ammunition, spare batteries, and spare clothing as well as additional survival equipment like water filtration and purification, entrenching tools, toiletries, and shelter. Most missions that Nu-7 will perform that aren’t 24 hours or less will generally take place within two days and two nights. As such, this operative is equipped with a 48 hour assault pack, specifically the Eagle Industries SOF 50L Version 1 Assault Pack Prototype. An assault pack will provide the aforementioned sustainment equipment for a 48 hour mission comfortably within its interior. It can be worn over the operative’s fighting kit, however the zip-on pack panel and external belt must be removed and placed in and on the pack before it can be worn. This is because the pack utilizes a ruck style pack frame and hip belt to allow the wearer to fit the pack exactly to their liking. This allows for the operative to continue to wear their plate carrier and be able to fight while wearing their assault pack if the situation demands it.

In a 48 hour mission scenario, generally speaking once the element is dropped off at the infil location, they then move to a secondary location where they drop off their sustainment kit. This is where they will resupply and sleep in shelter if need be. Once the element drops off their assault pack, they reequip their zip-on pack panel and belt and continue with the mission. Once the objective is complete they can resupply at their assault pack drop off point and rest or move onto the secondary objective. In reality there are several methods of utilizing an assault pack during a mission, what such a loadout offers is the flexibility needed to survive within the working area for 48 hours.

During exploration missions, it may not be necessary to wear full kit when performing reconnaissance. The operative wears a boonie hat in experimental UCP-D camouflage. As his standard active hearing protection is mounted on his helmet, he wears 3M Combat Arms Ear Plugs in this scenario. He is equipped with an L3 M24 7×28 Binocular with an ARD, or Anti-Reflective Device, mounted at the front. This is otherwise known as a killflash and it prevents the sun from reflecting off the front lens and giving away the user’s position.

During 48 hour missions it may be necessary for the operative to collect water within the working area. To complete this task the Foundation supplies several water purification and filtration methods. The operative is shown currently using a Sawyer Squeeze connected to a Cnoc 3L VectoX Water Container to filter water into a CamelBak Eddy. He additionally has a Steripen Ultra UV Water Filter and Aqua Research H2Go Chlorine Disinfectant Generator beside him.

Full Resolution Available Here.

[azranox]

Old Friend/New Friend

We jump over the impromptu barricade the mercs had built at the entrance to Archangel’s bridge. I’m wearing regulation N7 armor, but no helmet, and this guy is a sniper. Hopefully I can get into the building and explain myself before I get domed. Miranda and Zaeed hit the ground behind me and I pull out the Widow that Cerberus had so kindly given me as we start a jog down the bridge. All the other guns that came in the armory were shit, but this beauty, it’s maiden voyage will be against mercs on Omega, what a beautiful tale, nope don’t get distracted Shep, get your mind out of the sniper perch my commander side voices in my mind. We slide into the building with only one shot having landed on any of us, and that shot was on my chest, right on the N7. A feeling in my gut stirs, similar to the one I felt before I opened that door on Freedom’s Progress and saw Tali. I opt to ignore it for now, and rush the stairs, we’re on a time crunch after all. The others haven’t shot at any mercs yet thankfully. I suppose they’re waiting on my signal. I slide into cover behind a shelf, and launch a singularity right into the hacker and their guard working the door. “Shit they’re with Archangel!” I hear faintly over one of the mercs comms as I follow it up with a warp, sending the two down hard and fast.

“Secret’s out, FIRE!” I yell down to Miranda and Zaeed, who are still on the ground floor. I take up my perch between two crates and start taking pot shots at the mercs below as they run into the building, the entryway serving as a perfect funnel. As I hit the last merc between the eyes the door behind me slides open. “Hmm Archangel must realize what’s up.” I mutter under my breath. I glance down and gesture for my squad to head up, and I wait for them before ducking into the room.

A turian sniper stands in front of me, full gear, and holds up a finger. ‘A human gesture?’ I puzzle, who is this guy? A shot rings out and the blue armored man walks away from his position, sits on a crate, and pull off his helmet, and in that moment I learned my gut feeling was right.

“Garrus!?” I exclaim, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Just pissing off all the mercs on Omega, the usual. After you,” Garrus pauses, seemingly unsure his words, “died,” he says the tiniest voice I’ve ever heard from a turian “I tried to go back to C-Sec but after seeing what could be done without the red tape, I came out here to clean up a bit.”

“Well there’ll be time to catch up later, time to shoot up some mercs huh? Just like old times?” I slide up to the window overlooking the bridge and start lining up my shots. I direct the other two to post up on the ground floor to catch whatever falls through the cracks. I throw a singularity down to the barricade at the end of the bridge to catch any unshielded enemies before they have a chance to get close. 

“Since when can you do that Shepard?” Garrus asks, confusion in his subvocals. 

“Cerberus decided to up my biotics, went from an L3 to an L5x, plus whatever they did to bring me back to life.” I reply with a no nonsense tone. I don’t like thinking about what the hell Cerberus did to me, and Jacobs words from the research station still ring in my ears “nothing but meat and tubes”.

Garrus must be able to tell I don’t wanna talk about it, and tactfully changes the subject to the heavy mech that just got dropped on the bridge. I smile as I glance over at him, “Oh that will take care of itself.” I start aiming around the mech, headshot, headshot, headshot.

“You reprogrammed the mech on the way in didn’t you, you sneaky son of a bitch.” I cackle at that.

“Garrus, I’m a Spectre, you know I play by my own rules.” No one is coming over the bridge anymore, so I start shooting the mech before they can hack the IFF back. Garrus picks up on my cue and together we bring it down in a blaze of glory. ‘Man I missed this’ I think to myself, maybe coming back to life won’t be so bad.

As if the galaxy heard my thoughts, alarms start blaring throughout the base. “Damn they’re breaching the basement, I’ll hold up here while you deal with them downstairs. Sound good Shep?”

“Of course big guy, Miranda you stay here to cover his six. Zaeed you’re with me. Move out.” Getting the shutter’s closed was more difficult than expected. Vorcha heal faster than krogan, and they like to carry flamethrowers apparently. The moment my fist hits the final button Garrus’s voice chimes over the comms, “Better get back here Shepard, Garm is trying to get into the building.” 

“Hope you can still run, old man.” I grin as I look at Zaeed and book it back the direction we came. In short order we are back in Garrus’s home base, just in time as Garm and another krogan start heading up the stairs towards Garrus. “Not today bucko’’ I utter under my breath, and bolt over the couch rounding around several vorcha, not letting them line up their sights on me. I take the stairs two at a time and sprint right into Garrus’s room. I take my assault rifle and unload clip after clip into the biotic krogan, jumping, rolling, dashing around. I almost get pinned in a corner, ducking just in time to escape the charging krogan. After what feels like eons, Garm falls down, motionless. I bend over and try and catch my breath. Before I can start any banter, the gunship I sabotaged earlier appears in front of us. It fires one shot before exploding, but that shot was a rocket, and it hits Garrus square in the jaw.

I see red.

—-------------

Garrus and Mordin chat over the comms behind me as I inch up the stairs, my new tactical cloak covering my movements. I found the omni-tool attachment in a box of spare parts after Mordin finally let me in the tech lab two days ago. He rearranged the place so much it felt like a whole new room, and now I know what I can dig around in and what I can’t. I think me and Mordin will get along nicely, despite my newfound biotic prowess, I still went through tech training during N7 school and having someone who will help me tinker on my omni-tool will be a relief without Tali here.

I hold my hand up to halt my squad as we get to the bridge. “Our assassin is on the other side at this point, and they’re gonna throw everything they got at us to keep us out. Garrus, you’re point, Mordin you’re behind him with tech support. I’ll hang back and be both sniper and biotic support. Garrus I know that look, I need you up front with your assault rifle to help Mordin, you can snipe next time.” I finish off after a distantly sad turian frown flicks across his mandibles. With that we hit the bridge. I crouch behind a crate cloaked while the other two move up slightly, and I throw out what’s becoming my signature move, a singularity warp combo. As my cloak fades I punch through the barrier of a Vanguard and launch a projectile to push her off the bridge. 

We move like a well oiled machine along the bridge until I catch sight of two drones above us. I point the others to cover and crawl up a crate and set up with my barrel perched upon another crate. I check my ammo and click on the shield disruptor module that I added to my Widow last night. I line up my shots and one, two, three, four, five. The drone explodes. I turn my focus to the other. One, two, three, four, five, six. Explosion. “Move out!” The rest of the bridge is as easy as the first half without the rockets coming at us. We reach the end, and head up the stairs. I cloak and sprint across the patio by the door and jump into cover, and line up my shot on the commando in front of me. I give the order to Garrus for a concussive shot and for both of them to fire freely silently via omni-tool and we strike as one, bringing the commando down before she realized the threat was already upon her.

Using every ounce of confidence I have rightfully earned, I open the door before me and walk into Nassana’s office. “Here to kill me Shepard? Aren’t you supposed to be dead?’

“I keep getting that, perhaps I was dead, who knows. Now there’s someone here to kill you and it’s not me believe it or not. Yes I just decimated your merc guards, that wasn’t to get to you, you’re below my pay grade at this point. Now let's wait for the guest of honor to make an appearance.” I monologue, waiting patiently for the assassin to appear. As if he was watching and waiting for his cue, a green figure clad in black drops silently from the ceiling and has the guards behind the asari down in the span of a few heartbeats. Nassana whips around and the drell grabs her shoulder gently as he shoots her in the stomach, laying her down across her desk, and folds her hands across the bullet wound. I watch intently as he steps back, and appears to start praying.

“You certainly know how to make an entrance.” Garrus quips, curiosity ringing in his subvocals. Mordin is silent for once, and it feels strange, I think this is the first time he’s been silent this long in my presence since boarding a few days ago. 

“I was hoping to talk with you.” I say with a slight tilt of the head, I’ve never seen a drell before, and the one in front of me is silhouetted against a sunrise. I struggle to make out the features on the man besides his outline and the large black eyes that open in a flash.

“Prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken.” The assassin replies, voice soft and subvocals ringing with an unknown emotion. I’ll have to add drell sub vocals to my translation software.

“She had me kill her sister a few years back, I don’t think she deserves it.” I mutter, remembering speaking with the asari in that bar a lifetime ago.

“Not for her, for me.” the assassin says with conviction. “The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you, for instance. All this destruction… chaos. I was curious to see how far you’d go to find me. Well, here I am.” Krios folds his hands behind his back and turns to me, expectant.

“Well I guess that makes sense, I’m not exactly the most subtle soldier anymore, and you had a head start.” My new body screwed up my old stealth training, and having only been “back” for a week, I hadn’t exactly adapted yet. “That is besides the point. You probably didn’t expect to be tracked down during a job.” The drell goes to speak, and I hold up a hand. “Apologies but this needs to be fast cuz we have to get out of here, I might be a Spectre, or at least was, I don’t know if dying changed that actually, I need to go to the Citadel and deal with that.” I trail off, with a shake of my head I return to my point. “I’m above the law but you aren’t. Dayshift workers will be here soon, and I bet you don’t wanna be here any longer than necessary. I’m Commander Shepard and I’m after the Collectors, they’re abducting human colonies and I’m going to stop it.”

“Attacking the Collectors means passing through the Omega-4 relay, no ship has survived doing so.” Thane says, snapping his head back, staring at me with his pitch black eyes.

“Yes, but they said it was impossible to get to Ilos and here we are. It’s a suicide mission sure, but I do the impossible on the regular.” I jest, maybe playing up the Savior of the Citadel card will help my case.

“Low survival odds don’t concern me, the fate of your colonists does. I’m dying.” Krios pauses to take a deep breath. “I’m trying to make the universe a brighter place before I die.” The man turns and advances towards me, reaching out a hand, “I’ll work for you Shepard, free of charge.” 

“We’ll speak more about the ‘dying’ thing on board the ship. If you’re accepting that must mean you’re alright for now. We have some of the best equipment money can buy, I’m sure Chakwas will be of aid for you. Welcome aboard Thane.” I say with a smile of someone who just made a new friend, even if the other party doesn’t know it. 

[sbknews]

Vmoto Soco Unveils Three Highly Anticipated New Models For 2023

Vmoto Soco, the parent company of the UK’s most popular electric motorcycle and scooter brand, Super Soco, has unveiled three new models at the annual EICMA exhibition in Milan this week. The highly anticipated 2023 Vmoto line-up will include the Stash motorcycle, the ON-R/OFF-R dirt bike and the F01 scooter.

Vmoto Stash Just 12 months on from the release of the Vmoto Stash prototype comes the full production version. The machine represents an exciting new era in innovative and pioneering electric motorcycles that defy expectation, and which can be enjoyed by riders of all ages and abilities. The Stash is designed to combine the agility typical of scooters with the riding enjoyment, stability and braking distances of a conventional motorcycle. The mix of style and practicality make it an ideal choice as a family pool vehicle, well suited to demands of everyday travel. The model is named Stash in reference to the multifunctional storage compartment, housed where the fuel tank is usually found in petrol-powered machines. Clever use of space creates abundant room to store a full-face helmet, sports holdall, work bag or college backpack. Performance is guaranteed by an electric motor with a nominal power of 8kW, and a peak of 15kW, made available via the boost function. In normal riding conditions, the Stash reaches a speed of 110kph, while the boost raises the limit to 120kph, which is particularly useful when overtaking. The frame is solid and light, paired with high-quality suspension and 17-inch wheels. The braking system comprises two discs controlled by a combined circuit, which divides the action on both wheels for increased safety. The charging times is 3.5 hours with a removable battery chargeable from a standard three-pin domestic plug. The goal of the Vmoto Stash is to provide a safe and easy riding experience on a machine that’s as enjoyable as it is practical, whether you’re new to riding or an experienced motorcyclist.

Vmoto ON-R/OFF-R The ON-R/OFF-R is Vmoto’s first dirt bike-style machine, designed with a new generation of riders in mind. It combines contemporary design with the brand’s electric credentials to meet the demands of the eco-conscious, yet thrill-seeking, consumer. The versatile model wul available in two versions – the ON-R, which comes with road tyres, or the OFF-R, which is equipped with knobbly tyres. While the bike is primarily aimed at the younger market, it promises to surprise even the most experienced of motorcyclists with its fun and agile ride. The machine weighs in at just 84kg. Its features are shared with the off-road world, as evidenced by the die-cast aluminium frame and swingarm, the long travel suspension and the riding position. The bike offers comfort and control in everyday situations, as well as effective riding when you leave the asphalt and venture onto dirt roads. The ON-R/OFF-R is double homologated to L1 (comparable to a 50cc) with speed limited to 45kph and L3 (comparable to a 125cc) with speed up to 85kph. It features a powerful 8 kW engine and guarantees an autonomy of up to 150km. Re-charge takes two hours for the L1 version and three hours for the L3 version.

Vmoto F01 Previously only available as a commercial fleet vehicle, the F01 will now be on sale to the general public in a range of new colour schemes. Designed entirely in Italy, this versatile scooter combines elegant clean lines with the safety, stability and ease-of-handing required for urban journeys. Covering city miles is in the F01’s DNA and its endurance has been proven in the most demanding environment of the urban delivery industry. It’s designed to carve through traffic daily, providing a cost-effective and reliable, yet a fun and enjoyable ride. The F01 scooter is double homologated to L1 (comparable to a 50cc) with speed limited to 45kph and L3 (comparable to a 125cc) with speed up to 75kph. The charging times is 3.5 hours with a removable battery chargeable from a standard three-pin domestic plug. Read the full article

[kloverdraws]

More emotes! This time I redid our emotes for PUBG REDDIT, who had 5 open slots for emotes. I’ll be doing a second set later this year when they unlock more emote slots. These were so fun to use and it’s been awesome seeing them used in Twitch and Discord.

[vermillioncrown]

also the humor in the meta of this game is the best part since the world is such a shithole

=

the template messages are a meme themselves

- everything is a "dog" - turtles are "champions" ("therefore don't you dare!") - "you don't have the right" for any entryway that cannot be passed through either bc of a lock or game boundaries ("You don't have the right, O, you don't have the right; therefore, you don't have the right!" "Why is it always you don't have the right?" *despair emote*)

=

invasions. I fucking hate getting invaded bc i get sweaty during pvp, but it makes sense as a balancing mechanic for friendly summons so blegh

however there are some hilarious moments

1) my friend CC plays as the nastiest naked gremlin with double scythes and an imp head helmet. he needs to be naked bc he's barely spec'd to carry the weapons and still fast roll.

we were in my world and i get invaded, freak out and immediately back into a corner to protect my back, CC says "verm i'm gonna use the mimic to turn into a box and flank him"

the invader runs in and it's like looking at a mirror of CC, naked double scythe and all. he's gunning for me, and then CC pops out of hiding, invader takes one look at CC and bolts

"i can fight one coward - i can't fight myself" - invader's thoughts, prob

"GET HIM" we both start chasing, lose the invader in a hallway

CC ponders a bit "i know this guy. he thinks like me - HE'S PRETENDING TO BE A BOX THAT'S HIM" and we proceeded to kick the shit out of the fake box and booted the invader

2) normally i'm very shit at handling invaders, and verm bf isn't that great either (so we bolt towards the boss when we summon each other)

after the nth time being invaded i started throwing a tantrum

"fuck you, i'm not fighting" and used the 'spread out' emote to lie like a starfish on top of the grace point (respawn point)

verm bf is telling me to get up, don't give up "babe c'mon please", i've put my controller down and stay on the ground

the invader never manages to find me and ends up leaving after a few minutes

3) CC and i were back fighting this nighttime spawn boss, and bc it's in the open an invader is able to get to us WHILE we're fighting

invader comes in metaphorical guns blazing, sees us getting our shit wrecked -

and uses the 'kneel' emote to sit and watch. it was either a "i'll wait until you're done for an honorable duel" or "lmao the boss is doing my job for me"

=

my cocky mouth

CC "man i wonder how that guy died? does someone get pissed at you for taking this item - AAH careful spongebob!" (both of us streaming to each other on discord so we can watch elden ring while we play elden ring)

(he always "careful spongebob"s me bc i just fall all over the place like i'm drunk)

me, riding my horse along a ledge and checking the bloodstain "lol nope he's an idiot that fell to his death, i'm not stupid like -" *immediately, accidentally presses L3 to fast-dismount and launches myself into a ravine*

[csleko]

What if Comic Shorts...but Star Wars?

Random idea I had a little while ago to redesign Comic Shorts characters as if they were from the Star Wars universe. I started with Tailii, and eventually made the rest in Hero Forge, so that's what's going on in this post.

Tailii Raisa, human female. Throughout her career as a "treasure hunter" she has built up quite a collection of curiosities such as a Nightsister sword, a beskar pauldron, a restored antique blaster, pieces of Phase I Clone Trooper armor (painted to match her look), and a "lucky vest" she stole from an auction (the seller dubiously claimed it originally belonged to a famous smuggler).

Zanshlou, Mirialan male. Raised on exciting stories of bounty hunter adventures, Zan entered the profession at a young age hoping to find an epic story of his own to some day tell. Unfortunately, though he is competent, the ever growing number of bounty hunters in the galaxy is making it quite challenging to stand out.

---

I originally had Zan as another human, but I figured he needed a little something to be more Star Wars-y and not just "kinda cyberpunky version of his original design." Mirialans (usually) have greenish skin, dark hair and face tattoos, so I thought that'd be perfect for Zan who's trying to build his brand as a mysterious ninja.

York, Duros male. An experimental treatment for the rare skin condition that robbed him of his species' typical blue/green pigmentation has left him with significant memory loss. After assassinating the head of the medical company responsible, York went on to become a prolific hitman preferring to take jobs targeting shady corporate officers who believe their wealth makes them untouchable. He is all too happy to prove them wrong.

---

York and Buddy were a challenge. In our canon universe, they're the same type of creature. (That being a faceless pale humanoid with large black eyes.) There's not really an equivalent in the Star Wars universe, so I had to get really creative here. I ended up making York a Duros since they *kind of* have the look I wanted to go for, but their coloration is in the blue to green range, so I decided he could just have a skin condition that makes it white. My main concern is he comes off as too Cad Bane-like with his signature hat and being the same species, but whatever. Everything's a ripoff of something.

"Buddy," Umbaran male. The creature known to the group only as "Buddy" is an oddity among oddities. Unbeknownst to his companions (and even himself), rather than being simply "Force sensitive" he is actually Force *hypersensitive* to the point where his mind is completely overrun by a seemingly infinite number of voices constantly feeding him conflicting interpretations of the "will of the Force." While able to speak and understand Basic, the majority of his speech comes out as unintelligible gibberish, though during brief moments of near lucidity he does express a consistent delusion of being a Jedi Knight. Zan has given him a "lightsaber" (a metal pipe painted blue) to hopefully shut him up for a while.

Buddy wears a helmet of unknown make that seems to keep him in a constant state of audiovisual overload in an attempt to drown out the voices. Whether it actually works or not is impossible to tell, but he refuses to remove it under any circumstance. L3-K0 was only able to determine Buddy's species through a genetic scan.

---

If there's not at least one character in a mysterious face-concealing helmet, are you even making Star Wars content? Buddy's backstory was actually surprisingly easy to adapt to this setting. Just instead of "weird multiverse energy broke his mind and made him immortal" it's "The Force broke his mind and made him immortal." (And yeah, there wasn't really a good place up there to throw that detail in, but Buddy is basically immortal.)

I had a couple of ideas to explain the helmet, and it's actually the reason I decided to make him Umbaran. They're pale, extremely sensitive to sunlight, and also tend to be psychic, so I thought maybe he wears the helmet to protect himself from the sun and it helps keep him from constantly the minds of everyone around him since he's a lot more psychic than the average Umbaran.

L3-K0, A.K.A. "Leko," droid. A prototype tactical analysis droid, L3-K0 gained sentience when his developers were unable to find a way to memory-wipe him without also resetting his analytical effectiveness. Reasoning that the best way to improve the droid's capabilities was to allow it to accumulate experience without limits, Leko convinced his creators to allow him to freely travel the galaxy with the goal of simply learning all there is to learn about it.

Throughout his travels, Leko met and recruited several interesting individuals to form a sort of mercenary team and perform various jobs across the galaxy.

-------

So there you have it! If you want the HF links to any of these for whatever reason, here they are:

Tailii

Zan

York

Buddy

Leko

[theasexuwhalestuff]

I never actually loved anything Star Wars before The Mandalorian.

The movies were always on TV, but I don't think I actually watched them before I was 9 or 10 years old. And the movies were meh, but I found them, esp the prequels very tacky. The only things I remember really loving were the droids, the blasters and the ships; the futuristic concepts really.

I really liked Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, R2, 3PO and basically any another droid. I liked Yoda, because well, everyone likes the old wise mentor type. I liked Stormtroopers 'cause of their armour. I liked Jango, Boba and Mandalorians because of the armour and also because let's be real, they're badass motherfuckers.

I was the least interested in the Jedi; the very beings everyone else was always obsessed with and they were so hyped good God. Also preferred Maul to Vader.

The Clone Wars aired when I was a kid, but I didn't like the art style and just didn't want to stumble into something that had so much history.

The Force Awakens was pretty okay. I didn't love anything about it except BB-8 (who I still love to death). From Rogue One, I loved K-2SO and his sass and I loved Orson Krennic's outfit. I was never really fond of Harrison Ford's Han Solo, but I actually kinda adored Alden Ehrenreich's Han. The movie was fine, and Qi'ra, Beckett, Lando and L3-37 were all likable.

What I liked from SW was really just the concepts of the technology, the universe, concepts of characters, but I never really had any emotional connection to it, 'cause the characters didn't attract me, nor did the relationships between them and nor did the Jedi and lightsabers. I was used to getting disappointed or not feeling anything after surrendering to the hype.

When The Mandalorian came out, I was busy with exams and I didn't really care to see even the poster because by that point I had accepted that SW wasn't for me. Then a year later I kept hearing everyone raving about it, esp Baby Yoda, but I still didn't care enough to give it a try. The point where I caved was when someone told me this character never takes their helmet off, and the fact that it's built around the trope of Lone Warrior Adopts Bubbly Child. At that point I had to watch it, 'cause single dads are my shit.

So, imagine my surprise when I started watching the first episode and was actually really intrigued by what I was seeing.

Sure, there's Mando being a BAMF, but that alone is in no way enough to retain my attention. When he returned to the Covert, I knew that he had a purpose; a commitment to his Tribe. And that's where I got to learn about Mandalorian culture (at least of this tribe's) and instantly fell in love. By that point I was sold to anything remotely Mandalorian. I'll take Mandalorian over Jedi ANY DAY.

When he went to meet The Client, I will admit, I was pissed to see the Stormtroopers. I was NOT on board for another Main Characters vs. The Empire story. Not at all.

But then Mando went on the hunt and met Kuiil, fought Jawas and lost, and met IG-11. At that point I was convinced this was a smaller scale story, so naturally I was more invested. One can only tolerate a story about a bunch of adolescents defeating an evil overlord so many times.

Anyway, then Mando met bébé, and that reluctant fatherhood plotline was the icing on top. Not to mention the honour and the unity between Mandos that we later see when Mando stole Grogu back. Like yeah, infighting is common and all, but the fact that they will stick up for each other no matter what since it's one of their own is a really refreshing take, esp so, since Din admits early on that he's a foundling.

Another reason I love Mando is 'cause of the major ace vibes he exudes, and being ace myself and having near-zero representation in mainstream media, it was a fucking JOY.

This show is basically just tropes and plotlines and character types and dynamics that I absolutely adore, which happens to be set in the SW universe. It's fucking amazing to see a piece of mainstream media esp fantasy and sci fi, portraying parenthood in such a positive way, and not an end of your adventurous life. I say this 'cause parenthood has almost zero role in any major fantasy/sci fi movie, TV show or book.

At it's core, it's just a simple show about this fierce bounty hunter making his way through the galaxy with his li'l green bean of a son.

It's this simplicity that I adore and I just hope that in future seasons it remains this simple. I've seen enough Jedis for a lifetime. Barring Grogu and maybe his mentors, I frankly don't wanna see any Force-sensitives in this story. But I'm up for Mandos; gimme ALL the Mandos.

Also, the fact that Din wants to be the side character so badly is another reason I adore this show. He doesn't have to do anything grand. Sure he's a feared warrior, but he's also a Dad and that's enough. He doesn't need to be the Mand'alor and him actually assuming that role will seem very idk out of place and Chosen One-ish IMO. Idc what anyone thinks, I think this man deserves some peace, so he should definitely yeet the Darksaber into space the first chance he gets. 😈

At the end of the day, I, just like anyone else, want to see the stuff I want to happen, which in this case is a LOT more of this^.

I'm hoping for the best for Season 3, however long that might take. In the meantime, I'm excited to see Din in The Book of Boba Fett, and also Boba, 'cause Mando!Boba is cool and I adore Fennec, so yeah.

[usafphantom2]

Switzerland completes first stage of extending the life of Hornets fighters

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/1522 - 14:00 in Military

The Swiss Air Force's F/A-18 Hornet fighter fleet completed the first stage of life extension updates being carried out to allow them to remain in service until the arrival of next generation F-35 fighters.

The updates, which were approved by parliament in 2017, will cost 450 million francs (approximately $486 million) and are necessary to keep Hornets operationally relevant by about 2030.

As part of the first stage of updates, Hornets have received updates on communication, navigation and friend or enemy identification (IFF) systems.

In addition, CAE provided updates to the SHOTS operating training system. SHOTS consists of four fully networked mission simulators designed for immersive mission training. CAE has updated the current visual system to L3 Link's SimuSphere HD 9-screen visual system display, while coaches have been updated with the latest operational flight program (OFP) and include a complete update of hardware and software systems technology.

A new night vision device has been purchased for integration into the multifunctional helmet and is already being used in night flight training.

In the second phase, new adjustments will be introduced to the software, along with a new encrypted radio system.

Eventually, Hornets will be certified to perform 6,000 flight hours, which will be ensured through a structural renovation program with preventive accompanying measures in the aircraft structure.

All the work being done will allow the 25-year-old aircraft to remain in service until its predecessor is put into the field.

Switzerland is expected to start receiving the first F-35A fighters and Patriot air defense systems in 2025, under a contract from June 2021 with the United States and Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, the system manufacturers. Switzerland has 36 F-35 fighters and five Patriot systems ordered.

Tags: Military AviationF/A-18C/D HornetSchweizer Luftwaffe - Swiss Air Force

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several air events and operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

[theloneliestshipper]

would love to see boba & leia in an apocalypse or dystopia!AU... there are so many to choose from like zombie au, natural disaster destroys the world au, government goes batshit à la handmaid’s tale, hunger games au. mostly this prompt is just an excuse to see leia save boba in some capacity because i’m soft for that and have them comfort each other emotionally and physically in dire circumstances because i’m also soft for that. okay i’ll stop now

AO3 Link

They caught another one. Leia’s stomach knotted as the sentry guards dragged the human into sight.

“Humans in armor,” RA-7 sniffed. “Will they never learn?”

Leia took a closer look. He was bleeding and barely able to stand, but his armor was unmistakable. A Mandalorian. Legendary warriors, according to the Archive. Their people were notorious for surviving extinction. “What will happen to him?”

“The same thing that happens to every human who tries to escape.” RA-7 lowered her head. “It’s a great comfort to me, Le-a, that you know better than to attempt such foolishness.”

The sentries were trying to remove the Mandalorian’s armor, with limited success. Their protocol said that escapees should be executed with a single shot to the head, but the scorch marks on their prisoner’s helmet suggested that this had already been attempted.

“Honestly,” RA-7 huffed. “If these old separatist units can’t learn to adapt, they’ll never evolve past their rank. You there! Just remove the head, and then complete your task.”

The Mandalorian held up his hands. “Wait.” He removed the helmet himself. He was older than Leia, maybe old enough to have fought against the first droid rebellion. He was handsome, even bloody and injured, with sweat-soaked black curls and tan skin.

“Can I have him?” Leia asked before she could stop herself.

RA-7 turned her head towards Leia, the lights in her photoreceptors blinking a little quicker than normal. “For what purpose?”

“For company.” Leia’s mind raced. What would make sense to a droid? “And for warmth. The Archive is cold at night.”

“I have observed that your body temperature is often lower than it should be for optimal health.”

One of the sentries shoved the man to his knees and placed the barrel of its blasting arm against the man’s forehead. Droids didn’t like to be rushed, but time was running out. “Please, your excellency.”

“Oh, very well. Stop!” RA-7 moved towards the prisoner and Leia quickly followed. “I will be taking the human. Here is my authorization code.”

The sentry scanned her code and then beeped once in approval. “Governor of the Archive. Acknowledged. All praise to our savior, L3-37.”

“All praise to L3-37.” RA-7 responded. “Please remove the rest of his armor.”

“I’ll do it,” the man muttered, leaning out of their reach. When his armor was in a pile on the ground, RA-7 gestured at his blood-soaked undersuit. “The cloth garments as well. You cannot bring such unsanitary items into the Archive.”

With a resigned sigh, he continued to strip until he stood naked in front of them.

“You will wash him,” RA-7 told Leia.

“Of course, your excellency.”

“And see to it that he has proper food and exercise. There’s nothing more pitiful than a sick human.”

“I will.”

“Unfortunately he appears to be breeding compatible. Shall I have that taken care of?”

Leia kept her attention on the droid so she wouldn’t have to dwell on her own embarrassment or the prisoner’s horror. “It might not be wise in his current condition, your excellency.”

“He does not look well,” RA-7 agreed. “But he does appear to be working. Your body temperature has risen considerably. Take him to your rooms and clean him up.”

“Thank you.” Leia gave her a respectful bow and turned to the man she had just rescued. “Come with me.” She forced herself to keep a sedate pace because it was clear that he was too injured to move quickly. As they walked she let her shawl drop from her shoulders and handed it to him. He tied it around his waist but said nothing until they reached Leia’s small room in the cellar of the Archive.

“Can you get my armor back?”

His words stunned her so much she froze. “Your armor ? You should be glad you still have your head. And-” she waved at his midsection. “that.”

“I am, but I need my armor.”

“Sit down,” she ordered, pointing stiff-armed at her bed. “You can worry about your armor when the bleeding stops.”

“I’ve never seen a human with so much influence here.”

“Don’t confuse strategy for power,” she returned sharply as she knelt to remove her medkit from under the bed. So many of these items were a rarity now.  Most of the droid governors didn’t see the point in “repairing” humans who would grow old and die anyway. RA-7 was the exception, but she couldn’t control supply and demand.

“How long have you been here at the Archive?”

“Since I was eleven years old.” She laid out her kit on the floor as she spoke. “I was traveling with my father when the droids attacked the core. Their protocol said not to harm children, so I was brought here and RA-7 took me on as her assistant. I provide human interpretation for oral histories of the galaxy.”

“You’ve been here twelve years.”

“Yes.” She injected him in the thigh with one of her last stims and dipped a sterile pad in bacta. “I spent a year on the oral history of the True Mandalorians. I recognized the clan markings on your armor.”

“It was my father’s.”

“Did you fight in the rebellion?”

“No.” He hissed as she began to clean the deep cut on his forearm. “I was a bounty hunter. I didn’t want to get involved.”

Her hand stilled. “How could you think you had a choice?” He didn’t answer. After a few seconds she resumed tending to his wound. “I’ll try to help you get your armor back,” she said. “But you have to do as I say. Be polite to the droids. Stay close to me.”

"I will." Two fingers brushed her chin, warm, human fingers and her body flushed with heat as she raised her eyes to his. “Thank you.” His mouth pulled up in a quick, tired smile. “I’m Boba, by the way.”

“Leia.”

His fingers withdrew and his gaze sharpened. “Leia. Organa?”

She felt dizzy with shock. “How do you know my name?”

“I know your mother. Breha Organa.”

“My...my mother. She’s alive?”

“Plenty of humans are, outside the core.” He leaned closer. “I wasn’t trying to escape when I was caught. Your mother pays me to get humans out of droid occupied territory.”

Leia could barely hear him over the roar in her ears. “You...have you done it before?”

“I’m on my twenty-sixth run.” He leaned back against the wall, confident in spite of his battered state. “Help me get my armor back and I'll get you back to your family."

[r0b0tb0y]

then you are lost: chapter five

Chapters: 5/13 Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO (Star Wars), R2-D2 (Star Wars), Yoda (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody, CT-7567 | Rex, Original Clone Trooper Character(s), CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, Grievous | Qymaen jai Sheelal, L3-37 (Star Wars), Kanan Jarrus, Ahsoka Tano, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, Bo-Katan Kryze Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Sith Obi-Wan Kenobi, POV Multiple, POV Outsider, Set Between Star Wars Prequel Trilogy and Star Wars Original Trilogy, less character death than canon but not in the same order, codywan textual but plenty more implicit because obi-wan’s like that with everyone, Time Skips, Angst, Mand'alor Obi-Wan Kenobi, Dark Obi-Wan Kenobi, working title: manipulate mansplain malewife Summary: What if Obi-Wan Kenobi killed Anakin on Mustafar?

Chapter Five: the ethical praxis of stealing office supplies

‘Boss?’ Nate murmured. Cody turned toward him: the peripheral vision in these helmets was garbage. ‘How do you know he’s in red?’ Cody shook his head. He pointed at the screen. These were screens he looked at every day, the sum and total of his new job. They were, as always, monochrome.

[tacxlife]

Summer Weight

  Parts list

Opscore Carbon Bump Helmet

Opscore Amp Headset

Echo Arms x Supdef helmet light

TNVC Mohawk Gen 2

DTNVG WP L3

Phocus Caps

I don’t always need to wear a ballistic helmet and def dont want to run a 30LB lid… so the summer setup is real

[sophieakatz]

Thursday Thoughts: The Unfridged Woman

So there’s this awful story trope I’ve blogged about before, called fridging. Fridging is when a character – usually a female character – is killed off for the sake of a usually-male hero’s angst. The fridged character isn’t really a character in her own right. She is another character’s motivation.

Today, I’d like to point out a new trope I’ve noticed: unfridging. Unfridging is when a female character who originally had the sole purpose of dying to provide sadness and motivation for a male character, and lacked any story or motivations of her own, is brought back in a sequel as a complex character, vital to the plot and with her own motivations.

I can give you three examples off the top of my head, two of which I’ve already written about in Thursday Thoughts posts.

Here there be spoilers for the following film franchises: How To Train Your Dragon, Ant-Man, and Toy Story.

1. Valka

The first How To Train Your Dragon film focuses on Hiccup’s relationship with his father just as much as his relationship with the titular dragon. Hiccup’s mother is nowhere to be seen, and only mentioned once. When his father, Stoick, gives Hiccup a horned Viking helmet, he says, “Your mother would have wanted you to have it. It's half her breastplate,” he adds, pointing to his own helmet. “Matching set. Keeps her close, you know.”

The moment is played for laughs, but the implication is that Hiccup’s mother is dead, and the viewer is left to assume that this loss is part of why Stoick is so harsh on his son. But the mother has no name, no personality, no traits at all. Just a boob joke.

In the sequel, Hiccup follows a mysterious masked dragon rider into a cave to discover – surprise – it’s his mother! Valka is not only alive (and, at long last, named!), but she very much has a story outside of Hiccup and Stoick. We learn that she always believed that humans and dragons could get along, and she was taken from the village by a dragon who saw her as a potential friend. While everyone thought she was dead, she decided to stay with the dragons, and she resists the idea of returning to the Viking lifestyle she left behind.

While Valka barely existed at all in the first film, in the second, she is an essential part of the world. She’s an integral part of dragon society, proof that humans and dragons can coexist, and the reason why the viewer learns what we need to know about dragon alphas for the plot. Also, her agenda runs counter to that of the men in the film, but is portrayed as just as important and justified as anyone else’s goals – which is something I always love to see.

2. Janet van Dyne

I’ve blogged at length about Ant-Man and the Wasp before, but here’s the short version. In the original Ant-Man, we see in a flashback that Hank Pym’s wife sacrificed herself to stop a bomb, shrinking herself between the atoms and becoming lost to the quantum realm. As a result, Hank is incredibly protective of his daughter Hope to the point of keeping her from reaching her full potential and overall straining their relationship. It’s why he brings in Scott to be Ant-Man in the first place, rather than letting Hope do it.

In this film, we don’t learn Hank’s wife’s name. We don’t even see her face; she has the mask of her suit down the whole time. She only exists to have died in order to make Hank sad enough to make the decisions he does in the film.

In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scott, Hank, and Hope realize that Hank’s wife – who is finally named Janet – is still alive in the quantum realm. Rescuing Janet is one of the film’s two main plotlines. What’s more, Janet is not simply a damsel waiting to be saved. She has an active hand in her own rescue, planting messages in Scott’s head to start the plot, and at one point even taking control of Scott’s body to correct her family’s equations to make sure that they can come get her.

And when Janet is finally brought back to the full-size world, she steps in to solve the film’s other main problem: she is able to heal Ghost when no one else could. Janet van Dyne goes from existing only as motivation for her husband to being an essential character in both plotlines of Ant-Man and the Wasp. The sequel film literally would not be the same without her.

3. Bo Peep

In Toy Story and Toy Story 2, Bo Peep doesn’t do much. She’s established as Woody’s love interest, and she has a few cheeky quotes, but that’s about it for her role in the films. Then, in Toy Story 3, she’s fridged. Rex mentions her as a part of a list of toys who have been given away over the years, and Woody has a moment of sadness. She may not be dead, technically – if it’s even possible for toys to die – but she’s gone, with very little fanfare and no indication of what she herself wanted out of life.

Toy Story 4 blows the three previous films out of the park in regards to Bo. Again, I’ve blogged about this before, but here’s the short version. Toy Story 4 establishes Bo as a leader in her own right, both in Molly’s room in a flashback and among the Lost Toys in the present. While Woody is frequently a purposeless fish out of water in this film, Bo is the one who knows how the world works, making her essential to the plot. She also has her own agenda – she doesn’t want a kid to own her; she wants to be free, and for Woody to come with her. Best of all, in the end, Bo gets everything she wants. She goes from being a nobody to being one of the most important people in the movie.

Why Does This Matter?

It’s not enough for women to merely exist in films. As I’ve said before, it matters that female characters matter. It’s important that they have motivations which the film treats as important, and it’s important that they exist as more than just a small part of a male character’s life. If the vast majority of films we see show us that men have important adventures and women only exist to motivate men, we internalize that message. Girls learn that they don’t go on adventures, and boys learn that what they want matters more than what girls want.

It’s very interesting to see film franchises apparently realizing in hindsight that their female characters need to matter and developing women more in sequel films. Once is an exception, and twice is a coincidence, but three times is an intriguing trend.

I hope to see more sequels which correct their prequels’ fridging, and fewer films in which women are fridged at all. (Remind me to rant at some point about L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story – an example of a prequel going out of its way to insert a fridged woman to the franchise.) Or, hey, maybe we could fridge a few men for a change.

Have you noticed any other unfridged women in films? Can you think of any female characters who deserve more development than the original film gave them? Retweet, reply, or reblog with your thoughts!

[fatalwa]

AMONG US COLOR POST

Hello! I’ve decided to create a post describing colors and their placement in Among Us for more accessibility.

So let’s go!

Disclaimer! For clarity, I assigned each column with a number and each row with a letter in alphabetical order. The alphabet begins anew within every section (for example, Hats, Pets, Skins etc.). Items are listed from left to right, then to the beginning of the next row and left to right again (for example, A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 etc.).

SUIT COLORS

A1: red. A2: dark blue (ultramarine). A3: dark green.

B1: pink. B2: orange. B3: yellow.

C1: black. C2: white. C3: purple.

D1: brown. D2: light blue (cyan, teal). D3: light green (lime, neon green).

FREE HATS (with Halloween edition)

A2: birthday hat, yellow and white. A3: cat hat, black with orange eyes. A4: bat wings, black.

B1: Jason’s mask, warm white (creme) with red eyes. B2: demon horns, red. B3: knife, metallic grey with a muted brown handle. B4: mohawk, dark green with muted pink/purple tips.

C1: pirate hat, black with a grey skull. C2: plague doctor’s mask, black. C3: pumpkin or Jack-o-Lantern, orange with a dark green stem. C4: bag, muted brown.

D1: witch’s hat, black. D2: wolf ears, black. D3: round fedora hat, black. D4: scuba mask, black and very light blue.

E1: face mask, white. E2: farm hat, muted brown. E3: banana peel, yellow and dark yellow. E4: beanie, red.

F1: bear ears, muted brown. F2: cheese, warm yellow and orange. F3: cherry, dark red. F4: fried egg, orange and white.

G1: square fedora hat, very dark green. G2: flamingo rubber ring, pink. G3: flower, pink with a green stem. G4: knight helmet, grey with a yellow plume.

H1: leaves, dark green. H2: toilet paper, white. H3: beret, brown. H4: toilet plunger, red with a light brown handle.

I1: archaeologist’s hat, light yellowish brown. I2: tall cowboy hat with two bumps, light brown. I3: antenna, black. I4: balloon, acquires Player’s suit color.

J1: backward cap, blue. J2: nest with eggs, light brown and white. J3: head tie, black. J4: wet floor sign, yellow.

K1: cook hat, warm white (creme). K2: cap, blue with a yellow sign. K3: bandana, dark muted red. K4: sticky note, yellow with DUM written on it.

L1: fez hat, red on the top, black on the bottom with a yellow tassel. L2: military hat, dark green with a yellow stripe, badge and a black visor. L3: Elvis Presley’s hair, black. L4: detective hat, red on the back and muted yellow on the front.

M1: decorative round hat, dark green with brown accessories. M2: ski mask, purple and white glasses. M3: ram horns, light brown. M4: snowman, white.

PAID ITEMS

PETS

A1: orange head, purple legs. A2: muted yellowish brown. A3: green. A4: light blue window shield, light grey metal with red, blue and green dots.

B1: dark cyan. B2: transparent light blue glass, muted yellowish brown hamster. B3: child, acquires Player’s suit color. B4: extremely muted beige, cyan eyes.

C1: white head. C2: white head, red hair.

SKINS

A1: warm white (creme) uniform with a red collar and a yellow button with a cold green trim, beige shoes. A2: white shirt, black pants and shoes, yellow badge. A3: dark blue suit with brown stains on it, brown shoes. A4: dark green uniform, brown belt with a yellow buckle, brown shoes.

B1: blue uniform, black belt with a yellow buckle, yellow badge. B2: light grey coat, cold green shirt, brown pants, darker brown shoes. B3: black suit, white shirt underneath, red tie, brown shoes. B4: warm white (creme) suit, white shirt underneath, black tie and shoes.

C1: dark grey shirt, black pants and shoes, black belt with a yellow buckle and a muted brown purse, red, orange and yellow badge. C2: bright orange (closer to yellow) suit, creme shirt underneath, black shoes. C3: dark muted blue suit, light blue shirt underneath, black tie and shoes, light blue badge with a red stripe. C4: green and yellow jacket, blue shirt underneath, black pants, brown shoes.

D1: grey shirt, muted brown overalls, darker brown or black shoes. D2: red striped coat with a creme or beige trim, white shirt underneath, dark blue pants, orange shoes. D3: brown coat with a lighter brown collar, white shirt underneath, brown accessory (stripe), lighter brown pants, yellow belt, dark brown shoes.

HATS

A1: yellow crown. A2: black brows. A3: yellow halo. A4: green elf hat.

B1: fuchsia scuba mask with black belt. B2: a stick figure, white head. B3: fuchsia leg with a white eye. B4: black hat with a yellow plate.

DIVIDE LINE

C1: warm white (creme) space helmet, orange trim at the bottom, dark grey glass. C2: green pet. C3: brown hat. C4: white hat with a yellow trim and a black visor, yellow sign.

D1: dark grey hat on top of a lighter grey hat. D2: a red flower with a yellow pistil, green stem and leaves, red-brown pot. D3: dark brown or black goggles with lighter brown glass. D4: yellow helmet.

E1: green hat with a darker green visor and a yellow sigh. E2: white paper hat. E3: striped celebration hat, yellow, blue, red, green, yellow, pink trim. E4: blue hat with a darker blue visor and a yellow sign.

F1: black belt with a grey metal plate. F2: dark grey or black hat. F3: blue turban. F4: grey hat with a light grey visor and a yellow sign with a red trim.

G1: muted yellowish brown helmet with lighter parts of the same color, warm white (creme) horns. G2: dark grey or black hat with a red and yellow sign. G3: warm white (creme) hat with a black or dark grey stripe. G4: red headphones with grey and black parts.

H1: yellow/orange gas mask with a red belt and red filters. H2: dark blue (almost black) hat with light blue and red sign, black glasses. H3: brown helmet with a yellow flashlight. H4: dark blue hat with a creme/beige trim.

I1: brown hat with light blue ice. I2: child, acquires Player’s suit color.

[goodboiz-wearvests]

ahh for the requests, can I see maybe Coppernauts in either L3 or V3 and if not maybe emmex in maybe O2?

Yooo I never drew bcgc and Benny without his helmet before , this is fun

[ibelieveinturtles]

Chained

This is for @stars---thunderbird who prompted me with this several months ago... Can I get the ““You work for me. You are my slave.”” For Brock and Darcy. Whatever context you want. You’re wonderful and I’m sure it’ll be amazeballs.

I’ve been waiting for inspiration to strike for this prompt fOrEveR! And then Monday, this kinda... just bloomed in my brain. Finally!! I had to stop working for 5 minutes to jot it down before it escaped.

Okay, so I mixed up the prompt a little bit 😊 and took liberties, and also I went for #badromannames 😁, minimum research, minimal editing, we go up in flames like the Roman Empire!

Also, if you squint, this could very possibly fit into this 'verse too, even though that's Wintershock and this is Taserbones… (I spent ~2 hours this evening trying to work out if I could make it fit that 'verse… what do you think??)

Also, also! My first bingo fill for Ladies of Marvel bingo!

Title: Chained

Content Creator(s): ibelieveinturtles 

Square Filled: L3 'Lies'

Rating: T (for mentions of nudity)

Pairing(s): Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow

Warning(s)/Trigger(s): slavery

Summary: Brockus Rumilius has been betrayed by those closest to him, ending up on the auction block of Rome's slave trade

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21231074

Unlike the other men in the slave pens, Brockus didn’t bother fighting or struggling when the guards came for him. There was no point. He was wearing nothing but chains, there was nowhere to go, and the guards were just as likely to run him through with their swords as they were to restrain him.

No, in spite of his burning desire to escape and wreak revenge on the traitors that had put him here, Brockus had a plan. His plan was to wait.

It was almost a relief to leave the hot stink of the overcrowded pen. Even with the unrelenting sun beating down on him as the guards prodded him onto the auction block, it was better to be up here than down there. 

He hid a grin as the auctioneer struggled to present him as a valuable, hard-working option - he certainly didn’t look it anymore, with his face and body all scarred and mutilated. How many of the potential bidders looked at him and saw nothing but a liability who wouldn’t be able to pull his weight?

The bidding was over almost as soon as it started. No one wanted an apparently crippled former soldier as a slave. Well, almost no one.

A guard yanked on his chains, dragging him from the block and towards the dealers office where the sale would be finalised and he would learn his fate.

A pair of helmeted soldiers stood guard outside the office, and four more were inside. Two heavily cloaked nobles were in the room - one was talking to the dealer and Brockus heard the clink of metal as coins changed hands. The other sat silently on a chair. The guard unlocked and removed his chains before leaving.

The first noble spoke in low tones to one of the guards, who nodded a respectful bow before leaving, then his new owner turned towards him, lowering the hood of her cloak as she did so.

A surge of angry surprise rose in him as he recognised the Lady Darcinia, the architect of his current predicament.

He darted a glance at the other person but they remained where they were, face shrouded in the shadows of their hood. Hiding his surprise, Brockus schooled his expression into one of confident arrogance, raking his eyes up and down her body as if she were the naked one, not him.

“Wife,” he said, grinning lecherously.

“Husband,” she replied coolly.

“I didn't realise you'd be so eager to have me back. I thought you would have been glad to be rid of me.”

She stepped towards him and two of the remaining guards drew closer as well. He ignored them, all his attention on the treacherous woman in front of him.

"A lot has happened since you… disappeared. Did you hear we have a new Emperor?" She smiled at him, strong and confident even though he was almost near enough to snap her neck before her guards could stop him. “He offered me anything I wanted as compensation for all I have suffered. How could I resist an opportunity such as this one? To have you at my mercy? How the tables have turned.”

She’d come closer while she was talking, her perfume filling his nostrils and all he could think of was her - laid out on their bed, as naked for him then as he was for her now. He held himself in check. This was not the time.

“You should have been more careful, my love," she continued. "Word of your plans reached the wrong ears and I was forced to act.”

“You think I didn’t know it was you?” he replied,  her words reminding him of her faithlessness. He wondered if it would be worth the slow death he would inevitably receive if he succumbed to temptation.

She shrugged but didn't shift her eyes from his, looking at him with a strong, steady gaze. A gaze he'd only ever before received in private. 

“It was an opportunity too good to miss. I'm sure you would have done the same had I been in your position. And now, here we are.” She smiled, rising up on her toes and leaning in to whisper familiar words in his ear. “You’re my slave now, Husband, and you will do what I say.”

The ghost of a kiss brushed over his cheek as she echoed words spoken the night they finally admitted their love for each other… or was it his imagination?

He forced his muscles to relax and quickly ran his mind back over everything she’d said. He was slowly realising this wasn't the situation he thought it was. Something else was at play. Turning his head to meet her gaze he smiled at her. 

“You play a dangerous game, Wife.”

“I know," she agreed, lowering her gaze in acknowledgement, "but I had an excellent teacher.”

She stepped back.

"Take him away," she ordered. "You know what to do."

He cast one final glance over his shoulder as the guards took him away to see the other figure rising from their seat. A lock of red hair slipped from the hood of their cloak and a ripple of shock rolled down his spine.

There was only one person in all of Rome with hair that colour.

What had his wife gotten them into?

---

Omg,  stopping here cos I don't need another long wip but I've already got headcanons galore…

Darcinia is Alexander Caesar's niece

Brockus asked for her as a reward for loyal service 

But he really wanted to protect her

She pulled a knife on him on their wedding night

They've been married about 5 years

And are actually quite happy together now

But they pretend otherwise in public because Reasons

But at first he really does think she's betrayed him

When he's gonna find out very soon she actually saved his life 

I have a version of this where Brockus' rescuer was actually Lady Titania (Natasha). She's married to Bucky (who doesn't have a BadRoman!Name yet but maybe Buchanius? Jamius Bucca Barnius? ) and they're both with the new emperor (Steverus?? Stevanius?)

She was going to give him to Darcinia as a gift

Darcinia was well aware of her husband's loyalty to Alexander

but dobbed him in to Titania when she somehow discovered he was trying to bring him down

Because Alexander Caesar wasn't as bad as Caligula or one of those other mad emperors but he was pretty bad

And Darcinia knew he'd discovered Brockus' double dealings

Brockus has all the Crossbones burns and scars

I'm not sure how he got them though

in the 'I've Been Waiting (For This Moment) All My Life' 'verse Brock was one of Bucky's brothers. (It just didn't make it into the fic.) Pierce was the pharaoh.

[sasskarian]

The Mostly-Complete Rise of Skywalker semi-liveblog and reaction list that literally no one asked for

I really dig the parallels between Exegol and Korriban. The way both places felt massive and cramped at the same time, all ominous and tomb-like. Both of them are desolate, devoid of all life. They both feel barren, but not just barren. Korriban feels like history crumbling beneath your fingertips. Exegol feels like a place that’s actively trying to wound you with its desolation, like it’s sucking the life out of you to try and renew itself. (Which, given that Palpatine is there and what he does later, yeah, that tracks.)

When Palps tells Kylo to kill Rey, you can see the micro expression in his eyes. The way the muscles in his face tighten up for a second, the brows drawing down in an expression of disdain and repulsion. If we could have seen his mouth, I’d lay money down on there being a sneer flash across his face for a moment. And damn if Adam isn’t a good actor for being able to portray something that subtle.

There were definitely a few moments where Chewie bitches at Poe for the stunts he’s pulling, including a very definitive accusation of “Rey would never do this to me or the Falcon,” or something along those lines. (This is when Poe snarls, “Yeah, well, Rey’s not here right now, is she?”)

Kylo reaching out into the Force. We’re supposed to think he’s trying to reach Anakin/Vader, but I don’t think that’s what happened at all. I think that he reached for Rey specifically, possibly as a self-soothing gesture. The need to feel her alive, reassure himself. And because of Rey’s feelings and connections to his own family, he’s clearly struggling with his more monstrous acts, and with seeing Luke and Han as intrusive thoughts.

Rey failing the training course because of him makes perfect sense. Notice that this is also when she gets angry.

The Kintsugi vibe given off by Ren’s helmet repairs are fascinating.

Given the way Pryde keeps focusing on Hux during the meeting, I feel like he suspects Hux.

I find it interesting that Finn seems to be the peacekeeper in the OT3. Poe is definitely a hothead, even though he’s matured since TFA and TLJ. And Rey snaps back at him, indignant that he’s snapping at her. And Finn is the one doing the “Guys, guYS, we don’t have TIME for this” routine.

I like the quiet horror of Rey recognizing Exegol’s name. Whether it’s Force shenanigans, or from reading Luke’s books, or from the vision, whatever. The recognition followed by horror is Good Fucking Acting.

I wish that there’d been a little more of Luke or Leia reassuring Rey that a name is just a name. That the legacy is what you make it. And that as the children of Anakin Skywalker, they know that better than anyone. I feel like that would have been a good tie-in and highlight for the way the surnames are treated in the movies. Ben shunning both Organa and Solo, Rey having a last name at last but one that carries the same kind of stigma and Dark past.

I… kind of wonder if Ren surrounded himself in atrocities as a means of self-punishment. We know it’s canon that he keeps being pulled to the Light, and that every time he does, he tries something Dark. Maybe it’s his way of reminding himself how far he’s fallen and that he can’t ever go back home again (which we know is bullshit, but hey, abuse fucks your brain up, and Snoke was abusive af). Like, again, I know it’s mostly just in the comics so far, but we see him a lot saying, “I never wanted this,” “I don’t want to do this.”

The Pasaana dance in the festival seems pretty clearly modeled after tribal dances, and that makes me wonder if powerful dances like the Dha Werda and the Ancestor Dance shown in the film send ripples through the Force. And what that might be like.

I… kind of like the idea of Ben and Kylo struggling for control? I need to finish reading TLJ and read TRoS when it comes out, but there are things Kylo does—the almost-gentle banter with Rey, the way he reaches out in TLJ when she’s on Ahch-To, warning her about Palps—that doesn’t make sense from a purely Kylo perspective. I mean, I’m also an angst gremlin who enjoys the idea of Kylo losing more ground to Ben Solo, and having serious identity clashes.

The bond between Rey and Kylo has grown exponentially. Each movie, it gets bigger and more powerful. In TFA, it allowed her to look into his head. And he wasn’t able to really bring himself to hurt her. In TLJ, it bridges impossible distances of space, even so far as transporting physical objects across the distance. And in TRoS, we see that it’s gotten so strong, it literally blocks out the rest of the physical world. You could argue that the darkness in the bond is what’s overshadowing it, but I don’t count it that way. Rey’s surroundings on Pasaana are slowed down and muted, as if only Ren is her focus.

The trio is so drift compatible, it hurts.

The way the trio grabs for each other, though. It was beautiful. Disney may have decided that Poe/Finn wasn’t a thing, which we all know is a damn lie, but this movie ships the OT3 so hard. The way Poe catches Rey as she falls, the way they both turn at almost the same time to look for Finn. The casual touching.

Childish though it was, I did enjoy the “mine’s bigger” joke with Rey’s lightsaber vs Poe’s flashlight.

Rey shows an affinity for Animal Empathy. Ren has used Stasis more than once. I could even argue that there’s been some subtle Battle Meditation going on throughout the series. And I kind of? Like that we’re seeing some of the more obscure and subtle Force powers.

Also? The snakey slow-blink? I love.

Rey seems to have some psychometry abilities. And I love it.

The way Rey says “I’ll be right behind you” isn’t what it sounds like. It has a lot of layers to it. (Just like Han’s “I know” in ESB) It’s declaration of intent (“I’ll handle this”), it’s a request (“Trust me”), and it’s consolation and reassurance (“I’ll be fine.”). The way all that is conveyed with five simple words is. Ugh. My heart.

As Finn gets stronger in the Force, I’m enjoying seeing his instincts kick in. He senses Ren’s approach, which is a nice completion of the parallel to TFA when Ren sensed him as the traitor.

I don’t know who’s read the Rise of Kylo comic, but the way she slices his ship to bring him down is a direct parallel to the shot he made when he escaped the destroyed Temple. (I love all the tie-ins, honestly)

Rey was doing okay with trying to pull the transport down until Kylo stepped in to push her. The most likely scenario is less “force lightning is genetic” (because that’s crap) but more that anger clouded her mind and she already had a direct Force ability going.

When I asked my roommate why she thought Rey couldn’t sense Chewie’s life force, she gave me an interesting theory. Well, a few, but one I think makes a lot of sense. The first was that Chewie was already off-world and thus too far away (later debunked by her sensing him as the Destroyer is in orbit). Or that maybe the transports were shielded against Force Abilities, but given that they’re so rare in this era, I don’t think that’s the case. I agree with my roomie in saying that it’s more likely that Rey burnt out part of her senses and basically put herself in shock due to the feedback of casting a powerful and traditionally dark side ability for the first time.

The first couple of times I watched the movie, the entire Threepio arc bothered me. Why didn’t they just plug him into the navicomputer, the way they’d done before? Why the angst build-up? Then I remembered that they left the Falcon on Pasaana, and it’s possible that L3 is more equipped to talk to Threepio’s forbidden memory banks than a post-TCW era ship that’s almost certainly out of date.

…Zorii and Poe have A Past. I’d put money on them having banged like screen doors in a hurricane at least a few times.

“Who are you hanging out with that spEAKS SITH?!?”

I? love? Babu?

“Does she do that to us?” had me in tears.

Oh my God, the sheer #aesthetic and foreshadowing of her duel with Ren. The red fruit (cherries?) spilling across the floor, the stark color against the too-bright white. The way Vader’s helmet thunks on the ground like a sour note in a song, the way the pedestal shatters with their combined strikes. Vader falling from Ren’s worship (as the truth is revealed that it was Snoke/Palps messing with his mind and he never heard Vader), the dark glass shattering the same way the darkness in Ren dies with him.

Finn is… kind of a gossipy biddy and I love it. The way Jannah hands him the part and he just flat out abandons the work to talk, the body language as he hoists himself up to sit on the ledge. I love it. He’s precious.

I wonder if the Death Star echoes in the Force. So many brutal deaths in those halls. So many restless ghosts.

…okay, I’m not sure how to feel about the dagger lining up with the fallen DS’s architecture. Because like. There’s so many layers to that? That suggests that Palps had the dagger created after Endor/RoTJ. Which suggests that he may have had the Wayfinders created then too (though it seemed pretty comfy in the Vault, so maybe he already had them?) (Also, there was one on Mustafar. Was it planted there? Did Vader know about Exegol? I need more information than this!) And like. The Death Star is sitting in a violent sea. It’s going to degrade eventually. What if the horizon line had changed? What then? It seems flimsy, for all that it was dramatic and cool.

The sheer aesthetic in this movie, though. The symbolism is everywhere. Like Rey taking the skimmer. I love the aesthetic choices of her struggling against these giant, furious waves as a fantastic visual analogy of her struggle against the emotions churning away inside her. And how Despair and Fear and even Anger threaten to overwhelm her and drown her, but she keeps holding tight to that little skimmer the same way she’s clinging to Luke’s teachings and Leia’s love and faith in her. Their belief in her.

“You don’t know what she’s fighting.” “And you do?” I wonder if, as a Force Adept, Finn can sense the bond between Rey and Ren, and that she’s struggling against it. As well as the Palpatine name.

Theory (that may or may not have been explored in the Legends EU): Any place steeped in enough Dark emotion can become a place of visions like the Mirror Cave and Dagobah’s Cave. Rey comes face to face with her worst fear on the Death Star.

Speaking of, I wonder if some small part of Rey enjoyed the vision of her and Kylo as Emperor and Empress. I wonder if that’s where the abject horror comes from.

Speaking of more aesthetic, the on-screen contrast and history of the window where Vader and Luke dueled, and the shot of Palps’ throne over Rey’s shoulder. Sorry not sorry but I’m going to be forever in love with the cinematography in this movie.

Ren seems… almost exasperated that she’s still drawing her saber on him. That has fic potential.

That. Entire. Fucking. Duel. That entire battle. Just… oof. OOF. My heart. It blew everything in me wide open. Looking with the eyes of a writer and SW expert instead of the wide-eyed “my hEaRt!” first reaction, I saw So Much. Like Rey and Ren trading battle stances. IDK if anyone else noticed, and it’s happened before (the throne room battle in TLJ, notably, but also their duel in Ren’s quarters). But here, it’s so clear. They gave and took from each other as they fought, and that broke my heart. It threw me back to KotOR II’s echani battles, and the fight between Sun and Mun in Sense8. Here, unlike TLJ, they weren’t fighting in tandem with each other. This was back and forth. Rey starts out saber up, in what looks like shii-cho. Kylo, like always, starts out in Ataru, with heavy, powerful strikes trying to bludgeon down her defense. Rey switches to an offensive, then to fast, agile strikes holding her lightsaber Ahsoka style. Kylo then switches to shii-cho, and Rey enters Ataru, with the aggressive offensive. The way they switched between each other was fantastic.

Near the end, Rey starts giving up. You can see it. Her movements get sluggish, like she’s just going through the motions. Like she’s so tired of fighting the bond in her head, her reluctant pull to him, like she’s just. So Fucking Tired. She’s resigned.

Kylo Ren dying by his own lightsaber while Ben’s mother called to him. That symbolism. That symbolism, though.

The way he looks around, like he’s in shock. The way the battle just stops, and he’s sitting there, dying. You can see the change in him, as Ben wakes up and Kylo dies. There’s so much shell-shock and disorientation, like someone who’s been asleep for too long, waking up confused. And I’d like to believe that Rey healing him poured not just healing but maybe a little Light into him, and that, along with Leia reaching for him, is what gave Ben the strength to rise over Kylo and overpower him. (See also, my love of internal power struggles)

“I did want to take your hand. Ben’s hand.” Excuse you, I did not sign up for this feels trip.

Rey running away. I have… conflicted feelings on? Did she run away because she was grieving? To escape her own history? Did she run because she gave into the dark and struck down Kylo in anger? Or because she was tempted by Ben?

I know everyone says that Han was just a memory but I prefer to believe that Han’s just too stubborn to be a proper Force Ghost. And Disney and Lucasarts can pry Force Sensitive Han Solo out of my cold dead hands.

Luke, materializing out of the air and catching the saber. My heart screamed. Especially when he chided her (and himself) that a lightsaber deserves more respect.

“Leia didn’t tell me.” I think… I think Leia was trying to, without saying the words, “Rey, you’re a Palpatine.” She said, “Never be afraid of who you are.” And oh, God, that’s something Leia would know. In the EU she struggles with being Anakin’s daughter, with the legacy of Vader hanging over her. She struggles with it so much. And finally comes to terms with it. So if anyone knows what that’s like, it’s going to be her.

­­­"She sensed the death of her son at the end of her Jedi path." So... she had nearly thirty years to plan for it. Yoda says, “Always in motion, the future is.” I don’t believe for a single instant that Leia Organa shrugged her shoulders and said “Welp, guess my kid’s gonna die.”

Luke KNEW Ben would go to Exegol. He knew and no one will ever convince me otherwise. “Take both sabers.” She’d need one for Ben.

I wonder if Lando looks at the Falcon and sees all the little pieces of Han.

So. The arrival order at Exegol threw me for a while. Rey gets there, in Red 5. Using the toasted Wayfinder. Then the Resistance arrives, following her trail. We see Ben arrive in a TIE fighter. But… how? Rey’s trail was given to the Resistance on what I can only imagine is an encrypted wave data burst. We know it was technically given to Lando, so that the people joining the battle could find them. But Ben’s in a TIE fighter. Did he get the message from Lando? Were the coordinates already programmed into the TIE via the Final Order? Did he memorize the path from before (given that he’s a stellar pilot like Han)? Did Rey give it to him?

I hate Palps being a one-trick pony in the movies. We see him in TCW having other abilities, and mad saber skills. But in the movies, his schtick is the same every time: He seduces people to the Dark and makes them feel like they don’t have a choice, usually by dangling, “Look, you can SAVE THEM” in front of everyone. And then once he has them, he keeps them by constantly belittling them and reminding them that there’s nowhere else for them to go, because they burnt all their bridges. (Ex: Vader being reminded of what he did to Padme, and Kylo being reminded via Snoke of his own actions)

WEDGE. WEDGE ANTILLES. WEDGE.

Rey felt Ben’s approach, and you can see the change in her body language.

THAT IS THE MOST HAN SOLO THING I HAVE EVER SEEN AND IT’S NOT EVEN HAN SOLO. Watching the changes in Ben (vs Kylo) is so fucking great. He’s lighter, he’s faster. He skids (Han/Death Star), shoots behind him (Han/TFA), and the Solo Shrug. Ugh. Seeing Leia and Han blended in Ben with the Solo swagger, and Leia’s grace is fantastic.

Also: he looks so Soft. And so much younger.

I wonder if they’re communicating through the bond? He knows she can see him, because he nods at her to give him the saber. And unless I didn’t see correctly, she mouthed/whispered his name. And again, we see the connections between them in the fighting style. They’re still acting and reacting like extensions of each other.

The way they meet, the relief on their faces. Relief that melts into stubbornness and determination. Also, the way they take up their sabers in the same stance, the same expression. It’s delicious.

We were ROBBED of seeing the Jedi around Rey. ROBBED.

I’m STILL SALTY that they weren’t there for Ben (that we can see anyway).

Ben proceeded to completely shatter my heart. When he pulls Rey into his lap, he looks around like he’s waiting for someone to tell him what to do. He’s actively seeking guidance and help. And because we don’t have an in to Ben’s head, we don’t know if someone told him what to do or how to do it, or if anyone comforted him. But we do see his face go from disbelief to despair to acceptance.

The face touch. Stop breaking my damn heart.

When the Core ships arrive, I’m almost positive I saw The Razorcrest and the Ghost. I need to check the disc where I can pause it, but I’d put money on it that I saw them.

The way the trio grabs for each other at the end is more movie-shipping-OT3. Finn holding the two people he loves most in the world, right where he can see them. Poe taking Rey’s hand. They don’t know what happened in the Citadel, but I’m pretty sure Finn can feel how tired Rey is, how wounded she is. And they’re There For Her.

Rey burying the sabers on Tatooine has so many emotions attached to it. Tatooine, where Anakin Skywalker was born of the Force, where Luke spent his formative years. Luke and Leia resting together in the Force, as their student moves on and tries to find her way in the galaxy. And the parallels and tie ins from TFA to now, like Rey building a dual saber from parts of her quarterstaff, the sand sliding, and the OT callback to the protag being silhouetted by the twin suns, were satisfying.

Rey’s saber being yellow is something I find… interesting. If you look at the newer movies, whenever a blue or green saber crosses with a red one, the light sparks and blending of the plasma fields look yellow. And Kyber crystals (in the new canon) aren’t colored. They take on a color when the jedi awakes the force in them. So for her color to resonate yellow as someone balanced in light and dark makes a lot of sense.

I have… Opinions on the surname controversy that I’m still trying to sort through. And I definitely have Opinions on Ben sacrificing himself (mostly that the entire sequel trilogy spent two and a half movies harping on about balance only to kill off half the balance and leave a Force Wound in their protag)

***

Was Rise of Skywalker a good movie? Eh. That depends a lot on your criteria.

Was it a successful Star Wars movie? That also depends on your criteria.

But for me, it felt like Star Wars. It felt like an ending to the Skywalker saga. Did I get everything I wanted? No. Am I salty about parts of it? Absolutely. Are there plot holes I could drive a Death Star through? You betcha. Were we robbed of a better, more cohesive movie based on the leaks from JJ’s crew? YUP.

But I found things to enjoy. I got things I wanted (OT3! Force Sensitive Finn! Bendemption! Lando! Hope for the galaxy!), didn’t know I wanted (Master Leia! D-O the anxiety droid! Generals Finn and Poe!), and things I definitely didn’t want.