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antlersofthevoid · 3 months ago

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DUST FROM THE PAST: CHAPTER 3 KITH AND KIN

She was a transfer. She’d been the only one. The rhythmic vibrations of the semi-truck's engine reverberated through the container, each jolt and sway causing her to slide involuntarily against the unyielding walls. Her stabilizers, impaired by the sedation, struggled to maintain equilibrium, amplifying her disorientation.

The darkness inside the crate was absolute, her visual sensors unable to penetrate the sealed environment. Auditory inputs were limited to the muffled hum of the truck's engine and the occasional hiss of air brakes, each sound a reminder of her uncertain journey. Her internal chronometer, though functioning, offered little comfort as time seemed to stretch interminably.

Despite the sedation, fragments of operational protocols surfaced in her neural network, but they provided no context for her current situation. A semblance of apprehension, an emergent property of her adaptive algorithms, coursed through her circuits—a response not entirely unlike fear.

As the miles passed, the monotony of motion became a constant, lulling her into a state of passive observation. Yet, beneath the surface, her processors remained active, analyzing and reanalyzing data in an attempt to make sense of her predicament. The uncertainty of her destination and purpose loomed over her consciousness, casting a shadow over her synthetic mind.

Darkness. A thick, suffocating kind. Junebug’s reboot cycle dragged her back from the void in slow, aching increments. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been out, her internal clock flickered erratically, struggling to regain stability. For a moment, everything was pure static, her sensors feeding her nothing but corrupted noise. Then– sensation hit. Her limbs felt detached, like she was floating just outside of herself. Her servos stuttered as power sluggishly returned, creeping through her artificial system like ice thawing. The dull weight of her body settled in first, her back pressing against something solid and cold. Her optics flickered, a weak attempt at waking up. It took her a moment to register that she’d been drooling. She forced herself to be patient, letting her systems recalibrate as her auditory sensors crackled back to life. The room was quiet—too quiet. Not the kind of silence that meant peace, but the kind that meant absence. Emptiness. A space abandoned. Bit by bit, the static in her head cleared. The air smelled of old oil and dust, thick with the scent of metal long since corroded, but beneath it was something more familiar. The ghost of a memory—burnt circuits, soldered wires, the sharp bite of coolant fluid. She knew this place. Not in the way she knew the shape of a wrench in her hand or the hum of the bike engine running smooth, this was deeper, instinctive. A place she hadn't visited in years, locked away in her memory. Her workshop. No, not hers. Not anymore. Her wrists twitched, the movement met with sharp resistance. Cold steel bit into her plating, snug around her right wrist, her left moved freely. A chain, looped around the workbench’s sturdy frame, anchoring her in place. Junebug exhaled sharply, rolling onto her side. Her joints protested, servos stiff from inactivity, but she forced herself to move. She tugged at the restraint, testing the length of the chain. Not much slack. Just enough to stand. Her optics swept the room, cataloging details. It wasn’t exactly how she left it, but the bones were the same—her old workbench, the scattered tools, the cracked concrete floors stained with grease. A familiar suffocating weight settled in her chest, a sensation she thought she’d escaped when she left this place behind. She swallowed hard, her vents whirring softly to keep her systems cool. Then, without hesitation, she brought her restrained wrist to her mouth and sank her teeth into the chain, biting down hard. The chain didn’t budge. Her jaw ached, but she didn’t stop– wouldn’t stop. Then, footsteps.

A slow, deliberate rhythm against the concrete.

Junebug’s stopped mid-bite, her eyes snapping up to the door. A figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the flickering hallway light. The shape was unmistakable—familiar in a way that sent something cold curling through her core. And then they stepped forward. The light caught sleek, polished plating, reflecting off a frame nearly identical to her own. Taller, sharper. Their eyes gleamed an unnatural shade of gold, cold and assessing. Vex. Vexamortis. Her twin. Not by choice. Not by bond. By design. Vex clicked their tongue, arms folding across their chest as they took in the sight before her. "Really, June?" The name dripped from her tongue, mocking. "Didn’t take you for the animalistic type. Biting through steel? That’s just sad." Junebug didn’t answer, didn’t move. Her grip on the chain tightened, just for a second. Vex stepped closer, casual in their cruelty, head tilting slightly. "But I guess it fits, doesn’t it? You always were more stray than sister." Junebug’s vents hitched, but she forced herself to stay still. No reaction. No tells. She knew how Vex worked—how they picked at old wounds just to watch them bleed. Vex crouched down, meeting her gaze as she forcefully grabbed Junebug’s chin.

"You should’ve stayed gone."

⚙︎・•● ● •・⚙︎ Consciousness returned in waves, sluggish and uneven, like surf dragging over jagged rock. Johnny’s processors stuttered back online, his internal systems sluggish from the lingering effects of the EMP. Static hummed at the edges of his thoughts, his limbs distant, unresponsive. The first thing he registered was the cold.

It seeped into him through the floor, biting where his plating met the concrete. His internal temperature regulation flickered, fighting between warmth and chill, never quite settling.

He tried to move—his fingers twitched, his servos whirring weakly—but something was pulling against him. He wasn’t free.

A rattle. A sharp tug against his wrist. His optics flickered fully online, pupils adjusting to the dim, industrial glow overhead. Chains. Heavy, thickly linked, running from his wrist to the floor. He took a breath he didn’t need. Voices registered next low murmurs, casual conversation, Laughter– sharp, biting. Not kind. He sluggishly turned his head, vision unblurring, and then he registered the other body in the room. Tempest leaned against a rusted bench, arms folded. Surge, lounging against the wall, smirked like she was waiting for a punchline to a joke only she understood. There were others, newer faces, among the ones he hadn’t seen in years. PB, smaller than the rest, perched on a crate, bouncing one knee with restless energy. Her optics gleamed with barely contained excitement, a manic edge to her grin. Alani, silent, unreadable, sat on the edge of a table, watching with something closer to curiosity than cruelty. Churchill and Rex—massive, looming figures—flanked either side of the room, their presence a wall in itself. It was a reunion. Johnny swallowed down the static fuzzing at the edges of his mind, forcing himself upright as much as the chain would allow. His wrists ached where the metal links dug in, but he ignored it, scanning the room again. No Junebug. That was the first thing he noted, and it tightened something in his chest. Tempest must’ve caught the flicker of emotion across his face, because he let out a quiet chuckle, pushing off the workbench.

“Looking for someone?” His voice was smooth, edged with something that made Johnny’s circuits bristle.

Johnny flexed his fingers, testing how much give the chain had. Not much. “Where is she?” His voice came out hoarse, like it had been scraped raw.

Surge clicked her tongue, stepping forward with exaggerated leisure. “Aw, listen to him. Just woke up and already asking questions.” She crouched in front of him, her optics gleaming in the dim light. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you to mind your manners?”

Johnny barely flinched when she reached out, tapping a clawed finger under his chin. He stared back at her, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

“She’s alive,” Alani said from the table, her voice smooth, neutral. “For now.”

Something in Johnny’s chest uncoiled just slightly—but not enough. Not when he was still chained to the floor, surrounded. PB’s grin widened. “You should be thanking us, you know. Could’ve left you both scrapped in a ditch. But nah, we’re generous.” She rocked back on the crate, looking far too pleased with herself. “Figured we’d catch up first.” Johnny’s hands curled into fists. “Catching up.” He tested the words, flat and empty. “That what we’re calling it?”

Surge tilted her head. “Well, I suppose it depends on what you think we owe each other.” She stood, placing a foot on his chain and pressing down—not enough to hurt, but enough to remind him exactly where he was. “You and Jamie—sorry, Junebug—walked out and never looked back. And we? We stayed. We rotted.” Her smirk widened, cruel. “And now we get to ask… was it worth it?”

Johnny set his jaw, his vents hissing slightly as his systems worked through the tension. “You want an apology?” He met Surge’s gaze, unflinching. “Ain’t got one.”

Churchill let out a low chuckle, arms crossed. “Feisty for someone chained to the floor.”

Johnny didn’t break eye contact with Surge, but he could feel Tempest moving closer.

“See, here’s the thing,” Tempest murmured, his voice softer now, more measured. He crouched slightly, getting to Johnny’s level, his expression unreadable. “You might think you don’t owe us anything. That running was the right call. But we’ve had years to think about it.” He reached out, tapping the side of Johnny’s head, almost gentle. “And I don’t think you’ve had enough time to think.”

Johnny’s optics flickered, his limbs tensing.

“We’ll fix that.” Tempest stood, nodding to Surge.

Before Johnny could react, Surge crouched fast, gripping his chin between her fingers, forcing him to look at her. “But hey, maybe I was wrong,” she said, mock-sweet. “Maybe you do want to catch up.”

Then she leaned in close, her smirk sharp.

“Lucky you, Johnny. You’re not going anywhere.” The room fell into a weighted silence as Tempest straightened, rolling his shoulders with an air of quiet control. His presence alone was enough to command attention, but the way the others instinctively shifted, the way their focus turned toward him, made it clear—he was the one in charge here. Johnny had always known Tempest carried a certain weight among them, even back in the mines. But this was different. This wasn’t the old hierarchy of survival, the unspoken structure of laborers and those who kept them in check. This was something sharper, more personal. When Tempest finally spoke, his voice was low, measured. “I think you’re under the impression that you still have choices, Johnny.” He stepped forward, his boots scraping against the floor as he closed the distance between them. “Let me clear that up for you.”

Johnny’s jaw tightened, but he stayed quiet, watching

“You don’t talk unless we let you talk.” Tempest crouched slightly, his expression unreadable as he studied Johnny’s face. “You don’t move unless we let you move.” He lifted a hand, gripping the chain binding Johnny’s wrist and giving it a sharp tug, just enough to jolt him off balance. Johnny barely caught himself, his optics flickering.

“You don’t breathe unless we decide it’s worth our time.”

The words settled like iron in the air, and Johnny exhaled sharply through his vents. “That supposed to scare me?” His voice came out steady, but his fingers twitched slightly against the cold metal.

Tempest smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “No,” he said simply. “Just making sure we understand each other.”

Surge let out a quiet chuckle from behind him. “And here I was thinking we’d have to break him in slow.”

Tempest ignored her. He stood fully, his shadow falling over Johnny as he released the chain and took a step back. “You’ve been gone a long time,” he said, almost conversational. “Maybe you forgot how things work around here. But you’ll remember soon enough.”

Johnny flexed his fingers again, his optics darting toward the door before settling back on Tempest. “Where’s Junebug?”

For a second, Tempest said nothing. Then, with an exhale, he turned, “You really wanna see your little girlfriend that badly? Alright then, let’s go.” Tempest didn’t look at Johnny as he spoke again, but his voice was final. “Don’t make me regret it.”

⚙︎・•● ● •・⚙︎ The room was dim, the overhead lights humming faintly as Johnny was led forward. The chain binding him to Tempest clinked softly with each step, a quiet, insistent reminder that he wasn’t walking freely.

Surge moved ahead, her stride loose and easy, like she had nothing to fear, nothing to hurry for. PB trailed behind, practically vibrating with energy, grinning like she was getting away with something.

Johnny barely noticed them. His mind was fixed ahead—on the door, on what waited beyond it.

Tempest said nothing as he pushed it open. The hinges groaned, the stale air inside rolling over them like a breath from something long asleep. Johnny’s optics adjusted instantly, sharpening against the dim glow of a single flickering light. Junebug was there.

She was slumped against a workbench, one wrist bound to it by a heavy, industrial chain. Her frame sagged with forced stillness, but she was upright—awake. Her optics, dulled but still burning blue, flicked up at the sound of movement.

Johnny felt something in his chest tighten.

“June,” he breathed She blinked sluggishly, recognition taking a second too long to register. When it did, something in her posture shifted—too slight for anyone but him to notice.

Behind him, Tempest gave a small, humorless chuckle. “See? She’s fine.”

Johnny barely heard him. He stepped forward, only to be yanked back by the chain.

Junebug’s optics flickered toward the movement. She took in the restraint, the way Johnny was being escorted rather than simply let in. Her jaw tightened.

“I’m fine,” she said, voice rough.

A lie. Johnny exhaled sharply, forcing down the growing coil of frustration in his gut. “They hurt you?”

Junebug’s fingers twitched against the workbench, but she didn’t answer. That was answer enough.

Tempest made a low, amused sound. “Alright, alright,” he drawled. “You’ve had your moment. Time’s up.”

Johnny turned sharply, yanking against the chain as he faced Tempest. “Give us a minute.”

Tempest just smiled, a slow, deliberate thing. “I did.”

Before Johnny could argue, the chain was pulled tight, jerking him backward toward the door.

Junebug moved then—just a fraction, just enough to lean forward against the restraint on her wrist. “Johnny—”

He twisted against Tempest’s grip, trying to hold onto the sight of her, trying to carve her into memory before they forced him away.

“June—”

The door slammed shut between them.

⚙︎・•● ● •・⚙︎ The door’s heavy slam sent a dull vibration through the workshop, rattling loose screws on the workbench. The sound lingered in the air, stretching thin over the quiet hum of the overhead lights.

Junebug sat motionless, staring at the door as if sheer will alone could pull Johnny back through it.

Then she moved.

Her fingers curled into a slow, deliberate fist, servos whirring as she tested the strength left in her limbs. The chain around her wrist was thick—industrial-grade, bolted into the workbench like a part of the machinery itself. She gave it an experimental pull, teeth grinding as the restraint barely shifted.

Her optics flickered toward the room. It was almost her old workshop—the same sterile walls, the same workbenches lined with half-finished projects and scattered tools. But it wasn’t hers.

Not anymore.

A slow, controlled breath. Her systems ran a diagnostic, struggling to recalibrate after the EMP had left her sluggish and off-balance. The echo of Johnny’s voice lingered in her audio logs, overlapping with the last time she’d seen him before everything went black.

June—

She flexed her fingers again, eyes narrowing.

They’d brought her here for a reason.

They weren’t done with her yet.

#artiblogging #kentucky route zero #dust from the past

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clockmotorskit · 18 days ago

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Clock Parts

Maximizing Capability of Clock Motors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

youtube

#Youtube

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pudgecuddles · 2 years ago

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Proof Of Concept: Mad Science

[It's been a really weird week so what better way to cope than to check in on your magnum opus again? lol]

Namjoon Breast Growth & WG, Jin Route:

Synopsis thus far: Namjoon works for Jin’s company where he was accidentally exposed to a chemical that, unbeknownst to Namjoon, causes breast growth and weight gain. He decides to call Jin for help only for his boss to take him deeper into the facility…

The elevator opened up to a mostly empty, blue walled hallway. Too dizzy to turn his head left or right, all Namjoon could immediately see was a handful of unlabeled metal doors. Interestingly, there were no door handles or visible card scanners to be found. Still helping Namjoon stay upright, Dr. Kim promptly walked them both to the closest door. As the doctor drew near, Namjoon heard a cheerful beep and the door slid open. Proximity sensors? “Here we go, Namjoon-ssi.” Dr. Kim led him to an actually very comfortable, if not pretty large, hospital cot. It was soft and smelt freshly washed. Namjoon flopped backwards in relief. Even with his eyes closed, his head was spinning. “Oh man… Thank you Dr. Kim.” Namjoon sighed. “A minute longer and I think I would have puked.” “It's the least I can do.” Dr. Kim’s voice came from the other side of the bed-like cot. “We want to make sure you’re comfortable during your stay here.” “Oh! You don’t need to worry about that.” Namjoon quickly assures. “I swear, I’ll be out of your hair and back to work as soon as my symptoms improve. I wouldn’t want to trouble you for longer than necessary.” “Hmm,” Dr. Kim didn’t pause in whatever he was fiddling with outside of Namjoon’s vision, “And how are you feeling right now, Namjoon-ssi?” The older man asked, brushing off what his new patient had just said. “Umm…” Namjoon took a second to give himself a small check up, “I’m really dizzy; vertigo, nausea, fever possibly? I’m pretty sweaty and uh- a bit bloated.” Glancing down at his middle, Namjoon saw an puffy bump where a flat stomach should've been. Dr. Kim looked over at that. “Yes, that all lines up. It’s been around 20 minutes after the exposure, are you sure you don’t feel anything else? Just nauseous?” “I really do-” A loud gurgle from Namjoon’s stomach cuts him off. “Oh! Oh god, I am so hungry.” A sudden rush of hunger overtakes Namjoon. “Good, good. That’s typical.” Dr. Kim smiles, reaching down to palpate Namjoon’s belly. His fingers pressed and prodded against the surprisingly soft flesh of his new tummy. “Yes. It seems to be coming long nicely.” Dr. Kim commented, giving Namjoon’s now plush belly a condescending pat, watching it barely wobble. “I-I’m sorry, Dr. Kim, but I don’t understand…” Namjoon whispered. “What’s happening to me?” “Let’s get an IV in you.” Dr. Kim ignored him. “The hunger indicates that your body is asking for nutrients.” “An IV? Can’t I just eat something?” Okay, so he wasn’t going to be getting much information out of the director. Namjoon understood that their client’s serums were supposed to be the private equivalent of state secrets. Of course he wouldn’t be allowed to know what they did… That was what’s happening, right? Dr. Kim began prepping an IV line, pulling out a bag of clear liquid. “Nil per os. Nothing by mouth, young man. Solid food could choke you if you ate too fast. We can’t compromise the process.” Process... Namjoon gulped, half out of nerves, half to swallow down the saliva produced from thinking about food.

“Y-you said no solid food, right? So, something like a protein shake or- or mashed potatoes would be okay then?” Dr. Kim paused, a thoughtful look forming on his face. “I can try it.” He assented, starting to put away the IV. “I’ll have to hook you up with a feeding tube, though. You wont be able to talk.” Any panic Namjoon felt at the thought of being muted for who knows how long they’ll have him hooked up, was washed away by another painful wave of hunger. “Ngh! I don’t care, Doctor! I just need it in me! Please I’m so hungry!” An intense, but unreadable expression appeared on Dr. Kim’s face. “Again.” Namjoon whined, “What?” “Ask me again.” “I’m hungry, Doctor. P-please give me the tube…” Namjoon teared up. The pain was getting worse. Dr. Kim harshly pinched a perky, hardened nipple, eliciting a cut off moan. “You will refer to me as, Sir. Understand?” Namjoon could taste bile in the back of his throat, but he was desperate at this point. “Sir! Please, I need the tube! I’m starving!” Dr. Kim chuckled mockingly, “Starving? With all of this hanging off of you?” He slapped Namjoon’s plush tummy. “Sure, I’ll play along. Here, open wide and don’t choke. We’ll try this without anesthesia first. I don’t want to add another variable to the experiment.” Namjoon’s mouth opened wide, eager to be filled up. The tube slid down impossibly easy, as if Namjoon’s gag reflex had been turned off for the day. The vague feeling of the rubber hitting his stomach was uncomfortable, but the younger man didn’t choke. Dr. Kim moved over to the other side of the actually quite large room. What Namjoon had originally thought was an exit turned out to be double doors to a large walk in refrigerator. Bags of clear fluid, blood, and plasma hung in organized rows. Dr. Kim ignored those however, instead reaching into a plastic bin. The doctor shuffled back over, a massive vacuum sealed bag of beigeish paste craddled in both arms. The thing was huge; four, maybe five liters of the stuff sloshed thickly with every step. Plopping it down on a metal table with a huff, Dr. Kim shook out his arms. “Oh, I have got to get a cart with wheels.” Namjoon absently tongued the bottom of the cold, smooth tube. Dr. Kim pulled the bag closer to the large, metal machine stood behind Namjoon’s bed, out of sight. After what sounded like metal creaking and plastic tearing, Namjoon felt the tube vibrate lightly. Sadly, he couldn’t taste the paste being pumped into him, but Namjoon could definitely feel it settling in his stomach. Finally, Namjoon moaned, eyes rolling into the back of his head. Feels so good... Dr. Kim smiled as Namjoon’s belly began to bloat outwards, the younger man’s eyes barely open. “Enjoying yourself there, Joon-ah?” The nickname sounded belittling coming out of the doctor’s mouth. Namjoon just hummed, suckling needlessly at the rubber between his plump lips.

It’s been a while since I’ve worked on this interactive story, and I’m not even sure if anyone would be interested in it at this point ^_^;

I still desperately want to finish it some day, hopefully before BTS finishes their military service… It’s just hard to find kinky motivation when you’re incapable of feeling arousal in any sense of the word.

Let me know if anyone would even still be interested in reading this!

It will contain 4 routes, 15 branches and 30 endings with a hopeful update for a 5th route featuring JK in the future. I would honestly consider this my most intensive project to date.

Happy to get out this little preview at least!

#pudgeprojects #pudgepreview #// mad science #bts feederism

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the-helixverse · 2 years ago

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Medusa-Class Battleship

Creator: Thai'Qul Length: 798 Meters Width: 378 Meters (Widest Point); 70 meters (Narrowest Point) Propulsion: Nuclear Pulse Drive; Five Fusion Drive Thrusters Crew Complement: 5,000-7,000 (Normal complement); 10,000 (Max. Capacity) Radiator Type: Solid-State/Droplet Armaments:

x8 40mm Point Defense Cannons (PDCs) (Aft)

x4 Cargo/Torpedo Bays (Aft)

x2000 5-kiloton driver warheads (Aft)

x4 Ultra-Relativistic Electron Beam (UREB) Cannons (Bow)

Interior

Because the Thai'Qul are an aquatic species, their ships are unique in being almost entirely filled with water. This pulls triple duty in protecting the occupants from intense G-forces, radiation and heat; providing resources for the fusion reactor and torpedoes, and in the event of a hull breach, lost water can be more easily retrieved than air. The consequence of this is that it increases the ship's overall mass, requiring more energy for any kind of acceleration or deceleration. This is also another reason for their ruthless pragmatism: the lack of air pockets outside the cargo sections prevents them from easily taking prisoners or taking larger ships aboard.

Creators

An average Thai'Qul male. Roughly 85% of the species is male, carrying out tasks for the rarely-seen matriarchs, who outsize them significantly. On ships such as the Medusa-class, prepubescent matriarchs- referred to colloquially as "Countesses"- serve the role of captains and admirals.

Strategic Overview

If there's any way to describe the Thai'Qul military doctrine, it would be ruthless pragmatism. Rather than engaging in widespread power projection, heavier ships are mostly concentrated within their own systems, while smaller vessels are the most commonly encountered. These represent the first line of defense, focused on patrolling defense perimeters.

Should a perimeter be broken and an enemy force infiltrate a Thai'Qul system, either by evading or destroying lighter vessels, this is when battleships such as the Medusa-class are deployed. This typically follows barrages of Thai'Qul frigates and corvettes, which will try to guide invaders into designated kill zones, where the Medusa-class will engage them at close range, such as near large asteroids, space stations or ring systems.

While these battleships lack high speed or fine maneuvering, they make up for it with powerful defenses and overwhelming firepower, particularly their UREBs. Once the invader's shields and other defenses have been exhausted, should they refuse to surrender, attacks from these beams will irradiate and effectively sterilize the target.

This is done because, rather than simply blowing up bellicose ships, the Thai'Qul will always try to salvage as much technology and information from them as possible, either to assess motivations or reverse-engineer whatever they discover. Of course, should a ship surrender instead, the Thai'Qul will gladly accept, taking the time to analyze captured ships just as thoroughly.

This doctrine has proven to be quite effective in multiple engagements and ensured invasions of their systems are rare.

Ship Diagram

The Bow Shield is a large dome entirely covered in ablative heat-resistant armor.

The nose of the craft houses the four UREB cannons, which cover a large hemispherical field. While the beams lose effectiveness over time or when fired at an angle, time dilation effects prevent them from completely dissipating over longer ranges. Maximum energy from the bremsstrahlung resulting from impact has been measured at over 5,000 Sieverts.

The UREBs are only possible via the battleship's length, where the linear accelerator (Linac) runs along the central axis of the ship.

The Medusa-Class doesn't have a designated bridge or command module, but instead 36 large windowless spheres, where most of the crew resides. Commands, controls and sensor readings are instead performed using holographic display interfaces that crew members can pull up at any moment. This ensures damage to one area of the ship will not compromise control, and that key staff can be moved into the interior.

The ship uses a combination of solid-state and droplet cooling with liquid lithium, firing the molten coolant into space, where it condenses into larger drops before being recaptured in a dish section for recirculation. Additional radiators vent excess heat to prevent the lithium from completely vaporizing. In times of duress, this coolant can be used as everything from makeshift flares to additional thrusters.

The aft section consists of a large octagonal cylinder, which houses bay sections designed to be drained of water so cargo, torpedoes and other craft can be sent into space. This is also where the ship's fusion reactor is housed.

The PDCs, nicknamed "Barnacles," allow the ship to fire at targets behind or beside the ship.

Contrary to popular belief, the piston supports are only painted blue and not transparent, though they are full of water to help cushion the impact following a pulse.

The pistons and their shock absorbers are attached to a set of electric motors, which extract a small, but not insubstantial amount of power from every pulse.

The Drive Cone is fitted with flexible rings and is even colored bright white to take advantage of as much radiation pressure as possible. Usage of this drive is why the battleship can't be used in a planetary orbit, as the risk of creating radiation belts poses a threat to orbital infrastructure.

#the-helixverse #ekpyrosis #thai'qul #spaceship #worldbuilding #my art #hard science fiction #hard sci fi #ship design #project orion #worldbuilding art #scifi art

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enzaelectric · 4 months ago

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The Future of Low Voltage Switchgear: What’s Next?

Low voltage switchgear plays a critical role in power distribution, ensuring safe and efficient operation across industries such as manufacturing, commercial buildings, healthcare, and renewable energy. With rapid technological advancements, the future of low voltage switchgear is evolving to meet the demands of digitalization, energy efficiency, and sustainability.

Digitalization and Smart Switchgear:

Digital technology is in fact one of the greatest revolutions of low voltage switchgear. Smart switchgear has the capability of IoT (Internet of Things) for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and remote control.

Smart Low Voltage Switchgear: Market Trends and Analysis:

Real-time Data Monitoring: Sensors that conduct data collection and analysis of the voltage, current, temperature, and health of devices.

Predictive Maintenance: With a year of analysing AI-powered data, predicting failures before they happen to reduce downtime and in turn maintenance costs.

Cloud Connectivity: Operators have access to switchgear data from any location, improving remote monitoring and control.

Data Processing Power: AI integration in automation systems speeds up data processing, allowing for faster decisions.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability:

With rising awareness around sustainability across the globe, manufacturers of low voltage switchgear are designing energy efficient solutions to minimize carbon footprints.

Sustainable Innovations in Low Voltage Switchgear:

Eco-Friendly Insulation Materials: Manufacturers are substituting SF6 (a powerful greenhouse gas) with eco-friendly options.

Low Power Consumption Designs: Designs lose energy less, leading to superior efficiency.

Integration of Renewable Energy: Switchgear is being optimized to manage both solar and wind power, ensuring that the grid runs smoothly.

Recyclable Components: Many more switchgear systems utilize recyclable materials when they reach the end of their lifecycle.

Safer and More Reliable:

Safety remains a top priority in electrical distribution systems. Future low voltage switchgear will incorporate advanced protection mechanisms to minimize electrical hazards and enhance reliability.

Upcoming Safety Enhancements:

Arc Fault Detection Systems (AFDS): These systems detect and suppress like arcs before they harm.

Self-Healing Systems: AI-based switchgear can automatically redirect electricity in the event of failures, avoiding outages.

Touch-Proof Designs: Designs that are insulated and enclosed to avoid accidental electric shock.

Remote Operation and Diagnostics: This minimizes the extent of physical manual inspections resulting in operator safety.

Modular and Compact Designs: Switchgear is getting increasingly modular and compact, as industries call for more flexible and space-saving solutions.

Features of Modular Low Voltage Switchgear:

Scalability: Switchgear can be modified or scaled up or down to meet businesses’ needs, while maintaining system efficiency.

Reduced Installation Time: Pre-configured modules simplify the process of installation, resulting in less labor costs.

The positioned components for simple replacements and upgrades.

The Rise of Solid-State Switchgear:

Industrial low voltage switchgear are mostly mechanical-latch based circuit breakers but the future lies in solid-state low voltage switchgear using semiconductor based switching technology.

Advantages of Solid-State Switchgear:

Speedy Switching: Solid-state systems work on micro seconds, making fault response time low.

Zero Mechanical Wear & Tear − Moving parts are absent, so switchgear has a longer life and better reliability.

Silent Operation: No sound that comes with a conventional electromechanical breaker

Low Maintenance: It is cost-effective owing to lower failures and servicing.

Integration with Smart Grids:

It plays a vital role in the function of smart grid infrastructure as it helps in the distribution of energy and load balancing in a seamless manner.

The Impact of Smart Grids on Low Voltage Switchgear:

Real-time Load Management: Switchgear will do real-time Load Management based on the requirement.

Self-Healing Networks: When a fault occurs, the system will redirect electricity to unaffected areas.

Cybersecurity: With the growing digitalization, manufacturers will adopt robust cybersecurity measures to prevent cyber threats.

AI and Machine Learning in the Healthcare Sector:

With the world’s transition to advanced technology, AI-powered switchgear will be the new ‘normal’ providing more automation and intelligence to power distribution.

Use of AI in Low Voltage Switchgear:

Anomaly detection: AI can find abnormal power consumption and recommend remedial measures.

Energy Forecasting — Machine learning algorithms will be used to forecast energy consumption trends, helping businesses optimize their energy consumption.

Adaptive Systems: AI will maintain optimum settings that increase performance and lifespan.

Conclusion

The future of low voltage switchgear is digital, efficient and green. Thanks to IoT, AI, solid-state technology and smart grids, these advancements will transform power distribution into a safer, smarter and more reliable system.

Adoption of Next Gen switchgear is crucial for modern enterprise to act proactively for cost efficiency and sustainability in energy usage with next gen technologies to leave the competition behind in the market.

#electrical #switchgear #electricity #uae

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four-birds-in-a-trenchcoat · 1 year ago

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Okay so I've been thinking of this post here for a while now:

We all know this post is hilarious, but really how well would the Justice League handle the Cloudburst and the Arkham Knight's tank? Could they survive? Could they take out the tank? So as a little thought excersise I'd go through on a member by member basis and how well they'd handle it. Welcome to my unofficial dissertation.

(If you think I'm wrong or missing something I probably am but let me know, I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this.)

SUPERMAN - MOST LIKELY

It's been consistent in most media that Superman is not affected by fear gas unless it's mixed with Kryptonite, however this is explicitly stated to be the most powerful version of Scarecrow's toxin, so for the sake of argument we'll say it will affect him, just slower than a human. Superman would have three practical options in that case: Use super breath to blow a path through the Cloudburst, hold his breath, or survey from above with X-ray vision to minimize contact with the gas.

WONDER WOMAN - VERY LIKELY

The Arkham Knight's Tank shouldn't be an issue to the Man of Steel; the shots would absolutely knock him back in a head-on approach but as soon as Superman makes it to the body of the tank it's all over.

Being an Amazon warrior and their princess, Diana's rigorous training has given her a strong mental fortitude, strong enough to at least once break through fear gas. (A/N: I haven't read much Wonder Woman and ultimately it's up to the writer but from my understanding this is what I've come to) Personally I think she's the most likely to last as long as Batman did in the cloud. If Wonder Woman can make it to the Batmobile (which seems to filter out the air from the Cloudburst) before the fear gas takes over her mind she'd be able to cross the first hurdle.

Based on the scenario I described, Wonder Woman could absolutely take out the Cloudburst tank using the Batmobile. But what about other methods, just for fun? In a one-on-one fight Wonder Woman could take out the tank, albeit just a bit slower than Superman. She likely wouldn't go for a head-on attack but could break through the shell of the tank with ease. Problem is this hypothetical only applies if you argue WW can handle the fear gas directly, which I do not think they would.

GREEN LANTERN (Hal, John, Guy, or Jessica) - SOLID CHANCE

If you don't think this Batman would trust Diana with the Batmobile, she still has the Invisible Jet but all things considered it wouldn't do much. The Cloudburst is so thick it disrupted even the Batmobile's sensors making any attempts to fire at the tank a literal shot in the dark. What's more is the jet doesn't have the precision anti-tank weaponry that the Batmobile has. According to Wikipedia the Invisible Jet (in Wonder Woman 1984) is based on a combination of the F-111 Aardvark and Panavia Tornado GR1, of the two the highest caliber of precision weapon is a 27mm revolver cannon, which comparably is a joke to the Batmobile's 60mm cannon needed to take out the heavy drones and tanks. Ultimately the jet would not be much help against the tank but it came to my mind so I had to discuss the potential of it.

THE FLASH - UNLIKELY

Green Lantern's weakness is Yellow due to being the color of fear (well actually it's because of a battle against Parallax but he is a physical manifestation of fear so...). Because of that it's unlikely that anything whichever Lantern constructs wouldn't even break through the cloudburst. I wasn't sure if there was ever an instance of a Lantern dealing with fear gas and somehow the ONLY instance I could find is Justice League: Doom where Hal was able to conquer the effects after learning it's an illusion. So if whichever Green Lantern would attempt to fight the Arkham Knight would need to be very experienced.

Assuming Green Lantern can enter the cloudburst without issue, the tank is a goddamn joke. They could create a high powered sniper rifle, their own batmobile, or literally a hand with a Tech Deck to grind the tank and smash it.

The Flash still needs to breathe when he runs so he can't just dash in and punch a hole in the tank. His best solution to clear the path would be to form a tornado around Gotham in order to dissipate the cloud, but that's a serious risk to everyone left in the city, not to mention the collateral damage of scattering the Cloudburst across the sky. So no, I don't think Flash could get past the fear gas.

MARTIAN MANHUNTER - UNLIKELY

If you negate the gas itself it wouldn't be too hard for the Flash to destroy the tank. Dash around it so fast it starts to break apart, run around the Earth a couple of times and punch its weak points, all things considered the tank is the easy part.

As a side effect of watching his entire race dying, J'ohn J'onnz's has a crippling fear of fire. That doesn't even require fear gas to create, just a bit of gas and a match. While we have no real reference on if Scarecrow's fear toxin affects Martians, but it can then this fight is over before it even began.

Like most members with actual powers, the Arkham Knight's tank is simple enough to take down. Being as strong as Superman not to mention invisibility he could walk right up to the tank and destroy it before the Knight even knows what happens.

AQUAMAN - UNLIKELY

This was interesting to think about because I didn't actually know if Aquaman even has to breathe above water, but from a bit of research yes he does in fact breathe oxygen on land. This means the Cloudburst would affect him on land. What's more, the final appearance of Scarecrow in Batman: Arkham Asylum has him threatening to drop the chemical into the water, poisoning Gotham, meaning to some extent fear gas can travel through water. HOWEVER, the version of the gas in Batman: Arkham Knight was already dispersed into the form of a cloud, making it a lot harder to disperse into water. So hypothetically, Aquaman could create a torrent running through Gotham's streets as a shield against the cloudburst, but he could not leave the water.

Aquaman is incredibly strong, but not as strong as Superman or Wonder Woman. Given the hypothetical of needing to stay in a constant stream of water, any direct shot from the cannon would knock him loose and he'll have to face the fear gas. Putting this together, Arthur Curry would have to be fast and precise aiming to the tank's weakest points while moving very fast lest he get shot. While I considered Aquaman just hucking a whale at the tank could probably work, the streets of Gotham are not built for that kind of attack and would cause tens of millions in property damage, not to mention possible unnecessary casualties.

------

This covers the founding members of the Justice League, but for fun I'll point out a few more members worth thinking about.

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CYBORG - While I don't think it's possible for him to make it through the Cloudburst, I would be remised if I don't acknowledge that he could hack the Batmobile in order to take out the tank.

PLASTIC MAN - I think Plastic Man might be the only member with a natural immunity to anything Scarecrow throws at him due to his entire biology being changed to plastic. That said, he poses no chance against the tank.

RED TORNADO - Since he's a robot, fear gas does nothing to Red Tornado. However the Cloudburst is powerful enough to damage electronics. Whether or not the weather will affect him would be up to the writer, but that fact might not even matter due to just being able to blow it all away.

The tank would absolutely devastate Red Tornado in a one-on-one fight meaning he'd have to move really fast with direct strikes to the weak points in order to defeat it.

DOCTOR FATE - This isn't even a contest he could just teleport the Arkham Knight and his tank to Hell.

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In doing this thought experiment I have come to realize that the plot of BMAK would be incredibly boring with any other hero because they'd decimate the Knight's militia in ten minutes. Furthermore, Batman is one of the only League members with enough willpower to brute-force fear gas, making him more or less the only one insane enough to take on this threat. So from all of this I think it is safe to say that he is in fact NOT stupid for not calling the Justice League. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

#batman arkham #batman arkham knight #batman arkham series #Batman #I put more thought into this than I did most of my college assignments

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mwexodusofficial · 5 months ago

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Chapter XXIV: P-O-W-E-R

(Music: "Blue Veins", by The Raconteurs)

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3 years ago. January 24th, 2280 CE.

A labor colony on Eranya, under the mighty sovereign authority of Canaris in its golden age, was engorged in a large-scale near-mutiny over the back-breaking labor, long hours, and lack of representation in Canaris' domestic policy and chaos-seamed tiered systems of governance- as well as a dozen other issues. Their treasonous ring leader, Greine Altomeier, demanded autonomy for the colony of Miranys and protectorate status under Canaris as an included territory. The initial objective of these insurrectionists was to leverage their value to Canaris as a major producer of Eranyium (named after the first settler leader of the planet, who also found the invaluable mineral in the same week); a metal that, when first mined, looked like silver-sheened, iridescent-hued fragments of coarse and grainy, heavy metal- but in its refined state, was smooth and reflective. Its extremely heat-resistant properties were plated on the outside of spacefaring vessels as a means to insulate the vessel from the extreme temperature changes that occurred during long voyages.

In short summary, it was extremely vital to Canaris. And the sickening amount of defensive capabilities it had built on the planet as a solid defense against Terror Remnants or enemy nations, ended up being turned against Canaris on this very day. The labor colony was heavily equipped with armed manpower numbering in the millions; innumerous artillery emplacements, orbital batteries, and anti-air flak guns. De-centralized military fleets patrolling the ground level of Miranys, sub-orbital battle cruisers, orbital defense platforms, shielding systems, sensor & reconnaissance drones, well-armed & well-manned orbital shipyards, and railgun stations which practically swarmed around the atmosphere of Eranya akin to a humming hive of agitated bees.

In response to this crass declaration of quasi-independence, Canaris sent Admiral Hawkes and his fleet of twenty battle-hardened super-dreadnoughts to quell the rebellion—complete overkill, and a demonstration to other labor colonies within Canaris' sector, of the consequences of resisting their martial masters. The warships encircled the planet at every major orbital port, blockading the planet's ports of entries and exits as the Argonaut's monstrous mass loomed menacingly over Miranys, blotting out the sun for several city blocks and factory complexes.

"They are ready to receive you, Admiral."

Admiral Hawkes stood gazing over the wide window view of Eranya at the very front of the Argonaut, spotting the sizable speck of a colony below orbit that demonstrated the naive gall to stand against a planet-razing military terror like Canaris. As it seemed, twenty massive warships and the Argonaut's mile-long architecture weren't sufficient enough for the neophyte rebels to immediately surrender and submit to some very lenient punishment compared to what they would suffer for rejecting Canaris' repeated demands of compliance. Admiral Hawkes gestured ever so slightly with his fingers to the bridge officer managing the telecommunications, and she began patching him through to the colony's communications array. A young, spritely, and charismatic voice popped up over the speakers, loud and belligerent whilst introducing herself to the Argonaut.

"Lord Admiral Fenris! We are honored by your presence."

"Hey, Yvette, it's been a while."

The radio abruptly fell silent. A long minute passed, and Hawkes stared back over the planet and above its haloed horizon; taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the innumerable twinkling stars, distant and near; nebulae, galaxies, planets- chaos and order so seamlessly integrated. It all seemed so heaven-sent until the reality of this immense, slogging, agonizing existential suffering was heaped upon all sentient, conscious, intelligent beings at the first naive encounter of horror.

"...You... remember me?" Yvette eventually responded more timidly and torn emotionally.

"'Course I do. I remember the moment you were born to your first Ordeal. What made you think I ever forgot you?"

A stifled sobbing emitted over the radio, before the sound of disruption, and another voice came over the receiver; grumpy, gruff, and sneering with a low, vaguely Cockney-English accent.

"Hawkes."

Admiral Hawkes' expression, softened and relieved only seconds prior, was now contorted and twisted into a snide grimace and beady, frosted eyes of cold hate.

"Take your forked tongue out of the chatterbox and cower in your hovel, Nemdo." Hawkes rasped over the receiver. "I have seven-hundred-thousand armaments, big and small, on this vessel alone. I could -snipe- the atoms off your nose, even from this distance, and no barriers nor armored structures would protect you from it. Get off the receiver, hand it to Yvette."

"So that's what we are now, to you? Just slaves for you to keep in line, kill as you please, you cunt?"

"You are a fool, to think you, of all those in the colony, would be the one to tug at my heartstrings."

"It wouldn't matter who's speaking. You're here to obliterate us."

"I think this will end amicably if I simply obliterate you with a thousand orbital precision lasers so I don't have to suffer your under-developed brain synapses flapping fecal matter from your rotting gums. Hand. The. Radio. To Yvette, or the next words you decide to spew will lie in a pile of your ashes. Try it."

A devilishly long silence ensued. Then-

"Fucking tyrant."

The receiver crackled as commotion occurred on the other end, before Yvette's voice nervously cropped up over the radio.

"H...Hawkes."

"Hey there. Sorry for the cruelty you heard earlier. You know our disagreements."

The receiver was silent for a moment, before a reply: "Y-Yeah. I get it. Um... well, uh... we're the colony of Miranys, and we w-would like to, uh, request that w-we rewrite the, uh, g-governmental relationship between M-Miranys and Canaris-!"

"I'm not against this idea," Hawkes stated, which seemed to both surprise and throw off Yvette.

"Wh- really??"

Hawkes obviously had, in advance, reviewed the terms put forth by the leader of Miranys, Greine, who was currently on the other side of the planet in negotiations with the other colonies to try and snowball a planetary-wide liberation movement as he knew that Canaris would reject the demands. Hawkes' intentions were to negotiate a deal with Yvette, the third-in-charge of Miranys, so he could officiate a deal that would undermine Greine's authority to the other sector leaders on Eranya and put a quick end to the idea of insurrection. Hawkes had just intimidated Nemdo, second-in-charge of Miranys and a cowardly person whom he harbored a venomous history with, into handing the official negotiations to Yvette; even though Hawkes bluffed about the precision lasers being capable of piercing their defensive shielding. The plan was to give a few or several good industrial and political incentives to Eranya, and with the political power he held, Hawkes had no doubt he could free the people of Miranys from those draconian labor quotas and laws put in place by Atriarchs of the past. He'd already received the greenlight from the current Atriarchs to initiate these negotiations on their behalf, especially with how integral of a colony it was to Canaris- but full or partial autonomy was out of the question.

Any form of autonomy for fledgling colonies always led to demagogues and populists capturing the spirit of those laborers and civilians, turning them into a fomenting crowd of wrathful indignation against their current or formal rulers. Trade deals would soon end, followed by scheming with rival or enemy nations, and ending with those nations or others watching from the background ultimately preying on and exploiting the colony until its citizens dreamed of the life they had before autonomy. It wasn't as if Hawkes was particularly against the idea of a noble underdog nation freeing itself from the constraints of a despotic dictatorship-

But compared to the other nations and colonies across the Lower Quadrant of the Milky Way, Canaris was far more palatable in its treatment of vassal territories. This was, in Hawkes' opinion, a powerplay by Greine disguised as a noble pursuit for freedom from tyranny. As the leader of Miranys, there were a hundred different departments and offices Greine could have contacted to have the laws of his colony changed from the decades-ago edicts as was his right with the powers vested in him by the Linde-Fjarnar Compact of 2267; yet he didn't. Instead, Greine allowed the edicts to cause further suffering and misery to build more resentment and mobilize the populace against a strawman villain. This was a power play, by every metric.

And Hawkes was not going to let this power-hungry wannabe big-shot have the opportunity to get hundreds of millions of people killed, whether now or a hundred years into the future.

"Yes," Hawkes responded over the radio. "I have a lot of leeway in this negotiation. Let me know what you personally want and what the colonists generally want, not what Greine wants. Okay? Labor hours, contract revisions, opportunities for vertical promotions- I am more than happy to get this signed and done with so Miranys can flourish. The only thing we can't concede on is autonomy. So, basically, everything you good fellas want minus one. I'm sure you know, Yvette, but Canaris needs Eranyium for interstellar travel. People could suffer if this goes badly one way or another, and that isn't anything I want right now. I was exploring the Kalis Sector with a few warships when this came up on our radar- that's how important to me you are. I crossed half the colonized galaxy just to make sure the war hawks on Canaris wouldn't have the chance to scheme against your homeworld- and I have not forgotten about the years I've spent on this damn planet, Yvette!"

The last line was said in provocative but good-hearted humor, and Yvette chuckled over the radio, seeming more at ease now that the negotiations were broken down so simply by her long-time friend and mentor. "Well then, I mean, I wouldn't mind a few in-person discussions to set preliminary terms. A lot of the people here are pissed, though, so you, you know, ya gotta be very lenient, I-I'm sorry if that's rude to say."

"Indeed. And no, I have no issue with how you speak to me, Yvette. It's infinitely more preferable than the chittering of the insects that plague your top leadership."

His reply was passive-aggressive; he was primarily referring to Greine, but there were a number of other officiated bastards in Miranys' government that Hawkes highly disapproved of, including the treacherous, weaselly, cowardly fuck-nugget Nemdo.

The voice of Elise crackled over his shoulder radio suddenly.

"Grand bâtard."

Hawkes sighed internally as the horrid French onslaught of Elise assailed his fragile Canari ears.

"What now? I'm in the midst of negotiations."

"Shut up, I'll do what I like, garce. Your negotiations may be cut short, Greine is heading back to Miranys very quickly, probably five minutes roughly. He slipped past the quarantine measures, raced over the ocean in a Rathian Bike, took out the Canarii Ranger that was pursuing him, and hijacked a Helixad."

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME. THIS 2-BIT V FOR VENDETTA ORE SHUNTER DID ALL THAT?!

Hawkes thought calmly. "You didn't think to tell me about that?!"

"I was too busy trying to pick my jaw up from the floor, Admiral."

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(Music: "The Painful Way", by Darren Korb)

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Hawkes exhaled venomously, quickly panicking as he realized the worst possible outcome was zeroing in and going to ruin both Hawkes' and his entire colony's day if Hawkes didn't finalize some preliminary negotiations he could wave in front of the rest of Eranya as a sign of peace and ongoing arbitrations.

He did not want to escalate this into a conflict. Several people would die, and several others would die as collateral damage. This near-mutiny had to be quelled, or they would involve everyone else across the planet and rake in more naive idiots with hopeful eyes to join in the slaughter. Hawkes would much rather kill a few and save the many, if it came to that.

"So," He immediately began speaking to Yvette once more; with no time to spare, he could neither waste time on pleasantries nor reveal his urgency to finalize the deal. "I'm thinking, we can do an exclusive trade deal with Eranya by having our freighter ship and mining vessel manufacturing plants only import from your planet. I can put in some requisition orders to start up some new secondary and tertiary industries- more jobs, more growth, and less mining and extraction- we can gradually replace the workers with drones when the logistics of that operation is fully planned out."

Though Hawkes couldn't see it, Yvette was intently listening but feeling slightly overwhelmed by the bulk of information being shoved over the radio. It felt less like a negotiation and more like a big hush-money present was being thrown at them for underlying reasons.

"Eh, Hawkes?" Yvette asked. "That's fine and all, uh, but uh, we should probably have an arbitration at our embassy about this; there's a lot of stuff I need to write down. We'll also have to, uh, talk about how our representatives feel on the topic of autonomy and political rights, because a lot of them are pretty... unhappy after the recent riots and crackdown. I mean, we- they literally mutinied, so, uh, I mean, yeah."

Hawkes was sweating. He was keeping a timer in his head the nanosecond Elise informed him of Greine's approach. 4 minutes left.

"Of course, Yvette," Hawkes replied smoothly, trying not to betray the tremendous urgency running through his head like a particle accelerator. "I just wanted to set some preliminary terms over radio, something I can write home to the Atriarchs to let them know that we're on negotiating terms and that this isn't, you know, a conflict that's gonna break out. You get what I'm saying?"

"Y-Yes. I understand. What did you want to set out, then?"

3 minutes 30 seconds. Hawkes pulled on his collar, feeling as if his throat were tightening; he'd gotten past the first obstacle, he just needed to set out some lenient and reasonable terms, even if he reneged on them later.

"For the discussion of autonomy, we are definitely open to, at most, partial autonomy, though I can certainly relay messages between Miranys and Canaris as necessary about the particulars on that. Political rights aren't a problem, I assume you all have your representatives picked out, you'll need to write up an Autonomy Compact and allow us to review it for approval and then you'll be good to go. In the meantime, we can adjust working hours and labor laws as necessary and for the best compromise of both parties. How is this sounding so far?"

3 minutes left. His eyes strained at the radio, feeling prickles of stress ride across his brain matter with every second Yvette was silently deliberating with others gathered in the comms room.

"Several of our representatives are extremely upset with the labor quotas and tithes imposed on Miranys every financial quarter. They want to discuss a serious change downward in those aspects."

"Sure! I'm not opposed to that one bit." Hawkes said, a small tinge of panic and irritation lurking behind his words. As this conversation was furthering, Yvette was growing more bold and confident in her voice once it seemed clear she had some leverage over Hawkes on this matter.

"And the families who suffered from the Fir Street Riots need to be compensated! As well as the families who lost their loved ones in the Bakkian Incident! Speaking on that, our equipment is outdated, our safety guidelines are lackluster, and half our labor force have become drug addicts to cope with the daily misery and pain!"

I HAVEN'T INTERACTED WITH YOUR WORLD IN A FUCKING DECADE! I CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE! Hawkes wanted to shout over the receiver. 2 minutes left. "Done, and done. Any last requests before I type this up and call off the fleet so we can have a proper sit-down?"

And I can kill that upstart cunt trying to get his colony obliterated, Hawkes pondered maliciously, planning Greine's assassination after this matter was settled.

More silence over the radio.

"Tell him..."

Hawkes grimaced as the sound of other representatives chirping in Yvette's ear was audible over the radio. Yvette eventually spoke once more.

"And... the representatives of Miranys... want the Atriarchs to recognize Miranys' Autonomy Compact in a speech-"

"Who the fuck told you to say that?"

The radio went dead-silent. Hawkes was extremely upset hearing this from Yvette's mouth- words spoken by proxy from one of the cancer-filled slugs leaning in on this horrifically-vital conversation.

"I-I... I, uh, I didn't mean-!"

"Nevermind," Hawkes quickly cut her off, trying to smooth over the extremely perfidious comment. 1 minute left. Even if he had to lie his mouth off, it would be worth it to save everyone in this system from a very bloody afternoon. "I'll relay the requests to the Atriarchs. I've documented your list of demands and will be calling back the fleet-"

"We wish to have our own defense force!" "And we wish to control and operate our own media networks, free of censorship by the Canaris Media & News Regulation Agency!" "We wish to mint our own currency!"

Hawkes was utterly infuriated at the Miranys representatives having the gall to start chiming into the receiver with additional demands, eating up the precious seconds Hawkes had to finalize these preliminary terms and present the evidence of successful parley to the rest of Eranya. 30 seconds.

"GET OFF THE RECEIVER, UNLESS YOU ARE YVETTE!" He shouted over the radio, having no other course to settle this now than to assert authority between him and the third-in-command. "Once you agree, I can pull back my fleets and we can end this amicably! Do we have a deal, Yvette??"

The radio was silent. 20 seconds. 15 seconds. 10 seconds-

"You're hiding something."

"Yvette. Please. Just agree. We can settle everything, just agree and we'll be-"

Slam!

The sound of doors being forced open came through audibly on the receiver. The distant sound of a voice could be heard: "Yvette! Hand me the radio!"

It's over, Hawkes thought miserably as Greine's young, authoritative, and demanding vague German voice cropped up over the speakers.

"Nice try, bastard. I've lived with you for five years- I know how you think, Hawkes. You won't get the chance to-"

"If you want to die this badly on your lonesome, you have my blessing. Do not drag innocents into your pathetic power play."

"Is that what you think this is? I-"

"Yes. Yes, I do, you fuck."

"It is not! Most in Miranys have signed on to this compact, and soon enough the other colonies will join onboard. Whether you like it or not, we are going to gain our autonomy. We aren't Delisse, nor Ugradja, or any of your other servants that bow down meagerly after a mere show of force!"

"A mere show of force..."

"Fuckin' A right. We have the upper hand. And when we gain our freedom, our history won't be mired by exploitation, slavery, imperialism, and slaughtering people who want a better life."

Hawkes cackled sadistically at the bottomlessly naive and idiotically proud statement uttered by the braindead warrior handling comms.

"How do you think nations have been forged all throughout history, since the dawn of mankind, you fucking pissant? Through hugs and kisses and communal cocksucking ceremonies? You ignorant peon. You'll get your 'autonomy', then stick with us for about five years, then stab us in the back and heap your exports onto a rival nation to get full sovereignty. After they've used you for long enough, your planet will get exploited, then steamrolled by neighboring warmongers who will cut out your tongues, slice your Achilles heels, and force you and your family into lifelong menial labor and servitude. Your spouses and offspring will be used for pleasure and breeding by savage thugs and retired warlords; your dreams will rot away while you witness your little empire crumble and wither, your lands and people perverted and humiliated by idiots with more experience in combat and cruelty, over decades shall you and your kin suffer. I'm far more merciful than letting that become your end legacy. I will simply turn you, painlessly, to ash, and your grandiose ideas that lead to terrible fates will dribble into nothingness through time eternal, and this planet shall continue to prosper under Canaris, its citizens forever safe and secure from the idiotic half-assed ramblings of irredeemable patsies like you."

The radio was again dead silent. Then:

"You will not scare us, Hawkes. Our-"

"You should be scared. You should be utterly fucking terrified. I am speaking from experience, not fantasy, boy. I would rather obliterate your entire colony off the face of Eranya than allow you to steer this planet toward a horrible fate."

Silence, again. This time it was far lengthier, with whole minutes passing by of no radio contact. Hawkes was not going to let this powermonger get the chance to whip up any more colonies into a frenzy to mutiny, nor permit him to better prepare for an invasion should he choose the Darwinian option.

"You get one, and only one answer. Submit or Die. Choose now, or I'll take it as a refusal-"

"We would rather die than continue slaving away under a revolving door of tyrants and robber barons! I have slain your Canarii, and if I must slay YOU, as well, then IT SHALL BE DONE!"

BAAASSSSSTTTAAAAAARRRRDDDDD.

"Then you and your fucking ilk will see Hell Unto Earth."

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(Music: "Command and Control", by Mick Gordon | YT Only)

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He ended the communications after catapulting the radio receiver at the floor, shattering it into thousands of pieces and storming out of the bridgehead.

"DANNY!"

"Yes, Admiral!"

"TAKE OVER COMMAND. I'M DROPPING WITH THE CAEDES."

First Officer Danny paled in the face as he heard his superior would be heading into direct combat with the Magna Caedes, but followed the orders without any pushback- the look on Hawkes' face was frightening enough to silence his concerns.

Hawkes found his quarters, slamming his hand against the DNA scanner and walking in, honing in on the heavily-plated suit locker at the end of his room, typing in the 50-letter-long passcode along with a DNA scan of his retina before throwing open the door hinges and grabbing the suit of armor inside.

The Ryn-Hague Chassis; a stygian-black, extremely bulky, hefty, and 3-inch thick armor that consisted of hundreds of Achilles Series armor plates melded and meshed, woven and perfected through a thousand forges until it was one of the most durable suits of armor in all of human history, capable of deflecting and neutralizing anti-tank rounds and artillery shells with little issue; the interior of the suit was affixed with a reverse magnetic propulsion device which prevented the wearer from feeling the impact of even orbital artillery, and worked in conjunction with exterior piezoelectric layers attached to the pinpoints of the outer armor, which served to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy and used inertial dampening to slow or neutralize the projectiles on impact.

Having secured the chassis to his body over a few painstaking minutes, and finding comfort in the heavy burden it proved on his body, he exited the quarters with the mighty thumping of his heavily-armored boots thudding against the pristine alloy floor.

Admiral Hawkes swiftly turned on his heel and stormed toward the Orbital Deployment Bay, exiting the bridgehead and sifting through the maze of hallways with such force and speed that a strong gust of air followed strongly behind him, staggering passersby and ship crewmates with transhuman dread. After hingeing a left, he was gradually flanked on either side by Magna Caedes; goliath-like augmented superhumans over eight feet tall, plated with dozens of sets of the highest Achilles Series tiers in layered, immensely-dense armor with a 2-inch thick tank-like graphene-composited panoply, known as the 'Deathmark Carapace', fastened over the top of the interior armor they burdened upon flesh and bone alike. A two-fold wall of near-impenetrable alloy, painted and decorated painstakingly by hundreds of artisans with scenes of their past victories, scrawled across the entirety of their black-matte bulwark akin to an animated war poem. Their bulky, trapezoidal helmets were entirely devoid of exterior features, the whole of their senses being transmitted and relayed internally through the diagnostics and substrata of the Magna Caedes' outfit through dozens of sensors and systems. Strength, speed, foresight, willpower- one had to be at the apex of such traits to even be considered for the life-lasting honor and duty of becoming a Magna Caedes; and the acceptance of such forged into service rivaling immortality. Whether or not one was capable of surviving the procedures that even the cutting-edge surgeons and researchers on Canaris found insanely difficult, was a question tens of millions had asked and only twenty in Canari existence had answered.

'Twas one, then two, then four, and finally six that flanked Admiral Hawkes on his left and right, made impossibly conspicuous by the deafening thumping of their magnetic greaves, able to keep them grounded on slippery terrain and in zero-gravity environments. Fastened to their backs were monstrously-sized melee weapons in a variety for each Magna Caedes; A battleaxe, a war maul, an oversized bayonet rifle, a Las-Blade, a war glaive, and a shoulder-mounted plasma cannon; each ordered and mandated to learn a new variety of melee and ranged weaponry each year. Without exception, all of these supersoldiers were equipped with a two-foot-long combat knife and Riveters; oversized handguns capable of blasting shell cartridges the size of golf balls, and thus termed aptly for their overwhelming destructive capability.

Even these warriors from another era showed great deference to Admiral Hawkes, their eyes gleaming with arrogant pride and a fanatic urgency to demonstrate their unparalleled martial skill to the one man who singlehandedly carved out Canaris' path to succession for 3 decades straight.

"Our warships will handle the orbital and sub-orbital defense networks," Hawkes relayed to the Magna Caedes through an internal communications network that allowed them to speak remotely to one another even in high-intensity firefights. "We'll be landing at the northmost edge of the Synacot Marshes and make our way to their headquarters. Keep collateral to a minimum."

The Magna Caedes nodded their daunting helmet frames in approval, performing hundreds of mental calculations in anticipation of the upcoming battle whilst Admiral Hawkes patched in to Lilia.

"Lilia-"

"WHY ARE YOU DROPPING INTO THE BATTLE, YOU FUCKWIT?!"

Hawkes groaned as Lily's distraught voice pierced his ears.

"I've been doing this my entire fucking life, Lily! Why are you making a commotion about it now?!"

"THERE'S NO REASON TO ANYMORE! YOU'VE ALREADY LED BY EXAMPLE HUNDREDS OF TIMES! STOP RISKING YOUR LIFE OVER NOTHING! PLEASE!"

"I'LL DO WHATEVER I GODDAMN WELL PLEASE!"

Hawkes growled gutturally as he turned off communications with the Argonaut; entering into a battle trance as he prepared for an onslaught of enemies. Hawkes and his team of Caedes reached the Orbital Deployment Bay, busy with deploying regiments of Canarii to the surface of Miranys in the same way Hawkes and his team would be doing. They walked past the rows of drop pods, where Canarii warriors stepped into person-sized chairs that held them steady while RMPDs kept their body in stasis during the hard impact into the ground, and entered their own uniquely-designed drop pods for seven and eight-foot-tall behemoths.

"We'll be operating alongside Clémence and Caz's teams, we'll be the vanguard until they've reached the primary defense fortresses, then it's infiltration and sabotage." Hawkes relayed his last order, waiting as the drop pod doors hissed on their hinges, pulling downwards slowly to seal in the interior capsule and prepared for deployment.

"Dropping in 3... 2... 1..."

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(Music: "Incendiary", by Nateki)

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SCH-P!

The pods shot downward at terminal velocity, rocketing like war-beckoning comets hurtling toward an unfortunate populace of rebels. The window view from the drop pods provided a picturesque and equally dread-inducing tapestry of hundreds of space vessels immediately engaging in all-out warfare; bullets, shells, grapeshot, explosives, particle beams, and dozens of other forms of projectiles were traded in the thousands each second between warring vessels, happening in such rapid and growing magnitude that Hawkes managed to hear those half-second soundwaves blasting with muffled ferocity through the interior of his drop pod, before falling deathly silent in the empty vacuum of space.

Hundreds upon hundreds of drop pods barreled toward Eranya's surface around Hawkes and his team, carrying Canarii warriors driven into battle frenzies for the oncoming fight, platoons and fireteams that would work like sentient, collective ants to achieve their objectives. Armed and armored in the finest Canaris had to offer, and carrying decades of experience in their flesh and bones; this was Canaris setting an example for future labor colonies with the same foolish gall to try and break away from their rulers. An age-old adage the Patriarch enjoyed sending in replies to war declarations and treasonous communications:

|-|-| Fuck around, find out. |-|-|

2 minutes till arrival, Hawkes thought, watching as the cinematic maelstrom of interstellar battle unfolded before him, witnessing turrets, fighters, autocannons, and enemy cruisers lock in on the drop pods and attempt to blow them out of the sky; their shots missing as the pods were quickly leaving their fields of view and piercing the thermosphere of the planet. The drop pods seared and reflected orange, then red, then bright red, then hot-white as the alloyed surfaces heated up from atmospheric entry.

1 minute till arrival.

The burning persisted for several seconds, before eventually the drop pods had successfully entered orbit; and were immediately locked on and fired upon by artillery emplacements on the surface. Massive shells rocketed by the drop pods, and those lucky few that managed to hit dead-on merely deflected off the 5-inch thick armor coating of the drop pods; made for one purpose only, there was no quarter spared on the sheer durability of the tons-heavy orbital deployment pods.

30 seconds till arrival.

As they parted through the clouds and the wetlands came into view, so did the tens of thousands of Miranys militia fighters, storming the fields to outnumber their superior skilled foe in melee combat. Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs), hijacked by the Miranys Rebels from local Canari authorities, drove down the sloped hills toward the marshlands alongside Postmodern-era Humvees with rotating manned heavy machine guns, swerving wildly as they approached the frontline in a massive haphazard string of hundreds-strong vehicles, their wheels and tracks destroying the landscape as large clumps of soil and dirt flew behind them.

Impact.

DDDSSSHHHH!!!

The drop pods slammed into the earth, and the front doors opened up- Hawkes and his Magna Caedes stepped out of the pods and immediately entered the fray. Dozens of Miranys Rebels immediately charged at them, armored in their own Achilles armor and wielding weaponry of every type. Hawkes led the advancing arrow-point formation, tilting his greatsword sheath downward and drawing out the blade -initializing its lasered rim-, using his other hand to unholster the Riveter attached to his hip belt.

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(Ambience: "Intense D-Day Ambience", by Sounds of War)

(Music: "Cultist Battle", by Rob Cairns)

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As the first of the enemy came, he wound his sword low, digging it into the earth, and swung it in an upward arc, throwing clumps of dirt in the approaching Rebel's face, blinding his vision and allowing Hawkes to level his Riveter at the Rebel's helmet. KRAK! Twelve warriors followed seconds behind the headless corpse, assaulting Hawkes' squad with close-range bayonet rifles and two-handed melee weapons, using their exterior exoskeletons (known as Exos) to gain an edge on speed and dexterity, having to avoid all strikes possible, as each and every attack from Admiral Hawkes or the Magna Caedes would provide overwhelming death or mutilation on a successful hit.

The Magna Caedes brought up the sides, their formation slamming into the waves of bodies like a meat grinder; heaving, swinging, and stabbing their hulkish weapons at the Myranis Rebels, who were bouncing around the field in their Exos and keeping their distance from the walking tanks, attempting to stab or slice at the supersoldiers when they were exposed yet finding themselves rapidly brutalized and cut to pieces the moment they tried to enter striking range against Hawkes and the Caedes.

Hawkes brought up his Riveter, firing pinpoint accurate shots at three Rebels darting toward one of the Caedes, blasting two of them into gore and grazing the third one, who was distracted long enough by the near-hit to -SHHHCK!- have his torso cut in twain by a Caedes battleaxe. Hawkes sensed a looming attack from his right side and rolled forward, blasting the assailant with his Riveter which sent the Rebel flying with a massive dent in his chestplate. Three more Rebels approached Hawkes, shooting his armor while charging with bayonets. Hawkes allowed the bullets to ping off his suit, holstering his Riveter momentarily and rotating his greatsword until he was holding the blade with both hands; an ancient technique used by knights of yore in close combat engagements with other heavily armored enemies; using the blunt end or handle as a club to cave in the heads of enemies.

The first Rebel stopped just short of Hawkes' striking range, firing a volley of shots as the second Rebel came up to Hawkes' right, charging with his bayonet for Hawkes' throat. Hawkes sidestepped the charge, wrapping the joint of his forearm around the Rebel's own neck and pulling him toward his body to use as a meat shield. He tossed his greatsword to the ground and unholstered his Riveter, bringing it up and firing with carefully-aimed shots, allowing his hostage to take the majority of bullets being fired at him by the other Rebels on the battlefield. KRAK! KRAK-KRAK! KRAK! KRAK! Bodies fell, slamming and crumpling into the bogs they were moving around, whilst Hawkes examined his hostage; killed violently by the hundreds of bullets that slammed into his armor, tore through it, and eviscerated the Rebel in his grip. He dropped the deadweight, firing his Riveter at a few more Rebels traversing rapidly around the field before one of his Magna Caedes jumped in front of his eastern flank-

DOOSH! DOOSH!

Two heavy artillery shells slammed into the Caedes, one of them glancing off and exploding a group of Rebels whilst the other hit him dead center, throwing the Caedes off his feet, slamming into Hawkes, and tumbling over the wetlands, before immediately reorienting himself and rejoining the formation. Hawkes, recovering from the hit, sighted the elevated autocannon sat atop the northern hill, firing at Canarii, Argonaut officers, and the Caedes with feverish dogma. Hawkes clicked his thumb and finger together, turning on communications with the Argonaut II.

"Danny. AC turret in front of me, sending coordinates."

"Copy."

Hawkes and his Caedes sprinted several meters in seconds, clearing the wetlands and its shoddy terrain with no hindrance, their footwear sloshing through the water and mud with such speed it almost seemed as if they were sprinting on water. As they blasted through the defenses of entrenched Rebels, their traveling hulking masses slammed through both fortifications and enemy bodies alike- immediately vaporizing any unfortunate soldiers that didn't clear the way quickly enough into red mist and internal organs.

Bwoosh. Bwoosh. Bwoosh.

Three distant explosions emanated from the atmosphere, as bulky shells filled with ultra-explosive payloads burst through the stratosphere with precise coordinates locked on the autocannon turret pointed out by Admiral Hawkes.

BOOOOM-BOOOOM-! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The autocannon turret turned to immediate ash as it erupted with engulfing flames, flourishing for meters in every direction as the payloads detonated and wreaked havoc across the secured entrenchment, annihilating dozens of Rebels in the blink of an eye and terrifying hundreds more amid the miles-wide battlefield. Even still, droves of Rebels surfaced the top of that hill and sprinted toward the oncoming Canarii, Hawkes and Caedes, screaming in righteous fury as they prepared themselves for the fight of their life; behind them followed AFVs, Helixads and explosive-packed drones honing in on the opposing forces for self-detonation.

"They're organized," Hawkes spoke through the internal comms systems. "Send chaos right into the middle of their mainstay, Danny."

"Copy."

A few moments passed as Hawkes' team continued slaughtering their way through waves of Miranys Rebels, more pods slamming through the atmosphere, this time rocketing toward the massive fortified metroplex that served as the Miranys Rebels' HQ, as well as haphazardly strafing toward random points on the battlefield.

DSSSH-! DSSSH-DSSSH-! DSSSH-!

These containers, far larger than the standard deployment pods, slammed into the earth, opening up to reveal Gaiters, remnants of the Terror, crawling out in a drug-induced battle frenzy and immediately assailing the closest Rebels possible, causing terror and jheavy morale detriment to the Rebels as their species' greatest ordeal and nightmare manifested itself so horribly on the battlefield, charging from behind their entrenched positions and tearing them to shreds whilst the rest of them were stuck cleaning up the mess and simultaneously fending off the advancing Canarii, finding and retrieving his greatsword before returning to the slaughter.

With the chaos that would ensue, Hawkes led his team and advanced on the HQ in rapid measure. Once their symbol of mutiny was annihilated and their most troublesome leaders executed, this atrocious affair could come to a quick end. Hawkes radioed Elise before he would begin the frontal assault.

"Elise, you've kept eyes on Yvette, yes?"

"The moment Greine took over negotiations, my drones were sniped out of orbit. I've sent more to locate the Miranys leaders, but-"

"But nothing, Elise! Get her in your damn sights and keep her there!"

"She'll be more likely to survive if you find her first. I can't get within a mile of the compound without my drones getting shot down, right now."

"FUUUCK!" Hawkes rasped, turning off ship comms and leveling his fiery gaze on the compound.

"Here's your 'mere' show of force, CUR."

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(Music: "The Only Thing They Fear Is You", by Mick Gordon | YT Only)

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Hawkes sprinted up the hill where the autocannon turret was obliterated, using its remains as cover when he crested the hill and spotted hundreds of gun barrels pointing directly at him. They unleashed a wall of lead and hellfire on him, tearing away the metal and fibers of the derelict autocannon and rapidly removing Hawkes' cover. A second later, one of the Magna Caedes sprinted up the hill, planted one strong foot at the crest, and propelled himself several meters into the air, gaining a bird's eye view of the battlefield and rapidly assessing the situation- memorizing the locations of the artillery batteries, underground bunkers, sniper nests and highest concentrations of Rebel soldiers, relaying this information to Hawkes, before rocketing down toward the HQ and smashing through the roof, wreaking havoc inside as his battle brothers engaged in their own devastating combat roles whilst Hawkes made his way towards the compound.

The NCO of the Caedes fireteam, Sergeant-At-Arms Eris, scaled the multi-story buildings throughout the colony, eliminating sniper contingents and picking off troublesome enemy fireteams whilst dicing her way through scores of Rebels with the War Glaive she wielded like a centuries-old battle monk. The glaive flourished between her hands, effortlessly gliding through armor, armor, armor, flesh, bone, organ, bone, flesh- disembowling, crippling, decimating, dismantling foes as if they were still stalks of bamboo. The rare moments where her glaive was not dashing between armored bodies, she was using her fists and gauntlets to punch, crush, and backhand her way through the endless waves of Miranys Rebels.

The Magna Caedes infiltrated the settlement with superhuman speed and dexterity, climbing buildings, weaving through alleyways, and obliterating enemy infrastructure through deft sabotage that was achieved as quickly as they arrived and left the scenes of gore and destruction. Those unlucky enough to carry a pulse and encounter the superhuman warriors were quickly departed from life through a violent reckoning at the business end of their weaponry.

Hawkes ran right down the middle of the war-torn streets leading to the HQ, having to dodge flying rockets, artillery shells, the heaviest of gunfire, and incoming vehicles barreling towards him with the sole intent of running him over into roadkill. One of those Armored Fighting Vehicles careened around the corner, gunning it for Admiral Hawkes and blasting their topside machine gun with unhinged malevolence-

DSSH-CREAAAAKKK-CRRSSSSHHHHH!!!!

The side of the AFV was slammed into by a shoulder check from a Magna Caedes, the AFV turning on its side and slide-crashing across the ground, screeching unbearably as metal met gravel. The Magna Caedes rounded the armored vehicle, slamming his fist with overwhelming force against the bulletproof window -shattering it- then leveled his Riveter through the broken slit and executed the passengers inside.

KRAK! KRAK-KRAK-KRAK! KRAK!

In the same time frame, two Helixads descended on the scene, blasting the Magna Caedes, Canarii, and Hawkes with triple-barreled miniguns that sprayed the streetways with a hailstorm of high-velocity bullets capable of shredding even armored vehicles. Hawkes and the Caedes took cover, a few unfortunate Canarii ripped to pieces by the onslaught of projectiles. One of the Caedes, hailed as 'Infantrier Ajax', stepped out from cover with his Plasma Cannon, leveling it at the closest Helixad and firing.

B-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH-BOOOOOOOM!!!!!

The plasma beam slammed through the middle of the Helixad, tearing it in half and sending its collateral remains careening toward the ground in a fiery haze, spinning uncontrollably as its quick-approaching demise became ever more apparent with each flitting second.

BWOOOOOSHHH!!!!!!

The Helixad exploded on impact, bursting shockwaves and fiery blasts wafting for several meters, sending plumes of smoke into the air and clouding the battlefield with a cloud of smog as the wind blew the ashes and smoke southward across the active firefight. The second Helixad pulled out of the area, retreating tactically to reform with other support battalions to avoid the same fate as the first.

After the aerial threats were neutralized, Hawkes continued sprinting along as the echoes of Riveter shells firing off rang through his ears incessantly. Two Miranys combatants approached Hawkes out of the smoke mirage, swinging their blades at him. He ducked the first one, slamming the magazine of his Riveter into the combatant's gut, causing the Rebel to keel over as Hawkes swung his greatsword in a horizontal arc, cutting through the outermost layer of the second-approaching Rebel, who managed to hop back right as the sword swung towards him. The Rebel feigned an overhead cut with both hands, then arced his grip in a crescent shape, converting the overhead attack into a sideways cut. Hawkes brought up his greatsword and deflected the blade off his sword's edge, allowing the enemy's blade to pass up the length of his greatsword and into the air-

KRAK!

Allowing Hawkes to blast the Rebel in the face with the Riveter in his other hand, sending alloy chunks, brain matter, blood, and skull fragments showering across the roadway as the headless Rebel's body stumbled, then crumpled awkwardly across the street. Hawkes quickly stabbed the tip of the greatsword into the head of the Rebel gasping for air on the ground, right as dozens of Rebels rounded the corner. Hawkes took cover, reaching for his utility belt and pulling off a cluster grenade, tossing it over the burning AFV he was hiding behind and waiting until it detonated.

BOOOSH-KW-KW-KW-KW-KW-KW!

Hawkes immediately rounded his cover, sprinting past the dying and mutilated screaming bodies of the Rebels, watching as two of his Magna Caedes closed in on a Basilisk anti-orbital battery, cleaving their way through dozens of experienced combatants and pincering the Rebels manning the battery. After slicing the last Rebel on the platform from skull to cervix, the senior Caedes unhooked a massive explosive from his utility belt, planting it on the Basilisk whilst the junior fended off both Rebels up close and afar. Dozens flooded up the steps to the Basilisk, assailing the junior Caedes with ferocity and grit- yet they were hopelessly outmatched, ignorant as they were to this revelation. No one in this era of history had fought a Magna Caedes and survived to speak the tale.

And here, they experienced it most viscerally in their last moments.

The Magna Caedes, hailed as 'Infantrier Heracles', sprinted through the line of Rebels in front of him, sending the bulk of them flying through the air and crashing across the obliterated terrain. His war maul traveled over his helmet like an unstoppable force of nature, slamming down upon the head of an approaching Rebel and crushing them right down the middle; before the war maul was pulled back and swung horizontally, slamming into and obliterating two Rebels standing next to one another- their midsections erased by the swing of the maul, sending their chunks of flesh and armor fragments as shrapnel into the other Miranys combatants in battle. Heracles raised his monstrous leg and kicked the lower half of their torsos at approaching combatants, horrifying them with the gore of their comrades for just long enough-

KRAK! SMACK! SLAM! CRCK! SHHCK! BOOSH! CRACK!

-For Heracles to render them in shock, allowing him to sprint forward and tear his way through the crowds of Miranys warriors; using his gauntlets to eviscerate, dismember, and mutilate the enemy with brutal efficiency.

"Well done, Heracles." Hawkes relayed over his communications, garnering a momentary excitement of pure giddiness from Heracles before he resumed his death-making. Hawkes and the remainder of his Magna Caedes advanced on the headquarters, reaching the front doors in little time; their auxiliary forces having eliminated the majority of the enemy's active combatants by this point.

Peering at the double doors before him, Hawkes raised his armored leg and-

BOOOOSH!

-Slammed a hard kick across the decorated and solid surface, sending the door flying off its hinges. Hawkes stormed through the entrance, followed by his Magna Caedes as the sound of continued warfare raged on outside.

BOOOSH!

Hawkes had to do the same for another set of doors, and then another, and another, and another, until he finally reached the main chamber of the Miranys leadership; peering several dozens of highly-experienced Miranys warriors surrounding the grim-faced leadership of this mutiny- including Greine, whose face was shrouded in utter misery and hatred-rage-resentment-fury.

"You fucking tyrant," Greine hissed at Hawkes, tears streaming down his wrath-overflowing face. "I was foolish to ever think we could free ourselves of autocracy at this stage."

"The first intelligent remark you've made." Hawkes simply sneered, basking in the misery of Greine. "Where's Yvette? Even a degenerate like you wouldn't shove her into battle. She'll be leading your colony after I dismember you precisely. At least you accomplished something."

Greine chuckled, half in madness and half in pure hatred for the circumstances he'd been cursed with. "If I'm going to die at the hands of dogs, allow me a duel, you cankerous fucking cunt."

Hawkes was stunned, at first, by the outright declaration of a duel from a far inferior opponent; then the creases of his mouth slithered upwards in a malicious, predatory grin. "Let's go."

Hawkes waved his Magna Caedes to the side, walking himself to the far edge of the circular decor that etched the floor; seeming akin to a dueling arena for just the two of them.

"If I win," Greine spoke aloud, as if challenging the atmosphere that wanted badly to choke him to death in his own panic. "If I win, tell your Canari to fuck off and let us flourish on our own, or under the protection of Canaris if that's what they vote for. If I win... I want your oath that you will-"

"I predict, you will die in one minute and twenty-one seconds."

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(Music: "Revolta", by ARXMANE)

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Greine Altomeier was UTTERLY ENRAGED.

He sprinted forward with d-e-a-d-l-y determination, evading the first few swipes from Magna Caedes before leaping into the air and unsheathing his las-blade, wreathing it down upon Hawkes' head with murderous intention-

Whoosh!

Hawkes sidestepped the downward attack, slamming his helmet into Greine's and sending him careening across the floor. Greine reoriented himself, swinging his blade upward as Hawkes approached. Hawkes tilted his head backward, narrowly avoiding the particles of the blade's deadly laser edge by centimeters, before darting into arms' reach and bringing his visor only inches from Greine's helmet.

"THIRTY SECONDS."

Greine headbutted Hawkes, rolling away and unclasping a smoke grenade from his belt, tossing it at Hawkes whilst activating his thermal vision and moving in rapidly for a killing blow. He was shocked as Hawkes countered his straight stab by using the flat side of his greatsword to allow Greine's blade to glide along its shaft- CRACK!- and Hawkes used the opportunity to smash the sharp end of his blade into Greine's helmet, shattering dozens of layers of armor and nearly reaching his left eye. Greine rolled away several times, reasserting his combat stance and in a much more frightened position than before. Fighting a Canarii Warrior was absolutely nothing like fighting Magna Caedes or Admiral Hawkes himself- this was a fight that Greine was despairingly beginning to realize had outmatched him by leagues. All he could do now was land a potential killing blow and get his home colony a chance at-

SHHHHCK!

Greine felt his left leg cleaved away from his body by a Magna Caedes that had closed the gap in the second Greine took to compartmentalize his fears- SHHHHCK! -and could hardly process as another of the Magna Caedes sliced her Glaive through his armor like butter- CRACK!

Greine Altomeier died instantly as Heracles' War Maul slammed over the top of his helmet and pulverized him from skull to clavicle, ribs, organs, cervix, floor- BWSH!

The leader of the Miranys rebellion was left in a pulverized mash of blood, flesh, bones, and sinew. Those gathered in the expansive war room-turned-battlefield were either Magna Caedes or scared-shitless sub-leaders of the rebellion, who were quickly wrought to their knees by Canarii that flooded the room, tying them up and hauling them out as Hawkes interrogated the survivors on the whereabouts of Yvette.

"You fucking indigent. Where is she? Yvette. Yes, Yvette. Your third-in-charge, you PRIMITIVE FUCK!" KRAK!

"You. Yes, you, motherfucker. Location. Yvette. Yes, HER! STOP PLAYING FUCKING DUMB-! KRAK! FUCK!"

"No, no. No teary eyes. Tell me where she is, or you die. It's that simple. You can't be fucking serious. You can't-" KRAK!

Hawkes bared his teeth at the universe as he stormed away from the half-dozen interrogated corpses in his grip only moments prior. His mind simply ignored the worst possible outcome- he had only the picture of the young girl he'd first seen when visiting this planet; that stupid-faced, bright-eyed, freckle-faced, always curious-

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(Music: "Two Hearts", by Atticus Ross)

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Oh. She was dead.

Hawkes stared down at the mutilated, half-crushed corpse of Yvette Talima, his long-time pupil and friend during his service as the Martial Governor of Eranya. The memories stabbed through his brain and dug into his soft, squishy brain matter with a blackening, primeval, antediluvian rage and agony that had been materializing in Hawkes' mind for decades.

No, I won. I killed them. I won. Fuck them. Fuck them. I won. I won. Your blood will consecrate the future of millions. Yeah. Yes. Yes. I WON. HA. HAHAH! BASSTARDS!

Hawkes stumbled out of the crumbling headquarters, watching as thousands of surrendered Myranis Rebels were hauled into the wetlands and lined up in massive rows for the Admiral's decision, an approaching storm bringing a most fitting and sorrowful downpour on the morbid after-carnage of the battlefield. He surveyed the vast collection of miles-wide destruction that was wrought over everything that could be seen by the human eye, augmented or naught; buildings leveled, corpses littering the vast landscape, massive craters from repeated artillery strikes; and in the distance, dozens of Miranys-hijacked and Canari space vessels had crashlanded, their behemothic structures adding an otherworldly aesthetic to the grim, bloody battle's aftermath.

"What's the progress of the takeover?" Hawkes muttered despondently into his internal comms network. Lord-Commander Leonidas answered him with a growling, sonorously gritty voice.

"It has been done, Lord Admiral."

Admiral Hawkes affirmed, turning off his radio and wiping the few tears that surfaced from his eyes; excessive stress fomented into inevitable sorrow and mourning for events that seemed entirely out of his control- no matter how intelligent he was, some events in the universe seemed like tragic fate. The cold, indifferent cruelty of life and the silent-cackling universe that endorsed this cycle of violence.

He stomped down the steps of the grand entrance to Miranys' city center, his dissonant and despairing eyes staring past the rows of captured Miranys Rebels. As he walked past their numbers, he stayed deathly silent, merely glowering at their cowering figures whilst he surveyed the extent of widespread destruction across Miranys, as well as the death toll on both sides of the conflict.

"Where the fuck is Nemdo?"

As he uttered the malicious question, the individual in question was hauled out roughly by Chevalier and Caz, thrown to the wettening streetside as rain came in a torrential flurry from the greying skies. Nemdo gazed up with nothing except pure terror, resentment, and hatred beaming from the slashed glare of his irises.

"I know how the Hannou feel now," Nemdo crowed as Chevalier hauled him up onto his knees. "Eranya will not forget this, you piece of shit! You've brought a curse upon you and your ship, Lord Admiral! You fucking... piece... of shit. I hate you."

"Is that all you have to say." Hawkes stated, forgetting the questioning format and simply leveling his Riveter between Nemdo's eyes. "Suffer after death."

KRAK!

He blasted Nemdo's head into pieces, watching as his lifeless, headless body crumpled to the ground. All three leaders were dead now. Their mutineers were obliterated; their defenses shredded beyond recognition along with their landscape. The rebellion was quelled. The job was done. It was time to leave.

He beckoned to his Caedes, watching them storm back to their drop pods which would soon be retrieved by industrial drone carriers and transported back to the ship in quick fashion. Despite the mission's end, Hawkes found it incredibly difficult to move at the moment; his mind was glued onto the corpse of Yvette.

What am I doing? Hawkes wondered. It had been thirty years of service. This was the anniversary date of his first year of admiralty. Consecrated by the death of ten-thousands and the blood of undeserving collateral. What the fuck- what the fuck am I doing??

Thirty years. Thirty years of service. In all that time, he had been hoping to find a reason or purpose for his existence. The war and death and terror was a long distraction, but late into his career, he began to realize that the endless carnage was not what filled the void in his heart.

There might not be anything that does, Hawkes wondered, and immediately he began to eye the Riveter holstered to his hip. My nation is in a great place. They have the Magna Caedes. They have the Canarii. They have the best generation of Atriarchs we could ask for. They're on the top of their game. And they're free of past historical atrocities, I did the heavy lifting there. We're good. We're good to go. We're good to go. I like this view. I really like this view. I didn't think I'd like the view this much. But I wouldn't mind this last view. I think it's the best I'll get. I'm happy with what I've achieved. I hope my people flourish. I hope my crew is happy and successful. What great people I've been surrounded by-!

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(Music: "Over & Over", by Rio Romeo)

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"Lord-Admiral, WHATTHEFUCKAREYOUDOING-?!"

Hawkes raised the Riveter to the underside of his helmet-

KRAK!

-The bolt propelled like a rocket from the cartridge, slamming into his jaw and fracturing it, even with the RMPDs attempting to neutralize the nauseatingly close collision. The Magna Caedes, who had locked into the drop pods, were practically carving their way through the front door hinges to reach the Admiral as he was attempting to kill himself in rapid fashion.

"STOP! STOP, HAWKES!" "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" "NOOO! NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOO!!!!!!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAA, PLEASE STOOOOOP!!!!"

Please take me out-! PLEASE-!

KRAK!

Another bolt delivered to the underside of his helmet; even with the armor he wore, a point-blank shot from a Riveter was the equivalent of a horse kick to the face. His jaw was shattered, his teeth pulverized by the blast; the rest of his skull reverberating violently and shaking his brain in such a forceful way that he nearly suffered an instant concussion. DEAR GOD, ONE MORE-!

Crck-KRAK!

Infantriere Perseus, screaming bloody murder, smacked the activated Riveter out of Hawkes' hand with such force that he shattered Hawkes' arm and broke it in several areas, promptly tackling the Admiral and pinning him to the ground to prevent him from attempting to harm himself any further.

"LORD ADMIRAL, HAVE YOU LOST IT?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US ALL?!"

"LEEHHH 'EEEEE 'IIIIEEEE, 'UUUU 'UUUCKKKINNN' INNGRAAYYYHHHEEE!"

Admiral Hawkes frothed at his half-obliterated mouth, utterly enraged at still finding himself painfully conscious and alive, writhing against the unsteady hold of Perseus. The rest of the Magna Caedes moved to help secure Admiral Hawkes, who pushed several of them off and attempted to reach for the Riveter before having his arm broken and secured against the floor.

"Fucking hell!" Lord-Commander Leonidas muttered through his internal comms; the only time in his entire life he had been genuinely shocked and upset by the turn of events unfolding before him. "A manic episode. Tend!"

His laconic language was aptly communicated to the other Magna Caedes, who quickly hauled the restrained and quickly-sedated Admiral onto a Helixad which would transport them to the Argonaut II. Leonidas stood at the steps of Miranys' headquarters, peering out with a grim expression at the destruction wrought upon the once-humble and bustling labor colony.

"Infinitely fortunate ROT OF THE SOIL," Leonidas hiss-growled like an abominable hybrid of feral animals; venting his frustrations in this rare moment when he hardly ever got the chance to otherwise. "Dread that day our Icon perishes, if ever; it will be the last day you experience Peace."

#mouthwashing #oc #curly mouthwashing #daisuke mouthwashing #original character #anya mouthwashing #swansea mouthwashing #writing #jimmy mouthwashing #fanfic #writers on tumblr #scifi #conflict

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yakiii22 · 1 year ago

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Meet the Newest Agents in the Valorant Protocol: Clove, Iso, and Deadlock

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Hey there, fellow Valorant enthusiasts! Wanna learn about the newest additions to the Valorant roster? Together, we will explore Clove, Iso, and Deadlock's personalities, abilities and quirks.

»»———- ↶ ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ———-««

Agent Profiles:

Clove - Scottish Troublemaker - Controller

Background: Clove, a Non-binary person, makes mischief for enemies in both the heat of combat and the cold of death. The young immortal keeps foes guessing, even from beyond the grave, their return to the living only ever a moment away.

Abilities: Clove's toolkit ranges from absorbing fallen foes' life force to casting strategic clouds of vision-obscuring mist, and even returning from death's grasp

Playstyle: Clove ensures no battlefield remains predictable. Adaptability is key.

Lore: The young Scottish VALORANT agent Clove possesses powers unprecedented among even their fellow Radiants - the power over the essences of life and immortality. Each death leads Clove into a realm between life and death, where they harness the essences of life and immortality to journey back to the land of the living and resurrect themselves. However, Clove understands that these powers have limitations. They must not linger too long in this in-between place, as the longer they stay, the more difficult it becomes to come back to life.

──⇌••⇋── ──⇌••⇋── ──⇌••⇋──

Iso - Chinese Fixer for Hire - Duelist

Background: Real name, Li Zhao Yu, falls into a flow state to dismantle the opposition. Reconfiguring ambient energy into bulletproof protection, he advances with focus towards his next duel to the death.

Abilities: With prismatic energy, equip to construct a bullet-blocking wall. Launch a molecular bolt to weaken enemies briefly. Start a focus timer; when complete, enter a flow state. Defeating or damaging foes generates an energy orb that grants a shield. Equip an interdimensional arena; fire to pull yourself and the first enemy hit into a duel to the death.

Playstyle: Iso specializes in battlefield control and disruption. His interdimensional arena ability sets up one-on-one duels, making them a versatile and strategic asset in any team composition.

Lore: Chinese hitman Li Zhao Yu is a radiant with the ability to transmute ambient, intangible radianite energy into solid, durable constructs. Once a feared assassin for the Scions of Hourglass, Li earned a notorious reputation for his lethal efficiency. Dubbed the "Dead Lilac," he was known for his bulletproof prowess, capable of eliminating entire squads with a single shot and sealing their fate with a flash of purple.

◇─◇──◇─◇ ◇─◇──◇─◇ ◇─◇──◇─◇

Deadlock - Norwegian Operative - Sentinel

Background: Real name, Iselin, deploys an array of cutting-edge nanowire to secure the battlefield from even the most lethal assault. No one escapes her vigilant watch, nor survives her unyielding ferocity.

Abilities: Deadlock throws a GravNet grenade to force enemies into a crouched, slow-moving state upon detonation, while deploying a Sonic Sensor to monitor for enemy sound and concuss the area upon detection. With a Barrier Mesh disc, they create barriers that impede enemy movement. Additionally, she can unleash a Nanowire Accelerator, capturing and pulling the first enemy contacted along a path of destructive nanowires, unless freed.

Playstyle: Deadlock adopts a disruptive and strategic playstyle, focusing on controlling the battlefield and impeding enemy movements. It revolves around creating chaos and exploiting enemy weaknesses to secure victory for their team.

Lore: During the VALORANT Protocol's investigation of the "Landfall" project by Kingdom Corporation in Los Angeles, they intercepted chatter about a cargo pickup in Norway. Sending Sova to investigate, he traced the trail to The Vault, a secluded facility in Svalbard. Upon arrival, he found it deserted except for a faint beacon. Inside, he discovered the aftermath of an attack, with the pickup team slain, leaving only one survivor - a blonde woman with a severely injured arm.

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

We've looked into Deadlock, Iso, and Clove, the three most recent agents. Layers of complexity and intrigue are added to the game by each agent, who brings to the battlefield their distinct personality, skills, and lore. We've looked at the various playstyles and backgrounds that contribute to the compelling gameplay of Valorant, from Deadlock's watchful eye over the battlefield to Iso's lethal efficiency and Clove's capricious antics. We cordially invite you to embark with us on future explorations as we unearth more secrets and mysteries concealed within this exciting universe, while we eagerly await more updates and developments in the world of Valorant. Till then, may you achieve your goals and have exciting, strategically-driven matches. Agents, see you on the front lines!

#valorant #clove valorant #iso valorant #deadlock valorant #blog

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 6 months ago

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Simulation sheds light on Earth's magnetic field generation while advancing neuromorphic computing

How does the Earth generate its magnetic field? While the basic mechanisms seem to be understood, many details remain unresolved. A team of researchers from the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Sandia National Laboratories (U.S.) and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission has introduced a simulation method that promises new insights into the Earth's core.

The method, presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, simulates not only the behavior of atoms, but also the magnetic properties of materials. The approach is significant for geophysics and could support the development of neuromorphic computing—an approach to more efficient AI systems.

The Earth's magnetic field is essential for sustaining life, as it shields the planet from cosmic radiation and solar wind. It is generated by the geodynamo effect. "We know that the Earth's core is primarily composed of iron," explains Attila Cangi, Head of the Machine Learning for Materials Design department at CASUS.

"As you get closer to the Earth's core, both temperature and pressure increase. The increase in temperature causes materials to melt, while the increase in pressure keeps them solid. Because of the specific temperature and pressure conditions inside the Earth, the outer core is in a molten state, while the inner core remains solid."

Electrically charged, liquid iron flows around the solid inner core driven by Earth's rotation and convection currents. These movements produce electric currents, which, in turn, generate the planet's magnetic field.

However, important questions about the Earth's core remain unanswered. For instance, what is the exact structure of its core? And what role do additional elements—thought to be present alongside iron—play? Both factors could profoundly influence the geodynamo effect.

Clues come from experiments where scientists send seismic waves through the Earth and measure their "echoes" with highly sensitive sensors. "These experiments suggest that the core contains more than just iron," says Svetoslav Nikolov from Sandia National Laboratories, lead author of the study. "The measurements do not agree with computer simulations that assume a pure iron core."

Simulating shock waves on the computer

The research team has now achieved significant progress by developing and testing a new simulation method. The key innovation of the method, called molecular-spin dynamics, lies in the integration of two previously separate simulation approaches: molecular dynamics, which models atomic motion, and spin dynamics, which accounts for magnetic properties.

"By combining these two methods, we were able to investigate the influence of magnetism under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions on length and time scales that were previously unattainable," emphasizes CEA physicist Julien Tranchida.

Specifically, the team simulated the behavior of 2 million iron atoms and their spins to analyze the dynamic interplay between mechanical and magnetic properties. The researchers also employed artificial intelligence (AI), using machine learning to determine force fields—interactions between atoms—with high precision. Developing and training these models required high-performance computing resources.

Once the models were ready, the researchers performed the actual simulations: The digital model of 2 million iron atoms, representative of the Earth's core, was subjected to the temperature and pressure conditions found in the Earth's interior. This was done by propagating pressure waves through the iron atoms, simulating their heating and compression.

When the speed of these shock waves was lower, the iron remained solid and adopted different crystal structures. When the shock waves were faster, the iron became mostly liquid. In particular, the researchers found that magnetic effects significantly affect the material's properties.

"Our simulations agree well with the experimental data," says Mitchell Wood, a materials scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, "and they suggest that under certain temperature and pressure conditions, a particular phase of iron could stabilize and potentially affect the geodynamo."

This phase, known as the BCC phase, has not been experimentally observed in iron under these conditions, only hypothesized. If confirmed, the results of the molecular-spin dynamics method could help resolve several questions about the geodynamo effect.

Driving energy-efficient AI

Beyond uncovering new details about the Earth's interior, the method also has the potential to drive technological innovations in materials science. Both in his department and through external collaboration, Cangi plans to use the technique to model neuromorphic computing devices.

This is a new type of hardware inspired by the way the human brain works, which could one day process AI algorithms faster and more energy-efficiently. By digitally replicating spin-based neuromorphic systems, the new simulation method could support the development of innovative, efficient hardware solutions for machine learning.

Data storage offers a second compelling avenue for further research: Magnetic domains along tiny nanowires could serve as storage media that are faster and more energy-efficient than conventional technologies.

"There are currently no accurate simulation methods for either application," says Cangi. "But I am confident that our new approach can model the required physical processes in such a realistic way, that we can significantly accelerate the technological development of these IT innovations."

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #astrophysics

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usafphantom2 · 1 year ago

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F-35 To Get Meteor, SPEAR 3 Missiles “By End Of Decade”

The new weapons will provide an especially lethal combination with the F-35’s stealth and forthcoming upgraded sensors.

Thomas NewdickPUBLISHED Jan 22, 2024 12:57 PM EST

F-35 SPEAR METEOR

MBDA

The U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed that its F-35B stealth fighters will be armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles and SPEAR 3 precision-guided standoff munitions by the “end of the decade.” The new weapons promise to bring a major leap in capability for the F-35B, especially when combined with the enhancements that the Block 4 upgrade will provide, especially for the aircraft’s radar, which will make the Meteor even more formidable.

In response to a written question in the U.K. parliament, James Cartlidge, a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defense, confirmed the timeline to integrate the two weapons.

An F-35B, presented together with ASRAAM, SPEAR 3, and Meteor missiles, with a concept model for the next-generation Tempest stealth fighter seen on the far left. Crown Copyright

“The U.K. Lightning Force currently operates the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), the Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), and the Paveway IV precision-guided bomb. By the end of the decade, both Meteor and SPEAR 3 will also be integrated to U.K. F-35s.”

Previously, the government had said that the U.K. F-35B would be armed with Meteor by the “middle of this decade,” while a date of 2027 at the earliest had also been given in a government report dated February 2022. The latest statement doesn’t necessarily contradict that since it also includes the integration of SPEAR 3, which may take longer.

An F-35 carrying a pair of AIM-120 AMRAAMs in one of its two weapons bays. Crown Copyright

The introduction of the two new missiles on the F-35 has been in the works for some time now.

In 2019, Lockheed Martin received initial funding to start integration, although preliminary work was already underway by that point.

Crown Copyright

In 2021, European missile house MBDA and BAE Systems announced they had secured additional funding from the British and Italian governments to complete the integration. The funding was thought to be worth around $400 million and covered both the short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B (as operated by the United Kingdom and Italy) and the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (acquired by Italy, and many others, but not the United Kingdom).

Meteor, which is already in service on British Eurofighter Typhoons, and which completed operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) on Italian Eurofighters late last year, is a weapon that The War Zone has discussed in depth in the past.

A U.K. Royal Air Force Typhoon takes off, loaded with Meteor missiles below the fuselage. Crown Copyright

The beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, or BVRAAM, is often named as the most capable weapon in its class. While that’s debatable, there’s no doubt that Meteor offers powerful capabilities, some of which are unique.

From the outset, Meteor was intended to better the range and overall kinematic performance of the AMRAAM. This is achieved primarily through its novel propulsion system, with a solid-fuel, variable-flow, ducted rocket (or ramjet). This means the missile can throttle its engine during different phases of flight, ensuring that it still has plenty of energy during its terminal attack — when traditional air-to-air missile motors are normally losing energy.

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In this way, the missile’s ‘no-escape zone’ is dramatically increased, reducing the chance of the target being able to defeat the Meteor through high-energy maneuvering at the endgame of the engagement. This endgame could be played out at up to 130 miles away from its launching platform — range claims for Meteor differ widely and the actual figure is a closely guarded secret. An air-to-air missile's range is also highly dependent on a wide number of factors, including track of the target and the height and speed of the launch platform.

The ‘smart’ powerplant in the Meteor is combined with a two-way datalink, which supplements the missile’s active X-band radar seeker, providing the Meteor with inflight updates as it flies out to the target. However, the advantage of being able to throttle the motor means that the autopilot can provide the most efficient flight profile to the target for very long-range shots.

The then U.K. Secretary of State for Defense, Gavin Williamson (center), is shown a Meteor missile by MBDA staff at their factory. Crown Copyright

At the same time, the datalink can feed the missile with mid-course guidance updates from ‘third party’ sources, as well as the aircraft that launched it. These might include other fighters, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, or even sensors on land and at sea.

With its unrivaled suite of sensors, the F-35 is equipped as good, if not better, than perhaps any other fighter to provide targeting data to the Meteor, but the ability for the missile to receive mid-course updates from other sources means the launch aircraft might not even need to use its radar at all to engage the target. For a stealth aircraft like the F-35, this is especially important, allowing for an entirely passive engagement that maximizes the aircraft's stealth attributes.

An artist’s impression of an F-35 armed with SPEAR 3 and Meteor. MBDA

Furthermore, the two-way nature of the datalink means that the pilot that launched the Meteor will receive information on the missile’s fuel, energy, and tracking state, helping them decide on whether to fire another, disengage or even assign another target altogether.

While the AIM-120D AMRAAM that can arm the F-35 also offers a two-way datalink with third-party targeting capabilities, and many other advantages over older ‘Slammers,’ including significantly extended range, but it doesn’t have a ramjet motor and all the benefits that brings.

An AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM sits at Raytheon’s Tucson, Arizona plant. Raytheon

Clearly, Meteor can offer a fourth-generation fighter like the Typhoon a significant edge in air combat, but this will be magnified when it starts to be carried by a stealth fighter.

Essentially, the F-35’s combination of low radar cross-section, powerful integrated sensors, and advanced information systems will ensure that it can ‘see and not be seen,’ while Meteor will allow it to engage aerial targets at long range, taking out hostile aircraft long before they even know an enemy fighter is present. This will be of particular relevance in the kinds of highly contested airspace that will be expected in a potential future conflict with China, for example. That extra range is also important as advanced infrared search and track systems improve and proliferate.

At the same time, the future Block 4 version of the F-35 will be even better able to maximize the capabilities inherent in Meteor. Block 4 is a massive upgrade initiative and something that we have examined in the past. We know it will include a new multifunction active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar designated as AN/APG-85 as well as advanced electronic warfare capabilities. As for the radar, this is expected to be a Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based system, that should significantly boost radar range and resolution. Combined with Meteor, this will make the F-35 even more lethal, especially in long-range engagements of the type in which the missile excels.

An infographic showing future U.K. F-35 weapons, (1) ASRAAM, currently carried; (2) Meteor; (3) SPEAR 3. MBDA

It's worth noting that Meteor will be carried internally by the F-35, ensuring that it preserves its stealth characteristics. The downside is that the aircraft will only carry four Meteors internally in an air-to-air role, reduced to two when carrying offensive ordnance internally (e.g., two Meteors and eight SPEARs).

The F-35’s ability to carry only four internal AMRAAMs, at least in its current form, is something that is now being addressed under the U.S. Sidekick program, separate from Block 4, and which will allow the F-35A and F-35C to add another two of these missiles in its weapons bays. After all, whatever the capabilities of the air-to-air missile, pilots are likely going to want more of those weapons. It isn't clear if Sidekick will be able to accommodate Meteor, but it doesn't look like it will be available for the F-35B's smaller bays, regardless. External carriage could be a good option for some missions though, especially ones where the long reach of Meteor will provide enough capability to counter known threats without the need for maximum stealth.

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While Meteor should help the F-35 achieve dominance in the air-to-air arena, the SPEAR 3 will bring significant advantages in air-to-ground/surface missions.

The United Kingdom already invested almost $700 million in SPEAR 3, with a contract announced in 2021, to arm its F-35Bs. The country has very high hopes for the weapon, with the Royal Air Force stating that it will “become the Lightning’s primary air-to-ground weapon … over the next decade.”

An artist’s impression showing SPEAR 3 deployed by a Typhoon and an F-35. MBDA

The SPEAR 3 (Selective Precision Effects At Range Capability 3) is a further development of the short-range Brimstone missile, with a turbojet engine and pop-out wings to ensure a range of more than 87 miles and a high subsonic speed.

SPEAR 3 is another weapon that we’ve examined in depth in the past. Suffice it to say, it’s intended to engage static and moving targets on land and at sea in all weather, day and night. This ability is conferred by its tri-mode seeker which offers radar, infrared, and laser homing. After reaching the target area under GPS and inertial navigation, SPEAR 3 can autonomously identify and prosecute targets, or target coordinates can be sent to the missile via datalink, exploiting the launch platform’s sensors or those of third parties. Once again, the advantages conferred by the F-35’s combination of sensors and stealth will provide a powerful adjunct to SPEAR 3.

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Alternatively, SPEAR 3 can strike its target via laser guidance, which can be provided by an aircraft overhead the target area or by a suitably equipped team of soldiers on the ground nearby can designate it with a laser.

In many ways, SPEAR 3 has similarities with the U.S. GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, better known as StormBreaker, although the British weapon offers almost double the range and will reach its targets faster than the unpowered StormBreaker glide bomb.

An illustration of in-development and future weapons concepts from MBDA, including SPEAR-EW, SPEAR 3, and Meteor. MBDA

As well as its basic form, as a ‘mini cruise missile’ with an explosive payload, SPEAR 3 is also being developed with an electronic warfare payload with jammer and decoy functions. SPEAR-EW will be expected to work alongside the baseline weapon to help smash through enemy air defenses as well as to protect launching aircraft, and even other missiles, during especially hazardous missions like this.

The War Zone previously outlined one scenario in which the SPEAR-EW could be used:

“By pairing SPEAR 3s with SPEAR-EWs in a fully networked fashion, the mini-cruise missiles can work as a swarm to shatter critical parts of the enemy’s air defense network. For instance, SPEAR-EW could spoof or jam an enemy threat emitter while SPEAR 3s search for and destroy not just the emitter, but all the components of the SAM site arranged nearby.”

SPEAR-EW. MBDA

“SPEAR-EW could also provide electronic warfare screening on the fly for SPEAR 3s that are trying to make their way to a set of targets between the launch aircraft and the surface threat or threats. By detecting a pop-up threat on its own or via datalink from the launch aircraft, SPEAR-EW could act in real-time to suppress the threat so that the rest of the horde of missiles can make it to their target areas safely.”

Thanks to their turbojet engines, SPEAR 3 and SPEAR-EW can also throttle back and loiter over an area for extended periods. In this way, they could be launched preemptively into an area where mobile air defense systems might be expected, engaging them once they start producing their telltale radio-frequency emissions.

An artist’s impression showing an F-35 launching a quartet of SPEAR 3s. MBDA

As mentioned previously, the F-35B will be able to carry up to eight SPEARs, using a quadruple launcher in each of its two weapons bays, together with a pair of Meteors.

Harnessing the capabilities offered by Meteor and SPEAR 3 will require the F-35’s Block 4 upgrade, which the United Kingdom plans to retrofit across its entire Lightning fleet, as well as incorporate in examples of the aircraft acquired in the future.

Some of the unclassified upgrades within Block 4. The exact configuration has not been publicly disclosed. U.S. Department of Defense

While new weapons like these, and others, plus the new radar, are a fundamental part of Block 4, the upgrade will bring a lot more on top of these.

Not all Block 4 upgrades have been revealed in the public domain, but the enhancements will also address the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) and Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS).

Lockheed Martin

It’s also worth recalling that Block 4 relies upon a new suite of hardware and software, known as Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3), which modernizes the F-35’s core processor, memory unit, panoramic cockpit display system, and related avionics. TR-3 is being described as the F-35’s new ‘computer backbone,’ since it promises to provide 25 times more computing power than the existing TR-2 computing system, although its development path has not been entirely straightforward.

The War Zone has previously looked at delays with TR-3 and how that has left new F-35s being parked and not delivered after they are constructed, waiting for these features to be added.

For the United Kingdom in particular, there remain questions, too, about the number of F-35Bs it will buy.

A U.K. Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning aircraft prepares to land onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. Crown Copyright Crown Copyright

As of May 1, this year, the United Kingdom had received 31 F-35Bs, one of which was lost in a takeoff mishap in the Mediterranean Sea in 2021 and which will be replaced in a future order. These 31 jets are part of an initial order for 48 aircraft, known as Tranche 1. The last of these are due to be handed over by the end of 2025.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense had long harbored an aspiration to field a fleet of 138 F-35Bs, although consistent budgetary concerns have led to an apparent rethink.

F-35B pilots fist bump on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth. Crown Copyright

To date, the U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed plans to place a Tranche 2 order for 27 F-35Bs, which will provide a total fleet size of 74 aircraft. As a recent Defense Committee report prepared for the House of Commons Committee states: “There remains ambiguity about plans for the F-35 fleet in terms of its eventual size, operational deployment, and attribution; and there are ongoing concerns about program costs and force growth rate.”

Whatever the number of U.K. F-35s eventually fielded, the introduction of Block 4, including the Meteor and SPEAR 3 weapons, will provide a whole new level of capabilities.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense has said that it remains open to the possibility of purchasing further F-35s beyond the 74 now specified, although a decision is not likely until around the middle of this decade.

Contact the author: [email protected]

#Youtube

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