#tech ceres is

[eiseryn]

Rest

When Lei and Ceres were working for Prism corp, they were not given breaks and had to find time to set their own breaks (often impossible). This moment I drew might have only lasted 5 minutes. But in that time, they were truly comfortable around each other. They were at peace and able to be rest in the presence of each other's company.

It is unfortunate... that the time they spent was transient. If Lei had known, this memory would be one of her bygone days... she would have savoured it longer 😭😭😭

(insert lots of crying noises about

This is actually a redraw of an older piece I don't like so I'm not going to post it. But I like this much better than the old piece! Hopefully in another 6 months or something I'll redraw it to be even better cuz I whipped this out in 1.5 hours on a stressful day so I already see some mistakes LOL

But it is simply too cute not to share 😤

[coolertheory]

random premade chibis

[lasudio]

StrangeSpot, Round Fifteen: Beaker (Uni)

The twins meet a new dormie, Maria Casilda. She politely enquires about Strangetown and the science/supernatural shenanigans that happen there.

Atom is still crushing on Cyclotron and he’s confused by their kiss. Does Nervous know? What’s next between them? Did Cy just see it as a logical possibility to explore or is there something more real going on?

Unfortunately, that soap opera plot thread is severed when Atom crumbles to dust in the sun, minutes before his very last exam. The doorbell kept waking him up in the night (Ceres gets many admirers at all hours since she wished for beauty) and he got stuck outside in the day, and I sent him to the mood-improving-machine-thing in a last ditch effort to save his mood, as he was refusing to go the final exam... he might have preferred to flunk the last semester over melting... sorry Atom, RIP :( Apologies to Ceres too, who had to arrive home to a tragic pile of dust, then graduate and move home without her twin.

[corvidscreams]

Day 27: Tabletop Cere plays a Jawa Bard for the tech bonus. Merrin is playing a Dathomirian Witch and argues with Greez about how her abilities should work. BD-1 and Cal have swapped for the bit so BD is playing an 8 foot Mandalorian Barbarian and Cal is the Droid Cleric who keeps forgetting he’s the party healer. Greez would appreciate having one session that doesn’t end with crumbs all over his goddamn floor. (Prev/Next)

[talesfrommedinastation]

Fun fact: I’m a mom of two little daughters, both of who are going through massive ‘girly’ stages. Barbies, dolls, dresses, MAKE-UP, the whole lot. One is even on a competitive dance team!

So, it’s safe to say that I’ve rediscovered things like dress up! It’s delightful, and best of all, kick starts my muse! As seen below.

While she’s threatening to kill Hemlock (and jeopardize the mission) at this point in Into the Techiverse, Glitch (OC of @techs-stitches ) is also prepping for her wedding to Tech in her reality. Of course it’s on Pabu.

And of course, Sjael and her Tech (who has gone full Belter and has also grown a beard too?) are there to celebrate.

Sjael’s overjoyed—as a Belter, she’s never had the chance to see an ocean! Or be on an island! Worn a long fancy dress like an Earther! Celebrating a friend’s wedding on top of it?! A W E S O M E.

Left to right: Glitch, Sjael, Sjael’s Tech and Glitch’s Tech.

(Where’s the other ladies from Into the Techiverse? Well, Ash and her Tech are telling people to stay off their lawn, Anaj is back to farming peacefully, and Juno? She is getting new lungs and/or smuggling out scientific specimens from Ceres with her Tech)*

*= Ash belongs to @moosethren , Anaj belongs to @ilikemymendarkandfictional and Juno belongs to @wrenkenstein

Tagging because I can’t force you to play dress up with me: @skellymom @warsamongthestars @eyecandyeoz @echojedis @that-salmonberry-punk @thecoffeelorian @theocs-strikeback @yeehawgeek @insertmeaningfulusername @ithillia @perfectlywingedcrusade @askwenjing @amorfista @amalthiaph @autistic-artistech @auntie-venom @dukeoftheblackstar @sometimes-i-talk-a-lot @freesia-writes @just-shower-thoughts @littlefeatherr @luxris @constant-brain-fog @nahoney22 @nika6q @marymunchkiin @merkitty49

[bluesylveon2]

Hello! I have read your work and just fell in love with it! You feel the characters so well that I'm even jealous, hehe. Congratulations on 500 subscribers and I look forward to your creative development and further <3 I hope requests are open for people like me) /this is my first request, I'm a little worried/ May I ask you about Idia+Reader? Where Idia and the reader are very good friends and always tease each other and are not afraid in terms of each other, but they do not understand the feeling of "love" until they are told about it directly. Thanks and sorry for the trouble! Good luck to you <3

Hi and thank you!! I am so sorry for the wait! Don't worry about it being your first request. I made it in the same world as the royal au I have. I tried to get everything you asked but I got most of it! I hope that you enjoy it though. Btw this is long lol

Summary: Watch the love story of Idia Shroud and Yuu Ceres

Note: royal au, childhood friends to lovers, OC's (Alcides is twst Hercules, Demetra, Fira), both Idia and Yuu are implied to be demigods or are related to the Greek gods/goddesses, fluff, some angst, mentions of Ortho's backstory, some tech, and slightly based on Hades and Persephone

Warning: not beta read and possible ooc characters

Word Count: 3.8k

Masterlist: here, Series Masterlist: here

Idia and Yuu age 5

A young boy with pale skin and flaming blue hair wandered through the forest following a shiny light. He had noticed it float by while his father was busy at an annual conference hosted by the Ceres family. Curious about the light and bored from doing nothing, the boy decided to follow it.

"Hey! Wait for me!" The boy called out. The light continued moving farther and farther. His breathing started becoming heavier the more he ran. Suddenly, the light stopped, stood next to a tree, and gave Idia an expected look. Idia ran until he got a glimpse of what the light was. "A fairy.." He said breathlessly. Idia had heard of fairies from his mother and how they can come in many shapes and sizes. This fairy was small and emitted bright light. Nothing like the famous prince from Briar Valley the boy had heard about. 

"Who are you? How do you know my friend?" A new voice asked.

"AH!" Idia screamed and found a girl sitting behind the tree the fairy stood by. The girl wore a dress, and her eyes were red from crying. 

"I'm Idia. I saw this fairy fly by, and I followed it. What's your name?"

The girl smiled sadly. "Yuu Ceres." The girl turned to the fairy. "Thank you, Fira." She then turned to Idia. "I think she was looking for someone to cheer me up."

Idia sat down next to the girl. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. "What happened?" he asked with curiosity. 

"My mom. She is always so overprotective and expects a lot from me. She won't let me have fun."

"Why don't you just tell her or run away?"

"Because she won't let me leave. Even if I did, I don't know who to turn to since everything I hear about the outside world is through books." Fira frowned and said something, although all Idia could hear were bells. "Yes, I have you and the other fairies, but I can't go to your world with you."

Idia hummed in thought until he got a lightbulb. "I know! My dad wants me to come with him to these meetings. Why don't we meet again and play the next time I come?"

"Really?! Do you mean it?"

Idia nodded shyly. "Yeah."

Yuu grinned and pulled Idia in for a hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Idia blushed before slowly hugging Yuu back. Little did the two kids know that this moment set the foundation for the precious friendship between Idia and Yuu. Their friendship would last for a lifetime. 

Idia and Yuu age 6

"Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten! Ready or not, here I come!" A 4-year-old Ortho giggled. Meanwhile, Yuu and Idia were hiding closely together behind a giant boulder. 

"Hehe, he is not going to find us now." Yuu laughed as she watched the boy go in the opposite direction from their hiding spot. Her eyes were so focused on Ortho that she did not notice Idia's hair turning slightly pink. 

"Maybe, but he will find us if you keep laughing like that."

Yuu stuck her tongue out playfully at Idia. "Please. We'll be fine."

Idia checked the area before turning to Yuu. "We should split up so Ortho would have difficulty finding us." The boy moved to stand up but was stopped by Yuu grabbing his hand.

"Wait! We should go together!"

"But it is better for us to divide and not stick to one spot."

Yuu slowly let go of Idia and sighed. "I just don't want you to leave me." She looked up at Idia's yellow eyes. "You are my best friend. If we go down, we can go down together."

Idia lightly blushed, and he looked away from Yuu's adorable eyes. How dare his crush be so cute. "I-"

"I FOUND YOU, BIG BRO AND BIG SIS!"

"AHH!" Idia and Yuu immediately clung to each other and screamed.

"Let's run for it!" Yuu exclaimed.

"I agree." Idia nodded, and the two made a run for it. 

All three children ran through the forest without a care in the world. Their innocent laughter filled the air, unaware of the change about to occur.

Idia and Yuu age 10

Yuu sat humming a tune in her designated tree. She was waiting for her best friend, Idia, to return for their annual meet-up. Yuu thought that their first meeting five years ago was not out of luck. She finally felt something similar to freedom by spending time with the Shroud brothers. Her mother was not constantly eyeing her or strict teachers nagging about her mistakes. Yuu could finally be around people besides her fairy friends who did not care about these things.

"I'm so excited, Fira. I can show Idia how my magic has been improving." Yuu smiled as she conjured a tiny daisy from the ground. Fira's bell voice made Yuu laugh. "What? I want to show off my magic."

Fira rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I mostly want to see him. I like seeing his hair be pink when he thinks I don't notice." Yuu giggled while she eyed the flower. "I wonder what it means…" Fira's voice jingled, causing Yuu to look at her in shock. "You think he likes me? There's no way he does, Fira. He only sees me as a friend." 

Yuu traced her fingers along the grass, causing more flowers to grow. It was something to pass the time as she waited. She just had to be patient and wait. 

Minutes passed.

Hours passed.

Finally, the sun was setting. 

Yuu sat there waiting on Idia, only for him to not appear. Fira watched her friend in pity as she left stood up to leave. 

"It's okay. Things happen. Maybe he will come tomorrow?" Yuu said with hope as she walked back home. The girl felt an unsettling weight on her chest with each step. 

Yuu let her feet guide her, and soon enough, she was at the long dinner table eating with her mother and the conference attendants. Usually, this is where she would return to her quiet self but speak to Idia with a code they made up. 

The girl scanned the crowd until she spotted a familiar mop of blue fire hair, only to find one from Idia's father. Despite that, Yuu felt hope that he would return tomorrow. She made a promise to return to their spot to wait for him.

Only to find out he never did, even after the conference ended. 

Idia never returned for years; it was like he was never there. 

Yuu felt the uncertain feeling grow as the years progressed. It was after many years that she realized what it was: heartbreak.

Idia and Yuu age 18

Yuu lay on a sofa reading a book in peace. It was one of the rare moments when her mother was on a trip for days, leaving Yuu to her own devices. Yuu was reading a story about a faraway city in a desert when she heard a knock on the door. She listened to the butler open it and some talking nearby. It was an unfamiliar voice that Yuu was not used to, so she ignored it instead. The girl continued reading until she heard footsteps heading her way.

"My Lady, you have a guest. His name is Idia Shroud."

Yuu dropped her book and turned to the butler. There, standing next to him, was her old childhood friend. He now grew very tall, wore a grey outfit, had long flame-blue hair almost touching the floor, and had a nervous look. His yellow eyes looked at anything but Yuu. 

"Thank you, Mecon. You can go now. I want to speak to him privately." 

Mecon bowed and stepped out, leaving Yuu and Idia alone to sit silently. Yuu had a neutral look while Idia continued to look at the walls. Yuu took a few steps towards Idia and stopped in front of him.

"Hi."

"Why?" Yuu's hands curled up in fists, and she took a deep breath to fight the urge to punch him. "Why did you disappear and not tell me anything?"

"Yuu, I-"

"Let me finish," Yuu responded sharply and glared daggers at Idia. "You left me for years and suddenly showed up just like that? I thought that we were friends?"

 "I know sorry is not going to fix this, but I had a reason." Idia looked away and sighed. "There was an accident at the Isle of Woe, and Ortho did not make it."

Yuu felt her anger mostly drain away, and shock took its place. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. The accident caused me to lock myself in my room because I wanted to help rebuild my brother." A small smile graced Idia's face, and he turned to Yuu. "You should see him now. He has become a technomatic humanoid and can now make his own decisions. I can bring him for you if you want."

"So Ortho is now a robot?"

"Initially, but now he has advanced so much that he is more human-like. He did that all on his own." Idia shifted his weight before he spoke again. "Yuu, I know neglecting you was not the right thing to do. However, I know Ortho misses you, and I-" Idia stopped himself. "want to fix our friendship."

Yuu looked at Idia in confusion, but she did not question him. "You know that may take a while.”

Idia looked at Yuu with confidence. "I am willing to take the risk."

---

"WHY DID I SAY THAT?" Idia cried the moment he entered his room. Meanwhile, Ortho closed his book and looked at his brother in curiosity.

"How did your meeting go with Big Sister?" Ortho could recall meeting the girl from his old memories and still referred to her with that nickname despite never meeting her. There was a reason the previous Ortho called Yuu that, and Idia never figured it out. 

"Well, she got mad at me, as she should, and then I made a mistake."

"What did you do?"

Idia sighed and looked at his brother. "I did not tell her I missed her and said I wanted to fix our friendship instead. How lame of me for not admitting it!"

Ortho set his book aside and floated to his brother. "That is still a good start! An important step to a healthy romantic relationship is friendship."

"ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP? Where did that come from?"

Ortho only giggled. "Big Brother, my old memories show you always blushed around Yuu. That means that you like her!"

"Ortho, I was a kid at the time. It was basically puppy love. Besides, she did not like me that way."

"Your heart rate is increasing."

"Because I am being a laughing stock right now!"

Ortho sighed. "There is nothing wrong with having feelings. Your research notes always included Yuu one way or another."

Idia looked at Ortho quizzingly. "You looked at my notes?"

"So you should focus on being her friend and then see where it goes. It could help rekindle your relationship."

Idia sighed. His friendship with Yuu was practically at level 2 and not level 100 after many years had passed. It would be hard, but he needed to work to save it. 

Idia and Yuu age 24

A few years passed since idia and Yuu reunited, and they rekindled most of what they had lost. Both had changed in their own unique ways. In fact, Yuu thought that Idia's shy personality was adorable. Gone were the annual visits. Instead, Idia made an effort (shocking, right) to send in a drone that looked like a bird with a hologram attached so they could keep tabs on one another. 

Yuu was surprised by the number of inventions Idia made during their time apart. He always continued to surprise her at each visit. His latest one was currently a surprise for Yuu. 

"Where are you taking me, Ortho?" Yuu asked. She was currently being led somewhere by Ortho, floating behind her with his hands on her shoulders. A cloth was tied around Yuu's eyes, so she could not see anything. 

"It's a surprise from Big Brother!" Ortho said gleefully, causing Yuu to giggle. Seeing how her friend had grown ever since they first met was nice. Both Yuu and Ortho continued walking until Ortho stopped putting pressure on Yuu. "Okay, we're here." The boy said and proceeded to remove the blindfold. 

Yuu squinted her eyes as bright light entered her vision. She blinked until her eyes became adjusted to her surroundings. She was in the middle of a field, with trees lining up the border, and in front of her was no other than Idia standing next to an odd-looking contraption. 

"What's that?" Yuu asked, pointing to the machine next to her friend. 

Idia's eyes widened, and he twiddled his fingers together. "It's your birthday gift." He replied shyly, pink covering the tips of his hair. 

Yuu examined the machine. "Really? What does it do?"

"Just watch." Idia pressed a button, causing a dome to project from the machine and appear around the field. The machine spilled out various seeds, scattering them amongst the grass. Once it was settled, Idia's hands glowed. Yuu watched as he murmured a spell, causing a variety of flowers to grow. Light fairies appeared like fireflies and flew to each flower, illuminating each one in multitudes of colors. Meanwhile, Ortho flew around like Yuu's fairy friends.  

Yuu's mouth opened in shock as she inspected a few. "Are these marigolds?" She pointed at another nearby, "And is this a snowdrop?" She turned to her friend in amazement. "How did you do this? These two should not grow in the same season."

Idia looked away from Yuu. "Well, it was not hard. This dome creates a greenhouse effect, so you can grow various flowers here. They also stay alive longer." He slowly turned to Yuu. "Do you like it?"

Yuu felt touched for the first time in her life. She felt her heart grow light and tears form in her eyes. "Idia," She wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I love it. This is the best thing you could have ever given me."

"I know how much you love flowers."

"And I cannot thank you enough." Yuu suddenly hugged Idia and rested her head on his racing heart, causing him to let out a small eep. "Thank you, Idia. I love it."

Ortho and the other fairies watched as Idia's hair became pink, and he slowly hugged Yuu back. The two looked like lovers stuck in their own little world. 

"They are definitely in love."

The fairies jingling voices agreed.

---

Two individuals lay in their beds that night, deep in thought. 

"Fira?" "Ortho?"

"What is it?" both replied in their own ways. 

"What is this feeling I'm experiencing? My heart keeps racing when I think of Yuu/Idia. I want to see her/him smile and be around her/him all the time."

"Oh, Yuu/Idia, you are just in love."

A blush filled their faces, and they smiled gleefully. They felt warm in their chest at the thought of the respective crush. It felt nice, like a flame infamous in the Shroud family. 

Both the fairies and Ortho knew what they needed to do. 

---

"Mother, I need to talk to you," Yuu said, entering her mother's study.

Demetra set her wine glass down and looked at her daughter. "What is it?"

Yuu took a deep breath and confidently walked up to her mother. "It is about my marriage. I found someone I am interested in."

Demetra raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who is the lucky suitor?"

"Idia Shroud."

Suddenly, as soon as the name left Yuu's mouth, the room felt icy. Yuu questioned whether or not her mother had an affinity for ice for that brief second. 

"What?"

"I said that the man I want to marry is Idia Shroud."

"No."

"But mother!"

"No, Yuu," Demetra said, standing up. "The Shrouds are nothing for troublemakers. They deserved their punishment after they rebelled against the Jupiter family."

"But he did nothing, Mother! That was all in the past!" Yuu exclaimed. Her eyes burned in fury as she recalled her dear friend's shy personality. 

Demetra scoffed and shook her head. "Their family does nothing more than play with monsters. I heard that Shroud, whom you love so much, even turned his brother into one after an accident. I've seen your loved one's father shy away ever since."

Ortho's face comes to mind, how he still smiled despite not being the original Ortho. "Don't you dare say that about Ortho! Idia loves him as a brother!" Yuu said with tears in her eyes. 

"Or what? The family is cursed, and if you run to him, you will suffer too. You will be stuck on an island surrounded by monsters." Demetra remained indifferent as she watched her daughter cry. "Yuu, I am doing this for your own good."

"Doing what? I love him!"

Demetra tsked. "You need to get over your puppy love. Besides, I found someone suitable for you."

Yuu froze and looked at her mother. "What do you mean?"

Demetra smiled, the first good emotion during the whole conversation. "I spoke to the head of the Jupiter family, and he agreed that you are to be arranged to marry Alcides Jupiter. He is smart,  handsome, and in line to take over his family. A perfect match for you."

Yuu felt her world collapse as she herself fell to her knees. She knew of Alcides, but she could not imagine being tied down to him because of her mother's doing. She wanted the freedom to go out and see the world outside the little bubble she had been stuck in for 24 years. Sure, she might be stuck on the Island of Woe, but she would have more access to the outside world than she was now. 

Demetra kneeled down and patted Yuu's shoulder. "You will get to meet him next week. Trust me, Yuu. Everything will work out in the end. As they say, mother knows best." She walked out of the room, leaving Yuu by herself. 

Yuu wiped her eyes with her hands. Her eyes wandered to the walls and their flower designs around her. She felt like the walls constricted her and trapped her in a glorified cage. Yuu's eyes caught on an orange light floating in a window. She looked at the light with determination. 

She needed to get out now. 

---

A few days later, at night, Yuu made her move. Packing only a few necessities, Yuu opened her window to find her fairy friends around her. 

"Do you have everything you need?" Ortho asked as he floated to Yuu's window. 

"Yeah, I made sure to" Yuu turned to Ortho, who was wearing a black suit and had a robotic dog beside him. "Ortho? What are you doing here?'

Ortho giggled. "Your friends reached out to me and told me your situation, and I am here to bring you to the Island of Woe." Fira nodded and spoke something that came out like bells. "Fira also wants to come along too."

"But what about your friends? Won't you miss them?" Yuu asked, and her friend smiled. Her bell voice made a sound that sounded something like reassurance. As if she was telling Yuu that she would be okay with it. 

"Alright, I will let you tag along." Yuu smiled as Fira flew to her shoulder. 

"Now that is settled, let's head out before sunrise." Ortho motioned to the robot dog. "Yuu, you will ride Cerberus 1 while I fly us out. I'll make sure to use my magic to cover our tracks."

Yuu nodded and took one last look at her room. That room was full of memories since her childhood. The walls had seen Yuu grow with her mother and late father, cry over strict lessons, and talk to her fairy friends about Idia. Yuu felt a heavy sensation in her chest and turned to Ortho. 

"What about my mom? She would know I went to you to the Island."

"My parents and my grandmother will vouch for us. Don't worry; we will ensure you get the freedom you deserve."

Yuu nodded and hopped on Cerberus. "So long, Mother."

---

"Psst. Big Brother. Wake up."

Idia groaned and turned away from Ortho. "Five more minutes."

"You have to wake up! I have a surprise for you."

"Can't it wait?"

A female voice laughed, causing Idia to wake up instantly. "You want me to wait?" 

Idia threw his blanket off and sat up. Yuu's amused face filled his vision, causing Idia to blush at his embarrassing predicament. "Yuu? When did you come here?"

Yuu laughed. "An hour ago. Ortho gave me a tour of this place and led me here. Thank goodness he was with me, or I would have been lost. I must get used to this place if I plan to stay here long."

"What do you mean?"

"My mother wanted me to marry Alcides since I uhh," she turned to Ortho. "Can you step outside while I explain the next part to your brother?" 

 Ortho smiled, and Idia noticed something in his eyes like his brother kept secret. "Alright. I will show Fira around some more." Said fire fairy magically appeared and followed Ortho out the door. 

Yuu took a deep breath now that she was alone. "My mother told me about the arranged marriage because I-" She looked into Idia's eyes. "Said that I was in love with you."

Idia.exe froze. His body stiffened, his heartbeat increased, and his hair turned pink. "W-WHAT? Are you sure?"

Yuu nodded. "Yes, I am sure." She sat down next to Idia. "You have been my friend for a long time, Idia; even after you shut yourself out, we connected like nothing happened. I want to be by your side doing more than hiding out in a forest. Of course, if you will allow me."

Idia felt as if he was going to burst. "But what about that Alcides guy?"

"I don't know him, but I know you more. My mother could throw many guys at me to marry, but it would not sway anything. I would still choose you." Yuu said, intertwining one of her hands with Idia's.

Idia felt elated despite the very obvious blush on his face. Luckily, Yuu ignored it and rested her head on his shoulder. "That was the cheesiest thing I have ever heard." Idia laughed and squeezed Yuu's hand.

Yuu squeezed back in response, and a smile graced her face. "Yes, but you never said you didn't like it."

"I don't."

A/N:

Demetra is inspired by Demeter in Greek mythology and Fira is based on the fire fairies in twst.

Ceres is Demeter's Roman name.

Yes this part of the royal au, but I hc that the Island of Woe is more advanced in technology than the whole world.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twisted Wonderland and its characters. Those belong to Aniplex, Walt Disney Japan, and Yana Toboso.

©: This story belongs to bluesylveon2 2020-23. DO NOT modify, republish, or plagiarize my work.

[karriethemechtech]

Cheetah CHT-1A

Mass: 30 tons Chassis: Earthwerks PXH IV Endo Steel Power Plant: Ceres Motors 240 XL Cruising Speed: 86.4 kph Maximum Speed: 172.8 kph Jump Jets: None Jump Capacity: 0 meters Armor: Hellespont Lite Armament: 1 Large Pulse Laser Manufacturer: Majesty Metals and Manufacturing Primary Factory: Unknown Communication System: Tek BattleCom Targeting & Tracking System: Tek Tru-Trak Introduction Year: 3146 Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-X-D Cost: 7,777,250 C-bills

Overview Proposed as part of Project: BIG CAT for the Magistracy of Canopus, the Cheetah was designed by Majesty Metals and Manufacturing in 3146 as a fast, durable, and modernized scout 'Mech.

Capabilities Though not in form, in function the Cheetah most closely resembles the Star League's venerable Hussar design. Featuring a similar armament of only a single large pulse laser, the Cheetah is lightly armed, though it makes up for it with a pair of 'Mech-scale claws. Powered by a Supercharged Ceres Motors 240 XL engine, the 'Mech is blisteringly fast, capable of running almost 173 kph in a sprint; combined with its 4.5 tons of Hellespont Lite Ferro Fibrous armor, the Cheetah is makes for a very survivable scout and forward operative.

Type: Cheetah Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard) Tonnage: 30 Battle Value: 735

Equipment Mass Internal Structure Endo Steel 1.5 Engine 240 XL 6 Walking MP: 8 Running MP: 12(16) Jumping MP: 0 Double Heat Sink 10 [20] 0 Gyro 3 Cockpit 3 Armor Factor (Light Ferro) 76 4.5 Internal Armor Structure Value Head 3 9 Center Torso 10 10 Center Torso (rear) 3 R/L Torso 7 10 R/L Torso (rear) 2 R/L Arm 5 6 R/L Leg 7 9

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

Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Heat Tonnage Large Pulse Laser CT 2 10 7.0 Double Heat Sink RT 3 - 1.0 Claw LA 2 - 2.0 Supercharger LT 1 - 1.0 Claw RA 2 - 2.0

Features the following design quirks: Animalistic Appearance, Narrow/Low Profile

Behold! Canopus marches--this is one of the 'Mechs the MAF recently introduced. I've been told they sent a few over to join the operation; lights aren't really my thing but I'm still excited. It's a pretty solid machine!

I'll get you information on the rest of Project: BIG CAT as I can.

[birdmenmanga]

ok wait before the next episode drops I want to present my theory that elan-4 and norea du noc were siblings just because I haven't seen anyone else say anything (maybe because it's too obvious?)

Mostly it's from the conversation between Elan-5 and Norea during episode 14.

Norea, specifically, knows quite a lot about Elan-5's situation. She clearly knows that this Elan isn't the real Elan Ceres... but that's not really information that's publicly available. Of course, disposable lives are sourced from Earth, so it stands to reason that she could possibly know someone who was a part of this farce. The next lines from Elan-5 really cement this thought.

Aside from the differences in clothing and accessory, the biggest difference between Elan-4 and Elan-5 are their eyes. Elan-5 resting expression has his eyes wide open, which you can see in stand-alone illustrations of him. On the other hand, Elan-4's eyes are constantly half-lidded... quite like Norea's resting face.

Anyways, Norea just went for a dig at Elan-5 and he's like, you know, a little bit spiteful so he really wants to hit her where it hurts. Elan-5's not going to randomly bring up the death of Elan-4 if he had nothing to do with Norea, because it really just cements the point Norea's making: you're a doll for Peil tech and you're going to die at the end of it.

But I think siblings is probably the correct answer, since their interactions seem to indicate that Norea and Elan-5 had never actually met each other until Asticassia. In this scene in Episode 13, Elan-5 is curiously present, and through this he could have deduced Elan-4 and Norea's relationship through their (maybe) shared last name.

(Elan-5's the one holding the pad.)

Anyways back to this scene in Ep. 14.

This description does match up with Elan-4's death pretty closely. Oh, I'm wasting my life away? Check out what happened to your loser brother! Lol!! And he does manage to rile her up. ("You're an irritating fellow.")

But even putting that aside there're a ton of similarities between Norea and Elan-4 regardless of whether they're actually siblings or not. For instance, there's a real strong parallel between how these two characters are introduced. Below are the beginnings of the first scenes where they have spoken lines.

Even their character arcs follow a similar pattern.

Anyways that's all I have off the top of my head thank you for coming to my TED talk can't wait for this to be jossed on sunday

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

Transmission begins:

> message loading...

> loading... > message loaded

> decrypt? [Y/N]

> Y

> displaying message:

Origin: Canopus IV

Destination: Terra / Islington

Subject: Deployment of Magistracy Armed Forces for Operation TOUCHDOWN

Message: ALCON, 1st Canopian Cuirassiers have arrived at Islington. Available for tasking at discretion of Local Force Commander. Glory to the Magistracy.

Commanding Officer: Colonel Inanna Allard-Liao (see attached personnel file)

TO&E: 1x BattleMech battalion - 36x BattleMechs [8x Assault, 24x Heavy, 4x Light] (1 CANOPIAN CUIR.) 1x AeroSpace group - 18x aerospace fighters (1 CANOPIAN AIR GUARD) 1x Armor battalion - 72x armored fighting vehicles (1 CANOPIAN ARM. GUARD) 1x Infantry battalion - 448x infantry (1 CANOPIAN INF. GUARD)

> message ends

> open attachment 1? [Y/N]

> Y

> opening attachment:

// MAGISTRACY ARMED FORCES \\

--This information is not for public distribution.--

INANNA ALLARD-LIAO

Rank: Colonel, Commanding Officer 1st Canopian Cuirassiers

Assigned Unit: Command Lance

Personal 'Mech: Yaguara 'Inanna' YGR-2D-IAL

Date of Birth: 3103-04-28

Parents: Melissa Allard-Liao & Fredrik Allard-Liao [Né Richardson]

Age: 50

Listed Gender: F

Physiological Details: Full genetic modification treatment [extreme; "Animalia conversion", subtype: snow leopard] - performed @ Ceres Station - Terran System - 3119-04-28

Height: 190cm

Weight: 97kg

Eye Color: Grey

Languages Known: English (First Language),

Organ Donor: Y

Dependents: none (5 adult children)

Current Location: [Redacted]

COMBAT EXPERIENCE

32 years enlisted in MAF

7 large operations

25 deployments

22 combat deployments

[Redacted] confirmed kills

102 battlemechs incapacitated/destroyed [ranged]

69 battlemechs incapacitated/destroyed [melee]

199 combat vehicles incapacitated/destroyed

10 aerospace craft downed [ranged]

3 aerospace crafted downed [melee]

1 dropship downed [ranged]

1 dropship downed [melee]

Areas Deployed: [Redacted]

Awards: Canopus Cluster [Platinum w/ Ruby], Fist of Raventhir [3152], Bravery Medal 1st class x12, Combat Excellence Ribbon x5

> open attachment 1? [Y/N]

> Y

> opening attachment:

// MAGISTRACY ARMED FORCES \\

--This information is not for public distribution.--

Yaguara 'Inanna' YGR-2D-IAL

Mass: 75 tons Chassis: Earthwerks TDR IV Power Plant: Vlar 300 XL Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph Jump Jets: Rawlings Model 60 Jump Capacity: 120 meters Armor: Hellespont cFF Armament: 1 Rotary AC/2 2 ER Large Laser 2 Medium Pulse Laser 1 Medium Vibroblade

Manufacturer: Majesty Metals and Manufacturing Primary Factory: Unknown Communication System: Tek BattleCom Targeting & Tracking System: Tek Tru-Trak Introduction Year: 3146 Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-X Cost: 27,480,250 C-bills

Overview

Proposed as part of Project BIG CAT for the Magistracy of Canopus, the Yaguara was designed by Majesty Metals and Manufacturing in 3146 as a fast moving, hard-hitting heavy 'Mech.

This custom variant, built for Inanna Allard-Liao, possesses an extremely dangerous close combat weapon - a 'Mech vibroblade, mounted on a 'Mech-scale myomer tail, in addition to most of the weaponry of the base configuration.

Capabilities

The Yaguara was built from the ground up with speed and long-ranged engagement in mind. Built around a supercharged Vlar 300 XL engine, the 'Mech can sprint over 86 kph, allowing it to keep up with lances comprised of much lighter 'Mechs than itself. It complements this ground speed with four Rawlings Model 60 jump jets, granting it a jumping distance of 120 meters for an extra mobility boost. Its armament is built around a pair of Clan-spec ER Large Lasers, uncommon in the region, and a Class-2 Rotary Autocannon, with a pair of SRM 6s and medium pulse lasers as close-engagement backups. All of this, unfortunately, comes at the cost of heat - the Yaguara was designed with bracket fire in mind, and MechWarriors are advised not to alpha strike without due cause. This custom variant was built for Inanna Allard-Liao. It is a hybrid Clantech refit, using many experimental technologies, as well as the removal of the previously-mounted SRM 6s, to allow for the addition of a custom myomer armored tail, with a 'Mech scale vibroblade mounted to the end. Complimenting this weapon are Triple-Strength Myomer and a Supercharger, to allow the 'Mech to reach truly incredible speeds for its weight.

Controlled by Inanna using a salvaged Word of Blake Buffered VDNI system, the 'Mech moves with the same fluid grace as its pilot. Advances in Belter/Canopian hybrid medical science have extended Inanna's lifespan estimate from 15 years to 75, and are predicted to have significantly extended the initial onset period for the madness which often accompanies use of neural interface systems.

Type: Yaguara 'Inanna' Technology Base: Mixed (Experimental) Tonnage: 75 Battle Value: 3,768

Equipment Mass Internal Structure Endo Steel 4 Engine 300 XL 9.5 Walking MP: 4 Running MP: 6(8) Jumping MP: 4 Double Heat Sink 15 [30] 5 Compact Gyro 4.5 Interface Cockpit [VDNI] 4 Armor Factor (Ferro) 231 12.5

Internal Armor Structure Value

Head 3 9

Center Torso 23 35

Center Torso (rear) 11

R/L Torso 16 24

R/L Torso (rear) 8

R/L Arm 12 24

R/L Leg 16 32

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

Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Heat Tonnage 2 Jump Jet LL 2 - 2.0 Nova Combined Electronic Warfare System CT 1 - 1.5 Supercharger CT 1 - 1.0 CASE II RT 1 - 0.5 Medium Pulse Laser RT 1 4 2.0 2 Double Heat Sink RT 4 - 2.0 Rotary AC/2 Ammo (90) RT 2 - 2.0 3 Triple Strength Myomer RA/LA 3/3 - 0.0 ER Large Laser LA 1 12 4.0 Vibroblade (Armored) LA 2 - 5.0 Medium Pulse Laser LT 1 4 2.0 Double Heat Sink LT 2 - 1.0 Rotary AC/2 LT 3 1 8.0 2 Jump Jet RL 2 - 2.0 3 Triple Strength Myomer RA/LA 3/3 - 0.0 ER Large Laser RA 1 12 4.0

Features the following Design Quirks: Animalistic Appearance, Battle Computer, Battle Fists, Battle Fists, Combat Computer, Directional Torso Mount (Vibroblade), Fine Manipulators, Hyper-Extending Actuators, Improved Communications, Improved Sensors, Multi-Trac, Nimble Jumper, Reinforced Legs, Rugged (1 Point), Difficult to Maintain

[myecandy]

Ceres Corp | Urban Battle Tech

[eiseryn]

💌 Love, Lei sticker set part 2 💌

I don't know why this image is so blurry it is what it is 😔 Go to insta to see the filtered picture that resembles real life a bit better. I'll try to take better pics one day (ONE DAY)

The next two to be introduced to "Love, Lei" are Elise and Ceres! I think these two were pretty obvious since they're quite fundamental to Lei's character in the original world!

Elise is a third year who has already been accepted to her university of choice by the time the events of the game take place. But she still diligently shows up to school and works hard as the president of the health committee. Talented but hardworking are words that describe Elise very well. She's a senpai that can easily be admired, and Lei too, thinks Elise is someone that Lei would strive to be some day. Most times, you'll find her in the nurse's office and she also often has lunch with Lei, Gigi, and Ceres.

Ceres is a shy first year student who is also a member of the health committee. She often spends her free time in the library or art room, although she's always too shy to show her sketches. Softspoken and sweet, she is someone who people often dote on and Lei is one of the people who does that the most. She has surprisingly good hearing, so it is difficult to sneak up on her. She often has lunch with Lei, Gigi, and Elise.

Three more MCs 👀 (Including Lei) I wonder who they might be? HMMMM🤔

Side note / unimportant note but Elise's design has been the most popular so far! Which is interesting because she's the first one I drew! I think the sketch I drew of her WAS the cutest but I think Gigi's sticker design is also very very cute. I too think Elise's sticker design is the best in this set tho 😂😂😂 She's popular for good reason

[lasudio]

StrangeSpot, Round Fourteen: Beaker (Uni)

The twins are visited by family and Atom impulsively kisses Cyclotron, who reciprocates quite passionately - in front of everyone. Circe literally cackles at this scandalous moment and ponders using this information to revert the power balance in the household, which has been tipped more evenly since Nervous became a coven member alongside her. Discussing the future of her vampire cure had been an affront to her workflow and as for outright banning further development..! Circe only agreed because Jenny supported keeping the formula strictly within the coven. Circe likes power - and Jenny - very much.

Aside from magic/science politics (Atom is glad the word “cure” hasn’t been mentioned around him at all), the twins are studying hard and ensuring their father would have been proud of them. They’re seniors and Atom has made the dean’s list.

Ceres receives a lamp as a gift from the hedge witch Maude (upon very convincing request by Circe), although Atom mistakes her for an intruder and scares her off. Bleh!

[fanfoolishness]

Warning Bells

Greez and Merrin talk about Cal after Nova Garon. Found family, family feels, We Need to Talk About Cal vibes. ~1500 words. Thanks to @gerundsandcoffee for feeding my feral Jedi feels with the prompts Merrin, Greez, Nova Garon, and rage! Spoilers for Jedi: Survivor.

---

Greez let out a sigh of relief, hearing the familiar clatter of Cal and Merriin climbing up the gangway.  He poked his head out of the cockpit to greet them, grateful to have them back so they could get off this blasted base.  “Oh, finally!  I was worried sick. Glad you both made it back in one piece,” crowed Greez, a split second before he did the biggest double take of his life.  “Cal, what the kriff are you wearing?”  He turned to Merrin.  “Don’t tell me.  He was fighting the entire base, wasn’t he?”

Cal slammed the controls to the gangway, retracting it back into the ship, and brushed off a smudge of blaster bolt residue on his uniform.  His Imperial white, officer-level IS-freakin-B uniform.  He gave Greez a wild look and smoothed the hair back out of his eyes.  “What?”

“I assume you needed a disguise?  Well, it looks terrible on you,” Greez said.  Cal’s face, already paler than usual, drained until it was an unhealthy white.  He looked abashed for a moment, but quickly recovered, his mouth hardening.

“Don’t worry about me, Greez.  Worry about Bode.  He got away.  Again.”

BD-1 beeped sadly, popping up from over Cal’s shoulder, still in one piece. 

Merrin clucked her tongue. “Do not despair, droid.  There is always hope.  Isn’t there?”

“I don’t know,” said Greez.  “We got no Bode, we got no compass.  Now tell me the truth, Cal, I can take it.  We’ve lost, haven’t we?”

Cal ignored him, striding to the holotable and inserting a disk.  Santari Khri filled the view.  

“What’s this?” Merrin asked curiously.  Greez watched as the holo said something about the compass, the one and only, the one Bode had made off with.  But Cal shook his head.

“This isn’t just the last goodbye,” he insisted.

The recording continued, showing schematics.  A map.  Cal paced to it, examining it keenly.  “There’s a control center here.  If we align the arrays we can create a flight path through the Abyss.”  

Greez snorted.  “Let me get this straight.  You want me to fly the Mantis through a ship-eating nebula using a tiny tunnel carved out by two-hundred-year-old tech?”

The kids were nothing if not predictable.  “Yeah,” said Cal at the same time as Merrin saying “Yes.”

Greez shrugged.  “All right, I’m in.”  What else was there for it?  They had to do what they had to do.  As he headed to the cockpit, he turned back to Cal.  “You gotta get out of that uniform, kid, it’s freaking me out.”

“I agree,” said Merrin.  “Better a man of many ponchos than an Imperial.”

“Oh, so now you’re coming around on the ponchos,” said Cal, but it was without a smile.  He nodded.  “I’ll go change.  Set a course for Koboh.  We’ll finish this.”  He and BD took off for the engine quarters, leaving Greez and Merrin alone.  She punched in Koboh’s coordinates and joined him up in the cockpit, taking Cere’s old seat.  

Cere…

Greez sighed, climbing into the pilot’s seat and getting the ship off the ground.  He’d be happy to see the last of this awful place.  He piloted the ship up and through, and got her safely into hyperspace before he at last relaxed.  He turned to Merrin, considering.

“You all right?  You’re awfully quiet over there.”

“I am fine, Greez.  As usual,” said Merrin, but she seemed distracted.  Distant.  Merrin was always aloof, even at her most social, but this distance felt accidental, out of her control.  Greez frowned.

“‘I’m glad you’re okay, Merrin.  It’s been good to have you back, you know.”

“It is good to be back.  I have missed your jokes, Greez, as bad as they are.”

“Now that’s a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one,” Greez laughed.  He paused a moment, then hedged, “And Cal?  Does he seem… a little off to you?  Like, driven, even for him.”  He avoided the word obsessed.

Merrin crossed her arms.  “I do not know.  But something happened out there, Greez.”

“He didn’t seem hurt,” Greez began, but Merrin shook her head.

“Not like that.”  She looked thoughtful, as if trying to choose her words carefully.  “He showed a side I have never seen before.  Powers I have never seen him use before.  He was so angry.  I could see it, I could feel it.”  She let out a long breath, and Greez felt a sick swoop in his stomach that had nothing to do with the motion of the ship.  If Merrin was unsettled, then he, Greez, was scared shitless.

“You’re scaring me, Merrin,” said Greez slowly.  “Talk me down, here.  That doesn’t sound like Cal.  I mean, I know he’s hurting about Cere and Cordova, the compass, the Archive -- we all are.  But Jedi are supposed to be careful with that sort of thing, right?  I don’t know much about the Force, but that sounds -- it sounds --”

“Dark,” she said quietly.  “In his eyes I could see something that wasn’t him -- except that it was.  I have heard him and Cere discuss Jedi and the dark side many times.  It is the same and yet different from the magic of my sisters, but it holds a danger for them that it does not for me.  I do not understand it, Greez, but I know Cal fears it.  And yet… if you had seen him…”

“What did he do?”

“I stopped him -- or, he stopped himself -- before he crossed a line he should not cross,” said Merrin.  She did not elaborate further, which was ominous; if Cal could spook a Nightsister…  “But I fear this may be a door that once opened is not so easily shut.”  She gazed at him, troubled.  “I do not doubt we will succeed in finding Bode and Tanalorr.  We must.  But we must not lose Cal to do it.”

“We’re not losing anyone else on my watch,” said Greez.  He blinked back sudden tears.  “This family’s been through enough, dank farrik.”

“Agreed.”

“Look, thanks for telling me.  Not sure what exactly a Latero pilot can do against the dark side of the Force, but I can keep after the kid to take care of himself, I’ve got that one down.”

Merrin chuckled, relaxing a little as he’d hoped she would.  “It is sweet to see how you fuss after him like a mother nydak.”

“I’d be offended, but the kid inspires fussing,” Greez said, shrugging all four shoulders.  “What am I gonna do, leave him to his own devices?  You shoulda seen the state of him when he first showed up in Pyloon’s a few months back.  Overgrown hair, way too skinny, clearly living off of caf and Turbo Dogs.  Looked like he’d been wearing the same clothes for weeks on end.  Without washing ‘em, mind you.”

Merrin laughed, leaning back in her seat.  “That sounds about right.”  Her laugh dwindled to a small smile.  “Thank you, Greez.  My heart is more at ease.  We will look after him together, you and I.”

“Look after who?” asked Cal.  

Greez swiveled around, wondering how much he’d heard.  Cal was back in his regular clothes, with a dark blue jacket that reminded him a little of the clothes Cal had been wearing back when he and Cere had rescued him, years ago.  But he wasn’t a scared scrapper kid anymore, fresh-faced and uncertain; this Cal was far more sure of himself.  

Which made Merrin’s information that much harder to understand.  Cal, using the dark side?  It was still hard to wrap his brain around.  He hoped, looking into Cal’s green eyes, that Merrin had somehow been mistaken.  

“You, of course,” said Merrin.  

Cal raised his eyebrows.  “I’ve been on the run for a decade.  I think I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

“Are you kidding me, Cal.”  

“You come close to death on a daily basis.”

“Brrrooop beep.”

“Really, Beedee?  You too?  That’s a low blow, buddy.”  Cal sighed and sank into his seat, leaning back and closing his eyes.  

Greez reached out and patted his shoulder.  “Hey, you know we only get after you because we care, kid.”

Cal looked over, giving Greez a small, careworn smile.  The kid looked tired up close, his eyelids reddened and puffy.  It put an ache in Greez’s chest.  Yeah… the strain was starting to show.

“I know, Greez,” said Cal.  “Thanks.  All of you.  I couldn’t do this without you.”

“Breeep!”

“We are in this together, Cal.  Always remember that.”

Hyperspace shrank and stilled before them, stars leaping back into pinpoint form.  Koboh and the Abyss swam into view.  Greez only spared a glance at the seething, roiling maw before firmly fixing his gaze back on the planet below.  One problem at a time.

“Come on, let’s regroup at the saloon.  It’s getting awfully emotional up here,” said Greez, trying to keep it breezy.  “Let’s get our plan of attack in line and get on this.  For the Hidden Path.  For Cere.”

“For Cere,” said Merrin.

“For Cere,” Cal echoed.  He watched their approach intently, his eyes sharp, his face drawn.  Greez shared a glance with Merrin.  

We’ll look after him.

[talesfrommedinastation]

The Knight is Crowned King

“I am saying it is time to put aside the trooper, the CT number, the clone who served under a sergeant in a Republic that no longer exists. It is time for you to become the captain that we– your people –need you to be.”

Tech stood up straight. “Then, if that is the case, Camina, I have a request.”

“Say it.”

“Get me a tattoo gun. Now.”

-Camina Drummer and Tech, Far Past the Ring

————————-

I really can’t thank @cloned-eyes enough for this wonderful piece that they did. She she taki taki!

It is Camina Drummer giving Tech the infamous 'collar' tattoo of The Belt in her presidential office, LDS mural still behind her.

For me, this culminates the spirit of Far Past the Ring, especially for canon characters Camina Drummer and Tech.

The story was initially conceived as a fun little romp for Clone Force 99, where Tech would meet a Belter engineer, they’d chat, maybe have a short romance, and move on with their lives.

This was February 2023.

But after Plan 99 aired a month later…well, we all went a little nuts. I did, too. Blame the Wellbutrin.

Also, blame me taking folklore classes at Berkeley as an undergrad. I decided the short story was going to become something bigger, and Tech was taking center stage.

On that note, I was so angry for Tech.

I was angry for all of his potential as a character, thrown down the mountain on Eriadu.

So, I decided to whip out the ol’ English 251 notes I had from years ago, and chart out Tech’s own Hero’s Journey, through the world of The Expanse meeting the world of Star Wars.

But I did not want Tech merely limping off into the sun into a simple, happy ending. No.

I wanted him to face challenges, fight, win alliances, and be received as the goddamned hero that he is.

To quote Campbell himself from The Hero with a Thousand Faces:

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

And who better to bestow this mighty power and crown unto Tech then Camina motherfuckin’ Drummer.

If you haven’t seen The Expanse, know that Camina Drummer goes through the Hero’s Journey of Hero’s Journeys herself. She rose from an orphan working the docks on Ceres, to a foot soldier for Anderson Dawes, a director under Fred Johnson, the first commanding officer of the largest vessel in human history (The OPAS Behemoth, later Medina Station), and then, the first president of the Transport Union, arguably the most powerful person in the universe.

It isn't an easy journey: she's shot, beaten, breaks her spine, loses the love of her life, watches loved ones get murdered in front of her, and is abandoned by those who professed to love her.

But Camina Drummer never gives up. She fights to the end to make things right. Girlfriend is rewarded....and now she passes that onto Tech.

After all, Camina’s people, the Belters, adorn themselves through tattoos. They live their lives in space, in the vacuum, where jewelry can be lost, damaged or hurt the owner. So they tattoo.

Years ago, cheap suits were supplied by Inners for Belters under their governance. They demanded Belters to work and extract resources from the Kuiper Belt and other outer planets in order to make them rich. The helmet connections ot the suit would often burn the wearer's neck, as seen below on Anderson Dawes.

In many ways, it is also a symbol of the yoke of slavery, of a chain around one’s neck.

Although younger Belters now wear better vacsuits, they still wear the tattoos to remind them of what their ancestors went through, seen on Naomi Nagata below.

A symbol of pain is now a symbol of what Belters are fighting for–freedom. Which they earn.

So, by getting that tattoo, done by Camina Drummer, the hero and president of the Belt, is our Tech getting crowned.

It’s right after Camina makes him their Chief Systems Engineer as well as a commander. He bled and fought for his chosen people, and he is rewarded as such.

It's him saying I'm here, I'm one of you, and your leader is the one putting it on me.

Oh, and in true fairy tale hero’s journey mode, Tech also gets a beautiful Belter ‘princess’...Sjael Drummer, Camina’s cousin.

Once again, something that originally wasn’t in the cards last year, but I wanted a full Hero’s Journey and I was damned if Tech wasn’t going to get it!

Tagging those that have commented and enjoyed the story: @eyecandyeoz @perfectlywingedcrusade @megmca @skellymom @cdblake1565 @thecoffeelorian @supremechancellorrex @that-salmonberry-punk @autistic-artistech @deezlees @littlefeatherr @nahoney22 @freesia-writes @eelfuneral @yeehawgeek @isthereanechoinhere96 @sued134

[whirligig-girl]

Etheria’s moons to dubious scale. The second from the right, the blue & purple one, is about the same size compared to Etheria as the Moon is compared to the Earth.

Probably the first thing I noticed when I watched She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was all the damn moons. I’d seen screenshots and clips of the show taking place on a space ship, so I figured “Brightmoon” was literally the name of a moon. But nope--the Starship Darla wouldn’t make her appearance until much later. Anyway. Despite the unrealistic appearance of the moons in the show, I resolved to Figure Out How They Work Eventually. Here’s some thoughts so far.

I’m unwilling to trust most of these sizes because of perspective effects and because it’s a cartoon. I think probably they’re all smaller than it seems. Obviously the “real” spacing is completely different than in the drawing.

If this image is taken with a telescope, or even a telephoto lens from sufficiently far away, then the original image scale could correspond to the scale of the actual planets.

we only have actual depth information for ONE moon--the blue and purple one in front of Etheria, which means its actual scale relative to Etheria is probably smaller than in the image.

each other moon could be either very large and distant or very small and near to the camera, but the way it looks in some scenes moving towards Etheria suggest that the moons are depicted not much farther or closer from the camera than Etheria itself, so I think taking these as roughly to-scale can serve as a starting point for figuring the rest out.

My progress so far in figuring out how to fit 11 large moons into orbit around one Earthlike planet:

this is only five. Four ceres in a near 1:2:4:8 resonance (such that triple conjunctions are possible, but rare), with that pink moon represented as a Mars-mass world, orbiting about once per month. If I move the Mars out much more, it might not be stable accounting for solar tides. (Etheria does have a sun? right? it’s not entirely clear to me. Does it have a different sun in Despondos than in the Universe? like, Despondos has Just One Sun? Is Despondos’ cosmic background lighting up half the sky? Or did the Etherian Sun come along for the ride through the portals, off-screen? I’m making the assumption that even if there is no real Sun in Despondos, the moon system pre-dated Etheria’s stranding, so it’s still constrained by solar tides.

anyway. the five there. I think I can add more. the Mars can support subsatellites, which I think should be allowed, and I think I can fit in some smaller asteroid-sized moons in low orbits in between the resonant friend quad.

I’m not even close to understanding their geology, yet. I need to have a grasp on their basic physical properties first. But I’m guessing magic and technology are both relevant. One of the three moons of enchantment clearly had cloud banding, not impact craters. it could be terraformed--even if the first one’s tech that terraformed it is gone, perhaps it could still carry an atmosphere for the ~thousand years or so the first ones have been gone?

I wonder if the moons were early test beds for first ones to test magic/tech integration on a planetary scale. (which leads to the dark question of “was there a Heart of the Moon Project?”)

Certainly if the first ones were spacefarers they would have had some infrastructure on the moons.

[testedtransgressor]

A/N: Wrote this a little over a year ago (I think) and despite it only being one chapter/part (so far), it's had a fair amount of positive attention. Also, I'm a sucker for those "what if the good guys lose?" sort of scenarios. Been ages since I've posted here so I don't know which tags to use, feel free to recommend others.

Set in the final part of Jedi: Fallen Order, during the confrontation on Nur.

-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-

They weren’t going to escape this. Cal looked around desperately, an idea forming quickly. With a hand outstretched, he used the Force to push one of the windows violently, shattering it. Water flooded into the hallway, and Cal took the opportunity to grab Cere and hurl both of them through the broken window. He could see Vader struggling to hold back the rush of water, and the broken window was quickly covered over by a sheet of durasteel, stopping the flooding.

He was kicking, dragging Cere with him, and shoved the rebreather into her mouth as he looked up. The surface wasn't too far, light still filtering down to them, but he could already feel his muscles aching, and the wound in his side made it all the harder to keep moving. As he glanced back down at the fortress, now a murky shadow in the water, he sensed rather than saw—

Water swirling around legs, alarms sounding, a gloved hand reaching out as the two figures faded into the water, hand outstretched as if to grasp—

Cal felt a pressure at his throat suddenly, slight but growing quickly. His lungs were burning as he kicked for the surface, but his legs weren't moving as powerfully now, and Cere felt like a weight that was pulling him down. The pressure around his throat tightened, and he gasped, feeling water rush into his mouth, down his constricted throat, and now there was a weight in his lungs as he struggled against that pressure, struggling to breathe despite the water filling his chest. Cere slipped from his grasp as his hands went for his throat, which was now so tight he couldn't breathe. He struggled, kicking feebly, choking and drowning all in one as darkness swelled up from below to claim him...

-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-

Greez didn't like it one bit, the way this witch was messing with things. He was anxious, waiting to see any signs of life on the scanners as he hovered above the water. Cere… Cere was gone. Cal had said so, so it must be true. He had to get Cal, though. That was the most important thing right now. Get Cal, and then get out of there.

Merrin shifted suddenly, rising from her seat and moving quickly towards the ramp. Greez looked around as she did.

“Hey, wait—”

She didn’t say a word as she charged out of the ship, diving off the ramp and into the water. Even as she did, he saw movement on the scanner – tech signatures, crafts moving through the water below. Greez felt his heart stuttering as he began to flip switches, preparing for a fight as he lowered the ship as close to the water as he dared. The exterior cams showed as the water lapped at the bottom of the ramp, but there was no other movement, and every passing second felt like a century as Greez watched the cams, watched the scanners, waited for the inevitable blast that would probably sink him from the sky, and he realised he was holding his breath only when his lungs began to ache for air, but Merrin was still gone—

Two figures broke the surface, and Greez exclaimed a wordless cry of relief as he saw Merrin draw the unconscious figure up with her. But something was wrong – he had expected to see Cal’s shock of red hair, but instead he was seeing Cere’s dark locks. Cere was alive? His relief dulled again as he realised Cere wasn’t moving. Merrin dragged her back up the ramp, scrambling gracelessly, breathlessly, leaving Cere on the floor just inside the doorway while she hurried back to the front of the ship.

"We must leave," she told Greez, "There were patrols sweeping the water. I will perform the ritual again, to give us cover."

"But Cal—”

Greez saw the look she gave him, and his heart sank. No, kid, no.

He sighed heavily, letting his grief flood him for a moment, before he returned to the present. They might have lost Cal, but they could at least escape with their lives.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-

The steady, rhythmic hum of machinery was the first thing that returned to his attention. The second was the sensation of wide bands of pressure on his arms, chest, and legs. The monotone voice of a medical droid was audible nearby, explaining a diagnosis to someone else, but the sound seemed warped, twisted and distant, muffled at first as his senses started to return to life.

His fractured mind tried to piece things back together. Bogano, Dathomir, temples and tombs, an AT-AT, younglings... Something about younglings...

A mechanical breathing sound, slow and rhythmic, drawing closer, each step like a weight on his chest as he was surrounded by liquid, throat closing, lungs filling with water, darkness reaching out in the form of a gloved hand...

Cal was wrenched back to reality with a soft cry, a gasp of breath, and brilliant light painfully flooded his vision. He could feel the tightness of the bands, could feel them holding him upright on a slab of metal. As his sight recovered from the sudden explosion of light, he felt fear rising within him, building into a wall of terror that threatened to drown him. Sharp, straight lines came into his vision, machinery making itself out against the white walls of the space.

It took him a few minutes to realise he was in a medical room. A window opposite his position gave him a view of a horribly familiar-looking corridor beyond, Mechanical sounds, muted and low, came from somewhere to his right, and even as he strained to see the source the droid came into view.

"Greetings," the smooth, androgynous voice came from a fixed orator, two small lights illuminating briefly as indicators that it was speaking. "I am KJ-46, medical service and assistant droid. Your symptoms indicate you were recently subjected to a severe inhalation of high-viscosity fluid which resulted in a loss of consciousness. You are being treated for these symptoms, and will experience muscular weakness and fatigue for some time as a result."

It sure was informative. Cal closed his eyes, trying to clear his head.

"You have also sustained physical injury from a plasma weapon, which has punctured your left ribcage and left the bone structure damaged."

That explained the pain in his ribs, then. Cal opened his eyes, looking at the medical droid as it scanned portions of his body, the axial beam of light emitting from the photoreceptor sliding over his limbs, chest, face...

"Where am I?" He asked, surprised at how faint his voice sounded even to himself. He regretted asking almost immediately, though, because there was another voice, another person who answered in a horribly familiar, deep mechanical voice. The answer was so spine-chilling, Cal wished he were dead.

"You are in the Fortress Inquisitorius."