Actually subbing at my old high school, the sub coordinator was a pta mom, I follow her on Facebook. I show up today and it’s a testing day so I only have one period to have kids in a classroom. This morning I asked for the key to the classroom, she said “if it’s not in the folder I had to take it out for safety reasons. Call the office if you need a door opened.” How can I call the office in I’m not in the room with the school phone? I don’t wanna call them from my personal cell. Anyways I guess I’ll find out in a few minutes when I have to go ask to be let into the classroom. But seriously if you trust us with students in a classroom, why can’t I be trusted with the key to the room or bathroom. I asked about the bathroom she said use the one in the office. Guess if I have to use the bathroom it’s a whole days walk for me. 🤷🏽‍♀️

FIRST CHAPTER
PREVIOUS CHAPTER
This product is a fanfic of the Sexy Space Babes/Between Worlds product of u/Bluefishcake and one I highly suggest you read. It was created with permission, but give the OG works some love.
Imgr gallery of Comissioned and Fan Artworks
I'm Back Bitches! Again!
//////////
Junior Systems Engineer First Class Che’keero knelt before a semi-sparking control panel and sighed. She, and a large band of her fellow Engineers with Marine support, had boarded the pirate frigate with the singular goal of ensuring that the pirates didn’t scuttle their floating hulk and doom the slaves aboard to a, if they were lucky, a swift death in space.
The problem, of course, came with the pirate’s maintenance schedules and decisions to forgo certain… safety measures when it came to repair.
Like the panel before her. Usually a perfectly functional control system for the reverse-magnetic bulkhead doors that ensured void seals in power outages, some pirate at some point in their dumb, dumb life decided to fix the panel blowing a fuse… by ripping the fuse out and replacing it with a high density power cable. Which meant the entire thing was one massive shock hazard and actively sparking as the reactors deep in the ship flickered and surged due to damage.
Che’keero swore as an arc of electricity flashed towards her face after a tool that was not supposed to be magnetized, cheap dick WaDepth requisitions, caught a magnetic field, fusing the entire system shut and turning the formerly barely functional control system into nothing but pretty, decorative wiring and cheap solder. She punched the now utterly unfunctional control box and toggled on her radio. “Three-Two to Three-Lead, this door’s fried. You’ll need to bring in the cutters if we want to get to the rest of the ship. Might as well also bring in an inflatable airlock, I’m not liking how some of the metal strain sensors are flashing at me.”
A semi-synthetic voice replied back to Che’keero, “Three-Lead copies. I’ll be over there shortly with the stuff. Double check those sensors, I’m not getting the same readings, so let’s make sure something isn’t blocking errors from reaching me.”
“Copy that Three-Lead, Three-Two ou-” Something tapped against the back of her helmet and Junior Systems Engineer First Class Che’keero mentally swore.
“Now, now, lassie, how about you sit right there and don’t move.” A nasally, unfamiliar voice called out to her while tapping what a camera she set up to watch her back revealed to be a laser pistol to Che’keero’s helmet. “I think that you’re going to be our new best friend and way off this dead end ship.”
Che’keero paused, letting the situation settle in her mind, “Wait, what? Are… are you taking me hostage?”
“Yes!” The pirate replied.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you taking me hostage? This won’t work, none of the shuttles are jump capable and if you try anything, you’ll just end up jumped by marines. They specifically train to deal with pirates taking their engineers hostage. If you want to survive, you should just surrender and take the penal colony when it’s offered.” Che’keero mentioned, shrugging and continuing her inspection of the door.
The pirate seemed baffled at the sheer nonchalance of this response, the pistol slowly falling to merely point at her upper back instead of her head, “You… you really aren’t taking this seriously. I’m a pirate! I’ve killed people! I’ve killed boys, and you’re just sitting there like this doesn’t mean anything!”
“I mean… I wouldn’t say that.” Che’keero replied.
“THEN WHAT DO YOU MEAN!” The pirate screamed, the pistol moving away from Che’keero’s body by a fraction of an inch during an angry gesture.
It was at that point, a ceramic alloyed, carbon steel blade punched clean through the back of the pirate’s suit, slicing through their central nervous system and striking with enough force to shatter the faceplate of said pirate’s helmet on the way out. Muscles twitching, the laser pistol fired off randomly, missing Che’keero and slagging a chunk of bulkhead.
“I’m just buying time,” Che’keero replied cheekily.
“You really need to remember to check your cameras,” The semi-synthetic voice of Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns commented as the ex-pirate fell to the ground and blue blood dripped from the long blade sprouting from her right arm and a toolbox hanging from her left hand. “This isn’t the first time you have been flanked, and this one wasn’t during training.”
“Look, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Che’keero replied a bit testily.
“I’m sorry…” Ventures Forth prodded.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am.”
“Much better. Right, now what do we see in this- yeah you were right on it being fried.” Ventures Forth gently shoved the Junior Systems Engineer aside and took her place at the control panel. “Do a sweep of the strain systems. I don’t want this section of the ship breaking apart. Feel free to call up our hull patches. We’ve got plenty to share and this might have to be a lifeboat.”
“Aye, ma’am aye,” Che’keero replied with a crisp salute before rushing off to her duty.
Deeper inside the ship, Ventures Forth could hear laser fire, clashing of metal on metal, and cries for help.
The pirate ship was doomed, it was shattered and broken, but it was not destroyed. Not yet. \
And if she had her way, Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns would keep it that way.
//////////
Roshal stood still as her steward continued to clean the dark blue and rapidly congealing blood off her armored form. “Comms,” She called out, “Do we have any contact with the shuttle we sent to the station?”
“Negative, ma’am.” The comm officer replied. She wasn’t the same one that was present when Roshal left to fend off the boarders. At the unspoken question, the woman continued “Communication’s Mate Second Class Lev’tal, ma’am. My superior got a concussion when the pirate ship rocked our ship during boarding. Strap snapped, prior damage. I took over.”
Roshal nodded approvingly, “Good initiative. Send a message to the station, see if we can’t rai-”
“Ma’am! Contact!” One of her sensor techs called out, “Belay that, two contacts. First contact, nav point 782 spinward, possible bogey, cruiser weight. Unknown movements. Second contact, nav point 102 coreward, aerospace assets inbound. Small flight. Hard to determine numbers due to damage. No less than two, no more than five.”
“Focus on getting a hard contact on that possible cruiser. Weapons, what is the status of our anti-aerospace.” Roshal demanded, holding her sword arm out for the steward to scrub at a particularly clotted chunk of blood splattered over her wrist.
The weapons officer shook her head, “If we’re lucky, then we’ve got 20% coverage on half our sides. If we’re very lucky, I might be able to bump that number up to 35%. Not going to quote doctrine, but that’s not nearly enough to fend off a flight of Aerospace assets on a strike run, and that’s assuming they don’t hit us on an unprotected flank.”
Roshal nodded once more, “Sound general quarters and get weapons and tactical back online. Tell the damage control parties to not be distracted and focus on critical systems first. Engine room, report. Can you give me maneuvering thrust?”
The nearby ship phone chimed in with a staticy hiss, “Negative, ma’am. The shot we made with the spinal mount tripped breakers up and down the reactor room. This isn’t an engine problem, we need to make sure our reactor doesn’t blow up when we siphon power. Before you ask, emergency power is still flowing and none of their circuits tripped, but that means we’re down to life support, basic systems, and dockyard thrusters. It will take at least 20 to get the reactor in a safe state. If you want 10, send the chaplain down so we have someone praying for good luck. The fact most of our structural engineers are doing an EVA boarding to ensure the pirate ship next to us doesn’t go critical and render the entire exercise moot isn’t helping matters at all.” The engine room replied Roshal bit down a bit of annoyance at the snark, but engineers were always a finicky sort with authority. They were the first to remind uptight officers that while the Captain’s word may be iron law, it was their work that truly moved the ship.
“Confirmed, engine room.” Roshal instead replied. “Chaplains will be arriving shortly. Do what you can and inform me when you’re three minutes out from full power.”
The engine room didn’t even bother replying, just sending over the affirmative light as they got to work. Roshal approved of that. Sometimes, you just had to insult someone in order to get it working right.
“Captain, we have confirmation on contact. He’s an Alliance Karcharidon class Heavy Cruiser on intercept course. Energy readings are spiking… they’re charging their guns, ma’am!”
“Issue a hostile challenge and give me a firing solution with any gun still functional.”
“No response, ma’am. Hostile Karcharidon is increasing speed. Hard contact in 15 minutes.”
Roshal snarled, emotion breaking through her mask. “Of course, the pirates had one more vessel. Helm, fire our maneuvering thrusters, use the pirate hulk as cover. Weapons, get whoever’s left of our Interceptor flight to engage the enemy. Comms, get me in contact with the merchant fleet, tell them to evacuate. We’ll provide cover.”
“Aye ma’am.” The Communications Mate Second Class said with a shiver in her voice. “Sending-”
“Update on Aerospace assets!” Her sensor tech called out.
“Deliver!” Roshal demanded, cutting off the comms officer with a slice of her hand.
“Weapons fire. Definitely less than four contacts. Seems to be two grou- negative, only two contacts remaining- weaponsfire- one contac- IFF received, oh goddesses, IT’S RUNOFF THREE! FRIENDLY AEROSPACE INBOUND!”
//////////
Milk gripped her crash harness hard as Cookie slammed the Interceptor’s fusion torch clean past its safe thrust marker and into the red as g forces crushed her chest. “Last target down.” She reported after Cookie’s final laser burst hit something critical inside the final Aerospace fighter’s frame. “That’s 20 for 20. All enemy bogeys down. All standard munitions are in the black. Static drive is 48%, dump core ejected. All we’ve got left is our ASM and front laser.”
Cookie flashed back an affirmative signal.
“We going for that cruiser?”
Another affirmative.
“Well, I’m braced and ready on the release. Ready.”
“Ready.” Cookie spoke, his voice horse.
It’s funny what people think when their lives are on the line. Because charging towards a fresh enemy Heavy Cruiser, nothing but a single anti-shipping missile worth a damn, no allied support but the faint glimmer in IFF screens of their fellow flight doing the same… all Aoibhinn McDermott could think of was a poem she had read at least a decade ago or more at the Naval Academy.
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the Valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
//////////
Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns could do nothing but furiously swear as the basic sensor system her engineering team had restored on the thoroughly ventilated secondary command bridge of the pirate hulk revealed an enemy Heavy Cruiser bearing down upon their homeship.
“Weapons are trashed. We cored their reactor, anyway.” One of the tangential engineers reported, “Other teams are calling in. Things are worse where they are. We’ve found the slaves, though, luckily it was one of the few airtight bays. Also, have some more captives, but that really doesn’t matter right now.”
“No shit.” Ventures Forth replied, “Can we do anything?”
The engineer looked back to her, visor depolarizing so the Gearschilde can look into the black and yellow eyes of her Shil coworker.
“Pray.” The woman replied simply.
Ventures Forth Bravely Into Great Unknowns did just that.
//////////
Low chanting filled the engine bay as a small group of priests stood around the engine praying to whichever god that would listen to allow them one more shot. One more fight.
Around them, black handed engineers scurried, ripping out blown fuses and replacing them with soldered in high strength wire. A final measure of desperation. Sparks flew as engineers swore and chaplains prayed, power still remaining in circuits needing to be bled out before bypasses could be installed, turning every bit of solder and every ripped out fuse into a deadly gamble.
Already, someone was lying on the ground, no longer twitching.
They didn’t have time to check on their fallen comrade, the work was too important.
A clock ticked down. Four minutes elapsed.
//////////
Lieutenant Commander Cenywyn swore as she watched Runoff 2 die.
Their single Interceptor had mistimed a maneuver and had been caught dead in the middle of an Anti-Aerospace array, shredded in an instant. The only consolation she could take was that, seeing as the first shot went clean through the cockpit, they didn’t even notice they died.
“Runoff 4, stay in formation.” She ordered over the radio, “We’ll lead you in for the run.”
“Yes ma’am.” The hesitant voice of Junior Flight Lieutenant Griogill replied. She swallowed, “We’re- we’re ready when you are.”
“No fear, Lieutenant,” Cenywyn called back to the child she was leading to her death. “We’re pilots in the Imperial Patrol. We do our duty. No fear.”
A clock ticked down. Six minutes elapsed.
//////////
“Talk to me!” The last remaining senior engineer in the reactor bay called out to anyone who was able to reply.
Someone, she didn’t even bother looking to see who, called back “We’ve bypassed 60% of the fuses. Should be able to give ourselves a burst of combat power. No more than 10 minutes of it before the entire system overheats and we either die, or the reactor shuts off.”
“Any chance we can get more than 10 minutes?”
“Not before that Heavy Cruiser delivers us straight to the stars.”
“Fuck it, good enough.” She slammed her fist on the ship phone’s dialing button resting near the console the engineer had just ripped the last safety override out of. “Captain. We’ve got your power. You give us the word, and we’ll give you ten minutes.”
//////////
Roshal breathed in, breathed out, and nodded. 10 minutes of combat power before the entire ship shut down into uselessness. She’d done more with less. She couldn’t remember when, but she had. Luckily, this was a Patrol Carrier instead of a standard ship, so it was more than capable of combat maneuvers with nothing but RCS thrusters. That should give her some time.
Movement, movement was going to be the key.
“Comms, tell the engineering crews on the hulk that they are ordered to figure out anything that could draw the attention of the Heavy Cruiser,” She began, “Systems, break our mooring lines. We’re going to have to split from the hulk. Helm, prepare for maneuvers. RCS only. We are going to have to do this carefully. Engineroom, prepare for power activation, but hold until my command.”
This needs to be perfect, Roshal thought, A single mistimed action ruins it all.
A clock ticked down. Ten minutes elapsed. The Karcharidon had entered maximum weapon’s range.
//////////
He of Slender Tail shivered where he stood. The secondary command bridge was silent as Roshal began giving orders to fight. This was… this was insane.
They were in a ruined ship with nothing but a merchant fleet beginning to flee and a three thirds dead pirate hulk on their side against a fresh Karcharidon class Heavy Cruiser.
They couldn’t win.
This was suicide.
They would die here.
\ So why didn’t He of Slender Tail feel afraid?
He stood at his post, a secondary bridge console where he would relay orders to other departments, freeing up the other Watchkeeper to collate those orders, there was nothing he could do to help win this impossible battle, and yet…
And yet he felt heat blossoming inside his chest with every single order delivered.
“Mooring teamsss, you are to cut your linesss immediately.” He relayed to a crew of Shil scurrying around the ruined bulkheads, “Damage control, prepare for electrical firesss and arcsss.” He commanded, switching between teams instantly.
He didn’t feel fear. He could see his Watchkeeper shiver every time the sensors reported the enemy contact was still closing, but he didn’t feel the same.
What he felt… was indignation.
How dare this pirate scum threaten his vessel, his crew. How dare they ambush this valiant ship after they had fought so hard to win. How dare they.
He let his fangs fold out as he spat the next order, “Anti-Aerossspace teamsss, prepare your batteriesss for grouped fire. Gunnery calculationsss are on their way.”
How dare they stand up to him.
A clock ticked down. 12 minutes elapsed. Weapons fire.
//////////
Roshal swayed slightly as she could feel the ship beneath her feet move. Movement is life in naval warfare, movement is death. “Right RCS fire, bring us clear of the hulk. Bow thrusters, up twenty.”
“Aye, ma’am, aye, right standard and bow up twenty.” The Helmswoman replied.
“Confirmed. Next maneuver, give us rear thrust-”
“Torpedo!” The sensor operator called out in a shrill voice, “Two marks on intercept course! Range, twelve K and closing fast!”
“Decorum!” Roshal snapped at the panicking sensor technician. “Comms, order Runoff flight to divert and intercept those torpedoes. Rear RCS to full, give us momentum.”
Roshal turned away from the bridge as affirmations were shouted, and the ship began to move, “Engineering, prepare to activate combat power on my mark and prepare for hard maneuvers. Mark in five.”
//////////
Griogill swallowed bile and tried not to feel too thankful that the enemy vessel had fired torpedoes at their home ship. Being diverted from an attack run had a much higher chance of survival than striking through an AA bubble.
“Runoff 4 engaging far torpedo. Moving in for intercept. Bre’kas, give me lock.”
Griogill’s backseater muttered something, and a target lock appeared on the far torpedo as Runoff 1, their previous Drill Sergeants, dashed by in a hard burn and blazed away at their own target.
“Right. We can do this. We can do this. No fear.” The rookie muttered as the sight of her friends in Runoff 3 being turned to vapor echoed in her mind. “I can do this.”
The target locked. She fired. The torpedo detonated.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in four.”
//////////
The Heavy Cruiser loomed closer as the comparatively tiny Patrol Carrier spat its defiance in the form of two Interceptors dancing between the stars.
As a pair of torpedoes detonated, four more were launched, the anti-shipping weapons built for this specific purpose. Destroying disabled vessels.
And so the last two remaining Interceptors on CAP dove into the fray, risking themselves against an ever approaching AA bubble in order to save their ship.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in three.”
//////////
All Cookie could do was stare and push his meager aerospace fighter further on its nuclear thrusters as shimmering dots of torpedoes lanced out from the Heavy Cruiser attacking his new home.
He pushed his hand forward and felt the throttle once more push back against him, the lever pushed all the way past safe thrust and into the further setting on his console.
The Interceptor was fast. It didn’t feel fast enough.
And so he spoke the words he spoke once before, back when he’d had to listen to his backseater’s screams of pain and the rush of wind after shrapnel pierced his fuselage, and the hospital was so, so far away.
Father, I pray that you will not hide your face from me. Whenever I pray, Lord please hear me and answer me speedily in Jesus' name. God, I pray that you will grant me speed through your help.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Mark in two.”
//////////
The Heavy Cruiser shifted, engine flaring and it began to close the range. A single disabled ship on emergency RCS thrusters and a pair of Aerospace fighters was nothing it would have to deal with.
It fired a third spread of torpedoes.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
They took the bait. Roshal thought with a vicious grin.
“Mark in one.” She paused, “Execute.”
In an instant, power flowed through the ship, emergency lights flickered off as the burning red boarding lights returned their fiery glow. The entire ship shook as the main thruster came back online, and capacitors began to charge for maneuvers.
“Hard burn, full thrusters, right, on my mark.” Roshal watched as the Heavy Cruiser began to react to her movements, the enemy ship was alive, you needed to roll to broadsides to begin bombardment, come on come on…
Roshal watched as a torpedo flickered out of existence, Runoff 4 gaining another kill.
Come on, dammit, you don’t get put in charge of a Heavy Cruiser without- THERE!
The Heavy Cruiser flinched, turning her bow away from the no longer stricken vessel, preparing for broadside.
The Captain’s grin showed more teeth than smile. “Execute! Full right thrust!”
“Full right thrust! Aye ma’am aye!” Her helmswoman called out as maneuvering thrusters dead cold roared to life and physically threw the vessel to the side, causing everyone not strapped in on the bridge to rock as a barrage of fire flew past their former location, manual targeting systems in play since the automatic systems would still be getting warmed up.
“Full thrust forward, prepare to divert all power to secondary weapons. Weapons, give me a firing solution.” Roshal commanded, hand raised and pointed at the enemy’s display as if she were commanding from a tall ship.
A chant of “Aye ma’am aye” flowed out across the bridge as the weaponsmistress was silent before calling out. “Port side is up to 45% secondary fires and 32% point defense. That’ll be our best bet.”
Roshal nodded. “Make it so. Target their main weapons. Helm, get us that facing.”
“Ma’am. We’re getting a call from Runoff 3. They are entering the AO and are asking for a target.”
Roshal smiled, “Weapons, shift target. Aim for the anti-aerospace systems. Let’s give Runoff 3 the opening they need.”
A clock ticked down.
//////////
“Cookie, we’ve got a targeting path.” Milk called forward. “Putting it up on your HUD.”
“One second… I’ve got it. Moving to comply. Did the Captain give us a plan?” her front seater replied, causing her stomach to do funny things as the Aerospace Fighter maneuvered while under high thrust.
“Something like that. She asked for a munitions report and specifically about our anti-shipping weapon.”
Cookie paused.
“Ah.” He finally said.
“Yeah.” She replied.
“Well, let’s hope they’re able to open us up to a window of opportunity. Or this will be a short charge.”
“Not our place to question why.”
“Just our place to do and die.”
Time to target… three minutes.
Into the valley of Death, rode the six hundred.
A clock ticked down.
//////////
Two vessels, three Aerospace fighters, one chance.
Six minutes of power remained. All actors took their places on the stage.
One hundred kilometers, close enough to check the weld quality of hull seams, the two ships danced across from each other. Maneuvering.
Five minutes of power remained.
The Karcharidon Heavy Cruiser rolled itself trying to keep the vulnerable top deck away from the Patrol Carrier’s presumably still working main gun as Roshal’s vessel jumped to the side. Thrusters roared.
Four minutes of power remained.
Runoff 1 and 4 shot towards their formerly separated comrade, forming up behind them in a wedge. The trio climbed towards the sun as their captain continued to chase and harass the Karcharidon.
Three minutes of power remained.
Roshal spoke. The lances of her vessel fired. Laser blasts carved across the hull of the enemy ship as it rolled.
The rolling ceased. A helmswoman swore as a full broadside caught the Patrol Carrier in the flank. The port hangar pod was ruined, armor shattered and all inside exposed to hard vacuum. Those who could scream died the fastest. The Interceptors had their opening.
Two minutes of power remained.
Silent wings swept through vacuum as three Interceptors began their dive, their formerly speedy arrowhead shape giving way to an inverted t as their wings swept out for stability, the ASF dove and dove and dove.
Five Kilometers away.
The range was too wide. They had one shot. It had to be perfect.
One minute of power remained.
The Into Harm’s Way spat its defiance into the world, limited power drained to give her pilots a seconds more of time.
30 seconds of power remained.
Three Kilometers.
Hard Lock! Milk shouted from the back seat of Runoff 3. Cookie was silent. The range was still too wide.
15 seconds of power remained.
Two Kilometers.
The Karcharidon seemingly began to roll before the Patrol Carrier once more fired, its last remaining weapons spouting their defiance against the world. Deep in engineering, systems began to blow, wires that replaced fuses sparked power and delicate circuit boards shorted out into useless scrap.
The lights went out.
No power remained.
Roshal, in her head, began to count down as lances of light began to sweep across her ship. Damage control did what they could, but the beams began to cut like an overly enthusiastic shipbreaker.
Five.
One Kilometer.
Four.
Cookie’s thumb depressed the firing stud as the Interceptor screamed at him.
Three.
The ASF launched its deadly payload.
Two.
Three Interceptors pulled back hard on their sticks to avoid colliding with the deck.
One.
The thruster of the anti-shipping missile roared as it rocketed the point blank aerospace distance to target.
Impact.
The armor piercing tip of the missile punched into the upper deck plating of the Heavy Cruiser, classified alloys allowing it to pierce into the armored plating just enough to allow the shaped charge to open up a hole as momentum kept the weapon moving.
Within the frame of a single second, the warhead of the missile had entered the ship and, before the alarms even had time to sound, detonated.
A new sun appeared in the void for a split second as a plasma-fusion warhead detonated inside the Karcharidon heavy cruiser’s hull.
//////////
Roshal allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief inside her head as the emergency power lights flickered overhead and the gravity ever so slightly lightened. What was left of their sensor arrays showed the enemy vessel powering down. “Engineering. Good work, your 10 minutes were just what she needed.” She called out, picking up the ship phone.
There was no answer from engineering.
She signed externally before pointing at one of the marines guarding the bridge, “Find a crewmate in a void suit. I have need of runners.” The marine clasped a fist to her chest before leaving to execute her captain’s commands. “Comms, do we have any contact with the engineering teams on the pirate hulk?”
The Comms officer held up a hand, Roshal waited, “No, ma’am. We aren’t getting- wait. We’ve got visual on flashing lights from the hull. Apparently, something shorted, so they’re having to rebuild broadcast arrays. They can receive just fine, though.”
“Good, once we can maneuver, bring us broadside of them. What’s the status of the merchant fleet?”
Navigation spoke up now, “Still heading for the Jump Point. Should we send the recall order?”
“Not yet, we are still unsure if the area is safe. If we have any sensors remaining, begin sca-”
The mentioned sensor technician interrupted Captain Roshal, “Ma’am, new contact, signature unknown. Just jumped in from outside the starlane!”
“Give me details. Course, range, and speed?” She demanded.
“Signal confused, can’t get a lock!” Navigation called out, “Can’t tell if confusion’s from them or us.”
Not another one… Roshal sighed, “All forces prepa-”
“Ma’am, we’re being hailed.” Communications called out.
“On squawk.”
“This is Captain Al’yosha Cal’rada of Her Imperial Majesty’s Ship Spear of the Knyaginya, responding to Merchant vessel distress calls. Imperial Patrol Carrier, are you in need of assistance at this time?”
Roshal recognized the voice. A junior officer from her days in the Navy and a fellow Sevastutavan. The memory of the fresh faced girl when she’d joined her as an Ensign straight of the Naval Academy flashed before her eyes. “Captain Cal’rada. Your timing is impeccable as always.”
“Admiral?” Roshal could hear the shock in her old protege’s voice.
“That’s Captain, now, Al’yosha. I require your aid in ensuring the disabled vessel still glowing from an ASM strike remains disabled along with Search and Rescue teams for our sister Carrier.
“Whatever you want, you’ll have it, Admiral_… Helm! All ahead flank and plot course to intercept. Launch gunships and prepare to deploy Bluejackets. We’ll test our _Orcas’ teeth today!”
The line cut out a moment later than it should have, and Roshal nodded in approval.
“Captain, I still don’t have a read on new contact. What is it?” Sensors asked.
“A Drep’na inspired vision, come to life.” Roshal watched, feeling an odd sort of parental pride as Al’yosha’s experimental warship began closing the distance towards the Karcharidon at breakneck speeds. “A swift sailing vessel and ten carriage guns…” Roshal murmured the line from an old Vaasconian poem from the ancient Age of Sail. She had heard Cal’rada had succeeded in petitioning the Navy to build her dream-ship, burning every favor and passing out favors to any and everyone to see the program through. Now, there she was, standing on the bridge bearing down on a ship twice her size, but if the rumors were true, only half her guns.
“Ma’am, contact is still not resolving, but IFF confirms Imperial Navy designation. An Akula Class Attack Transport. I’ve… I’ve never even heard of this class.”
“Perhaps we shall hear of them more in the future. Fortune favors the active.”
“Contact is disgorging multiple signals, moving at speeds consistent with aerospace assets.”
“That is our signal we may disengage. Comms, inform the merchant fleet that the area is secure and to begin refueling procedures. Helm, get us alongside the pirate hulk, we have people to recover. Marine, get me a runner to the MP’s, we shall need the port hangar prepared for an old tradition the Navy has regarding pirate prisoners…” Roshal commanded. The fight was over, it was time to begin the cleanup.
//////////
So… that took a while. Sorry about that.
Turns out when a combination of writer’s block, decision paralysis and LIFE hits you over the head, it becomes a touch difficult to get your shit together long enough to write something down.
On the plus side, we are out of the “unplanned bits” and right back into the parts I have brainstormed, so I won’t be staring at a screen trying to think how to make things connect as much anymore. On the other hand, that means we are now entering the epilogue of book 1 of Top Lasgun.
Don’t worry, the story isn’t ending, I’ve got “three” books plotted out in my head, so we’ll see how that shakes out, but for the most part, this is where I start wrapping up plot threads, laying down threads for what comes next, and all that other good stuff.
So yeah, next chapter is going to involve everyone wrapping up what happened here, some fun little Military Justice, and potentially a bunch of plot. Also, I’m planning on starting a “rewrite”/edited version of this to go up on AO3, so keep an eye out for that. Early installment weirdness is a bitch and I’m not proud of what the older stuff looked like.
Well, I hope you have a wonderful morning, afternoon or evening whenever you read this and I will see you next chapter.
[NEXT CHAPTER]

OCR data extraction involves extracting text from scanned documents and text images. These include financial documents, ID cards, passports, medical records, and more. Since these documents contain personally identifiable information (PII), securing OCR data extraction is imperative. Moreover, depending on the country you’re operating in, you may be bound by regulations like GDPR or CCPA to ensure data security. This is where biometrics identification can be beneficial.
Biometrics identification involves confirming the identity of a person through fingerprints, facial recognition or iris scanning. It can serve as a powerful technology to secure OCR-based data extraction security.
If you’re an Angular developer looking to secure your OCR data extraction functionality, this guide is for you. In this guide, we’ll explore how integrating biometric identification with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) can create a powerful system for robust security.

Enhancing OCR with biometric identification in Angular applications

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/0*gK5dLN9dWcEWf4U8.png align="left")

Security enhancement

Integrating biometric identification with OCR-based data extraction adds an extra layer of security. This integration in Angular apps can significantly enhance access control, identity verification, and authentication processes.
For example, the healthcare industry utilizes OCR to extract extra data from patient records and automate data entry. This digitization of patients’ documents helps improve patient care and streamline administrative processes. By integrating biometric identification, healthcare institutions can ensure the security of sensitive medical information.

Improved verification processes

Integrating biometrics with OCR has significantly enhanced the verification processes in various sectors. These include healthcare, finance, government services, etc.
For instance, the combination has strengthened the security process at airports. OCR is used to accurately extract information from documents like passports, visas, or ID cards. This data can include the traveler’s name, date of birth, passport number, and ID number. This information helps verify a person’s identity. Moreover, biometrics is used to confirm the identity of a person through their fingerprints or facial detection.
Thus, by combining OCR with facial recognition, airport security systems implement a multi-layered authentication process. This process significantly enhances security and reduces the risk of fraudulent activities, such as identity theft or document forgery.
Similarly, the banking/finance sector can utilize biometrics and OCR to prevent fraud. For instance, a fraudster can get access to a genuine customer’s checkbook and forge their signature. While the OCR will extract the person’s signature accurately, biometric authentication can prevent unauthorized transactions by confirming the identity through fingerprints or facial detection. This means even if OCR successfully extracts accurate data from forged or stolen documents, biometric authentication helps detect and prevent fraudulent activities.

Automation and efficiency

Another benefit of integrating OCR with biometric identification is that it automates and speeds up the authentication process. The manual verification process is time-consuming and prone to human error. This results in delays and inefficiencies.
Users can quickly authenticate themselves using biometrics, while OCR extracts relevant information from documents in real time.
Take, for example, a personal finance management app. Users can scan their receipts using OCR. They can then authenticate transactions using fingerprint or facial recognition. This automation reduces the need for manual data entry and verification. Thus, it saves time and enhances the user experience.

Choosing OCR and biometric solutions

When choosing an OCR software solution and a biometric solution for your Angular app, consider the following factors can help:

• Assess the OCR solution’s ability to extract data with high accuracy. Consider factors like algorithms used by the OCR engine (such as ML-based feature detection), its ability to handle a diverse range of fonts and complex documents efficiently, etc.
  
• Assess the processing speed of the OCR engine.
  
• Choose a scalable OCR solution.
  
• Assess the accuracy of the biometric solution.
  
• Check whether the biometrics solution supports the features you need. These can include fingerprints or facial detection.
  
• Evaluate the security of the OCR and biometric solutions.
  

Also read: Filestack OCR Guide for Text Extraction & Recognition.

Popular OCR and biometrics technologies for Angular

OCR solutions for Angular

![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/0*T-KidbL7LTU0rBcS.png align="left")

Tesseract.js

Tesseract.js is one of the most popular options when it comes to OCR for Angular. It is an open-source OCR library for JavaScript to perform data extraction from text images or documents. Essentially, Tesseract.js supports functionalities to process images and recognize text content. It provides the extracted text in a machine-readable format.
Tesseract.js is easy to integrate into JavaScript/Angular apps. Moreover, it utilizes the Tesseract OCR engine, which is widely recognized for its high accuracy.

AWS Textract

AWS Textract is a fully managed OCR service by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It leverages machine learning algorithms to extract text and data automatically from:

• Scanned documents
  
• PDFs
  
• Scanned images
  

You can integrate AWS Textract into Angular apps by using AWS SDK for JavaScript.

Biometric solutions

Crossmatch DigitalPersona SDK

Crossmatch DigitalPersona provides a U.are.U SDK. The SDK enables developers to add fingerprint capture and recognition capabilities to their apps. Crossmatch also offers a JavaScript API to integrate fingerprint identification into web apps. Apps can get fingerprint data from a compatible fingerprint reader connected to the user’s device.
Here are the key features of Crossmatch DigitalPersona SDK

• Supports automatic 1-to-many fingerprint identification
  
• Support various data formats, including an ISO fingerprint
  

Microsoft Azure Face API

Microsoft Azure Face API is a cloud-based facial detection and recognition service provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to detect, identify, and compare faces in images or videos, enabling biometric authentication based on facial features.

Filestack: A cloud-based solution

You can also utilize a cloud-based solution like Filestack to streamline your file management, delivery, image processing, and OCR processes. Filestack offers a diverse range of powerful tools and APIs for:

• File uploads
  
• File delivery through CDN
  
• Image processing and transformation
  
• OCR, facial detection, object recognition, and more.
  

Filestack also offers a specialized Angular SDK, which is updated for Angular 14. This enables developers to integrate Filestack service and functionality into their Angular apps seamlessly. “filestack-angular” is essentially a wrapper on filestack-js SDK. The Angular component supports almost everything that the filestack-js supports.

Filestack OCR

Filestack offers robust OCR capabilities as a part of its intelligence services. You can use the OCR via Filestack processing API.
Filestack’s OCR is powered by advanced machine learning models and neural networks to recognize and extract text with high accuracy. It has an advanced digital image analysis system, and it accurately detects features character by character. Additionally, Filestack OCR leverages sophisticated document detection and pre-processing solutions. This enables it to detect complex documents, including rotated, folded, and wrinkled documents.
The illustration below shows how Filestack OCR works:
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/0*2C0Kl7hsR_k3fm8X align="left")

Advanced image processing

Filestack supports a wide range of advanced image processing and enhancement techniques. These include:

• Image transformation, such as cropping, rotating, resizing, compression, and more.
  
• Various image filters and enhancements
  
• Facial recognition can be used as the foundation for building your own biometric verification systems.
  

Filestack preprocessing features can be used to enhance the images and improve the accuracy of OCR and biometric analysis. Moreover, Filestack utilizes a robust CDN to deliver images quickly and efficiently to users worldwide.

Filestack Security

Filestack implements robust security mechanisms to ensure your data is always secure and protected. Here are Filestack’s key security features:

• Filestack implements end-to-end encryption to encrypt data throughout its entire lifecycle.
  
• It adheres to GDPR.
  
• Filestack employs powerful authentication and authorization mechanisms for API calls. This ensures secure access to its services.
  
• Filestack employs “signature” and “policy” to enhance OCR security.
  
• It implements HTTPS encryption for its processing API.
  

Integrating OCR and biometrics into Angular applications

• Integrate an OCR library or API such as Tesseract.js or Filestack OCR into your Angular app.
  
• Configure the OCR library to pre-process images and extract required text from specified regions of interest.
  
• Implement core logic to extract text from images using the OCR library.
  
• Handle text extraction errors or inconsistencies efficiently. Provide feedback to users if text recognition fails.
  
• Integrate biometric functionality into your Angular app using a biometric API or library.
  
• data, such as fingerprints or facial images, from users.
  
• If you’re creating biometric functionality from scratch, implement biometric matching algorithms to compare captured biometric data (fingerprints or facial detection) against stored biometric templates.
  

Code snippets

Here, we’ll show you how to integrate Filestack File uploader in Angular apps and use Filestack OCR.
Install Filestack SDK:
xml npm install filestack-js npm install @filestack/angular
Include FilestackModule in app.module.ts:
```xml import { BrowserModule } from '@angulaplatform-browser';
import { NgModule } from '@angulacore'; import { AppComponent } from './app.component'; import { FilestackModule } from '@filestack/angular'; @NgModule({ declarations: [ AppComponent ], imports: [ BrowserModule, FilestackModule.forRoot({ apikey: YOUR_APIKEY, options: ClientConfig }) ], bootstrap: [AppComponent] }) export class AppModule {} ```
Use in .html file:
xml
You can then perform OCR on uploaded images using the following CDN URL:
xml https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/security=p:,s:/oc
You can also integrate an OCR library with a biometric module within an Angular component.
Here is an example of how Filestack OCR data extraction works:
Input image:
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/0*mZjcg9V9zmfdwVO6.png align="left")
Output:
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:754/0*ulGoNGaxFzXQvB9o.png align="left")

Building scalable and secure applications with Angular

• Leverage Angular’s component-based architecture to create modular and reusable components for image and document processing, OCR, and biometrics tasks.
  
• Implement lazy loading to load Angular modules and components dynamically as needed.
  
• Manage the app state efficiently. This is especially important for complex workflows and high-volume data processing tasks. You can utilize state management libraries like NgRx or Akita for efficient state management.
  
• Implement security best practices to safeguard sensitive data. These can include HTTPS for secure communication, data encryption, and proper authentication and authorization mechanisms for access control. This is especially crucial for OCR and biometric workflows as they deal with personally identifiable information.
  
• Implement robust error handling mechanisms to handle errors efficiently.
  

Conclusion

OCR data extraction involves extracting textual information or structured data from documents, such as financial documents, ID cards, and passports. This extracted data is often used for identification verification. However, this process can be at risk from fraudulent activities like forged documents or stolen identities. Fortunately, we can enhance the security of OCR data extraction with biometrics integration. This will ensure that even if OCR extracts information from stolen or forged documents accurately, biometric authentication will detect and prevent fraudulent activities.
Sign up for Filestack and leverage its OCR today for your business!

FAQs

What is the meaning of OCR extraction?

OCR data extraction means extracting text from scanned documents (printed or handwritten) and text images automatically.

What is the difference between data extraction and OCR?

In traditional data extraction, a person extracts information from documents manually. OCR automates this process using AI and ML-based feature extraction and text recognition algorithms.

How can OCR and biometrics improve the identity verification process?

The combination of biometrics identification and OCR data extraction can significantly enhance identity verification and business processes. OCR data capture can be used to verify identity from a scanned document like a passport or ID card. Biometrics confirms the identity of a person through fingerprints or facial detection. This adds a multi-factor authentication mechanism.

I was just returning back from another interview. It has been the third one this month.
I failed to make the cut yet again.
Life hasn’t been easy for an ex-soldier with the economic downturn currently underway.
The COVID pandemic had also wiped out all my savings.
So I was open to securing any job that would help me pay my bills.
I hadn’t eaten all day and just passed by a McDonalds. It was crowded and I thought to myself, ‘Let me just order a takeout’.
I could see a few vehicles waiting in front of me.
There was a guy in his motorcycle honking incessantly demanding the customer in front to keep it moving.
He was a tall man with long hair and clearly looked edgy and irritable. Both his arms were heavily tattooed. He stepped down from his bike and started to walk towards the car in front of him.
I couldn’t make out what he way saying but I could see the conversation was getting heated.
I got down from my car and walked towards the biker guy.
As I got closer, the biker banged on the hood of the car and was pointing his finger at the man threateningly.
The guy in the car was looking a little alarmed. He had a young boy seated next to him.
The woman working at the driveway counter appealed to the biker to maintain his cool. He would hear none of it.
She then proceeded to call the police and this made the biker more irate. He snatched the receiver from her and hit her face with it. She fell backwards and started bleeding from the nose.
The biker then proceeded to turn his gaze towards the man in the car. He opened the door and dragged the guy outside.
He drew his hand back to throw a punch at him.
I caught his arm from behind and kicked him hard in the shins. He yelped in pain and let go of the other man.
He then turned back angrily to take a look at me. He was wearing a black jacket with the name Kenny embossed in front.
I said, “Listen Kenny. I have had a really bad day. So you either stop this madness or I am going to break your bones.”
He snarled and threw a punch at me with all his might. I swerved to the right and ducked just in time, causing him to miss completely.
Next, he whipped out a switch blade from his pocket and lunged towards me with it. I side stepped him and counterattacked with a punch to his plexus. He went down on one knee.
I caught hold of his knife arm and ordered him to drop it.
“Drop the knife kenny!! This is your last warning”, I repeated.
He started to fidget with his other arm around his shoe. I realized he had another weapon hidden in his sock.
So before he could attempt anything else, I twisted his forearm and landed a crushing blow to his elbow. It snapped into two and he lay on the floor yelping in pain.
By this point, other people came forward to intervene and help with the situation.
As Kenny was being led away by the police, he kept staring at me with madness in his eyes.
“I am coming back for you. This is going to be the biggest regret of your life”, he yelled.
I didn’t care and started going back to my car.
Then the man who was threatened by Kenny came forward and shook my hand.
“Hi. I am Rupert. That is my son Henry”, he said.
I waved my hand at the boy and he waved back.
“I would like to thank you for what you did for me back there”, he said.
“You not only helped me maintain my dignity but also helped me save face in front of my son”, he continued.
“This means a lot to me as a dad” he said.
I nodded in acknowledgement not sure what I was to add to the conversation.
He then reluctantly asked,” Is there anything I can do to repay the favour? Please feel free to ask . Anything. I would be most grateful.”
I thought for a moment. I could see the man was wealthy.
“If it’s not too much of an ask, I would appreciate a job if available. If you feel that is difficult, no problem. Forget I asked. No worries.” I said.
He smiled back at me warmly. He reached into his pocket and handed me a card.
“Please come to my office tomorrow. We can talk” he signed off.
From that moment on, I became the personal bodyguard and chaperone of his 8 year old son Henry. We immediately hit it off and became pals. I looked after all his son’s travelling arrangements.
We would also go to McDonalds every week for his favourite Burger and fries. I later learnt that his father was a very wealthy man who made most of his money during the dot com bubble.
I also became friends with the female employee at the driveway counter who had earlier been attacked by that biker punk Kenny.
Her name was Stella and it didn’t take very long for the two of us to start dating.
With a fulfilling job and a loving girlfriend by my side, my life was finally back on track. I couldn’t be happier.
And then one day - it all came crashing.
Henry and I as usual visited the McDonalds joint and I was surprised to see Stella missing at the counter.
I asked the staff about her and they said she hadn’t turned up today.
I thought that was weird. She had stayed over at my place and I saw her leave for work in the morning.
I tried calling her number but it was unreachable.
I dropped Henry at home and headed towards Stella’s apartment.
She had given me a spare key and I opened the door with it. Everything was in its place.
I tried her number again. It remained not reachable.
I decided to go back to my apartment to check if she might be there.
When I reached the door, I could see the lock had been smashed. The door was left slightly open.
I took out my side arm and slowly entered the apartment.
I could see a life size figure of Ronald McDonald the clown sitting on my sofa.
The famous mascot was sitting cross legged with one arm resting on the backrest. Just like how he likes to sit on benches outside McDonald outlets all across the world.
I was a little taken aback, but quickly switched on the lights to take a closer look.
As I moved closer, my knees buckled under my own weight.
It was Stella. She was the one who was dressed as the clown.
There were injury marks around her neck. She had been strangled to death.
I managed to call the cops while still reeling from the shock.
I also noticed her right hand which was resting on her thigh, was close fisted. When I pried it open, there was a crumpled piece of paper inside.
It read -
“She was really begging me for mercy.
Where was soldier boy when she needed him huh?
Boo Hoo….I’m Lovin It!!
I’m Lovin it!!
Signed Yours Kenny”
I could feel a surge of anger envelop me. And yet I lay there helpless.
Had it not been for the surveillance cameras at the entrance of my home, I would have been in jail by now.
The police could clearly see Kenny carrying Stella’s body and breaking into my apartment.
They put out a nationwide notice for Kenny and he’s been on the run ever since.
Even after 2 months following Stella’s death, the police were not any closer to catching the culprit.
But I did apprise Henry’s dad of the situation. His life was also at risk after considering what happened to my girlfriend.
But our collective worry was for Henry. We didn’t want to see him suffer for no fault of his.
So I started training Henry to take his own safety seriously. I devised multiple safeguards to keep him protected while being outdoors. Always ensured that I was personally there to drop and pick him up from school.
My boss appreciated all that I was doing for his son. He knew I had taken Stella’s death hard.
He was a generous and compassionate man and I liked working for him.
Although he did notice I wasn’t my usual cheery self anymore.
One day when I was waiting at the office, he tossed the keys of his new car at me.
“This should perk you up. Take her for a spin” he said.
“And also go pick Henry up from school”, he finished as he left for a meeting.
I got down to the parking lot, and there she was … waiting. The new Bugatti Chiron.
I opened the door and took the driver’s seat. The fresh smell of the leather upholstery was already lifting my spirits.
‘Boss was right! I am perking up’, I thought to myself.
I drove around the block and stopped by McDonalds to pick up the usual order for me and Henry.
I felt a tinge of sadness when I could no longer see Stella at the counter.
Anyways, I picked the order and started my way towards school.
As I went past the restaurant, I saw an old jeep parked by the side of the road. I didn’t think much of it at that moment.
When I reached Henry’s school, I parked the car a few feet away from the entrance. A couple of minutes later, I noticed the same jeep I saw at McDonalds go past me and park 20 mts in front.
I would have never given it a second glance had I not spotted it at the restaurant.
The jeep had 3 passengers. They looked like bikers with tattoos, beard and long hair.
And then there was Kenny standing behind a tree to avoid detection. But I spotted him.
He was gesturing towards them to get ready. I could see his Harley parked just a few feet away.
They were planning some kind of ambush.
The school bell rang and the children were already out on the streets.
I could see Henry at a distance in the courtyard. He was slowly making his way towards the gate.
I immediately called him on the phone and told him to go to the Principals office and stay there. I made it clear under no circumstances was he to venture out until I gave him the all clear. He understood.
He was safe as long as he was within the school’s premises.
The next thing to do was move to another location. The children were already pouring onto the streets, and the last thing I wanted was to see a child getting hurt.
I started the car and went past the jeep before taking the next turn. I kept driving.
Few moments later, the jeep caught up with me and the driver violently swerved towards the left causing me to go off course. My car came to halt.
The guys quickly alighted from the jeep and they were all armed to the teeth.
Kenny came in his motorcycle and stopped his bike a few feet ahead of me. He took out his shotgun and had it aimed straight at my chest.
The firing started before I even had the time to react.
I instinctively ducked for cover with my eyes closed.
But in my heart, I knew my time was up!!
As the seconds went by, even with all those bullets being sent my way - my body felt strangely light.
‘Am I in heaven already?’ I thought to myself.
I slowly opened my eyes and tilted my head upwards to take a peak.
And I realized I was sitting in an armoured bullet proof car.
The entire biker gang were mad with rage, doing everything possible to penetrate that thick armour plate.
Kenny was barking orders at his gang to continue the onslaught. He then pointed his finger at me and yelled, “I am coming for you.”
I looked down at the seat next to mine and saw the takeout I had ordered.
Just to piss him off even further, I took out my Big Mac and slowly took a big bite.
I sat there in gastronomic bliss savouring my burger, while being under a continuous hail of bullets.
The firing suddenly stopped. Kenny the psycho was livid as hell - to see me have a good time.
I looked him in the eye while I took a sip of my favourite milkshake.
And then, continued to chomp on my burger.
He looked a little crestfallen at how his plan was misfiring and then frantically gestured his troops to keep at it. The firing started again.
But it didn’t last long. They eventually all ran out of ammo and his buddies began to flee the scene, as we could hear sirens at a distance.
The attack had taken a toll on the car. But it managed to withstand all that damage. All that firing.
A life saver!
I looked at Kenny again. Only one thought was running through my head now.
‘My Turn’.
I switched on the ignition and rammed the car straight into Kenny. He hit the bonnet hard while the car continued to race forward.
He was clinging on to dear life with his outstretched hands desperately clutching at the sides of the car.
Next in the demolition line, was his prized Harley Davidson.
I hit it full steam and watched it smash to smithereens - with parts scattering all across the road.
Then, I hit the brakes and Kenny was sent flying 10 feet forward.
After impact, he slowly staggered to his feet - all bloody and bruised.
His face was swollen like an apple.
He was pleading towards me with folded hands to show him mercy.
‘This is for Stella. And She’s lovin it’, I said out loud.
I hit the accelerator again.

Hello guys! I know I made a stupid mistake but please help me out.
So I have my laptop where in Outlook I had a previous work account logged in which wasn't getting removed even after I did everything. Today I found a new way to delete all Outlook info, which is by deleting registrykey data. But instead of deleting just Outlook keys, I deleted whole registry subkeys (hkey_current_usesoftware/microsoft/office) and now all my MS Office applications are all showing as unlicensed product which was not the case before. I currently do not have any active MS Office or 365 subscription since over a year, but it never showed unlicensed status before.
I googled further and it showed this might be because I deleted all the registry keys. Btw the office apps and windows came pre-installed in my laptop when I bought it 2 years ago, so I do not have a product key to enter when asked. When I login using my microsoft id, it takes me to subscription page and asks me to renew it.
I tried correcting it by doing a system recovery which restored the version of a week ago before recent updates, but it is still the same.
Please help me out. What can I do now?
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance! :)

Hey there!
We are using Intune App Protection and have blocked the use of third party keyboards.
There are however some users, which are using the Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard on their phones, and have asked if it can be whitelisted.
As it is a Microsoft developed application and they per all our other Microsoft usage already have access to our data, I do not see an additional thread in allowing them to use Microsoft SwiftKey.
When looking at our App Protection settings, I can see that I can only select between 'Allow' and 'Block'.
Is there any way we can allow a specific third party keyboard?
Thanks!

Hi, my dad had a Ford Focus Saloon/Sedan Ghia 1.6 2007. He recently passed away and there are items in the boot/trunk we need to retrieve, but the key fob and the battery are completely dead and the car is to be scrapped so its not worth investing in getting these fixed.
I've seen videos of a pull tag on some models, but can't see one in the boot. The car is unlocked, however the boot is locked and the latch to release won't work.
The items are too large to pull through the backseat, so I was wondering if there is a manual way to open the boot from the inside?

Hi, my dad had a Ford Focus Saloon/Sedan Ghia 1.6 2007. He recently passed away and there are items in the boot/trunk we need to retrieve, but the key fob and the battery are completely dead and the car is to be scrapped so its not worth investing in getting these fixed.
I've seen videos of a pull tag on some models, but can't see one in the boot. The car is unlocked, however the boot is locked and the latch to release won't work.
The items are too large to pull through the backseat, so I was wondering if there is a manual way to open the boot from the inside?

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Thursday, May 16th, 2024 Non-Real-Time Meeting of OA
Welcome to this non-real time meeting of Overeaters Anonymous! I'm u/Icame2Believe I’m a compulsive eater and your leader for this meeting. Will those who wish, please join me in the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength, and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology, or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.
Our Invitation to You
The Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous
Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight. Spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery is the result of living the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Step program.
The OA tools of recovery help us work the Steps and refrain from compulsive overeating. The nine tools are: a plan of eating, sponsorship, meetings, telephone, writing, literature, an action plan, anonymity, and service. For more information, read The Tools of Recovery OA page.
Sponsorship is one of our keys to success. Sponsors are OA members committed to abstinence and to living the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions to the best of their ability. Sponsors share their program up to the level of their experience and strengthen their recovery through this service to others. To find a sponsor, look for someone who has what you want and ask how he or she is achieving it. Will all abstinent sponsors please identify themselves in their post?
According to our Seventh Tradition, we are self-supporting through our own contributions. Our group number is 99038. Please use the group number when making your contribution. As our virtual group currently has no expenses please consider donating directly through this link to the OA World Service Office, who provides resources for OA groups all around the world to carry the message to other compulsive overeaters.
Suggested guidelines for sharing: As you share your experience and strength in OA, please also share your hope. Please confine your sharing to your experience with the disease of compulsive eating, the solution offered by OA, and your own recovery from the disease, rather than just the events of the day or week. When responding to other member’s posts, please focus on your personal experience rather than advice giving. If you are having difficulties, share how you use the program to deal with them. If you need to talk more about your difficulties and seek solutions, we suggest you speak to your sponsor and other members after the meeting.
**This is a literature meeting. Today we are studying the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Page *67
"Notice that the word "fear" is bracketed alongside the difficulties with Mr. Brown, Mrs. Jones, the employer, and the wife. This short word somehow touches about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn't deserve. But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling? Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to cause more trouble."
Closing By following the Twelve Steps, attending meetings regularly, and using the OA Tools, we are changing our lives. You will find hope and encouragement in Overeaters Anonymous. To the newcomer, we suggest attending at least six different meetings to learn the many ways OA can help you. The opinions expressed here today are those of individual OA members and do not represent OA as a whole. Let us all reach out by private message to newcomers, returning members, and each other. Together we get better.

We’re living in uncertain times. Our society is mired with issues. There’s inflation, and unaffordable housing. There’s the disappearance of good, well-paying jobs. There’s systemic inequality, inefficiency, and indifference.
So it’s normal that there’s been an uptick in people lamenting the futility of daily living—not just in the usual places like antiwork, adulting, and depression, but also here. It’s normal if you too are feeling a background refrigerator-hum of anxiety, mixed with a bleak ‘what’s the point of even trying?’ sentiment.
At its core, this is all rooted in a suffocating lack of freedom. We feel boxed in by societal expectations and norms. We feel condemned to a 40-year grind of a career—our options limited to either extremes of sedentary office work or back-breaking physical labor. We find ourselves in a meaningless rat race… which is bad enough as it is, but it’s also being worsened by societal issues, making it a struggle to even keep our heads above water as we witness others drown by the ruthlessness of it all.
It’s scary AF, so… we ‘act out’. We exert what little freedom we have. We do what we want when we want. Pitiful as it may be, our endless Redditing, YouTubing, and TikToking are acts of rebellion.
But that, of course, has a counterproductive effect. The system wants us to be good little consumers. It wants us to be distracted and docile—when we’re not frantically cramming in our work before a deadline. Procrastination is a feature of our system, not a bug.
So, how do we break out? How do we reclaim our freedom?
Restrictions.
It’s a giant paradox, but freedom is only achieved through restrictions.
My phone, for example, can run Waze, a banking app, and a few instant messaging apps. That’s about it. Because of the restrictions I set—which are impossible to remove or disable on a whim—I am precisely not free to do what I want, when I want. But by imposing such constraints, I have rendered myself free from all manipulations from Meta, TikTok, Google, Apple, and all the other tech/media companies that feed off my attention.
The same notion applies in a greater context.
By rigorously constraining my day—by blocking my email except during certain times, by using time management systems like timeboxing and the Pom-Loop method, by fixing strict do-not-disturb-me-unless-the-building’s-on-fire office hours—I am indeed imposing limitations on my freedom. But this has liberated me from the infinite whack-a-mole demands of “Shallow Work”: I am free from the impulse of checking my email 86 times a day. I am free from the need to know what’s happening with Trump at every waking moment. I am free to enter deeper, more productive, more meaningful, and more satisfying states of flow.
Ultimately, I have learned that being free is not “I want to do this and I want to do that, and—checks wrists for shackles—sweet, I can!”
Being free is “I control what I want. I control what I do. I control who I am.”
Put differently, freedom occurs when your desires and actions are aligned with your values.
You, as a well-adjusted human being, value being productive and contributing. You value focused work. You value being engaged and creative. You value stepping out of your comfort zone. You value giving much more than taking.
In short, you have a strong “work ethic,” which is simply the belief that work has value in and of itself.
The problem is that your subconscious desires have been hijacked. They are no longer oriented towards your values but towards the petty pursuit of instant gratification. Your doom-scrolling means you are made to see more ads. You seeing more ads means 'increasing shareholder value' for tech companies. And 'increasing shareholder value' means some dipshit in Palo Alto can buy a second Tesla and send their kids to private school.
In other words, your desires have been reoriented away from your values and towards the values of a few others. That’s why you are so repulsed at yourself and your behavior. That’s why you feel so utterly trapped.
Restrictions.
The way to freedom is through restrictions:

1. Cut out your damn vices. Get rid of them or else use IRON-CLAD (uninstallable, unalterable) website blockers and screen-time limits. Seriously, I’ve written an entire book predicated on the reality that our tech-vices—which provide shortcuts to survival-affirming rewards—are screwing us over royally. It's a poison-drip: we don’t notice what’s happening until it’s far too late.
2. Get a therapist. Now that you’ve cut yourself off from your vices—off the things you’ve been using and abusing to escape from reality—you’re bound for a torrent of repressed negative emotions and sensations. Expect days or even weeks of pain and discomfort. As I’ve written here before, you need to expect to feel worse before feeling better. Step 1 is not a mere “dopamine detox.” Don’t be that Keto dieter who jumps on a bandwagon trend without bothering to understand the intricacies of what they are doing, the impending consequences, and the required support system.
3. Wait. Just be. Seriously. All of us here on this sub are constantly being told to fix this and try that. We put so much pressure and expectation on ourselves it’s unreal. Good habits are good. Self-care is essential. Positive mindsets are key… but none of that should happen through force or coercion. Let yourself be. Let your desires gradually and naturally reorient themselves towards your values. Don't force it.
4. Plan—but don't expect. When you’re feeling motivated and primed to take sustained action, plan out your time as best you can. Set barriers and boundaries. Be clear about what you should do and when—but be careful not to set expectations. Expectations, when unmet with an equal measure of motivation (aka the capacity—not the will—to be productive), leads to stress and frustration, which leads to a need for relief through vices, which leads to an undoing of all your progress.

...
Just remember, by embracing restrictions, you can reclaim your freedom. You can realign your desires and actions with your deeper values, enabling you to live a more meaningful and fulfilled life. This journey requires commitment, understanding, support, and a willingness to endure the discomfort that comes with real change. But the reward—a life lived true to oneself—is immeasurably worth it.
All the best,
Simon ㋛

Imagine stepping into your office on moving day, surrounded by boxes and chaos. The thought alone can induce stress. But what if I told you there’s a way to navigate this transition smoothly? Let’s embark on a journey to master the art of packing your office for a seamless move.
Moving offices can be a daunting task, but with the right approach, it becomes a manageable endeavor. Whether you’re relocating your business to a new location or simply revamping your current space, packing efficiently is key to a successful move.

Assess Your Inventory:

Before diving into packing, take stock of your office belongings. Determine what items are essential and what can be discarded or donated. This initial step sets the foundation for an organized packing process.

Create a Packing Plan:

Develop a systematic approach to packing your office. Start by prioritizing items based on their importance and frequency of use. Consider labeling boxes according to their contents and destination within the new office layout.

Gather Necessary Supplies:

Stock up on packing materials such as boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, and markers. Having these essentials on hand streamlines the packing process and ensures your items are properly protected during transit.

Protect Sensitive Equipment:

Safeguard electronic devices and delicate equipment by wrapping them in protective materials like bubble wrap or foam padding. Moreover, be sure to label these items as fragile to prevent mishandling during the move.

Organize Files and Documents:

Sort through paperwork and files, discarding any outdated or unnecessary documents. Invest in sturdy file boxes or storage containers to keep important paperwork organized and easily accessible during and after the move.

Label Everything:

Clearly label each box with its contents and designated location in the new office. Also, this step facilitates efficient unpacking and helps movers or colleagues know where to place each box upon arrival.
Important tips: How to label moving boxes

Coordinate with Movers:

If hiring professional movers, communicate your packing plan and any specific instructions regarding fragile items or sensitive equipment. Collaboration with movers ensures a coordinated effort and minimizes the risk of damage during transit.

Maintain Accessibility:

Keep essential items and documents easily accessible throughout the packing process. Designate a specific area or box for crucial items such as office supplies, client files, and electronic devices needed for day-to-day operations.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, packing your office for a move doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By following these tips and utilizing a strategic approach, you can streamline the process and ensure a smooth transition to your new workspace. Remember, Premium Q Moving and Storage is here to support you every step of the way. With our expertise and dedication to excellence, we move lives, not just things. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with your office relocation needs.
Contact Your Favorite Local Movers
Experience a seamless moving experience with Premium Q Moving and Storage as your favorite local movers. Get your personalized quote:

• For Tampa: at (813)-733-4481, visit www.premiumqmoving.com/tampa-moving or contact us at [tampa@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:Tampa@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram u/tampamoving.
• For Boston: at (781)-549-8789, visit www.premiumqmoving.com or contact us at [sales@premiumqmoving.com](mailto:sales@premiumqmoving.com). Follow us on instagram @premiumqmoving.

Listen/Watch Life Beyond Boxes Podcast Episodes Below

Catch the latest episode of the Life Beyond Boxes podcast now! Tune in for captivating conversations and eye-opening insights:

• Listen on Apple Podcasts: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
• Listen on Amazon Music: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
• Listen on Spotify: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
• Listen on Boomplay: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast
• Watch on YouTube: Life Beyond Boxes Podcast

Don’t just exist – thrive! Listen to Life Beyond Boxes podcast now on your favorite podcast platform and embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Subscribe now for a smoother, stress-free move and a brighter new chapter in your life. Let’s go beyond boxes together!

So I've finally collected all the bunnies, got the office key, true ending, etc. I'm up above the well and I'm at the part where I have to decode a location or pathway to fly with the manticore.
The binary puzzles are a bit out of my wheelhouse, I had to learn how to count to decode the egg song, but then I got stumped again with the ears. I tried for a while to solve it on my own but I reached my limit sadly. I looked up some hints and I figured out how to read the ears to get the clues.
My question is, how did people realize that the first set ears represented the order of the bunnies, and the second set of ears represented the direction to fly? The guide on the techraptor site just says they figured it out, but I'm curious what the clue was for determining which ear pattern meant which answer.
Anyway, even though I didn't figure out the method myself, I still want to decode each pair of bunny ears myself and then see where that takes me. Love this game!

Hope someone has seen something similar... I'm trying to remove MS bloatware from computers in may company (same image & AD). Unfortunately the removal breaks. If I run in powershell
Get-AppxPackage -allusers -Name *bing* Remove-AppPackage
I get

Remove-AppPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073D19, An error occurred because a user was logged off.
Windows cannot remove Microsoft.BingWeather_4.31.11905.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe because the current user does not have that package installed.

After running
Get-AppxPackage -allusers -Name *bing* select PackageUserInformation
I found that for all packages not only *bing* there is a user UID that I cant identify.
{S-1-5-21-3103067861-1176872466-3194093299-1002 [S-1-5-21-3103067861-1176872466-3194093299-1002]: Installed}
The Get-LocalUser -SID for that user returns "User was not found" If I search in regedit that ID I get keys/velues/data in
https://pastebin.com/mu0T3BNs
but none gives information who the user actually is and Remove-LocalUser -SID also returns "User not found"
The key "DeviceId under
Computer\HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\IdentityCRL\DeviceIdentities\production\
seem to have a value that could be some encryption of username but none that I tried works.
Deleting all keys/velues/data feels like this could go terrible wrong or beak something in the future.
Any idea how to remove such stubborn packages ?

🔮 The Future of Work 🔮
🌟 As we stand on the cusp of a new era in the workplace, one thing is clear: the future of work is rapidly evolving and we must adapt to thrive in this dynamic environment. Here are some reflections on what lies ahead:
✨ Remote Work Revolution: The traditional 9-5 office model is shifting as remote work gains popularity. Embracing flexibility and remote collaboration tools will be key for success in the future.
✨ Rise of Automation: With advancements in technology, automation will reshape many industries. Upskilling in areas that complement automation rather than compete with it will be crucial.
✨ Importance of Soft Skills: While hard skills are essential, soft skills like adaptability, emotional intelligence, and creativity will be highly valued in the future workplace.
✨ Gig Economy Growth: The gig economy offers new opportunities for flexible work arrangements. Embracing this trend and leveraging your skills in a freelance capacity can lead to diverse and fulfilling work experiences.
✨ Emphasis on Well-being: Work-life balance and mental health awareness will continue to be at the forefront of workplace priorities. Prioritizing self-care and setting boundaries will be essential for long-term success.
✨ Collaboration Across Borders: Globalization is breaking down geographical barriers, opening up opportunities for international collaboration. Embracing cultural diversity and cross-cultural communication skills will be essential for navigating this new landscape.
🚀 The future of work is full of possibilities for those who are willing to adapt, learn, and embrace change. Are you ready to shape your future in this ever-evolving work environment? #FutureOfWork #Adaptability #EmbraceChange 🚀

Bit of background. I have had my firearms and shotgun license for years now, since I was a teenager. I'm a farmer and have my own land to shoot on. Now at grand old age of 30 me and the mrs are finally able to buy flat together and move out of home (yay). I'm worried about how the firearms officers view keeping guns in flats and if anyone has had experience with this I'd be grateful for your input. My main concerns are the common areas you'd have to carry the guns through (in cases obviously) and that there are no solid brick walls to fix the safe to.
Alternatively is it possible for the guns to stay where they are currently and I keep the keys with me. Essentially can I keep them at an address I do not live? No person still living there will be able access the safe.
Thanks for any advice

Vladimir Putin has landed in Beijing for a two-day state visit, where he was greeted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping with a red-carpet welcome and a full military band. The trip will build on their commitment to the "no limits" relationship they signed at the Winter Olympics in 2022, just before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As Russia becomes isolated from the West on the world stage, it has sought to boost trade in the East and elsewhere, helping prop up its economy in the face of sanctions.
Quote: "Relations between Russia and China are not opportunistic and not directed against anyone," Putin declared. "Our cooperation in international matters is one of the stabilizing factors in the international arena." Xi echoed the sentiment, adding that China will "work together to achieve the development and rejuvenation of our respective countries" and "to uphold equity and justice in the world."
Trade between the two nations has soared to record levels, rising 26% last year to $240B and hitting targets ahead of schedule. Russia has even overtaken Saudi Arabia as China's main oil supplier, while the latter sends back key commodities, vehicles and other consumer goods. Trade has also seen Russia's economy top expectations to expand by 3.6% in 2023, according to the IMF, despite Western efforts aimed at draining the Kremlin's war coffers.
Reaction? Wall Street Breakfast ran a survey last November, and again this week, on how the U.S. should manage its economic relationship with China. The biggest changes over the past six months showed that more subscribers have less faith in rapprochement and trade deals (24% to 15%), while a greater number believe decoupling and sanctions are the way to go (11% to 19%). It's noteworthy as Washington has recently threatened additional sanctions on Chinese banks and entities that handle Russian trade involving dual-use goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. How does all of this factor into your investing decisions? Join the discussion in the comments section.
Soft CPI Thought the Fed was only data dependent? Guess again. Data-centric traders celebrated in style after April's Consumer Price Index increased by 0.3% from March, easing from the +0.4% pace seen in the previous three months. The print, which meant inflation is still running well above the 3% level on an annualized basis, helped push Wall Street indices to new record highs, with the S&P 500 (SP500) crossing 5,300 for the first time ever. Meanwhile, retail sales came in flat, while regional business activity cooled further, suggesting the Fed could ease monetary policy earlier than expected. (119 comments)
Secret stake It's 13F season, where hedge funds with at least $100M in assets under management reveal their holdings. The flurry of filings sheds light on what they bought and sold during the quarter, but investment managers can also make special requests to regulators to keep some of their stakes confidential. Insurance-focused Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) just revealed one of those positions, disclosing a prior $6.7B stake in Chubb (CB), with market participants sending the stock up 8% AH on Wednesday as some looked to copy the successful picks of Warren Buffett. Other 13F highlights include filings from Bill Ackman's Pershing Square, Michael Burry's Scion and David Tepper's Appaloosa. (33 comments)
Battle of the skies AT&T (T) is teaming up with AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) to bring satellite internet connectivity to cell phones. The news sent ASTS up 36% in premarket trading this morning, with the space-based broadband network deal set to last until 2030. Other telecom operators have also ventured into the market. T-Mobile has a similar deal with SpaceX (SPACE), while Verizon (VZ) previously partnered with Amazon's (AMZN) Project Kuiper for connectivity solutions. Apple (AAPL) has also been offering satellite-to-cellphone emergency services on its iPhones since 2022. (43 comments)
Today's Markets
In Asia, Japan +1.4%. Hong Kong +1.6%. China +0.1%. India +0.9%. In Europe, at midday, London -0.2%. Paris -0.4%. Frankfurt -0.3%. Futures at 7:00, Dow +0.1%. S&P +0.1%. Nasdaq +0.2%. Crude -0.2% to $78.49. Gold -0.3% to $2,388.80. Bitcoin +5.4% to $66,165. Ten-year Treasury Yield unchanged at 4.34%.
Today's Economic Calendar
8:30 Housing Starts and Permits 8:30 Initial Jobless Claims 8:30 Philly Fed Business Outlook 8:30 Import/Export Prices 9:15 Industrial Production 10:00 Fed’s Barr Speech 10:00 Fed's Barkin Speech 10:30 EIA Natural Gas Inventory 10:30 Fed's Harker Speech 12:00 PM Fed's Mester Speech 3:50 PM Fed's Bostic Speech 4:30 PM Fed Balance Sheet
Companies reporting earnings today »
What else is happening...
GameStop (GME), AMC (AMC)? Meme rally is cooling off big time.
First Solar (FSLR) pops after trade probe into Asian solar imports.
Netflix (NFLX) ad plan tops 40M users; NFL deal in the bag.
Microsoft's (MSFT) emissions rise amid surging AI demand.
BOJ rate hike? Trouble as Japan's economy keeps shrinking.
Disney (DIS) flags spending cuts on marketing, traditional TV.
Networking: Cisco (CSCO) raises guidance after latest results.
Morgan Stanley highlights Dell's (DELL) AI server and storage.
China's NIO changing global strategy as U.S., EU tariffs loom.
Check out the latest hot dividend picks by Seeking Alpha analysts.

I am currently Browsing the Vintage Software Collection and after turning off the Collections category, the first thing I see instead of actual Vintage Software, a lot windows 10, 11 , recent Microsoft Office versions etc. that don't belong in the collection. Most seem to be in The CD-ROM Images Sub Collection because they are ISOs. I'm not sure if you can remove Items from The Parent Collection without removing it from the Sub Collection, but if you can, then the person adding these uploads to that collection either didn't have the right permissions to so, thought it to complicated to do that or was too lazy to do it

Hi, let's start off by saying that I don't know a lot about keyboards. However, I'm in search of a mechanical keyboard that doesn't make a lot of noise.
Backstory:
I work as a Linux engineer, typing extensively in black terminals all day. My employer provided me with a cheap Microsoft (ugh) keyboard two years ago, and I dislike it. Unfortunately, we don't have the budget to personalize our workspaces with accessories that suit our preferences and increase productivity. I considered bringing a keyboard from home, but I only own ones with very loud blue/brown switches. Therefore, I'm in search of a new one that's quiet but still provides a similar feel to blue/brown switches. Ideally, it shouldn't be too expensive (around 100 euros) since I'll be purchasing it out of my own pocket.
Could have (not musts): Size 60%-80% (would be nice to have separate f-keys) wired color: not to bright, office environment layout: US ( maybe a replacement key for the Microsoft button :) )