Originally for the prompt "I don't wanna fight you, low-level bandit." Says the Lv.100 Hero, who killed the embodiment of space-time. "I wouldn't want to fight me, neither." Says the low-level bandit.
There's an art to robbing heroes. Pick-pocketing can work, but it's best to stick to the wizards with that. Too many warriors can feel nearby people, or smell bad intentions, or hear the beat of your heart, or have any other number of ridiculous senses that make very little sense when you think about them for more than a moment. That's how they got my first partner. Poor Rook.
Similarly, traps are an option, but chancy. Most heroes have been trapped many, many times, and obviously they got out of all of them, or they'd be called ex-heroes. And they always escape at the worst possible time, usually while you're weighed down with their piles and piles of gold and can't run away quick enough. That's how they got my second partner. Poor Rip.
Financial crimes are the safest, until they suddenly aren't. A violent bunch, heroes are. Your normal businessman will take you through the courts, giving you time to run away. A hero is just as likely to respond to light embezzlement with a lightning bolt, before you even know they're on to you. Poor Rob.
The most dependable method, of course, is the same as with anyone else. Beat them up and take their stuff. Heroes have an innate respect for forcibly taken property rights, seeing as they tend to be pro-looting themselves. If you defeat them fair and square and then rob them, they're far less likely to hunt you down and kill you later. Naturally, the only problem with this strategy is the aforementioned "beating them".
A violent bunch, heroes are, and they tend to be terrible at scaling back their power. More than one enterprising bandit has been turned into a smear, because the hero was too used to fighting dragons or giants and didn't remember how hard to hit a person when they want to take them alive.
But there is a work around.
Which is how I found myself waiting outside the Dungeon of Lepus Mortifer. The hero had gone in a week ago, and I drew my dagger with a grin as he staggered out. His sword was battered and missing the tip, his armor had more holes than coverage, and if all that blood was his, I'd be grave-robbing him by the time I finished my spiel.
"Hand over all your gold," I growled, tossing my dagger from hand to hand. It was a practiced move, and scared everyone. Well, almost everyone; a few laughed, but they weren't laughing now.
The hero was neither scared nor amused, and just kept trudging forward.
"Oi!" I darted in front of him, making sure to block his way. "I said, hand over all your gold. Or else."
He nearly walked into me before he noticed I was in the path. Slowly, he raised his gaze and let out a low groan. "Really? A robber? A low-level robber? Don't you know who I am?"
"Of course!" I was rather offended that that last question. Who did he think I was? "Wouldn't be much point in robbing you if I didn't know you were rich. Now, your gold, hand it over, all of it, or else."
"Look, buddy, it's been a long day, and I don't wanna fight you."
I chuckled. "I wouldn't want to fight me neither. Of course it's been a long day. That's why I picked it!"
He waved vaguely to the side, exhaustion clearly weighing down his limbs. "Look, just step out of the way and I'll pretend this didn't happen."
"I will, I will," I said agreeably. "But first, your gold." I poked my dagger at one of the holes in his armor for emphasis.
The hero sighed. "And I can't talk you out of this?"
"Nope."
"Please?"
"Never."
"Pretty please with a--"
"Gold. Now. Every coin."
A strange gleam entered his eye, and I tamped down my nerves. No one walked out of this dungeon with any tricks left; that was why I'd waited for him to enter the Dungeon of Lepus Mortifer, after all. Still, I braced for trouble as he said, "All my gold, you said?"
I didn't like the tone his voice. It sounded... off. There was too much happiness, and not enough 'oh no, I'm being robbed' in the words. But he was complying, so I nodded.
"Yep, all of it."
"Every coin?"
"Yes." This was taking too long, so I tossed my dagger back and forth again for emphasis. "Now, please."
The hero smiled, and I gulped. That was Heroic Smile Number 13, 'Pleasure at another's ironic misfortune'. I'd last seen that smile just before a hero threw my partner Jack a hundred feet straight up when he told them to put their hands up. Poor Jack.
Of course, everyone remembers him by a different name now. Poor Flapjack.
I was beginning to think that this was a bad idea, and was contemplating making a run for it, when the hero said, "As you wish."
"Don't throw me!" I screamed. "I don't want to be a pancake." I closed my eyes and cowered to the ground. When nothing happened, I peeked. The hero still had that cursed smile on his face, but I was alive, and not flying. Then a sound made me look up.
He had given me all his gold, it seemed. All of it. And it was falling quickly.
I did end up a pancake, after all.

"Star Trek's diverse cast and uplifing themes make it deserving of the prestigious Peabody Award for promoting empathy and understanding. Iconic Star Trek episodes such as "The Inner Light" and "The Visitor" showcase timeless storytelling and emotional depth that resonate with fans. The series continues to reflect on important social issues through episodes like "Far Beyond the Stars" and "The Measure of a Man," exploring themes of humanity."
Since Star Trek: The Original Series began in 1966, the franchise has always celebrated the best of humanity, with its diverse cast of profoundly empathetic characters. The primary mission of the Starship Enterprise and her crew has always been exploration, and the United Federation of Planets is a peaceful coalition of peoples from all over the galaxy. Star Trek won the Peabody Award "for its enduring dedication to storytelling that projects the best of humanity into the distant future," and few franchises embody the spirit of the awards so well, as evidenced by these 10 Star Trek episodes and movie.
10) "Face The Strange" (Discovery 5x4)
09) "The Last Generation" (Picard 3x10)
08) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
07) “Ad Astra Per Aspera” (SNW 2x2)
06) "Darmok" (TNG 5x2)
05) "Far Beyond The Stars (DS9 6x13)
04) "The City on The Edge Of Forever" (TOS 1x28)
03) "The Visitor" (DS9 4x2)
02) "The Measure Of A Man" (TNG 2x9)
01 ) "The Inner Light" (TNG 5x25)
[...]"
Rachel Hulshult (ScreenRant)
Link:
https://screenrant.com/star-trek-episodes-movies-deserve-peabody-award/

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Dialog Key:
[Translated]: Dates, Units of Measurement, or other Grammatical terms will be retrofitted to be legible for readers while still staying true to their definition
{Exposition}: Immediate context regarding events, People, Entities, or other key points that allow for understanding amongst different cultures.
...This vicious defeat sobered up the command of the Dekarr as they swiftly began commissioning countermeasures for these Argo ships. But how do you stop a hive-minded, indestructible drone swarm? At first, it was easy for the Dekarr to turn to their [Dyson swarms] to wipe out the Argos, but military strategists were concerned with the [M.A.D.] principle which was confirmed to be within the Human’s understanding and vocabulary and had been for thousands of years. They didn’t want to risk the lives of trillions for one single ship.
So the Mammals scrapped the genocide option and sent out a broadcast commissioning ideas to deal with the Human Drone Swarms, because soon enough the Human Fleets would power through the Commonwealth systems’ FTL inhibitors, and this would no longer be an offensive war. Oddly enough, the answer came from the Humans themselves. Well, not the Terran Conglomerate or Neptune Confederacy of course, but from something the Humans referred to as a “Corporate Enterprise”, named “Descon Industries™”. They offered a weapon capable of punching through the Argo Ships and their drone swarms, in exchange for a few favors in the future.
The Dekarr were more than willing to pay whatever price in their moment of desperation. They couldn’t afford this political massacre if they lost this war, how they would be mocked in the Galactic Community if their war of humiliation was turned on them. They eagerly purchased the designs for a large swath of technology and resources, not questioning how casually these Humans were willing to stab their own species in the back for a quick [profit]. But by the time the first of these powerful “M.A.C.” weapons were synthesized and attached to their battleships, the Humans had successfully taken one of their outer system’s void space, what’s worse is that a well-established colony was in that system, and it was currently being raided by the Human Forces.
The Transmissions and battle recordings from Gespoliin {Outer trade colony, located ~[26,273 ly] from the Galactic Center} raised another dilemma, The Humans seemed to counter and overwhelm every tactic the garrison commanders would throw at them. Linemen, Trench warfare, Artillery rains, Nothing stopped the Humans. Their technology, while primitive was insane, savage, archaic, and ruthlessly effective! Ballistic ordinance, something that was traditionally scarcely used on mobile artillery apparatus or heavy war machines, was standard-issue assault weaponry for the humans, Micro-artillery cannons nestled in the arms of the Humans that often fired just as fast, if not faster, than our own standard-issue phaser rifles! The Commonweath’s best Generals and Strategists worked tirelessly to decipher these tactics, but their technology simply couldn’t be retrofitted quickly enough to employ these tactics! Humans may have been primitive but their weapons worked with a different purpose, a purpose that was fulfilled with vicious efficiency.
The Dekarr Reached out to Descon Industries once more and asked if they could provide military solutions for ground-based combat. Descon Industries said that they could not help, as they were Naval Contractors and Arms Manufacturers, However, they did refer the Commonwealth to what the Humans referred to as a “Private Military Company” dubbed “Dynamo Security Contractors”, which we later learned was just another off-shoot of Descon Industries. “Franchising” was not in the vocabulary of any Pan-galactic Enterprises, so nobody glanced twice at the corporate monopoly. Traditionally as a Corporation, you are either specialized or Generalized, from start to bankruptcy, unless of course, you’re Human in origin, because you can come up with an Idea so ridiculous as ‘franchising’ and get away with it.
And get away with it they did, The Dekarr happily rented out the entirety of the PMC after learning it shared the definition of a glorified Mercincary Enclave like so many you would find across the galaxy looking for petty work.
And so, the Dynamo Forces arrived on a Nearby colony moon within the Uved System {The System Housing the Trade colony of Gespoliin} and prepared for an assault alongside 18 million Commonwealth Soldiers on the besieged colony that was just barely holding onto its ground control. After seeing how disorganized and primitive the Commonwealth’s ground strategies were, the PMC strategists offered to assume command over their forces, though they were swiftly turned down by the Commonwealth Generals, thinking they only needed Human weaponry and soldiers to solve their problems, not their strategists. At this point, many still believed the Humans were winning because of hubris and dumb luck, not technology or tactics.

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temporary, ten, tend, tendency, tennis, tension, tent, term, terms, terrible, territory, terror, terrorist, test, testimony, testing, text, than, thank, thanks, that, the, theater, their, them, theme, themselves, then, theory, therapy, there, therefore, these, they, thick, thin, thing, think, thinking, third, thirty, this, those, though, thought, thousand, threat, threaten, three, throat, through, throughout, throw, thus, ticket, tie, tight, time, tiny, tip, tire, tissue, title, to, tobacco, today, toe, together, toilet, token, tolerate, tomato, tomorrow, tone, tongue, tonight, too, tool, tooth, top, topic, toss, total, totally, touch, tough, tour, tourist, tournament, toward, towards, tower, town, toy, trace, track, trade, tradition, traditional, traffic, tragedy, trail, train, training, transfer, transform, transformation, transition, translate, translation, transmission, transmit, transport, transportation, travel, treat, treatment, treaty, tree, tremendous, trend, trial, tribe, trick, trip, troop, trouble, truck, true, truly, trust, truth, try, tube, tunnel, turn, TV, twelve, twenty, twice, twin, two, type, typical, typically, ugly, ultimate, ultimately, unable, uncle, undergo, understand, understanding, unfortunately, uniform, union, unique, unit, United, universal, universe, university, unknown, unless, unlike, until, unusual, up, upon, upper, urban, urge, us, use, used, useful, user, usual, usually, utility, utilize, vacation, valley, valuable, value, variable, variation, variety, various, vary, vast, vegetable, vehicle, venture, version, versus, very, vessel, veteran, via, victim, victory, video, view, viewer, village, violate, violation, violence, violent, virtually, virtue, virus, visibility, visible, vision, visit, visitor, visual, vital, voice, volume, voluntary, volunteer, vote, voter, voting, wage, wait, wake, walk, wall, wander, want, war, warm, warn, warning, wash, waste, watch, water, wave, way, we, weak, weakness, wealth, wealthy, weapon, wear, weather, web, website, wedding, week, weekend, weekly, weigh, weight, welcome, welfare, well, west, western, wet, what, whatever, wheel, when, whenever, where, whereas, whether, which, while, whisper, white, who, whole, whom, whose, why, wide, widely, widespread, wife, wild, wildlife, will, willing, win, wind, window, wine, wing, winner, winter, wipe, wire, wisdom, wise, wish, with, withdraw, within, without, witness, woman, wonder, wonderful, wood, wooden, word, work, worker, working, workout, workplace, works, workshop, world, worried, worry, worth, would, wound, wrap, write, writer, writing, wrong, yard, yeah, year, yell, yellow, yes, yesterday, yet, yield, you, young, your, yours, yourself, youth, zone.

"Janeway was the most accomplished captain in the universe. [...] Jean-Luc Picard Is a Diplomatic Force Who Upholds Starfleet Morality [...] Where other captains turned to protocol or reason, Kirk was driven by his gut and his emotions. This was often an asset, but sometimes a detriment.
Burnham is the only captain fans have watched go from no rank to command, and that journey makes her great. Of course, she's as bad as Captain Kirk when it comes to violating the Starfleet rule about ship captains going on away missions. Captain Burnham knows when to apply force and when to act with compassion. Once she arrived in the 32nd Century, she rededicated herself to Starfleet and the Federation, standing as one of the best examples of heroism and leadership they have."
Joshua M. Patton (CBR)
https://www.cbr.com/every-star-trek-series-captain-ranked/
CBR:
"A starship is only as good as her captain, and the same can be said for any Star Trek series. Luckily for the universe created by Gene Roddenberry six decades ago, there is no shortage of good captains to go around. The real question to consider is what exactly makes a "good" Star Trek captain? [...]
1) Janeway
Kathryn Janeway Is Starfleet's Most Impressive and Important Captain
In the first episode of Star Trek: Voyager, Captain Kathryn Janeway stranded her ship and crew 75,000 light-years from home to save the lives of an alien race who only lived nine years. Once caught in this hopeless situation, she integrated Maquis rebels into her crew and maintained Starfleet discipline when any other captain would've faced mutiny. She remained steadfastly committed to Starfleet ideals on her mission to get the crew home, despite the personal guilt and depression she felt because of her decision. With no Starfleet superiors to turn to for guidance or help, Janeway was the most accomplished captain in the universe.
Janeway was the first captain to make an alliance with the Borg, even saving a number of drones when that wasn't thought possible. Later, after violating the Temporal Prime Directive, she was able to get her crew back home and dealt a near-fatal blow to the Borg Collective in the process. Later, in Star Trek: Prodigy she faced her fear and traveled back to the Delta Quadrant to find and rescue Chakotay, her former first officer. While remaining a tough, demanding captain, Janeway became a mother figure to the crew of the USS Voyager and the USS Protostar. Starfleet is full of impossibly awesome heroes, but even among them Janeway stands alone.
[...]
2) Kirk
James T. Kirk Is the Very Model of a Modern Starfleet Captain
In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Leonard McCoy perfectly summed up what made James T. Kirk a quintessential Starfleet captain. "You did what you always do," he said to him after the destruction of their beloved USS Enterprise, "turn death into a fighting chance to live." Of all the captains on this list, Kirk was the best at balancing his role as quasi-military leader, explorer and friend to his crew. He inspired loyalty in his friends and enmity from his foes.
Where other captains turned to protocol or reason, Kirk was driven by his gut and his emotions. This was often an asset, but sometimes a detriment. Still, even when his emotions dominated his actions, like with the Klingons in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, he eventually did the right thing. He was deeply committed to Starfleet while remaining something of an outsider. He was a bit of a cowboy, from his eagerness for a fight to his penchant for romance. In Generations, Kirk was in "heaven" but he chose to leave that eternal paradise to help a fellow captain of the USS Enterprise.
3) Sisko
Benjamin Sisko Was a Captain, a Father and a Prophet
Benjamin Sisko should've been a captain from the second he appeared on the screen. He carried an authority and grit that no previous Starfleet commander had. He also had the unenviable responsibility of being the "lead" captain of a series when Starfleet was at war. Captain Sisko was a driven leader who made compromises when needed, specifically in the episode "In the Pale Moonlight." Yet, he was still a paragon of Starfleet, serving as an inspiration to many, not the least of whom was Nog, the first Ferengi in Starfleet.
Where Sisko truly excelled was as a father and a reluctant religious leader for the people of Bajor, not a Federation planet. In fact, because of his commitment to them through the prophets, he actively prevented Bajor from joining the Federation. This ultimately saved them when the Dominion War broke out. He continued to serve after his personal tragedy at Wolf 359, but his central priority was to his family, specifically his son Jake. Captain Sisko isn't just the best father in Star Trek, but perhaps one of the best 1990s TV fathers ever.
4) Picard
Jean-Luc Picard Is a Diplomatic Force Who Upholds Starfleet Morality
Captain Jean-Luc Picard was the second Star Trek commanding officer fans got to spend time with, and he was very different from his predecessor. Unlike Kirk, Picard mastered the art of delegation and leveraging the talents of his crew to address specific problems. He kept himself at a distance, for reasons which weren't fully explained until Star Trek: Picard Season 2. Still, he was the captain who didn't just continue the Starfleet mission, but also carried Star Trek beyond the original crew that defined it. Picard also had his flaws.
Captain Picard resigned from Starfleet for moral reasons, which took courage. However, there is an argument to be made that in leaving the organization behind, he removed himself from the only position where he could solve its problems. Even though his brief assimilation by the Borg wasn't his fault, he probably should not have remained in command after that. As both First Contact and Picard proved, he held onto unresolved trauma because of it. Yet, no matter what Jean-Luc Picard does, he can't help but be a true hero.
5) Burnham
From Mutineer to the Center Seat, Captain Michael Burnham Flies High
While it surprised fans to learn Michael Burnham was the secret sister of Star Trek's most famous Vulcan, her Season 1 mutiny was very like Spock. The first three seasons of Discovery followed Burnham on her path to redemption. In the 32nd Century, Burnham finally took her rightful place in command. Of course, she's as bad as Captain Kirk when it comes to violating the Starfleet rule about ship captains going on away missions.
Captain Burnham's brash confidence and certainty in the rightness of her actions are qualities captains are lauded for but play differently when the character isn't in command. Captain Burnham knows when to apply force and when to act with compassion. Once she arrived in the 32nd Century, she rededicated herself to Starfleet and the Federation, standing as one of the best examples of heroism and leadership they have. Burnham is the only captain fans have watched go from no rank to command, and that journey makes her great.
[...]
7) Archer
Captain Jonathan Archer Was the Starfleet Prototype
He was almost impossibly stubborn, leading him to make almost as many mistakes as he did victories. During the Season 3 war arc on Enterprise, Captain Archer made ethical compromises such as attacking innocent vessels for parts or torturing a prisoner for information.
For all those flaws, Captain Archer showed the galaxy the best of humanity more often than he didn't. His sense of fair play endeared humanity to other species in the galaxy, leading directly to the creation of the Federation. There was no blueprint for him to follow, and he also had to deal with time-travelers trying to alter history for the worse. His willingness to challenge authority and confront political taboos proved that humanity made the galaxy a better, more compassionate place."
8) Carol Freeman
Captain Carol Freeman Is the Best Captain on Lower Decks
The crew on Star Trek: Lower Decks are, first and foremost, truly cartoonish characters in what is ostensibly a workplace comedy. They are able to be more reckless, less efficient and just plain sillier than most figures in this universe. With all that in mind, Captain Carol Freeman of the USS Cerritos isn't all that bad at her job. She is a careerist, which isn't often an admirable quality in Star Trek. In other series, her mistakes or the things she allows the crew to get away with, would be almost unforgivable.
Thankfully, like the rest of the Star Trek misfits on Lower Decks, in context, Captain Freeman has the heart of a true Starfleet hero. Despite the bumbling Admiral she was paired with, Captain Freeman helped bring a former Federation enemy, the Ferengi, into the fold. When she was framed at the end of Season 2 and arrested, her faith in Starfleet never wavered. Lastly, no matter how badly her crew screws up, Captain Freeman never loses faith in their ability or willingness to do the right thing. While this might not earn her a Starfleet promotion, it does earn the kind of undying loyalty from the crew all good Star Trek captains enjoy.
[...]
11) Lorca
The first captain of the USS Discovery, Gabriel Lorca would rank even lower if he could. Arguably, the revelation Captain Lorca hailed from the Mirror Universe was a big twist in Discovery Season 1, that may have hurt the show. As many fans and crewmembers alike noted that first season, under his command, the vibe was off. Still, as much as Lorca did not represent the best Starfleet had to offer, he has his merits.
His creepy affection for Michael Burnham led to her reinstatement, and she was able to stop the Federation-Klingon War she was blamed for starting. In the beginning of the series, the officers serving on the USS Discovery were not a cohesive crew. He forced them to work together, uniting the disparate group with a common purpose. Lorca's utter disregard for Starfleet ideals inadvertently guided the crew into an even stronger commitment to them.
[...]"
Joshua M. Patton
Full Ranking:
https://www.cbr.com/every-star-trek-series-captain-ranked/

In SNW: “Those Old Scientists”, the following facts are established:

• Horonium is an element that powers the time portal on Krulmuth-B
  
• Horonium was once used in the hulls of NX-class starships, officially because it was durable, lightweight and was just the right shade of gray
  
• The portal on Krulmuth-B had Nausicaan writing which said, “This is a time portal”
  

The name horonium, as I pointed out in my annotations, comes from the Greek hōra - the root word for horology, the art of constructing watches or clocks. This cannot be a mere coincidence. We can reasonably surmise, therefore, that whoever coined the name for it was aware of its uses in relation to temporal technology.
So the following questions raise themselves:

• Why was horonium used in the hulls of NX-class starships and not anywhere else? What made the NX-class special in that regard?
  
• Did the Nausicaans really build the portal on Krulmuth-B thousands of years ago?
  
• Why does the Nausicaan writing simply say, “This is a time portal”?
  

So here’s what I think: the Nausicaans didn’t build the time portal thousands of years ago. That being said, they did discover it at that time and figured out its nature - that’s why there’s a label on it saying “This is a time portal”.
If the Nausicaans had really built it, then why bother labelling it like that and with nothing else? It’s not as if they were leaving instructions, or wanting to share with other species. As we’ve seen, most Nausicaans don’t rise above the level of thuggery and as a species they seem just a step up from Pakleds in the bright bulb department. And for a species like that, a simple label is par for the course, comparable to the Pakleds naming their capital city Big Strong City.
I think that the Nausicaans of thousands of years past used the portal to jump ahead, perhaps to try and raid futuristic technology to advance their civilization. Maybe they succeeded, or were even more advanced originally. But in doing so, they attracted the attention of the factions fighting the Temporal War.
As a consequence, whatever advances the Nausicaans made using the portal got temporally reversed or even regressed, until they became the stereotypical galactic thugs they are known as today, only capable of leaving a single, simple note as a reminder or a warning: “This is a time portal”.
Another reason I suggest that the Nausicaans didn’t built the portal is because of its continued existence - if they were advanced enough to to build it but were regressed, then the portal would likely cease to exist. Which means its existence is independent of whatever happens to the Nausicaans.
Additionally, because of the Nausicaans, the existence of an ore that could power time portals came to the attention of other players in the war.
But horonium is not just a fuel source - its use in the hulls of NX-class vessels shows that it was part of the ship’s outer structure as well as being used in components like whatever that gas-cylinder like thing was that Spock pulled out of the floor of the Enterprise.
But why use a metal that has temporal properties? Could it be that it was used as some kind of protective armor against temporal attacks, against enemies that could change the timeline?
The NX-01 was using polarized hull plating before shields were commonplace, so it’s not a stretch to say that horonium could be used as temporal shielding like Voyager in VOY: “Year of Hell”. And horonium shielding was used in the NX-classes - on the hull and on key components - because that was the first era when Earth got caught up in the Temporal War.
But wait, you say - when the NX-01 was built they didn’t know about the Temporal Cold War, and didn’t the Temporal War end at the start of ENT Season 4 with ENT: “Storm Front”? Good point. What Boimler says is this:

BOIMLER: You know, Starfleet used horonium in the original NX-class. It's lightweight, it's durable, and it's just the right shade of gray.

What he doesn’t say is when Starfleet used it in the original NX-class. And he says NX-class, not specifically the NX-01, and not specifically in construction from the keel up. You can see where I’m going with this.
I suggest that honorium was not incorporated into the NX-classes until after the events of ENT’s third or fourth season, and into the newer ships from Columbia as upgrades to shield plating and key components.
Between 2155 (ENT: “Terra Prime”) and 2161 (ENT: “These are the Voyages”) there are a good 5-6 years during which we know very little of what Enterprise and her crew did - short of taking from the beta canon novels. For all we know, horonium came to the attention of Starfleet only late in 2155 or in 2156 and then used as a shield upgrade. Also, “just the right shade of gray” only makes sense if you’re color-matching to something that’s already there, which suggests it’s after initial construction.
While we saw the end of the Temporal War in“Storm Front”, given the nature of time travel, what does that really mean for a war that by definition can happen asynchronously? It may not preclude skirmishes that take place in the Federation’s relative future, but in the relative past before “Storm Front” when it comes to the Na’Khul or other factions.
We know that the Federation was embroiled in the Temporal War as far ahead as the 31st Century. And if attacks happened in the 22nd Century, those attacks would need to be defended against. If there were no more stocks of horonium in that future, maybe they needed to mine it in the past - which would end up depleting those stocks in a neat little loop.
To sum up, why did horonium run out? There are a few possibilities. One is that there wasn’t that much to begin with and all were used up in the NX-classes or other Federation ships that fought in the Temporal War. Another is that the Nausicaans just frittered away whatever horonium was left on Krulmuth-B in their temporal raids and just stopped because they ran out. Or it could be that the wars targeted sources of horonium so participants couldn’t use its shielding properties. Or it could be a combination of all these things.
So to TL;DR: Why doesn’t horonium exist anymore? Because the Nausicaans used it, the temporal powers noticed it and then it was either all used up in ship construction or destroyed as a strategic resource.
Damn it, Nausicaans!

Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick
Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)
Dr. Kirkpatrick was asked by USD(I&S) to stand-up and lead AARO in early 2022. Known as Dr. K to his staff and team, he brings over two decades of experience and a significant depth of expertise in scientific and technical intelligence (S&TI), S&TI and space policy, research and development, acquisitions, and operations, specializing in space/counterspace mission areas.
Dr. Kirkpatrick was born in Columbus, GA to an Army family. He grew up in the Atlanta area, where he attended the University of Georgia as an undergraduate, to study physics. Dr. Kirkpatrick finished his Ph.D. work in nonlinear and nonequilibrium phonon dynamics of rare earth doped fluoride crystals also at the University of Georgia, and is currently an adjunct professor at UGA.
Dr. Kirkpatrick began his career in Defense and Intelligence related science and technology immediately out of graduate school. After receiving his Ph.D. in Physics in 1995, he subsequently took a postdoctoral position at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, investigating laser-induced molecular vibrations of high explosives under an AFOSR program. In 1996, he was offered a National Research Council Fellowship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. investigating novel solid-state lasers for the Department of the Navy. In 1997, he was recruited by the Air Force Research Laboratory to build an Ultrafast Laser Physics Lab to investigate nonlinear optics, novel ultrafast spectroscopic methods, and nonlinear micro/nano-fabrication techniques for the Air Force. In 2003 he was offered a program manager position in the National Reconnaissance Office, and converted to CIA in 2005. In 2007, he was assigned as Chief Technology Officer in a joint CIA-DIA program office, where he later became division chief as a DIA officer. In 2010 he was asked to serve as the space control portfolio manager for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Space and Intelligence, Office of the Secretary ofDefense.
In 2012 he returned to DIA, and served as the Defense Intelligence Officer for Scientific and Technical Intelligence, serving as the Department of Defense’s counterpart to the National Intelligence Manager for Science and Technology until 2016. Towards the end of his tenure as DIO/S&TI, Dr. Kirkpatrick served on special assignment to the Principal Deputy Director National Intelligence leading the Intelligence Community’s support to the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center.
From 2016 to his current assignment, Dr. Kirkpatrick served in a variety of no-fail roles including Deputy Director of Intelligence, US Strategic Command; Director, National Security Strategy, National Security Council; Deputy Director of Intelligence and the DNI Representative for USSPACECOM. The USSPACECOM Intelligence Enterprise was the fifth organization he has been the IC lead for establishment. His most recent assignment was as Chief Scientist at DIA’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center.
Dr. Kirkpatrick is the recipient of several scientific and intelligence awards. These include the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal, four National Intelligence Collaboration medallions, the NRO Innovation and Achievement Award, the Cleary Award for Scientific Excellence, and the DIA Director’s Award for Excellence. Dr. Kirkpatrick holds 2 open patents and has contributed to several scientific books on nonlinear phenomena as well as written multiple strategies for the National and Defense Intelligence Communities. He was appointed to the Senior Service in 2012.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jul/20/2003039076/-1/-1/1/DR-SEAN-M-KIRKPATRICK-BIOGRAPHY.PDF&ved=2ahUKEwjJ1Zf10oyGAxV9LkQIHSnSCKoQFnoECCEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3R8GHHkCVxkjZBwYMWJfyK

References

• Vincent, Brandi (November 30, 2023). "Pentagon's UAP investigation chief to depart Dec. 1". DefenseScoop. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
• Seligman, Lara (November 7, 2023). "Pentagon UFO boss to step down next month". POLITICO. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
• Degges, Ireland (November 8, 2023). "AARO Shakes Up Executive Team With 2 New Leadership Changes; Kathleen Hicks Quoted". Retrieved November 14, 2023.
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/12/sean-kirkpatrick-ufos-pentagon-00126214
• "USD(I&S) Ronald Moultrie and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick Media Roundtable on the All-domain Anoma". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
• "Sean Kirkpatrick, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physics". University of Georgia.
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Deputy Director of Intelligence and DNI Representative, USSPACECOM" (PDF).
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)" (PDF)
• Archived (PDF) from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.ReferencesVincent, Brandi (November 30, 2023). "Pentagon's UAP investigation chief to depart Dec. 1".
• DefenseScoop. Retrieved December 3, 2023. Seligman, Lara (November 7, 2023).
• "Pentagon UFO boss to step down next month". POLITICO. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
• Degges, Ireland (November 8, 2023). "AARO Shakes Up Executive Team With 2 New Leadership Changes; Kathleen Hicks Quoted". Retrieved November 14, 2023.
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/12/sean-kirkpatrick-ufos-pentagon-00126214 "USD(I&S) Ronald Moultrie and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick Media Roundtable on the All-domain Anoma".
• U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
• "Sean Kirkpatrick, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physics". University of Georgia.
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Deputy Director of Intelligence and DNI Representative, USSPACECOM" (PDF).
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)" (PDF).
• Archived (PDF) from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.

Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick
Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)
Dr. Kirkpatrick was asked by USD(I&S) to stand-up and lead AARO in early 2022. Known as Dr. K to his staff and team, he brings over two decades of experience and a significant depth of expertise in scientific and technical intelligence (S&TI), S&TI and space policy, research and development, acquisitions, and operations, specializing in space/counterspace mission areas.
Dr. Kirkpatrick was born in Columbus, GA to an Army family. He grew up in the Atlanta area, where he attended the University of Georgia as an undergraduate, to study physics. Dr. Kirkpatrick finished his Ph.D. work in nonlinear and nonequilibrium phonon dynamics of rare earth doped fluoride crystals also at the University of Georgia, and is currently an adjunct professor at UGA.
Dr. Kirkpatrick began his career in Defense and Intelligence related science and technology immediately out of graduate school. After receiving his Ph.D. in Physics in 1995, he subsequently took a postdoctoral position at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, investigating laser-induced molecular vibrations of high explosives under an AFOSR program. In 1996, he was offered a National Research Council Fellowship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. investigating novel solid-state lasers for the Department of the Navy. In 1997, he was recruited by the Air Force Research Laboratory to build an Ultrafast Laser Physics Lab to investigate nonlinear optics, novel ultrafast spectroscopic methods, and nonlinear micro/nano-fabrication techniques for the Air Force. In 2003 he was offered a program manager position in the National Reconnaissance Office, and converted to CIA in 2005. In 2007, he was assigned as Chief Technology Officer in a joint CIA-DIA program office, where he later became division chief as a DIA officer. In 2010 he was asked to serve as the space control portfolio manager for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Space and Intelligence, Office of the Secretary of Defense.
In 2012 he returned to DIA, and served as the Defense Intelligence Officer for Scientific and Technical Intelligence, serving as the Department of Defense’s counterpart to the National Intelligence Manager for Science and Technology until 2016. Towards the end of his tenure as DIO/S&TI, Dr. Kirkpatrick served on special assignment to the Principal Deputy Director National Intelligence leading the Intelligence Community’s support to the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center.
From 2016 to his current assignment, Dr. Kirkpatrick served in a variety of no-fail roles including Deputy Director of Intelligence, US Strategic Command; Director, National Security Strategy, National Security Council; Deputy Director of Intelligence and the DNI Representative for USSPACECOM. The USSPACECOM Intelligence Enterprise was the fifth organization he has been the IC lead for establishment. His most recent assignment was as Chief Scientist at DIA’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center.
Dr. Kirkpatrick is the recipient of several scientific and intelligence awards. These include the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal, four National Intelligence Collaboration medallions, the NRO Innovation and Achievement Award, the Cleary Award for Scientific Excellence, and the DIA Director’s Award for Excellence. Dr. Kirkpatrick holds 2 open patents and has contributed to several scientific books on nonlinear phenomena as well as written multiple strategies for the National and Defense Intelligence Communities. He was appointed to the Senior Service in 2012.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jul/20/2003039076/-1/-1/1/DR-SEAN-M-KIRKPATRICK-BIOGRAPHY.PDF&ved=2ahUKEwjJ1Zf10oyGAxV9LkQIHSnSCKoQFnoECCEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3R8GHHkCVxkjZBwYMWJfyK

References

• Vincent, Brandi (November 30, 2023). "Pentagon's UAP investigation chief to depart Dec. 1". DefenseScoop. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
• Seligman, Lara (November 7, 2023). "Pentagon UFO boss to step down next month". POLITICO. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
• Degges, Ireland (November 8, 2023). "AARO Shakes Up Executive Team With 2 New Leadership Changes; Kathleen Hicks Quoted". Retrieved November 14, 2023.
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/12/sean-kirkpatrick-ufos-pentagon-00126214
• "USD(I&S) Ronald Moultrie and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick Media Roundtable on the All-domain Anoma". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
• "Sean Kirkpatrick, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physics". University of Georgia.
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Deputy Director of Intelligence and DNI Representative, USSPACECOM" (PDF).
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)" (PDF)
• Archived (PDF) from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.ReferencesVincent, Brandi (November 30, 2023). "Pentagon's UAP investigation chief to depart Dec. 1".
• DefenseScoop. Retrieved December 3, 2023. Seligman, Lara (November 7, 2023).
• "Pentagon UFO boss to step down next month". POLITICO. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
• Degges, Ireland (November 8, 2023). "AARO Shakes Up Executive Team With 2 New Leadership Changes; Kathleen Hicks Quoted". Retrieved November 14, 2023.
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/12/sean-kirkpatrick-ufos-pentagon-00126214 "USD(I&S) Ronald Moultrie and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick Media Roundtable on the All-domain Anoma".
• U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
• "Sean Kirkpatrick, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physics". University of Georgia.
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Deputy Director of Intelligence and DNI Representative, USSPACECOM" (PDF).
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)" (PDF).
• Archived (PDF) from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
• Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)Dr. Kirkpatrick was asked by USD(I&S) to stand-up and lead AARO in early 2022. Known as Dr. K to his staff and team, he brings over two decades of experience and a significant depth of expertise in scientific and technical intelligence (S&TI), S&TI and space policy, research and development, acquisitions, and operations, specializing in space/counterspace mission areas.Dr. Kirkpatrick was born in Columbus, GA to an Army family. He grew up in the Atlanta area, where he attended the University of Georgia as an undergraduate, to study physics. Dr. Kirkpatrick finished his Ph.D. work in nonlinear and nonequilibrium phonon dynamics of rare earth doped fluoride crystals also at the University of Georgia, and is currently an adjunct professor at UGA.Dr. Kirkpatrick began his career in Defense and Intelligence related science and technology immediately out of graduate school.
• After receiving his Ph.D. in Physics in 1995, he subsequently took a postdoctoral position at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, investigating laser-induced molecular vibrations of high explosives under an AFOSR program. In 1996, he was offered a National Research Council Fellowship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. investigating novel solid-state lasers for the Department of the Navy. In 1997, he was recruited by the Air Force Research Laboratory to build an Ultrafast Laser Physics Lab to investigate nonlinear optics, novel ultrafast spectroscopic methods, and nonlinear micro/nano-fabrication techniques for the Air Force. In 2003 he was offered a program manager position in the National Reconnaissance Office, and converted to CIA in 2005.
• In 2007, he was assigned as Chief Technology Officer in a joint CIA-DIA program office, where he later became division chief as a DIA officer. In 2010 he was asked to serve as the space control portfolio manager for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Space and Intelligence, Office of the Secretary of Defense.
• In 2012 he returned to DIA, and served as the Defense Intelligence Officer for Scientific and Technical Intelligence, serving as the Department of Defense’s counterpart to the National Intelligence Manager for Science and Technology until 2016. Towards the end of his tenure as DIO/S&TI, Dr. Kirkpatrick served on special assignment to the Principal Deputy Director National Intelligence leading the Intelligence Community’s support to the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center.From 2016 to his current assignment, Dr. Kirkpatrick served in a variety of no-fail roles including Deputy Director of Intelligence, US Strategic Command; Director, National Security Strategy, National Security Council; Deputy Director of Intelligence and the DNI Representative for USSPACECOM. The USSPACECOM Intelligence Enterprise was the fifth organization he has been the IC lead for establishment. His most recent assignment was as Chief Scientist at DIA’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center.Dr. Kirkpatrick is the recipient of several scientific and intelligence awards. These include the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal, four National Intelligence Collaboration medallions, the NRO Innovation and Achievement Award, the Cleary Award for Scientific Excellence, and the DIA Director’s Award for Excellence. Dr. Kirkpatrick holds 2 open patents and has contributed to several scientific books on nonlinear phenomena as well as written multiple strategies for the National and Defense Intelligence Communities. He was appointed to the Senior Service in 2012.
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jul/20/2003039076/-1/-1/1/DR-SEAN-M-KIRKPATRICK-BIOGRAPHY.PDF&ved=2ahUKEwjJ1Zf10oyGAxV9LkQIHSnSCKoQFnoECCEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3R8GHHkCVxkjZBwYMWJfyKReferencesVincent, Brandi (November 30, 2023).
• "Pentagon's UAP investigation chief to depart Dec. 1". DefenseScoop.
• Retrieved December 3, 2023. Seligman, Lara (November 7, 2023).
• "Pentagon UFO boss to step down next month". POLITICO. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
• Degges, Ireland (November 8, 2023).
• "AARO Shakes Up Executive Team With 2 New Leadership Changes; Kathleen Hicks Quoted". Retrieved November 14, 2023. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/12/sean-kirkpatrick-ufos-pentagon-00126214
• "USD(I&S) Ronald Moultrie and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick Media Roundtable on the All-domain Anoma". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
• "Sean Kirkpatrick, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physics". University of Georgia. "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Deputy Director of Intelligence and DNI Representative, USSPACECOM" (PDF). "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)" (PDF) Archived (PDF) from the original on May 13, 2023.
• Retrieved June 9, 2023.ReferencesVincent, Brandi (November 30, 2023). "Pentagon's UAP investigation chief to depart Dec. 1". DefenseScoop. Retrieved December 3, 2023. Seligman, Lara (November 7, 2023). "Pentagon UFO boss to step down next month". POLITICO.
• Retrieved November 12, 2023.
• Degges, Ireland (November 8, 2023). "AARO Shakes Up Executive Team With 2 New Leadership Changes; Kathleen Hicks Quoted". Retrieved November 14, 2023.
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/12/sean-kirkpatrick-ufos-pentagon-00126214 "USD(I&S) Ronald Moultrie and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick Media Roundtable on the All-domain Anoma". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
• "Sean Kirkpatrick, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physics". University of Georgia.
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Deputy Director of Intelligence and DNI Representative, USSPACECOM" (PDF).
• "Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)" (PDF).
• Archived (PDF) from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.

Hey everyone,
I need some advice/help with a situation on Upwork. I've been working with the same client a few times, and now I've run into a bit of a mess with my contracts.
So, the client is an Enterprise client who makes a new contract for each project instead of just adding new milestones. Recently, I had 2 contracts with them. I finished the work, submitted it, and requested payment for both.
One of the contracts was paid immediately, but then the client didn't respond for a few days. Later, they sent me a new offer and told me to accept it so I could be paid for the work done earlier. I was busy at the time and just outright accepted it and got paid immediately.
Here's where the problem starts: the first contract, where I had initially requested payment, was left open. Both the client and I forgot about it. Now, the client has closed that contract without payment. Upwork is asking me to provide feedback and explain why the contract was closed, and the client is not responding to my questions about what to do.
The work was successfully completed, and both the client and I were satisfied. However, now it seems that this "third" contract is left unpaid and might be marked as unsuccessful.
Any advice on how to proceed? Will this unpaid and closed contract negatively affect my Job Success Score (JSS)? What should I explain in the feedback Upwork is requesting?
TLDR: I worked on two projects; one was paid immediately, and then my client made a new contract in order to pay me for the second project, leaving the original contract where I requested payment open and later closing it. Now I am worried that it will negatively affect my JSS.
Thanks in advance!

"The decision to cut Shatner's scene improved the 2009 Star Trek ending by allowing the new cast to shine without overshadowing them. Shatner's cameo would have taken away from Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, robbing them of their own agency and deepening their characters."
Mark Donaldson (ScreenRant)
Link:
https://screenrant.com/star-trek-william-shatner-not-in-2009-movie-good/
Quotes:
"It also improved the ending of Star Trek (2009) as a result.
A few months after the release of Star Trek in 2009, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci revealed that they had written a scene for William Shatner (via TrekMovie). In the scene, Prime Spock presents his Kelvin Timeline counterpart with a pendant that turns out to be a holo-emitter, containing a message from William Shatner's Kirk. It's revealed that the pendant was a birthday message from Kirk to Spock in which he reflects on their friendship, and reveals his desire to live out his retirement with his best friend.

I suppose I’d always imagined us…outgrowing Starfleet together. Watching life swing us into our Emeritus years…

William Shatner's voice-over would then continue over the scenes of Chris Pine's Kirk being honored by Starfleet Command for defeating Nero (Eric Bana). As Prime Kirk reflects on when he and Spock "stepped onto the Enterprise as boys", Kelvin Kirk accepts command of the Kelvin Timeline's version of the starship Enterprise. Touchingly, Prime Kirk acknowledges the Kelvin Timeline crew, by saying that "it's their time now". However, it's also clear that the spirit of adventure is still alive in this older Captain Kirk, who closes the scene by saying:

You once said being a starship captain was my first, best destiny… if that’s true, then yours is to be by my side. If there’s any true logic to the universe… we’ll end up on that bridge again someday.

While the scene as written is a touching little coda, acting as a melancholy farewell between the prime timeline's Kirk and Spock, it does undermine Star Trek's new leads. When handing his Kelvin timeline counterpart the pendant, Prime Spock says that it's a "dream" that the young Kirk and Spock can now fulfill. The implication being that the Kelvin timeline's Kirk and Spock are only friends because of an obligation to mirror their prime timeline counterparts. This robs Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto's Star Trek characters of their agency, reducing them to performing hollow William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy tribute acts.
[...]
Reminding theater audiences of the original, iconic, Captain James T. Kirk at the exact moment that Chris Pine's version takes command of the USS Enterprise would have been a serious misstep. It's good, therefore, that the scene was cut from the finished Star Trek script, though it's also worth noting that notoriously cameo-averse actor William Shatner may have declined to return anyway."
Mark Donaldson (ScreenRant)
Link:
https://screenrant.com/star-trek-william-shatner-not-in-2009-movie-good/

This is planned as a post for /Philosophy, but I figured I'd drop it here first, and see what feedback people have on it. Accordingly, comments and critique are appreciated.
In Being Evil, her essay for Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy (Raiding the Temple of Wisdom), Professor of Philosophy Eva Dadlez tackles a couple of topics using, as her primary example, a Star Trek game in which she played a Romulan spy who destroys the Enterprise (and the other player characters along with it). She makes the case that, as a player in a role-playing game, one can portray an evil character without being of evil character oneself. She uses the analogies of both authors and actors to illustrate this. She also makes the claim that her "hijacking" of the Star Trek game, while it legitimately upset the other players, was permissible in part because the game was a one-shot, with pre-generated characters. Having found a way to kill a set of characters that the players had spent time building up, she notes, "would have been morally problematic in the real world," being somewhere between "poor form, and at worst downright mean."
But I disagree with the Professor that this was the only consideration. Of her involvement in the game (which I believe happened when she was still a student), she says:

The Dungeon Master [sic] was, of course, in on the scheme, since I'd refused to play unless I could be an evil spy. Indeed, it was all of the extra rolls I had to do as I planted explosives that gave the game away and forced my hand. There are only so many notes you can slip to the DM [sic] reading "I place the tricobalt behind the pattern buffers"--an action the prospective success of which can only be established by rolling the ubiquitous ten-sided die--before other players will begin to ask inappropriate out-of-character questions about what you're doing.

Professor Dadlez' grievance at the other players' metagaming implies that she felt that since she had agreed with the game master that the other players should be kept in the dark concerning the fact that they were playing a player-versus-player game, that it was inappropriate of them to behave otherwise, once her behavior began to arouse suspicions. "Considerations of justice clearly made me the injured party," she notes.
But I would submit that the propriety of a game master allowing themselves to be suborned into changing the nature of the game from "a Star Trek episode [...] into something with a nasty ending," with no warning to the other players, is difficult to support. Professor Dadlez' position is, effectively, that once a person agrees to an activity, in this case, a role-playing game session, that the organizer or facilitator of that activity may unilaterally change the nature of the activity (here, from cooperative to player-versus-player), while the other participants are still bound by the original understanding and unspoken rules regarding it. In this case, a general prohibition against players having their characters act on certain knowledge that the players have, or suspect, in an effort to advantage or benefit their characters/advance the players' interests. While such "metagaming" is generally frowned upon, as a matter of convention, it is not generally a direct violation of the rules of the game.
Accordingly, I would argue that Professor Dadlez had no grounds for a grievance with the other players' metagaming. I don't believe that either deontology, utilitarianism or virtue ethics suppose a person has a general ethical responsibility to continue to behave as if information they have reason to suspect is false is, in fact, true. Especially in the face of deceit specifically designed to disadvantage them. Once the other players understood that the nature of the game had been deliberately altered without their knowledge, they were free to act on that knowledge by making further changes to the nature of the game. Thus, if it was appropriate for the game master to have altered the deal, as it were, at the behest of one of the players, it was equally appropriate for the other players to alter it further. Had the game master objected, they could have said so.
Interestingly, some games have broached this subject directly. The roleplaying game Runecairn, being a mash-up of Cairn and From Software's "Soulsborne" titles, was designed for two people, one controlling a lone character and the other the Warden (game master). But, as in the "Soulsborne" titles, other players may enter the game as either cooperators or invading adversaries ("allies" and "black fetches," in Runecairn parlance). Here, Professor Dadlez' insistence that she be allowed to play a secret adversary may not be defensible per the rules of the game; the authors of the game consider this potentially "unsafe" behavior. (Although, perhaps surprisingly, the Warden is a requested to "reconsider" player Invasions when a player may not be aware of and/or comfortable with player-versus-player play, rather than to prohibit them outright.)
Roleplaying games are, at heart, a cooperative endeavor, even when they are explicitly player-versus-player. To this end, they require something of a shared understanding of what the rules and conventions of the game will be. To claim that it is permissible to call for a unilateral, secret change in one convention, but impermissible for others to make changes without unanimous agreement is to make a special pleading that some conventions are more important than others.

"Whistlespeak" presents a scenario where even responsible Prime Directive breaking can have a deleterious effect. The indigenous people of Halem'no likely prefer their brutal religious practices to total annihilation. Yet, the episode reveals that something as simple as mechanical entropy can make breaking the Prime Directive for "good" reason equally problematic."
Joshua M. Patton (CBR. com)
Link:
https://www.cbr.com/michael-burnham-violate-prime-directive-star-trek/
Quotes:
CBR: "When the Prime Directive was first instituted in Star Trek it was a unique statement against colonialism in the 1960s when America was looking spread "democracy" everywhere. Many of the stories in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and even new series like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds bring up the Prime Directive in order to break it. While this is not the right thing to do in the eyes of Starfleet, it is often painted as the morally right decision for the characters.
Even the second reboot film, Star Trek Into Darkness, begins with Captain Kirk and company violating the Prime Directive to save both an indigenous population from destruction and Commander Spock. However, the far-future setting of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 allowed the storytellers to offer a unique perspective on the consequences of the Prime Directive well after the moral intervention first takes place.
In "Whistlespeak," Burnham and company have to find the fourth piece of the puzzle that will lead them to the technology of the Progenitors. These ancient aliens are the founders of all humanoid life in the galaxy, and two space-pirates named Moll and L'ak are looking for it to sell to the highest bidder. The situation that leads them to the planet of Halem'no, where advanced technology is the only thing keeping its indigenous population from dying in planet-wide storms. These weather control towers were built by Denobulans, the species of Dr. Phlox from Star Trek: Enterprise. Apparently, their planet faces similar weather troubles. The Denobulans built the towers, itself a Prime Directive violation.
[...]
In Star Trek: The Original Series the USS Enterprise is sent to check in on a pre-warp culture that was contacted by early Earth travelers before the Prime Directive. Season 2, Episode 17's "A Piece of the Action" revealed the people of Sigma Iota III based their entire society around a book the explorers left behind about Chicago organized crime in the 20th Century. This was very much like what happened to the people of Halem'no with a key difference: the Denobulans didn't reveal themselves. For all the downsides of the Sigma Iotian culture, being a gangster wasn't a religion. With no answers for how the "High Summit" protected them, the people of Halem'no had to create a mythology around it.
The Denobulans saved these people without fully violating the Prime Directive, but they did not foresee the consequences of doing it. Kirk and company were allowed to visit the Sigma Iotians because the Prime Directive had been, essentially, violated. Since the Denobulans kept themselves a secret, Captain Burnham and Tilly couldn't fully help the people understand what they needed to do to fix their weather and, possibly, reclaim the land lost to the "dust" when the other four towers failed. Just as Kirk and company likely affected the culture after their visit, Burnham and her crew do the same on Halem'no.
In fairness to the Prime Directive purists, Ohnahz told Burnham that attempts to stop the sacrifices led to violence among the people before. Yet, this was because there was no answer to replace the mythology. Now that they know shifting around some iso-linear chips can fix the towers, there would likely be less discord among the inhabitants. Burnham broke the Prime Directive out of desperation to save Tilly, but the effects of her doing so might be even more positive than the Denobulans only half-breaking it.
[...]
What makes "Whistlespeak" such a fresh take on this concept is the addition of time. To the Denobulans in the 23rd or 24th Century, saving these people was an unquestionably moral good. They could help and, thus, they should. Yet, in only half-violating the Prime Directive, they may have impeded the society's technological development. Instead of scientific advancement, they believed feats of endurance and sacrificing their lives was what pleased the "gods," the language they used to describe the effects of technology. While Michael Burnham was right to come clean with Ohnahz, the episode also suggests saving a culture for the right reasons may not be "saving" them at all.
The Prime Directive, like many of Star Trek's best concepts, came from an idea of Gene Roddenberry's that was developed in scripts by the "other Gene," Gene L. Coon. In the 1960s, many Westerners thought it was a moral duty of developed cultures to bring education (and, usually, a religion of their own) to "primitive" cultures. This almost always leads to Imperialism, which is what Star Trek's Genes were railing against. Anti-colonialism was not a popular way of thinking in the 1960s, and the kind of message that sci-fi allegory is perfect to explain. In The Original Series' "A Private Little War," Kirk regrettably breaks the Prime Directive to arm a society in an allegory for the Vietnam War.
The Prime Directive is mostly broken for Spider-Man's favorite reason. With the great power of Starfleet's technology, they have an equally great responsibility to use it to help those in need. "A Piece of the Action" is meant to show what happens when cultural influence is used irresponsibly. However, "Whistlespeak" presents a scenario where even responsible Prime Directive breaking can have a deleterious effect. The indigenous people of Halem'no likely prefer their brutal religious practices to total annihilation. Yet, the episode reveals that something as simple as mechanical entropy can make breaking the Prime Directive for "good" reason equally problematic. "
Joshua M. Patton (CBR. com)
Link:
https://www.cbr.com/michael-burnham-violate-prime-directive-star-trek/

Please, feel free to add any events below! Check out the Visitor's Guide for more things to do around town!
Looking to meet up with people? Check out Meetup St. Louis.
Be sure to continue scrolling past the Weekly Events for Trivia Nights, Live Music, Sporting Events, Local Comedy, and more!
​

• Bacon Fest at Alpha Brewing Company
  • May 19, 2024
  • Bacon lovers, rejoice! Alpha Brewing Co. is hosting a sizzling event on May 19. Tickets to Bacon Fest include all the bacon and beer that you can consume – plus, live music from two bands.
• Cardinals HOF Presents: Flashback Fridays
  • May 17, 2024
  • Visit the Cardinals Museum for a candid interview in our Sportsman's Park Theater with former Cardinals Catcher Mike Matheny on Friday, May 17th at 4:30pm.
• Cardinals HOF Presents: Saturday Signings
  • May 18, 2024
  • Saturday, May 18th is Saturday Signings with former Cardinals Catcher Mike Matheny from 2-4pm in the Cardinals Museum!
• Chess at the Brewery
  • Every Wednesday
  • Local meetup group of chess players that meet at breweries on Wednesday nights. They rotate locations each week.
  • See their Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/chessatthebrewery/) for the location this week.
• Chinese Culture Days at Missouri Botanical Garden
  • May 18 - 19, 2024
  • Chinese Culture Days at the Missouri Botanical Garden feature colorful Chinese pageantry, music, dance and art.
  • At the event, you can also immerse yourself in the history and legends of China while enjoying traditional cuisine.
• E.T. Bracket Series at World Wide Technology Raceway
  • May 18, 2024
  • The E.T. Bracket Series presented by Carl’s 4WD & Performance Center at World Wide Technology Raceway allows drivers in different vehicles to compete on an equal basis against each other.
• Family Night with Fredbird
  • Wednesdays
  • Join others at Cardinals Nation Restaurant & Bar for Family Night with Fredbird on select Wednesday evenings this off-season! Bring your family down for games, prizes, and meet Fredbird from 6:30-7:30pm.
• Karaoke Wednesdays at HandleBar
  • Every Wednesday
  • Browse the catalog and find your favorite songs to sing! Songbookslive.com/stlredcarpet
• Karaoke Wednesdays at Mack's Bar & Grill
  • Every Wednesday
• Landmarks Downtown Walking Tours
  • Every Saturday
  • Landmarks Downtown St. Louis Walking Tours: History, Culture, Architecture, and Exercise: What could be better on a Saturday morning.
• Native American Art of the 20th Century: The William P. Healey Collection at St. Louis Art Museum
  • February 23 - July 14, 2024
  • Native American Art of the 20th Century: The William P. Healey Collection celebrates a transformative gift of outstanding works by Native American artists active across the 20th century. The promised gift of 100 works establishes a critical junction between the Saint Louis Art Museum’s deep collection of pre-1920 Indigenous art and a growing emphasis on the contemporary.
• Open Mic Night at Schlafly Bottleworks (Maplewood)
  • Every Wednesday
  • Join others every Wednesday evening and showcase your talents with our Open Mic Night! Open sign up begins at 6:30PM with music starting at 7:00PM. They welcome original material, covers and spoken word! Grab a beer, then play and listen every Wednesday! There are no cover charges and no drink minimums to attend.
• Pointfest
  • May 18, 2024
  • POINTFEST returns to Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis on May 18.
• Ranken Technical College Midnight Madness at World Wide Technology Raceway
  • May 17, 2024
  • The Ranken Technical College Midnight Madness program fueled by NOS Energy Drinks offers a safer alternative to illegal street racing.
  • Organized yet informal drag racing will take place on the confines of World Wide Technology Raceway’s NHRA-sanctioned ¼-mile drag strip on select Fridays throughout the season.
• Soulard Farmer's Market
  • Wednesdays - Saturdays
  • Soulard Farmers Market is located at 730 Carroll Street in St. Louis, Missouri, a half mile north of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The market is open Wednesday through Saturday, year round. They feature locally grown and shipped in goods, including: produce, meats, cheeses, spices, gourmet kettle corn, flowers, baked goods, and general merchandise. There are also several different eateries that have many food options, which allows customers the convenience to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink while shopping.
• St. Louis CITY Block Party
  • May 15, 2024
  • Before the St. Louis CITY SC vs LAFC match kickoff, get the party started early with happy hour on Lou Fusz Plaza at CITYPARK and live DJ entertainment! CITY SC presents the free CITY Block Party featuring DJ Chris Brown as well as local food and beverage vendors, fan giveaways, and games and activities for all ages. The block party is free and open to the public.
• St. Louis CITY SC Street Party at Schlafly Tap Room
  • May 15, 2024
  • In celebration of ALL home soccer games, Schlafly will close down "Louligan Street" and support our team the only way they know how: great food, drinks, and fun. There are beer tents, food trucks, special (game day and late night) menus, and more. Get here early and park!
• Sunday Bingo at Tim's Chrome Bar
  • Every Sunday
  • Get in the mood for some fun with an afternoon of BINGO at Tim’s. They'll supply the cards and daubers. Just bring yourself and your BINGO loving friends. Play for some good laughs and a variety prizes. Bar opens at 12 p.m., they'll start BINGO at 3 p.m. Cheers!
• Sunset Rooftop Yoga at Ballpark Village
  • May 16, 2024
  • Unwind on the rooftop of Ballpark Village in St. Louis during a one-hour yoga class led by YogaSix.
  • After the session, nama-stay for exclusive happy hour offers such as $3 domestic beers and $5 select cocktails.
• Taste of Maplewood
  • May 17 - 18, 2024
  • The Taste of Maplewood brings together our area’s most renowned restaurants, beloved boutiques, and one-of-a-kind novelty shops for a street party with live music on two stages, all in the heart of downtown Maplewood. Join us on Friday night for live music and a sampling of food vendors before the main event kicks off on Saturday.
  • In its 16th year, the festival’s vibe is distinct and unmistakable, radiating the culture and character of the local businesses.
• Thursday Nights at the Museum
  • Every Thursday
  • Kick off your weekend at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park! Each Thursday Night at the Museum will be the most fun, engaging, uplifting, thought-provoking, perspective-shaping night of your week. And there are drinks.
  • Join others starting at 5:30pm for happy hour and pop-up activities, such as brief tours, games, and performances. The main stage comes to life at 6:30pm, light appetizers and drinks are available for purchase until 7:00pm, and the Museum’s exhibits are open until 8:00pm for you to explore!
• Tower Grove Farmer's Market
  • Every Tuesday & Saturday
  • Join others every Saturday of the 2023 Tower Grove Farmers Market Season. They'll have over 100 vendors with local produce, meat, flowers, eggs, honey, prepared foods, art, jewelry, live music, and so much more.
• Vietnam: At War and At Home at Soldiers Memorial
  • Running until May 27, 2024
  • In 'Vietnam: At War and At Home' at Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, the story of the war’s origins, execution, conclusion and legacy are presented in engaging, accessible and evocative ways. The exhibit presents a diverse and holistic snapshot of the turbulent times in Vietnam, in the U.S. and in the St. Louis region.

​

Sporting Events This Week	Attractions Around the Area	Comedy This Week
St. Louis Cardinals schedule	Anheuser-Busch Brewery	Funny Bone Comedy Club
St. Louis Blues schedule	City Museum	Helium Comedy Club
St. Louis City SC schedule	Gateway Arch	The Improv Shop
St. Louis Battlehawks schedule	Missouri History Museum
St. Louis Billikens schedule	National Blues Museum

​

Trivia Nights
Location	Date/Time	More Information
Anheuser-Busch Biergarten	Tuesdays 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
Bar K	Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
City Foundry	Thursdays 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Crack Fox	Mondays 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm	They host a weekly free tournament and game night. Emphasis on Non Alcoholic refreshments and camaraderie.
Joey B's on the Hill	Mondays 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm	Trivia Details
Nick's Pub	Mondays
Felix's Pizza Pub	Tuesdays at 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
ITAP (Delmar Loop)	Wednesdays at 7:00 pm
ITAP (Soulard)	Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
Schlafly Brewpubs (Any Location)	Tuesdays 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Trivia Details
Rockwell Beer Co	Tuesdays	Trivia Details (Reservations required)
The Mack	Tuesdays at 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
The Pat Connolly Tavern	Wednesdays at 7:00 pm
The Post	Wednesdays 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm	Trivia Details
Pieces Board Game Bar & Cafe	Wednesdays	Trivia Details
HandleBar	Thursdays at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Trivia Details
Steve's Hot Dogs	Tuesdays 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Trivia Details
Wellspent Brewing	Thursdays at 7:00 pm

​

Live Music This Week
Music Venues	Live Music Around Town
Blueberry Hill Duck Room	1860 Saloon
Chesterfield Amphitheater	BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups
Delmar Hall	Broadway Oyster Bar
Enterprise Center	City Foundry
The Fabulous Fox Theatre	Gallery Pub
The Factory	Game 6 Honky Tonk
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre	Gaslight Lounge
Off Broadway	The Heavy Anchor
Old Rock House	Jazz St. Louis
The Pageant	Joe's Cafe
Red Flag	The Lot on the Landing
The Sheldon	Tim's Chrome Bar
St. Louis Music Park	McGurk's
St. Louis Symphony Concert Calendar	SoFar St. Louis Secret performances around town
Stifel Theatre	Venice Cafe
	Yaquis on Cherokee

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Recurring Outdoor Activities
Big Muddy Adventures – STL Riverfront Adventure	Big Muddy Adventures was established in 2002. They are the first professional outfitteguiding company providing access to the wild wonders of the Middle Mississippi and Lower Missouri Rivers.
Gateway Arch Events	There are a variety of things to do along the Mississippi River.
Hidden Valley Ski Resort	Ziplining, scenic chairlift rides, and hiking trails opened during the summer. Skiing, snowboarding during the winter.

​

FYI, this is a story COLLECTION. Lots of standalones technically. So, you can basically start to read at any chapter, no pre-read of the other chapters needed technically (other than maybe getting better descriptions of characters than: Adam Vir=human, Krill=antlike alien, Sunny=tall alien, Conn=telepathic alien). The numbers are (mostly) only for organization of posts and continuity.
OC Written by Charlie Stastarrfallknightrise,
Typed up and then posted here by me.
Proofreading and language check for some chapters by u/Finbar9800 u/BakeGullible9975 u/Didnotseemecomein and u/medium_jock
Future Lore and fact check done by me.
The plot thickens!
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
The Rundi pilot maneuvered his ship around a chunk of space debris, cutting low as he watched the slow and leisurely path of the rocket as it began on its trajectory towards the moon. Radar was almost impossible to use in the deadly debris field these humans called an orbit, so it was up to his eyes to make out any incoming hostiles.
They circled low and then wide around the slow-moving rocket, keeping their distance while also keeping an eye out. It was easy enough, as the drone was covered in cameras and sensors, which allowed them to see from almost every angle. A human might have been better at this, but right now they were the only ones they could trust.
[…]
A green folder rested atop the lectern as the President of the UN gave her halting, and to the chairwoman it seemed, unenthusiastic speech. The humans down below didn't seem to notice, making her wonder if she was simply imagining things, though a part of her said that was not the case.
She had been suspicious of the UN president from the very beginning, the very beginning when she was given power after the first launch of the enterprise, and they had been forced to deal with her during treaty negotiations. At every step there seemed to be some sort of obstacle, something wrong, some reason that the humans could just not accept. It went on behind closed doors and in quiet whispered conversations. But luckily for them, people like Adam Vir and Admiral Kelly had been there to smooth things over between the two factions.
The chairwoman knew better than most, that there were only a few humans in the galaxy holding everything together.
And the last thing she wanted was bad relations, or to go to war with this species. It would be a nightmare.
She shifted in her seat as she listened to the speech. The valley below her still had traces of smoke let off by burning so much fossil fuel at once. She imagined that such a stunt wasn't entirely great for the atmosphere of the planet, though as far as she knew humans tended to run on sustainable clean energy these days.
The Chairwoman stepped down from the little podium and into the back where she could not be seen, leaning in so she could hear the words whispered from her assistant,
"The drones are deployed, and so far we have not met any resistance.”
She nodded slowly,
"Good work, keep an eye out."
[…]
The UN president felt her fingers digging into the soft paper of the green folder. The red one was lying discarded under the lectern, and she was having trouble concentrating, forcing herself to remember that this wasn't over. She glanced into the crowd, expecting to see that strange white face staring up at her from the throng of people, but there was nothing.
Had she seen it as in her imagination, or did she really see an alien face staring back at her?
She glanced upwards, towards where the rocket had vanished, only half paying attention to the practiced words that dribbled from her mouth. She finished her speech and the people below clapped and cheered heartily, though she didn't much feel like clapping with them.
She turned on her heel and walked down to the back of the stage to where her entourage was waiting for her. Admiral Massie was sitting on one end and Admiral Kelly was sitting at the other, the two of them doing their damndest to ignore each other at all costs.
She sat down next to Admiral Massie, arms crossed over her chest as he leaned in to speak with her.
"That didn't exactly go as planned."
He muttered softly.
"It will if your men are ready."
She snapped back, her palms cold and sweaty.
Admiral Massie nodded,
"Of course, they should come out when they reach the densest part of the debris field, that way we can make it look like some unexpected collision."
He glanced towards the lectern,
"So I would keep a hold of that red folder of yours."
On the other set of chairs, Admiral Kelly was giving them a sidelong glance. Everyone knew that she was in Admiral Vir's camp, licking his boots at every opportunity. It would be within their best interest to keep silent when she was around.
The UN president leaned back in her seat,
"You should be on your way, Admiral. We will have time to talk later."
He stood and nodded slowly,
"Of course madame president."
He turned to walk away, catching the eye of Admiral Kelly as he stepped past. The two of them didn't much like each other, though as the head of the OGI (Office of Galactic intelligence) Admiral Massie had enough pull to keep Kelly in her place.
The UN president turned her head away. Not wanting to draw attention to herself.
[…]
Admiral Kelly glanced over at the UN president as Admiral Massie passed by. There was something about those two spending time together that she didn't like. Granted it was more than likely the two of them were having some sweaty, wrinkly liaisons out of hours which she didn't really want to think about, but if that was the case then he could easily be pressing his planetary isolationist views off on her.
Kelly did not think highly of the UN presidency. Right now, it seemed mostly concerned with power and political favors with the people, rather than doing the right thing. Plus, she found the president herself to be superficially charming, but easily manipulated by the wrong people. Fear mongering worked the best on her, which is why she worried about Massie and his effect on her to begin with.
She found herself digging her nails into her palms as she thought about it.
”Please help us.”
Admiral Kelly shot up in her seat looking around as she tried to find the source of the noise, or the voice. She turned in her seat expecting to find someone whispering in her ear, but there was nothing. She pressed at the implant along the side of her neck wondering if someone had called her and she just hadn't noticed?
”Look up.”
Jolted again, lifting her eyes towards the sky and the burning sun. She threw up a hand to block her vision, and as she did, she thought she saw a shape floating there against the backdrop of the sun.
She squinted hard trying to make it out but was having trouble.
”Now look into the crowd.”
She turned her head down, still not sure where the sound could be coming from, but as she looked into the crowd, she saw a strange sight. One of the people was wearing a dark hoodie, and was turned away from the direction which the rest of the crowd was facing. Their hood was pulled low, but ever so subtly, they lifted their head to reveal a porcelain white face, with large dark eyes.
Admiral Kelly went very still as she stared at the starborn.
“Not a starborn, a halfbreed. My name is Eris, I am Admiral Vir's... daughter”
Oh... oh, yes she had heard about the starborn hybrid from one of his reports.
"What do you want."
She mouthed quietly.
“We need your help, the UN president is planning to have Admiral Vir Killed, and Admiral Massie is on his way to make the order, please, you have to do something."
Admiral Kelly jolted to her feet, very quickly glancing at the UN president in shock and horror before she was able to capture her emotions. The UN president looked up to her sudden movement, and Admiral Kelly had to fight to keep her face neutral as the woman looked up at her.
"Are you feeling well Admiral?”
She could feel the sweat dripping down her face and the nape of her neck, but she remained as calm as possible as she took a deep breath,
"I... Am suddenly very dizzy. I think it's the heat."
"You should sit down, have someone bring you some water."
The woman said, her voice calm and clear as if she hadn't just ordered the murder of Adam Vir.
"No I... I think I need to walk for a minute and find some shade. You will excuse me?"
The UN president shrugged and turned back to staring at the sky, giving Admiral Kelly time to step forward and hurry after General Massi's retreating figure.
[…]
General Massie stepped into mission control and walked down the blank empty corridors. No one was here, they were all either in the control room or out celebrating the successful launch. It had been a sight to see, two-thousand-year-old technology working for one more time, but personally General Massie saw it as completely obsolete and a useless waste of government capital.
That was something they could have been using to help fortify earth's defense nexus. Out of all the useless things Admiral Vir had supported, at least he had agreed that they needed SOME form of defense against extraterrestrial attack.
General Massie made a face…
Though he wouldn't doubt Admiral Vir would have been totally fine leaving their planet with its pants down in order to let those Xenos fuck them over.
Everyone and their dog knew that Admiral Vir preferred alien cock over his own kind.
The thought made Admiral Massie cringe.
It was a well-kept secret among the UNSC, but the man wasn't nearly as secretive as he liked to think he was. Rumors of his infatuation with the stupid blue beetle alien had reached command almost as soon as it began. The only reason they didn't allow it to leak was that it would make the UNSC look bad to the rest of earth.
And Jupiter how he hated that man.
Stupid, juvenile egotistical xeno fucker!
Today was the day all of that came to an end!
He cut right, just before the doors to mission control and walked down two more hallways, finally opening a small side door into, what might have looked from the outside, like an equipment closet. He stepped over a mop and bucket and sat down at an old console, which he fired up with the flick of a button.
"Flight 1 this is Earth 1 over."
"Roger earth one this if slight one, in position over."
He turned on the screen, giving himself time to look the radar over, as twenty dots appeared on screen. Those were twenty Thunderhawks they had slowly appropriated over the intervening year.
With a place as big as the universe to cover, it was pretty easy to lose a few jets in the shuffle. He could see them now, illuminated as little green dots on his screen, hiding in the debris.
"Flight one this is Earth one, Operation “After Apollo” is go. Now remember boys and girls, make it look like an accident. Over."
*"Roger that Earth one. Over and out."
[…]
"You TRAITOR!"
Admiral Massie spun in his seat, eyes wide and wild as Admiral Kelly stood in the doorway. She could feel her skin growing hot with absolute rage as she stalked forward over the open floor. In one hand she held up the small recording device Conn had handed to her outside the building, and on it held proof of this man's order. On the screen behind him twenty little dots burst to life.
She was too late.
The man slowly got to his feet as Kelly aimed her handgun at him, her grip steady, her aim true.
"Call off your dogs."
She snarled,
Admiral Massie slowly lifted his hands, before slowly leaning forward in his seat towards the intercom button. She stepped forward, watching him intently as he leaned over the console pressing down on the button.
"Flight one this is earth one..."
Her eyes flickered up to the screen waiting to see them pause.
But before she knew what was happening an elbow came up striking her on the hand and causing the gun to spin out of her grip. Admiral Massie turned and tackled her to the floor, his nearly 300 lb body crushing her to the floor.
The wind was knocked out of her and she gasped as he struggled to pin her to the ground.
Her hat had flown off and her bun became undone as he drew back a fist to punch her. She was able to block it with her forearms as he raged and went for her face. The blows rained down on her from above with an onslaught of power she wasn't expecting but should have.
She took another gasping breath, and then with a surge of adrenaline she bucked, throwing him forward where she grabbed one of his arms and bucked again, forcing him to his side and onto his back. Still gripping his arm, she threw herself sideways, throwing her legs over his chest and struggling with his arm to pull it flat.
He kicked and grabbed at her legs with his other hand painfully gripping her calves as his nails dug into her skin and drew blood. The pain was incredible, but she finally got his arm down tucked tight to her chest, her legs across his chest, and then she jerked her hips sharply upward.
Admiral Massie screamed as his elbow snapped backwards.
She let go of him and scrambled towards the console, but at the last moment he grabbed her by the foot and hauled her back to the ground, one arm hanging limp and useless at his side. He clawed at her with one hand, and she rolled onto her back, kicking up at his face with her boot catching him square in the chin.
He staggered back as she crawled to the console and reached to adjust the frequency, ready to call in lunar support.
There was a sharp click behind her, and she froze, turning in her seat to find Admiral Massie standing behind her gun held in his good hand.
Blood leaked from his nose and down onto the front of his uniform, staining the grey fabric red,
"Nice try, Kelly."
[…]
Donovan Red waited, spinning slowly as he watched the progress of the distant rocket. Inside his helmet his breathing was cold and calm as, ranging all around him, his other men and women waited as well. Their ships had been outfitted with proper weapons as they had ridden here in the cargo hold of the Omen. The group of them weren't soldiers or trained fighter pilots, so he didn't imagine this would be easy, but it was going to have to do.
"Red, this is Apollo 11 do you copy?”
"Yeah Cinderella, I copy."
"See anything?"
"Nope not a..."
He paused,
"Wait..."
There was something, something he thought he saw detach itself from another piece of space junk,
"Hold that thought Apollo."
He detached from his own bit of space junk and inched forward.
A thunderhawk? What would one of those be doing here?
It began to accelerate.
He accelerated after it.
Up ahead the rocket was growing larger and larger in his view.
“Thunderhawk has made lock.”
The cool female voice said from his console.
"Oh shit, Admiral r-“
He didn't have time to finish his sentence as a small ball-like-silver ship came pelting down from nowhere, blasting the Thunderhawk in the wing with a sharp burst of laser fire. It's wing exploded and it went careening in the opposite direction as the silver ball whizzed past.
"What the fuck!?"
He turned to fly after it, but was stopped.
"Red, this is Wendy, stand down that's a Rundi UAV."
"Rundi? I thought it was the Rundi we were worried about!?”
He called in confusion.
"Yeah, but that thunderhawk had locked in on Apollo 11. It looks like the Rundi are helping."
He grunted and cursed under his breath,
"Boys and girls, if you see a silver ball stand down, those are on our side."
Just then another Thunderhawk shot over his head. He cursed again and pulled himself into a sharp upward turn cutting after the Thunderhawk and locking on. His lock cut off their attempts to shoot down the rocket, and they were forced to dive under as he followed after. He followed, spinning right and left around debris as the Thunderhawk attempted to escape.
It cut upward, just in time for a bright pink jet with graffiti words on the side to shoot out of nowhere.
The Thunderhawk exploded in a cloud of debris as Wendy roared by.
"Good shot, girl!”
He said over his radio.
"Thanks boss. Now let’s give them hell!"
[…]
Admiral Vir floated before the console, knuckles white and unable to do anything. A silent explosion flashed in his vision to the right as quickly as it had begun. Richards and Chavez started with wide eyes and dropped mouths.
"Admiral what the hell is going on!?”
Adam took a deep breath,
"It seems as if we are under attack."
The two of them exchanged glances,
"From who? What the fuck!?!"
Adam turned where he stood to look at the two of them,
"I am sorry I got you two into this mess, but the isolationists have been gunning for me for a few months now, and it seems as if now things have come to a head.”
"What are we going to do!"
"Radio Houston."
Chavez hurried to do as ordered, but when she did, they heard only static,
"Shit... Something is jamming our coms."
Adam took a deep breath,
"Well I guess all we have is Donovan to protect us. Lets' hope they do it right."
[…]
Admiral Massie laughed,
"You're as dumb as you look Kelly."
She stood, slowly wiping blood from her cheek as she turned to look down the barrel of the gun. Her own gun.
She didn't generally tend to agree with Massie, but this time he did have a point. Surprisingly though she was very calm,
"You aren't going to get away with this."
She glanced over to where the little silver recording device lay in the shadows under one of the chairs.
Massie was too amped to notice.
"Doesn't matter. I will have done my duty to my planet and my people, saving them from alien lovers like you and that bastard Vir."
"Whose Idea was this, the President or yours?"
She held her hands out to the side.
"Do you think that dipshit was smart enough to come up with a plan like mine?"
Kelly raised an eyebrow,
"Is it wise to incriminate your friends along with you?"
"That bitch? Heh, I could care less. And if I am going down, she is going down with me. The president may think it was all her idea, but it was mine all along, she was following my orders, whether she believes it or not, and once Adam Vir and YOU are dead, then it doesn't matter what we did, because diplomatic relations will dissolve, and it will be all over."
He lifted the gun to her face,
"Goodbye Kelly."
She remained very still as the shadow fell over him from behind,
"May I say one last thing?”
He paused.
"Turn around."
"Very funny!”
He lifted the gun again and pulled the trigger.
There was a sharp crack and thud as metal hit metal. Kelly flinched and held up her hands, but opened her eye after a moment as no pain came.
Admiral Massie lay on the floor face down.
Kelly reached down quickly to grab her gun, looking up to where Sunny was standing in the doorway holding her pearlescent white spear. Behind her floated the starborn Conn and the hybrid.
She took a deep breath,
"Great timing you three.”
Sunny nodded,
"Anytime."
Admiral Kelly turned and lunged for the comms, switching the frequency to the lunar station only to find she couldn't get through,
"Damn it."
She cursed, turning to look at Sunny and the others,
"I was too late, the ships have already been deployed."
She paused and looked down, grabbing the recording device from off the floor tossing it to the hybrid who caught it with some difficulty,
"Run that to one of the media outlets, convince them it is important and leak it as soon as you can. We don't want her to have time to cover her own ass."
Eris nodded and shot off in the other direction.
Sunny knelt down to help her restrain Admiral Massie.
Just then the sound of feet came thundering up the hall and they looked up to see the Chairwoman of the GA and her assistants skid around a corner. Sunny's eyes narrowed as she crouched low leveling her spear.
"Did you catch him?"
The Chairwoman asked,
"No thanks to you."
Sunny snarled, but the chairwoman waved her off,
"I lost contact with my drones, but they should be out helping to protect Admiral Vir. I am sorry I couldn't do more, but it was all I could do not to show my hand too early."
Admiral Kelly stood slowly,
"You knew about this?"
The charwoman shook her head,
"Not this specifically, but I have been trying to find the source of the assassination attempts on Admiral Vir's life. I've had discreet escorts on him for the past few months while I tried getting in contact with my people in the criminal underworld and I called the hit on him with those pirates, knowing who Captain Kell was, hoping that he could get more information out of the pirates that I could."
Sunny stared at her rage flickering across her face,
"You called a hit on him!"
The charwoman did not seem perturbed,
"Those pirates couldn't have... How do the humans say... Hit their way out of a paper bag. I have been attempting to come in contact with the leader of the anti-alliance for the past few months. I have been trying to convince them I am on their side, and that was part of my ruse, as well as knowing Admiral Vir was captain Kell. During my investigation it became clear that someone within the UN was involved though I couldn't have said who."
"And why should we believe you aren't just covering your own ass?”
The chairwoman hissed,
”Do you really think I want to make an enemy out of the strongest species in the galaxy!? Not on your life! I am not stupid. Besides, I owe Admiral Vir my life. I admit I have done some irreparable things in order to keep the alliance going, but those moves were calculated, and Vir was always protected.”
[…]
One of the silver UAV's exploded and Red had to dodge to the side to avoid the flying debris. He cut right and then left keeping as fast as he could possibly go as he cut up through the chunks of metal and locked onto the back of a Thunderhawk. There was a sharp click and then a silent explosion which he rolled out of the way to avoid. He had sent one of his men off to make contact with earths forces for backup.
They were good, but these men and women were made for combat, and despite their best work only four out of twenty of them had been destroyed, and their numbers were dwindling fast. He cut right before one of the Thunderhawk’s, forcing it to turn away from the rocket and cut down in another direction. He could only imagine the fear of those inside the rocket as they watched helplessly at the fight raging on around them.
He spun down and under, cutting off another Thunderhawk coming in the opposite direction.
There was no way they were going to keep up with this for long.
Their only chance was earths forces reacting quickly.
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Intro post by me
OC-whole collection
Patreon of the author
Thanks for reading! As you saw in the title, this is a cross posted story written by starrfallknightrise and I'll just upload some of it here for you guys, if you are interested and want to read ahead, the original story-collection can be found on tumblr or wattpad to read for free. (link above this text under "OC:..." ) It is the Empyrean Iris story collection by starfallknightrise. Also, if you want to know more about the story collection i made an intro post about it, so feel free to check that out to see what other great characters to look forward to! (Link also above this text). I have no affiliations to the author; just thought I’d share some of the great stories you might enjoy a lot!
Obviously, I have Charlie’s permission to post this and for the people already knowing the stories, or starting to read them: If you follow the link and check out the story you will see some differences. I made some small (non-artistic) changes, mainly correcting writing mistakes, pronoun correction and some small additional info here and there of things which were not thought of/forgotten or even were added/changed in later stories (like the “USS->UNSC” prefix of Stabby, Chalar=/->Sunny etc). As well as some "biggemajor" changes in descriptions and info’s for the same stringency/continuity reason. That can be explained by the story collection being, well a story collection at the start with many standalone-stories just starring the same people, but later on it gets more to a stringent storyline with backstories and throwbacks. (For example Adam Vir has some HEAVY scars over his body, following his bones, which were not really talked about up till half the collection, where it says it covers his whole body and you find out via backflash that he had them the whole time and how he got them, they just weren't mentioned before. However, I would think a doctor would at least see these scars before that, especially since he gets analyzed, treated and goes shirtless/in T-shirts in some stories). So TLDR: Writing and some descriptions are slightly changed, with full OK from the author, since he himself did not bother to correct these things before.

Hello,
I am a Marist Alumnus.
If you are looking at Marist for CS, it is IMPERATIVE that you do some combination of CS AND MATH courses.
Basically you want your core curriculum to cover these topics:

• Calculus I
• Calculus II
• Calculus III
• Linear Algebra
• Discrete Math
• Intro to Statistics
• Database Systems
• Operating Systems
• Compilers
• Computer Organization and Architecture
• Software Engineering II (the web dev one)
• Formal Languages

Marist College does not offer Parallel Processing course or Distributed Systems courses at the undergrad level, but it is PARAMOUNT that you take one from a respectable institution or online course.
Then take electives that suit your area of interests: ML, AI, Robotics, etc.
The tracks that satisfy this tend to be CS major + Math minor or Data Science.
I recommend avoiding the Software Development track or Game Development track.
If you have no programming experience the professors I recommend are Schwartz, Labouseur, and Gormanly.
As for the Math department I have no idea who to recommend. Whatever you do, do not breeze through courses.
I went into computer science without a mentor — mainly cause I switched from business to computer science in the 2nd week of freshman year.
If you are choosing Marist, then you probably don’t have any guidance in CS as well. If you did, you’d probably be going to a more “competitive” school as there ain’t no way your parents haven’t taught you to code by now.
So yeah, trust me. My advice will serve you well in the future.
Why should you listen to me? I worked at a few Fortune 500 companies and am doing a master’s at a “higher ranked” school (Eww prestige signaling, but no FAANG/MAANGA/BARFF — I know).
Looking back, I wish I had done my education this way.
Also, if you are a freshman, pester your professors about getting involved in the IBM joint study. DO NOT GIVE UP UNTIL YOU ARE IN!!! Alternatively, get involved in the enterprise computing lab. Again, your professors will know what this means AND DO NOT GIVE UP!!!
Also, join honor’s if you can. It’s an extra thesis. It’s not hard to get into if you didn’t get in originally. Even if you “hate” research, bite the bullet and do it.
If all goes well, you are on your way to becoming a CS GOD!
By the time you graduate, you will have learned what interests you and what doesn’t, you’ll be equipped for a Master’s or PhD later, and you will hopefully have a nice 6 figure job lined up!
Good Luck on your CS journey!
P.S. Many of the professors are IBM alumni, which may not mean anything to you, but back in the day, IBM was the Google of our time. They are very smart (even if some of the material is outdated). Get to know them. They are very kind. And what’s the point of going to a small school if you won’t build any relations with a professor?
Edit: I will fix this rambling post later to be clearer and more concise, lmao.

after watching star trek: the original series "the cage" and "the menagerie" i have a theory... the xyrillians might not have invented holodeck technology, but rather, adapted it from the talosians on talos iv.
and possibly, also limited cross-species telepathy (the 'pebbles game' in enterprise "unexpected")