I was playing Shyvana bc I’m been crushing it with her lately!
4 minutes into a game my Xerath supp got tilted and afk farmed for like 30 minutes after complaining how he’s tired of being hard stuck bronze, my team bent over backwards to try to make him untilt even switching lanes. Nothing worked, we played hard, got all 4 drags both shells pushed the other team all the way back to open nexus. But it was a 5v4 with a fed Garen bc the supp would just run and die to him.
The last team fight we killed 4 1/2 of them but got wiped bc Hourglass, the Xerath had the chance to defend 3 towers plus inhib and just walked away losing us the game.
It felt super deflating doing such a good job ganking, pushing objectives, making sure lanes are pushed taking out the enemy team, only to lose to a player who just lost their minds less than 5 minutes in
Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do when dealing with toxic ppl who are hell bent on making this game an unpleasant experience for others, and as a JG I feel like this makes it worse.

Last night I got home from a 5 day vacation to Miami with 2 of my best friends from college. It was the first time we have all had enough money to really go all out and plan a fun resort vacation for the girls. The 3 of us girls are ages 23-25.
The 3 of us girls are very relaxed and rarely partied in college and loved our routines and healthy schedules. We made jokes that we never got the “college” experience of staying out all night—so we decided to full send it in Miami and party each night into the early morning. And by party, I mean we would eat dinner at 7pm, take a nap until 10pm, get ready and then start our night out around midnight, and come home between 3-5am. This is extremely unlike us and we were laughing about how hilarious it was that we did and probably won’t ever do it again. We didn’t even really drink, especially me—I had one drink each night.
I’m the only one in the group that isn’t single, so my friends definitely flirted with guys and danced with them, and I just kinda danced around them and would tell boys that tried to dance with me that I have a boyfriend. One of the guys my friends danced with invited us up to his hotel room, and although my friends were interested to go, I obviously told them no, and went to my own hotel room.
I told my boyfriend about the whole trip and he got extremely upset. He said he wasn’t mad at me, but that all of this was very unlike me and he is sad that I seem to be more wild around my friends than I am with him. He went through my instagram followers and saw I followed two guys while on my trip, and started accusing me of lying to him. I followed these guys because they were promoters and we had no clue how to get into clubs because we never go out. I explained this to my boyfriend and he still seemed bothered and upset. He also got upset that I was even in a position to be asked up to some guys hotel room, even though I turned it down.
Did I do something wrong?
TL;DR: went on girls trip to Miami and partied even though it’s out of character for me. Basically did it to cross off a “Im young and in my twenties” bucket list, and now my boyfriend is concerned even though I did nothing to disrespect him.

Welcome back blood suckers! We return with the next part of the Anne Rice vampire saga. I don’t know about you guys, but this section was a struggle for me. I was hoping Marius was going to snap Lestat back to reality and send him on his way to meet Louis. Instead, we got the backstory of all backstories without even a mention of Lestat for seven chapters. At times, I wished I could crawl into the dirt and experience my own ‘first death’, but I’m curious to hear what y’all thought so let’s dive in!
Part 7 Chapter 2: Lestat makes his way through Marius’ house and realizes it’s the first time he’s seen a vampire’s home fully stocked with awesome mortal stuff (including “giant stuffed beasts” which I originally thought said breasts). The guy really has everything: amazing murals, huge library, menagerie, indoor greenhouse, and sculpture hall. Lestat is eventually pulled away from these incredible sights by Marius’ heartbeat.
Chapter 3: Marius and Lestat sit down for the long-awaited chat and we learn that what I last week called ‘Lestat’s pity party/hunger strike in the dirt’ was actually his first death and is totally normal for vampires. Marius has such strong ESP that he can tell what’s going on with vamps all over the world, which is how he knew about Lestat (so vamp GPS does exist!). But, unlike other old vamps, Marius chooses to speak as he finds the ESP imprecise and prefers a consensual mode of communication. He also opts to move like a human as he finds this elegant and all those vamp powers tire him out. Marius wants to share his vampire secrets with Lestat and show him Those Who Must Be Kept, but warns him that he will still need to find ‘his own reasons to exist’. Forgetting all about the emo phase he’d just been having, Lestat is like, “Yeah, yeah whatever. You don’t even know how perfectly awful I am. But why me?” Marius tells Lestat he’s the chosen one since he’s an innocent and curious dude who’s happy just living in the moment. We learn that Marius was born at the start of the Roman Empire and that being born ‘on the cusp of the old way of seeing things’ also unites him with Lestat. Plus, they were both turned into vamps because they were…pretty? Before Marius will continue his story, he tells Lestat he wants to show him Those Who Must Be Kept.
Chapter 4: Marius takes Lestat down a creepy staircase to an ancient Egyptian vampire shrine where two figures are revealed. Lestat thinks they are the most incredible statues he’s ever seen until he touches the woman’s cheek and realizes…THEY’RE ALIVE! Lestat is initially spooked, but slowly understands that Marius cares for these beings and can’t really do anything else to them without being cruel. Lestat apologizes for being a rude scaredy cat and Marius tells him Those Who Must Be Kept don’t even eat anymore and haven’t had a drop of blood in 300 years. Yet even without food, they can move or control things with their mind, but never do so in Marius’ presence. At Marius’ urging, Lestat stares at the figures and tells them how beautiful they are and the woman’s name, Akasha, appears on his lips. Mesmerized, Lestat wants to KISS THE WOMAN AND SPIT BLOOD INTO HER MOUTH until he realizes he’s fucking nuts and pulls back, begging Marius to go upstairs. As they leave, one of Those Who Must Be Kept opens up the tabernacle, proving all Marius said true. Marius has a little meltdown upstairs wondering why Akasha revealed her name to Lestat and not him, her protector for the past 17 CENTURIES, but snaps out of it and is ready to tell Lestat the whole story.
Chapter 5: Marius was an illegitimate son in a rich Roman household who had everything he could desire except the love of his dead mother (but at least she gave him her beautiful Aryan looks). One evening, he’s in a Gaul tavern, so busy writing, drinking wine and doing his own philosophizing that he doesn’t notice a creepy giant staring at him. They have a long chat about Egypt and religion and, just when we’re about to die of boredom, the stranger tells Marius he is going to become a god and then knocks him out. Marius comes to in a wagon being pulled through a forest and eventually arrives at a Celtic fortress where he realizes that if he doesn’t want to become a human sacrifice he “had better try to get the hell out of here.” (Apparently, Marius also cannot keep the same speaking style).
Chapter 6: Marius’ captor, Mael, and his Druid pals are now dressed in white robes and tell Marius he will drink the Divine Blood and become a father of gods. Until this occurs, Marius is kept under constant watch and passes the time getting drunk and eating. To keep his boredom at bay, he listens to Mael tell him all about their gods, especially the god he is to become who goes by many names including ‘the lover of the mother’. This god takes blood sacrifices every full moon but on All Saints Day gets to have a yummy feast and make prophecies. He serves the Great Mother who ‘is without visible form but nevertheless present in all things’ (Ok, so Mother Earth, not a literal mother. Phew). Marius recalls others who have served this goddess and things don’t go particularly well for them (castration, dismemberment, etc.) so he’s not feeling too great about his upcoming transformation and continues to get drunk and yell at Mael. Eventually, Marius’ hair is long enough and it’s time for the feast. After a little makeover, Marius is placed in a wagon and driven deep into the forest. He is shocked to see the Druids have made two massive wicker figures and are filling them with evildoers who will be sacrificed in the ceremony. Marius is taken to the ‘sanctuary of the gods’, a grove with creepy faces carved into the trees and skulls on spikes. A voice comes from within one of the trees, double checking that Marius is indeed the chosen one, and then invites Marius to come on down.
Chapter 7: Descending a set of winding stairs, Marius is no longer afraid, but excited that all the nonsense Mael’s been spouting is true and he really is about to become a god. But this feeling doesn’t last long as he comes face to face with a shrivelled, burnt skeleton-like figure (but with beautiful hair of course). The figure tells Marius he will make him a god, but only if he promises to escape the Druids, go down to Egypt and figure out why the sun is burning up all the gods of darkness (aka vampires if you haven’t caught on). Marius is turned into a vampire and, as the blood is passed back and forth, is given his own set of vamp rules to follow. The figure drains Marius one last time and is like, “Go feast. But don’t forget to run away after. I’ll be dying now. Buh bye.”
Chapter 8: Confirming the Druids’ hopes and beliefs, Marius emerges and he is STARVING. He feasts on dozens of men and then plays judge for a while until finally the festival is over and Marius knows he must escape and go to Egypt. He tries to use his god status to persuade the Druids to leave him alone, but they’re not falling for his nonsense and try to force him down into the tree dungeon. They grab the old, shrivelled god out of the tree and casually chuck him into the fire, and his last words to Marius are to obey his command and go to Egypt. Pretending he’s a weak, scared boy, the Druids loosen their grip on Marius and he is able to break free. Sprinting into the forest, Marius finally realizes he has some sweet vamp powers but doesn’t have time to appreciate these as he's being pursued by thousands of Celtic worshippers. He still manages to escape and digs down into the Earth for his first day of vamp sleep. When he wakes, Marius is hungry and is like, “How the hell was that burnt guy only eating once a month!?” After some dinner, he decides he will go down to Egypt, but not for the gods, just to have a vamp adventure! Yet when he finally arrives, Marius realizes how alone he is among mortal men and cannot bear being ‘the relentless bringer of death’ so continues to seek out the old gods.
Chapter 9: In Alexandria, a god appears to Marius in the middle of the night and the next evening something speaks to him, telling him to come to a door. Down another windy stairway, Marius finds an underground temple where he encounters another burnt vamp god with beautiful hair who’s like, “Hey, how come you’re not all crispy?” We then meet the Elder, a vamp god that survived ‘the burning’ and who Marius recognizes as the one that came to him the previous night. Breaking his years of silence, the Elder tells Marius that vampires started BY ACCIDENT four thousand years ago. After Osiris was killed, dismembered and then put back together by Isis (except his penis of course), he became the immortal ruler of the dead and drank blood sacrifices. But who knew that drinking blood would have so many fun side effects!? So Osiris and Isis became the first vampires. Despite their blood creating stronger and stronger vamps, Osiris and Isis eventually got stingy and refused to let others drink from them, while also starving themselves. Because of the blood connection, whatever happens to Isis and Osiris happens to all other vampires, so it was not so nice of them to have these suicidal ideations. Their keeper eventually decided this must all be a big joke so left Osiris and Isis out in the sun. But surprise, surprise, it was all true and thus caused the BBQ vampire fest. The other vamps managed to get Osiris and Isis (who only got a nice suntan) back underground, but they no longer chat or eat and DEFINITELY aren’t letting anyone have their blood now. But guess what!? That’s just the version told in Egyptian mythology. Now we get to learn the real story. (And at this point I let out a vamp-volume scream and curse Anne Rice’s ghost.)
Chapter 10: Two humans, Akasha and Enkil, came into Egypt from ‘some other land’ and taught the cannibal Egyptians how to play nice and worship Mother Earth. One day, a furniture-throwing, dirty-language-loving, demon was causing problems with the royal steward so Enkil decided to go have a chat with it. After a night in the haunted house, Enkil emerged with the knowledge that demons are so grumpy because they don’t have a body! Akasha then joined her husband for another wild night in the demon house. Everyone else was terrified of the demonic commotion and ran away, except for a small group of men who were fed up with the Mother Earth ways and wanted to go back to eating people. These men entered the house in the middle of the night and stabbed Enkil and Akasha over and over. Out of nowhere, Gabrielle emerged and was like, “You done fucked up now.” Ok, just kidding that didn’t happen. But it was a horrible idea because the stab wounds were now convenient openings for the demon to enter the bodies of Enkil and Akasha. When their blood mixed, a new creature was created, with the intelligence and souls of the mortals and the mind reading abilities of the demon. But the worst of all was that they could only be kept alive by drinking blood! Enkil and Akasha also learned immediately that fire and sunlight would kill them. The King and Queen tried to keep all of this a secret, but people were a bit weirded out that they no longer saw their mighty rulers during the day and could only worship at night. Conspirators continued to try and kill Enkil and Akasha, but they always magically healed, so people instead sought to gain their immortality by taking their blood and drinking it. We learn that the vampire transformation is only successful if the mortal is near to death so we don’t know if some people figured this out or if Enkil and Akasha chose to pass on their ‘gift’ to people out of loneliness, but more vampires were created and spread throughout the world. In an attempt to rationalize what happened to them, Enkil and Akasha placed themselves within the world of myth and made up the story of Osiris and Isis. This went well for a few thousand years, until societies began to open up their temples to the sun god and let all the vamps burn to a crisp, leaving only a few places on Earth where vampires gods were left in peace. We learn that there have always been rogue vampires who don’t need no goddess and just want to have fun. But no matter what type of vampire they were, they all went crispy when Mother and Father were put out in the sun. As the story finally comes to a close, Marius is like, “I don’t believe this crap,” and storms out of the temple, laughed out by the Elder.
Chapter 11: As Marius lays in bed at night, he has to admit that the whole story may actually be true, but is still pissed because he wants to be an individual, not a host to a blood-thirsty demonic parasite. After getting drunk on blood and coming to terms with his destiny, Marius decides he has to see this Mother and Father and hide them in order to keep them (and thus all other vamps) safe forever. Conveniently, the Mother then appears to Marius, telling him to take her and the Father out of Egypt. The Mother leads Marius out into the desert where he finds a trap door and...you guessed it...another twisty staircase! At the bottom, Marius finally meets Akasha and Enkil. A burnt vamp suddenly appears out of nowhere and wants to put them back into their chamber, but Enkil and Akasha decide they’re going to move on their own which terrifies burnt vamp and makes Marius weep uncontrollably. Just to see what happens, Marius convinces burnt vamp to try and drink from Enkil, who responds by throwing him across the room. Marius feels bad so lets burnt vamp drink from him, and then tells him to get the eff out and not let anyone in to the crypt. Marius steals two mummy cases, puts Akasha and Enkil in them and temporarily buries them outside his house while he makes plans to flee Egypt. The Elder appears and it’s revealed that he was the keeper who put the Mother and Father out in the sun. Marius is like, “Don’t worry, bro. I got it from here,” but the Elder won’t let them go without a fight. The Elder is much stronger and a more experienced fighter, but Marius goes for the old eye sockets and gets some surprise back up from Akasha who crushes the Elder like a bug and lights him on fire. Sealing his fate as their guardian, Akasha allows Marius to drink from her.

Pros-

1. The world- is gorgeous with beautiful terrain made up of grassy highlands, dusty deserts, dense swamps, and a darker more realistic vision. A horse to ride and being able to jump, climb, and duck make for a different but enjoyable experience.
   
2. Gore and dark themes- are definitely here and stand out as a more efficient Diablo atmosphere. Obviously the art style helps but seeing bodies littered everywhere, hung on pikes, raining blood just satisfies the corrupted soul. The story shared this with darker themes (even though there are questionable decisions made here imo) more serious approach to overall mood and story. (Finally, no more butterfly villain from D3)
   
3. The score- Brilliant. Brought me back to the golden era of Diablo and Diablo 2. They really did some outstanding work in regards to a more nostalgic but new take on this aspect. Each area gives you a different vibe and the music actually aids in this. I even enjoyed hell which one usually doesn’t do.
   

Cons-

1. Pacing felt off at times with the campaign although I do like the more free structure of quests. Side characters were interesting enough even if some story decisions could have been better executed.
   
2. (Where is Tyrael? Why oh why did Donan want to grope a dead pillar body in hell? Why would our main character allow the soul stone out of their sight at the end) Where is Diablo and Baal if Mephisto can appear to our character? Where is Imperius and is he still angry like Raph from the turtles? Hopefully this will be answered in the following 5 expansions.
   
3. Aside from a few boss battles, I felt like acts were flying by. Hell was over with in a blink and I actually was hoping for more time there along with different looking layers to it and more boss encounters but that’s me. (Hopefully this will be addressed when the big 3 return which to me is inevitable)
   

But perhaps Blizzard wanted there to be some mystery left for us. I mean, Sanctuary was created by Lilith and Inarius so that as a storyline is fitting, sure. And some mystery is what made the originals good as well.
I just am not sure about the the execution for D4’s campaign. I think the end choice was necessary for our character but it almost felt like some things were too vague and what we did get was just a teaser or too sparing in regards to the endless chase we took for 30+ hours. Thoughts?

This is what my circle of hell looks like.
For the past 2 nights, I’ve been staying at my grandparent’s house. It’s across the country from where I live. I have never been so uncomfortable and exhausted in my life. They’re my family and I love them, but I’m miserable and frustrated.
I already have insomnia. The futon they gave me to sleep on has messed up my back really badly and now I’m in constant pain. I “slept” on the hardwood floor of the (freezing) basement last night with a flat pillow and thin blanket and even that was better than trying to sleep on that futon’s planks. For the last 2 nights, I’ve had less than 3 hours of sleep when I usually aim to get about 8.5 at home. I am physically and mentally exhausted. I’ve spent most of last night just crying out of frustration.
Sleep is one of my major strategies for dealing with my ADHD. When I’m tired, I feel stupid and emotionally charged. Now everything is getting to me. There’s no hand soap in the bathroom. There’s only one trash can in the house and it’s in the kitchen. The fridge and pantry are almost totally empty yet they don’t want me to use their expensive new car so I have no option to go grocery shopping for us. They live off of toast and coffee so I haven’t had a hot meal in 3 days.
I’m especially angry because this is the first “vacation” I’ve had in 5+ years. I really wanted to have fun but I’m in too much pain and I’m too sleep deprived to enjoy anything. My psoriasis has flared up quite badly due to the stress.
I’m also not close with my grandparents. I haven’t seen them in maybe 7-8 years and they didn’t like me then either. I can’t tell them I have ADHD because they don’t think it’s real. They’ve openly discussed that it’s “for kids who want drugs and attention”. They even acknowledged that the futon I’m sleeping on is terrible but they don’t care to make me more comfortable or anything. Even after all the housework I’ve done for them since I’ve been here.
I seriously can’t do this for another week. I’m in the verge of having a mental breakdown due to the exhaustion and stress. I have no way of leaving. I have nobody to talk to about this. If anyone has any suggestions, I’m thankful for the advice.

Im turning 23 and am finally looking to go to college after a few years of family and personal hell after graduating high school.
Im looking for a stable career thats not back breaking(ive been a sandblastepainter for 2 years now and i dont want to be broken by the time im 40) and will be a decent paying job ($60k+). Is accounting the right path? I got bad grades in High School because i again, more family and personal things so i dont mind going to community college to get my GPA up.
Any personal experiences or advice from people in the field would be greatly appreciated

My now ex gf 16f who i will refer to as "A" broke up with me 16m (both 15 at the time) because she was going to kill her self.
When i first met her she was the average uk stoner having done a few class As in the past, only having one other relationship where she was abused mentally. she did not like talking abt it but i think i can infer the details. i had had 0 experience in relationships 0 experience with drugs/ alcohol, i was a complete newbie to everything. we were almost polar opposites to each other: she had dropped out of school and now goes to a special school for kids with behavioral issues. i was and still am high achieving whilst maintaining a good reputation with my peers, i think this is what made us so interested in each other to be honest.
She had opened up to me about her depression and her trust issues before going into our relationship. i would like to say we fell pretty hard for each other but im sure i fell hardest as im still in disbelieve she did this to me even two months later. when i was with her i was the happiest i had ever ever been. it was weird, i did not think just being with somebody else could make me this happy. we were both in love. during our relationship we only had 2 arguments with us both getting over them within in at least 12 hours, we had a pact where we wound not bring them up again this worked very well, this was her idea to which i mutually agreed.
one day out of the blue i woke up to a long paragraph from her, she said we should end it because she was not in the right space for a relationship at this time, this was a lye which i later found out. i did not read the whole thing i think i was too in shock to after the first two lines everything was a blur. the message did not seem remorseful it didn't seem sincere. i asked to meet later that day which i knew she could as she only went to school once every blue moon. we met up later that day after i had school, she said she was going somewhere. she couldn't tell me where, she couldn't tell me who she was going with, she couldn't tell me what she was going to do there. perhaps she was talking about the afterlife, im not sure. that was all she told me - that day.
i was livid, i could not believe she was going to do this to me. me and her bsf 15f were both in denial that she was actually going to do this as all three of us knew we made each other happy. i took her on the right path to improving as a person, she so said her self and her bsf. right there and then whilst both of us were in tears sitting on my bed i blocked her and her friends on all socials systematically followed by delating every photo i had of her, im still unsure that this was the right decision to make at the time but it was the only thing i could think of to do as a last attempt to make her turn around and say don't do this or something like that. i hoped wrong.
one of the last things i said to her was promise me your not going to kill your self, she nodded gently. we both left my house and walked to the station holding hands in silence. i think i was too starstruck to talk. we got to the station, she asked if i wanted to kiss, without saying anything we both leaned in. i said i love you as she walked off to board the train after not talking for a long, panful 45 mins, this was reciprocated by "i love you too". later that evening i went round my mates house got drunk and talked the whole thing over with him i had to get this off my chest (pun intended) right there and then. this was the end. so i thought...
we didn't talk for two weeks. all i could think about was her. she messaged me on my birthday to say "happy birthday elliot" i now hate her for this. why had she done this to me right now, why is she messaging me again. i had made it clear in the break up that we were not going to message each other again. i had blocked her on everything. but i had forgotten to blocker her number. i don't remember exactly what i said but i was desperate, something along the lines of "i could have fixed this im sorry". she said i couldn't have fixed this and that the entire thing was her fault.
we kept messaging for another week. this was hell for me, im still not sure why i hated this week so much. on the 6th day of messaging she confessed to me, i remember it word for word, "i don't plan on being alive for much longer after summer". i didn't react. i just continued the previous conversation im not sure why i did this either. this pissed her off i think. i dont remember much more of what was said but i remember simply saying your not going to do it. she said she was going to. the next day i told her she was week and selfish for doing this to me i told her she was, "taking the easy way out". i blocked her number this time. we haven't messaged since.
a week back i messaged the same bsf, as i mention earlier, happy birthday we have been talking since, mostly not about her just other things. on a completely different note i have a new girl, im going to call her E, who i am messaging she wants to meet after our gcses (the UKs SATs equivalent). shes high achieving, smart, funny, cute but a tad on the boring side, unlike A. i believe i have moved on from A.
however last night we talked about A. she said she believes that A is likely not to kill her self anymore, i was fuming to hear this. i want her to do it i wont lye. i said this to the bsf she said she understand how i feel. i told her to message A if she would ever think about getting back with me because admittedly i would get back with her. i have had nobody make me this happy before in my life, i want that feeling again. A said she would see whether she would reconsider in collage (all four of us are going to the same collage the bsf, A, E and me). collage is 3 months away.
also to add, i manipulated A a lot along with E who i am currently talking to. i know i have to stop this but i cant. its almost pleasurable, i get some kind of sick enjoyment out of doing it. i also believe i am a narcissist, so say my friends, my family, and the bsf.
this brings me to the current moment. im not sure why i am writing this tbh. please feel free to give me advice in the comments thank you very much for reading this wonderful people of reddit x

Some may call it small talk and find it useless. Witty banter, with laughs and maybe some light roasting and ribbing can go a long way to forming a connection. A similar sense of humor is a great basis for a bond.
Laughs and light hearted fun are great but am also up for a deeper and more meaningful connection. A listening ear to talk through things. A little nudge of a encouragement in getting through the mundanity of life.
I’m a married father of 2 in an ethically non monogamous open marriage. Not seeking a third or a unicorn. Just a badass person I can call an acquaintance, friend or even more. Who knows where this crazy thing called life can take us, but I’m always up for the journey.
Maybe you’re open or polyamorous too and want to chat about that, or curious about it. Or want to tell me I’m going to hell. All are welcome.
It seems like I’m rambling so if you’re a fun, witty, sassy, smart woman wanting to make a connection or more with a pretty smart, funny emotionally intelligent, dad of 2, message me and let’s get this going. Life is hard enough, let’s be here and make each other’s day and life better!

My long time best friend from middle school and I have been close for our entire teenage and adult life’s. (We will call her A). A and I have been through hell together and have always stuck by each other. The past few years A has struggled with addiction I’ve stuck by her side through it and tried to help her get the help she needs. You can help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves so I’ve slowly stepped back because I can’t drag myself down with her. She was using her moms friends card to send me money and I would send it back to her. I had her stop sending me money because that could get me in serious trouble. Her mom found out and threatened me with charges. I never told her mom that she used the card just that she sent me money and I sent it back.
A messaged me saying I threw her under the bus and if we ever got in trouble I’d be quick to tell. It’s not that I’d be quick to tell cause I’m down all the way when it comes to certain things. But I have a 2 year old child to think about and myself. She took about $2,000 from this man. My name is on all the credit card charges. I’m not taking a fraud charge and going to prison. She expected me to take part of that fall if charges were filed.
Am I the asshole for telling her that I wasn’t taking the charges and I’d tell it all when it came down to it?

It was only a matter of time before police officers and ambulances arrived.
Freddy had been deactivated prior and was thus taken away by local authorities for examination. However, the entitled woman was taken to the ambulance, her jaw nearly torn off, only barely hanging on.
While Freddy and the women were taken away, Carlton, Jessica, and Marla were checked on by the Chief of Hurricane's Police Department and Carlton's dad, Clay Burke.
"Hm. You really should be careful with what you say to others, Carlton. The worst you'll probably get is a small bruise," he muttered as he gave a small ice pack to Carlton. Carlton nodded.
"Yeah. Though after seeing what Freddy did to that poor Karen (something I'd never thought I'd say), I'd rather have a bruised cheek. I mean, damn; he tore that thing off like a machine ripping apart a watermelon," shivered Carlton. Jessica and Marla, who were nearby, groaned and shivered.
"Well that just was just unnecessary, Carlton," groaned Jessica.
"Yeah, really, man. Jason doesn't need to be reminded of that scene," added Marla as she held Jason close to her while Jason looked quite traumatized by what he had seen. Clay shook his head.
"I never thought I'd be apart of anything related to that damn company again after what happen ten years ago. Speaking of which, where did Freddy come from? Do you know who owns him?" he asked, a look of concern on his face.
The three teens searched for someone before Carlton saw Charlie walking back to them, holding Edward close to her.
"Oh, there's Charlie!" pointed out Carlton. The girls and Clay looked back and smiled in relief before they got up and got to her.
"Charlie! There you are!" Marla greeted. Charlie looked up and replied,
"Oh, hey. Sorry for running off like that. I-I don't know what came over me, I-I was-"
But Jessica placed a hand on her shoulder. Charlie looked at her, seeing a smile on her face.
"It's okay, Charlie. You were just looking out for Edward here. Speaking of which, are you okay, buddy?" she explained before looking at Edward. Edward looked at her and curled himself back, away from her. The three frowned, and Jessica backed away.
"Oh, that's right. You're still scared of me," sighed Jessica.
"Wait, Jessica. Don't-" Charlie began, but Jessica shook her head.
"It's okay, Charlie. I don't want to give him more stress than he already has. It's fine," she assured. Charlie and Marla frowned at this as Clay approached them.
"Ah, Charlie. It's been a while since I last saw you. How are you?" he asked with a small smile. Charlie shrugged.
"I-I could be better. I just…" she said, looking at Edward, who looked up at her. Clay hummed.
"I know. Is he with you?" he asked. Charlie nodded.
"I'm babysitting him while his parents are away in Dubai. Why?" she asked.
"Oh, I see. Well, I just wanted to know who's responsible for bringing that Freddy robot," answered Clay. Charlie frowned as she felt Edward shivering a bit. She gently rubbed his back as she answered,
"It was his parents. They volunteered for the Fazbear Funtime Service. They left by the time Freddy was delivered here."
"Hm. I see. Hey, Charlie, I hate to do this, but do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions regarding how you and Freddy?" he asked. Charlie nodded.
"O-Of course," she said. Clay nodded before looking at Edward.
"Um…without the kid, preferably?" he reminded. Charlie frowned but nodded. She then looked at Marla.
"Hey, can you-" she began, but Marla nodded.
"Of course. Come on, Edward," she cooed as Charlie began to hand him over. Edward whimpered, but Charlie looked at him.
"It's okay, Eddie. I've got to answer some questions, but I promise I won't be far. I'll be back before you know it, okay?" she assured. While unsure, Edward nodded.
"O-Okay," he muttered. Charlie smiled as she ruffled his hair before handing him over to Marla. Edward looked at Charlie, who smiled at him before Clay took her away.
"It's okay, sweet pea. Mr. Burke's a good man; he won't hurt Charlie or any of us," she assured as she sat back down, holding Edward close.
"Yeah, man! Plus, he's my dad, too. So, he couldn't, otherwise, my mom would, uh, kill him," added Carlton with a shrug, chuckling in his attempt to joke around. However, Edward was not in the mood to joke around. He was looking down at the ground. Marla, Jessica, and Carlton frowned while Jason scooted closer, gently taking Edward's left hand and squeezing it tightly. Edward responded by meekly tightening his hold.
"Edward! Edward!"
Edward blinked at a familiar little girl's voice. He looked to his left to see Cassie rushing to them. He watched as Cassie soon got to them.
"Are you okay?" she asked. Edward frowned and looked down.
"I-I don't know, Cassie. I…" he began, but he found himself unable to speak. Marla gently squeezed him in assurance.
"Cassie, sweetie. I-I don't think he's in the mood to talk right now," she insisted. Cassie frowned as she looked down.
"I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if he and Jason are okay," she explained. Jason and Edward looked at her, the former giving a smile.
"Well, physically, we're fine. But everything else…I dunno," Jason retorted. Cassie nodded in understanding before Edward lifted his head slightly.
"A-Are you okay?" he asked. Cassie looked at him and nodded.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just…that was scary," Cassie replied, looking away. Edward nodded in agreement, and the kids remained quiet before Cassie looked at Edward and Jason again.
"I…I've gotta go. But I hope we can see each other again. Especially you, Edward. I like you," she said, smiling softly. Jason and Edward smiled back, and the latter responded by raising his left fist. Cassie giggled and bumped Edward's fist with his own.
"Bye, Cassie," said Edward.
"Yeah. Hope we see you again soon," added Jason.
"I hope so, too. Bye!" Cassie giggled softly before she turned around and sped off. Edward and Jason smiled slightly as they watched her before the former looked down, regressing to his thoughts.
Jessica, Carlton, and Marla watched the whole thing, and they had smiles on their faces.
"Well, I guess this day hasn't been all 'doom-and-gloom'," chuckled Carlton. Jessica nodded as Marla gently rubbed Edward's back.
"Yeah. Lord knows he needs it after what happened," confided Jessica, making Carlton nod in agreement.
Soon, Charlie returned with Chief Burke.
"*sigh* Alright. Now, you guys are good to go. But if you all notice anything, let me know immediately. Understood?" he instructed. The teens nodded in understanding as Marla got up. Edward looked at Charlie and immediately reached for her. Marla noticed and stood up.
"How's everything, Charles?" asked Marla as she handed Edward over to her.
"It's fine. He just asked questions about how Freddy worked, whether he had been acting strange beforehand, and stuff like that," replied Charlie as she took the boy before sighing. She looked at the crowd, who were starting to disperse.
"I should probably head back. This day got really sour and I still need to process everything that happened," she said. The others understood this.
"Yeah. I'm taking Jason back to our hotel for the same reasons," Marla explained as she took Jason's hand.
"I need to distract myself to cope better. Plus, I think mom needs help with housework," reasoned Carlton.
"Me…I'm just gonna walk around. I wish you guys well," finished Jessica as she looked at them with a caring smile. Charlie nodded as Edward looked at her, still unsure about her.
Later, Charlie returned to Edward's house, setting the boy down on the floor. She closed the door and sighed as Edward stepped forward. Then she looked at him.
"Hey, Eddie. How are you feeling, buddy?" she asked. Edward did not turn to look at her. He just looked down at the floor.
"I…I wanna be alone right now. C-Can I stay in your room, please?" Edward asked. Charlie raised a brow momentarily before remembering his room was filled with Freddy-themed merchandise. She nodded and placed a hand on his back.
"Sure. If you need anything, let me know. Okay, honey?" asked Charlie.
"...Mmhmm," went Edward before walking up the stairs, leaving Charlie alone.
"I-I'll be in the living room," she called out.
"Okay…" Edward replied as Charlie sat down. She looked at the spot where Freddy once was and sighed.
Vmm. Vmm. Vmm.
Charlie raised a brow and fished out her phone from her pocket. She then grew exacerbated as she recognized the phone number. Charlie then pressed the number and began talking.
"Good timing for you to call, Vanessa," she began sarcastically.
"I am SO sorry for not answering. I-I've been so busy with work that I never got the time to answer," Vanessa's voice emitted from the phone, sounding rather desperate and apologetic.
"Hm. What could possibly have been going on at work to make it more important than what's happening with the damn robots?!" asked Charlie.
"Ugh, look, it doesn't matter; I'm here now and can help with whatever you have. I've got your voicemail, and it mentions Freddy being able to move when it's not supposed to. Right?" asked Vanessa. While she was talking, Charlie was taking deep breaths to calm herself. When she was finished, Charlie nodded and gulped.
"Yes, that's correct. What's with that?" she asked. After a brief pause, Vanessa replied,
"Oh no," she began before Charlie heard incoherent mumbling as Vanessa seemed to have moved away from the phone. She had an eyebrow raised, wondering what Vanessa meant by that.
When Vanessa returned, she asked,
"Have you turned on the Controlled Shock feature while Freddy was deactivated?"
"E-E…Emergency mode?" asked Charlie.
"Yes. I told you that there's a button for the feature in Freddy's endoskeleton and that by turning on, you can use the Fazbear Funtime Service app to shock the robot into temporarily shutting down and forcing a reboot," explained Vanessa. Charlie blinked in confusion.
"Y-You never told me this," she reasoned.
"Yes. I did! Back when I first brought him here. Were you not paying attention?!" berated Vanessa.
Charlie's eyes widened as she realized; back when Vanessa first brought Freddy here yesterday, she explained how the animatronic worked. But she was so focused on Freddy being at the house…
"Shit," went Charlie as she ran her hand through her hair.
"Charlie. Did something else happen today with Freddy?" asked Vanessa. Charlie gulped and explained. When she was done, Charlie could hear a thumping sound, making her flinch her head back.
"Um, hello?" she asked. There was a shuffling sound before Vanessa replied,
"HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?! YOU SHOULD'VE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO MY INSTRUCTIONS!"
"I know. I know. I'm sorry. I just," Charlie went as she began to panic, wishing her friends were here.
"That woman may be an entitled bitch, but…ugh!" went Vanessa before the line went quiet for what felt like forever. Charlie winced as she looked at the ground, contemplating the stupidity of her not paying attention and how it cost her.
"Vanessa. I'm very sorry. I-" she began before,
"I know. It's not ENTIRELY your fault. The programmers at the company had spent half a year ensuring everything was alright. We had a problem with a virus a year or two ago, and we had it solved. But the animatronics do show signs of their 'quirkiness' for a lack of a better word, and we installed that feature in just to be safe," confided Vanessa. Charlie blinked in confusion.
"Yo-You've had this problem before?" asked Charlie.
"I-I can't elaborate more. Classified info, and I'm already risking my job by telling you. But yeah," Vanessa elaborated.
"Oh," went Charlie as she placed a hand on her forehead. After another short pause, Vanessa asked,
"You said Freddy's in custody already?"
"Yeah. Why?" replied Charlie.
"*sigh* I'm sure the company's gonna do everything in their power to retrieve it. Listen, just…just stay away from Freddy. With what you've told me, anything can…" began Vanessa before there was another pause.
"Uh, h-hello? Vanessa, are you there?" asked Charlie, straightening herself up as she grew concerned. After a brief period, Vanessa finally replied,
"Sorry. I spilled something on the desk; I have to clean it up. I hope you and Edward take care of yourselves."
"Uh, what? But you said something about staying away-" began Charlie.
"Forget I said that. Freddy's locked up; that's all that matters now. Just…take care of yourself and the little guy. Okay?" interrupted Vanessa. Charlie paused and grew unsure. But she nodded.
"A-Alright. Take care, and I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention," Charlie said. But Vanessa did not respond. She hung up while she was talking. With a sigh, Charlie placed the phone on the sofa and covered her face. Her hands then quivered as she began to whimper.
Shit, shit, shit…what have I done? Charlie thought as she sat by herself, sniffling.
Later, Charlie walked over to her guest room, knocked on the door, and went inside.
"Hey, Edward? Edward?" asked Charlie as she looked into the room, realizing that Edward's nowhere to be found. Her brief moment of alarm was, thankfully, diffused when she heard from beneath the bed,
"I'm here."
Charlie sighed in relief and went down on all fours to look underneath the bed. Edward was back facing her as he curled up in a ball. Charlie winced at him doing this as a memory from ten years ago came back into her mind when she remembered Sammy being so upset that…
I've GOT to stop thinking about Sammy, she thought to herself as Charlie reached forward.
"Come out of there, buddy. It's not comfortable," she instructed.
"But I wanna stay here. I'm playing pretend," replied Edward.
"Pretend? What are you pretending to be, or do?" persisted Charlie as she tilted her head in confusion. Edward did not reply. Charlie remained confused before she remembered the playground. She hummed as she sat down, back pressed against the bed.
"You know, Eddie. There's another way you can pretend you're in a safe space. More comfortable," she said.
"W-What?" answered Edward. Charlie hummed as she thought of an idea. She then looked down.
"If you come out, I'll show you," she insisted. There was silence for a moment before Edward could be heard shuffling. Soon, he slugged out and looked up at Charlie. Charlie smiled as she soon stood up and undid the cover of her bed. She looked at her and gestured to the bed. Edward looked confused, but he complied and crawled into it. Charlie took off her boots as she followed him, enveloping themselves in the cover.
"See? Comfortable, isn't it?" she asked with an assuring smile. Edward looked around, inspecting the surroundings. Then, he looked at Charlie.
"It's like being in a tent in a forest or jungle," mused Edward, and Charlie could see a faint glimpse of something in Edward's eyes. Something positive, it seemed. Smiling, she scooted closer to Edward, and that was when Edward looked at her.
"Miss Charlie?" he asked.
"Hm?" she asked.
"I…I'm sorry,"
Charlie blinked in confusion.
"For what?" she asked.
"You…you were right about Freddy. You said he made you uncomfortable. I let him inside. It's…It's…" whimpered Edward. Charlie frowned as she scooted closer and placed a hand on his cheek.
"Edward, no. Don't blame yourself for this. I-I'm the one who's at fault," she said. Edward looked at her, and Charlie continued,
"When Miss Vanessa brought him inside, she mentioned a feature inside that would stop Freddy from acting violent, as they had problems with that before. B-But I wasn't paying attention, and that's how you almost died, and that woman might never talk again. So the blame's on me. Okay?"
She cupped their hands together as she explained, her voice quivering as she held in tears. Edward looked at her, stunned by what she said. Charlie stared at him, holding in her cries. Then, Edward responded by tightening his hold on her hands affectionately.
"You were scared of Freddy," he explained. Charlie shook her head.
"That's no excuse. I…I needed to be more responsible. And starting now, I'm gonna do my best to be better," she explained. Edward looked at her, seeing the determined look on her face, before scooting forward.
"Miss Charlie. Promise me you won't leave me. C-Cassidy's hardly around, and Freddy…" he paused, looking down sadly. Charlie gently picked him up and placed him on her legs.
"Honey, put your ears on my chest. I want you to listen to something," she instructed. Edward did so, and he heard a rhythmic beating inside. He blinked as he gave a soft smile.
"I heard this before when mommy hugged me. She says it's something called uh…hmm…I forgot," he mumbled.
"It's called a heartbeat, Eddie. And you wanna know something important about it?" went Charlie. Edward looked up as he listened to the heartbeat.
"I don't know anything about a 'Cassidy,' and Freddy…well, that Freddy's a machine. But when you listen to this heartbeat…as long as you hear this heartbeat, I won't leave you. You can trust me," she explained as she held him close, gently rocking him sideways. She then looked down to see Edward looking at her with a hopeful smile, which warmed her heart. Charlie held him close, and Edward leaned into her body.
After a moment of silence, Edward looked up at her and smiled.
"You're the best, Charlie. Oh, I mean Miss," he stuttered, but Charlie placed a thumb on his lip.
"It's okay. If it makes you more comfortable, then you can drop the 'Miss.' I don't mind," she assured. Edward smiled and nodded before looking away.
"You're nice. You and your friends…including Miss Jessica," he replied with a slight frown. Charlie nodded.
"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about Jessica. She told me about what you told her and the others. Is it true that you're scared of her because of what your father said?" she asked.
"Mmhm. But after seeing how she was earlier, I…I don't know now," Edward admitted.
"Uh-huh. Well, Edward, I want you to know; while Jessica may have been a brat when she was little, she's an amazing person now. I've followed her online, and she's one of the sweetest, smartest, and most selfless friends I've ever had. She's also forgiving (mainly to those whom she feels deserves it), so the next time you see her, please give her a chance. Can you do that?" explained Charlie with a pleading smile.
Edward looked down and rubbed his nose.
"Will she let me? Can I still be friends with her?" he asked, unsure.
"Of course, baby. I trust her and my other friends, so I'm sure you can, too," replied Charlie as she gently booped him in the nose, making Edward giggle. Charlie laughed as well as she then asked,
"Are you feeling better now? Do you wanna come out of the tent?"
Edward nodded. Charlie smiled as she removed the cover, exposing them to the sunlight and making Edward wince briefly.
"Can we watch cartoons?" he asked.
"Of course. I think I have something in my mind that you're gonna LOVE!" Charlie said as she picked him up and walked out of the room.
For Charlie and Edward, this was a period of calm that they deserved. But they do not know of the storm coming their way…
AN: Hey, everyone!
Another chapter of this story is out of the way. It's a bit of a slow burner, but I promise; the next one will definitely pick up! Also, I made a change in this and the last chapter regarding one of the characters to accommodate the release of the Ruin gameplay trailer.
Speaking of which, we ate GOOD last month with the trailers for the FNAF movie, the Ruin gameplay trailer, and Help Wanted 2. Not to mention Scott's birthday yesterday (at the time of my writing this (Happy Belated Birthday, Scott!)), so this year has been good for FNAF. Looking forward to all of these future games!
Also, the lore reveals with the recent TFPP books…good thing I'm not too deep into this and my SB fanfics, so I can still adjust to them! Hehehe…
Well, anyway…that's all I've got to say! Hope you enjoy it, leave any respectful and constructive criticisms if you have any, and stick around for more!

I have operated out of LR my whole waking life (was out further from town when I was a babe)... and I am convinced it is a black hole/hell portal kind of like in that Buffy episode. I have friends that agree!
What does Reddit think?
I think it has something to do with the fact that we are in a blue county in a red state. We are also one of the overall poorest states in America. So LR feels so optimistic and cool and even...progressive. We have a cool alt scene. Sometimes I feel like I'm in Mr. Rogers's neighborhood. Esp.when I lived in Quapaw QuarteSoma (despite the people living in the gov. mansion)
But eventually... things get wobbly... poverty and trauma demons come out and chain ya here. 👿

I'm hoping to buy a 206 early next year and have been talking to insurance brokers. I'm instrument rated and my hours are high enough but it seems a big factor is time in type. I've been looking at fleets at KAPA and around Seattle/Bellingham (I spend time in both locations) and Aspen Flying Club at KAPA had a 206 but it's no longer available. Anyone got any suggestions how find a 206 to get checked out in and rent to build time? At this point I'm considering travelling to an FBO with a 206 anywhere in the country and just staying in a hotel for 2 weeks. Thanks.

Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursî extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This verse of the Qur'an 2: 255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursî]

Some may call it small talk and find it useless. Witty banter, with laughs and maybe some light roasting and ribbing can go a long way to forming a connection. A similar sense of humor is a great basis for a bond.
Laughs and light hearted fun are great but am also up for a deeper and more meaningful connection. A listening ear to talk through things. A little nudge of a encouragement in getting through the mundanity of life.
I’m a married father of 2 in an ethically non monogamous open marriage. Not seeking a third or a unicorn. Just a badass person I can call an acquaintance, friend or even more. Who knows where this crazy thing called life can take us, but I’m always up for the journey.
Maybe you’re open or polyamorous too and want to chat about that, or curious about it. Or want to tell me I’m going to hell. All are welcome.
It seems like I’m rambling so if you’re a fun, witty, sassy, smart woman wanting to make a connection or more with a pretty smart, funny emotionally intelligent, dad of 2, message me and let’s get this going. Life is hard enough, let’s be here and make each other’s day and life better!

Only ten chapters to go. If their intel is correct a trap is going to be laid. But is it accurate? Does it work? I hope you enjoy!
The next chapter will be out on Saturday.
Terran Space Story: The Lieutenant Saga
Academy Days First Previous Next

Chapter 119: Contact with the Enemy

3 Days later. March 18th, 2267. 02:44 Slip Space – CNS Waukesha Executive Conference Room
John walked into the conference room with a minute to spare. He looked rushed and harried to his senior staff and those that could view him through the video link. That wasn’t entirely untrue, he had just received a wealth of information in a debrief from the command team of this operation.
“Apologies for running it entirely too close. I just got off a call with Admiral Gallo of Second Fleet,” John said as he took his seat, “Our attack on the Paximus system drove the pirates into a frenzy. Mission accomplished at that end. Thirty-six attacks have occurred through our own and Mercantilist space. Overtures to the Alliance have not yielded much in the way of intelligence yet but our diplomats are still trying.”
Vanessa Davis, the captain of the CNS Pasto, jumped in as John took a drink, “Can you summarize the results of those attacks?”
“The pirates targeted lightly guarded facilities. In our space. We lost two stations on the frontier. Each pirate fleet lost between ten and forty percent of its attack fleet. We gave far better than we took,” John paused and looked at the room, “The pirates are badly bloodied. They are regrouping for a new push. It seems their divide-and-conquer plan won’t work for much longer. Especially now that our forces have dug into position more.”
“What’s the loss of life so far?” Oscar asked from on screen, “About four hundred Naval personnel and roughly four times that for civilian losses in our territories. Losses in Alliance and Mercantilist territories are rumored to be much higher.”
“Caught with their pants down?” Tessa said sarcastically.
“And flat-footed. Again, that is if our intelligence is accurate. Even Naval Intelligence isn’t confident of the reports that are coming out of Alliance territory. The disruptions in the channels used to funnel information to us are being felt now as many of those channels seem like they’ve been shut down violently,” John said.
“What’s the good news? You seem almost giddy,” Brady Cohen, the captain of the CNS Lagos asked.
“The Icarus was part of an attack that was repulsed in the Luyten system. Their attack only resulted in the loss of four smaller pirate vessels,” John paused for dramatic effect, “That fleet is heading here to the Tau Ceti system to get some revenge.”
Walter grinned, “Funny how that is our destination. What of additional reinforcements from the Navy?”
John grinned, “Weird, right? Twenty to thirty hours behind us. This means we are going to have to play a delaying fight to make time for those reinforcements. Also, the Tau Ceti’s solar militia will be temporarily conscripted by the Navy. They will be following my orders, not their planetary governor’s.”
“What’s the target there?” Vanessa asked.
“The shipyards in orbit around Tau Ceti Prime’s moon,” John said.
“How do you see things playing out?” Brady asked.
“Their fleet is made up of the Icarus and about twenty other ‘capital’ ships. I use the term loosely since their capital ships are old-ass cruisers. They have a single carrier in play too. The vast majority of their ships are corvettes and shuttles.”
John pressed a few buttons on the screen which displayed the contents of both the presumed pirate fleet along with the system’s militia. A moment later the militia’s ships were reorganized. Each was headed by one of the frigate captains in the task force.
“I’m creating four squadrons of ships as you can see here. Commanded by each of our four-frigate captains,” John paused, “Oscar, I haven’t ignored you but your role in this is to observe, utilize electronic warfare, and provide target priority for us.”
“Understood,” Oscar said as he nodded his head.
“Our cruisers are going to push into their capital ships at point-blank range and eliminate them,” John said, “The smaller ships will eliminate their chaff and provide an additional layer of missile defenses for the cruisers.”
“Woah, that’s a ballsy strategy. That gets us dangerously close to their guns,” Tessa said.
“It is, but if those larger ships are destroyed or put out of commission that will crush their morale,” John said as he leaned back in his chair, “If their morale is crushed then this alliance of theirs won’t last long. And the Icarus isn’t likely to be shooting at you if you’re dogfighting with their cruisers.”
“What happens if they have reinforcements that we aren’t aware of?” Brady asked, “Or if they have a reserve fleet that’s been unidentified or kept hidden?”
“Fighting retreat to the asteroid belt,” John said, “Then we commence gorilla-like warfare to delay the pirates and keep them focused on us in the system.”
The senior leaders of all ships spent the next hour and a half discussing the battle plan. The major addition was the fleshing out of any fighting retreat. John was guilty of a great many things, but losing battles wasn’t something he spent a ton of time thinking about. Cheating his way into winning a battle, on the other hand, was something he spent a lot of time thinking about.
The updated plan came together quite nicely. The small fleet would arrive in the Tau Ceti system within the next day and a half. About twelve hours ahead of the pirate fleet. If things went to plan then John felt comfortable, if not entirely confident, about decimating the fleet.
The question of them ultimately was could they kill the Icarus? That was unknown as of yet. He feared he still didn’t have enough firepower to put that ship down. But he was confident that he had enraged that crew once more.
​
2 Days later. March 20th, 2267. 04:12 Tau Ceti Prime – L2 Lagrange Point
Four squadrons of ships, each with a Confederate Frigate leading the charge, were converging on the shipyards above the moon. The Tau Ceti militia was very well equipped, all things considered. Multiple frigates were included in their fleets that were one or two generations old. Modern corvettes were a staple ship found in the fleets.
John and the other cruisers, including five from the militia fleet, had just fired their engines. Like the frigate squadrons, they were burning toward the shipyards. Their prey just arrived in the system.
“They have more ships than expected,” Willy said.
“Order all ships to launch drones. Hold about ten percent back for added point defenses,” John said, “Walter, your recommendation?”
“I’d recommend all ships launch two to three waves of homing-multi-missiles. Get them on their back foot using up their defensive weapons,” Walter said.
“Barbara, all ahead flank. Tessa, contact the fleet. Each ship is to fire three waves of two multi-missiles. Coordinate targets within each squadron. Big ships are to open fire with long-range weapons the moment they have range. The focus is on the Icarus’ escort ships.”
“Letting them know, sir,” Tessa said from the communications terminal.
“Got any ideas on how to get rid of that carrier?” Ingrid asked, “That’s the ship that’s got me worried.”
“Tessa, contact the Basilone, I want them to focus all their electronic attacks on the Icarus. With any luck, we’re going to stunt her ability to participate in the initial part of the battle.”
“Understood.”
“The fleet has responded in the affirmative. They stand ready for your order to fire,” Tessa said.
“Fire the first wave. Forty-five-second delay for the second and third waves,” John said, “Barbara, adjust course to two-two-five, down ten degrees.”
“Aye aye.”
“Ahh, that ol’ nugget,” Walter said from the rear of the bridge, “Training the forward railguns on the carrier.”
“Fire at will my man,” John said calmly, “If you have a firing solution for the Icarus with the other guns fire them at her. But make sure you have two torpedoes loaded for that fat sonofabitch.”
The first wave of missiles screamed through the void at the pirates. The third wave was fired roughly at the time the first wave reached the appropriate distance from the pirate ships to launch their payloads. Three hundred smaller missiles were fired out in all directions from each missile.
The mother missile had programmed targets into each one. It, like its offspring, continued to scream through the void at its targets. A hellacious, and impressive, amount of anti-missile fire was given off by the pirate fleet. Their defensive weapon systems eliminated an impressive number of missiles.
But they didn’t eliminate all of them, even with the Icarus’ upgrades dozens of missiles impacted against the kinetic shielding. The smaller ships held their own, but those diminutive missiles were successful in impacting numerous pirate ships. Thankfully, from the pirate’s perspective, those small missiles could only kill smaller ships if a fair amount of luck were involved with where it struck its target. It was a rare occurrence for only one of these missiles to not only strike their target but kill it.
Five pirate vessels succumbed to the first wave of missiles, with each requiring multiple impacts to end them. None were larger than a shuttle that suffered battle-ending damage. That changed after the second wave of missiles found their targets. Nothing larger than a corvette was destroyed, but more and more ships had given up their ghost. The third wave ripped through the fleet, virtually every ship was now bearing recent scars. Two dozen more ships died in the cold expanse of space.
Railgun rounds and lance fire were now being unleashed upon the pirates. Their fleet had been slapped and was being pushed back. That it was happening as quickly as it did surprise John. Something didn’t feel right.
“Taking evasive actions,” Barbara said, “That is a hell of a lot of return fire.”
“Thirty-two enemy ships are now dead,” Willy said, “That first wave of rail fire was punishing. But they outnumber us four-to-one still.”
John pressed a button on his seat’s armrest, “Commander Buckley, launch the first wave of fighter bombers. Have them burn to the station for rearmament.”
The speakers then turned on briefly, “Launcher first wave, we’ll have the second wave queue up for you.”
“Targeting the Icarus so soon?” Ingrid asked.
“Distance to that carrier?” John asked.
“Twenty-five thousand kilometers and closing fast,” Willy said.
“Railgun fire is wearing down their forward defenses,” Walter said, “Suggest we have load four multi-missiles with scatter rockets.”
John instantly knew what Walter wanted to do and nodded, “Do it.”
“Dare I ask what they are going to do?” Ingrid asked quietly.
“With any luck, they will confuse the carrier’s anti-missile systems, or make them preoccupied and they ignore the pair of torpedoes we are going to deliver to them at danger close range.”
“Ahh, yes, that would make great tactical sense,” Ingrid said.
“Ugley reports a glancing blow from the Icarus’s main guns,” Tessa said, “They can still fight though.”
John nodded. He couldn’t know for sure how many friendly ships were going to be lost. The Icarus was no slouch of an opponent. They were going to lose friends that day. But who would it be?
The Waukesha continued to close the distance to the enemy carrier. As Walter said, the forward defensive systems were failing due to the withering amount of railgun fire. Their rounds were already impacting their armor plates. Though none had been compromised yet since the kinetic shields were still holding on enough to arrest the momentum from incoming rounds.
The next volley changed all of that. Dozens of kinetic and electromagnetic shielding arrays blew out at the same time. The four forward rail turrets continued to volley fire and punish the enemy carrier. Armor plates were being brutalized across the front face of the enemy ship. Some rail rounds found their way into the hangar that partially faced them.
“Frigate squadrons are annihilating the enemy,” Willy said, “Forty percent of their support ships are out of commission.”
“Have we suffered any losses?” John inquired.
“The militia has, but none of the…”
The Waukesha was then rocked by a pair of heavy and loud impacts. Time stood still for the briefest of moments. John stared intently at the screen ahead of them. Their primary drive cone was struck, which was very worrying. The other round was a cruise missile that detonated right at the corner of the starboard hangar.
“Everything’s a-ok captain,” Marty said from engineering, “Just some scoring. The drive cone damage is going to affect our maneuverability a bit. If we take any more damage to it then I’m jettisoning it though.”
John’s brow raised as questioned his engineer, “Not to be that guy chief, but…”
“Secondary drive cones become our main output. It’s the six smaller cones around the big one. They aren’t as good, but as long as you don’t bleed off too much momentum, we should be good.”
“Easier said than done,” Barbara said as she looked back and John.
“Enhance our evasive maneuvers,” John said to his chief helmsmen, “I’d prefer to avoid being killed today. ETA to fun time on the carrier?”
“Thirty seconds.”
The Waukesha continued to scream toward her target. Railguns continued to volley fire. More and more armor plates across the bow of the old, yet very large, carrier were compromised. Dozens of volleys were also fired at the Icarus. Walter, and his targeting VI, had done an excellent job of multitasking.
While no overt damage had been dealt to the Icarus. Her kinetic shields were already degraded. Pot shots were being taken at her from every angle by dozens of Confederate ships. Her shields held, but they weren’t infallible. Those shields would yield some time, though it was a fair question to ask when precisely that would happen. None knew.
Moments before the Waukesha reached point-blank torpedo range, two cruisers that flanked the Icarus exploded suddenly. Ironically, the two ships were named Hammer and Anvil. They had been close allies to the Icarus and flew with the large pirate battleship on numerous sorties over the years. Both were atomized in bright blue balls of plasma.
“In range now,” Willy said from the rear of the bridge.
“Fire, Barbara, pull up as hard as you can. All weapons on the Icarus, blast her ass with everything we’ve got!” John shouted excitedly.
Two torpedoes were launched from their forward launchers. A dozen cruise missiles and multi-missiles were also fired from her other launchers. The ship’s maneuvering thrusters were fired and pushed well beyond their safety limits. This radical course adjustment was thought to be necessary if the torpedoes caused a fusion explosion in their target.
Unfortunately, the radical evasive maneuver was unneeded. Both torpedoes struck and penetrated deep within the mammoth ship. But neither struck the core or set off a lucky, or crazy, secondary explosion that led to a massive fusion reaction. Instead, the power simply shut off after two large explosions were registered internally to the carrier.
Two giant bulges in the exterior armor plates could be seen. Ironic in a way that this old ship resisted such a large internal explosion. Unfortunately, for such rare craftsmanship, the blast had to go somewhere, and as the hull plating prevented the explosion from radiating out into the void, the explosion tore through the interior of the ship.
What safety measures that were engaged, such as closing bulkheads, were insufficient for the magnitude of the blast? The hull survived, as a matter of speaking, but nothing internally did. Everything inside the ship was pulverized and beaten to a pulp. The emergency shutdown procedures successfully shut off the core before bad things could happen to it. If the raging fires didn’t consume the crew or the blast’s shockwaves didn’t get the crew, the complete destruction of all breathable atmospheres would end what remained of the crew.
“SHIP KILL!” Walter shouted.
“Focus on our target,” John shouted over his excited weapons officer, “All guns on their turrets, we need to take that ring out!”
One more pirate cruiser took a brutal rail round that sheared off every armor plate on her port side. She was leaking atmosphere and it looked like her spine had been bent towards the port side. While the round fired from the Ugley would get credit for the kill, the pirate's attempt at firing their railgun ultimately caused a cascade of explosions that ended its life.
“Tessa, contact all of the cruisers, we need a full salvo of micro missiles at the Icarus,” John said.
Just then the Waukesha once again shuddered mightily. Thanks to a combination of angle and speed her kinetic shields were able to deflect the rail round fired by the Icarus. Their port side’s shielding arrays were noticeably weaker. The next shot would likely penetrate them.”
“Barb, we need…”
“I see it and already adjusted our course. Giving her our starboard side once I roll over.”
The Waukesha deftly rolled over gently in space and adjusted course to circle its current most hated enemy. Laser batteries, lances, and railguns all fired at the Icarus. Some rounds were impacted on its heavy armor, doing nothing but superficial damage at this point.
But given enough time, the papercuts they were giving their large adversary would add up. While not as impressive as a knockout punch, bleeding to death an opponent also resulted in a win. Though that would come at a cost as the fight would last considerably longer.
Barbara adjusted course once again causing the Waukesha to fly farther away from the Icarus. The timing was impeccable. Just as the Waukesha began to grow distance between the two ships the missiles came in. Thousands of rockets and guided mini munitions slammed across the starboard side. Electromagnet and Kinetic shields flared out of life. It would be hours before they could be restored to full use.
“Walter, all rails on that ring.”
The old veteran of the weapons console was a step ahead of John. As Barbara rolled the Waukesha back into position to close the gap, Walter was able to get six turrets firing. All lances were firing at the enemy turrets.
One was slowly rotating to point at the Waukesha. One lance shot scored a hole-in-one of sorts and impacted several meters above the breach. In doing so it mangled the magnetic coils in the large barrel. A moment later the Icarus fired. Thanks to their shot being guided by the hand of God the round struck the obstruction and caused an enormous explosion within the barrel.
The whole turret sheared off from its mount. A small amount of atmosphere leaked before being sealed off. The Waukesha was the first to draw blood. But that wasn’t all.
Multiple cruise missiles were fired by not only the Waukesha but the other cruisers too. One massive explosion after another ripped across the Icarus’ hull. Deep crater marks could be seen in a dozen armor plates. Her armor was compromised. The fleet had turned the impossible into a possibility.
Better yet, the Waukesha’s lightning focus on her enemy’s turret ring worked. They had shattered it in three locations. The enemy’s primary guns powered down. The biggest threat from the big ship was no more. But that didn’t stop John and his allies from targeting the turrets and destroying each and every last one.
The battle had turned to favor the Confederates. But it was not over, not yet. The Icarus still drew breath. So long as she did, she was a threat. It was a threat that they were desperate to end, once and for all.
“Open a line to all ships,” John said, “Press the attack, all ships fire their heaviest ordinance at the Icarus!”