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Tomiix

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Posts posted by Tomiix

  1. When I first started playing on Aurora, it was during Marlon's time as head Lore Developer and Head Unathi Developer.

    When I was getting my bearings and figuring out my goals on Aurora and where I wanted to Roleplay, Marlon was instrumental in being a guide and a mentor in getting involved in Unathi roleplay, which was my first whitelist.

    Having no reason to do so other than to help a new player, he worked with me in making a character that fit the Unathi narrative well. My application was a daring one for Unathi at the time, filling a lot of trends and niches which many would view as traps, as they encapsulated the classic pit falls to creating a 'mary sue' flavored like character. These traps usually got applications denied, yet he saw merit in my writing, and worked with me to develop a character which is one I am most well known for during my time on Aurora.

    The time he spent helping me develop my character, even going further into helping me develop further backstory and world rp by filling the role of my characters Moghes side family, shows to me how much he cares about player interaction with the world he helps curate.

    I would in turn eventually return the favor, and serve as Unathi Lore Deputy for some time. Helping Marlon develop the Wasteland factions and flesh out the life of non-hegemonic Moghes Unathi. During this time it was a pleasure to work with Marlon, and he and I were able to bounce back and forth awesome ideas that created a lot of concepts that hold strong today still.

    I perhaps benefit from not having been active during the seeming fallout of 2019, as life took me away from space station roleplay and even these days my appearances are more visits than regular play sessions. So my perception of Marlon isn't as soured as some others are, but from my own perspective the Lore team couldn't ask for a better Lore Developer. Let alone a Deputy, if they value player and community interaction, as well as a energetic creative who will challenge how you think of world building.

    For what my word is worth, Marlon has my +1 based on the merits of his proven work ethic.

  2. I feel like if the PR notes were clear, and the announcement more transparent about what we would be losing, I think the Aut'akh would of asked for it to be stopped and changed. The half-baked implementation without consideration for the characters it would destroy, is sort of disheartening. Yes, it was a desire I had to have non-fbp Unathi. It's something that is clearly lacking and should of been added. However not considering that removing the option of the FBP and what it would do to the existing community in a way killed a lot of Aut'akh characters and the motivation to play them.

    Honestly a proper solution would of been to just... do something similar to how Off Worlder Humans work. Create the Reborn Aut'akh, and then create a Shard Aut'akh which is a unathi with access to Aut'akh implants and limbs. I don't see why this would of been any more of a challenge with other recent examples showing how this could be done.

    I don't want to give anyone a hard time, it was most certainly a slip up instead of something in malice. But I would rather us not have access to Shard Aut'akh and having to wait however long it would take to separate the two then continue to have just Shards. I don't think its fair for people to not be able to play their Aut'akh they already made within the limitations.

     

    +1 BTW

  3. Yeah but how long will it take for me to earn it back?

     

    I don't expect you guys to allow me to immediately re-apply for the whitelist. At this point this judgment is going to severely impact my enjoyment of the server in the long-run, since it kinda kills my main character.

     

    I mean, unless I can play this lack of a whitelist off as 'diversifying skill-set training's' and still claim that I'm a Research Director in lore, but just not act in that capacity in game (unless made interim), but I'm not sure how much of that is allowed.

  4. 1 hour ago, Alberyk said:

    As explained here: 

    "Receiving too many administrative actions."

    Getting banned is where we draw the line here. Other people also had their whitelists removed because they were banned.

    I also applied this ban because you also got two warnings in the past two weeks or so, and one of them was pretty much on the day before the ban.

     

    I know it's up to the discretion of administration to define 'too many administrative actions'

    However, I am not sure if one very low severity one, which is completely unrelated to the issue that got me banned.

    The warning by paradox, the first one was:  "Please do not break immersion with prototype gun names or anything else. References to modern day memes are a no-go."
    Which is me not knowing that a certain name was considered a 'meme name' and the one serious one, is too many.

    Please keep in mind, that these two warnings, are two of four total warnings that I have on my account, during the course of three years of playing on the server off and on, of which not one is a major warning.

  5. For me, personally some of the antag types are pretty hard to work with. A lot of it is the pressure to have a good gimmick. I keep my antag preferences on so that we have a chance to have good rounds in different types, but then I have a pressure to perform/am walking on eggshells to not get in trouble, and also give everyone a good time. 

    I'm also pretty bad at the game's mechanics, and use the fact we are a slower paced HRP server to my benefit. I'm kinda afraid to take risks, and try new things, because of harsh consequences and group judgement of what kind of antagonist I try to be. Nowadays I kinda just want to play extended, but that is me personally. If I am playing antagonist rounds, I'd like a bit more diversity for lower pop, since I only seem to have time to play when pop sits at 20-30 people.

  6. 16 hours ago, Garnascus said:

    Alright but as i understand it alberyk says he would have removed your whitelist even if he did not ban you.

    I didn't get that impression from the reply, however the current circumstance is that he banned me. At the end of the day I care less about the reversal of the ban, because also at the end of the day two people's experiences were ruined, and some form of justice is merited for them. It not mattering if it came from ignorance or not. I am simply asking that the totality of my situation be considered, as well as the good of me having a majority positive command rounds vs the two negative ones that happened near each other.

    16 hours ago, Garnascus said:

    This is from your original ban appeal. I understand you tried to re-link them later but im afraid that does not really excuse the mistake you made to begin with. A bug is not to blame here.

    I wasn't aware that you couldn't relink the borg to the AI. That wasn't a bug but more so a lack of understanding of how the mechanics worked. This isn't where the bug occurred, but that it occurred during the crowbar scene.

    16 hours ago, Garnascus said:

    You missed a click to get a bludgeoning weapon in your hand.

    You mis pressed a key to switch hands.

    You forgot that a crowbar would start to open his chassi

    You also somewhere in this acidentally slid your ID on the borg to unlock his chassi to be crowbared? 

    This is an absolutely insane series of mistakes man. Its pretty hard to believe man. 

    To be precise about the series of events, so that there is no confusion.

    >I had my PDA in my hand, to eject my ID so that I could surrender to the borg once I realized he had a weapon.
    >Backup arrived, and I paniced and started clicking and moving around like my life depended on it. Causing me to unlock - lock - unlock before I realized I had a fucking PDA in my hand.
    >I realized I had a PDA in my hand, and swapped to my crowbar, which again had the consequence of not doing damage, but starting a opening animation. The borg pushed me away, and I was still juking him, and the loading bar sprite never finished, so I didn't think it had opened. (It doesn't help that the sprite was also a custom sprite, so i didn't recognize the sideways open hatch sprite.
    >I put my crowbar on my belt, and get a punch click in before looking for something else to bludgeon with, my saviors break through the glass and back me up, and my attempted punch throw instead pulled the power cell.

    I understand it's a very convenient series of events. I also understand that there is no way to verify if this was malicious or not. I at the end of the day wont be mad at whatever decision you make, because I get that we need to be fair to everyone.

    I just feel like that when you take in the totality of the situation, a series of mistakes, accidents, and a bug happened. I made my best effort to bring all of these issues to the proper channels attention, and I have created an action plan to improve and avoid this issue again. I feel like that is more effort than someone that was making something up would put in, but at the end of the day that is for you to decide.

    I am simply asking that my otherwise relatively clean record, long activity, and overall normally non-controversial status on the server be considered in totality. That you trust that I am not being malicious, that I am taking the warnings and advice to heart, and that I am going to do my best to avoid any future bwoinks. I would understand this approach to someone who was unproven, and joined the server mere weeks ago, I just personally feel it's unnecessarily harsh.

    I'm just asking for one more shot, before my character that I play the most, and was my motivation to return, is essentially stripped from me.

  7. 33 minutes ago, sonicgotnuked said:

    I was that second borg that was originally unlinked from the AI. It had some very worrying behavior from someone who was whitelisted. Their first action right when they come on is to wordlessly unlink me and forget about me for the moment. I feel, judging by the fact they departed robotics as a whole for a bit, that the only reason why I wasn't left stranded without power was from the IC actions of the other robotisist. 

     

    While I understand some of the points about people complaining about the AI, an immediate and wordless and questionless unlinking played to be later detrimental when it happened that I wouldn't get the combat borg. I just don't appreciate that it was very wordless and took 3-5 minutes to actually pop my upgraded cell back in. 

     

    I am merely stating this as a player who's round got negatively impacted by the behavior of the RD play. Immediately and wordlessly severing the AI link as the first actions in the round is something that I wouldn't expect someone who holds a command application to do as it paints a very valid hunty look.

     

    Keep in mind, I have no other context with any previous notes or warnings on you. I didn't bother to look them up and I never interacted with your command play before. I say this left a pretty bad first impression for me. In general, I will add that when players get banned, they lose their current command whitelist standings, and it is something standard that every whitelisted individual faces as they must maintain an ok record on the server. 

    Hello!

     

    First of all, sorry that I wasn't able to apologise to you in private. I didn't know that you played thay Borg until now. So, sorry about the round!

     

    I had no understanding that cutting your link would not be a reversable action. I thought I would be able to cut it, question you, and uncut it. Thinking it would liberate you. When I cut you and put the cell back in, and you commented on the unlinking, the other director at the time mentioned the command announcement. I repaired your link and was kinda devastated that it didn't fix itself right away. If I had known that cutting the unlink while fixing your cell was not reversable, and would hamper your entire round, obviously i would not of done it. I thought I was being clever for further RP and instead I was embarrassed.

     

    So, sorry for my general stupidity, and harming your gameplay. Now that I know this, I'm not gonna mess with the Borg wires.

     

    I would like to say my record before the past few days was very good. I made a real bad judgement call the day before the incident in reference in the op. So my lack of knowing how mechanics works is kind of killing me here. I would understand if it was beyond a reasonable doubt that I had bad intentions, or if this behavior was more consistent then just these two rounds. But it isn't, which is why I'm asking for clemency.

  8. BYOND Key: TomiixStarslasher

    Staff BYOND Key: Alberyk

    Game ID: b5y-aB66

    Reason for complaint: I was banned for valid rules violations, but I feel like I could of been warned instead, due to the circumstances of the incident.

     

    Evidence/logs/etc: A ban request thread, in which I was redirected to this. Here I explain my story. 

     

    Additional remarks: I do not want to argue with the reasons for the ban, as due to a result of circumstances rules violations occured. I just want to argue that I had shown during the round that I had taken a good faith approach to address my warning and improve, and that I could of been given the benefit of the doubt. I don't feel like being banned/having my whitelist stripped is fair when a series of reasonable accidents and a bug caused something to happen that I did not want to happen. I have since the incident did everything in my power to report the bug, and talk with the effected players on how future encounters in this situation can be improved, and myself and the Borg in question found faults in our gameplay that caused the RP to not go the direction we both thought. We both discussed the situation in depth, and agreed a combination of lag and misunderstanding caused the incident, and that there is no bad blood.

    I also acknowledge that I need to relearn the systems. Like for example with the Borg being delinked. I had no clue you couldn't relink them when you cut the wire. I thought the connection would be restored if I mended the wire, like other hackables. Or that you can't see what a Borg is welding without examining them.

     

    I'd also also would like to note that there is nothing against Alberyk. I don't disagree with anything but the form of punsihment. He has to treat me like everybody else.

  9. 46 minutes ago, Alberyk said:

    Sorry, but that is part of our guidelines as head of staff whitelist. If you get banned or receive too many administrative actions, you will have it removed. Even if I did not unban you, you would still have it removed. I am only warning you now so you are sure that you want to go with this ban appeal.

    I'm confused, you make it sound like I have an option, when it currently seems like I either choose to be unbanned and lose my whitelist... or choose to be on 72 hour ban and still lose my whitelist.

     

    Are you saying that I have some other option?

  10. 1 hour ago, Alberyk said:

    I am fine with unbanning you, but due to the ban your staff whitelist has been removed, and you will have to re-apply later for it. Do you understand this?

    I feel like this is overkill, and not only overkill, but kind of bans me from playing the main character I enjoy playing.

     

    I don't feel like two instances of misconduct, one of which was accidental, should lead to me being banned from playing my character.

     

    I'd like to request a probationary period, of the length of time it takes for my warning you gave me on this matter to expire. If I goof up again I cannot object to you taking my whitelist.

     

    I feel like enough people benefit from me having my whitelist that it outweighs the recent two incidents of negatives.

     

    If it would help, or make you feel better about this, me and the affected parties already talked and have gotten over the incident, and have actually had really pleasant conversation on how to improve and work with fleshie/Borg encounters that I can adapt and share with others. They said they intended to reply to the thread, if allowed and I think it could provide a perspective on why I might be deserving of that courtesy of the third strike.

     

    Edit: For added context I think I would rather sit in 72 hour time out then have my whitelist barred for an indeterminate amount of time.

  11. 2 hours ago, Carver said:

    Is it powergaming to stun someone whilst they're fighting back, then cuff them? No, don't be fucking ridiculous. If that were the case then every combat would be a death match.

    The difference is that you can survive being hit with a stun, and can even win the situation. If you pry a borg during combat you will get boinked because it's not reasonable to be able to do that during a combat situation.

  12. 9 minutes ago, Carver said:

    This is actually a fairly significant nerf to borgs as it means you have to kill them to do anything to them, there's no more capturing otherwise.

    I'm not really sure how often good faith capturing happens in rounds that you would want to disable a borg. While moreso my ancedotal experience is that you simply pull the cell and throw the Borg in robotics to sit for the rest of the round.

     

    Furthermore, I can't think of a situation where you would be okay to remove their cell during a combat situation. If the Borg is fighting back in any way, and you pull a cell, that is considered power gaming.

  13. 31 minutes ago, Pratepresidenten said:

    Personally, the main reason is because I dont really have a gimmick, and I dont wanna hog a slot for someone that might have.

    Secondary reason is, well, my two last antag rounds pretty much ended in shitcurity no-rp shitstomping me, which is extremely discouraging. Although ahelpable, the effort put in only to have it snuffed out by shitters just makes it not worth it to even try.

    Do you feel pressured to have a good gimmick? I know an apprehension I have is that I don't want the spotlight to be on myself necessarily, as ooc can be pretty toxic if they don't like your gimmick.

    As an admin how do you approach security no-rp shitstomping you? It's interesting that even as a staff member you kinda feel defeated by a sense of low-rp shenanigans. I would think the theory is that by ahelping them, they will be reprimanded and the behavior eventually curving.

  14. Currently, it is really easy to meme, even accidentally, a cyborg. While the rules against power gaming should apply to most instances of these tactics to disable a borg, I feel that they still need a buff for things to just make better sense.

    I am proposing the following changes.

    Crowbars should not be able to pry a borg while the user is in intents harm/grab/disarm. This is a buff to the crowbar, as you can now use it to attack borgs. This is a nerf to prying, as you can be more easily bullied while in help intent.

    Borgs should not be able to be pryed open while they are powered and in harm intent. Borgs have limited ability to combat external threats outside their few tools they get to have at a time. While they are in harm intent, their hatch should lock down so that it cannot be pryed open, to prevent tampering giving a similar message to doors with security motors. If you ion them and make them lose their power, I can see the argument for then being able to open it, as it can no longer resist you.

    You should not be able to open the hatch while the borg has a shield. I am not sure if this is actually doable, but this was relaid to me by a borg main, and if it is then this just doesn't make sense point blank.

  15. Hi there!

    During my return to Aurora, I've noticed a repetition in secret round types. A lot of the time, the round type in secret ends up being malf ai from my personal experience. When it comes time for the game to fetch a secret roundtype, a lot of other types get ignored because of a lack of antags. It's kinda killing the diversity of rounds from my anecdotal evidence and experience.

    How does the general community feel about this? What's the motive for people turning off antag as often as they do? I have some theories of my own, but I want to reserve them and not steer the conversation until I hear some unique inputs first.

  16. BYOND Key: TomiixStarslasher

    Total Ban Length: 72 Hours

    Banning staff member's Key: Albyrek 

    Reason of Ban: xoTXwTk.png

    Reason for Appeal:

    TL;DR I accidentally ignored fear rp because I forgot how certain mechanics worked, and new changes to the server confused me. I accidentally power-gamed due to a bug. I understand how these actions are bad, harmed the fun of a player, and agree that rules were breached, and I resolve to use my new understandings of the game mechanics to ensure it doesn't happen again.

    ---

    Hey, it's your boy, Tomiix. My return to the Aurora has been kinda shakey what with getting used to the changes and remembering how SS13 works. After a year or more of inactivity I have returned, and having a blast, besides from my antagonist activities. Yesterday Alberyk gave me a well reasoned warning about how to approach dealing with AI's, and reasonable central command messages. Today I joined a late in progress round to a kind of hectic situation, and was waiting for command (the multiples of each role, since there was an ongoing AI gimick I wasn't aware of.) While I was doing so, people were complaining about the AI in coms. Heeding the warning, when I came in and found the other 'director' (who was roleplaying not knowing what to do due to the gimmick rather well.) I reasoned it would be fine to disconnect the borgs link to the AI until I got further clarification on what was going on. The gimmick was explained to me, and I attempted to relink the borg, but for some reason repairing the wire wasn't relinking the borg. We tried troubleshooting it over looc, but I think the borg ahelped and got it fixed.

    My second issue during the round was when a borg sprite I had never seen before rolled up (looked like a generic borg with the light hat on) came by and requested my ID, after the AI had ordered the surrender of all ID's. At the time the then captain that I recognized from prior rounds had informed me that he intended to turn off the AI, and so I didn't really want to comply. I didn't feel threatened, until it hit me. It asked me to again drop my ID, and I put my PDA in my hand, getting ready to eject it and drop it on the ground. Then the captain and his friends showed up to bust me out, and then all bets were off while I was hitting the borg with everything I had, since I had backup. First was my PDA, because I agilely missed my click to try to get a bludgeoning weapon in my hand, and miss pressed a key to switch hands with my keyboard and was sweating. I then didn't miss my click, and drew my crowbar, which started a loading bar. I noticed the loading bar start up, and I panicked cause I in the moment forgot that would open the chasis. (Against normal opponents, the crowbar is my go to spanking weapon... which doesn't get used a lot because I avoid most fights cause I am bad at aurora combat.) The borg pushed me away, so I thought I was good. (After reviewing the log later after I was banned. In the chat the success message popped up despite me being a whole tile away, and the loading bar disappearing. My next post will be in bug reports. ) Not wanting to crowbar and open it again, I swapped to hand because I had no other weapon and... I think you know where this is going.

    A combination of the captain breaking in with the borg chasing me around, and them staring at me trapped in the robotic's manufacturing wing with the power cell in my hands, kinda caused me to just roll with it.

    I accidentally meme'd a borg.

    The wackyedy sax series of events explanation out of the way, I want to first get my apology out of the way to the borg. Whoever played F.R.E.N. that round, I am super sorry. My return to the game has gaps in my memory, one of them being that borgs don't display items in their hands, so I had no appreciation of the fact that there was an underlining threat to my character with your hammer tool. If I had known that, I would of cooperated a lot sooner. I know the series of events sounds more like a story than truth, that is what Alberyk straight up said to me. However, it is true, and if I had taken the time to examine you, and known that I needed to do that, the scene would of played out a lot differently. F.R.E.N., you tried really hard to be fair with me, and your LOOC message that you should of killed instead of rp with me really deflated me. I didn't know what words to say, because I really don't want that mentality to be prevalent in the community. I used to have that mindset when antag players would gank me, or not give me as much time as I thought fair a long time ago, and it kind of killed my enjoyment of the server. Everyone has their own definition of 'reasonable time frames to reply' and 'reasonable amount of rp'. I play heavy rp because I am not skilled at robusting, nor do I want to be known as the most robust. If I had a preference, I'd want everyone to play more like you, and not feel punished when they play like you.

    I tried to bring Alberyk's warning to heart, and I hope my interaction with the first borg shows my good intentions. I'm not sure how I could of recovered from the cell popping situation, without a lot of loocing with the other players who were breaking into the lab to save me, and made it to the borg to stop trying to help me and pause rp for a sec so that I could fix it. I didn't have that idea, and I am not sure if that would of flown with everyone else. Staff suggestions on how to reversal accidental mistreatment of antags/regular players as an antag would be appreciated for me so that I can apply it in the future.

    I don't want to be known or have the reputation of a bad egg, I am just trying to relearn everything again. I wanna be a good egg.

    Thanks for reading and considering my ban talk.

    Edit: Adding a link to my bug report to contribute. https://github.com/Aurorastation/Aurora.3/issues/8197

  17. 22 hours ago, Marlon Phoenix said:

    Hello, thank you for your application!

    Can you expand on this? You said factions plural; what other factions other than Dominia do you want to see reevaluated and what have you already evaluated? Where would you improve these factions? Where on these timelines do you see issues?

    What do you think about the Grim Compact, and our Wastelander factions, as well?

    I'll start with Dominia, and move forward. As Dominia is kind of easiest to pick on, and was the one I focused on the most.

    Firstly, the biggest egregious thing about Dominia, is that it proclaimed itself an Empire after Unathi raiders invaded the planet in 2437. A year before Unathi developed the capacity of space travel, before the contact war.  Either first contact with the Unathi needs to be moved back a bit, or Dominia needs a reworking of it's origin story. I also find it extremely surprising that this empire was able to proliferate as largely as it did, over the course of twenty-five years. I find it very odd that Unathi who before never had contact with the technology went from being slaves, to being able to control an entire fleet and dominate a planet. To then that planet resolving the tensions fast enough to unify the world, to then get so many other planets into it's rule and start effecting the global stage so quickly.

    The concept of Primaries, Secondaries, and Tertiaries don't make sense to me. 

    "the colonial overseers implemented the rationing programs that required large family sizes for food ration cards. This first generation of neglected exiles formed the Primary generations. Children born as Primaries were held in high regard, for they were considered the future of the colony, being born into a rugged and inhospitable environment that gave rise to a spirit of ruggedness and perseverance. The rationing programs did not relax until 2195, when life on Dominia was no longer a brutal struggle to survive. The people born in this generation form the Secondaries."

    Okay, so those who had bigger families had more access to food because they were given higher ration allotments... because they had to split it among themselves more. That doesn't necessarily mean they were better off eating, nor would that make you suddenly held in high regard. Who dictated where the rations were handed out? What kept people from fucking a lot to have more kids to become a 'primary'. What does being part of a big family have to do with being the future of a colony, besides the parents just helping population size? Why are bigger families incentivised in times of food struggle? Furthermore, when food starts being abundant again, the children of this generation were called the secondaries. Yet... descendants of the primaries are still called primaries, so which is it? 

    I think one of the confusing things, was they use the wording 'born in this generation'. What would make sense is that, people who qualified for the rations under the new program became the 'secondaries', but again the premise of this program makes no sense.

    I feel like a better way to do this, is to emphasize the importance on faith, and call the primaries the faith founders. Since people found comfort in faith, those who had popular religious ideas, found claims to family members who performed holy deeds, and otherwise were favored by the people or whoever was in charge of rationing were given the tools needed to survive. 

    I also feel like the emphasis on ruggedness should be reversed. If you received a lot of special treatment, and were given rations so that you could peruse educational or theocratic pursuits, while others had to focus on cultivating food to survive, the primaries should be the less rugged, while as you go down to people being included in the government food program get lower in class but higher on the ability to survive. Since it took longer for them to get the assistance. It would also make the whole 'debt' thing make more sense. As the primaries were the ground breakers and took on the intellectual pursuits required to form their governance, while those who labored for themselves could only help themselves.

    ---

    My next target is the Grim Compact. 

    My major criticism with the Grim Compact is less to do with potholes, and more so with 'why?' The faction is very 'extra' with societal terms and a culture based around these two personalities. I should start with the fact that the characters created are really neat, the story by itself is cool at most points, but it being a major faction doesn't make sense. I don't like that the Hegemony gets a free pass by essentially sponsoring and benefiting from a major terror organization that steals from the citizens of other governments. Why hasn't the Sol Alliance, Biesel, or anyone else protested or threatened the Izweski over the actions of these pirates? Why does a religion with a large focus on removing chaos from the world in favor of order sponsoring pirates? Because Unzi needed to get out of a tight spot one time? I am very surprised that half of Sk'akh faithful are cool with these guys.

    Why does this need to be a faction? Personal anecdote time, I haven't seen a single unathi from the Grim Compact on station. Why would someone who was a former pirate, who is unapologetic for their actions, work for Nanotrasen? I can see Unathi being from the planet that is being abused by these pirates, and how they have to struggle with a banana republic of sorts. I can also see a Unathi being repentant for their actions, but this is less believable as apparently at least half of Unathi society accept them, so they could just as well turn home to where they would be more comfortable. What stopped this person from making their character from just saying they were a pirate? If the Grim Compact take up a slot in our 'faction allotment' I feel like they could be made a lot more minor of a role then they are now. Instead of trying to be it's own culture it should be a opposing force for the Hegemony. A plot-point about a planet that the Hegemony is trying to reclaim, and instead a faction be made to either explore something priorly unexplored, that is a major difference from the normal unathi flavor. The grim-compact feels like the Hegemonic structure but pirates, and it shows it's shallowness very clearly.

    ---

    I like the Wastelander factions, and think they can be expanded upon more.

    The Reclaimers are cool, but not a lot separates them from Star War's Jawas. A lot more can be done to talk about how they are merchants, or archaeologists. Discovering relics from the old world. They could set up interesting tendencies like how they preserve things, or create odd devices through scraps of old tech. More can be developed. Like the american natives, they have settlements that are ment to be moved. Where do they move and why? Do they have a pattern? Perhaps the clans of the Reclaimers circle between the untouched lands and other wasteland settlements, and drive a global economy of sorts.

    Clan Gawgaryn does not read well on the wiki. I am mega confused about what the fuck they are so repentant about. They simply don't make a lot of sense to me and could be restructured to be traditionalists that committed war-crimes during the contact war. This doesn't feel very well thought out, and like it's a work in progress. Very under-cooked idea.

    The Spirits of the Oasis is non-offensive, and can be used to play up the story of the Diona-Unathi relationship. They make sense but again are very open ended, but in this way I feel like that is a positive. As they aren't trying to present a different style of Unathi play, but simply a way to play a non-hegemony loyal unathi, who still plays like a basic traditionalist coalition unathi.

    ---

    Thank you for the good question, and letting me get out my initial thoughts. You have a lot of good candidates to choose from. You should definitely pick one or two that you feel could be great assets to your creative efforts, and make things easier for yourself.

  18. Reporting Personnel: Azala Huz'kai

     Job Title of Reporting Personnel: Research Director

    Game ID: b5p-aJ9S  

    Personnel Involved: (Dastgir Ma'zaerral - Head of Personnel - Witness) -(Holiday Lynn - Captain - Witness) -  (Ian White - Janitor - Actor) -

    Secondary Witnesses: (Tzarka Ssarzi - Lab Assistant)

     Real Time:

    (Estimate between 11:00 and midnight. Kinda drawn out. Also involves things in the prior round.)

    Location of Incident: Research

    Nature of Incident:

    [x ] - Workplace Hazard [ x] - Accident/Injury [ ] - Destruction of Property [x ] - Neglect of Duty [ ] - Harassment [ ] - Assault [ x] - Misconduct

    Overview of the Incident: During the course of the shift with Ian White, it came to my attention through problematic use of language over coms, as well as odd projects he requested to do, like creation of nine janitorial bots, that things would get odd. However, what I wasn't expecting during my first shift with him was for him to inject himself with five units of Mutagen, making himself a test subject. During the course of this discovery, and us studying him and attempting to reverse the effects of the mutagen, he insisted on continuing to test on himself. Eventually, his impatience and incompetence led to an accident that severely burned him, of which involved him smoking in an area where he wasn't supposed to. After his recovery, when I shared another shift with him, he proceeded to then again insist on self experimentation, while claiming he respected that we wouldn't let him on station. He also continued inappropriate conversations on communications, and was harassing other crew after they would inform him he cannot smoke in the department. This harassment led to him making implied threats to the assistant Tzarka Ssarzi, as well as towards the on duty pharmacist (of whoms name I did not gather) when they did not provide him Phoron for another one of his escapades he wasn't willing to fully inform me about. His continued failure to regard the safety of himself or others, led me to work with the Head of Personnel to demote him for the shift, and make this report for further action.   Submitted Evidence: Attached transcript.

     Did you report it to a Head of Staff or a superior? If so, who? If not, why?: Holiday Lynn, Captain - Dastgir Ma'zaerral, Head of Personnel Actions taken: Crewman was demoted and scolded for the behavior. He served the remainder of the shift as a janitor.

    Additional Notes: It is my personal belief that this individual is mentally unstable, and is lying about his employment records and qualifications in some capacity. He also may still be considered Nanotrasen property, and the nature of that status needs to be looked into.

     

    Transcript:
    [00:00] Recording started.
    [00:03] Azala Huz'kai says, "Ian. For thiss sshift you are going to be demoted. However, I am curiouss to hear more about your ssituation, sso that we can have thiss cleared through the recordss office."
    [00:13] Ian White says, "Yeah, that's fair."
    [00:28] Azala Huz'kai says, "Hopefully we can come to a ressolution, that will make thingss eassier for you in future sshiftss."
    [00:38] Ian White says, "I'd hope."
    [01:08] Azala Huz'kai says, "Firsstly, tell me about the accelerated degree path, and your criminal investigation that wass apparently wiped from our recordss."
    [01:11] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "You've made a mess of today Misterr White."
    [01:17] Dastgir Ma'zaerral asks, "Is that fairrr to say?"
    [01:27] Ian White says, "If I had a nickel for every time someone told me that."
    [01:32] Ian White says, "But yes, that's fair."
    [01:36] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "Then you'll underrrstand why he expects you to clean this up."
    [01:38] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "Quite literrrally."
    [01:49] Ian White says, "Makes sense to me."
    [01:58] Dastgir Ma'zaerral asks, "May he see yourrr ID?"
    [02:36] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "Please use the update function on yourrrr PDA."
    [02:49] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "Ah."
    [02:50] Dastgir Ma'zaerral asks, "Do you have a copierr?"
    [02:55] Azala Huz'kai says, "Unfortunately, no."
    [03:04] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "Then he will simply fax it to himself."
    [03:18] Azala Huz'kai asks, "What sschool did you attend Misster White?"
    [03:47] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "When you arrrre finished herrrre please rreporrt to Janitorrrrial forrr the rrrest of the shift."
    [03:50] Ian White says, "Northeastern Medical."
    [04:21] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "He should go check on ourrr brrrrewing situation."
    [04:25] Dastgir Ma'zaerral asks, "Mind letting him out Dirrrrectorrr?"
    [04:34] Azala Huz'kai asks, "And with northeastern medical, you got a doctorates in Xenobiology, and chemisstry, in only eight yearss?"
    [04:48] Dastgir Ma'zaerral says, "Let him know if she needs anything else."
    [04:50] Ian White says, "This is correct."
    [05:17] Ian White says, "At the time, pursuing two doctorates simultaneously was allowed."
    [05:21] Azala Huz'kai asks, "What were you accussed of when you were being invesstigated in sschool?"
    [05:40] Ian White says, "I was accused of mass production and distribution of illegal narcotics."
    [05:52] Azala Huz'kai asks, "And in a trial wass found innocent?"
    [05:56] Ian White says, "Correct."
    [06:08] Ian White says, "I had it wiped from my record to prevent employment trouble."
    [06:33] Azala Huz'kai says, "Undersstandable. Nanotrassen iss a non-disscrimitory equal opportunity employer anyhow."
    [06:41] Ian White says, "I will give them that."
    [07:04] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Now, why do you have a sstrong philossophy of sself experimentation?"
    [07:18] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Wass thiss taught in sschool?"
    [07:37] Ian White says, "Not taught, no, it did come to me, so to say, while in school."
    [08:10] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Do you believe sself-experimentation iss ssuperior to monkeyss in ssome way?"
    [08:15] Azala Huz'kai says, "Bussy."
    [08:17] Ian White says, "In every way, shape, and form, yes."
    [08:50] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Can you explain?"
    [09:31] Ian White says, "When working with oneself, the response is immediate, there's no middle ground, you know what you feel, and you know what's happening to yourself near instantaneously."
    [10:06] Ian White says, "A monkey can't articulate it's feelings, and the red tape of getting a human test subject is an enormous hassle."
    [10:34] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Are you aware that when you sself experiment, like you did lasst round with the mutagen, that you become nanotrassen property?"
    [10:39] Azala Huz'kai says, "Er- sshift."
    [11:02] Ian White says, "I was not aware of that as of my last shift, no."
    [11:18] Azala Huz'kai asks, "With that knowledge, doess that disssaude you from future experimentation?"
    [11:29] Ian White says, "In my workplace, yes."
    [11:43] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Doess thiss mean you would want to outsside of work?"
    [11:50] Ian White says, "Yes."
    [12:04] Ian White says, "If I were legally able to, I would, in a heartbeat."
    [12:10] Azala Huz'kai says, "Undersstandable."
    [12:51] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Can you explain the failure to follow direction when it comess to the ssmoking in prohibited areass?"
    [13:06] Ian White says, "What can I say, I've always had trouble with authority."
    [13:26] Ian White says, "That combined with the nicotine addiction as well."
    [13:36] Azala Huz'kai says, "Undersstood."
    [13:57] Azala Huz'kai says, "Talk to me about your interaction with crewman Ssarzi."
    [14:19] Ian White asks, "The one from the medbay?"
    [14:27] Azala Huz'kai says, "Pleasse."
    [14:58] Ian White asks, "Was she the one who needed the phoron?"
    [15:07] Azala Huz'kai says, "No, that wass the Vaurca."
    [15:12] Ian White says, "Ah."
    [15:18] Azala Huz'kai says, "But, you may talk about you going to medical and demanding phoron if you wissh."
    [15:42] Ian White says, "I wouldn't say I demanded it, I just asked for it in a very blunt and cold manner."
    [16:36] Ian White says, "But, in reference to my coworker, I honestly believe that was a misunderstanding, from what I recall, I asked her in the elevator if she was going to tell the HOP that I was smoking in a prohibited area again, and she got the impression that I was attempting to intimidate her."
    [17:01] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Don't you ssee how the area you were in, and the nature of the quesstion could lead her to believe that?"
    [17:20] Ian White says, "Yeah, 100%, I'm not saying that I wasn't at fault, merely that it wasn't my intent."
    [17:28] Azala Huz'kai says, "Alright."
    [18:01] Azala Huz'kai asks, "White, would it be fair to ssay that you haven't been following direction?"
    [18:15] Ian White says, "I guess so, yes."
    [18:44] Azala Huz'kai asks, "Okay. In the future, when we clear out your hisstory and permissionss to work in our department, are you open to following directionss?"
    [19:01] Ian White says, "More so than I was, yes."
    [19:18] Azala Huz'kai says, "Alright. When you get home from work today, pleasse re-read your corporate handbook."
    [19:35] Azala Huz'kai says, "I'm going to let you go off to your new assignment, don't want to hold you for too much longer."
    [19:53] Ian White says, "Take it easy RD, see you around."
    [19:58] Azala Huz'kai says, "Pleasse give me your materialss."
    [20:14] Azala Huz'kai says, "Any ssupliess that are for thiss department only. Anything you keep that dont belong iss contraband."
    [20:26] Ian White says, "That's all I've got."
    [20:36] Azala Huz'kai says, "Alright, the HoP will give you your new ssupliess."
    [20:42] George Field says, "Hey."
    [20:51] Azala Huz'kai says, "Have a good day, Misster White."
    [20:56] Ian White says, "Take it easy RD."
    [21:04] Recording stopped.
     

  19. Byond key: TomiixStarslasher

    Discord key: Tomiix

    Character Name: Optikam Al-GoodmanI

    Item name: Aut'akh left and right arms and legs, soul anchor. If allowed the other implants as well.

    Itemfunction(s): The limbs and soul anchor are purely cosmetic, to show that this character is a human who is genuinely part of the Aut'akh colony on New Gibson. They would use the existing entities and would preferably start on him. The implants he would also want to receive, but if it is found improper for balance reasons, that is fine. We can just say his organs weren't compatible.

     Item description: Why is your character bringing this item to work?: He was saved after a terrible accident on New Gibson by the Aut'akh colony, and fully integrated into their society, after feeling listless in life with what he was doing before. Finding purpose in Oss.

    How did your character obtain this item: A life saving procedure, after exposure to the surface of New Gibson gave him terrible frostbite to his extremities, and the cold air damaged his lungs.

    What value does this item have to your character, and what story does it tell?: My character finds his augments priceless, as besides helping him live they symbolize generosity and compassion of his Aut'akh saviors. His soul anchor connection to Oss brings him a lot of comfort.

    Sprites: Already exist in the game, but I would like the limbs to be cargo orange, but I'm not sure if that's possible while maintiang his human body.

    Additional Comments:not sure how feesible this is, but currently it feels odd running around saying I'm Aut'akh with human made limbs and no soul anchor. This would help the characters place greatly.

  20. Ckey/BYOND Username: TomiixStarslasher

    Why are you interested in applying for a Unathi Deputy position?: Unathi are the species that I am solely engaged in, and that I deeply care for. I am a former Unathi Lore Deputy, and feel I am able to resume the position in some capacity. I have pretty big ambitions for the different factions, and having worked on and helped develop some of them, I would love to resume that position.

    What will you want to focus on if we take you on? Why?: I would love to develop slice of life pieces, and fluff about the culture of the different factions. Develop and design characters in the different factions. Make the world slightly more richer, and give people things they can add to their backstory. How exactly does Oss work? What shenanigans are the Si'akh up to this time? Rebellious Ouerean anti-hegemonic playwrites encouraging heresy? All things that can be played with. A lot of factions have themes they can hit more often, and I could help with those goals. Some factions need serious reevaluation, and refining and fine tuning. I am seeing complaints on a regular basis of places where timelines don't make sense, or things don't seem practical. Dominia I am looking at you. I have already begun reading their entries and determining solutions. It requires an eloquent and thought out approach, as disenfranchising that player-base is the last thing we would want to do. The goal would be to make things more consistent with the timeline of the rest of the galaxy, and to help Dominia fit in better with the lore at large. After which these goals are achieved could we move on to some genuine development of their story at large.

    What is Unathi lore to you? What niche does it fill for our setting?: The Unathi on the grand stage of the galaxy of bluespace capable races are often looked at as the most primitive. While some may view this as a weakness, I view it as a great potential to explore issues that affect us in the current day in a different context, providing perspective that we may not have outside of game. They also have great potential for callbacks to classic struggles of feudal societies. They have a great deal of mysticism surrounding them as well, which leads to creative science fantasy writing.

    Do you have examples of past commitments for creative works? (Hosting or playing in a DnD setting or otherwise proving you can devote time to the position): I am a frequent D&D dungeon master, and am taking classes on play writing/acting. I recently wrote a ten-pager on my main Unathi character, of which I posted here on this forum. (Y'all should read it... please... somebody.)

    Sometimes our community can be very aggressive in response to lore developments; can you feel easily defeated by hostility towards your work?: I still play Azala Guwan/Huz'kai after years of flaming from multiple people. Developing her lore and writing stories about her. You tell me.

    Additional Comments: I look forward to the opportunity. Please DM me your favorite lizard. For extra credit and to gain my favor, your favorite crack lizard ship.

  21. Hello denizens of Aurora. I returned recently in my semi-activity. Inspired by my nostalgia for this server, and wanting to catch up others on the story so far of my main character, Azala. I wrote a kind of biographical series of flashbacks, while I set up her next major character arc.

    Please provide me feedback, as I am not very good at writing and had a lot of help while writing this to try to make it as easy to read as possible. If you enjoy it, please take some time and let me know! I have been beating myself up while trying to get the confidence to post this, so the encouraging word would be appreciated.

    I don't anticipate a lot of people caring, because this work is highly specialized to appeal towards people already invested in the character, but if you came across this and haven't done stuff with my character, say hi!


     

    The azure Sinta stares into the eyes of her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes are sad and tired in their relaxed state, exhausted from years of late sleepless nights. The reflection in her mirror stares back, but she couldn’t recognize her. Wearing a business suit and makeup, she looked completely out of her element. Azala sighs, her voice echoing through the public restrooms. She pulls a cigarette out of her briefcase and contemplates, before throwing it into the trash bin, watching as it disappears. Then she pulls out her speech notes, long, hand-written and crossed out in many places.

     

    Azala straightens out her spine and tail before taking an authoritative posture. Clearing her throat to speak, she begins. "Ladies and Gentlemen of this humble delegation," Yeah right, she began thinking to herself. ‘Humble’ should be the last word she uses for the ballroom filled with old money babies across the hall from her. So many “generous” oligarchs, gathered to stroke their collective egos on how sympathetic and charitable they are. Azala doesn’t like them very much, most of them hardly had to work a day in their lives, yet her ability to help hard working Sinta women relied on her pouring her heart out to them and garnering their sympathy. How twisted this was, she had to fight so hard when they never had to struggle. In a way she felt like she was cheating, asking for help when she knows she and her kin should be capable of doing it themselves. Then again she wouldn't of been where she was either, without charity. "We are gathered today in a joint mission of aiding those who do not have what we have. Giving opportunity to those without." Azala's mind escapes to a shuttle port in New Skalamar, Ouerea. 

     

    "Come now Guwan, with as much speed as you can muster. You do not want to miss this shuttle!” Stammered a jogging elderly Sinta in humble cloth, urging a one-legged, young looking azure woman with a crutch. She took bated breaths as she hobbled behind, carrying all she owned on her back.

    “Ah- ah- I- I am having second thoughts! I- I am scared,” She got out between deep breaths.The elderly Sinta man stopped, and turned around quickly, almost startling her off balance. 

    “You do not have the luxury of fear or second thoughts, Guwan!” The shaman shouted out, pacing towards her and grabbing her to stabilize her footing. He continued, “What was it that you told me during our moments of council?”

    The young woman paused, and looked up to the aging Unathi, glad to have rest. She thought back to their long conversations, and spoke, “I want to be more than a homeless burden on society. I want to prove I can do better.” The old man nodded approvingly, and lifted her, showing an unfounded burst of strength. 

    “Then, if you speak truly, then this shuttle is the only way of you achieving such a dream. A woman of your status will never achieve anything here. The humans who travel the stars are your only hope of reprieve. Go boldly, and your ancestors and their spirits will follow you. This is my last offering to you.” He bellowed eloquently. This Th’akh shaman did Azala many favours, the smuggling of her on a Nanotrasen shuttle through some contacts of his being his parting gift on a girl he owed nothing to.

     

    Azala stumbles over in the bathroom, losing balance from the memory of her multiple years of being crutch-bound. She has been dwelling on who she used to be, a young crippled orphan girl. She leans on the counter and continues her practice.

     

    “Many Sinta who find themselves disadvantaged in their home systems come to the Republic of Biesel for better opportunities. To gain access to education, life saving medical technology, and safer and healthier environments for their families to live. Some are able to find this success very easily, well-to-do Sinta who are disadvantaged simply in too much competition or not enough work where they lived, are able to prosper. However, there are groups of at-risk Sinta who walk a harder path. A path full of religious oppression, caste systems, sexism, and ableism. Compounded upon these are societal norms that make it difficult to navigate any of those issues. Simply put, no matter how far from Moghes a Sinta is, they are still affected by these weights. I was an orphaned woman who was not afforded an education besides on how to clean and cook. If it wasn’t for kind sponsors, and humans who volunteered their time to assist in my education, I could never of gotten my GED, let alone a PhD.” Azala’s mind wanders off, as a phantom scent of burning Meatza filled her nostrils.

    “Come oooon Guwan! Get a move on with those dishes!” Yelled out a hefty human chef, managing the plating section of a massive kitchen. He barked out orders between cooks, wait staff, and dishwashers. When Azala had finally finished a set of cutlery, she was handed a tray by a hasty cook. “Sorry girly, but we need extra hands to get the food out stat! We’ve got a huge lunch rush.” Azala opened her mouth to speak, looking down at the brace that attached to her upper thigh that let her hobble around. “Oh… sorry about that, can you do it?” Azala nervously gulped, and muttered out a timid “Sssssure.” She slowly lifted the tray, and carefully moved through the out door, looking at the note on the tray to find the table to which it belonged.

     

    Upon arriving, Azala was stunned by the sight she witnessed. A beautiful human female, who was working on the prosthetic arm of another woman at the table. She stared, mouth agape, greedily taking in the sight. She radiated this energy of confidence, and intellect that made Azala, frankly, jealous. Azala’s blatant staring caught the attention of the women being worked on to notice her, who then brought it to the attention of the apparent roboticist working on her. She turned to face Azala and smiled politely. “Is that for us dear? It’s okay if you bring it over, I won’t bite.” she said coyly, waving her over. 

     

    Azala carefully limped over, and placed the tray down. The roboticist seemed entirely focused on Azala's improvised brace. She spoke as Azala set the dishes down. "Now that simply won't do. If you keep walking around like that you will have back problems." She began, nodding in thanks as Azala finished plaiting the table. "Please, have a seat. You look exhausted." Azala looked around at the busy surroundings. Part of her knew she was needed back in the kitchen, however, her body ached badly. So she took the excuse the roboticist gave her, steadily sitting down at the bench. The woman was very polite, and their conversation lasted a good while despite Azala's atrocious basic. The woman's name was Kylie, and she made Azala a generous offer of a prosthetic leg she was refurbishing as a side project.

     

    Azala's religious teachings were very inconsistent. Her orphanage would be visited by many shamans of different interpretations. However, the shaman she trusted most never spoke on prosthetics. When Azala asked about her missing leg, he hypothesized to comfort her. Saying that her spirit had no leg, which is why she was born handicapped. Therefore, she had no qualms at the offer of a prosthetic. Despite her caution, after having it fitted and walking around with it, she was immediately faced with more stigma than she had when she was missing her leg. While her comfort and mobility increased, she felt increasingly uncomfortable at work, with Sinta guests harassing her more and more. The majority of Sinta who could make it to human space followed the Sk’akh interpretation of prosthetics maiming the soul, and had no context of her prior missing leg. Azala became close friends with her new roboticist, and would find excuses to avoid interactions with her fellow Sinta. This roboticist would later coach Azala through language skills, and recommend her to Mars University for training in mechatronics after Azala expressed interest.

     

    Azala continues to think back to her time at University, as she dwells on how other Sinta tried to put her down. In her speech, when she mentions societal pressure, it even found itself in the Sol system. Unathi in their quest for prosperity find themselves sponsored by mega-corporations to go to schools all across the galaxy. This is how Azala found herself with a sponsorship to Mars University along three other Sinta. When the program first started, the professors decided it wise to keep the Sinta together, to form comradery. However, this ended up making Azala the other that the three Males bonded over pushing around. She had to deal with harassment as the three felt safe to speak their threats and insults with a native tongue in a foriegn land. This caused Azala to instead find friends in Humans. She made close friends with some of her martian native classmates, and discovered many hobbies and passions. Yes, there were cultural misunderstandings, and at times she would deal with persecution from some Humans. However, humanity was much more accepting than her supposed kinsman. The obvious rift in the group of Sinta came to a head at a mechatronics competition.

     

    Azala found herself in the cockpit of her team’s mech as their pilot. The objective was simple, the pilots had to complete an obstacle course of which challenges awaited at key checkpoints that needed to be completed before the mech could proceed. The challenges were based on the theme of the event, security mechs. To spice up the event, Mech teams were allowed to use non-lethals and melee combat to disable the competition. The event was timed, so although theoretically hunting down other mechs early was a valid strategy, the often accepted best strategy when teams simulated the event was to simply pursue objectives and deflect others when they caught up.

     

    Azala adapted the strategy, and was quickly tackling hurdles and obstacles, piloting the mech with great precision. Showing countless sleepless nights of training on the mech that she helped her team design. A prisoner escort was the first trial, where she would need to use a security hatch attached to the mech to detain a crash dummy, and take it to a detention cell to proceed to the next objective. What Azala wasn’t anticipating however, was the Sinta team’s pilot actively hunting her down. While collecting the crash dummy, Azala was jerked forward as the rear of her mech was slammed by a mechatronic arm. She used her mechs traverse gear to rotate the torso on its legs just in time to block a second strike. Locked into a guard, the Sinta teams pilot patched into Azala’s coms. “Alright Guwan sellout, it’s time to pick off the easiest prey first. Don’t want to get your hopes up or anything.” A stunprod on the other arm of his mech deployed and was thrust towards Azala’s cockpit. She quickly used the other arm to grab the prod, causing shocks to go down the arm, but to be absorbed by it before it reached her. “Sellout?!” she responded, confused at the terminology. Her being a sellout would mean they were on the same team to begin with, which at this point she had no inclination of believing. 

     

    To break the lock, Azala engaged her mech suits tackle mode, and lunged into the enemy mech. As she lurched forward, she engaged a close ranged flash that she had on her cockpit, that confused his sensors. Scattering their camera and sensor based feed, as they opted to forgo a traditional pilot window. Azala used her gained advantage to redirect the stun baton back onto their mech into a critical spot in its locomotive gears, causing a mechanical failing as she completed a circuit, and forced the mech into a death spin. Successfully dazing and dizzying the pilot inside, she ran off. Escorting the prisoner, and completing the event with a competitive time. Allowing her team to progress to further rounds.

     

    In the hangar, as her team pulled her out to congratulate her on her time, the other Unathi pit crew was there, waiting for the damaged mech to be crane lifted to their pit. They chuffed as Azala exchanged congratulatory jeers in the growling language of freespeak. One of the pit members of the Sinta team spoke up, in a considerably accented freespeak. “Ssso, iss thiss how humanss view uss now? Ssssellout petss who drag them to ssuccssesss?” Azala, after being safely lowered from her mech, stared blankly at the other Sinta. 

    “Why do you call me a ssellout now that I am ssuccessful, when before I wass not worthy enough to be conssidered equal to you?”

    The other Unathi spoke up in his native tongue. “You are our kin, you are supposed to glorify us, and know your place.” Azala retorted immediately.

    “Being Ssinta issn’t a position I am obligated to uphold, it's who I am. We are of the ssame race, facing the ssame obstacless, but you chossse to put me down. You lot are calling me a Ssellout, but I don’t think you know what that meanss. If anything, I think you ssold me out, and aren’t happy with what you got in return.” The two Sinta men blinked, somewhat stunned from the response. They opened their maws to respond, but the chief mechanic of the team spoke up. With a heavy southern accent, dressed in typical martian country attire, he spoke in Azala’s defense. 

    “I think you two fellers said enough. Quite frankly, I am mighty thankful for your lack of foresight. This doll right here is the best pilot I could ask for. We won’t be letting you harass her anymore.” He stated plainly, his oil stained hands grasping at his suspenders as he took up an aggressive posture. The two looked offended at the human challenging them, but are suddenly pulled away by a tournament organizer, as their mech is returned to them. Azala felt light headed, and blinked, before finding herself back in the bathroom.

     

    Azala walks up to the sink and washes her face, ruining her tedious shine job on her scales. She felt the need to snap herself out of her self-reflection. She needs to focus on the now. After waking herself up, she looks to the mirror and wipes her face dry with a towel in her bag. Before looking to fix her face again, she does her best to recount back to what she was going to have to say to get this funding. “When I began my job… no… career at Nanotrassen, I was burdened with a terrible debt that needed to be repayed. It required a lot of ssaving, and ssome dayss without food. Living independently wassn’t even possible, and I wass nearly living at my job before I found a houssemate.” Azala froze, as she felt the phantom texture of fur on her scales, and she shudders. Her housemate was more than just a housemate… and it was an affair that she kept deep in her mind. Like many parts of her life, it was suppressed due to the nature of the Sinta around her. 

     

    During her time at Nanotrasen, she had of stigmas she wore on her sleeve, yet it was what she hid inside that hurt her the most. She was raised on a Th’akh faith, but yet was bullied into changing her declared faith to Sk’akh by an overzealous Marazite security guard. She had an incredible interest in AI and IPCs, but had to keep her studies private to avoid the stigma of aiding in false life. She had… queer tendencies in her romantic life, that would cause great scruitiny for herself and the unfortunate person she held interest in. Azala tears up as she recalls an uncomfortable memory.

    “Azala, she is getting home late.” Whispered a feminine tajaran voice, in the dark that is the shared apartment. Azala hung on the door her jacket and hat, and collapsed on the futon in the front room. 

    “I know Katya… I… I’ve had a long day. I jusst need sssome resst.” Azala turned on her side, ready to pass out in her jumpsuit, before the light is turned on. 

    “She… needs to speak to herrr for a moment.” Azala groaned, as she turned to look up at Katya. In the dull light she saw the classically sloppily dressed Njarrir-Zhan mixed Tajaran in some loose fitting nightclothes. Her fur having serious bedhead, she looked rather normal for the hour of night that Azala returned to. Katya walked over lighty to Azala’s side, and sat down beside her. 

    “It’s about what we are doing… togetherr…” Azala’s heart stopped, and she turned around quickly in the bed. “Did ssomeone-” Katya quickly cut Azala off, before she even had the chance to panic. “No. Nobody knows. Howeverr… that is the prroblem. You said it yourrself… what we arrre doing can’t last forreverrr. She… she found someone Azala. Someone she doessn’t hate, that she could possibly have the family she wants with.” 

    Azala’s heart melted. She knew this time would come, when either they would both be brave and decide to be social outcasts for the rest of their lives together, or when one of them wisened up and took the step they knew they would need to take. However, selfishly, Azala was saddened that she was the one who was being abandoned. She wanted to protest, her eyes welling up with tears. She opened and closed her mouth, attempting to find a solution, but couldn’t think of anything. Katya gave her plenty of time. Comforting Azala with a warm embrace, with some tears shared by the two of them. Eventually, Azala found her words, and spoke. “Iss he good to you. Do you feel that you will be happy?” Katya pulled away, wiping at her own eyes. She nodded promptly, and Azala feigned a smile. “Then... I am happy for you. Glad that you were able to find what you need.” A white lie, but in a relationship based on the lie that it wasn’t one, was small in comparison. 

     

    Azala excused that time as a phase, and chalked it up to her being young. Perhaps she was simply expressing her phobia of Unathi men by forcing herself on someone totally opposite of it. Yet Katya still held a special place in Azala’s heart. She worked out a lot of emotional trauma with Katya, and she gave her perspectives she never would have considered by herself. Azala won’t ever be sure about how healthy the relationship was, but would be forever thankful for it. Yet, like many things, she had to keep it secret. Furthermore, despite the attraction to non-unathi no longer taking hold of her, she still found herself preferring the company of women. Despite these conflicting emotions, Azala tried her best to seem normal on the outside. To fit in with her own people, as she felt herself growing homesick, and foriegn amongst the non-sinta. The cultural differences were starting to show, and made her uncomfortable. 

     

    The Sinta’s best attempts to focus on the task at hand were failing, her claws becoming unsteady. Her makeup became very sloppy, reminding her of countless changes she made to herself to appeal to others. She clutches her leg in pain, her mind was sent back to a shift on the Aurora. Azala was signing a consent form, as her Research Director and a team of scientists and doctors were preparing themselves. The Director spoke to Azala, very formally as he organized his collection of paperwork. “Miss Guwan, did you have any further questions about this clinical trial before we began?” Azala looked over to one of the human friends she made on the station, Doctor Sukhoi, who was busy finalizing the finishing touches on the bioengineered leg. She considered the wording of her question, without wanting to sound like she doubted the skills of her colleagues.

     

    “Sso, what are the projected sside-effectss during recovery?” She asked plainly, at this point her accent and Basic being much better than it used to be. She finished the paperwork, and handed it over, confident that she would still want the procedure, despite the answer. She asked to make it seem like she was more careful than she was in reality. 

    “Well, simply put, most side effects should be mitigated with compliance to your prescription program. The primary thing we are looking for is for the leg to integrate into your system completely. We don’t want your body rejecting the limb. I want you to have realistic expectations, we are using a highly experimental process. Failure in the surgery or the design of the leg could cause nervous system damage.” Azala pouted, she invited the bad news and realism, but she didn’t want to hear it. She wanted to hear that everything would be fine, and that she would look normal and have all her problems solved. 

    “I undersstand, and I appreciate the warning. I will follow the regimen carefully.” The director nodded, satisfied with the answer. Helping Azala up and towards the medical bed. The joy that filled Azala when she woke up to find herself with two authentic legs, that were the same and felt real was unparalleled.

     

    The only time that Azala could recall being happier, was when she met her birth family for the first time. Part of her motivation for the new leg was making herself more likable for when she presented herself to her birth family, of which she discovered after months of searching the pre-war public record. At the time she didn’t know why she was given up, and to be frank when she discovered her father’s apparent reasoning she didn’t really believe it. However, when she met her mother and siblings for the first time, the doubt melted away. She was willing to do anything for the acceptance of her blood and kin, and compromised on a lot of her values. These memories are marred by the consequences of them. Azala lifted her leg, and lowered the left side of her pants. Looking at the source of her leg pain, she observed the festering wound, marking where her leg used to be cut off. Dark onyx scales were peeling off of rotting flesh as her body was rejecting her leg. She shuddered as the refitted the pants on her hips. Azala’s body went cold, as she recalled the stare her father gave her across the family dinner table. For like her leg, the fallout of meeting her family didn’t end like she had hoped. 

     

    She looked into his eyes and saw a similar tired stare, there was no doubt that they were related. The man looked exhausted with his situation, a Noble whose lands are waste, and his title only one by name. He led a proud levy, and brought pride to the Huz’kai name, as he amply explained to her in front of the family. However now they had a tense, private moment to discuss the terms of Azala returning to the clan. He looked over her carefully, looking for weakness. Azala could tell his gaze was piercing, and was thankful that she prepared the way she did. Already she could tell that he had mixed opinions on her success. When she was asked about her time in human space, she could see in his face that he didn’t think much of her experience. Finding the lot of it more odd than commendable. The only thing he couldn’t deny is that she was making a good living, better than most of them. This was one of the first things he brought up, as he began.

    “Your mother and I have had extensive talks. She feels strongly about you bearing my name, as is your birthright. However, this needs to come with some caveats, both legally and with obligations to the family, as a member.” He began, he took a sip of his glass of wine, and continued. “Firstly, all debts that you accrued up to this point, schooling, orphanage fees, are yours. This family cannot handle the financial burden, and I cannot take those over for you.” Azala nodded politely, and responded. 

    “I have carried that burden myself, and am on a good track to paying them off. You should not have to worry.” The man chuffed, and took another long sip of his wine. He grunted between sips as he continued to speak. “Of course, you are expected to bring honor to the family name, and perform your duties required to the family. Including your obligation to represent your new title of Lady Huz’kai diligently. You are to be available for functions that will require the clan, stay in communication, and eventually be wed. You will become my oldest daughter, and inheritor to the title of clan mother in the case of your mother's passing. If we were to wed you, it would either be to another noble family for a considerable bride price, or if the man is of common blood, he would need to offer a suitable bride price, and a matrilineal marriage. You need to either meet this requirement in five years, or I will arrange the marriage myself with a pool of candidates that I collected.” He finished his very formal statement, and returned to his drink, letting the girl stew it over.

    Azala hated the sound of this condition. She hasn’t known a man that she felt any romance for, and the idea of needing to wed herself out for money was uncomfortable to her. However, she looked into the families position, and it was clear that her father and the family was in desperate need for money. Most of his children had left the house, and were funding their own lives. All of his daughters were married out, and are building families of their own. The only child that lived with her father was Hu’azai’s eldest son Jeskai Huz’kai, and this was because he was between jobs. The tension between the two could be felt at family dinners, and their outings to church due to a scandalous lustful relationship Jeskai had with another man. Jeskai was very sympathetic and kind to Azala, but wasn’t aiding in her acceptance, since Hu’azai was debating adding another child he may have to micromanage. 


    Azala stirred her own beverage around in the glass, staring at the contents as they mixed, before looking back up to speak. “I appreciate you being generous in giving me time to sort that matter out myself… I would much rather continue my contract with my current company. At least as long as they fund my education.” Hu’azai chuffed, he clearly wasn’t pleased about having to wait, and this period of time was likely given with pleading from Axala, Azala’s mother. “I don’t quite understand your obsession with working, and galavanting off into space. I know plenty of men who need a good bride, who would fawn over you and your hatchlings. However, your success in space could bring honor to the family in its own way. As long as you do not give us charity, it will not look like we are making you work for our benefit, as this would hurt our standing in the eyes of the other nobles.”

     

    Azala deflated in her seat. She hated seeing her mom and family in such a tough condition. For being a noble, their only claim to nobility was miles away, in the remains of a foriegn land. Her father ruled a mound of ash, yet he held onto his title and the past stubbornly. She offered Jeskai and her parents the ability to leave with her, but Hu’azai was not going to stand for it. He did not want to abandon his claim on his lands, opting to wait out for the Izweski restoration efforts. Hu’azai waited for Azala to respond, Azala remembering that she hasn’t actually agreed yet. “I will perform my duty to the best of my ability. I want to make you proud, and get to know my clansman.”

    The bittersweet memory was cut short as Azala clutched at her leg again. She collapsed to her knees, as the memories flooded her head, she felt faint. She pulled herself up and looked into the mirror, the girl she saw she didn’t recognize. Her relationship with her family, her new friendships she had made, after completing her PhD and Director mentorship, are based on a Azala that got her family name and respect from peers through a lie. Azala lied to her father, her family, and also herself. Something about the Unathi didn’t feel right, Azala felt like a stranger to herself. She wiped her face with her towel and sobbed. After a short cry, she reached for her bag, to grab a cigarette before jerking backwards as she saw something strange in the mirror. The reflection was no longer hers, but of a black scaled Unathi. She turned her head, and the figure in the mirror followed carefully. The reflection of the light on it’s scales showed a blue tint on the otherwise onyx looking body. Azala was shocked again when the figure spoke.

     

    “So, the lies are finally catching up to you Guwan? You can lie to a lot of people, your family, your friends, yourself… but not to your soul. No, your soul is the representation of the true you, and yet you ignore me so plainly.” She stared blankly at the illusion, she went to pinch herself, to see if she was dreaming, and the figure in the mirror laughed at her. The deep male voice of the black Unathi continued. “You should be less concerned about the realities of myself, but the realities of yourself. For although I may not be real, your feelings are true. Consider for a moment, the strength you have had throughout your life. Do you really think a woman could muster that? The strength and self determination to build your own legacy? The self respect and dedication to build up your own might, instead of relying on others? Do you think your attraction to woman is an accident? Your brutish nature, your tendencies for male activities? Every time you look into the mirror you see me, but you ignore me. You lie to yourself and others to hide me, because you are so desperate to be what others think you are, so that you can exceed their expectations. You hide me because my existence is inconvenient for your message. You are wounded… because of me.” The visage in the mirror lifted it’s left leg over the threshold of the mirror, revealing that it too was missing. He used his strong arms to carry himself through the mirror, and sit on the counter. In full view the man looked stunningly similar to Azala as she was years ago. He wore armor, like a warrior. The leg that was missing was bandaged and wrapped, as if it was lost in a battle long ago. 

     

    Azala took a panicked step back, she let out a shriek, and a cry for help. “T-there iss sssomeone in here! Help me!” The spirit chuffed, and stood, limping towards her. 

    “I am not just someone! You will not ignore me any longer! I. Am. You.” The figure went to tackle Azala, and like his scales, her vision went dark. Laid out on the floor of the bathroom, Azala was unconscious. Her head buzzed with many questions, was she dreaming? Was this a vision? The way he was dressed, was he an ancestor? Her actual spirit? Would that mean she was reincarnated? Was she… a he? The revelation granted clarity, but also much more confusion. If this was true, then why was she here? Acting as if she could represent the struggles of women, when in actuality she had the innate advantage of a man after all. Azala felt herself being lifted, and reached out with her hand. She could swear she could hear voices… more spirits? Her ancestors, here to welcome her? Was she dead?

    Azala awoke, in the grasp of her brother Jeskai. He is well dressed, in a suit and tie, with a clip that bared the emblem of his new obligation, the Kataphracts. He came to Tau Ceti to be closer to his sister, and find glory while waiting for calls to arms at home. By luck, he heard her cries and rushed into the restroom to check on her. Shaking her some more to be sure, Azala grabs his side, and he sighs in relief. “Azala… are you alright? I heard you scream someone was here, where are they? I didn’t see anyone leave.” Azala takes careful breaths as she embraces her brother. She tries to get up on her own, but her sibling won't allow it, guiding her to her feet. “Jeskai… I need your council.” She says calmly, as she is led to sit on the counter, where the spirit once did. Jeskai obliges, and urges her on as he goes to get her some water. “I had a vision… a revelation. I am not sure if I should believe it or not… or how to act on it. Jeskai… if I were to have a soul of a man, what right do I have to anything that I am trying to do tonight? What right do I have to represent the disadvantaged women of our people?” Jeskai is caught off guard by the sudden confession, and carefully examines his eldest sister with darting eyes. His tongue frantically tasting the air.

     

    “I think you need to see a doctor before you make any public statements like that.” He states curtly. Azala was not satisfied, and angrily responded. 

    “Do not treat me like I am crazy, and just tell me what I should do! In ten minutes I need to speak in front of…” Jeskai cut her off promptly. 

    “Five minutes.” This caused Azala to put her face in her hands, wanting to weep again. However she couldn’t manage it. There was nothing left for her to cry about. Jeskai pulls Azala’s hands away from her face and holds her consolingly by the wrists. “Listen to me carefully Azala. Male soul, or female soul, does not change how others see you. Your whole life people treated you like a woman. They spoke to you like a woman, viewed you as a woman, and expected nothing of you, like a woman. You walked the road of a woman, and along the way, saw strong women who you believe in. If you are a man, then you are the only man qualified to have an opinion, one that needs to be heard.” Azala isn’t fully satisfied with the answer, still having quite the crisis of identity. However she feels more comfortable with the idea of speaking. She looks to her notes, a jumbled mess of anecdotes and stories, some she wasn’t sure of anymore. 

    “W-what should I say? Do I need to change anythi-” Jeskai interrupts her again, and puts her notes to the side. 

    “Say whatever comes to mind, that comes from here.” Lightly, Jeskai patted Azala over her heart. He gives her a toothy smile and continues. “Speak truthfully and sincerely, and they will fall head over heels for you.”

    Azala sits there, uncertain, wanting to just cry. However now she doesn’t feel sadness, but thankful. Thankful that her ancestors led her to her brother. Thankful for the opportunity she was going to have. She quickly turns around, and attempts to fix her face. Jeskai helps the best that he could, having a surprising amount of knowledge of the tools required to fix up a woman’s face. When she finally finishes, she puffs out her chest, and looks towards the door. Jeskai carefully aids his sister out of the bathroom, and to the ballroom. He leads her to the stairs to the podium, as she was being introduced by the speaker for the event. Azala notices that she still has a considerable limp, as she moves up the stairs. After this speech she accounted for likely needing to go to the hospital, to get herself checked. Jeskai took his seat amongst his partner, and some Sinta businessman. Azala was properly introduced, and walked to the podium. She spoke, and began her next chapter.

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