Hi all,
I thought I would share my profits for Matched Betting Extra Place Horse Racing for Jan 21. January 2021 has turned into my best month of Matched Betting since I started way back in Summer 2018. This months profits are roughly £4,707. A life changing figure for many and a great figure seeing this is achievable on top of a full time job. Matched Betting is the only decent side hustle I have actually found, compared to doing hundreds of boring online surveys...yuck! (Unless you are a good business person / have 5 lodgers / lots of family money etc.) To see some of my other Matched Betting profits you visit my site: https://cashontheside.co.uk/
I will be investing some of my profits this month in ETF/Shares and putting into house improvements like a new drive way. In addition with Cheltenham horse festival coming up in March, I will be increasing my bank to cover liabilities.
The bulk of my profits came from Extra Place racing, large underlayed winners and BOG (best offer garuntee). Variance was certainly on my side this month and I must have had at least 10 large winners which won upwards of £1600 pounds per bet. As I underlay my bets I made more profit than If I had fully layed of the bets. About 5% of these profits came from low risk casino. After you have completed all welcome offers...in Matched Betting. Ep's become a gold mine...and I truly recommend them to anyone.
Some more of my bets this month illustrating underlayed bets and ep:
https://cashonthesidecouk.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/winnings4.jpg
https://cashonthesidecouk.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/winnings.jpg
https://cashonthesidecouk.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/another-winner.jpg
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Images of one of my bets illustrative of Best offer guarantee: https://cashonthesidecouk.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/136707133_10159536662702922_8507610622687908137_o-1.jpg?w=544
For those who are starting out on their Match Betting journey in 2021 these sort of figures are achievable to you once you have experience….unfortunately this will not come overnight! I do put a lot of time into it..between 2-5 hours a day, 7 days a week sometimes. For the average person you could earn at least £500 a month.
To learn more about Match Betting please visit my article Boost Your Income with Matched Betting. Alternatively you can start an Odds Monkey free trial where they will teach you step by step and give you the calculators you need: odds monkey trial https://www.oddsmonkey.com/affiliates/affiliate.php?id=64754(affiliate) or www.oddsmonkey.com. (non affiliate)
To those with a little more experience who want to learn about Matched Betting Extra Places you can visit my guide here Extra Place Match Betting tips here or I have copied and pasted it all below.
For those with Matched Betting Experience - my guide and tips to Extra Places:
What is Extra Place Matched Betting?
Extra Places can be a very lucrative technique to learn. Extra Places are available for us to do pretty much every day, increasing the appeal. Extra Place Offers are available to all customers. This means that even if you get gubbed with a bookmaker, in most cases, you can still make money with them by Matched Betting on their Extra Place Offers.
Extra Places are considered an advanced reload offer, as they not risk-free. However once you have gained some experience on more basic horse racing offers, you can start to take advantage of the lucrative profits available. It may sound complicated but as soon as it ‘clicks’, it becomes simple. Essentially we are taking advantage of the bookies and exchanges paying out if the horse you have backed comes a certain ‘place’ in a race e.g. 4th.
Extra Places combined with additional offers such as BOG (Best Offer Guarantee) can mean additional profits. For example, you back a horse at odds of 15 and then the starting odds move up to 23. If that horse wins you win an extra x8 on your bet. You can see some real life scenarios I found of Extra Place combined with BOG below. Depending on the size of the underlay, profits below would range up to £3,000+

What is a ‘place’ in horse racing?

Quite simply a ‘place’ is the position the horse finishes a race in. For example if a horse wins a race it comes 1st, if a horse comes 2nd its 2nd. In some races with a large number of horses some bookies will pay out if a horse finishes the race in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th position. Horse Racing festivals such as Cheltenham or Ascot are particularly well known for this.

What is an ‘Extra Place’ in horse racing?

Now we’ve understood what a place is in horse racing you may have probably already guessed what an ‘extra place’ is going to be! An ‘extra place’ is where the bookies add one (or more) additional places to their standard place classification on a particular race. For example they may offer to ‘pay 7 places on a race’ instead of the standard 3 places. The ‘extra place’ in this instance cover 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th.
What are my Extra Place top tips?

1. Some of my biggest profits have come from big underlayed winners and BOG. I typically underlay most of my bets by about 20% sometimes more. If you are starting out I would underlay on the place only by about 10% to play it safe until you learn more.
2. Don’t bet on more places than a bookmaker is offering. E.g. If the bookmaker is offering 4 places don’t bet on more than that.
3. Whilst your learning, take horses on implied odds of at least 12 or more on a match of 80%+.
4. Look to keep qualifying losses down. E.g. for £100 profit, £5 ql.
5. Please note, the best odds are typically found between 10 minutes up and to race time. You have to be quick on your ‘toes’…learn to walk before you run etc. Start out on easy horse racing officers before doing extra places.
6. You will need a bank of at least £1000+ for your exchanges, ideally more. The more you have the more of the field you can cover. You can do EP with several hundred in your exchange but you won’t be able to make bigger profits.
7. Be consistent, don’t take risks, don’t chase your losses and learn from matched betting extra place forums.
8. Keep the Odds Monkey up throughout the day...and check for good matches.
9. Use Bookies Boosts to increase your odds and matches.
10. Do not give in to your fear of missing out on offers…Tomorrow is another day.
11. Have at least a dual monitoscreen setup. It is important to be able to see exchange, books and calcs.

How do I find Extra Places offers?
I use the the Odds Monkey Extra Place Matcher to find the best opportunities for profit. The Matcher is explained in the below video.
https://youtu.be/oOKAdiSJidg
I am also a regular visitor of the active Odds Monkey community forums. You can sign up for an Odds Monkey free trial today here today https://www.oddsmonkey.com/affiliates/affiliate.php?id=64754 www.oddsmonkey.com (non affiliate). Odds Monkey provide you with the all guides, calculators etc. I have been a member for over 2.4 years now.
Feel free to get in touch or ask below if any questions.

Hello, friends. It’s me again. Eli. Been a while. I’ve been avoiding typing this out because at first I really didn’t want to talk about what happened, but I have now convinced myself that telling all of you might be therapeutic.
Sort of convinced myself, anyway. I won’t lie; I did stop and question my choices about four times when writing just those first two paragraphs. I think I’ve made it over the hump now, though. Too late to go back – I’m just gonna fucking write it, and then I can share it if I feel like it. Right? Right.
Well, let me lay it out on the table then: between my last post and this one, I almost died. Like, more than usual. I mean, I was bleeding and fading in and out of consciousness for several days. Maybe a week. I don’t really remember, to be honest. It’s all kind of a haze. I definitely hallucinated; I remember visions of my family dancing with some Brents and a pineapple king. Nine out of ten medical experts didn’t think I’d make it. (That’s a joke. All ten of ten medical experts have been dead for months).
Also, but just as I was coming out of it, then it was Christmas, and that was an interesting experience too. You know how there are monsters of lore that come out during the holidays, like Krampus or the Yule Cat? Yeah, we don’t have those – because God forbid we have a monster I’ve heard of before, that I could actually look up information about – but it turns out there is a monster around here that likes Christmas. Made its first appearance last week right as I was conscious again and made my headaches start all over. But more on that later. Today I’m talking about how close I seriously came to dying in the past few weeks.
And why did I almost die when I have such a carefully curated list of rules? Because I’m a fucking idiot and decided to forget all about Rule #5. And why did I forget about Rule #5? Because I was too focused on finding that girl.
I suppose I may as well go ahead and tell you what Rule #5 is, because it’s not very exciting. Not all my rules are. Some don’t deal with specific monsters; instead, they’re general guidelines for surviving in this hellscape, and though boring, they’re helpful advice against several varieties of monster, not just one. They’re the glue holding my more species-specific rules together, if you will.
Rule #5: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
I made that rule pretty early on, to prevent myself from having false hope. Between Ashleys and MJs and other deception-based monsters (though they didn’t all have names at the time), I figured a base rule for not trusting everything good I come across was in order. I believe I made it an official rule after another close call with an Ashley, followed by an encounter with the creature behind Rule #3. I’ll get to Rule #3 another time, by the way, so hold your horses. Today’s star is Rule #5, whether you like it or not.
Unfortunately, like the idiot I am, I forgot all about Rule #5 in my pursuit of the girl. Did she seem too good to be true? (Yes). Yet did I pour all my energy and heart into finding her? (Also yes). So am I a dumbass who can’t follow my own rules and almost died as a result? (Jury’s verdict: yes).
Let me explain.
See, she left me that riddle. After several suggestions and a lot of struggling thought of my own, I came to the conclusion that the most likely answer was echo. That wasn’t super helpful though, because it left the question of where echo was supposed to lead me.
So I then spent days walking around the part of the city she’d left her clues in, desperately scouring for anything that might relate to echo. I also combed the internet looking for answers; that took another day by itself, since my connection is so goddamn slow.
Ultimately, my best bet turned out to be a concert hall about three-quarters of a mile away from where I’d seen her. Old Google reviews mentioned its acoustics and the lovely echoing quality of the music performed there. It was a stretch, but it was the closest link I could find.
I went there about a week after my last post. That’s about two weeks ago, for those following along at home. And yes, I was prepared – or at least I thought I was. I ran through my rules in my head, making sure I had everything I needed both mentally and materially (though conveniently hurrying past Rule #5, apparently).
Once I had my lasers, voice recorder, knife, pistol, lighter, two Molotov cocktails, and of course, Mr. Bailey, we headed out. Everything was pretty quiet on the way to the concert hall, actually, and I made it there without incident. Maybe that should have seemed suspicious, but it’s not like it’s unheard of to get lucky and avoid monsters every once in a while, so I was really just grateful that I seemed to be having a stroke of luck, and hoped that it would hold.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t. Things only went downhill from there.
I stood outside the concert hall for a minute, Mr. B chirping on my shoulder. After a few deep breaths and a glance down at her note one more time – shockingly, there was nothing new written there – I stuffed the paper in my pocket and walked forward.
Steps led me up to the entrance, which consisted of a long row of glass doors. Instinctively, I pulled out my knife and gripped it tightly as I crept closer. It was still daylight, so you’d think I’d be able to see in through the glass, but the interior was completely dark, so all I really saw was glare from the sun. I didn’t like having such little visibility for what I was about to walk into. I may not have a formal rule for it, but a good general tip is not to enter somewhere blind. And here I was, about to do exactly that.
I hesitated, and man, I wish I’d turned back then. This was a high risk, high reward operation, after all: I could be rewarded with meeting the girl and befriending her, but I was risking entering a place that might be a hotbed of monsters, or being led into a trap, or guessing wrong on her riddle and exposing myself to monsters in an unfamiliar part of town for no real reason. If I’d been thinking of Rule #5, it would have occurred to my idiot self that the reward part was probably too good to be true. But as has been established, 1) I am a dumbass, and 2) I was too hopeful, and with my high hopes, I got careless.
So I went in, obviously. Mr. B dug his claws in as I pushed open one of the glass doors, stepping into a shadowy entrance hall where the only dim light came from slanted sunbeams behind me.
The foyer was empty, thank God. My footsteps echoed around the hall, which I guess was a good sign, since I was looking for echo, after all. Mr. B chirped again as I continued forward past an abandoned concession stand to the next set of doors, these ones wooden. Remarkably, most of them were still standing and unharmed; I only saw two that had been shredded to splinters and were hanging off their hinges. Maybe that meant monsters hadn’t been here much. A guy can hope.
Still holding my knife in front of me in my left hand, I reached out and pushed one of the intact doors open with my right. It swung easily, revealing a cavern of darkness. I cursed and pulled out my flashlight. I’d been hoping I could avoid drawing attention to myself with a light, but the hall was basically a black hole – and complete darkness was way more dangerous than showing my position but being able to see. If there were monsters here, they’d probably hear me regardless, to be honest.
I switched on the light and saw a carpeted aisle gently sloping down ahead of me. Rows of seats lined it on either side; the seats may have once been plushy and well-kept, but now they were coated in dust. Cautiously, I started down the aisle, feeling Mr. Bailey’s tail flick nervously against my neck. I didn’t blame him. I was nervous too.
Once I was close to the front, I could see more of the stage. It was impressive, if you’re into that sort of thing. Before all this, I would have said I’d be the last person to be caught dead in a concert hall, but here we were, and I wasn’t dead (yet). And honestly, I could kind of see the appeal. The stage was dusty like the seats, but still managed to portray a sense of majesty. The curtains hanging off to the sides were a deep purple with gold trim. It must have been nice, back before all hell broke loose.
I hadn’t seen anything helpful yet, so I figured I’d get up on stage. At the very least, I’d be able to shine my flashlight into the different sections of seats and maybe up into the balcony. See anything there was to see, you know. The carpeted aisle had muffled my footsteps, but as soon as I pulled myself up onto the stage (who has time to look for stairs?) that was all over. Every step was magnified tenfold, echoing around the entire hall. I’m sure you could hear my steps, even in the dust, up in the farthest seat in the balcony. Well, if this place was the correct answer for echo, it was certainly well-deserved.
This is where it all goes to hell. Strap in, motherfuckers.
I made my way front and center on the stage, and just as I began to shine my flashlight into the audience, I was blinded; a gigantic spotlight turned on, aimed directly at me. It was so sudden and so bright that I cursed and dropped the flashlight, using that hand to cover my eyes instead. Blindly, I stumbled back to escape its glare; it followed. My heart was racing a mile a minute, both because of the shock and because I’d realized that if the spotlight was following me, someone was controlling it.
Thankfully, it only took a minute for my eyes to adjust, but if you’ve ever been in a spotlight, you probably already know what I discovered then: with the light on you, and with the audience dark, it’s fucking impossible to make out anything in detail beyond the stage. This was alarming, since I now could see even less than I’d been able to with the meager flashlight, especially with my eyes adjusted to the damn spotlight and not to the darkness.
I considered calling out, but I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that calling “Hello?” is, at best, useless, and at worst, fatal. So I stood there, silent except for Mr. B’s swishing tail, waiting for something to happen.
I didn’t have to wait long. Suddenly another spotlight turned on, only this one was aimed up to the balcony. And in the circle of light was none other than the girl I’d been pursuing. My heart skipped a beat for a different reason, and for the first time, I started to feel a little more confident that this was the right decision, and that it was safe.
Big mistake.
“You figured out my riddle,” she called from the balcony. She was too far for me to make out many details, but by squinting I could see that she had brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, and that she was wearing glasses.
“I appreciate the challenge, but was it really necessary? I’ve got other things to think about besides difficult riddles. Like, you know, surviving,” I yelled back.
“You thought it was difficult?” came her response. I could practically hear the smugness in her voice.
Well, I wasn’t giving in that easily. “No, I just wanted to make you feel good about yourself,” I called. Mr. B growled on my shoulder, and out of the corner of my eye, I could swear I saw something move. But I, stupidly, ignored both these things.
“Oh, right, obviously,” she answered. There was a pause, and then she added, “I’m so glad you made it here!”
Before I could reply, all of the house lights simultaneously turned on. And, well, it wasn’t pretty. I shit you not, the audience was full of monsters. All those dusty seats that had been empty on my walk up here weren’t empty anymore. Not even close. Where the hell had they all come from? Had they been hidden somehow before? Had she hidden them somehow?
Thankfully, even as my heart panicked, my body and brain more or less knew what to do. A quick scan revealed no Ashleys (there was no food here, so not surprising) and no MJs (also not surprising, since they’re really one-on-one type fellas). Didn’t really see Dylans either, which made sense – they don’t generally come inside, and it wasn’t night outside, so they were probably hibernating in their caves or something. To be safe, though, I reached in my pocket and turned on my voice recorder, allowing “blueberry” to echo repeatedly through the hall. It looked mostly like Calebs and Brents; at least they’re dumb, but I’d still need a hell of a lot of brute force to make it out of this. I’d never faced this many of either at once before, and they were all staring. Right. At. Me.
Keeping my knife pointed towards the crowd, I yelled over my recording up to the girl. “This was a trap!” I called, and even I could hear the anger clear in my voice. “What are you? Are you even human? Whatever you are, you’re a bitch.”
I glanced only briefly up at her, maintaining my gaze on the monster horde so I wouldn’t miss a move they made. So far, they hadn’t moved, which made me fear that they were waiting on a signal from – her, maybe? She must have set me up. A long con to betray and kill me, if you will. Was she a new kind of monster I hadn’t met before? Was she their leader?
“I am human, I swear!” she called back, sounding almost like was about to cry. “I swear I didn’t –”
And that’s all she got out before all of the lights went out. Yes, all of them: both the spotlights and the house lights. We were plunged into complete darkness, except for the single weak beam from my flashlight, which illuminated flashes of fur and skin and claws as the monsters simultaneously raced towards me.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK,” I screeched, tripping over my own feet as I hurried backwards. Fumbling in the dark, I reached into my pockets and managed to find my lighter and one of the cocktails. Unfortunately, I only have two hands, so I had to hold the knife between my legs as I rapidly tried to ignite the cocktail without seeing it. The lighter flicked on, and by the glow of the flame, I could see both the rag (good) and the monsters, who were almost at the stage (bad). Frantically, I managed to set the rag on fire, and as soon as it caught, I flung it into the horde. Then I ran.
From behind me, I heard the explosion and the screeches of monsters – mostly Brents, probably – as it killed at least a few of them. Not that was as helpful as I wanted it to be.
I was holding the knife again now, the lighter in my other hand, but I didn’t have enough of a lead to stop and ignite the other Molotov cocktail, or to try my hand at lasers. For now, I just had to run. The lighter provided just enough visibility to not trip and kill myself as I raced backstage, shrieks and growls getting closer and closer behind me. Mr. B was on my shoulder, facing backwards and hissing, and while I appreciated his efforts, I’m pretty sure they were doing very little to deter our pursuers.
I guess there’s some mercy left in the world, because I came across a ladder. I was running out of backstage space as monsters swarmed closer from all sides (I couldn’t see them, but I could hear them), so without a second thought I climbed it as fast as I could. Thankfully, it led to – I believe it’s called a catwalk, I looked up it afterwards. You know, like a suspended platform above the stage where all the lights hang from. I ended up standing on that.
Apparently, Calebs and Brents weren’t used to ladders, because I had a blessed few seconds up there alone. I used them to ignite the second cocktail and throw it into the monster horde; seconds later, I could see the explosion as it tore apart several Brents. Nice. At least if I went down – and it sure seemed likely I would – I’d go down swinging.
I would have tried lasers, but I couldn’t see the Calebs’ eyeholes, and besides, there were way too many of them. And, as they figured out the ladder and eagerly began to climb up it, there was nowhere else to go. It was too high to jump safely, and even if I tried, I could hear the Calebs and Brents down below, waiting for me if I chose that option.
No way out. I cursed myself for being such an idiot and ignoring Rule #5 – because suddenly Rule #5 was very clear in my head – and said to Mr. B, “I love you, bud. Let’s go out fighting, huh?” He meowed in response.
So I fought. Armed with my knife, a pistol, and a cat, I fought. I held off the first few with only a few scratches and swipes, but then I ran out of bullets, and more of them had made it to the catwalk. I got bitten several times; claws were raked down my back, across my face, across my chest. I honestly don’t remember the details, but I know it was rough, based on the injuries afterwards.
I could hear shrieks and explosions below at that point, as if someone was fighting the monsters down on the stage too, but I didn’t have time to look. And soon it was too late; the monsters had overwhelmed me, I was spitting blood and barely conscious, and I’d run out of catwalk. As I swung the knife one last feeble time, a Caleb lunged at me, and I slipped backwards in a pool of my own blood, falling, falling, falling down to the stage, where I remember my head hitting the wood with a heavy thud (and yes it echoed) before I was completely unconscious.
(Man, fuck that Caleb. I mean, fuck all Calebs, but fuck that one in particular. That one that made me fall off the catwalk might actually be worse than original Caleb....on second thought, nah. He’s still the worst. Fuck Caleb the most.)
I really don’t know exactly what happened for the week after that. I remember flashes of someone carrying me down the street, but not a person; someone big, because I was far off the ground. Like Hagrid carrying Harry.
Then I was home, in and out of consciousness for days, in a haze and in a lot of pain. Most of my body was wrapped in bandages by someone. I think I was fed, too, because I remember soup. It’s all a weird blur of reality and dreams and agony. I’m still getting headaches and dizzy spells; I assume it was a concussion. Pretty serious blood loss, too, and a broken arm. Honestly, I’m probably lucky it wasn’t worse, all things considered.
But here’s the kicker: I wouldn’t be alive if the mystery person hadn’t gotten me out of there and into my home, if they hadn’t watched over me and cared for me and bandaged my wounds and even put my arm in a shitty makeshift sling. I would definitely have died on that stage, either from bleeding out or from becoming monster food. And I’m pretty sure the mystery person is, in fact, the girl I thought lured me into a fatal trap.
Why? Because when I finally woke up for good, I found a note left on the table. Once my head stopped swimming, I read it.
I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen; it wasn’t a trap. I realize it looks like that, and I don’t know how to show you otherwise. But I did what I could, and you should be okay now, though I can’t do anything about the scars. Best of luck to you and the cat.
P.S. If you ever decide to give me another chance, no riddles this time. You can find me in the bookstore on Sycamore Street.
P.P.S. My name is Zoe.
So, before you ask, no, I don’t know what to believe. It sure seems like she led me to a trap to kill me, but then why did she make sure I didn’t die? Is this all a multi-level trick? Or did she get ambushed by the monsters as much as I did? I just don’t know, and all the thinking in circles I’ve done about it has only made my head hurt worse.
I have no idea yet if I’m gonna go to that bookstore. It took me this long to even want to write about my first failed venture. And then things went to shit all over again at Christmas. At least I know her name, I guess. Though was it worth it? Who the fuck knows.
Anyway, I’m alive. And I sure as shit won’t be ignoring Rule #5 anymore. It seemed too good to be true, and whether it was intentional on her part or not, it was. Too good to be true, that is. So I think I’m retired from chasing her, at least for now. At least until my fucking arm can move again and words don’t swim on the page after writing for an hour. I do have long scars on my back and across my face that likely won’t ever go away.
But hey, I’m alive. And so is Mr. B. (I know he’s who you’re really worried about). I don’t think he fell with me; he probably snuck out between the monsters’ legs or something. But he was here purring on my lap when I woke up, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So cheers to me surviving despite my idiocy, and cheers to Mr. Bailey. I changed my mind about concert halls, though. You know how I said I could see the appeal? Yeah, fuck that. I’m never going back in one of those godforsaken places again .

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Table of Contents
Chapter 21 l Chapter 22 l Chapter 23 l Chapter 24 l Chapter 25 l Chapter 26

Nite - 2 Months Ago
Rezzolina landed outside of her condo’s balcony, looking in to see Serren busying himself in the kitchen.
Serren was cleaning some spoons and mixing bowls, apparently having just put something into the oven. A few pots sat on the stove simmering with various broths and vegetables that Serren had been cooking.
Rezzolina took a deep breath, smelling the food. Her stomach was in knots, her mind racing with the tragic news she would have to explain to her little brother, Serren. She tried to prepare herself as she entered the apartment.
Serren turned to Rezzolina, “Oh, Rezza! Did you find o-out…?” Serren trailed off as Rezzolina stood by the glass doors of the balcony.
Rezzolina looked to Serren, trying to hide her emotions but unable to do so. She approached Serren slowly, “Oh, Serren. I did find out what you wanted to know about Yuki. But you’re not going to like what I have discovered.”
“Oh… no… Yuki!” Serren gasped, his hand moving to his snout as tears welled up in his eyes. “No! Please, this can’t be!”
Rezzolina stopped in front of Serren, holding his hands in hers, “We got confirmation from the Dei Angel’s that something happened that forced Shuttle Goodwill to launch early. They confirmed that the angel on board…” Rezzolina took a deep inhale through her nostrils.
Serren shook his head, “No, Rezza, No!”
“...did not survive,” Rezzolina said, her voice shaking as Serren fell forward, clutching Rezzolina tightly and he buried his snout into her shoulder. “Oh, Serren…” Rezzolina sighed as she held him tightly, tears leaking from her eyes as Serren’s love and loss over Yuki crashed into her.
Serren pushed away initially, "No, she's not dead! She can't be! I felt that she was in trouble, not her death!"
Rezzolina moved to hug Serren again, "I'm sorry Serren, but it's true. I know you can feel me, can't you?"
Serren’s sobbing grew as Rezzolina held him tightly.
Rezzolina heaved a sigh, tears leaking from her own eyes, “Serren, I promise you, I will stay by your side this time. Alright? We’ll get through this together.”
“Why?” Serren sobbed, “Why do they always die on me?”
“Oh, Serren,” Rezzolina ran her hand down Serren’s neck as the pair sank to the floor slowly. “I think the women you choose are too adventurous for their own good.”
“I love her, Rezza,” Serren cried, looking up to her, “I love her so much.”
Rezzolina dried his eyes and tried her best to force a smile, “I know she loved you,” Rezzolina turned from him, “but I wish she didn’t leave to go to Dei.”
Serren sniffled, “She had to go. She had no choice.”
Rezzolina turned to Serren, giving him an incredulous look.
“You didn’t feel the love she had for her child,” Serren defended, “the love she has for her child. I wanted it, Rezza! I want a son so badly… I wanted a child with Allia as well. But now? Now I've lost my chance at having any children!” Serren sobbed.
Rezzolina hugged Serren tightly, rocking him back and forth, “Serren, I feel your desire, but… a child doesn’t make or break your life.”
“It would make mine!” Serren protested, “I know you have given up on having a child, but I haven’t!” Serren got to his feet, turning from Rezzolina.
“Serren,” Rezzolina was about to argue, but backed off, feeling Serren’s pain, “I’m trying to help. Don’t push me away, okay? Even if you try…” Rezzolina forced a smile, “I’m not going anywhere."
Serren turned to Rezzolina, tears still streaming from his eyes, “...you promise?”
Rezzolina opened up her arms, “I’m here for you like I should have been before.”
Serren rushed to Rezzolina and hugged her tightly.
Rezzolina hugged him back and heaved a heavy sigh, looking up to the ceiling, “If you can see us now, Yuki, I hope you’re happy with the decisions you’ve made.”
…
Dei
Cleo took a deep breath, inhaling the scene of her lover, who held her close in his arms. She relaxed in his arms, nuzzling her face against his shoulder as she felt his wings pull her tightly.
The pair were naked, following a night of passion the likes of which Cleo had never truly felt before.
“Good morning,” Lucifer whispered to her.
“Good morning,” Cleo responded sweetly, relaxing in his arms. “You’re still here?”
Lucifer chuckled, “Yes, I wasn’t going to leave before you woke up.”
Cleo looked up to his face, “So, you are going to leave?”
Lucifer smiled, “In a way, I cannot remain in this body for long. But I will leave Kaelen in your care,” his hand moved to her cheek, “So that I can come back to you again.”
Cleo nuzzled her cheek against Lucifer’s hand and she shivered pleasurably, “About what I said, or at least, how I said it. I’m sorry-”
“No, you’re not,” Lucifer laughed, “And that’s fine. I hope I have managed to make it up to you.”
Cleo rolled her eyes, kissing his cheek, “You’re on the right path… but you’ve got your work cut out for you,” Cleo smiled mischievously, “I’m very demanding.”
Lucifer smiled, kissing her softly, “I’m well aware.”
“So, breakfast or…?” Cleo asked.
Lucifer frowned, “I’m afraid I’ve lasted as long as I can for now. I’ll return another time.” With that, Lucifer laid his head down, “I do love you, Persephone.”
Cleo frowned as Lucifer closed his eyes, and seemingly went to sleep, “...Lucifer?” she gave him a shove.
His form shifted, but he did not wake. Lucifer had left Kealen’s body behind, resting fitfully in Cleo’s bed.
Cleo smiled softly, “Okay when you get back then, you’re all mine.” She got to her feet and padded her way to her phone, picking it up quickly, “Maybe Mr. Trueman will let me take care of Kaelen,” she said to herself as she placed a call.
It rang a few times before Malik answered the line, which was unusual, “Trueman Manor, whom may I ask is calling?”
“Malik? It’s Cleo. Hello,” Cleo said pleasantly.
Malik’s voice hitched, “O-Oh! Ms. Walters how… I'm so glad that you called!"
“Is Reginald there?” Cleo asked.
“Mr. Trueman? O-Oh…” Malik hesitated.
“Is everything okay, Malik?” Cleo asked, her concern growing as she spoke.
Malik was silent for another few moments before he confessed, “Mr. Trueman, sadly, passed away late last night.”
Cleo gasped, “Oh my Guardian!” Cleo felt her cheeks redden as she realized who the Guardian was and that she was literally, just in His arms. Furthermore, Kaelen was now with her as well. “Malik… where’s Kaelen?” Cleo asked.
This question caused more sputtering from Malik, “Y-Young M-Master Kaelen? W-why in his room, of course,” Malik lied.
Cleo turned to her bedroom, looking to Kaelen’s sleeping form, “Is he now? Because, Malik, last night Kaelen came to me.”
“W-What?!” Malik gasped.
“Kaelen’s in my bed, as we speak,” Cleo stated.
Malik hesitated once more, “I… I don’t know how to explain it, Ms. Walters, but I think that Kaelen was not Kaelen when you saw him last night.”
“I know who He was, Malik,” Cleo sighed, “Malik, can you bring his life support equipment to me? I’ll take over his care, in the meantime.”
Malik cleared his throat, “I’m… afraid that Young Master Kaelen’s estate, and his power of attorney, was gifted to his current caregiver.”
“Isn’t that you?” Cleo asked.
“No… someone else,” Malik confessed.
“Who?” Cleo asked sternly.
…
Inside Mimi’s club, recently renamed 'Heaven', she smiled softly as she laughed with multiple high profile angels in the exclusive VIP lounge.
Mimi was just finishing introducing Jasmine to a rather well dressed young man who was grinning at Jasmine lecherously when Cleo walked straight to the VIP area.
Cleo stood there for a moment or two before clearing her throat softly to gain Mimi's attention, "Hello, how are you today, Mimi?"
Mimi turned to Cleo with a bemused grin, “Jasmine, do what you do best and make sure Mr. Smith has everything he needs,” Mimi placed her elbow on the table inhaling from her obsidian cigarette holder, “I have some matters to attend to," she said as she blew smoke in Cleo's direction.
Mimi stood up and walked past Cleo, "Follow me," Mimi said as she pointed ahead of her. Cleo followed behind as she walked into a back-office slowly.
Once the door closed, Cleo glared at Mimi, “So when were you going to tell me you had your hooks in Mr. Trueman’s estate?”
Mimi grinned, sitting behind her very clean oak desk, “Oh? Who said it had anything to do with you, Persephone.”
“I do, right now,” Cleo demanded tapping her fingers on Mimi's desk, “You kept this from me!”
Mimi’s grin didn’t diminish, “Is there a problem with having more than one option? Also, my plans with Trueman and his little tomato were in play long before you came to me with your offer of getting into The Scale. I did not work as hard as I did, as long as I did, to place my bets on a single horse,” she removed her cigarette from her cigarette holder, slowly unscrewing a cap at the end. “Granted, you were the best option. I do rather enjoy being the central ‘Head’ of Cerberus.”
“But you also have your name as Kaelen Trueman’s caregiver. Giving you control over the Trueman estate,” Cleo accused, hiding the fact that she knew Mr. Trueman had died.
Mimi tapped the cigarette holder onto her desk, a light blue powder slipping out from around the edges, “It’s true. I was not hiding that from you maliciously, my dear. Should your plan have failed, Trueman was my next ticket up,” Mimi explained as she took a business card and tapped the powder into a pair of lines, “Oh, I’m being rude… would you like some?” Mimi said as she rolled up a Ł100 Lumen bill, offering it to Cleo. Mimi did this as she removed the mouthpiece from her cigarette holder.
“No,” Cleo snapped.
“More for me,” Mimi grinned, shrugged, and quickly snorted the powder up through her cigarette holder. She inhaled deeply, and shivered, “Mmmm,” Mimi moaned and shivered as she replaced the cap on her cigarette holder. “That’s better,” Mimi stated more energy in her voice.
“What are your plans with Kaelen?” Cleo asked.
“The tomato?” Mimi scoffed, “Well, I'll likely place him in some hospice, he won’t be my problem anymore.”
“I want him,” Cleo stated.
“Pardon?” Mimi asked, lifting her eyebrow. “I know I just sniffed a little Diamond Emotion, but it sounded like you wanted Kaelen.”
“I do,” Cleo said simply.
“Why?” Mimi asked curiously, frowning, “I worked too hard to get Trueman’s trust and be the vegetable's caregiver. What do you get out of the little vegetable? Do you know what I have had to do for that old fart?” Mimi said, frowning, “That is my money when the old bat kicks the bucket, I earned it, Cleo. I worked hard for it!”
“I don’t want the money,” Cleo said calmly, “I just want Kealen.”
Mimi got to her feet, sniffing a few times as she approached Cleo, “I feel like you’re hiding something from me. Why do you want him and none of the estate?”
Cleo locked eyes with Mimi, “I want him. That’s all I’m going to tell you. The rest is none of your business. Just know he will be very well taken care of,” Cleo said simply.
Mimi hummed to herself for a moment, “Fine, fine, fine,” Mimi shrugged, “If you want Kaelen the Vegetable, then so be it. I couldn't care less.”
“And a portion of the estate you get goes to Kaelen’s continued care,” Cleo bartered.
“Sure,” Mimi said, “That won’t cost much in the grand scheme of things.”
“Good, I’ll send the paperwork over to you,” Cleo said as she turned on her heel, “Oh, by the way, Reginald is dead.”
…
Deepsight
Yuki limped along inside the massive ship of Deepsight, marveling at the new features and fresh signs of ongoing construction, “This is a ship?! It looks like a space station.”
Captain Jessie grinned, “It’s both, actually!” He boasted as medical staff assisted the crew of Shuttle Goodwill, and Thomas, out of the shuttle.
Yuki noticed that, while not what she was used to on Nite or Dei, there was actually gravity here, though it was substantially weaker. “I… can’t help but notice I’m not floating all over the place.”
Captain Jessie nodded, “The ship is built as a spiral inside, basically the deeper in you go, the less gravity. Outside decks are standard G-Forces, while on the central decks it’s a bit weaker.”
“And the whole ship spins at the same rate,” Yuki said with a grin, “That’s amazing!”
Briggett looked around, “It is amazing, but I thought that Deepsight wasn’t in travel condition?”
“For the primary mission? No, not yet,” Captain Jessie laughed, “It’ll be decades before the ship has proper hibernation chambers, self-sufficient hydroponic gardens, and the capability to produce livestock,” Captain Jessie chuckled, “we aren’t going to be getting Longvertis up here anytime soon… so there are many challenges before we can leave our solar system.”
Yuki sighed, “I wonder if I’d still be alive when the shuttle left.”
Tarrabetha turned to Captain Jessie, “Captain Jessie, sir?”
“Yes?” Captain Jessie smiled wide at Tarrabetha.
“The goal of Deepsight is to seek out new planets and colonize them, right?” Tarrabetha asked.
Captain Jessie nodded, “Correct, we’d have a crew that would rotate in and out of active duty every ten years or so relieving the other crew and allowing them to go back into hibernation.”
“Are you looking for a Navigator?” Tarrabetha asked.
Briggett frowned, “Tarra?”
Thomas looked to Captain Jessie, “Or a communications expert?”
Captain Jessie laughed, “Certainly!”
Issla frowned, “Tarra, why would you want to leave us?”
Tarrabetha frowned, “I… I killed someone on the shuttle,” she gave everyone a mournful look. “While all of you were pleased enough to help me feel better about it… I can’t get it out of my mind. How can I go home after doing such a terrible thing?”
Thomas frowned, “Tara-”
“Tom,” Tarrabetha shook her head, “You don’t have to come with me.”
“You kidding?” Thomas laughed, “Tara I left my home for you, you think I wouldn’t follow you when you did the same?”
Tarrabetha smiled and hugged Thomas, “Oh, Tom!”
Yuki smiled at the pair, heaving a heavy sigh, “I guess we should get ourselves back into shape… how far are we from Nite?”
“We’re making an about-face now,” Captain Jessie explained, “So we’ll be back within the orbit of Nite’s moon within four months, then you can head back to the surface of Nite, which should take a week or so.”
Yuki grinned, “Then I’ll be home to see my Serren.”
Captain Jessie gave an odd look to Yuki, “So, I do have to ask, what are you, exactly?”
“I’m sorry?” Yuki asked.
“You’ve got Niten wings and horns,” he said, motioning to her head, “But your scales look… odd.”
Yuki sighed, “I’m a Dei angel, I’m just…” Yuki rubbed her stomach, “I guess altered.”
Captain Jessie gave her an odd look but shrugged, “Well, I’ll tell the Niten Command Center about your good fortune.” He turned to the medical staff helping the crew of the Shuttle, “Let's get them moved into lower decks and we’ll slowly move them up to the outer decks to get them back in shape.”
Yuki sighed, “More physical therapy,” she lamented, “Yay,” Yuki said with a sarcastic tone.
...
Dei
Cleo looked over the tubes and medical equipment that was linked up to Kaelen as Malik finished plugging everything in. “All set?”
Malik smiled, “Yes, Master Kaelen is comfortable and should be fine too, well awaken, again”
Cleo smiled, “Good.”
Ipswella’s voice called back from the kitchen, “Dinner is served!”
Cleo and Malik left the bedroom, and Ipswella smiled wide at the pair.
“Smells great, Ipswella,” Cleo complimented as she made her way to the table.
“I suppose I should take my leave,” Malik sighed.
Cleo frowned, “Malik, where do you plan to go?”
“Oh, well,” Malik sighed, “I have a decent reference from Mr. Trueman and I’m sure from you as well, Ms. Cleo. I’ll find myself in strong employment once again.”
Ipswella looked hopefully to Cleo.
Cleo smiled, “Malik, you know neither Ipswella nor I have the expertise to care for Master Kaelen, and to be honest the only other one who did is… well let's just say she’s no longer interested.”
Ipswella clapped happily, “I agree Ms. Cleopatra!”
“Are you certain?” Malik said, excitement in his eyes.
“I’m certain, yes,” Cleo smiled, “Besides I’ll be very busy with business going forward, and as such, I’ll need someone here to make sure Kaelen’s needs are met.”
Malik beamed to Cleo, “Then I shall do my best, Ms. Walters.”
“Cleo is perfectly-” Cleo was cut off by her phone, “And there it is…”
“Scale issues, Ms. Cleo?” Malik asked.
Cleo turned to Malik, her eyebrow raised as Malik showed a bronze pin on his lapel. “A thousand feathers,” Cleo said simply.
“For a single Scale,” Malik bowed.
Ipswella was confused as she watched the pair exchange the code phrase.
“I’ll have to ask you to initiate Ipswella,” Cleo said as she looked at her phone, “I need to take this.”
Malik and Ipswella each bowed as Cleo left the room.
“Persephone,” Cleo said pleasantly on the phone.
“So you’re going by that full time now, Cleo?” Sorjoy asked.
“Do you not go by ‘Sorjoy’?” Cleo asked.
“Fair enough,” Sorjoy caved as he continued, “Come upstairs: the Nite have made contact with the Shuttle and they are furious.”
Cleo sighed, “I’ll be right there.”
With that, Cleo ended the call and made her way to the specialized elevator leading to the top floor of the building. Within moments she was at Sorjoy’s office, heading into the main office.
Cleo passed a blue female angel sitting at her desk, much to her shock.
The blue angel shot to her feet and bowed low, “Good evening!”
“What’s going on?” Cleo asked as she walked into Sorjoy’s office, not returning the greeting to the young woman.
Sorjoy moved to the office door and promptly shut it, “I felt that you being my assistant any longer was an insult to both you and the Scale, as such I plan on making you our new COO.”
Cleo turned to Sorjoy, shocked, “You’re what?!”
“I’m sure you can handle it,” Sorjoy smiled, “Besides, it allows me to take a seat on the board and properly run the day to day operations of the Scale, as you requested.”
Cleo shot Sorjoy an agitated look, “I do not like surprises, and while I appreciate this, talk to me first next time,” She snapped.
Sorjoy laughed off her anger as they approached the red phone.
Sorjoy unmuted it and cleared his throat, “This is Sorjoy and Persephone, from Dei.”
Gallor’s voice followed four soft taps on his end, “Gallor and Rezzolina, from Nite. Good Evening.”
“And Good morning,” Sorjoy responded.
Rezzolina’s voice clipped in quickly, “This call isn’t to exchange pleasantries,” Rezzolina hissed.
Cleo sighed, “I understand, I assume I’m speaking to Rezzolina?”
“Yes and you’re Persephone,” Rezzolina stated, “I want to thank you for working quickly with us to ensure we had everything we needed to recover Shuttle Goodwill. Currently, Deepsight has confirmed with us that they have the crew of Shuttle Goodwill and one Dei Angel by the name of Thomas.”
Sorjoy and Cleo both gave each other confused looks.
Cleo spoke first, “Was there a man by the name of Azrael Palma onboard?”
Now there was silence on the other end.
Cleo turned to Sorjoy, “Is there a delay?”
“Not at the moment,” Sorjoy confirmed, “It’s an optimal time for a call, likely why they made it.”
Four taps were heard, “The… uh… Angel you’re referring to, was he a… uh… did he have… a… position of authority of some sort?”
“He was the Commissioner of the Police here in Seraph City,” Sorjoy explained.
There were four taps, followed by another four taps and exasperated breathing.
“Settle down, Gallor!” Rezzolina could be heard in the background, “Get a drink, I’ll handle this.”
“I-I’m sorry, Erik,” Gallor said as he could be heard wandering off.
Cleo frowned, “What happened to him?”
Rezzolina’s voice soon came over the phone, “The other Dei angel onboard, apparently was killed. I would arrange for his remains to be sent back but… well…”
Cleo’s frown had vanished and was now replaced with an odd, almost maddened look of joy.
Sorjoy took over, “Well, what?”
“The crew members were forced to eat him, to survive,” Rezzolina reluctantly.
Cleo reached out to the phone and muted it before she burst into hysterical laughter.
“Cleo?” Sorjoy said, looking to her concerned.
Cleo’s laughing was soon followed by tears which flowed freely. She placed a hand on the desk and another over her eyes, tears continuing to stream down her face as her laughter continued.
“Cleo you’re… scaring me,” Sorjoy confessed.
Cleo turned to Sorjoy, her hand removed from her eyes, “He’s dead! And they ate him!” She slipped down to a crouch by Sorjoy’s desk, shifting between overjoyed laughter and a strange sort of relief mixed with guilt as she realized her abuser of many years was gone.
Sorjoy was unsure of what to do in this situation, but crouched down with her, “I’m not a fan of him either but… why are you… laughing and crying?”
Cleo looked up to Sorjoy, “You wouldn’t understand,” she managed before she dried her eyes, “I… I can’t explain it. He’s gone. Finally gone.”
Sorjoy lifted an eyebrow at Cleo’s manic response to this news.
“Persephone? Sorjoy? Did the connection drop?” Rezzolina asked.
Cleo got to her feet and steeled herself quickly, “What about Thomas and Yuki?”
“Well, Thomas is healthy, for the most part,” Rezzolina heaved a sigh, “But Yuki… wait…”
“Something wrong?” Cleo asked.
“Hold on… If the dead angel was the Commissioner that was eaten… Thomas is the stowaway Angel…” Rezzolina was clearly working something out in her head.
“Yuki is not here, Rezzolina, she would have to be on board the shuttle,” Cleo confirmed.
“I need to make a few calls,” Rezzolina said, “I’m sorry for the loss of your Police Commissioner!”
“We’re sorry that this event happened,” Cleo said before the line cut off.
Sorjoy looked to Cleo, confused, “What was all of that about?”
“Something tells me there have been some communication issues,” Cleo thought out loud. She dried her eyes, “I don’t know what came over me before, by the way, sorry for the theatrics there.”
“Palma did terrible things to you, Cleo,” Sorjoy said, “I’m pretty sure that was a logical reaction.”
“Not for me,” Cleo sighed, “By the way, we need to discuss this COO position,” she glared at Sorjoy.
Sorjoy smiled at Cleo, “I suppose we do, don’t we?”
…
Deepsight
After a month onboard Deepsight, Yuki and the rest of the crew had begun to settle in.
Yuki was more than fascinated with the inner workings of the massive ship.
She found herself constantly asking Captain Jessie multiple questions, almost to the point of driving the Captain up the wall, but his patience was legendary.
“The ship has a Magnetosphere?!” Yuki said, enamored by the concept.
Captain Jessie laughed heartily, “Two, actually, a bow and aft, to simulate the north and south poles of NIte.”
“That’s how you protect from interstellar radiation? No heavy shielding?” Yuki asked.
“No,” Captain Jessie gave another laugh.
“Can I…” Yuki took a deep breath, “Can I see how it’s generated?”
Captain Jessie gave Yuki a confused look, but continued to smile, “I suppose a little look couldn’t hurt.”
Yuki clapped her hands together excitedly, “Oh, thank you, Captain!”
Captain Jessie chuckled as he led Yuki down a hallway. As they moved through the rounded walls, Yuki could feel the floor’s curvature increase and the gravity decrease as they traveled along.
“The magnetosphere generator is towards the center of the ship,” Captain Jessie pointed out and they soon reached a point where they were floating, “I’m sure that makes moving around easier for you.”
Yuki gave him a nod, “Yes, it does,” Yuki sighed, “Physical therapy is a pain in the ass… more so when you’re pregnant.”
Captain Jessie gave a nod to Yuki as he glanced at her belly bump, “I do have to say, for an egg it seems a long time to carry it.”
Yuki sighed, “I don’t lay eggs, Dei give birth.”
“I keep forgetting you’re a Dei Angel, sorry,” Captain Jessie chuckled, “It's probably the horns and the tail.”
Yuki sighed. On top of her other strange additions, she had sprouted a stubby tail. Nothing as large as any of her Niten Dragon companions, but still a tail about slightly longer than half a meter now swung back and forth behind her, blue, like the rest of her Niten features.
Yuki had also discovered that her fingernails had grown black and hardened. The tips had even begun to grow sharper over the past couple of weeks.
“Am I going to turn into a complete Nite…? Will these changes stop?” Yuki thought, her tail swishing back and forth excitedly, “Do I want them to?”
Yuki did note that her face had not transformed into a muzzle nor had she grown sharp teeth or gotten taller. Her feet were still, well, feet, rather than the large claws the Niten Dragons sported.
The horns were a new challenge, of course. Yuki found she had to mind doorways more often and there was that one time she nearly closed a hatch on her tail.
Finally, Yuki and Captain Jessie arrived at the Magnetosphere Generator.
Yuki’s eyes widened as she looked at what was basically a giant gimbal rotating around a large sphere.
“That’s an electromagnet in the center, so we can turn it off or turn it up if we’re encountering heavy solar radiation,” Captain Jessie spoke loudly over the steady hum of the large machine. Large rings spun around a central sphere slowly, and as one passed another seemed on its way to pass again.
Yuki looked to her clothing, noticing that nothing was being drawn towards the magnet, “Is it not on?”
Captain Jessie chuckled, “It is,” he beamed to Yuki, “A Magnetosphere doesn’t need to have a strong magnetic pull, it just needs to generate a large field. This isn’t going to suck the metal off your body,” he laughed reassuringly, “Though this close some radio waves do get distorted.”
“That’s just-UGH!” Yuki gasped, her legs clenching together as she felt a gush of fluid slip from between her legs, “Oh… Oh, Guardian!”
“What is it?” Captain Jessie asked, concerned as he felt Yuki’s panic.
“I-I think, my water broke!” Yuki shrieked.
“Your what broke?” Captain Jessie asked, clearly confused.
“I-I need to get to the medical bay! M-My baby is coming and it's way too early!” Yuki shouted.
Captain Jessie grabbed Yuki’s hand and led her out of the inner spiral of the ship. The pair began to slow down as the gravity increased.
Yuki was staggering along as a contraction hit and sent her to her knees.
Captain Jessie didn’t hesitate, quickly scooping Yuki up and rushing her towards the medical bay, “No need to worry, you and the baby will be just fine,” Jessie tried to comfort her as he rushed through the hallways, “Out of the way!” he shouted.
Yuki held on tight as Captain Jessie ferried her through the brightly lit steel corridors and eventually to the medical bay.
“Her baby is coming!” Captain Jessie shouted.
“Early!” Yuki added, sweat drenching her face.
A male doctor and a female nurse rushed over to Yuki and brought her to a medical bed.
The male doctor, a yellow scaled Niten Dragon with orange eyes put a large paper mask over his mouth while the nurse, a grey-skinned Niten Dragon with light green eyes, rushed to pull out a medical journal of some kind.
Yuki was breathing hard as the doctor looked her over.
“Her pulse is elevated,” the doctor looked to her face, “Did you hurt yourself?”
Yuki glared at him, “I’m pushing out a kid!” she snapped.
The grey nurse soon rushed over, “Dei Angels give birth, they don’t lay eggs,” the nurse winced, “It’s apparently a very painful process.”
The doctor turned to Yuki, “I guess we’ll see what’s going on down there,” he said as he cut off the lower half of her flight suit, and spread Yuki’s legs a bit further apart.
Once off, the doctor looked down to see that there was a small head pushing against Yuki’s vaginal passage.
The doctor promptly fainted.
“Doctor Tress?!” the nurse shouted as she rushed over and checked at what the doctor had seen. She sighed, “Men.”
Yuki gritted her teeth, “Something really doesn’t feel right!”
The nurse frowned, “Okay, I… I think I see why,” she slipped on a pair of gloves, “...I’m very sorry miss, but I’m going to have to manipulate the baby.”
Captain Jessie leaned over, trying to see if he could spot what was happening out of curiosity.
Both Yuki and the Nurse glared at him.
Yuki screamed, “This isn’t a show!”
Captain Jessie backed away quickly.
The nurse reached between Yuki’s legs, and soon she furrowed her brow in concentration.
Yuki winced as another contraction hit her.
The nurse flinched, “Ma’am, you need to hold back on that, if at all possible!”
Yuki grunted in pain, “It’s the only way the baby is going to come out!”
The nurse grunted, “Ma’am, your body is designed for a child with a round head… the child’s snout is catching on your vaginal wall. I have to gently tilt its head up so that the baby can exit snout first,” she argued, “I can’t do that if you’re pushing him against the vaginal walls!”
Yuki growled in pain, “J-Just hurry up…” Yuki gasped as she tried her best to not push as another contraction hit, “P-Please.”
The nurse now had both of her hands inside of Yuki as she turned the small infant inside of her, “Come on little one… just… tilt up a tiny bit…”
Yuki gritted her teeth and gasped in shock as she felt all the pressure vanish from her lower back.
“Yes!” The nurse shouted, “The head is out!”
Yuki gasped, sweat drenching her face, “I-Is the baby okay?”
“Now I need you to push, Ma’am, the baby should be clear!” the nurse instructed.
“F-fuck,” Yuki cursed and gave a hard push, then gasped as the infant was forced out of her.
The nurse took the child in her arms and looked to the umbilical cord, confused as to how to handle this as she held the tiny, crying infant, “Uh… something is still… attached.”
Yuki looked up as the nurse held up the crying infant, “The cord? C-Cut it,” Yuki gasped.
“A-are you sure?!” The nurse frowned, but reached for a pair of medical scissors, cutting the cord. She saw it was bleeding, and quickly pinched it. “Okay,” she stood up, “From here, I know what we can do,” she said as she rushed the child away.
“W-wait...w-where… my baby!” Yuki shouted, wincing as she tried to sit up and follow her.
Captain Jessie rushed to the nurse, “Nurse, where are you going?”
“This infant is like a premature hatchling!” the nurse explained, moving the small crying and underdeveloped infant to an incubator. “This, I know how to handle,” she said as she placed the child inside.
The nurse worked to settle the child and slipped a feeding tube into the baby’s snout, taping it to the top of the tiny child’s face. The nurse then placed a breathing tube into the other nostril and closed up the incubator.
The nurse returned to Yuki, looking down at the passed out doctor. She sighed and got out a bit of smelling salts.
Doctor Tress jolted up, shaking his head in confusion, “What happened?”
“You fainted, Doctor,” the nurse shook her head.
“My baby,” Yuki gasped, “is it okay?”
The nurse helped Doctor Tress up to his feet, “I am sure he will be,” she looked to Doctor Tress, “Perhaps you should assess the premature hatchling, Doctor?”
“R-Right! Right!” Doctor Tress rushed to the incubator.
The nurse turned to Yuki, “I’m sorry Ma’am, but the child was hatched, er, came out prematurely.”
“W-well can I see him?” Yuki smiled weakly, “Him, right?”
The nurse nodded, “Yes, him.” She helped Yuki out of bed and into a wheelchair, “I’m Abby Nermal, by the way.”
“Thanks, Abby,” Yuki winced as she settled into the wheelchair and Abby began to push Yuki towards the incubator, “Yuki…” she trailed off before smiling to herself, “Misho.”
“Thought up a name yet?” Nurse Abby asked as the pair moved to the incubator.
Yuki looked down and smiled.
Laying there, wrapped up in soft cloth sheets, was a tiny little Niten Dragon, with red skin.
It’s tiny horns looked like small white nubs and it’s head and stubby snout seemed to take up the vast majority of his body mass.
“No,” Yuki smiled warmly, “I want to wait to talk to his father about that.”
The little child opened his eyes and Yuki felt a shiver run down her spine.
Despite his red skin, the child’s eyes were bright, clear, and piercing.
An Icy Blue.

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Author's Note: Where previously I have used Italics font to signify Elvish conversation, this chapter has a large majority of Elvish which I thought might be off-putting to the reader. A later scene instead uses Italics for Common/English, with Elvish in standard text. Please feel free to feedback if this change doesn't flow and causes some reading issues.
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“What were you thinking giving that oaf a sword! What if he were to turn the blade on you; how would I cope finding my friends body, murdered by this barbarian.”
Shae still held the large bundle of clothing and comically oversized boots in her arms, having returned but two minutes ago to a sight that had left her on edge. It had taken all Olana’s will to focus on the outburst, and not the amusing sight.
Olana closed the gap between them and reached out to place a hand on each of her friend’s shoulders, a gesture which gained her a distrustful look from the figure still standing behind them. Nuala, an old friend and occasional bedroom companion to Shae, stared warily at how Olana acted.
“Please relax, he is harmless. Look for yourself,” Olana gestured behind her at the snoring man, slumped over the garden table. “Besides, it was more than worth it to find out humans can use Words.”
“You taught him a Word? Do you have any idea what the Grand Mage would do if she found out what you’ve done?”
“Probably expel me, see to it that I can’t get so much as an assistant bakers’ position, and write a very stern letter to Mother.”
It was the last of these that sent a shiver down her spine, yet Olana was more than confident in her choice to play tutor for Drake; she would not be cowed by some closed-minded old mage that thought more of tradition than adaptation.
“What is the plan here?” asked Shae. “What is the next step now that you’ve given him lodgings for the night, fed him, taught him Elven magic, and are soon to clothe the man; are you ready to set him free?”
“I…I haven’t got that far yet. I know that sending him back is more likely to kill him than succeed, and I can hardly cast him out with no knowledge of the world and what awaits him. No, I will teach him more of our history and culture, this will allow him to become accustomed to our ways so that he could integrate, when the time is right.”
“You won’t be able to keep him here,” the deeper voice of Nuala halted Olana before she could continue. “Whether you want him as a play thing, or company, it would be cruel to curse him to a life of hiding away from the world. Olana, you have to see the Council of Mages, seek their counsel before the truth becomes known and the least of your worries would be punishment for unlawful tutelage.”
Olana did not like to admit it to herself, but her elder spoke some wise words. She had no real plan for what came next. having not expected to conjure a male of the wrong species she never considered how to deal with such a scenario. Reluctantly she admitted to herself that her only option, and the best for Drake, was to seek out the Council.
“You can’t take him like that,” Shae scoffed. “Even dressed up he’ll still be a hairy, smelly oaf; he needs to be bathed and groomed if you want hope of avoiding the Mages’ punishment.”
“Okay, I’ll go draw him a bath. Would one of you wake him? Please try to show Drake some kindness, don’t forget that he did not choose to be here; this situation is entirely one of my own making.”
Olana grabbed the scabbard and sword laying on the table in front of Drake, the latter quickly returning to its former size as she sheathed it, before heading into her house.
The part time couple shared several glances whilst the intermittent silence was punctuated by heavy snores, which only seemed to irk Shae further.
“Don’t look at me, I’ve got my hands full with his clothes. You suggested the Council, I think that pretty much volunteered you to be his alarm.”
“Fine, I’m not so afraid of a mortal that I can’t touch him.” Nuala cast a dirty look at the elfess. “I can see now why you never visited last night. When you told me this morning that Olana had almost achieved what she has been so fixated by I couldn’t believe that you weren’t trying to wind me up. It really is a surprise to see a human again after all this time. I presume he won’t bite when woken?”
A shrug of the shoulders and a devilish smile were her answer; Nuala made a mental note to punish the rebellious actions later when Shae predictably came crawling for her embrace.
Nuala approached the slumbering figure, the strong odour building to overwhelm her senses. She did not recall them being so unkempt, it was baffling to find the man to be almost wolflike in the excessive amount of unruly hair. Carefully she shook him by the shoulder, doing her best to block out the bizarre sensation of touching such a hairy patch of skin.
With a snort Drake ceased his snoring. He slowly sat upright, stretching out his arms as he let out a long yawn that ended in a tremendous belch. He was entirely surprised to find an unfamiliar face staring at him with equal parts amazement and disgust.
“You aren’t Olana,” he said, spying Shae from the corner of his eye half-buried under something she carried. “At least, not unless you changed your appearance with magic. Did you? I bet that’s really cool.”
“At least you aren’t as stupid as I feared. No, I’m definitely not Olana. I am Nuala, a friend of Shae’s. Olana asked that we wake you for your bath.”
“Not a moment too soon.” Shae muttered.
“I could certainly do with a good wash. If you haven’t used magic to change your appearance then how come you aren’t green like other elves; are you a different race?”
Drake was surprised to see an expression best described as flummoxed spread across Nuala’s face at his question. Whilst her pointed ears and large eyes certainly seemed common traits with the two elfess’s he had met so far, her light brown skin, dark hair, and taller stature, coupled with a more muscular and toned physique, made her stand out against all he knew to be Elven.
“Not all elves are green, Drake,” Shae answered in Nuala’s place. “Are all humans the same where you come from?”
“Well, no, they come in all shapes and colours.”
“They why do you think it would be different for us?”
“I… I was just taken aback is all. I thought Nuala might be a forest elf, or a wood elf, something like that.” He looked between the two females, who were sharing similarly baffled expressions. “I’m just making this worse for myself, aren’t I?”
“Yes. How about you go for the bath already. Nuala, if you don’t mind could you shear that mess he calls hair? I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to answer any of your short-sighted questions with scissors in hand.”
-----------------------------------
It had proven somewhat tricky to squeeze into the red tile lined trench in the bathroom, but with a lot of manoeuvring Drake had managed to fit his frame within. He had imagined a large metal pot filled with water over an open flame, instead the home had a somewhat functional toilet and superheated stones that Olana used to bring the bath water up to what felt like a degree off scalding. There was no plug in the bottom of what passed for a bath, but with everything he had seen lately Drake could imagine emptying out the old water was probably as easy as breathing for the mage in training.
He was quick to scrub away the worst of the grime, using a washcloth that was coarse enough to skin a rhino; he was glad that his yelps went unheard. Gradually the temperature dropped to something a little more bearable and Drake felt his body begin to relax, his aches from a night sleeping on the floor easing away.
Except, he was no doubt currently asleep in a hospital bed, around the clock care ensuring his immobile body was moved regularly to ward off bed sores; so why did his aches feel so real?
His train of thought was broken by the knuckles rapping on the bathroom door and he called out for their owner to enter. Nuala, as promised, appeared into view with a pair of gleaming scissors in one hand.
“Before you get any amorous ideas, Shae has already warned me about your actions this morning. Drape the washcloth across your crotch and tell me when you are somewhat decent.”
Drake complied, not one to anger a woman, or elfess, wielding a sharp implement. Nuala used her foot to push a stool from beside the basin to in front of Drake and sat near the trenches edge, pinning a cloth that had been hanging from her waist around his neck.
“I never thought I’d have to ask this question; could you point out where the hair on your torso ends and the beard begins?” she asked after a few frustrating moments of trying to find the answer for herself.
Drake held a finger up horizontally and traced roughly along his collarbone, which he took as an acceptable answer when Nuala clacked the scissors to confirm they were operational.
He kept his eyes closed out of respect, and fear, since he was eye level with the elf’s chest. Drake had to do his best not to flinch as she ran the scissors behind his ear, not even bending it down at the top to keep the appendage from drastically reducing in size. Whenever she moved to focus on a different patch of hair and he had avoided some extreme body modification he let out a sigh that did not go unnoticed.
“Olana tells me that you are also from Mid-Earth, except it is different to our own.”
“I’m not sure I explained myself very well to her. Where I am from is simply called Earth, and there is no history of it ever being referred to as Mid-Earth. In fact, what we would call different races aren’t elves, dwarves, or orcs, but humans that have different complexions, similar to yourself and Olana or Shae.”
“What happened to your elves for them to die out?”
“They never existed to begin with. There are plenty of humans in my world who pretend to be, and sometimes even wish they were, elves, but you could probably come up with the craziest scenario imaginable and find someone amongst eight billion people that fetishize it.”
“Billion? I am not familiar with this number; what does it mean?”
“I might have to speak a bit plainly to describe it, but please don’t take it as a slight on you. How many elves live within this city?”
“I do not know for certain, but I would say fifteen, maybe as much as twenty thousand live within and around Minma Khodel.”
Drake did some painful mental arithmetic, which took him far longer than he’d like with the silence only interrupted by the quiet snips of scissors coming together.
“Imagine all the people on my Earth lived together in one great city. If we were to replace the humans with elves you would need four hundred thousand Minma Khodel’s to do so.”
The scissors stopped and Drake risked looking up at the speechless elf.
“Such an amount is unnatural,” she muttered. “And are they all like you, hairy and fat?”
“Here I was thinking we were becoming friends.” Drake feigned a pained expression, not that it garnered him any sympathy. “No, they are not all like me. You can find men that are practically hairless and women that almost put me to shame, with such diversity amongst that large a population there really is no end to how we can appear. As for the chonk,” he grabbed a handful of stomach and gave it a disheartened wiggle, “humans have become quite sedentary as our society evolves. Weirdly I was fitter when I worked around greasy food all day, now that I have a desk job, I’ve sort of let myself go a bit.”
“I have more questions to ask, but it is time to tame that beard and I doubt Olana would be impressed if I slit her playthings throat doing so. You can tell me more of your humans at a different time, and I can compare with those I had the fortune to meet.”
Drake remained silent as Nuala went about her business, her stare fixated on the task at hand. He studied her face, forgetting his own tactic of avoiding any accidental cleavage perving, and was surprised to only now notice the smattering of darker freckles that were brushed across her nose and cheeks; for all the differences he had found a few similarities that reminded him of home.
“There, all done,” Nuala said with some triumph in her voice. “Not a moment too soon, either; I take it you’ve had some success, Olana?”
Drake turned in the bath to see the elfess clutching clothes wrapped up in a dark olive cloak.
“The Council will see us in an hour, which means there is not much time to waste. Let’s get you dried off and dressed.”
“Oh no,” Nuala unpinned the cloth covering in hair and stood up from the stool to take the clothes out of Olana’s hands. “Shae already warned me about letting you two be alone, I’m sure that your pet can dry and dress himself.”
She placed the clothes down on the vacated stool and ushered Olana from the room, much to Drake’s amusement.
Such a strange dream, Drake thought, as he emerged from the hair strewn water.
-----------------------------------
“That is a startling improvement on what we had to deal with.” Shae commented as Drake stepped out into the garden.
The olive cloak, complete with hood, was clasped at the front over his tan coloured tunic. His hair was shorter than it had been in years and, despite not having seen it in a mirror, he could feel just how neat Nuala had managed to shape his beard. Drake couldn’t get too precious over the brown trews which matched his boots, as well as the belt wrapped around his waist. The less said about the undergarments and how little elves appeared to understand how things worked down there the better.
“Is it supposed to be so itchy?” he asked.
“You’ll get used to it, and it will soften with use.” Shae answered. “We’d best get moving if we don’t want to be late.”
“One moment, we can’t precisely emerge with a human amongst us.” Olana said, whilst walking forward to stand within arm’s reach of Drake. “Pull up your hood and don’t lower unless I tell you it is safe to do so.”
Drake complied. As soon as the hood was in place Olana closed her eyes, her face set in concentration. She spoke in the elven tongue and Drake more felt than saw a change happening. By the time she was done he found himself staring straight into Olana’s eyes, which was bizarre since he had been craning to look down at her moments before.
Nuala gasped at the sudden change in Drake’s appearance, and was somewhat irked that the sight did not equally impress Shae; before them stood a cloaked elf, or at least something of elf proportions.
“I have cast a glamour spell upon you. To those but the magically trained you appear like any other elf, though remove that hood and the ruse will quickly be ruined. Nothing has changed about you, save that you will see from where your head appears to be. Do not touch anything, and be conscious of the space your body actually occupies.”
“Duly noted,” he said without any real confidence. “I’ll, err, I’ll follow your lead and see if I can get used to whatever it is you’ve done to me.”
“Excellent. Let’s not dally, we’ve plenty of ground to cover.”
Olana left the garden first, Drake behind her with Shae and Nuala side by side at the rear. He had to will his legs to keep moving forward, for what awaited him outside the sanctuary of Olana’s home was entirely unexpected.
A narrow path, worn in my Olana and her visitors, lead them downhill towards a winding road that bisected the smattering of homes built outside the city walls of Minma Khodel. Far off to his right the road entered a lush forest that stretched out in both directions as far as his eye could see, and he could just spot a horse and cart about to enter the forest’s shade.
“Where does the road lead to?” he asked Olana.
“Ka’puno Forest, as you can see, but beyond there you would drop down to the plains where the world is at your feet. Keep moving west and, if you aren’t careful, you’ll find your way into the lands of Nazgath, where creatures that no man, nor elf, wishes to cross reside; it is also where Everlei now calls home.”
“Sounds ominous, but a hero’s quest is never meant to be easy. How long will it take me to reach Nazgath?”
“You won’t be going anywhere near there, not if I have a say in the matter. I hope you realise soon that all this is very much your reality, and that coming up against Everlei is a very swift death sentence.”
Drake did not wish to argue with the figment, rather he continued following in silence and taking in the amazing scope of his imagination.
Each individual garden and home were different, some far more vibrant in their colourings than others. The homes had privacy from those travelling along the road as each occupied higher ground. Yet it was the city itself, ringed by a wall of stone, that was truly eye catching.
A single white walled tower, taller than any of the buildings around it, speared into the sky from the centre of the city, the stone it was built from twisted into a baffling pattern. Drake had no idea how it would have been constructed, save for by magic or an LSD fuelled architect.
They passed under the wall, joining others that were entering or leaving the city. He looked up at the imposing portcullis suspended above, and the scarred wooden doors to either side; this city had an interesting past that he was definitely going to quiz Olana on later.
It quickly became apparent, as dirt road transitioned to cobbles, that she was leading him towards the great spire. He had to remind himself of Olana’s words of warning just as he began to crane his head to better take in the sight, but he could hardly be blamed for wishing to do so.
The road became gradually steeper and the group climbed towards the marble steps glistening at the tower’s base. Flanking either side of an open doorway were two pairs of elves, garbed in silver armour and holding halberds. The guards had a fixed stare to them, seeming to be focused on the Ka’puno Forest off into the distance.
Olana climbed first, speaking a greeting to one of the elves as she crested the steps. Drake kept his head down as he came to a stop just behind her. There was a short exchange, which for a time Drake feared would culminate with whatever spell he had placed on him being dispersed, but thankfully the guard soon ushered them inside.
“What was all that about?” Drake whispered when they were out of earshot.
“Just some directions that we are to wait outside the council chambers as the current meeting has overrun. The guard was interested in why you kept the hood up, but I quelled her suspicions.”
Olana led on, climbing the winding staircase until it opened up to a large floor. Another doorway greeted them at its centre, guarded be a single pair of armoured elves, except this time the wooden doors were closed to them.
Drake followed her lead and took a seat on a long bench set against the right-hand wall, furthest from the staircase. Since the tower wall was open in several sections of this level he could look out across the city, seeing the various designs of rooftop and how the different alleys and roads crisscrossed in such a haphazard pattern.
“We wait here until called through, just don’t do anything to draw attention towards yourself.”
Drake struggled to hear Olana’s soft voice, but understood the message plain enough. He busied himself gazing out the glassless windows, which more than explained the chill air blustering in, until he heard the oak doors swing open.
Out strode a party, not entirely comprising of elves. Whilst they moved swiftly, at least one amongst them was stockier than he had grown accustomed to seeing, and the mass of curling red hair flowing down her back, pointing his gaze at the narrow waist tapering out to a well-rounded rear, certainly caused her to stick out.
“Come, it’s our turn.” Said Olana, breaking his fixation.
The party rose from their seats and followed her lead, walking through the now open doorway in single file. Before them was the chamber floor, devoid of seating, with three elves peering down at them from behind an elevated stand of dark mahogany as they came to a stop.
“Welcome Olana, apprentice to Elorna. We recognise Nuala, Shae, and-” the elf seated in the middle of the stand stopped mid-sentence and began to sniff. “A glamour? Cease this deception at once!”
“I have to remove the spell, Drake. I’m sorry for not warning you but this won’t be a pleasant experience.”
With little time to brace himself Drake felt himself grow, for want of a better word. His vision blurred momentarily before he could see again, this time at a height he had become rather accustomed to. The trio of gasps in front of him did not bode well.
“What is the meaning of this?” the elf to Olana’s right asked. “How has a human, a male human, come to be before this council?”
“I’ve been trying, without much success, to summon a mate these last five years; I thought it a far simpler task when compared with what the great mages are seeking to accomplish. I scoured the grand library for spells and incantations that have long since fallen from use, and tried everything I could think of. Last evening I was successful, of a fashion, in calling forth a male, just not of the desired race.”
“Do you understand the full implications of your actions?” it was the turn of the first elf to quiz her now. “If Everlei were to get wind of what you have done Minma Khodel, perhaps even all of the Elven kingdom, would be at peril. She has tamed the Orc Lords, gathering their legions to her; for what end we do not yet know.“We are fortuitous that her gaze cannot penetrate so far, but if someone has seen this man then word may yet spread and reach her.”
“High Mage Wynath, I assure you we have been cautious; no one outside this room knows of his existence. There is no danger to our peoples by him merely existing.”
“That may yet be true for today, Olana, but his presence alone is too great a risk for our people. The Council cannot allow him to remain in Minma Khodel, we must do what is best for Elfkind and banish him from our lands.”
Throughout this exchange Elorna, seated beside Wynath, remained quiet, her stare taking in the entirely unexpected sight of a man, who appeared puzzled by the heated debate going on around him. She had to admit a little pride in her own apprentice doing what the senior mages could not.
“Banishment would be a death sentence, as well you know it, Wynath.” Elorna, far more composed than her compatriot, commanded attention without having to raise her voice. “Your judgement is apt to protect the city’s populace, and not one that I would speak against. However, give me time to fashion an Obfuscating pendant such that he may walk the lands safe from Everlei’s sight; I could have it ready by morn.”
“Very well, but I want him gone before noon. Return to your home and await the guards who will come to escort him tomorrow.” Wynath instructed Olana.
“If he is to leave our lands then I will go with him.”
Olana’s words silenced the room, the only sound after she spoke was a shocked gasp from Shae. Drake was entirely confused by the situation, but he did not need to be proficient in the Elfish language to know something bad was going down.
“It is by my doing that he came to be here, it is my responsibility to ensure Drake does not come to suffer harm, or worse, because of my actions.”
“Very well, if you insist on such actions I will grant you leave from your studies to escort him to the plains,” said Wynath. “Before you leave, I want you to provide Elorna with every text you have read, and any notes you have made, along with the precise incantation you used to bring him here. Now, begone so that your master has time to fashion this pendant.”
“What exactly has just happened?” Drake asked as the conversation appeared to come to a close.
“I’ll explain later, for tonight we have to get you ready for Mid-Earth.” Olana answered, a tear running freely down her cheek.
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2020 Turkish GP Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Debrief

Free Practice 3 by redbullcat and UnmeshDatta26
Qualifying by ZeroSuitFalcon, christopherkj, and UnmeshDatta26

Links

• FP3 Results
• Qualifying Results
• FIA Documents for the Turkish GP

Live Session Discussion Threads

• FP3 Discussion
• Qualifying Discussion
• Post Qualifying Discussion

Everyone spun, Lewis was last. The rain came down with a blast

FP3 was a wet affair in Istanbul, with the rain starting to come down shortly before the session and continuing throughout. It worsened as time went on, and towards the end, the rain was harder than at the beginning.
Combined with the lack of grip from the newly resurfaced track, that meant there was very little traction to be found anywhere. Almost every driver had a spin during the session, although incredibly, apart from Antonio Giovinazzi clipping the barrier on the inside of exit of Turn 7 and damaging his front wing endplate, the session was not interrupted.
Some drivers like Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Räikkönen had to use their rallying experience to keep the temperatures on the tires with Pierre Gasly also getting in on the action. Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, had to spin his wheels quite aggressively in a bid to gain some temperature after an off-track excursion.
The weather was near 10C all day, and the intermittent showers and wind did not help matters. Most drivers started the session with intermediate tires on, but once McLaren pulled the plug on the wet tires 10 minutes into the session, everyone followed suit.
Every driver completed some semblance of running in the torrential conditions, but Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Nicolas Latifi fail to do any running. Most drivers chose not to run after the rain increased in intensity and with an extra set of intermediate tires for the day, most teams saved it for qualifying.
Ultimately, Max Verstappen set the fastest lap of the session and there was talk of qualifying being red flagged if the rain did not go away, but Race Director Michael Masi ultimately decided that the show would go on.

Qualifying

A Boat Would Be a Better Option

As the session began, the rain came back in the form of a drizzle, with standing water in some parts of the track. Red Bull, McLaren, Racing Point, Ferrari, and Haas all gambled on the intermediate tires, while Renault, Mercedes, AlphaTauri, and the Alfa Romeo used the wet.
All drivers had trouble finding grip in the early part of the session. Every driver was eventually shown drifting or spinning, but as the session progressed, the considerable amount of standing water at the start was beginning to clear up. Lando Norris completed the first timed lap with a 2:07, followed by Sergio Perez. Meanwhile, McLaren engineers hinted that the intermediates could be viable, but the Mercedes engineers begged to differ by calling more immediate rain on the forecast.
Every driver kept struggling for grip as 10 minutes had gone by, Bottas holding P1 with 2:07:001s, while his teammate was 5th. Plenty of drivers had not set a time at that point and time was running out. Alexander Albon kept struggling for grip with less than a quarter of the throttle, showing how delicate the throttle application had to be. And then lightning struck.
A red flag was called out on track with 6:56 left after a massive amount of water started to collect on track, causing multiple drivers to spin and aquaplane. With 6:56 left on the clock, it meant there would still be time for 2, maybe 3, laps once the track was cleared.
At this point, Esteban Ocon was on top, with Bottas, Lance Stroll, Hamilton, and Perez behind him. Charles Leclerc, Romain Grosjean, Gasly, Russell, and Latifi were all in the bottom 5, under pressure to improve once qualifying resumed under penalty of not going through to Q2. Bottas was 0.886 behind Ocon in P2, while Räikkönen was 3.153 seconds off in P10, and Verstappen was a staggering 4.768 off the best time in P15, unable to improve his position after a spin on his outlap caused his fast lap to be interrupted by the red flag. Russell was in 19th 7 seconds off and his teammate had not even completed a timed lap yet. The Safety Car came out twice to judge the track conditions and after over 30 minutes and a sweeper truck wiping the water off the racing line, the track was deemed to be safe enough to run again.
Albon was the first to leave the pits on wet tires, with all cars following him with the same compound. Räikkönen had a massive spin on the outlap, nearly collecting Leclerc upon re-entry. But before we go any further, has anyone in your life told you that lightning does not strike the same place twice? Well…
A red flag was called out with 3:30 left in the session, to clear Grosjean’s car, beached just past Turn 1. He lost control of the car and failed to maintain enough momentum to get out of the gravel trap. The red flag only lasted about 5 minutes, but no driver could set a lap time, and 3 more minutes were off the clock now. Verstappen and Leclerc were under even more pressure now, as they were still stuck in P15 and P16. Track evolution would be quite fantastic, however.
The Red Bull immediately went 8.6 seconds faster than before, Vettel and Leclerc improved massively and the two Alfa Romeos followed suit. Hamilton had his lap time deleted, which put him P14, one of the lowest results for him in his career in Q1. Bottas also failed to improve his time, but he survived in P9, 9.5 seconds off the pace.
Grosjean was unable to set a lap time, and his teammate failed to clear the elimination zone as well. Russell did not make Q2 this time, but he still maintains his perfect qualifying record, now standing at 35-0. Daniil Kvyat had a very hard time on track, with multiple spins, and it meant he failed to clear Q1.
During the frantic last laps, a couple of yellow flags were called out on track, but some drivers improved in those sectors. The stewards called a few drivers to debate the matter, as Kevin Magnussen alleged that some drivers did not lift off as they saw the flags. The stewards will have their say on these decisions after the qualifying session is over. Lance Stroll has been cleared, while others were not no lucky, starting with Q1 victim George Russell.
Right as the session was ending and the cars were heading back into the pits, Latifi beached his Williams on the gravel.

Orange and Red: Shades of Disappointment

The second part of qualifying began with yellow flags still being flown as marshals were in the process of clearing Latifi’s stranded car - a strange and borderline dangerous decision that was immediately criticized by a number of drivers.
Speaking of peculiar decisions, both McLaren drivers came out on the intermediate tire. As the racing line was still very wet, Lando Norris did manage to set the first timed lap of the session but had that time deleted for exceeding track limits. Both he and his teammate Carlos Sainz struggled throughout the session and complained that sustained running on inters caused their rear tires to burn too fast and rear grip to dissipate. With less than a third of the time remaining, the duo pitted for wets in a last-ditch attempt to reach the top 10 but, ultimately, lacked the pace to do so and ended up P11 and P13. The team's day would get even worse, as Sainz was deemed to have impeded Perez and handed a 3 place grid penalty, while Norris lost five places for falling to slow down for yellow flags.
Meanwhile, in a demonstration of superb form, the Red Bull boys had a front-row lockout after the initial set of laps while Bottas was half a second down, with reigning Driver’s Champion Hamilton even further back.
The Red Bull supremacy, however, was not set in stone. As the 15 cars on the track pushed more water off the racing line with every lap, the conditions were quickly improving and times tumbling. Stroll momentarily rose to P1 while Perez was 3rd fastest. Surprising many, Räikkönen extracted enviable pace from his Alfa Romeo, threatening those at the front during the entire session, and raising eyebrows as he outperformed both Ferrari drivers. Mercedes made progress as well but failed to usurp their rivals and did not appear to be the same F1 juggernaut that they almost always are.
With the checkered flag shown, the session came to a close, and Verstappen still held P1, an incredible gap of over 2 seconds to his nearest rival.
Fellow Red Bull-family driver Pierre Gasly had to settle for P15, and, as previously mentioned, McLaren failed to make Q3 after spending much of their session on the wrong compound.
It was also a disappointing afternoon for Ferrari. The Scuderia had shown strength during the free practice sessions but, when push came to shove, wound up in P12 and P14. Interestingly, however, of the two Prancing Horse drivers, it was Leclerc who struggled with the car more. The Monégasque was 1.5 seconds slower than Vettel, thus ending his long-stretching streak of beating his 4-time WDC companion on Saturdays.
Compared to Q1, the second part of qualifying was a quiet affair, as there were only a handful of yellow flags and the drivers seemed to have slowly begun to find the limits of their cars and of the track.
Nevertheless, the implications from the session are profound, given that McLaren fell well short of the pace they need if they are to battle for P3 in the Constructor’s Championship. Racing Point, McLaren, and Renault are all separated by a grand total of just one point and a good performance by McLaren on Sunday will be needed if they are to hold on to the other teams, while continuing to lag will see them have to play catch-up in the last 3 rounds remaining after Istanbul. The pressure is on for the Woking squad and their drivers.

Max v Lance: Who Could’ve Guessed?

The weather for Q3 had greatly improved, a beautiful overcast sky showing over Istanbul, the Seven Hills visible in the background. A 4th consecutive pole position for Red Bull in Istanbul looked inevitable as Max Verstappen was seconds quicker than the nearest competitor. But conditions had changed and it remained to be seen if Q2 form would hold.
Red Bull showed early on just how eager they were, coming out to complete their initial timed laps first, followed by both Alfa Romeos and both Mercedes. For the first set of laps, everyone was on the blue striped wet tire other than Ocon and Perez. It was a strange call as Verstappen’s onboard shots showed that there were still puddles on track.
As he crossed the line, Verstappen set the benchmark at 1:52.3 but was quickly pipped by Perez, who went 2 tenths faster on intermediates, a rare opportunity to see the fabled “tire cross-over” in action. Red Bull was quick to respond as Verstappen set 2 purples sectors on his follow-up lap but ultimately abandoned his lap to come into the pits, instructed by his team to switch to the faster Intermediate tires, as the intermediate was now clearly the faster tire.
Both sides of the Mercedes garage struggled today, Hamilton’s non-running in FP3 apparently hindering his progress, at one point the #44 being 7 seconds off the pace. The gap did shrink as qualifying went on, but the struggles still continued. Hamilton was not convinced the Intermediates were the right tire, eventually reluctantly coming into the pits for the green stripes at the behest of his engineer. It was all for naught as Lewis finished P6 with a 1:52.560, 5 seconds off the pole position time. Bottas struggled even more than Hamilton in the dynamic weather conditions, finishing P9 with a 1:53.358.
Racing Point’s strategy call to place Sergio Perez on the intermediates turned out to be a master stroke. As other teams pitted to switch, Perez spent additional time on track, bringing in valuable information for the team. With the puddles draining away from the racing line, Perez improved his lap time by 2.7 seconds, Stroll behind him for an incredible Racing Point 1-2.
But it was not over yet. Verstappen came out of the pits on a mission and after dominating the free practice sessions, and he looked determined to claim pole position on the wet Istanbul Park. Fate, however, had other plans, as he came out of the pits and immediately protested over the radio that his tires had neither grip nor temperature. It got even worse when he found himself behind Räikkönen on his outlap, the much slower car hampering Verstappen’s tire warming strategy. Verstappen could not pass initially and had to finish his first out lap still behind the Alfa Romeo, and as he had enough time for another outlap, he waited to set his final fast lap, eventually finishing the session in 2nd place.
Lance Stroll continued on after setting his preliminary time and further improved on the treacherous track, he dropped his teammate to P2 and eventually claimed his maiden pole position with an impressive 1:47.765. Lance Stroll also became the first Canadian to start from pole since Jacques Villeneuve at the 1997 European GP.
The final qualifying order, on which very few people would have bet on before the session started, was Stroll, Verstappen, Perez, Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Hamilton, Ocon, Räikkönen, Bottas and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Looking Forward to the Race

Strategy was the name of the game today, it led to Racing Point and Lance Stroll’s historic pole position, but great strategy calls on Saturday will not guarantee success on Sunday, even more so in changing conditions. Racing Point has had its fair share of dubious strategy calls this year, most recently throwing away a podium for Perez at the Emilia Romagna GP in Imola. But hopefully they will again do well tomorrow and build on their Saturday glory.
Verstappen has been electric all weekend and all odds pointed toward him getting pole until he came out in traffic and struggled with the temperatures on his intermediates. He was utterly dejected with the result, clearly feeling he could have done better, but tomorrow will be a different day, and while Lance Stroll is known on the paddock for his great starts, Verstappen is already considered one of the best drivers on the grid and should be in a great position to fight for the lead with Stroll.
The weather forecast for tomorrow shows similar temperatures at 14C / 57F with a 50% chance of scattered showers, which heavily points to a wet track tomorrow. As both Mercedes struggled with the cold conditions, it is not inconceivable that they will not be able to challenge for the lead. But a wise Formula 1 fan does not discount the Black Arrows that easily, so we will watch them closely once the red lights are out tomorrow. If they do struggle, Verstappen could have a great shot at victory, provided the Racing Points fail to match their Saturday pace.
Renault have shown potential to grab important points this weekend, as McLaren and Ferrari will be starting further behind them.
A hot take to finish this preview before the race tomorrow: both Alfas are in the points, as tomorrow could see a replay of the battle of attrition and longevity we saw in the 2019 German GP. There remains a slim possibility that Alfa could snatch a podium and become the eighth different team to do so this season.
All questions will be answered tomorrow on track.

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This is a rather long one and the last in this particular Universe for a while, enjoy!
​
Admiral Alexis was... Bored... When the usual suspects called for an emergency meeting he expected another war, some sort of political snafu or maybe a major discovery that would require his input.
Once he learned how little was at stake he stopped really listening, as far as he's was concerned it was just about someone cheating at video games...
****************************** The War Games had first been introduced as a way to create camaraderie between the races and to have hard data on the strategies and capabilities of the different races.
The Noradons had been the only ones who participated along side the Humans.
Targeting locks would count as hits for space combat, smoke would be artillery explosions, low level electric batons would be used to simulate blades and good old paint balls for live ammunition.
The result was an overwhelming win for the Humans, the Noradons' new Overseer, Talon, was far too direct in his approach, the only victories he achieve were when he had superior numbers and never in defense scenarios.
He didn't care for traps, small deployment of troops, scouts, listening to his officers on the ground or any type of subterfuge.
The second was a more balanced affair, the Noradons had now far more specialist units and Talon had learned from his mistakes.
It was also a lot more popular, it wasn't viewed as a barbaric display of power like the first one but as a more violent sporting event.
Thou the second game was better remembered for the arrival of the A/O during the closing of the games.
****************************** The ceremony was finished, everyone was picking up their things and preparing to leave.
Kin son of Krono, host of the ceremony at the Commonwealth's HQ had the classic bartender's look that screamed: you don't have to go home but you can't stay here...
That is until Lawless contacted him.
A massive ship, dreadnought class from the tonnage, had just entered the system, it would be here in mere minutes.
Seeing how The Pale Horse and the Queen's Fury, the only known dreadnoughts, were already there this was worrisome to say the least.
He urged everyone to remain, not that anyone was going to leave now, this was exactly what the War Games were ultimately about: being ready when the time came to fight.
By the time the unknown ship emerged, the Combined fleet, the Noradons swarm along side the dozen or so ships of the Imphlasms were ready for anything, the Va'sh had stayed home.
Historians still wonder to this day what would have happened had they been present.
The ship was an odd mix of science and gardening gone wrong, an icosahedron with a power signature better measured in stars covered in moss and vines.
Admiral Alexis: “Identify yourself and your intentions”
Unknown Ship: “We are us, we wish to learn all there is to know”
Admiral Alexis: Huh, doesn't sound too bad
Unknown Ship: “We wish to be the only sentient races alive!”
Alexis: Ah, this would be the other shoe dropping, “We can help you with that first part but do not think we will just allow ourselves to be killed without a fight”
The Unknown Ship powered what looked like weapons
The fleets above Commonwealth HQ were ready for combat and spread out in loose formations, combat was about to be joined.
Than came from Commonwealth's Law a message sent on all frequencies
3.14: “Very well and than what?”
Unknown Ship: “... We would be safe and no other sentient beings would add needless variables to the grand equation”
3.14: Grand equation? Have we finally run into civilized alien lifeforms!?, “I assume the grand equation is a single mathematical formula that explains and predicts all things in the Universe?”
Unknown Ship sounding happy and not monotone for the first time: “Yes!”
3.14: “So your plan is to remove all sentient beings to make it safe and easier to calculate”
Unknown Ship: “Yes, that would be optimal”
3.14: “And you would just exist like that until the heat death of the Universe?”
Unknown Ship: “The what?”
Admiral Alexis was growing impatient, the Krush ambassador and the Ship had been talking astrophysics for two hours now, the Unknown Ship powered down their weapons into the first few minutes of this discussion and it was looking like there would be no fighting after all.
Unknown Ship: “I see, so no matter what, eventually all things would end”
3.14: “It is inevitable”
Unknown Ship: “Perhaps, perhaps not, we will think on how to prevent this, it is a far more grievous threat than any alien species consuming us”
3.14: “Yes that would be a worthy endeavor to occupy a mind like... Wait, eat you!?”
The threat of conflict over, proper introductions took place, the Ship was composed of two species: the moss and vines was a single plant entity and the ship itself a massive AI, the first true and somehow naturally occurring AI the galaxy had ever known.
They had met by accident, the plant life form floated into the hull of the AI on a small meteor and grew there, the AI could easily predict how it behaved, it liked the little plant and they formed a bond.
In their travels they intercepted Commonwealth transmissions.
The Plant accessed the holo-net and saw that every sentient species ate plants in some capacity, the AI saw the chaos some species were capable off.
They decided to strike first but upon learning how all would one day end shifted focus to finding a may to prevent it.
They were giving a name: Alpha for being first of their kind and Omega for their shared goal to see that the end never happens, A/O for short.
They chose to stay in orbit around Commonwealth HQ, doing nothing of note.
Sometimes the AI would discuss theories with the scientifically inclined races on how to prevent heat death and the Plant would have philosophical debates on what constitutes life with the more spiritual races.
****************************** Alexis sighed
That was then, this is now
Alexis looked at Ambassador Paul trying and failing to convince the others of the gravity of the situation.
“This could prove a huge security risk, we must find out who is doing this!”
Alexis had had enough
“No offense but finding out who is messing with the War Game's holo settings isn't much of a threat”
Paul: “The most likely scenario is that someone is interfering with the Games in order to make a large profits from the bets taking place, we must find who is doing this”
3.14: “I'm pretty sure only Humans would do such a thing”
He looks at the Admiral
“No offence”
Admiral Alexis: “None taken, I mean, who else thinks it's Humans?”
Lady EliIi: “No doubt”
Warlord M'rm'n: “Of course!”
Ambassador Uv: “Makes sense”
Lawless, the AI of the Commonwealth Law sat at this meeting, she was the referee of the Games
“It's Humans, there's no question about that”
Paul: Et tu Lawless? “Anyway, I have put top men in charge of finding out the truth”
3.14: “Who?”
Paul: “Top. Men”
****************************** Lord Doros was having a bad day, the Combined ambassador had contacted Transit concerning supposed hacking of the War Games.
Normally this would be well beneath the 12 Blades but their “failure” with the Diszin incident had allowed the ambassador to call in a favor, so to speak.
Lord Doros: Pretty sure we got the job as punishment.
He thought back to the morning's meeting
Boss: “... And so we have to find who is messing with the Games and why”
Everyone looked confused, Lord Doros was fuming...
Scout K'r's lifted his paw
“Not that I mind but killing someone over rigging games feels like going overboard”
G00.106 nods
Boss sighed
“We are not to kill anyone,we simply report our finding to the officials and arrest the individuals if we can”
The specialists in the room said nothing, the shock was total, this mission was not only something they should never have to do but they would have to operate like common... Cops.
Lord Doros had had enough
“So what's next? Trade disputes? Traffic control!?”
Boss: “I understand how you feel but Transit gave us the mission and we must obey”
Lord Doros: That was 5 hours ago, now we are on the Commonwealth Law, looking for “leads”
Smith was a professional, he was given a task and would complete it, no matter how absurd.
He was meeting with Lord Doros, K'r's and G00.106 in the Commonwealth's Law cafeteria, there were dozen of groups of different races all over the place, while most individuals who participated in the Games did not travel to Commonwealth HQ, many coaches, reporters and VIPs did.
Which is why Commonwealth Law was used as a safe meeting for these individuals.
The media to try to snag any exclusives they could, the VIPs to follow the games along side fellow VIPs and the coaches for the timed honored tradition of getting in the referees face when they had a complaint.
Lord Doros was already sitting at the meeting table
“So anything?”
Smith sat at the opposite side of the table and G00.106 stayed standing her back to the two.
Smith: “No luck so far, I talked with a few coaches and the odd VIP but they let nothing slip”
Lord Doros nodded, he himself had not found anything and given the levels of security involved he doubted anyone would.
“G00.106?”
G00.106 shrugged
“Not a damn thing, I even tried asking a few males while wearing nothing but lingerie like some of the girls onboard suggested but all I got were screams and a fine for..”
She reads her datapad to get it right
“... Creepy indecent exposure”
Smith had a horrifying mental image and shuddered.
Lord Doros shuddered a second later
“Thanks for sharing specialist Smith”
Smith: “Sorry, the image just, wait a second wouldn't you have gotten the same from G00.106 anyway?”
Lord Doros shakes his head
“Noradons are now all psychically linked to the Overseer at some level, you can't read one without listening in on all of them so it comes out as static”
Smith: “Very well... So i guess we have no leads to follow”
G00.106 was slightly insulted by the conversation that had just taken place but decided to move on
“So anyway, I doubt it was Noradons, we don't really do the whole crime thing”
Lord Doros nodded
Smith: “Has anyone seen K'r's? It's not his style to be late”
Lord Doros opened his eyes wide and looked up
Smith and G00.106 followed his gaze.
K'r's was sitting above them on a lamp, his green coat and pants were torn in places, his beret was missing, chunks of fur looked to have been ripped off and he had a thousand yard stare that spoke of unimaginable horrors.
Smith: “What the Hell happened to you!”
K'r's grabbed a flask from inside his coat, unscrewed the lid and took a sip
“Ran into Captain Grace”
He than took a much, much larger drink, never making eye contact.
Smith bit his fist and looked away.
G00.106 separated her arms, jumped into the pole holding the lamp and grabbed the Va'sh, cradling him like a new born larva and looked at Lord Doros
“Permission to take specialist K'r's to the ship for medical care!”
Lord Doros nodded solemnly
“Granted”
Smith and Lord Doros watched her run to their shuttle
Smith looked concerned
“Poor bastard...”
Smith than shifted to looking as chipper as ever
“So anyway, I doubt the Noradons had anything to do with the hacking, I mean there's no such thing as Noradons' organized crime after all”
****************************** Late at night, in the middle of the workers district of the Commonwealth Capital, a G00 unit wearing a brown trench coat and a black hat was slowly making her way to a bar.
She approached carefully, looking into every shadow and jumping at every noise, she had what looked like an Xmas gift in her hand.
The box was small and by the looks of it had been wrapped by a child... Or a really drunk adult.
She eventually gathered her courage and knocked on the bar's door, two fast knocks followed by two slower ones.
The door opened a tiny fraction, the “gift” was quickly exchanged for a grey bag of unknown content.
The G00 unit left, practically running.
Inside the bar the bouncer, a soldier Noradon, wearing a tuxedo and sunglasses made his way to the back.
He walked calmly, the sentients drinking and smoking paid him no attention besides the occasional nod, which he politely returned.
He entered the VIP room, Big Vinny, the proprietor of the establishment: the Carlito's Way, was sitting on his leather couch.
He was wearing a white suit with a matching ascot, a gold chain and a massive silver ring on his dorsal right hand.
Big Vinny was an engineering drone, smaller than the average Noradon to more easily get to tight places and with three digits per arm instead of claws to use precision tools.
Not that Big Vinny was small, he was overweight which to a Noradon with a perfectly genetically built gastric system was no small feat.
The bouncer, Tony, handed him the gift, bowed and left the room.
Vinny waited for Tony to leave before opening the package, inside was a box of chocolates, sixteen total.
He smiled
Best way to get a message without risk of it getting intercepted? Code it using foodstuffs.
He put the chocolates in order, the shapes symbolized the events taking place in the following days, the filling who would win and the individual wrapping's color the optimal spread.
He committed the information to memory and ate the evidence.
Taste like... Profits!
******************************** The Games had being a huge success so far, the Humans were leading by a razor thin margin.
The sabotage event was a surprise steal by the Imphlasms following the sudden rain that made Va'sh guards miss their approach until it was too late.
They than lost the retrieve and salvage mission to the Human team who won on a technicality
The Human field engineer was quoted saying:
“The rules said we had to get the ship back faster than the other team, never said nothing about it not exploding or having it's crew making it out alive”
Which was true, thou the rules would certainly see changes for the next Games.
This year marked the first time the War Games would shift from live exercises to holo-space recreations.
As such many more species joined this time around, most were out of the running by this time however.
The Humans lead by a single event, the Noradons were in second place, the Va'sh in third and the Impshlasms in fourth.
Today was the last four scheduled events: base defense, VIP assassination, survival on a Deathworld and the three-legged race, no one was certain how that last one ended up there...
The Noradons had pulled an upset on the base defense by outsmarting the human attackers, they used the molted exoskeleton of their soldier caste to have their engineers hold the front gate while the soldiers burrowed beneath the entrance and slaughtered the attackers in the resulting pitfall trap.
The VIP assassination had been won by the Va'sh, the human guards had a hard time pulling the trigger when they attacked and the Noradons and Imphlasm simply weren't fast enough.
Thou the moment a Human sniper managed to get his laser sight on the Va'sh VIP, which resulted in his guards accidentally mauling him to death, was considered a Pyrrhic victory.
Smith had been watching the whole thing from his now usual cafeteria table, not much to do when he had already spoken to anyone who allow him to get close to them.
I hope the others had better luck...
Lord Doros approached him and sat down
“I have managed to find no leads”
Smith didn't look at him, to anyone else watching, the Aaen had just whispered to himself.
Is the kitten doing okay?
Lord Doros: “He'll be out of med-bay in a day or so”
Smith gave a barely perceptible nod
G00.106 arrived at the table, she looked in a hurry
“I have a lead! What do you know of the Carlito's Way?”
Lord Doros and Smith looked at each-other nonplus
Smith adventured an answer
“... I don't like the ending I guess?”
G00.106 looked at him like he was an idiot
“What? No I'm talking about a bar in the Commonwealth Capital, Solenia”
She explained how one of her sisters from her hive back home contacted her, to let her know if she wanted in on a gambling scheme she was part of.
“I've made 4 times my initial bet so far!”
Was what she had told her.
G00.106: “My guess is that they're somehow behind the hacking, like the rain that costed the Va'sh the sabotage mission or the Humans weapon misfire when the Va'sh attacked their VIP”
Smith: “I don't think the weapons mis... Anyway, should we contact Lawless and check this bar out?”
Lord Doros: “Yes, this seems like a solid lead”
****************************** Smith, Lord Doros, G00.106 and Lawless made their way to the Carlito's Way.
Lawless insisted on joining the team, citing how as the referee of the Games it was her duty to see those who would defile it brought to justice, thou Smith thought the AI was probably just looking to get away from the incessant complaining from the coaches...
They found the bar with no issues, it had all the proper permits and all taxes were payed.
Lord Doros: “G00.106, you take point”
G00.106 hesitated
“Shouldn't Smith do it?”
Smith: “Normally yes, but you have an actual “in” with the crowd we are trying to infiltrate, I will enter with you as a friend looking to make some money, than”
He points at Lord Doros and Lawless
“They come in later as a couple looking for an out of the way place to have a quiet drink”
Lord Doros: “Anything goes wrong, we back you up”
Smith trying to be reassuring
“See, nothing to be worried about”
G00.106: “Right. Got it!”
She than kicks the door open and while holding her shortened carbine yells
“Nobody move! We know you're conducting illegal operations, you're all under arrest!!!”
Smith and Lord Doros thought at the same time
If we survive I'm killing her myself
Lawless grins, produces a kukri from under he coat and stands in front of G00.106.
The people at the bar barely seem to notice and quickly return to their drinks and talks.
Smith and Lord Doros reluctantly drew their pulse pistols, enter the bar and stood by their colleague.
Smith: “When we get back, if we get back, we need to talk about your infiltration skills”
G00.106: “Why?”
Before smith or Lord Doros could answer, or shoot her, the door in the back opens.
Big Vinny, with Tony in tow, appear.
Smith: What the Hell, a Noradon... Don!?
He seems very calm and he speaks softly as if to an old friend's kid he's trying to explain a complicated notion to.
“What, if may ask, is the reason for this loud and quite frankly disrespectful scene in this, my humble establishment?”
G00.106: “We know what you're doing and you're going to prison, if we don't kill you right now that is!”
Vinny undisturbed
“I find such a thing rather difficult without any evidence and for any threat against my person”
Vinny snaps his fingers
Half the bar draws weapons and Tony gets in front of his boss, the infiltration team is now outnumbered five to one
Vinny: “You will find it a... Difficult task”
Smith was curious, if he was going to die today he just had to ask
“Okay, what's with the outfit?”
Vinny, positively beaming
“You like it? I modelled it after Tony Montanas's suit in Scarface”
Smith, now less curious and more confused
“The movie?”
Vinny: “Yes, we like your “mafia”, quite a novel idea”
Lawless: “Yeah well, organize crime is nothing new and even if you get rid of us more will come”
Vinny: “Crime? What crime?”
G00.106: “You rigged the War Games and make bets on them, my sisters called me and told me all about it!”
Vinny got in front of Tony, he was frowning
“Did she tell you we were actually fixing the events?”
G00.106 seemed a lot less confident all of a sudden
“Well not in so many words, no”
The rest of the team looked at her and than at each-other
Vinny: “We have a group of ex-military professionals analyze the strategies of the teams and a Krush run the odds, than we place bets on events where the margin of error matches the betting spread”
Smith: “So you aren't the ones hacking the Games?”
Vinny genuinely surprised
“The Games are getting hacked!? Well, we have nothing to do with that, we're just honest mafiosy”
Smith still concerned and very aware of the multitude of guns pointed in their direction.
“You do know they're the bad guys right?”
Vinny: “Of course but that's because they break the law”
G00.106: “Ha! Like you don't”
Smith came to a horrible realization
“Lawless could you run a quick background check on the people here for outstanding warrants”
Lawless closed her eyes for a second, smiled awkwardly and sheathed her kukri.
“No criminal records, not even a ticket and they have permits for those guns”
Lord Doros: “It seems we made a mistake”
Vinny: “Quite so but don't worry, this was exhilarating! Rocco Two Hands had been itching for a reason to draw his guns”
Vinny waved at Rocco, who was standing behind Smith
Smith looked back expecting a Noradon with only two arms but what he saw was a Noradon drone with all of his arms and a backpack with another set of four mechanical ones allowing him to hold eight guns total, all aimed at his head.
Smith: “Rocco TWO hands?”
Vinny: “It's short for Two Sets of Hands, alright fellows put the hardware away, you're scaring the tourists”
At this the entire bar sat down and no one even looked at the four who now awkwardly sheathed and holstered weapons before leaving.
Vinny as he waves them good bye
“Arividerchi!”
The four walked in silence for a while until Lawless spoke
“This never happened, agreed?”
No one said anything, there was no need.
On the way back to Commonwealth Law Lord Doros got a message on his datapad
“We have a new mission”
****************************** Lawless was spectating the survival event of the games in the cafeteria.
We didn't find the culprits, we didn't even find how they did it... Thou given how they could have done much worse than add random shit I guess we should consider ourselves lucky.
A/O had joined the other VIPs, they were curious about how things would turn out.
He approached in his holographic avatar, a small crystal cube with a single leaf inside it.
“Greetings Lawless, are you enjoying the Games?”
Lawless: “Yes, kinda”
A/O: “Is there something not to your liking? I could modify the templates further”
Lawless stopped looking at the screen and turned to the floating cube
“I'm sorry, modify the templates further?”
The cube floated up and down, trying to imitate a nod
“Yes, we found the games too easy to predict, so we added semi-random events to make sure the Games remained interesting”
Lawless, was at a loss for words an entity that wanted to boil down all the universe to a single equation had somehow hacked into the Games to “spice things up”
She mulled over a few words, a couple of ideas and just... Gave up, they hadn't hurt anyone and at least they showed an interest. She resumed watching the screen.
“Just out of curiosity, are there any modifications to the current event?”
A/O: “Yes, in the next 12 seconds the tectonic plates where the teams are situated will begin to move”
Lawless: “An earthquake?”
A/O: “Correct”
Lawless: “... During the cooking portion of the event?”
A/O: “Is that a problem?”
Screaming and some really ingenious curses can be heard from the screen as holo projections of the teams catch fire, fall face first into their food or right into their makeshift cauldrons.
Lawless shrugs
“I guess not”
****************************** Captain Grace was on a mission, she was stalking a beautiful Va'sh, a white angora kitten wearing a butlers' outfit!
She applied some more scent blockers, checked her ceramic second skin under armor, activated noise cancellers on her boots and a camo-suit to become virtually undetectable.
The kitten took a turn into a cargo hold, she followed slowly and when she felt the Va'sh couldn't possibly dodge her, she jumped!
The hologram disappeared and the door locked behind her.
Before she could look behind, someone had put a bracelet on her right hand and in the time it took her to look at it an identical one was put on her left hand.
Grace: “What is the meaning of this!”
Smith and Lord Doros simply pointed up, to a viewing window
Grace looked up and paled, Admiral Alexis, Warlord M'r'm, Alisia Black, Lady EliIi, 3.14, Ambassador Paul and the Uv Ambassador were looking down at her.
Alexis: “Grace you have gone too far, consider this an intervention”
He pushed a button and the holographic butler kitten re-appeared.
Alexis: “This is a hard light construct of a real Va'sh, you have only one thing to do, pet the kitty”
Grace was scared but she acquiesced, not that she had a lot of choice...
All those watching winced
Lord Doros and Smith made it in time to catch the “petting”
Lord Doros: I heard the Human expression “there is more than one way to skin a cat”, I guess one of them is to let Captain Grace pet it...
After a couple of minutes Captain Grace stopped
“It's not the saMEEEEEE!”
An electric shock shot out from one bracelet to the other
Grace: “What the Hell was that!”
Admiral Alexis: “That was a mild shock, you will get hit by one every time you pet the Va'sh too hard”
Grace: “Mild shock!? Are you kidding me?”
Alexis, now looking quite angry
“No, this is no joke, now Pet. The. Kitty!”
A few hours and several thousand volts later
Captain Grace looked rough, her ponytail had come undone, actually quite a bit of her hair had curled and some of it was smoking.
She had a weird twitch on her left eye and as far as Admiral Alexis could tell she stopped blinking a while ago...
Alexis: “See, that wasn't so bad?”
Captain Grace in a monotone voice
“Yes, not so bad”
Warlord M'rm'n felt generous and removed his tricorne hat and offered his head to the Captain.
“Here”
Captain Grace hesitated but ultimately pet the Va'sh head, very gently
M'rm'n: “That was nice”
Captain Grace than began twitching uncontrollably and fell to the ground, hugging her knees
“pet the kitty, pet the kitty, pet the kitty...”
Everyone stared
Eventually Lady EliIi felt the need to say out loud what everyone was thinking
“We might have gone too far”
Warlord M'rm'n shrugged
“She got her hands on the Emperor nephew last week, the video of today's intervention should be enough for him to call the hit off”
Admiral Alexis looked at the Va'sh with a mixture of shock and anger
“You're kidding right?”
The Va'sh grinned and Admiral Alexis chose to assume it was a joke, Alisia Black knew better however...
Captain Grace spent a few days in the infirmary of her own ship and is now famous, rather than infamous, with Va'shs throughout known space!
The way she gives the softest pets and how she goes completely catatonic after has made her quite popular...

Bovada Sportsbook:

Bovada is an online sportsbook and casino established in 2011. The platform offers betting on most major US sports leagues and horse racing. It has slots, table games, blackjack, and a variety of other casino games. Plus, Bovada offers live online poker tournaments with players from around the world.
What you will need to do is sign up through my referral link. Make a deposit, and pm me with the deposit amount, and bet through your deposit one time and I'll receive 200% of your deposit up to $100. (You can easily hedge your $100 bet on another Sportsbook to churn through your 1× bet through. Feel free to ask me questions if you have any.) I will receive 200% of your deposit up to $100. Example, if you deposit $50, I'll receive $100 and send you $25 back. Minimum deposit is $20 and max payout from me is $25. Note that you can't withdraw your funds right away or I will lose my referral bonus. After 24 hours, to ensure you don't just withdraw and I lose my bonus, I'll send the money. STEPS: *Comment $bid
*I'll send you link to my referral to sign up or you can use the link below.
*Sign up and deposit $20 or more to receive your payment back from me.

• I'll send out payment via Cashapp, Venmo, PayPal or Chime.

Link:# #https://www.bovada.lv/welcome/P455B02E/join?extcmpid=rafcopy

https://www.bovada.lv/terms-of-service

Sportbetting.ag Sportsbook:

SportsBetting is a one-stop-shop for nearly every popular type of gambling – legal sports betting, casino gaming, horse racing betting, and poker. Headquartered in Panama, the site initially launched in 1999 but was acquired by BetOnline in 2012. Since the acquisition, SportsBetting has become one of the top legal betting sites for players from the United States. It is one of the few legal betting sites that remained in the US market after Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act (UIGEA) of 2006. The federal law has no impact on the legality of online sports betting, but is essentially a banking restriction on unregulated payment processors. SportsBetting is well aware of this law and they have created ways to make sure that bettors can still safely and efficiently receive their winnings. SportsBetting has remained committed to U.S. players and is today one of the best betting sites that accept residents of all 50 states.
SportsBetting offers the complete package for every type of player in the US, and you will find that the site truly outshines the competition in certain areas. Huge bonuses and promotions, the latest betting odds, quick registration, and reliable banking are just some of the strong points of this particular betting site. The overall variety, whether it be the selection of sports or the catalog of casino games, is quite impressive at the online gambling site. In our legal SportsBetting review for US players, we will go into detail on these topics and more.
What you will need to do is sign up through my referral link. Make a deposit, and pm me with the deposit amount. Bet through your deposit one time and I'll receive 200% of your deposit up to $200. (You can easily hedge your $100 bet on another Sportsbook to churn through your 1× bet through. Feel free to ask me questions if you have any.) Example, if you deposit $100, I'll receive $200 and send you $50 back. Minimum deposit is $25 and max payout from me is $50. Note that you can't withdraw your funds right away or I will lose my referral bonus. After 24 hours, to ensure you don't just withdraw and I lose my bonus, I'll send the money.
STEPS:
*Comment $bid
*I'll send you link to my referral to sign up or you can use the link below.
*Sign up and deposit $25 or more and bet through your deposit once to receive your payment back from me.

• I'll send out payment via Cashapp, Venmo, PayPal or Chime.

I have been playing at SportsBetting. Join today and get a 75% bonus to bet on sports... https://sportsbetting.ag/?RAF=AD4XWFF3&product=SPO
I also have other offers on my profile posted for other Sportsbook that can guarantee yourself a few hundred dollars if you sign up before Super bowl. Please feel free to contact me regarding those offers.

Bovada Sportsbook:

Bovada is an online sportsbook and casino established in 2011. The platform offers betting on most major US sports leagues and horse racing. It has slots, table games, blackjack, and a variety of other casino games. Plus, Bovada offers live online poker tournaments with players from around the world.
What you will need to do is sign up through my referral link. Make a deposit, and pm me with the deposit amount, and bet through your deposit one time and I'll receive 200% of your deposit up to $100. (You can easily hedge your $100 bet on another Sportsbook to churn through your 1× bet through. Feel free to ask me questions if you have any.) I will receive 200% of your deposit up to $100. Example, if you deposit $50, I'll receive $100 and send you $25 back. Minimum deposit is $20 and max payout from me is $25. Note that you can't withdraw your funds right away or I will lose my referral bonus. After 24 hours, to ensure you don't just withdraw and I lose my bonus, I'll send the money. STEPS: *Comment $bid
*I'll send you link to my referral to sign up or you can use the link below.
*Sign up and deposit $20 or more to receive your payment back from me.

• I'll send out payment via Cashapp, Venmo, PayPal or Chime.

Link:# #https://www.bovada.lv/welcome/P455B02E/join?extcmpid=rafcopy

https://www.bovada.lv/terms-of-service

Sportbetting.ag Sportsbook:

SportsBetting is a one-stop-shop for nearly every popular type of gambling – legal sports betting, casino gaming, horse racing betting, and poker. Headquartered in Panama, the site initially launched in 1999 but was acquired by BetOnline in 2012. Since the acquisition, SportsBetting has become one of the top legal betting sites for players from the United States. It is one of the few legal betting sites that remained in the US market after Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act (UIGEA) of 2006. The federal law has no impact on the legality of online sports betting, but is essentially a banking restriction on unregulated payment processors. SportsBetting is well aware of this law and they have created ways to make sure that bettors can still safely and efficiently receive their winnings. SportsBetting has remained committed to U.S. players and is today one of the best betting sites that accept residents of all 50 states.
SportsBetting offers the complete package for every type of player in the US, and you will find that the site truly outshines the competition in certain areas. Huge bonuses and promotions, the latest betting odds, quick registration, and reliable banking are just some of the strong points of this particular betting site. The overall variety, whether it be the selection of sports or the catalog of casino games, is quite impressive at the online gambling site. In our legal SportsBetting review for US players, we will go into detail on these topics and more.
What you will need to do is sign up through my referral link. Make a deposit, and pm me with the deposit amount. Bet through your deposit one time and I'll receive 200% of your deposit up to $200. (You can easily hedge your $100 bet on another Sportsbook to churn through your 1× bet through. Feel free to ask me questions if you have any.) Example, if you deposit $100, I'll receive $200 and send you $50 back. Minimum deposit is $25 and max payout from me is $50. Note that you can't withdraw your funds right away or I will lose my referral bonus. After 24 hours, to ensure you don't just withdraw and I lose my bonus, I'll send the money.
STEPS:
*Comment $bid
*I'll send you link to my referral to sign up or you can use the link below.
*Sign up and deposit $25 or more and bet through your deposit once to receive your payment back from me.

• I'll send out payment via Cashapp, Venmo, PayPal or Chime.

I have been playing at SportsBetting. Join today and get a 75% bonus to bet on sports... https://sportsbetting.ag/?RAF=AD4XWFF3&product=SPO
I also have other offers on my profile posted for other Sportsbook that can guarantee yourself a few hundred dollars if you sign up before Super bowl. Please feel free to contact me regarding those offers.