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Boxjelly1

Piper Cleaveland
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I'm finalizing the details of how Captain Treta acquired his unique ship and the engine that powers it.


In the original story, what made the Monoceros unique was that it had a Quantum Drive, a more advanced version of the common Hyper Drive. In this universe, most space ships use a Hyper Drive to propel a craft at faster-than-light speed through space. The Quantum Drive is capable of opening channels in the fabric of space and jumping its ship to another part of the universe. Essentially it can detect/ create worm holes, open them and travel through them to the desired destination.


I'd always had this idea that Treta acquired the drive from its inventor, and that he/she/they were a species of alien that the humanoid-centric Federation disregarded as a lower life form and therefore refused to acknowledge as a key player in quantum mechanics and interstellar space travel. In trying to come up with the details of this section of Treta's back story, here's where I'm leaning:


I like the idea that the Quantom Drive is a liquid engine (I've often pictured it as a floating red orb). So it made sense to me that the species who invented it would be an aquatic race.


When the time comes for Captain Treta to commission his own ship, he consults an expert to determine the best designer. His consultant references The Chevalmar, once renowned as master ship builders but a species that's fallen into obscurity in recent decades. They're an aquatic race that reside on a planet covered entirely in water. 50-some years ago a massive hydro harvesting operation took over their planet, and locked out all travel to and from the surface to maintain control over this precious resource.


As Treta investigates the situation, he connects with the leader of the Chevalmar and begins a covert correspondence. The leader, also the inventor (name still pending) tells Treta that they will design and build his master ship if, in return, Treta and his crew help their people get through the barricade to escape their dying planet. Due to over-harvesting, the oceans have become too polluted to sustain life. So they've built ships of their own, equipped with special engines that will allow them to jump to a remote part of the universe where they've located another water planet to make their new home. Despite being able to build incredibly powerful space craft, the Chevalmar are pacifists and refuse to attack their oppressors. Treta is honored to fight the harvesters on their behalf and accepts their offer.


As the ship is being built, Treta's crew spend many months studying the harvesting operation and strategizing their attack. They discover that while ships can't pass through the barrier, small shuttle craft can fall through the atmosphere, evading detection and discretely allowing Treta and his team to meet and consult with the Chevalmar as they work. All the while, Nyoto, Treta's head engineer, collaborates with the inventor, learning about this groundbreaking new Quantum Drive. As a star child, used to traversing the vacuum of space, Nyoto -like the Chevalmar- is able to work with and manipulate the liquid technology.


Once it's complete, Treta and his crew use their new warship to enact the assault, taking out the planet-wide shielding and fending off the harvester's defense force while the Chevalmar escape the atmosphere. Every ship in their fleet is equipped with a Quantum Drive, which they use to seemingly disappear, jumping through space itself to a distant sanctuary.


The attack goes off without a hitch, and as the crew celebrates their first victory in their new ship, Nyoto informs the captain that the Chevalmar included a surprise gift with their delivery. The Monoceros is equipped with a Quantum Drive of its own, as an added thanks for their service.


The way I'm picturing them so far, the Chevalmar look like water horses. I see them having a horse-like head, long strong neck, a salamander body with four short limbs -used more for swimming than dexterity- and a long tail that has a claw-like hand on the end which they use to interact with and manipulate their environment. Living underwater they would communicate telepathically and rely heavily on echolocation.

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Varden Treta

Name: Varden Treta, Captain

Race: Asmurian

Sex: Male

Age: Roughly 127 (in Earth years, at the start of TNT)

Height: 8'5"


Background: (Spoiler Warning) Varden was born on Asmur, the Asmurian Home World. The Treta Pride (family) was well-respected, but held no significant power or influence within their community. Varden's mother, Prihavack, was determined to change that.


Over the span of her life, Prihavack built a successful career as a Raider, attacking and plundering enemy vessels in record time and with great showmanship. She even competed professionally in one of Asmur's most popular holos, in which live raids were broadcasted for gambling and entertainment. Fame was a fast way to gain Honor, and with Prihavack's popularity, the Treta name was quickly growing stronger. Varden's fondest memories all center around his mother, whether it was watching her compete or playing dress-up with her eccentric costumes. He would later style his iconic image in honor of her memory, choosing the historic seafarer's coat and captain's hat over the more common tech-cloth and combat armor that most Asmurians wear.


The birth of Varden's younger brother Kaivan was unexpected. Most Asmurian mates only produce one heir, if that. Having more than one cub is rare, so when Prihavack found out she was pregnant again, it came as quite the surprise, especially so soon after the birth of their first cub. From young Varden's perspective, he got to grow up with a sparmate and enjoyed playing and fighting with his cub brother. Through adolescence, Varden would do his best to act as a mediator between Kaivan and their mother, while still relishing in the blatant favoritism that she showered on her first born son.


The height of Pride Treta's Honor would soon peak with the death of their Matriarch. Prihavack achieved an Honorable death during a raid of a Deep Space caravan. Varden and Kaivan were still adolescents when it happened, and as they watched the funerary celebration in their mother's honor, the brothers prepared themselves for the impending death of their father Ajon.


Asmurians form a metaphysical bond with their mate, and the longer the pair is together the more connected their essence becomes. For this reason it is very common that when an Asmurian's mate dies, their own life force withers and dies tangentially. It is commonly said that the leading cause of death for Asmurians is war and heartbreak. But, to the dismay of his sons, Ajon Treta lived, long after the window of a symbiotic passing had closed.


When his mate was alive, Ajon casually studied and practiced a tabu sect of Passivism. Prihavack was aware of his interests and supported him in his pursuits -as an educational curiosity- so long as he kept it private. After her passing, Ajon's interests turned to dedication, and he went as far as to join a Passive Pride (organization), swearing an oath of non-violence.


In Ajon's perspective, their warrior-based society was responsible for the death of his mate and, so engulfed in his new dogma, he refused to be a part of it.


The loss of their mother and persistent life of their father tore the Treta Pride apart. Not wanting to abandon his cubs to fend for themselves, Ajon held on to his existence with the hope that he could continue to care for his boys and support them through their shared grieving. But from Varden and Kaivan's perspectives, their father's refusal to die served as the ultimate dishonor of their mother's memory. Surely, Varden thought, his father's bond with Prihavack must have been as week as his foolish new ideas, how else could he go on living if he actually cared for her?


The two had a terrible falling out, Varden even went as far as to attack his father who -on principal- refused to fight back. Ajon was left scarred and bloody as his eldest son walked out of his life, never to speak to him again. Kaivan also distanced himself from Ajon, but privately maintained contact over the years.

To reclaim his Honor, Varden enrolled in the Asmurian Army and thus entered the young adult phase of his life. For many years, his sole focus was warrior training, mastering multiple styles of combat and studying strategy as he quickly and impressively rose through the ranks. Varden served as a soldier for many years, reaching the rank of Captain before joining the special forces. This was short lived, however, and upon reaching mature adulthood, Varden left military service and entered into private practice, serving as security detail for high profile clients.


Kaivan attempted to follow in his brother's pawprints but struggled relentlessly at every turn. It took him twice as long to complete young adulthood, and though he aggressively boasted about his status as a mature adult, Varden quietly feared that his brother was underdeveloped and falsely claiming a higher phase of life that he hadn't actually earned. Varden attempted to address the topic with Kaivan once or twice, but even the mere hint of it would send his cub brother into a violent rage. To report such a falsehood would result in severe punishment from the Asmurian Government, so Varden kept his suspicion to himself and instead did his best to advise and support Kaivan whenever he could.


This proved challenging as Varden's work frequently took him off-planet for long stretches of time. Every return visit involved paying Kaivan's bail or paying off his debts or testifying on his behalf to get him out of a sentence that would further lower his Honor and therefore his rank. Having barely made Second Lieutenant, Kaivan was desperate to prove himself and as such was constantly challenging Asmurians who significantly outranked him.


The beginning of the end occurred while Kaivan was stationed on a remote planetoid with his platoon. He'd convinced himself that he'd found his mate in a hostile Pride Leader, a formidable Asmurian female who not only significantly outranked him and who's people were in a state of opposition with the Home World Government, but who clearly and irrefutably did not reciprocate Kaivan's intention to bond.


The chemical effects of Asmurian bonding can be a great source of power when forged and fostered between two willing participants, but if the bonding process is allowed to develop one-sided without reciprocation it can result in traumatic mental and physical distress.


Refused and attacked by his intended mate, Kaivan's wounded pride and deteriorating mental stability caused him to spiral. But he had spent his life concealing his pain and hiding his insufficiencies, so it was that his final descent was difficult to detect by his superior officers, though many had their suspicions.


Varden was passing through the planetoid's galaxy when he received a message from his brother. In it, Kaivan expressed remorse for his dishonorable behavior in recent years, and lamented the toll it was taking on their relationship. Wanting to make amends, Kaivan asked Varden if he would help him plan a scheduled assault. The hostiles they had been sent to contain were proving more cunning than expected and Kaivan thought his platoon could benefit from Varden's tactical expertise. Eager to bridge the gap that had been forming between them for years, Varden agreed.


The assault was merciless, efficient and left no survivors.


It was also unsanctioned and violated the Separatists Treaty. Varden was informed of this after-the-fact, to his everlasting horror and shame.


Anticipating the fall-out from his crime, Kaivan escaped, leaving Varden to be judged in his place.

Throughout his incarceration and trial, Varden was silently distraught. The devastation of the violence he had committed was unfounded and without Honor. The betrayal of his own kin left him hurt, confused and infuriated. When he stood before the Council to receive his sentence, Varden requested a warrior's execution in the hopes of regaining a shred of his former Honor before being judged in the afterlife.


The Council refused.


Dismay and anger consumed him as they explained that, though his crime was unspeakable, Varden's tactical prowess and bloodshed was a valuable asset to the strength of the Asmurian Army. They wished to covertly reinstate him, assuring Varden that if he agreed to serve, he could work to regain an Honorable rank. When he adamantly refused, the Council sentenced him to a life of banishment.


Varden's send off was marked with a public shaming that was broadcasted to all Asmurian territories. Millions watched as he was forced onto his knees, his mane hacked away and the hair burned -the ultimate display of disgrace for any living Asmurian to endure.

After his banishment, Varden's only thought was to find Kaivan. It didn't take long to hunt him down. The encounter was brief and painful and resulted in Kaivan's death at his brother's hand.


Varden then existed in a wandering state of semi-conscious rage and despair. Far from the Asmur system, he encountered many fellow forlorn travelers, but the one who turned him around was a Devourer by the name Vico Dioli. Dioli had recently escaped an internment camp where he had been held by his captors for 27 years (EY). When Dioli suggested Varden channel his anger at these oppressors, he pounced at the opportunity.


Together they liberated the prisoners, killed the soldiers and staff and burned the camp to the ground. This first attack would become one of many, Varden and Dioli forgging a indomitable friendship, both of them fueled by a rage for injustice and a hunger for vengeance. Over time they gained a reputation, like-minded rebels joined their ranks and with the acquisition of their first assault cruiser they now had a crew. Varden was elected Captain and became more well known throughout Deep Space as Captain Treta, opting to keep the name of his Pride solely in honor of his mother.


Though considered Pirates by the Federation, many within the Deep Space systems viewed Treta and his crew as mercenaries, and their tactical stealth and aggression quickly became a valuable commodity. This enabled Treta to accumulate significant wealth, which he invested in top-of-the-line weaponry, armor and eventually commissioned a star ship, the Monoceros, that would one day become as infamous as the Asmurian who Captained her.


It is in the height of the Monoceros' reign that she is contacted by a powerful anonymous patron, offering an obscene amount of credits and a worthy cause in exchange for the..."liberation" of a valuable energy core from a Federation-controlled research facility. Captain Treta accepts and it is here where our story begins.

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Kala Leahy

Name: Kala Leahy, Ph.D.

Race: Hantae

Sex: Female

Age: 32 (in Earth years, at the start of TNT)

Height: 7'3"


Background: Kala was born on Ursus, the Hantae Home World. Her Mother and Father were doctors, and they encouraged their girls to be scientific, inquisitive about the natural world and open to all possibilities. Kala was the first-born. She decided from a very early age that she would follow in her parent's footsteps and become a physician. As she got older, Kala developed an aptitude for technology and started tinkering with hardware and electronics. She created her first prototypes when she was 15 (EY).


Kala was always close with her younger sister, Veska. The two were inseparable as children and became each other's best friend through adolescence and into adulthood. Veska also decided to pursue the sciences, but her penchant for nature inspired her to become a botanist.


Just before Kala left for college, when Veska was still a young teenager, their mother was diagnosed with Cancer. She fought it for two years, but the treatment on Ursus wasn't enough. Kala took a year off from school after her mother's passing, grieving and meditating in the secluded black shale mountains of their home. When her mourning period ended, Kala returned to her studies, but decided to add xenobiology to her degree.


With lots of time to reflect and research, Kala came to the conclusion that the Hantae doctors would have been able to save her mother's life if they had access to alien technology and medicine. At this point in time, Ursus had yet to enter negotiations with the Galactic Federation. Alien visitors were welcome on their planet, but the Hantae had yet to leave their own solar system and many traditionalists were warry of intergalactic expansion. Part of the Federation's mission is the exchange of information and technology. Had Ursus been a part of the Federation when Kala's mother was diagnosed, her Cancer would have been cured.


Kala made quick work of her undergrad and masters degrees, and by the time she neared graduation for her Ph.D. she had successfully completed and patented her first medical device: a scanner that could quickly assess unknown xeno-physiology to aid physicians in the treatment of alien patients. It proved faster and more accurate than the leading devices on the market and quickly caught the Federation's attention.


As talks began between the Galactic Federation and the Hantae Government, Dr. Leahy was put forward as an ambassadorial candidate. Kala's studies of xenobiology had sparked an insatiable sense of wonder within her about the wider universe and the diverse people and cultures that inhabited it, and having studied in densely populated alien cities on Ursus, Kala was already exposed to many different walks of life. She was excited to grow her knowledge and understanding and wanted to see for herself some of the remarkable worlds that waited beyond the Ursusian atmosphere. So Kala enrolled in the Federation's Ambassador Program and, bidding her family farewell, left with seven other Hantae representatives for the Interstellar Capital in the Alpha Quadrant.


By the time Kala arrived, she received word that her father had been killed, shot by an assailant who was attempting to rob the pharmacy where he worked. The grief that overcame her at her father's passing was far deeper than what she had experienced before, for now she was isolated from the source of her culture and heritage, far from home and unable to mourn with her sister as they had when their mother died. As such, she took solace in her Hantae companions, specifically her mentor Ambassador Nahallo. He was around her father's age, and for the three years of her mourning period she rarely left his side.


On their journey to the Capital, Ambassador Nahallo had observed Kala's incandescent curiosity and excitement to learn. Since loosing her father, that part of Kala had been tucked away, and though she completed the Federation's training and maintained her responsibilities, her ambition was gone. With guidance and compassion, he gradually pushed Kala to rekindle her flame. With his help, Kala ended her mourning period and was once again ready to contribute and explore.


It was during this time, that agents of the Federation's Department for the Advancement of Medical Research had been actively trying to procure intellectual rights to Kala's scanner. She had almost been tempted to part with it, but Ambassador Nahallo advised her to stay strong. An opportunity and a compromise was found when it was decided that Kala would share access to her technology on the condition that she kept the patent and would oversee the Federation's development of her devise on-site at the Tractatio Medical Station.


Kala has been stationed at Tractatio for four months before the events of The Nebula's Tide began.

With the decision to return to working on this story I've also decided to rewrite it. I'd like to tell The Nebula's Tide with my adult voice and perspective, and since I've spent so many years developing the universe and the characters within it, it made sense to start by laying down a solid foundation.


So I'm easing back into writing by starting with Character Dossiers for my main cast. Kala's backstory doesn't really contain any spoilers for the plot of the novel, since most of these details have been explored already in the previously published chapters. Captain Treta's Dossier, however, will be pretty spoiler heavy, just fyi.


A major detail that is new to the story is the inclusion of Kala's medical device, and it's something -I feel- that fills a lot of previous plot holes.


Before, Kala was just inexplicably stationed at this top secret research facility, despite being relatively young and new to traveling off-world. The whole thing felt a little too "Marry Sue" for my liking and it made Treta's finding her too coincidental.


The device solves multiple problems:

  • It explains why Kala has access to this high security location -making her an ideal target for Treta to seek out, instead of stumbling across her.

  • It will act as a catalyst to her switching sides when she learns how the Federation Scientists are stealing her technology for malicious experiments.

  • It will aid Kala in her role as ship surgeon later on when she needs to operate on alien species she's never seen before.


As you can probably tell from my recent uploads, I'm very excited about returning to this project and breathing new life into this world. Captain Treta's Dossier is coming up next, so get hyped!

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As my three most recent posts suggests, I've been playing around with DreamUp, DA's AI image generator. With those uploads, I've touched on my complicated feelings about AI in relation to art. Where I'm at now, my stance is this: It's a fascinating tool, but one that needs regulation.


My issues with AI "art"

  • It takes from other creators without their consent

  • It devalues the hard work of the original creators and threatens the livelihood of those who depend on selling their art

  • The massive upload of AI content is overwhelming the site and burying the work of human artists, making it harder for them to be seen and appreciated


What I appreciate about AI "art"

  • It enables creators to explore visual concepts quickly and from different perspectives

  • The bizarre combination of images stimulates the imagination and inspires new ideas

  • It has great potential to be used as a tool to assist human creators, helping to come up with new landscapes or backgrounds, or (for me and my work) designs for more technical things like spaceships and scifi weaponry



We're currently in the Wild West of AI image generation, with few rules and seemingly endless opportunity. I look forward to the day when we can regulate how this technology is used with the goal of supporting artists, not competing with them.


All that said, I've had a blast putting prompts into this machine and seeing what it makes, especially where my favorite fandoms and original stories are concerned.


It's been fascinating seeing what it does with Nebula's Tide prompts, my space pirate adventure romance I've been working on for 12 years.


The images it's created has really sparked my imagination, and is turning gears in my mind that have been stationary for way too long. So, for those of my followers who are familiar with the world of Kala and Captain Treta, I thought you might get a kick out of these.


Here are some "Epic Movie Posters" that feature a "teal lion-faced alien and a woman wearing a turban."

AI NT Poster
AI NT Poster3
AI NT Poster 4

A couple of portraits that relate to Dr. Kala Leahy

AI Kala Portrait
AI Kala Poster


AI Asmurians

AI Asmurian 2
AI Asmurian

And a chibi Captain Treta :love:

AI Chibi Captain Treta
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Join me on this character exploration of Mok, the main antagonist from the 1980's animated cult classic, Rock and Rule.

You can see the full Reels that I made in this cosplay on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pipercleaveland/

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