Hello again. So, I've gotten my CV in line, contacted the embassy to get the visa process started. Now just to find a job while here in Texas. So, I have a master's in chemistry and have experience with depolymerizing plastics back into crude oil. Currently, I've looked at OMV/Borealis, but not seeing any job openings. I've also checked out EREMA, Most job sites (asides from using german words I have yet to learn, that's on me though, currently working through DW's "course") don't particularly show any jobs comparable to what I'm doing. A lot of quality managing, or technical managing jobs. Would it better just to contact recruiters directly? Thanks in advance, tschüß

In vanilla Factorio, advanced oil processing and coal liquefaction compete with one another. They both ultimately do the same thing, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.
When I was building my vanilla megabase, I came to the realization that AOP had 2 primary advantages: oil never runs out, and crude is more wagon-dense than coal.
The first one is pretty obvious, but the latter merits some discussion.
The amount of petroleum you get from a 25,000 fluid wagon of crude oil run through advanced oil processing is ~37,415. A single 2,000 item cargo wagon of coal produces only ~21,387 petroleum, a good 40% less.
This gives crude oil a potential niche as a tool for saving on train network congestion. Now, there are still plenty of good reasons to use liquefaction (abundance of otherwise useless coal, rocket fuel making is almost 1:1 in terms of wagon density, etc). But it is still at least a competition.
Krastorio 2 makes changes that break both of these.
Crude oil wells eventually run dry. And coal stacks to 200 instead of 50.
So from every perspective now, coal liquefaction seems to be the superior option.
Is there something I'm missing? There could be something I don't know about which offsets this. Perhaps there is something late-game that requires a huge amount of coal that would make you want to dedicate your coal to that instead of oil products.
Or is the only reason to use crude for oil products is that... it would otherwise just sit there, being useless?

oott #ENERGY #OIL #FINANCE

Brent Crude Oil Margin Options (SABR curves) Jun 2, 2023

BZO M[27] 2023 Vol= 0.3983 Strike= 76.5 BZO N[26] 2023 Vol= 0.3822 Strike= 75 BZO Q[25] 2023 Vol= 0.3697 Strike= 75 BZO V[26] 2023 Vol= 0.3533 Strike= 80 https://www.commodityvol.com/permalink/permshort?pay=FHFH1Fog33s8f61cX6cm

oott #ENERGY #OIL #FINANCE

Crude Oil Options (SABR curves) Jun 2, 2023

LO M[14] 2023 Vol= 0.4216 Strike= 71.5 LO N[17] 2023 Vol= 0.3938 Strike= 72 LO Q[17] 2023 Vol= 0.3831 Strike= 71.5 LO U[15] 2023 Vol= 0.3788 Strike= 71.5 LO V[17] 2023 Vol= 0.3770 Strike= 71 https://www.commodityvol.com/permalink/permshort?pay=FHFHUtoBKWhO20wjBlk1

​
This shift in India's oil trade dynamics underscores the growing importance of Russia as a key energy partner. Furthermore, with the imposition of US sanctions, Russia sees an opportunity to expand its market share and strengthen bilateral trade ties. This article explores the surge in Russian oil imports by India, the implications for both countries, and the potential business prospects that arise amidst US sanctions.
India's oil imports from Russia have witnessed a significant surge, surpassing the combined imports from other major suppliers. In recent years, India has diversified its energy sources, looking beyond traditional suppliers to meet its growing demand for oil. The favorable pricing and quality of Russian crude oil have made it an attractive option for Indian refineries. Additionally, Russia's reliability as a long-term supplier and its willingness to collaborate on energy-related infrastructure projects have further solidified the bilateral energy partnership.
US sanctions on Russia has inadvertently presented opportunities for both India and Russia to deepen their energy cooperation. As the US sanctions restrict Russia's access to certain markets, including Europe and the United States itself, the country seeks alternative destinations to export its oil. India, with its growing energy needs and robust refining capabilities, emerges as an attractive market for Russian oil. By increasing its imports from Russia, India can secure a reliable and diverse supply of crude oil, while Russia can diversify its export markets and reduce its dependence on Western markets.
Russian oil imports by India holds the potential to strengthen the bilateral trade ties between the two nations. As India becomes a key market for Russian oil, the countries can explore avenues for deeper collaboration, such as joint ventures, technology transfers, and infrastructure development. Enhanced trade ties can lead to greater economic cooperation, benefiting both nations through increased investment, job creation, and technology exchange. Moreover, closer energy cooperation can pave the way for broader engagement in other sectors, strengthening the overall bilateral relationship.

Fifteen months into the biggest land war in Eurasia since the Second World War, the tables have turned. US and NATO began with a confidence that a proxy war was the only way to roll back Russian influence in Europe. It was aimed to cut Russia down to size and snuff out the incipient multipolar order.On paper it was an ingenious, if diabolical, strategy. Ukrainian blood and NATO weapons would be more than a match for Russia. At the very least, western policymakers surmised, Russia would be bogged down in another protracted ‘Afghanistan’ or ‘Vietnam’ for years, while America would swoop across the world as a rejuvenated superpower. The opposite has occurred.On every front in this proxy war – it is more apt to classify the conflict as a limited great power war – US goals have fallen short. The US’s Weak Hand The international community has stayed scrupulously away from lining up behind the West. Other than its loyal G-6 states in tow, Washington has witnessed a resounding rejection of NATO’s plan to demonise and contain Russia. The Global South has instead discovered an opportunity to advance their own interests and embrace a multipolar world order where weaker states can henceforth bargain for better deals with the major players. India’s foreign policy exemplifies this trend that can today be seen in South America, Africa, Middle East and even in parts of East Asia. Great power geopolitical alignments have also shifted adversely. China – the swing power for the West – has barely budged its position. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Washington has attempted to imagine cleavages between Moscow and Beijing that it could exploit for a new western rapprochement with China. Senior US policymakers, including the President, along with a flurry of European leaders have attempted to court the Xi Jinping regime in an attempt to nudge China away from Russia. But to little avail. The Chinese seem unwilling to jeopardise their partnership with Russia. With their own potential flashpoint right under their nose in Taiwan, Beijing fears a similar fate for itself in the future. Unanticipated Economic Blowback The real trump card in Western hands has always been the economy: the legacy dominance of the US dollar, control over international supply chains, and the ability to arbitrarily impose collective sanctions and isolate a country. These are unique leverages that no other great power can claim to possess as of today. This is where the US truly felt it had the upper hand. It could not only destabilise Russia, perhaps even fatally, but also rewrite a new chapter on globalisation. Yet shockingly again, and despite dramatically severing European energy and industrial linkages with Russia, the blowback to the West has been more severe than the intended impact on the Russian economy. European economies are reeling from inflation and the spectre of de-industrialisation, fueled by a supply side energy and commodity crisis caused by western sanctions. Industrial giants like Germany have slumped into a recession. Economists can no longer deny just how critical the Russian commodity and energy link as well as market access was for European prosperity and industrial vitality. How Russia Escaped, India Too But how did Russia escape its own economic strangulation? Very simply, the non-western world did not commit hara-kiri. China and India along with several other developing economies quickly replaced western markets, providing not only a lifeline to Russian exports but also drew unusual growth benefits of their own from discounted crude oil. Flushed with revenues, Moscow has been able to procure industrial components, machinery and consumer goods necessary for its basic economic stability. Trade with China is estimated to touch $200 billion in 2023, emulating a role played by Germany in the past. As a consequence, Russia defied the double-digit recession forecast for it in 2022 by only contracting by 2.1 percent. Even the IMF projects positive GDP growth for the Russian economy in 2023 and 2024. The War Theatre: Advantage Russia Finally, it is in the war theatre itself where events have unfolded calling into question the entire geopolitical gamble of the West. After the initial phase when Russia received a rude shock about the full extent of NATO’s penetration and the systematic buildup of the Ukrainian armed forces since 2014, Moscow shifted to a strategy of attrition. This meant occupying territory – usually the primary objective of a war – became less important (other than of course the ethnic-Russian dominated Donbass and Crimea) than degrading and destroying the NATO-built force inside Ukraine. Classical war of manoeuvre with large tanks battles in vast open fields or direct assaults on entrenched Ukrainian positions – scenarios that NATO expected and trained the Ukrainian military for and for which it invested in major defence lines around the Donbass – were replaced by gruelling and bloody struggles for strategic cities and gateway towns. Russia has prevailed in all these major urban battles that will help it secure eastern Ukraine. At the same time, Russia has used its offensive firepower to freely strike at military, logistic, high value infrastructure, and command and control targets across Ukraine including in Kyiv. Russia adapted to fight an intelligent and relatively low casualty war of its choosing and not the one NATO had planned to bog it down in. Ukraine-NATO: Outmanned, Underprepared A few themes are now increasingly clear. The bulk of the Ukrainian military force has been largely destroyed in the past 12 months of the war. The replacement units being inducted after the most recent round of NATO training in the UK and elsewhere cannot restore those massive losses. The industrial capacity to wage a big and long war has been severely impaired, not just in Ukraine but in NATO. NATO countries have already sent over $70-80 billion worth of military equipment, with the lion’s share coming from the US. The real constraint now is western production capacity because NATO planners never anticipated a war with a peer competitor that might exceed a few weeks of intense combat. To get a sense of the gap – Russia fires artillery rounds in an afternoon in Ukraine equivalent to at least two months of US production. NATO weapons systems that were fielded to alter the course of the war have come up short. The Russian military seems to be ahead of NATO on at least the following capabilities – air defence, electronic warfare, artillery/counter artillery, and hypersonic missiles. The much-touted Ukrainian counter-offensive is likely to run into the famous monsoon season before it clashes with any Russian formations. What might follow after that is another gasp of NATO-fueled fighting before Russia inflicts its own counter-offensive. The blowback in Ukraine is real and the most significant geopolitical trend of the past year.
Zorawar Daulet Singh is an award winning author and strategic affairs expert based in New Delhi.

Previous
Writer's note: And things wind down.
Tune in next week for date night.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So you're the two Muck Marchers that we had in the healing ward?" James asked with only mild disbelief. "On all... furry now?"
"Deep Sea Assault Force operatives." Driscoll corrected as the three of them stood in the castle's entryway. The battle was effectively over, and all that was left was recovering the injured or dead while also resettling the displaced civilians to temporary housing. James and the two were-folk were somewhat unnecessary as the royal army operated like a well oiled machine.
"Not anymore we're not." Five said in response. "And come on Driz. Even we called ourselves Muck Marchers some times."
James waved his hand dismissively. He didn't really care what they called their former unit. "And you're...." He gestured at the two of them. ".... members of the folk?" He asked uncertainly.
They both nodded.
"I was almost dead." Five said, her large squirrel eyes looking down for a moment as she remembered the drugged out haze she'd been in as a matter of comfort and survival. "Weren't a lot of other options."
"And I was only a few steps behind her." Driscoll added.
"Right." James said. He'd been aware of both of their states when he and Amina had left. ""Fair. And now you're not only were's... but also armed and dressed like ninjas."
Driscoll shrugged. "Only went for the change so that I could get back at the Agency." He said with a nod at the stream of injured soldiers and civilians being brought in on stretchers. "This is a start."
"This is a shit show." James said softly. "What the hell happened? How'd all of-" He gestured at the same scene. "How'd all this get kicked off?"
"Believe it or not, that part was Vickers too." Five answered. "He smelled the golems without even seeing them. Said you fought one kinda like what was out there. He remembered the scent even though he'd still been human back then. Investigated it."
"And caught the Agency off foot." James realized. "Nice."
James smiled and nodded as he saw Veliry enter the castle next to what at first appeared to be a walking door. Then the door turned and James saw Alixan carrying it in both hands. Veliry waved him over to them as Alixan leaned the large slab of wood up against a wall.
James turned back to the two former Muck Marchers.
"Look um... I don't know what you two and Vickers worked out with the King. But get those weapons turned in with Werner and the.... well, I guess it's an armory now if we're arming our soldiers too. Then just.... I don't know, help out. Or go zonk or something. Just don't make any trouble until I know what's going on."
"We can do that." Driscoll replied. "But what's zonk?"
"Is he gonna be okay?" Five asked uncertainly. "The chief I mean. He looked pretty bad. I've never seen anyone burned like that."
James thought about it for a second. "I don't know." He admitted. "Vickers is a tough old bastard. But elemental fire is one of the few things that can do lingering damage to you guys. Depends on what the healers say." Then he shrugged. "Gonna have to get him a can of tuna or something if he makes it though." He said softly, though with their heightened senses both of the Muck Marchers heard him anyways. "Behave." He said with a pointed finger as he moved away and towards the two mages.
-------------------------------
Amina was still going over the casualty list from the "battle" when her father finally returned to the command room.
The royal guard took assassination attempts seriously, King Farrick's own grandfather had been assassinated nearly two centuries earlier and so their protocols for defending against an attempt were intense. Even with the battle over, getting him out of his bunker was an affair of frustrating checks, double checks, and triple checks. And that was before they even took into consideration the fact that the current threat was from "people" who were being puppeted by an enemy through magic. And the fact that the Guardian herself was one of the people who was supposed to be part of the process only made matters worse.
"I understand that its over." He said as he laid a hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her reading and reminding her of how tired she was. Her feet hurt, and she was reminded of what James had said about them only a few days before in a different part of the world. "Such as it can be." Her father finished.
"Yes." She replied as she placed the scroll on the table in front of her and then stepped aside so he could resume his rightful place. Then softly she said. "I don't know how many more of these we can take." She pointed at a crudely drawn map of the affected area of the city. "Our people I mean."
King Farrick nodded, then tilted his head a bit as he noticed the jar sitting on the table. Normally only water or tea, and occasionally light snack foods if a situation took long enough, were the only foods allowed in the command room. The rule was in place to prevent vital documents form getting damaged, and to ensure that nobody was intoxicated during a time of crisis.
"Are those... onions?" He asked as he pulled one out. His eyes narrowed as he smelled the, surprisingly spicy, pickling brine on them. Then he pulled one out and took a bite. He himself hadn't eaten since he'd been spirited away. Yet another protocol in case the would be assassins were also trying to poison him. "Mmmm. Bit hotter than I like. But tasty."
Amina let out a low chuckle.
"You're not surprised to see me back?" She asked.
"Of course I am dear." He said as he swallowed the bite he'd taken. "And happy. And also curious as to why."
She nodded. Then she pointed at the pickles.
"James and I have some good news." She said as she sat down in one of the chairs and began loosening her boots. She decided then and there to stop wearing boots for the foreseeable future.
"Oh?" The King wondered as he turned his chair to face her. He had known from a glance as he entered the room that the situation was, for all intents and purposes, handled for now. "And what's that?" He asked as he took her hand in his. "What could possibly cause MY eldest daughter to set aside decorum and snub those damnable southern zealots by cutting her trip off early?"
Amina smiled. Then kissed his hand.
"You're going to be a grandfather." She said softly.
King Farrick looked down at the spicy pickled onion in his hand, suddenly realizing why she had them. Then he smiled warmly.
"Well then." He said as he offered it to her. "At least one good thing happened on this most terrible night."
Amina took the onion happily and took a bite of her own. Then she watched as a drop of brine dripped off and down onto one of her boots. It landed next to some of the dried brown blood that she'd stepped in earlier, and the smile faded from her face.
King Farrick saw what she looked at and glanced over to where a few of the castle staff were scrubbing at the stones near the door.
He couldn't let his daughter stay down like that.
"Your mother...." He began as he gave her hand a squeeze. Amina looked up at him curiously. "Also liked spicy things when she was carrying you and your siblings." Then he nodded as the memory came back to him. "But in her case it was cheese. Spicy food and cheese. She'd literally wrap peppers in that creamy cheese that they make over in the Nedari peninsula"
Amina smiled again. "That actually sounds fantastic." She admitted.
The King smiled and laughed gently. Then he gestured at the room around them, and all the people bustling within it.
"Go rest now daughter." He said. "You were not even supposed to be here tonight. I'll see to the rest of this." Amina was too tired and sore to argue it, even if her soldierly instincts told her to stay and see it through.
And as she stood up her father embraced her in a hug. The room quieted for a moment, then everyone made the determination NOT to interrupt what was clearly a moment with the royals, and resumed as they were.
"I think you're going to have to go fetch cheese next. Onion boy." One of the junior officers whispered to the one that had procured the onions earlier. They said it as quiet as was possible given the room's noise level. Even as juniors they knew not to let on that they had been listening.
---------------------------
Nguyen paused to drink from the canteen he'd been given from their new supply room as he took a moment to rest. He'd spent the last few hours helping the other Earth personnel as they did the most menial of tasks needed right now, moving supplies from one spot to the other. This of course only began AFTER several of the royal guards had ensured that their weapons had been returned to storage, and that all of them had been accounted for.
When it had become clear that they'd missed the action, albeit only by minutes, Nguyen and the new ACTING first sergeant had put their people to task helping move the injured and later getting supplies distributed to wherever the Petravians needed them. In this case they were helping move and unpack large tents. A past time that any soldier who'd spent any amount of time in the field knew how to do.
What had surprised him, wasn't that they were setting up tents. It was WHO they set the tents up for.
He had expected them to be used for the wounded, or the Petravian soldiers who had been called away from their homes so they could have a place to rack out for a bit. And he wasn't wrong about that. A few of the tents were being used for those purposes. But most of the tents were being used for the displaced citizens of the city. Those tired, confused, and scared people who had already been refugees in the buildings they'd been living in. Nguyen was surprised to learn that those buildings had been hastily built for them after their previous homes had been destroyed less than a year before. For many of them this was the second time the King had needed to temporarily house them on his own castle grounds with their military tents. Though the few he managed to talk to HAD mentioned that at least this time it was summer, and that for the most part not many of their houses had been outright destroyed.
He was reminded of a humanitarian mission he'd done after the War on Earth had ended. He'd been helping displaced Floridians set up a series of conex houses in one of the resettlement camps that had been needed after much of the Florida coast had been made unlivable. If anything, he thought these tents might have been the better option.
This is what we should have been doing over here. He thought as he saw Perkesse and another soldier lifting up the central support pole for one of the tents while others kept the lines taut. We should have been helping.
"Watch out top." Someone said as they trundled along. They and one of the marines were carrying one of the large red crimson bundles between them.
"I'm not top anymore." He corrected them as he moved out of the way. "Now it's just Sergeant. Williams is First now."
"Uh huh." The Marine said as she passed, clearly not buying it.
And just like that Nguyen was snapped out of his thoughts and moving to get the next bit of work done.
There was gonna be a lot of it to do if they wanted to make up for what they'd done.
What he'd LET them do.

Previous / First
Writer's note: And things wind down.
Tune in next week for date night.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So you're the two Muck Marchers that we had in the healing ward?" James asked with only mild disbelief. "And you're all... furry now?"
"Deep Sea Assault Force operatives." Driscoll corrected as the three of them stood in the castle's entryway. The battle was effectively over, and all that was left was recovering the injured or dead while also resettling the displaced civilians to temporary housing. James and the two were-folk were somewhat unnecessary as the royal army operated like a well oiled machine.
"Not anymore we're not." Five said in response. "And come on Driz. Even we called ourselves Muck Marchers some times."
James waved his hand dismissively. He didn't really care what they called their former unit. "And you're...." He gestured at the two of them. ".... members of the folk?" He asked uncertainly.
They both nodded.
"I was almost dead." Five said, her large squirrel eyes looking down for a moment as she remembered the drugged out haze she'd been in as a matter of comfort and survival. "Weren't a lot of other options."
"And I was only a few steps behind her." Driscoll added.
"Right." James said. He'd been aware of both of their states when he and Amina had left. ""Fair. And now you're not only were's... but also armed and dressed like ninjas."
Driscoll shrugged. "Only went for the change so that I could get back at the Agency." He said with a nod at the stream of injured soldiers and civilians being brought in on stretchers. "This is a start."
"This is a shit show." James said softly. "What the hell happened? How'd all of-" He gestured at the same scene. "How'd all this get kicked off?"
"Believe it or not, that part was Vickers too." Five answered. "He smelled the golems without even seeing them. Said you fought one kinda like what was out there. He remembered the scent even though he'd still been human back then. Investigated it."
"And caught the Agency off foot." James realized. "Nice."
James smiled and nodded as he saw Veliry enter the castle next to what at first appeared to be a walking door. Then the door turned and James saw Alixan carrying it in both hands. Veliry waved him over to them as Alixan leaned the large slab of wood up against a wall.
James turned back to the two former Muck Marchers.
"Look um... I don't know what you two and Vickers worked out with the King. But get those weapons turned in with Werner and the.... well, I guess it's an armory now if we're arming our soldiers too. Then just.... I don't know, help out. Or go zonk or something. Just don't make any trouble until I know what's going on."
"We can do that." Driscoll replied. "But what's zonk?"
"Is he gonna be okay?" Five asked uncertainly. "The chief I mean. He looked pretty bad. I've never seen anyone burned like that."
James thought about it for a second. "I don't know." He admitted. "Vickers is a tough old bastard. But elemental fire is one of the few things that can do lingering damage to you guys. Depends on what the healers say." Then he shrugged. "Gonna have to get him a can of tuna or something if he makes it though." He said softly, though with their heightened senses both of the Muck Marchers heard him anyways. "Behave." He said with a pointed finger as he moved away and towards the two mages.
-------------------------------
Amina was still going over the casualty list from the "battle" when her father finally returned to the command room.
The royal guard took assassination attempts seriously, King Farrick's own grandfather had been assassinated nearly two centuries earlier and so their protocols for defending against an attempt were intense. Even with the battle over, getting him out of his bunker was an affair of frustrating checks, double checks, and triple checks. And that was before they even took into consideration the fact that the current threat was from "people" who were being puppeted by an enemy through magic. And the fact that the Guardian herself was one of the people who was supposed to be part of the process only made matters worse.
"I understand that its over." He said as he laid a hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her reading and reminding her of how tired she was. Her feet hurt, and she was reminded of what James had said about them only a few days before in a different part of the world. "Such as it can be." Her father finished.
"Yes." She replied as she placed the scroll on the table in front of her and then stepped aside so he could resume his rightful place. Then softly she said. "I don't know how many more of these we can take." She pointed at a crudely drawn map of the affected area of the city. "Our people I mean."
King Farrick nodded, then tilted his head a bit as he noticed the jar sitting on the table. Normally only water or tea, and occasionally light snack foods if a situation took long enough, were the only foods allowed in the command room. The rule was in place to prevent vital documents form getting damaged, and to ensure that nobody was intoxicated during a time of crisis.
"Are those... onions?" He asked as he pulled one out. His eyes narrowed as he smelled the, surprisingly spicy, pickling brine on them. Then he pulled one out and took a bite. He himself hadn't eaten since he'd been spirited away. Yet another protocol in case the would be assassins were also trying to poison him. "Mmmm. Bit hotter than I like. But tasty."
Amina let out a low chuckle.
"You're not surprised to see me back?" She asked.
"Of course I am dear." He said as he swallowed the bite he'd taken. "And happy. And also curious as to why."
She nodded. Then she pointed at the pickles.
"James and I have some good news." She said as she sat down in one of the chairs and began loosening her boots. She decided then and there to stop wearing boots for the foreseeable future.
"Oh?" The King wondered as he turned his chair to face her. He had known from a glance as he entered the room that the situation was, for all intents and purposes, handled for now. "And what's that?" He asked as he took her hand in his. "What could possibly cause MY eldest daughter to set aside decorum and snub those damnable southern zealots by cutting her trip off early?"
Amina smiled. Then kissed his hand.
"You're going to be a grandfather." She said softly.
King Farrick looked down at the spicy pickled onion in his hand, suddenly realizing why she had them. Then he smiled warmly.
"Well then." He said as he offered it to her. "At least one good thing happened on this most terrible night."
Amina took the onion happily and took a bite of her own. Then she watched as a drop of brine dripped off and down onto one of her boots. It landed next to some of the dried brown blood that she'd stepped in earlier, and the smile faded from her face.
King Farrick saw what she looked at and glanced over to where a few of the castle staff were scrubbing at the stones near the door.
He couldn't let his daughter stay down like that.
"Your mother...." He began as he gave her hand a squeeze. Amina looked up at him curiously. "Also liked spicy things when she was carrying you and your siblings." Then he nodded as the memory came back to him. "But in her case it was cheese. Spicy food and cheese. She'd literally wrap peppers in that creamy cheese that they make over in the Nedari peninsula"
Amina smiled again. "That actually sounds fantastic." She admitted.
The King smiled and laughed gently. Then he gestured at the room around them, and all the people bustling within it.
"Go rest now daughter." He said. "You were not even supposed to be here tonight. I'll see to the rest of this." Amina was too tired and sore to argue it, even if her soldierly instincts told her to stay and see it through.
And as she stood up her father embraced her in a hug. The room quieted for a moment, then everyone made the determination NOT to interrupt what was clearly a moment with the royals, and resumed as they were.
"I think you're going to have to go fetch cheese next. Onion boy." One of the junior officers whispered to the one that had procured the onions earlier. They said it as quiet as was possible given the room's noise level. Even as juniors they knew not to let on that they had been listening.
---------------------------
Nguyen paused to drink from the canteen he'd been given from their new supply room as he took a moment to rest. He'd spent the last few hours helping the other Earth personnel as they did the most menial of tasks needed right now, moving supplies from one spot to the other. This of course only began AFTER several of the royal guards had ensured that their weapons had been returned to storage, and that all of them had been accounted for.
When it had become clear that they'd missed the action, albeit only by minutes, Nguyen and the new ACTING first sergeant had put their people to task helping move the injured and later getting supplies distributed to wherever the Petravians needed them. In this case they were helping move and unpack large tents. A past time that any soldier who'd spent any amount of time in the field knew how to do.
What had surprised him, wasn't that they were setting up tents. It was WHO they set the tents up for.
He had expected them to be used for the wounded, or the Petravian soldiers who had been called away from their homes so they could have a place to rack out for a bit. And he wasn't wrong about that. A few of the tents were being used for those purposes. But most of the tents were being used for the displaced citizens of the city. Those tired, confused, and scared people who had already been refugees in the buildings they'd been living in. Nguyen was surprised to learn that those buildings had been hastily built for them after their previous homes had been destroyed less than a year before. For many of them this was the second time the King had needed to temporarily house them on his own castle grounds with their military tents. Though the few he managed to talk to HAD mentioned that at least this time it was summer, and that for the most part not many of their houses had been outright destroyed.
He was reminded of a humanitarian mission he'd done after the War on Earth had ended. He'd been helping displaced Floridians set up a series of conex houses in one of the resettlement camps that had been needed after much of the Florida coast had been made unlivable. If anything, he thought these tents might have been the better option.
This is what we should have been doing over here. He thought as he saw Perkesse and another soldier lifting up the central support pole for one of the tents while others kept the lines taut. We should have been helping.
"Watch out top." Someone said as they trundled along. They and one of the marines were carrying one of the large red crimson bundles between them.
"I'm not top anymore." He corrected them as he moved out of the way. "Now it's just Sergeant. Williams is First now."
"Uh huh." The Marine said as she passed, clearly not buying it.
And just like that Nguyen was snapped out of his thoughts and moving to get the next bit of work done.
There was gonna be a lot of it to do if they wanted to make up for what they'd done.
What he'd LET them do.

I might be dumb or just missing something completely...
I have a basic train setup: Train stops, idles until fluid wagons are full, leaves, stops and empties all wagons...
The problem is this: The automation needs to set that if crude oil = 0, it must leave and if it sets to = 75k, it moves on.
But NOWHERE in the signals can I find the option for crude oil (only barrels, but they don't work) but all other circuit networks have fluid signals?
Am I missing something? I can't for the life of me figure it out and it's bugging me.