The Aftermath of the Osirius Apocalypse

 The Osirius Apocalypse. 

In the aftermath of the Osirius apocalypse, the once vibrant planet lay in ruins. 

The skies, a tapestry of swirling purples and oranges, bore witness to the resilience of the Osirians. Amidst the desolation, a new hope emerged as the survivors banded together to rebuild their world from the ashes.

Coming a short story set in this posta-apocalyptic planet Osirius

Diabetic: Forever Rid Yourself of Gestational Diabetes?

 

Gestational diabetes can occur in any pregnant woman, but there are certain risk factors that make it more likely:

A woman is overweight. She is over 30.

She has a strong family history of diabetes.

She had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.

She previously had a baby weighing more than 9 pounds at birth.

She has polycystic ovary syndrome.

She has glycosuria, or glucose in the urine.

She has impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. These conditions are characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose, the first after fasting and the second after consuming a high-glucose drink.

She is black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, or a Pacific Islander.

How Is Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed?

The routine test used to diagnose gestational diabetes is called a glucose challenge. The woman consumes a drink with 50 grams of glucose; an hour later, her blood is tested to see how well the body has processed that glucose. If her blood glucose level is 140 milligrams/deciliter or more, the doctor will prescribe a second test, known as a glucose tolerance test, to confirm the diagnosis.

After a fast of eight to 12 hours, the woman drinks a liquid with 100 grams of glucose. Then her blood is tested four times, once at baseline and then again each hour for three hours. Two abnormal readings indicate gestational diabetes; one suggests the woman should be screened again in a month.

Pregnant women at very low risk for gestational diabetes—that is, those who are a member of an ethnic group that has a low prevalence of diabetes, are younger than 25, of normal weight before becoming pregnant, with no close family history of diabetes and no history of abnormal glucose tolerance or troublesome pregnancies—might not be screened at all. Women who are neither at high or low risk should be screened between 24 and 28 weeks into pregnancy. Women at high risk might be screened earlier, although it is not always possible to detect gestational diabetes much before 24 weeks.

Serra's Last Stand

 The Last Stand

Wind whipped at Serra's aged face, the sand swirling around her like a phantasm. Her eyes, the color of twilight, held a steely resolve beneath the faded hood of her robe. Unlike the vibrant greens and blues of the Jedi of old, Serra, the last of the Sepia Jedi, wielded a lightsaber that cast a warm, sepia glow – a dying ember of a fallen order.

The news had reached her remote desert outpost – the Empire, thought vanquished, had returned with a vengeance. The whispers spoke of a relentless dark lord, Darth Vader, and a terrifying space station, the second Death Star, looming over the galaxy. Serra knew she couldn't remain hidden. The Force pulsed with the cries of innocents, a symphony of suffering demanding action.

Her journey took her across desolate moons and forgotten trade routes. Along the way, she encountered pockets of resistance – smugglers hiding refugees, a crippled freighter captain with a defiant spirit. Serra, with her weathered wisdom and unwavering faith in the Force, became a beacon. She trained the desperate in basic lightsaber techniques, her sepia blade a flickering hope in the encroaching darkness.

News of the "Sepia Jedi" spread like wildfire. The Empire, in its arrogance, dismissed her as a relic, a footnote in history. But Serra wasn't seeking glory. Every stormtrooper deflected, every TIE fighter disabled, was a life saved, a small victory against the suffocating tide of oppression.

Finally, she reached the jungle moon of Endor, guided by a flicker of hope in the Force. Here, a ragtag group of Rebel fighters planned a desperate assault on the Death Star. Serra, weary but resolute, joined their ranks.

The ensuing battle was a maelstrom of laser fire and explosions. Serra, her sepia blade a whirlwind, cut down stormtroopers with practiced efficiency. But the true test arrived when she faced Darth Vader. The Dark Lord, a towering figure of mechanical menace, regarded her with cold curiosity.

Their duel was a clash of eras. Vader, relentless and powerful, yet burdened by the weight of his darkness. Serra, a wisp of a woman wielding a dying ember of light, but her movements fueled by the collective hope of a galaxy. The air crackled with energy, the clash of their lightsabers casting an almost mournful glow.

In the end, though, Serra's age and the limitations of the Sepia blade proved too much. Vader disarmed her, his crimson blade humming at her throat. But in that moment, Serra did not falter. She closed her eyes, reaching out with the Force. A surge of energy, a culmination of all the lives she had touched, all the hope she had ignited, flowed out from her.

Vader stumbled back, momentarily overwhelmed. It was a gap, a fraction of a second, but for the Rebels, it was all they needed. The Death Star fell, a fiery monument to the tenacity of a faded order and the last stand of the Sepia Jedi.

Serra may not have lived to see the final victory, but her legacy lived on. The embers she rekindled had sparked a wildfire of rebellion, a testament to the enduring power of the Force, even in its most unorthodox form. The galaxy, forever changed, would never forget the warrior who wielded the sepia blade, the last Jedi who dared to fight back.

Seraphina-The Jedi Angel

 

On the luminous realm of Lumina, where celestial music played and laughter of mortals echoed, resided Seraphina, an angel unlike any other. Her halo, a swirl of golden light, pulsed in rhythm with her breaths, and her wings, shimmering with iridescent hues, concealed a lightsaber, its emerald blade a stark contrast to the ethereal landscape. Seraphina wasn't just an angel; she was a Jedi Knight.

One day, a ripple of darkness disturbed the harmony of the realm. Shadows danced in the corners of Lumina, whispers of an ancient evil, the Fallen Star, a celestial being consumed by darkness, spreading his corruption across the cosmos. The Council of Elders, wise and ancient beings, summoned Seraphina.

"The Fallen Star seeks to tear down the fabric of existence," spoke the Eldest, his voice an echo of cosmic wisdom. "His dark influence threatens not just Lumina, but the balance of all realms."

Seraphina accepted the mission, a resolute nod gracing her ethereal features. Her journey would lead her to the desolate asteroid field of Umbra, where the Fallen Star was said to reside. Mounted on her celestial steed, a majestic silver stag with stardust hooves, she ventured into the unknown.

Days turned into weeks as Seraphina navigated the treacherous asteroid field. She encountered lost souls, victims of the Fallen Star's influence, their once bright auras now flickering with darkness. Using her compassion and Jedi teachings, she guided them back to the light, their restored auras illuminating the asteroids like tiny beacons of hope.

Finally, she reached the heart of Umbra, a colossal asteroid engulfed in shadow. The Fallen Star, once a radiant being, now resembled a grotesque caricature of his former self, his once brilliant light replaced by a swirling vortex of darkness.

A battle ensued, light versus darkness. The emerald blade of Seraphina's lightsaber clashed against the Fallen Star's obsidian staff, their energies creating a dazzling spectacle. Seraphina fought not with anger, but with compassion, hoping to reach the spark of good that remained within the corrupted being.

As the fight raged, Seraphina noticed a flicker of light within the Fallen Star's darkness. Using the Force, she probed his mind, witnessing a past filled with pain and betrayal, a descent into darkness fueled by despair.

With a surge of empathy, Seraphina disarmed him. "Your path doesn't have to be this way," she said, her voice soft but firm. "The light still exists within you. Let it guide you."

The Fallen Star faltered, his monstrous form wavering. The whispers of his past echoed in his mind, fighting against Seraphina's offer. Finally, with a deep, shuddering breath, he yielded.

Guided by Seraphina, the Fallen Star embarked on a path of redemption. Together, they cleansed the corrupted asteroid field, their combined light restoring peace and balance. Seraphina, the Jedi Knight angel, had not just defeated an enemy, but had saved a soul.

The news resonated throughout the realms, a testament to the power of faith, compassion, and the unwavering spirit of a Jedi Knight, one who wielded not just a lightsaber, but the luminous hope of a celestial being. 

From then on, Seraphina became a beacon of hope, reminding everyone that even in the darkest places, the light always finds a way.