diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3a37d204..da5c2add 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ GameUserSettings.ini
 ostree/*.repo
 *.sops.*.tmp
 *.code-workspace
-*venv*
-*venv*/**
+#*venv*/**
 .decrypted~*
 .ignore~*
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..15a9b8b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "dots/k9s/.source"]
+	path = dots/k9s/.source
+	url = https://github.com/derailed/k9s
diff --git a/.mise.toml b/.mise.toml
index 13ede524..a4b647a8 100644
--- a/.mise.toml
+++ b/.mise.toml
@@ -5,21 +5,32 @@ kubectx = ["0.9.5"]
 fzf = ["0.52.1"] # used by kubectx interactive mode
 kustomize = ["5.3.0"]
 flux2 = "2.2.3"
-talosctl = ["1.6.7", "1.5.4", "1.3.6"]
-talhelper = ["1.16.2"]
+talosctl = ["1.7.5", "1.6.7", "1.5.4", "1.3.6"]
+talhelper = ["3.0.5", "1.16.2"]
 cilium-cli= ["0.15.14"]
 1password-cli = ["2.24.0"]
 restic = ["0.16.4"]
-k9s = ["0.32.4"]
+k9s = ["0.32.5"]
 soft-serve = ["0.7.4"]
 #pulumi = ["3.95.0"]
 python = ["3.11"]
 
+# TODO: experimental backends
+#rust = ["1.80.1"]
+#"cargo:cargo-binstall" = ["1.10.2"]
+#"cargo:atac" = ["0.17.0"]
+#go = ["1.22.6"]
+#"go:github.com/gcla/termshark/v2/cmd/termshark" = ["2.4.0"]
+#[settings]
+#experimental = true # Cargo backend
+
 [env]
 KUBECTL_INTERACTIVE_DELETE = "true"
 KUBECTL_COMMAND_HEADERS = "true"
+K9S_CONFIG_DIR = "{{config_root}}/dots/k9s"
 #SSH_AUTH_SOCK = $(gpgconf --list-dirs agent-ssh-socket)
 _.python.venv = { path = ".venv", create = true } # create the venv if it doesn't exist
 
 [plugins]
 talhelper = "https://github.com/bjw-s/asdf-talhelper.git"
+
diff --git a/.venv/.gitignore b/.venv/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..20277e83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.venv/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# this gitignore is to have the directory present so Mise can create the venv with 0 user interaction
+*
+!.gitignore
diff --git a/dots/k9s/.gitignore b/dots/k9s/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6cb5d55c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dots/k9s/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+clusters/**/benchmarks.yaml
+benchmarks/**
+screen-dumps/**
+**/k9s.log
+
diff --git a/dots/k9s/.source b/dots/k9s/.source
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..35893ce4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dots/k9s/.source
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 35893ce49b941c8a2b8706a50cfc35a449572231
diff --git a/dots/k9s/aliases.yaml b/dots/k9s/aliases.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0a5005cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dots/k9s/aliases.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+aliases:
+  # k9s defaults
+  sec: v1/secrets
+  jo: jobs
+  cr: clusterroles
+  crb: clusterrolebindings
+  ro: roles
+  rb: rolebindings
+  np: networkpolicies
+  # mine
+  dp: deployments
+  rsrc: ReplicationSource
+  rdst: ReplicationDestination
+  cron: cronjob
diff --git a/dots/k9s/clusters/biohazard/biohazard/config.yaml b/dots/k9s/clusters/biohazard/biohazard/config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..046bdd4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dots/k9s/clusters/biohazard/biohazard/config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+k9s:
+  cluster: biohazard
+  skin: transparent
+  namespace:
+    active: all
+    lockFavorites: true
+    favorites:
+    - all
+    - kube-system
+    - rook-ceph
+    - monitoring
+    - dns
+    - flux-system
+    - ingress
+    - pg
+    - minio-nas
+    - authentik
+    - media
+    - apps
+    - vm-ad
+    - system-upgrade-controller
+  view:
+    active: pods
+  featureGates:
+    nodeShell: true
+  portForwardAddress: '[::]'
diff --git a/dots/k9s/config.yaml b/dots/k9s/config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2d7c07f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dots/k9s/config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+k9s:
+  #skin: dracula
+  skin: transparent
+  liveViewAutoRefresh: true
+  ui:
+    enableMouse: true
+    reactive: true
+  #imageScans:
+  #  enable: false
+  #  exclusions:
+  #    namespaces: []
+  #    labels: {}
+  logger:
+    tail: -1
+    sinceSeconds: -1
+    fullScreen: true
+    textWrap: true
+  thresholds:
+    cpu:
+      critical: 90
+      warn: 70
+    memory:
+      critical: 90
+      warn: 70
+  namespace:
+    active: all
+    lockFavorites: true
+    favorites: [all, kube-system, rook-ceph, monitoring, dns, flux-system, ingress, pg]
diff --git a/dots/k9s/skins b/dots/k9s/skins
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..c5bb7fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dots/k9s/skins
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+./.source/skins
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dots/vimrc b/dots/vimrc
index 10f4469b..6a2ca86b 100644
--- a/dots/vimrc
+++ b/dots/vimrc
@@ -7,6 +7,46 @@
 " ---
 " CREDITS:
 "   https://github.com/amix/vimrc - Basic Config
+"
+
+" nocompatible, placed first so all others below follow this
+set nocompatible
+
+" set vim tmp files (https://stackoverflow.com/a/61585014)
+if has('win32')
+    set noundofile
+    set nobackup
+    set noswapfile
+    set undodir=
+    set backupdir=
+    set directory=
+elseif has('mac') || has('unix')
+    set undofile
+    set undolevels=1000         " How many undos
+    set undoreload=10000        " number of lines to save for undo
+    
+    set backup                        " enable backups
+    set swapfile                      " enable swaps
+    
+    set undodir=/tmp/.vim/tmp/undo"     " undo files
+    set backupdir=/tmp/.vim/tmp/backup " backups
+    set directory=/tmp/.vim/tmp/swap   " swap files
+endif
+
+" Make those folders automatically if they don't already exist.
+if !isdirectory(expand(&undodir))
+    call mkdir(expand(&undodir), "p")
+endif
+if !isdirectory(expand(&backupdir))
+    call mkdir(expand(&backupdir), "p")
+endif
+if !isdirectory(expand(&directory))
+    call mkdir(expand(&directory), "p")
+endif
+
+" set yank to: remember last 100 files' marks, yank across files if <10k lines
+" and <5MB, and disable search highlighting on startup
+set viminfo='100,<10000,s5000,h
 
 " Sets how many lines of history VIM has to remember
 set history=500