71||0|4930|0|yes
0|0|0|||||First Dates and Firefights|drakensis||03:23:28|06/15/2013|...there were%2C what%3F Three different plot threads going on%3A Tau Ceti%2C Ohtori Academy%2C Babylon 5...%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd EVERY time the story went from one to another I went %22Wait%2C no%2C come back I want to see this one play out...%22 which ever thread I was leaving.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s very impressive. I get the feeling I might have appreciated it more if I%27d just re-read Clarion Call%2C admittedly. Oh well. I probably WILL re-read that one shortly anyway...
1|1|0|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|mdg1||07:31:40|06/15/2013|Confused now...  if Sagara isn%27t working for Kaname%27s parents...%0D%0A%0D%0AShould I recognize Leyna from somewhere%3F  I did a quick Google%2C but it didn%27t lead me anywhere productive.
2|2|1|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Matrix Dragon||08:01:43|06/15/2013|%3EConfused now...  if Sagara isn%27t working for Kaname%27s parents... %0D%0A%0D%0AWe%27ve known all along Sosuke wasn%27t working for Mars Division. It was confirmed back in DSM. It does look like he%27s at least scored some solid respect from the people that have no doubt been heavily investigating him and his mission. Garibaldi%27s irritation with him%2C and pointing out that he%27d have been able to do his job better operating openly in this case really delighted me.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe reveal of the source of Kanames abilities is an interesting one%2C especially since I%27ve been curious about the UF Invid ever since Ariel made an appearance in the second Sterling mini-series%2C especially given how the Invid were apparently just GENOM built mecha originally. This also leads to the amusing scenario where Sosuke is weirder then the multi-species hybrid with a somewhat glitchy telepathic link to a the Hivemind.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe scene with Rory and the Roman Legion is already well on it%27s way to being one of my favorite UF moments. But then%2C I%27m a sucker for anything involving the Last Centurion. %0D%0A%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%2C J. Random Nutter
3|3|2|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|mdg1||08:09:26|06/15/2013|%3E%3EConfused now...  if Sagara isn%27t working for Kaname%27s parents... %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWe%27ve known all along Sosuke wasn%27t working for Mars Division. It was %0D%0A%3Econfirmed back in DSM. It does look like he%27s at least scored some %0D%0A%3Esolid respect from the people that have no doubt been heavily %0D%0A%3Einvestigating him and his mission. Garibaldi%27s irritation with him%2C %0D%0A%3Eand pointing out that he%27d have been able to do his job better %0D%0A%3Eoperating openly in this case really delighted me. %0D%0A%0D%0APoint.  I%27m not as good at keeping all of this in my head as I used to be. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThe scene with Rory and the Roman Legion is already well on it%27s way %0D%0A%3Eto being one of my favorite UF moments. But then%2C I%27m a sucker for %0D%0A%3Eanything involving the Last Centurion. %0D%0A%0D%0AAlthough I could see him being snarkier regarding Amy.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Do you guard the Pandorica still%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Only during study hall.%22
19|4|3|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||14:10:11|06/16/2013|%3EAlthough I could see him being snarkier regarding Amy. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22Do you guard the Pandorica still%3F%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22Only during study hall.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C Amy was never the Pandorica.  In the final analysis%2C that was ultimately just a box.%0D%0A%0D%0AAmy was the hope that remained at the bottom when everything else had escaped.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
22|5|19|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|mdg1||15:24:00|06/16/2013|True%2C but Amy was the bit Rory cared about....
4|1|0|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|BZArcher||14:53:27|06/15/2013|Man%2C that was satisfying. So nice to see the pieces starting to fit together. %0D%0A%0D%0ABoy%2C I can%27t wait to see exactly what kind of train wreck Nanami%27s recruiting mission is going to be...
5|1|0|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|sideways||17:57:09|06/15/2013|So%2C the Hand of Wrath and the Hand of Doom are both %5Bi%5Dright%5B%2Fi%5D hands. This indicates that they are not meant to be wielded by the same person.  It also means that the set could conceivably be any number strong%2C whereas if it were the Left Hand of Wrath that would heavily imply them to be a matched pair.  Doom is not a cardinal sin%2C thankfully%2C which rules out the proposed theory as to theme.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso I %5Bi%5Dlike%5B%2Fi%5D the Castellan.
6|2|5|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|The Traitor||21:15:53|06/15/2013|Or that the original wielder was one of the many creatures to have had multiple sets of arms...%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0A%22Yeah%2C I%27m definitely going to hell%2FBut I%27ll have all the best stories to tell%22 -- Frank Turner%2C The Ballad of Me and My Friends%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5D%22How shalt you be known%2C mighty warrior%3F%22 %22MACHAAAAMP%21%22%5B%2Fsmall%5D
7|1|0|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mister Fnord||21:36:52|06/15/2013|Some thoughts%2C in no particular order%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%2A The way the battle for Tau Ceti was handled was different. Normally when we get to Big Fight Scene%2FEpisode we tend to follow the leads into the scrum%2C whereas here we really %5Bi%5Ddon%27t%5B%2Fi%5D for half or more of the story. We see the scrum %28it seemed anyway%29 mostly second or third-hand via news reports and reactions from characters on B6. It%27s an interesting change of pace.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2A Akio seems to be getting all his ducks in a row%2C which is alarming but considering that that%27s usually when everything goes to hell for him I%27m not %5Bi%5Dtoo%5B%2Fi%5D alarmed. I have endless faith in Akio%27s ability to fuck himself over at the vital moment. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%2A For long-time viewers this ought to be familiar in the vague outlines. The countdown clock for %5Bi%5DDay of Infamy%5B%2Fi%5D and the Federation Civil War just started with Billy Clark%27s ascension to the purple.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2A A hypothesis%3A The attack on Tau Ceti came completely out of nowhere with none of the usual diplomatic posturing or sabre-rattling expected from belligerent nations%2C on the same day most of the Federation%27s executive branch dies in a starship accident. A paranoid might claim that someone needed to keep the IPO%27s heavy hitters busy enough to %5Bi%5Dnot%5B%2Fi%5D arrive on the scene and start an independent investigation before anyone else.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2A So Anakin%27s got himself a Right Hand of %24Noun now. If he and Hellboy fistbump%2C what happens%3F It%27d be either %27nothing%27 or %27something really bad%2Fawesome.%27%0D%0A%0D%0A%2A So Nanami %27exceeded instructions%2C%27 eh%3F That%27s a phrase that%27s loaded with import but doesn%27t tell us a goddamn thing. Nicely played. I wonder what it means in truth... and if we%27ll ever find out.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2A You know%2C with the Invid thing I finally get where Kaname%27s little mental infodumps come from. That just occurred to me.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2A All in all%2C looking forward to seeing where this goes next as the Black Rose gets more proactive and Clark starts dismantling everything good and decent about the Federation.%0D%0A%0D%0A--%0D%0AMr. Fnord%2C just thinking aloud.
8|2|7|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||22:26:42|06/15/2013|%3E%2A The way the battle for Tau Ceti was handled was different. Normally %0D%0A%3Ewhen we get to Big Fight Scene%2FEpisode we tend to follow the leads %0D%0A%3Einto the scrum%2C whereas here we really %5Bi%5Ddon%27t%5B%2Fi%5D for half or more %0D%0A%3Eof the story. We see the scrum %28it seemed anyway%29 mostly second or %0D%0A%3Ethird-hand via news reports and reactions from characters on B6. It%27s %0D%0A%3Ean interesting change of pace. %0D%0A%0D%0AThe Second Battle of Tau Ceti %28Operation TRIDENT%29 can be viewed in more specifics in the Featured Documents section%3A %5Blink%3Awww.eyrie-productions.com%2FForum%2Fdcboard.cgi%3Faz%3Dread_count%26om%3D222%26forum%3DDCForumID25%26viewmode%3Dthreaded%7CPreliminary Report%3A Operation TRIDENT%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s four years old%2C though%2C so I don%27t believe everything in it is still correct. I think they get word of Santiago%27s death much later than 1933 local on MArch 6th%2C for example%2C but I%27d need to go check to make sure.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
10|3|8|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Offsides||23:27:10|06/15/2013|%3EThat%27s four years old%2C though%2C so I don%27t believe everything in it is %0D%0A%3Estill correct. I think they get word of Santiago%27s death much later %0D%0A%3Ethan 1933 local on MArch 6th%2C for example%2C but I%27d need to go check to %0D%0A%3Emake sure. %0D%0A%0D%0AI just realized that it%27s been almost 5 years since Clarion Call was released%2C yet it feels like it was much more recent than that.  I guess that%27s a testament to the amount of other stuff that%27s been released to keep the world active%2C such that the time between %22major releases%22 doesn%27t really matter...%0D%0A%0D%0AOffsides%0D%0A%0D%0A%26%2391%3B...%26%2393%3B in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.%0D%0A    -- David Ben Gurion%0D%0AEPU RCW %23%26pi%3B%0D%0A%23include %3Cstdsig.h%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A
11|3|8|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mister Fnord||02:26:55|06/16/2013|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-16-13 AT 03:10 AM (EDT) by pjmoyer (moderator)]%3EThe Second Battle of Tau Ceti %28Operation TRIDENT%29 can be viewed in %0D%0A%3Emore specifics in the Featured Documents section%3A %0D%0A%3E%5Blink%3Awww.eyrie-productions.com%2FForum%2Fdcboard.cgi%3Faz%3Dread_count%26om%3D222%26forum%3DDCForumID25%26viewmode%3Dthreaded%7CPreliminary Report%3A Operation TRIDENT%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich is a fair point. My point is that normally we%27d %5Bi%5Dsee%5B%2Fi%5D the battle in the main event with the TRIDENT AAR being more of a sidepoint. Y%27know%2C we%27d see the interdictor getting taken or the battle for the power station... stuff like that. This time around we don%27t%2C so we have to let our imaginations do the heavy lifting for us. %3B%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--%0D%0AMr. Fnord is totally down with that%2C btw.
9|2|7|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|mdg1||23:14:33|06/15/2013|%3E%2A So Anakin%27s got himself a Right Hand of %24Noun now. If he and Hellboy %0D%0A%3Efistbump%2C what happens%3F It%27d be either %27nothing%27 or %27something really %0D%0A%3Ebad%2Fawesome.%27 %0D%0A%0D%0AI cannot resist%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D64Jv8zbUsf4
18|2|7|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Star Ranger4||10:40:22|06/16/2013|%3E%2A So Anakin%27s got himself a Right Hand of %24Noun now. If he and Hellboy %0D%0A%3Efistbump%2C what happens%3F It%27d be either %27nothing%27 or %27something really %0D%0A%3Ebad%2Fawesome.%27 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0AI%27d argue that the intent behind the fist bump matters most here.  if it was a %22hell yeah%2C we did it%22 one%2C it would be the first%3B if it was actually a punch%2Fcounterpunch situation%3B the second.
20|2|7|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||14:15:17|06/16/2013|%3E%2A The way the battle for Tau Ceti was handled was different. Normally %0D%0A%3Ewhen we get to Big Fight Scene%2FEpisode we tend to follow the leads %0D%0A%3Einto the scrum%2C whereas here we really %5Bi%5Ddon%27t%5B%2Fi%5D for half or more %0D%0A%3Eof the story. We see the scrum %28it seemed anyway%29 mostly second or %0D%0A%3Ethird-hand via news reports and reactions from characters on B6. It%27s %0D%0A%3Ean interesting change of pace. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat was the basic idea%2C yeah.  One of the reasons this episode hung fire for so long was that I didn%27t want to just do Another Big Fight Scene Episode.  We%27d seen it before%2C in %5Bi%5DValiant Rose%5B%2Fi%5D and %5Bi%5DThe Revolution Will Be Televised%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and heck%2C even on Tau Ceti before in %5Bi%5DHunter Rose%5B%2Fi%5D.  What happened in the return to Tau Ceti %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D have to be presented - it%27d been all set up and it was an important point in the overall storyline - but I wasn%27t satisfied with my early attempts at presenting it straight.  It was a bit stale.%0D%0A%0D%0AI believe it was Phil who suggested that we do it the way it ended up being done%2C with most of the actual operation viewed from new%2C outside or semi-outside perspectives.  Certainly his positioning of the DSMP characters and their situation provided a ready-made carrier wave for that approach to be transmitted on.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
21|3|20|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|JFerio||14:17:16|06/16/2013|%3EI believe it was Phil who suggested that we do it the way it ended up %0D%0A%3Ebeing done%2C with most of the actual operation viewed from new%2C outside %0D%0A%3Eor semi-outside perspectives.  Certainly his positioning of the DSMP %0D%0A%3Echaracters and their situation provided a ready-made carrier wave for %0D%0A%3Ethat approach to be transmitted on.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich does explain why it finally %22foamed over the memory cell%22%2C it was a matter of having the correct catalyst presented to what was already present in the mixture. %3A%29
12|1|0|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||04:25:41|06/16/2013|Man%2C a new Symphony story.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s been what%2C five years%3F A lot%27s happened. Manhunt. Star-Crossed. DSM Panic. Virginia Shepard%3B I believe the last time an SoS story was published Mass Effect II hadn%27t even hit shelves. Split Infinitive got trashed and re-worked. Bunch of other things.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt might be beneficial to weave some of the mini-stories into the official chronology at this point%3B someone trying to jump into this one directly S5M2 might be a little bit lost without reading some DSMP.%0D%0A%0D%0ARegardless%2C it%27s an exciting time.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThat made it seem%0D%0A%3Ea bit like she had always imagined the towns on Rannoch would be now%2C%0D%0A%3Eeerie and empty. Did the geth live in the cities they%27d driven their%0D%0A%3Ecreators out of%3F  Did they have any understanding of the architecture%2C%0D%0A%3Eknow what the monuments stood for - did they have any feelings at all%0D%0A%3Eabout the people they%27d displaced all those centuries ago%3F  She%27d always%0D%0A%3Ewondered.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is tangential to the main thrust of the story%2C but I personally cannot wait until Tali %28and us%29 find out about this. I love me some geth. I%27d like to take this moment to express the hope that in UF%2C there are 1%29 non-Unicron-worshipping geth%2C and 2%29 that there are quarians still alive and well on Rannoch. %28The latter is responsible for an entire sub-genre of ME fanfics that I tend to really enjoy.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ETali%27s grandmother%27s name was also Tali%2C which occasionally made%0D%0A%3Efor confusion in its own right.  Tali%27Shukra vel Halo - Tali the Elder%2C%0D%0A%3Eas she was known around the fleet - was quite a famous woman in the%0D%0A%3EQuarian Union.%0D%0A%0D%0AHmm%2C interesting. I take it Tali the Elder didn%27t take her husband%27s name when she married Vedik%27Zorah%3F Or at least went back to her maiden name after he died%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AHer descendants clearly have patronymics%3B Rael is Rael%27Zorah%2C not Rael%27Shukra. And it%27s not a male%2Ffemale thing%2C because Tali the Younger is ALSO Tali%27Zorah%2C not Tali%27Motherslastname.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ECorwin Ravenhair was in a hurry.  He had a fleet rendezvous to%0D%0A%3Eget to%2C and he was already behind schedule because he%27d stopped on the%0D%0A%3Eway to the hangar in order to kinda-sorta get married.  As such%2C there%0D%0A%3Ewere -many levels- on which he really didn%27t have time for Old Home Week%0D%0A%3Efeaturing Succubi I Have Known right now.%0D%0A%0D%0AI feel like I should be able to make some sort of filthy double entendre involving Corwin%27s use of the plural form of succubus and the word %22known%22 there.%0D%0A%0D%0A... I got nothing.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Oh%21  I can do that.%22  Thor strode forward%2C seized Nanami by the%0D%0A%3Escruff of the neck%2C and picked her up with no more effort than he%0D%0A%3Ewould%27ve shown picking up a sofa cushion.%0D%0A%0D%0AGiven their relative sizes %28seriously%2C Nanami needs to eat something%29 I sort of imagine that Thor could get his entire hand around her neck if he wanted to. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22And heading straight into a battle%2C no less%2C%22 Tali said wryly.%0D%0A%3E%22Father would be furious.  Oh%2C wait%2C he is anyway.%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EUtena grinned and made a dismissive gesture.  %22He didn%27t -have-%0D%0A%3Eto sign the waiver.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s a dirty%2C dirty%2C lie%2C Utena. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22He can see things before they happen%2C%22 Aarok Sifu-Dyas had said%0D%0A%3Eonce to Anakin Skywalker%27s mother.  %22It%27s a Jedi trait.%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ETechnically that wasn%27t quite correct - it was a trait shared by%0D%0A%3Esome who were strong in the Force%2C not specifically anything to do with%0D%0Athe philosophy of the Jedi Knights - but it was true as far as it went.%0D%0A%0D%0AFrom what little we%27ve been told of him%2C the UF flavor of Sifu-Dyas sounds like he was extremely old school%3B that is%2C he%27d take the position that everyone who is strong in the force should%2C properly%2C be a member of the Jedi Order%2C which has a monopoly on the proper way of developing and extending ones connection to said force.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EKaname didn%27t really understand the curious psychic connection%0D%0A%3Eshe had to her Invid heritage.  The crossroads of the human%2C Meltran%2C%0D%0A%3Eand Invid genetic lines%2C with the added wild card of Detian heredity%0D%0A%3Ethrown in for good measure%2C was a place that had been visited precisely%0D%0A%3Etwice in the history of biology so far%2C and it was as a result not very%0D%0A%3Ewell-charted.  What she knew was that she sometimes brushed the vast%0D%0A%3Ecollective semiconscious of her father%27s people%2C and sometimes plunged%0D%0A%3Eheadfirst into it%2C and there seemed to be little controlling when it%0D%0A%3Ehappened or how thoroughly.%0D%0A%0D%0A... oh%2C right. She%27s part Invid.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C I had all kinds of weird theories about what being Whispered might mean in the context of UF%2C and I missed the simple%2C obvious explanation right under my nose.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThere was%2C she noted%2C no sign of her supposed bodyguard%2C Sosuke%0D%0A%3ESagara.  She must have managed to lose even him in the course of%0D%0A%3Ewandering into this hellhole%2C which was ironic given that she hadn%27t%0D%0A%3Eeven been trying to do that.%0D%0A%0D%0AWaiiiitttt for it...%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EA moment later the bulkhead segment just ahead of her and to her%0D%0A%3Eright burst inward with a sound like a hundred popped paper bags%2C nearly%0D%0A%3Eclobbering the salarian and filling the dead-end hallway with smoke.  As%0D%0A%3EKaname coughed and stared in disbelief%2C a hand emerged from the char-%0D%0A%3Eedged hole the implosion had left in the bulkhead%2C seized her by the%0D%0A%3Earm%2C and pulled her through.%0D%0A%0D%0AAt first%2C I was thinking %22great timing%2C Sagara.%22 Then I thought about it some.%0D%0A%0D%0ASosuke doesn%27t seem like the kind of guy who%27d rely upon something as nebulous as good timing to be there when his protectee needs him.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo I went back and checked the protocol. I noticed one thing immediately that I hadn%27t before%3B the protocol does not%2C in fact%2C state that anything not explicitly allowed under its rules is forbidden.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo now I%27m operating on the assumption that Sosuke has Kaname chipped%2C or he%27s carrying some manner of very sophisticated biometric scanner that can home in on her. Because that%27s not technically forbidden%2C and assuming there isn%27t additional covert backup in place Sosuke would probably consider such a thing a vital necessity.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Underworld network%2C what are you talking about%3F  You mean those%0D%0A%3Eguys aren%27t just... muggers%3F%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22Hardly%2C%22 said Sosuke flatly.  %22They%27re %27talent scouts%27.  This%0D%0A%3Elevel is one of the chief sources of supply for the galaxy%27s illicit%0D%0A%3Eorgan and tissue transplant industry... and you are obviously a very%0D%0A%3Ehealthy specimen.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AConspiracy mongering time%21%0D%0A%0D%0ASosuke has managed to convey the impression that Saleon and his boys were after Kaname%27s precious bodily fluids without actually saying so directly. Maybe I%27m reading into that to much%2C could be just his choice of words.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut I have my doubts.%0D%0A%0D%0AKaname%2C while walking through downbelow%2C would have presented an air of an outsider and potential victim%2C yeah. But she also would have presented an air of %22well-heeled%2C upper-class%2C is down here because she got lost%22 rather than %22hey boys%2C fresh fish%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThat might be enough to for some skell to try and shiv her for her credit chip. But... well%2C a ring like Saleon%27s is going to want to prey on the detritus of society%2C people nobody is going to miss them. With someone who is radiating %22I am just here because I got lost%3B I%27m actually kind of fancy%22 you run the risk that they%27re important. That if they don%27t show up somewhere in six hours Garibaldi is going to sweep through brown sector with everyone he has and turn the place upside down. Big risk to run just for some healthy organs. Maybe stick to the usual derelicts instead.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo I don%27t think they were after Kaname as a convenient source of organs at all. I think that word is out in the underworld that someone will pay top dollar for Kaname specifically%2C she got recognized%2C and Saleon decided today would be an awesome day to get paid. THAT makes her worth the risk%3B you stash her in a stasis pod somewhere until the furor dies down and then get her quietly off-station to the buyer.%0D%0A%0D%0AI could be reaching.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EToday she saw with her own eyes that he was not just a soldier%0D%0A%3Ebut%2C under the right conditions%2C a warrior - a fierce and merciless%0D%0A%3Ekiller of men.  %0D%0A%0D%0AI very%2C very much like the way you differentiate the way Sosuke%2C who is not %28and probably never will be%29 a Duelist%2C fights compared to the way Duelists do. Even in life-or-death battles against multiple opponents%2C Duelists tend to be... well%2C fancy. It might not even be a deliberate choice TO be fancy%2C it%27s just sort of how their combat disciplines work. To a large extent%2C even in life or death struggles%2C it%27s about the art of the fight.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s not how Sosuke rolls%3A %0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHe cut down the salarian too swiftly for her to even%0D%0A%3Efollow exactly how he%27d done it%2C took his blaster%2C and dropped three of%0D%0A%3Ehis confederates before they%27d even had a chance to react to their%0D%0Aboss%27s demise.  Startled%2C the rest of that group fell back%2C all but the%0D%0A%3Eman with the Sternsnacht pistol.  %0D%0A%0D%0ASosuke is a soldier. %28I%27d quibble with the %27true warrior%27 stuff%2C but.%29 He%27s about economy of force and about accomplishing the mission. And like the very best soldiers%2C he probably doesn%27t actually like employing violence very much%2C which is why it%27s so swift and decisive when he does.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s excellent writing and I enjoy the dichotomy.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESternsnacht heavy anti-mat%E9riel pistol%2C the faintest of whispers%0D%0A%3Esaid in the back of Kaname%27s head.  Manufactured on Dutch Valeria.%0D%0A%3ESingle-shot break-open pistol.  Fires 21mm hyper-velocity fin-stabilized%0D%0A%3Ediscarding-sabot kinetic kill vehicle.  Primary use%3A disabling of%0D%0A%3Evehicles.  Extremely unsafe to use in pressurized habitat environments.%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C recoil will break an ordinary human%27s arm in three places.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou know%2C right up to this point I was planning to make some kind of comment on how that hand-cannon couldn%27t really be that dangerous to the outer hull. I mean%2C Babylon 6 isn%27t just a diplomatic outpost%2C it%27s a military one%2C and that hull was probably designed to withstand blasts from starship-grade weaponry.%0D%0A%0D%0A... yeah%2C objection withdrawn.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22It%27s safe to assume Earthforce has a flag officer aboard%0D%0A%3EClytaemnestra for this operation%2C but we don%27t have any intel on who%0D%0A%3Ethat might be.  Clytaemnestra%27s CO is Captain Hanna Davidson%2C Earthforce%0D%0A%3EAcademy Class of %2795%2C an experienced officer who commanded a cruiser%0D%0A%3Eduring the pacification of Proxima Centauri a few years back.  Assuming%0D%0A%3Ethey haven%27t made any major personnel changes%2C Tenth SAC is under one of%0D%0A%3Ethe Earthforce Marines%27 hard-chargers%2C Major General Westford Drake.  He%0D%0A%3Emight be overall flag for the operation%3B he%27s senior enough.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A37 is somewhat young to be a Captain%2C at least would be in the modern USN%2C and humans in the 25th century have longer lifespans and thus probably longer and more delayed careers as well. Captain Davidson must know... her%3F... trade very well. Either that%2C or she was promoted due to being politically reliable%2C which now that I think of it is rather more likely than less.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s not going to stop her getting her ass kicked%2C of course.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ve long wondered%3B why wasn%27t the IPO%2FWDF involved in the Proxima Centauri conflict%3F I%27m guessing it was politically untenable for them to be%3B the IPO didn%27t have much of a fleet back then%2C and without Federation support it might have been tricky to involve Zeta Cygni %28which has an elected civilian government these days%29 and the WDF directly.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EUtena sat back in her conn and sighed as the viewer returned to%0D%0A%3Ea forward view of hyperspace.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22It%27s not going to be one of the easy ones%2C is it%2C Miki%3F%22 she%0D%0A%3Easked rhetorically.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C she made it LOOK easy%2C at least. Operation TRIDENT went off with casualties that are downright miraculous and an insanely lopsided butchers bill. I remain unsure if Earthforce is really that incompetent or if Utena and Co. are just that good%3B I tend to lean towards the former%2C as so far every ranking officer in Earthforce we%27ve seen who isn%27t named John Sheridan has been both an idiot and a tactical incompetent.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIf you%27re a legitimate PSO%2C we%27ve%0D%0A%3Egot procedures for that%2C you know.  You didn%27t have to sneak your kit%0D%0A%3Ethrough the checkpoint - hell%2C you could have carried all the gear you%0D%0A%3Ewanted if you%27d just bothered to let us know what you were here for.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThat actually sounds kind of silly. If a Blue Suns squad shows up B6 is going to let them just walk into the station in full kit so long as their IDs check out%3F They%27d be legitimate Private Security Officers%2C after all%3B they have a corporate charter and contracts and everything.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESosuke nodded%2C following him to the outer office.  %22Affirmative.%0D%0A%3EMiss Chidori is unlikely to be in any further danger - I believe her%0D%0A%3Eencounter with the criminal element of Brown 21 was a simple accident -%0D%0A%0D%0ADo you now.%0D%0A%0D%0AAssuming he%27s not lying%2C Sosuke might want to check in with whoever his intel officer back at home is. Just to be sure.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThe Ikazuchi in question%2C like its older sister ships%2C was a%0D%0A%3Eblocky%2C slab-sided vessel%2C long and narrow with massive sublight%0D%0A%3Ethrusters sticking out the back end.  These thrusters were going full%0D%0A%3Eburner%2C propelling the ship towards the station relentlessly.%0D%0A%0D%0AAesthetic nitpick%3A possibly consider subbing in %22full burn%22 for %22full burner.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIvanova wondered if the ship was going to attempt%0D%0A%3Esomething as foolhardy as ramming the station%2C but her concern was%0D%0A%3Eunfounded.  As she watched%2C the carrier rapidly slowed%2C coming to a halt%0D%0A%3Etwo-thirds of the way to the station.%0D%0A%0D%0APedantic nitpick%3A is the Ikazuchi classed as a BC or a CV%3F The text makes that unclear. I went trawling through past stories and even%2C god help me%2C looked at the 2417 technical readout.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThe guy couldn%27t handle even a simple meet-and-greet%0D%0A%3Edown at DSM%3B who knew how he would behave at a full-out wedding%0D%0A%3Ereception%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AYou gotta wonder what he made of Akio.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EMizuki had never really bought into his line about%0D%0A%3Ebeing a soldier%2C and had been somewhat concerned that Kaname and Lindsey%0D%0A%3Ehad swallowed it hook and line%2C but given the fractured reports she%27d%0D%0A%3Egotten from Dean Montaign%0D%0A%0D%0AYou might not want to use %22line%22 twice in rapid succession as a metaphor like that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Note%3A I%27m not trying to be a dick with these minor stylistic critiques. They are meant as productive suggestions.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIf Earthdome%27s Foreign Ministry wasn%27t made%0D%0A%3Eaware of the invasion%2C that implies a rogue operation%2C albeit one%0D%0A%3Esanctioned at the highest level%3A President Greeley exploiting his status%0D%0A%3Eas commander-in-chief of Earthforce to take action without the advice or%0D%0A%3Econsent of the Senate.  He must hope to complete the reconquest before%0D%0A%3Eanyone can react and then present it to the Federation as a military%0D%0A%3Efait accompli.  That level of brinkmanship is inconsistent with his%0D%0A%3Erecord - that%27s why the Cetiani and their defense coalition were caught%0D%0A%3Eso badly off-guard.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AGosh. It%27s almost as if Greeley%2C or his political masters%2C is deliberately trying to destabilize the entire Federation%2C rather than just trying to grab and hold as much power for Earth as he can.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut that%27s clearly insane. I must be imagining things.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHe waved a medical tricorder over Kaname%27s forehead%2C%0D%0A%3Eand then consulted its screen.  %22It should have taken her several more%0D%0A%3Ehours - a full night%27s sleep on top of the afternoon%27s she%27d already had%0D%0A%3E- for her neuroelectrochemistry to stabilize%2C but here it appears as if%0D%0A%3Eher mind has totally... reset%2C for lack of a better word.%22  He looked at%0D%0A%3Ehis readings again and smiled%2C his eyes twinkling.  %22-Fascinating.-%22%0D%0A%0D%0AIn this%2C as in all of Julian Bashir%27s other scenes%2C I could actually HEAR Alexander Siddig saying the lines. This is not always the case with the vast army of expys living and dying in UF. Nicely done.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ECase in point%3A Preparations to move out from the beachhead at%0D%0A%3ETau City International Spaceport and commence the final%2C decisive%0D%0A%3Eassault on Government Plaza in the heart of the city.%0D%0A%0D%0AI believe%2C but am not sure%2C in previous stories you%27ve used the term %22spacehead%22 rather than %22beachhead%22 to describe such landings.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EBy the time she%0D%0A%3Etook the decision to make that move%2C she had people spread out all over%0D%0A%3Ethe city%2C all with different objectives and all at different stages of%0D%0A%3Egetting those objectives done%2C all converging on a single point.  They%0D%0A%3Eall had to arrive at that point at roughly the same time%2C from the right%0D%0A%3Edirections%2C in the right numbers%2C or the big finale of the morning%27s%0D%0A%3Ehard work would fizzle rather than flash%2C and she%27d be left%2C%0D%0A%3Estrategically speaking%2C holding a very big bag.%0D%0A%0D%0AUtena is%2C of course%2C much better at this sort of thing than I am%2C but one hopes that as she gets more experience under her belt she learns not to set up big%2C complicated%2C set-piece battles like that. A sudden sally by Earthforce that decapitates any one of the multiple prongs of this elaborate%2C interdependent battle plan could just totally ruin her day%3B you really don%27t want everything to interlock so tightly.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Correction - now%0D%0A%3Emost of the Earthforce contingent is bugging out as well.  Clytaemnestra%0D%0A%3Ejust opened a metapoint and the whole task group exited through it%2C%0D%0A%3Eexcept the Marine assault ship and her remaining escort.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s not going to do much for inter-service comity in Earthforce.%0D%0A%0D%0AYeah%2C sure%2C the Danzig exploding is kind of a big deal. But whoever was fleet flag in that operation bugged out with a naval contingent that was still capable of offering battle and abandoned the marines dirtside.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt may have been the correct tactical and strategic choice%3B attempting to punch back through the IPO%2FWDF cordon long enough to recover dropships was probably suicidal at best. But 1%29 if the positions had been reversed and HE%27D had to recover Utena and Co.%2C Jim Kirk would probably have tried to do just that%2C and 2%29 Earthforce Marines are unlikely to view the Navy saying %22sorry%2C we got our asses kicked%2C you%27re on your own%22 with a great degree of sympathy.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Not at all%2C%22 said Mikage.  %22I%27m doing you a favor.  Now do be%0D%0A%3Equiet and let me work.  These operations are quite delicate.  In fact%2C%0D%0A%3Eit would%27ve been better if you hadn%27t regained consciousness just yet.%0D%0A%3EOne does find all the screaming a bit distracting.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AYou know%2C I like Mikage and all%2C but he%27s a lot different than he was in Utena.%0D%0A%0D%0AThen again%2C we%27re talking someone who died%2C then was brought back as some sort of weird shade haunting a building that might or might not have actually been real %28and tricked into thinking Anthy was his dead sorta-girlfriends dead brother who he may or may not have been romantically linked with%29 and who died AGAIN after Akio had no further use for him%2C only to show up a third time because%2C oops%2C no%2C he wasn%27t quite done after all.%0D%0A%0D%0AI guess some personality shifts are to be expected. I don%27t trust the guy further than I can throw him%2C but I kinda feel bad for him in a way that I utterly do not feel bad for%2C say%2C Touga.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EUtena and a black-armored woman with a red stripe down her%0D%0A%3Eright gauntlet back-to-back in the middle of the plaza%2C Utena fending%0D%0A%3Eoff a shockstick-armed trooper with her sword while the woman in black%0D%0A%3Earmor blazed away at something offscreen with a curiously antique%0D%0A%3Emarksman rifle%0D%0A%0D%0AY%27know%2C I get that Utena is the lead-from-the-front type%2C I do%2C but generally speaking if a General ends up involved in direct combat without a very%2C very good reason %28like Theodore Roosevelt Jr. volunteering to be the only General to go ashore in the first wave at Normandy%2C because someone of that rank HAD to be there to assess the battle as it unfolded%29 it means something has gone wrong.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Think about what you just said%2C%22 Maya said.  %22I mean%2C I realize%0D%0A%3Eyou%27re from an old-line military family%2C Kaname%2C but... %22  She gestured%0D%0A%3Eto the screen.  %22Kids from our school in the middle of THAT crap%3F%0D%0A%3EThat%27s crazy.  THEY%27RE crazy.%22  She shook her head.  %22I%27m as impressed%0D%0A%3Eas the next girl at how they%27re handling it%2C but what are they even%0D%0A%3EDOING there%3F  I mean%2C minors in a war zone%3F%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22Yeah%2C when their parents had to sign that thing that said%0D%0A%3E%27yeah%2C we know%2C this club does dangerous stuff%2C it%27s OK%2C%27 I bet they%0D%0A%3Eweren%27t really thinking of this%2C%22 Mizuki agreed.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22That%27s not - %22 Kaname said%2C but then ground to a halt as she%0D%0A%3Erealized there was really nothing she could reasonably say to that.%0D%0A%0D%0AMaya and Shiori are very smart girls.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe only thing I have to add to their critiques is that%2C if I were an enemy of Utena%2C Kaitlyn%2C or the Duelists and their hangers-on in general... I would very much like to arrange for one of the younger Duelists to die during one of these excursions%2C preferably one whose parents really had not understood the whole %22child soldier%22 aspect of the experience. The resulting legal and political shitstorm would be ENORMOUS.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Of course%2C killing a Duelist is pretty hard. If I had the resources and patience%2C I%27d create my own then arrange for them to die at a convenient time.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A... I am not a supervillain. Stop looking at me.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EMaya blinked at him.  %22Sorry%2C what%3F%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22In a conventional force scenario%2C%22 Sosuke explained%2C %22properly%0D%0A%3Etrained and equipped youth or even child combatants can be an amazingly%0D%0A%3Eeffective asset for the side willing to deploy them.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd there%27s Sosuke%27s dark side. Made the more creepier because%2C well%2C he%27s a hundred percent right.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E %3CCorwin.  What%27s up%3F%3E%0D%0A%3E %3CIm Westen nichts Neues%2C%3E Corwin replied%2C %3Cexcept I can%27t find%0D%0A%3E Nanami anywhere.%3E%0D%0A%3E %0D%0A%3E %3CNanami from Big Time TV%3F  Pretty sure she and Truss are still%0D%0A%3E at the broadcast... thing... they set up %27cross the way there.%3E%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E %3CWrong Nanami.  I%27m talking about Nanami-from-Cephiro Nanami.%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AHeh. The day that %22Nanami%22 stopped meaning %22Nanami Jinnai%22 and instead %22Nanami Kiryyu%22 to me was the day I knew I -really- liked Utena.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C man%2C this is probably the only time that both Nanami%27s are going to be in the same locale and there wasn%27t some sort of hilarious meeting as they both answered %22What%3F%22 simultaneously a bunch of times and compared life stories. %28Nanami Kiryuu won.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Oh%2C but I -like- that story%2C Kana-chan%21%22 a cheerful voice%0D%0A%3Eannounced from the doorway.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh man. Please be who I think it is.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E Kaname%27s head snapped around.  %22... Kyoko%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AYesssssssss.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Spirit of Light%2C you%27re just in time.%22 Kaname gestured to%0D%0A%3Ethe two women%2C who nodded in turn.  %22Sosuke%2C these are my %27aunts%27%2C%0D%0A%3EKyoko Tokiwa and Teletha Testarossa%2C but you can call her Tessa%2C%0D%0A%3Eeverybody does.  They%27ve been in Mars Division with mom and Aunt Maia%0D%0A%3Esince forEVER.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AUgh.%0D%0A%0D%0AI know that %22Teletha%22 is her proper%2C canonical%2C creator-confirmed actual name from Full Metal Panic. But lord%2C that is an UGLY romanization. Would %22Theresa%22 have been so hard for them%3F Really%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22That is the Hand of Wrath%2C%22 Mikage replied.  %22One of a set of%0D%0A%3Estone hands wrought%2C I believe%2C by the same artificers who made the%0D%0A%3EBlazing Throne and the Seed of Destruction at the dawn of time.  It is a%0D%0A%3Ething of some infamy%3B its name appears%2C in translation of course%2C in the%0D%0A%3Elegends of cultures throughout the universe.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AHell really does have all the BEST toys%2C doesn%27t it%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C that thing is unspeakably ancient. I mean%2C geez. If what Mikage is saying is true%2C it%27s older than Thor%27s hammer or Odin%27s spear. It%27s older than Boba Fett%27s genuine Mandalorian battle-armor. It was old before Cybertron%27s sun went out%2C before Primus came to this universe. It%27s older than GALLIFREY. It was probably old before the Milky Way condensed from a cloud of gas and dust.%0D%0A%0D%0AGiven the name%2C Anakin may%2C in fact%2C have on his right hand the very first implement forged in Hell at the dawn of time time that was intended to be an instrument by which one being could kill another.%0D%0A%0D%0A... that%27s awesome.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22So%2C how long will you be gone%3F%22%0D%0A%3EWas it her%2C or was there a brief moment of hesitation before he%0D%0A%3Econtinued%3F  %22Most likely the full two weeks.  Commercial travel to the%0D%0A%3ECorporate Sector is not optimal at the best of times%2C and given the%0D%0A%3Ecircumstances I am unable to arrange for sponsored transport.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AHmm. So TechCom is in fact out of the Corporate Sector.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis does two things for me. First%2C it makes me immediately suspicious. That place is a festering sore on the galaxy and was%2C apparently%2C never properly conquered and reconstructed after the War of Corporate Occupation. This may be unfair of me%2C but I instantly distrust any company based out of it.%0D%0A%0D%0ASecond%2C it means that Sosuke was probably telling the truth when he laid that %22classified%22 line on Kaname back in the day. Corporations%2C if I understand properly%2C ARE the government in the Corporate Sector%2C so yeah%2C they can totally classify information.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22I... I had heard that you were... alive again%2C%22 said Anthy%0D%0A%3Ehesitantly.  %22Corwin said he%27d seen you at Christmas.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AI don%27t know that alive is the proper term for what Nanami is now.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Anyway... you%27re probably wondering what I%27m doing%0D%0A%3Ehere.%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22A bit%2C yes%2C%22 Anthy admitted.%0D%0A%3E%22Well%2C it depends on who you ask%2C%22 Nanami said.  %22If you asked%0D%0A%3Emy boss%2C he%27d say I%27m supposed to sow doubt and discontent among you.%0D%0A%0D%0AAkio says a lot of things.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22There%27s a... compulsion... in me.  Part%0D%0A%3Eof what makes me... what I am now.  It -drives- me to do just that.%0D%0A%3EIt%27s gnawing at my guts right now%2C as I speak to you.  But I%27m not going%0D%0A%3Eto give into it.%22  Her smoke-grey eyes snapped open%2C fixing on Anthy%27s%0D%0A%3Ewith a sudden blazing fierceness.  %22I refuse.%22%0D%0A%0D%0ANanami continues to justify my total and complete love for her.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s a kind of awful%2C terrible beauty in what Akio%2C what SURTUR%2C has done to her. UF is an imperfect universe %28and I kind of like it that way%29 but generally speaking both the just and the wicked get their proper rewards.%0D%0A%0D%0AOnly the system didn%27t quite work that way for Nanami%2C did it%3F Her reward for doing the right things for once in a life that had%2C until that point%2C been a vain and shallow thing was getting hooks in set in her soul and dragged down into the pit.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s terrible and awe-inspiring all at the same time.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EYou must be on your guard.  Don%27t underestimate the%0D%0A%3Ething that was your brother%2C because he%27s so%2C SO much more now than he%0D%0A%3Ewas when you killed him.  He hates you and all you love with a passion%0D%0A%3Ethat moved the Great Fire himself. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m sure a million other people have pointed similar things out%2C but... one the things %22great%22 can mean is %22immense.%22 Or %22large.%22 Or other words connoting... bigness.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Enearly lost her balance%2C recovering with a sort%0D%0A%3Eof hopping step backward.  Tears came to her eyes as she regarded the%0D%0A%3Espot where the blonde had just been.  That%27s -twice%2C- she thought%2C twice%0D%0A%3ENanami has put herself in harm%27s way to warn me.  Twice she%27s suffered%0D%0A%3Efor it.  Possibly even twice she%27s died for it.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ll have more to say on this at the tail end%2C but for now%2C that whole sequence%3F By far the strongest of the entire story.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI gather TRIDENT%0D%0A%3Ecould really have used some Destroid coverage for the initial assault%2C%0D%0A%3Erather than relying on getting the TCDF back up and running in short%0D%0A%3Eorder - if that part of the plan had hit a snag the whole thing could%27ve%0D%0A%3Ecome undone.%22  Gryphon shrugged.  %22Sometimes these things can%27t be%0D%0A%3Ehelped%2C I guess.  I mean%2C with that aerospace cover there%27s no way we%27d%0D%0A%3Ehave gotten a Destroid dropship through in the first wave.%22%0D%0A%0D%0ANot to backseat drive%2C but isn%27t this what Valks are for%3F In battroid mode those things are essentially light Destroids%2C and they%27d have no trouble booming past the aerospace cover.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22You.  Back here.  -Now%2C-%22 Kaname said.%0D%0A%3EThere was an infinitesimal pause.  %22Miss Chidori%3F%22 Sosuke said%2C%0D%0A%3Esounding faintly startled.  %22What%27s happened%3F  I%27m no longer on Jeraddo%3B%0D%0A%3EI%27m back on Babylon 6.  Now awaiting transport to - %22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22I don%27t care where you think you%27re supposed to be going%2C damn%0D%0A%3Eyou%2C%22 Kaname snapped%2C surprising -herself- with the on-the-verge-of-%0D%0A%3Etears tone in her voice.  %22I need you.  Wait where you are.  I%27ll come%0D%0A%3Eto you.%22  Then%2C not waiting for him to protest further %28if in fact he%0D%0A%3Ewas going to%29%2C she cut the connection.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ENow what in the hell did I do that for%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AProbably because unless I miss my guess%2C Kaname has some mild but definitely present PTSD. Counseling would probably be indicated.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22It%27s not about YOU and it%27s not about ME%2C it%27s about EVERY%0D%0A%3ECEPHIREAN and DON%27T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN%21%22 she snapped.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou rock%2C Wakaba.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Like all Vulcans%2C I am significantly telepathic%2C%22 T%27Par went%0D%0A%3Eon.  %22Should the Compromise of 2407 be abandoned%2C and the mandate of the%0D%0A%3EPsi Corps be expanded into the rest of Federation space%2C my situation%0D%0A%3Ecould become... awkward. %0D%0A%0D%0ADoes Clark have anywhere near the votes for that%3F And for that matter%2C does the Federation have the authority to implement it%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ll be honest%3B the Federation seems pretty useless at anything other than organizing for the common defense. Most of it%27s citizens don%27t even seem to identify as %22Federation citizens%3B%22 they identify as citizens of the Republic of Zeta Cygni or the Earth Alliance or the Republic of Bajor or suchly. T%27Par here identifies as a citizen of Vulcan. Hell%2C before the EA reorganized itself it wasn%27t unusual for people to still identify themselves primarily as citizens of nation-states%3B that is%2C of sub-units of a sub-unit of the Federation. When you%27re doing politics at an interstellar level%2C this seems roughly equivalent to if I told people I was %22a citizen of Monroe County%22 when asked.%0D%0A%0D%0ABasically%2C the Federation seems like it%27s basically the European Union%2C but with it%27s own military. That is%2C not a strong polity%2C and certainly not capable of bullying powerful member states within it around. It doesn%27t even have a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within its borders%2C which is usually the sine qua non of being a sovereign entity.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhile controlling all psions may be popular enough within the EA to keep the Psi Corps a going concern%2C I have a hard time seeing the rest of the Federation thinking it%27s a great idea. And even if they do%2C it doesn%27t seem like the Federation has a lot of power to interfere with its member-states internal affairs. It certainly doesn%27t have a universal guarantee of sentient rights or to representative government%2C for example.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt kinda seems like if Clark tries to make the Federation an appendage of the Earth Alliance%2C the rest of the Federation will simply go %22no%2C fuck you%22 and bail on the whole thing%2C and they have their own non-Starfleet navies to back that up. And if Clark then tries to use Starfleet to enforce his will%2C Starfleet will simply fly to pieces as all the officers side with their home polities.%0D%0A%0D%0AOf course%2C this assumes Clark is angling to gain and keep power and extend his control and preferred ideology across the galaxy. If he just wants to burn shit down... well.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAkio seated himself behind his desk and sighed.  %22It had its%0D%0A%3Emoments%2C%22 he replied.  %22Nanami exceeded her instructions.%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22As expected%3F%22 inquired the Castellan.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22Precisely as expected%2C%22 said Akio with a satisfied smile.%0D%0A%0D%0AOkay. Well then.%0D%0A%0D%0ACorwin%2C Utena%2C and Anthy aren%27t what you%27d call vengeful people. They%27re not thrilled Akio still exists%2C and if they met him on the street in a context where they could lawfully murder his ass%2C they%27d likely do so%2C but if he were to simply hang out in Muspelheim being all smug they%27d let him do that forever%2C as they aren%27t the type to storm Hell just for the pleasure of killing him again.%0D%0A%0D%0AExcept.%0D%0A%0D%0AUtena is a bonafide Prince. Corwin is some species of Knight and kind of Princely himself these days. Anthy is neither%2C but she%27s a witch and kind of a Princess %28and not the kind of Princess who sits around in towers lamenting while wearing a whimple%2C the kind of Princess who fucking murders people with magic in their sleep if they cross her%29 and Akio has%2C right in front of their noses%2C dangled Nanami Kiryuu.%0D%0A%0D%0ABecause you know what Nanami Kiryuu is%3F She%27s a -maiden who needs rescuing from an evil king and his black knights-.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28For some values of maiden.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AMan%2C that is just... that%27s hitting ALL their buttons. At once. With a giant hammer.%0D%0A%0D%0AI think maybe Akio wants them to come for Nanami in some way. Which probably means doing so is bad%2C bad news.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell played%2C Akio. Well. Played.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
13|2|12|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Meridias||05:25:58|06/16/2013|%3E....bweh%3F%0D%0A%3E-Merc %0D%0A%3EKeep Rat %0D%0A%0D%0AWow. All I can say is %22Holy hell%2C man. Vent much%3F%22 %3A%29
16|3|13|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||06:14:41|06/16/2013|%0D%0A%3EWow. All I can say is %22Holy hell%2C man. Vent much%3F%22 %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AWhen I sit down to review a story%2C I do NOT mess around. I go line-by-line. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AIt actually probably should have been it%27s own separate thread%2C really%2C but there was one already extant and I didn%27t want to double up.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
17|4|16|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Star Ranger4||10:34:28|06/16/2013|%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EWow. All I can say is %22Holy hell%2C man. Vent much%3F%22 %3A%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWhen I sit down to review a story%2C I do NOT mess around. I go %0D%0A%3Eline-by-line. %3A%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIt actually probably should have been it%27s own separate thread%2C %0D%0A%3Ereally%2C but there was one already extant and I didn%27t want to double %0D%0A%3Eup. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0ANo%2C you did exactly right IMO Merc.  In depth ones like yours are a lot rarer around here than they used to be%3B but back when they were they all went in the general commentary thread for the story.  I was working one up myself%2C but you covered just about all the points I wanted to except one...%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27d argue that Souske probably doesn%27t have Kanami chipped%3B let us not forget that he%27s a soldier who%27s also a bodyguard rather than the other way around.  Which seems to me that it just wouldn%27t have occurred to him and or he felt that he couldn%27t manage to do it without otherwise violating their protocols.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C I disagree with the theorem of Kanami saying don%27t go as being some sort of delayed stress reaction.  Rather%2C I would submit that it was a subconcious realization via %22the whispering%22 %28and I also agree that I LOVE G%27s take on how to work that in%29 that maybe%2C just maybe there was more to it what happened in brown 21 than what it seemed.  And or that between that incident and something %27whispered%27 and forgotten consciously she%27s realized that being away from DSM without Souske is leaving her exposed to whoever it is that is out to get her.  Either way%2C its like later in the source material where she realizes that for all Souske%27s faults she%27s safer with him than without.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow%2C as to the WHO it might be...  I suspect someone high up in Psi Corps%2C or possibly even Clarke himself wanting to try and snap up one of the %22whispered%22 who seemly is outside the normal %27safety%27 cordon that Mars Division provides.  And that is why Souske was %27hired%27.%0D%0A%0D%0AMy theory%3F  that the %27company%27 Souske works for is actually owned by deniably by one of Gryphon%27s %22Weapon 0%22 contacts%3B someone like Emma Frost%2C for example.  Alternately%2C it could be directly owned in some way by Mars Division themselves.  Which would give them very deniable assets that could be used for exactly something like this%3B which was part of the point of the weapon 0 project IIRC%3B assets that were seemly unconnected to the IPO or WDF in any way.%0D%0A%0D%0AErgo%2C when Kanami goes to DSM%2C Miranda and Thade go to G to say %22she needs to be outside the %27net%27 but we need her safe too%22%3B G talks to whoever%2C and BAM%2C insta contract with Tech%2C and Souske suddenly gets a new assignment.  However%2C I do find it interesting that the remainder of %22Mithril%22 are part of Mars Division%3B however%2C given Maia and MIranda%27s long standing association with names from Tolkien it makes sense in that regard.  Only thing that feels different %28not WRONG per sey%3B just different%29 here is that its Kanami who knows the rest of %22Mithril%22 vs Souske
24|5|17|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||15:32:50|06/16/2013|%3EI was %0D%0A%3Eworking one up myself%2C but you covered just about all the points I %0D%0A%3Ewanted to except one... %0D%0A%0D%0AAw man%2C people didn%27t used to worry about that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C I disagree with the theorem of Kanami saying don%27t go as being %0D%0A%3Esome sort of delayed stress reaction.  Rather%2C I would submit that it %0D%0A%3Ewas a subconcious realization via %22the whispering%22 %28and I also agree %0D%0A%3Ethat I LOVE G%27s take on how to work that in%29%0D%0A%0D%0ACWCD%3A Phil%27s.  I signed off on it%2C though%2C %27cos it rocks.  If I%27d had to design Kaname%27s import myself I%27d probably just have made it another metapsionic wild talent.  Phil%27s is much better-integrated into the existing storyline %28admittedly%2C not all of which you have yet seen%2C but%2C you know%2C workin%27 on that%29.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EErgo%2C when Kanami goes to DSM%2C Miranda and Thade go to G to say %22she %0D%0A%3Eneeds to be outside the %27net%27 but we need her safe too%22%0D%0A%0D%0AI sincerely doubt Miri would bullshit her daughter the way she%27d have had to be doing%2C to give the answers she gave in DSMP2.5%2C much less in the Medbay scene in S5M2%2C if this were the case.  Among many other reasons%2C she%27s a shit liar.  Blushes. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
40|6|24|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Star Ranger4||10:38:23|06/17/2013|%3EI sincerely doubt Miri would bullshit her daughter the way she%27d have %0D%0A%3Ehad to be doing%2C to give the answers she gave in DSMP2.5%2C much less in %0D%0A%3Ethe Medbay scene in S5M2%2C if this were the case.  Among many other %0D%0A%3Ereasons%2C she%27s a shit liar.  Blushes. %3A%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0AFair nuff.  Its just the kind of thing where everything seemed to click%3B especially with the rest of Mithril being Mars division.  In theory%2C they could have pulled it off by not telling Miri%2C but there is a logic hole there you could drive a Star Destroyer though.
26|5|17|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Droken||16:21:33|06/16/2013|Personally I%27m leaning in the direction Zaeed was in his phone call with Boba about the %22who%22 and %22why%22 questions. That being that protecting Kaname might just be his task for now. I wonder if Techcomm isn%27t being hired by some rather more nefarious group. The Corps%2C or even Ohtori. Could be Sagara%27s mostly meant to keep her safe but also in close reach. Not that he%27s aware of it of course.
28|3|13|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|JeanneHedge||20:06:01|06/16/2013|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-16-13 AT 08:09 PM (EDT)]%3E%3E....bweh%3F%0D%0A%3E%3E-Merc %0D%0A%3E%3EKeep Rat %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWow. All I can say is %22Holy hell%2C man. Vent much%3F%22 %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AWhat Merc did was c%26c %28comments and criticism%29 of the old school style. As implied above%2C that kind of thing is infinitely more useful to a writer willing to accept it %28and%2C in some cases%2C infinitely harder on the writer%27s ego too%29 than %27I loved it%27 comments.%0D%0A%0D%0AJeanne%0D%0A%28whose last C%26C type comment here was of the %27I loved it%27 variety%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22 width%3D%2280%25%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd align%3D%22center%22 width%3D%2210%25%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%2Fmisc%2Foldowl.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd%5D%5Bfont size%3D2%5D%5Bb%5DJeanne Hedge%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.jhedge.com%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%5D%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bi%5D%5Bfont size%3D1%5D%22Never give up%2C never surrender%21%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
36|4|28|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||05:36:39|06/17/2013|%0D%0A%3EWhat Merc did was c%26c %28comments and criticism%29 of the old school %0D%0A%3Estyle.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor a part of me%2C it will always and forever be 1998%2C with me downloading my email via modem to see if John Biles has posted the next part of Daigakusei no Ranma to the FFML so I can talk about it.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
50|4|28|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Meridias||15:50:33|06/17/2013|%3EWhat Merc did was c%26c %28comments and criticism%29 of the old school %0D%0A%3Estyle. As implied above%2C that kind of thing is infinitely more useful %0D%0A%3Eto a writer willing to accept it %28and%2C in some cases%2C infinitely %0D%0A%3Eharder on the writer%27s ego too%29 than %27I loved it%27 comments. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EJeanne %0D%0A%3E%28whose last C%26C type comment here was of the %27I loved it%27 variety%29 %0D%0A%0D%0ADon%27t get me wrong. I%27m not getting on his case in a %22What was the point of THAT%3F%22 kind of way. If it provides feedback for these great stories%2C I%27m all for it. I only posted it because of my natural smartalec-ness and lack of sleep.%0D%0AIf I offended anybody%2C I apologize.
53|5|50|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|JeanneHedge||18:32:11|06/17/2013|%3EDon%27t get me wrong. I%27m not getting on his case in a %22What was the %0D%0A%3Epoint of THAT%3F%22 kind of way. If it provides feedback for these great %0D%0A%3Estories%2C I%27m all for it. I only posted it because of my natural %0D%0A%3Esmartalec-ness and lack of sleep. %0D%0A%3EIf I offended anybody%2C I apologize. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m not the owner%2Foperator%2C but see no need for apologies. If any%2C it may be me. At ACen this year I actually found myself explaining to someone what C%26C of a fanfic was and how it could be useful. Not %22old school%2C%22 but actual comments and criticism... %28no%2C I was not on the panel%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI was quite partial to a well done smart-alek MSTing. Too bad well done MSTings were a rare thing%2C even back in the day.%0D%0A%0D%0AJeanne%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22 width%3D%2280%25%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd align%3D%22center%22 width%3D%2210%25%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%2Fmisc%2Foldowl.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd%5D%5Bfont size%3D2%5D%5Bb%5DJeanne Hedge%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.jhedge.com%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%5D%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bi%5D%5Bfont size%3D1%5D%22Never give up%2C never surrender%21%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
15|2|12|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|mdg1||05:55:17|06/16/2013|If you go by the Faction Paradox cosmology%2C Gallifrey in fact is actually slightly OLDER than the dawn of time.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28But not the Big Bang.  It%27s a subtle thing%29
23|2|12|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||15:28:22|06/16/2013|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-17-13 AT 03:36 AM (EDT)]%3EIt might be beneficial to weave some of the mini-stories into the %0D%0A%3Eofficial chronology at this point%3B someone trying to jump into this %0D%0A%3Eone directly S5M2 might be a little bit lost without reading some %0D%0A%3EDSMP. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat bears thinking about.  The %22mini-story%22 tool has rather exceeded its original spec - they were supposed to be specifically %5Bi%5Dnon%5B%2Fi%5D-vital pieces of work%2C so that people not using the Forum for whatever reason wouldn%27t miss out on anything important%2C but keeping that kind of thing separate on the creative side proved to be a hassle and would%27ve made for lost opportunities on both sides of the line.  A tighter integration of presentation may well be called for now that such an integration has started occurring creatively...%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI%27d like to take this moment to express the hope that in UF%2C %0D%0A%3Ethere are %28...%29%0D%0A%3Equarians still alive and well on Rannoch.%0D%0A%0D%0AOn Rannoch%2C almost certainly not.  However%2C the Rannoch Hegemony was a fairly big space nation.  Among Tali%27s people%2C there are persistent legends - more like articulated dreams%2C really - that there still exists%2C somewhere out on the far end of the old Hegemony where the Flotilla dared not go%2C at least one old colony which was passed over by the vicissitudes of the Morning War.  It%27s a kind of quarian Shangri-La%2C or the kingdom of %5Blink%3Aen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPrester_John%7CPrester John%5D.  Individual quarians tend to impress their own views upon it.  Hardliners believe %28or wish%29 that it%27s a place where the quarians %5Bi%5Dwon%5B%2Fi%5D the Morning War and their geth were destroyed.  Reconciliationists think the quarians and geth of the borderlands %28not with a capital B%29 will have settled their differences %5Bi%5Dbefore%5B%2Fi%5D reaching the point where either side faced annihilation%2C and now live together in a peaceful and synergistic society.  Those who most fervently wish the whole thing had never happened prefer to believe that%2C well%2C the whole thing never happened%2C the border geth never rose up in the first place and all is as it was.%0D%0A%0D%0ANone of these things is terribly probable%2C and if any of them did come to pass%2C no one has ever been able to establish contact with the world or worlds on which it may have happened.  By 2410%2C most educated quarians think it%27s a pleasant fantasy%2C nothing more%2C and that nothing lives within the Perseus Veil now but the geth %28if indeed the individual thinker in question perceives the geth as alive%29.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHmm%2C interesting. I take it Tali the Elder didn%27t take her husband%27s %0D%0A%3Ename when she married Vedik%27Zorah%3F%0D%0A%0D%0ANo%2C that isn%27t the custom among quarians%2C at least in UF %28no data existed about such conventions in the games that were out when %5Bi%5DStar-Crossed%5B%2Fi%5D was written%2C and I haven%27t played the third one%29.  Children usually take the name of their father%27s clan %28though there are those in the modern day who challenge this as a quaint custom that is driving some of the noblest of the old clan names%2C such as Shukra%2C into extinction%29%2C but name changes upon marriage are rare.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EGiven their relative sizes %28seriously%2C Nanami needs to eat something%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AShe%27s not skinny%2C she%27s just small-boned.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI sort of imagine that Thor could get his entire hand around her neck %0D%0A%3Eif he wanted to. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0APretty much%2C yes%3B in this case the phrase %22scruff of the neck%22 is intended to indicate that he%27s holding onto her from behind rather than in front %28then it%27d be %22seized her by the throat%22%2C which has rather different%2C more... confrontational... connotations%29.  It%27s possible that she didn%27t bother to struggle because she responded to this stimulus as a cat would have%2C and went completely limp.  Honestly%2C that%27s probably the best approach to take when Thor picks you up by the neck no matter %5Bi%5Dwhich%5B%2Fi%5D side of it his thumb is on.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EFrom what little we%27ve been told of him%2C the UF flavor of Sifu-Dyas %0D%0A%3Esounds like he was extremely old school%3B that is%2C he%27d take the %0D%0A%3Eposition that everyone who is strong in the force should%2C properly%2C be %0D%0A%3Ea member of the Jedi Order%2C which has a monopoly on the proper way of %0D%0A%3Edeveloping and extending ones connection to said force. %0D%0A%0D%0AMany modern Jedi have trouble with that.  The problem is largely historical.  The ancient Jedi once adopted - and held for many centuries - the view that the Force is a universal thing and that there are many ways of perceiving and interacting with it%2C all equally valid for their own purposes%2C which should be respected and coexisted with.  There were even ways of %5Bi%5Dinterlocking%5B%2Fi%5D the various traditions to achieve spectacular cooperative results %28%5Bi%5Dkamor bakhva%5B%2Fi%5D%2C for instance%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AOn the other hand%2C there was also the Sith-Yoma War and the Santovasku Purge.  That kind of thing will stretch a being%27s commitment to philosophical diversity.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E... oh%2C right. She%27s part Invid. %0D%0A%0D%0AFortunately not the sluggy part.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESo now I%27m operating on the assumption that Sosuke has Kaname chipped%2C %0D%0A%0D%0ALeaving aside for a moment the way that just soared out over the left-field fence%2C 354 feet away from the very fine and delicate line that is the comedy-creepiness threshold of the DSMP scenario%2C Lindsey would know if that had happened.  And she wouldn%27t have been very pleased about it%2C either.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Eor he%27s carrying some manner of very sophisticated biometric scanner %0D%0A%3Ethat can home in on her.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is more likely.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EBig risk to run just for some healthy organs.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s a fine thread of extremely dark comedy running through Dr. Saleon%27s intentions%2C actually%3A He thinks she%27s human.  If he%27d succeeded in his acquisition%2C he%27d have discovered to his dismay that %5Bi%5Dnothing he just acquired is of any use to anyone but its original owner%5B%2Fi%5D.  So he%27d have incurred the complete shutdown of Brown Sector and the kind of search-and-destroy mission you only read about in Mark Bowden books for %5Bi%5Dnothing%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0AHe%27s almost better off having been killed the way he %5Bi%5Dwas%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s right down in the far infrared of my personal humor range%2C but it%27s there.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESosuke is a soldier. %28I%27d quibble with the %27true warrior%27 stuff%2C but.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI %28or rather Kaname%29 didn%27t say %22true%22.  It%27s not a philosophical reflection%2C particularly - it%27s the distinction between a person who belongs to a uniformed armed force but may %5Bi%5Dor may not%5B%2Fi%5D be particularly into it %28ISTR reading once about an Army study in which it was found that only about 10%25 of soldiers in combat even attempt to actually shoot anyone%2C which the Army%2C being the Army%2C found shocking and disgraceful%29%2C and a person whose vocation %28not just his job%29 is the application of violence.  It may not be a %5Bi%5Dpleasant%5B%2Fi%5D vocation%2C but a vocation%2C nonetheless.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf Kaname had had the luxury of considering it further%2C it would have occurred to her that those two conditions are separate bits in a person%27s configuration%2C and that in Sosuke%27s case what makes him special is that both of them are turned on.  A lot of soldiers%2C as we see from the Army%27s math above%2C are not warriors.  A lot of warriors - including a number of the Duelists - are not soldiers.  A man %28or woman - Virginia Shepard comes to mind%29 who is %5Bi%5Dboth%5B%2Fi%5D is incredibly dangerous %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D incredibly safe to be with at the same time%2C if you%27re standing in the right region of his or her personal threat assessment Venn diagram. %3A%29%0D%0A %0D%0A%3E37 is somewhat young to be a Captain%2C at least would be in the modern %0D%0A%3EUSN%2C and humans in the 25th century have longer lifespans and thus %0D%0A%3Eprobably longer and more delayed careers as well. Captain Davidson %0D%0A%3Emust know... her%3F... trade very well.%0D%0A%0D%0AShe didn%27t beat Jim Kirk%27s record%2C but it%27s a respectably early age for such a position.  On the other hand%2C despite the longer overall lifespan%2C that doesn%27t really mean humans have slowed down in terms of what they %5Bi%5Ddo%5B%2Fi%5D during those lives.  If anything%2C they%27ve stepped up the pace a bit compared with what we%27d think of as normal.  In most places%2C for instance%2C the majority age for a human or near-humanoid %28based on various abstruse biological metrics%29 is 16 Standard years.  %28Which means that%2C in the Republic of Zeta Cygni where her passport comes from%2C in any case%2C Kaname%27s not in fact underage.  She can vote%2C undertake legal contracts%2C join the Defense Force if she wanted%2C etc.%29  What most humans do instead is use that extra time to have %5Bi%5Dseveral%5B%2Fi%5D careers%2C often wildly differing from each other.  DSM%27s own Arthur Haineley%2C for instance%2C served in the United Earth Navy for many years%2C then had a very successful career as a concert pianist%2C and then trained as a psychologist before becoming a youth counselor.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI%27ve long wondered%3B why wasn%27t the IPO%2FWDF involved in the Proxima %0D%0A%3ECentauri conflict%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AThe IPO%2C as you note%2C didn%27t have a fleet yet.  IPO operatives %5Bi%5Dwere%5B%2Fi%5D involved in the ground war%2C though they didn%27t officially take a side%3B they were ostensibly there to try and protect civilians while the government %28which was%2C after all%2C as legitimate as these things get in such a situation%29 and the resistance fought it out.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn practice%2C one imagines this neutrality was probably observed more in the breach than otherwise%2C one of many reasons why the Dome felt it necessary to dispense with them in the Alliance altogether after the Argentina incident in 2406.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs for the WDF%2C they had no dog in the fight.  Their contract is with the Federation%2C not the Earth Alliance%2C and they mainly guard against external threats anyway.  The WDF%27s charter does have the deeply buried %22good of the galaxy%22 clause - the one invoked to justify%2C for instance%2C the Force%27s interference in the matter of the Salusian succession in 2015 - but Daver is very cautious about when he pulls that trigger%2C and at the risk of seeming a bit Darwinian about it%2C Proxima just wasn%27t big enough.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Eso far every ranking officer in Earthforce %0D%0A%3Ewe%27ve seen who isn%27t named John Sheridan has been both an idiot and a %0D%0A%3Etactical incompetent. %0D%0A%0D%0AIn fairness%2C you haven%27t seen that many%2C proportionally.  On the other hand%2C of late it%27s an organization that%27s mostly run by its %5Bi%5Dzampoliti%5B%2Fi%5D%2C which%2C as the Soviet military repeatedly demonstrate in the 20th century%2C isn%27t really any way to run a railroad.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn Captain Davidson%27s case%2C I suspect she%27d have done considerably better if she%27d been allowed to manage the affair the way she wanted%2C but - as Jim Kirk has noted with chagrin many times during his career - in the 25th century%2C with instantaneous galactic telecommunications%2C a captain is virtually never really the final authority in these matters.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThat actually sounds kind of silly. If a Blue Suns squad shows up B6 %0D%0A%3Eis going to let them just walk into the station in full kit so long as %0D%0A%3Etheir IDs check out%3F%0D%0A%0D%0ASure%2C if they could demonstrate a genuine necessity for it.  Operating at the squad level in a personal security situation is a pretty hard sell%2C but %5Bi%5Done%5B%2Fi%5D Blue Sun with his kit and a proper contract in hand to look out for a specifically identified dignitary%3F  Sure.  Garibaldi would assign him a liaison officer%2C who would follow him around the entire time he was on station - strictly to provide backup and make sure things went according to plan%2C you understand - but that%27s because he doesn%27t like their faces.  He likes Sosuke%27s. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EPedantic nitpick%3A is the Ikazuchi classed as a BC or a CV%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s a battlecarrier%2C so%2C sort of both.  Carriers that can fight other capital ships without requiring extensive escorts are fairly commonplace in the UF universe.  %28Star Destroyers%2C Colonial battlestars%2C et al.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EYou gotta wonder what he made of Akio. %0D%0A%0D%0ASomebody else%27s problem.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EUtena is%2C of course%2C much better at this sort of thing than I am%2C but %0D%0A%3Eone hopes that as she gets more experience under her belt she learns %0D%0A%3Enot to set up big%2C complicated%2C set-piece battles like that.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt wasn%27t entirely by design%3B she had to work with the situation she was handed.  This%2C That%2C and The Other Thing all had to get done first%2C and she didn%27t have sufficient assets in hand to do them all %5Bi%5Dwithout%5B%2Fi%5D then having to rely on most of the forces she%27d used to do them being available for reuse in the main dance.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E2%29 Earthforce Marines are %0D%0A%3Eunlikely to view the Navy saying %22sorry%2C we got our asses kicked%2C %0D%0A%3Eyou%27re on your own%22 with a great degree of sympathy. %0D%0A%0D%0AIndeed.  As the byplay between the Master Chief and Sgt. Stacker %28%22typical swabbies... %22%29 indicates%2C such sentiments are not uncommon %5Bi%5Dnor%5B%2Fi%5D confined to Earthforce.  They%27re joking around%2C of course%2C but there%27s a distinct element of %22ha ha only serious%22 involved.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI know that %22Teletha%22 is her proper%2C canonical%2C creator-confirmed %0D%0A%3Eactual name from Full Metal Panic. But lord%2C that is an UGLY %0D%0A%3Eromanization. Would %22Theresa%22 have been so hard for them%3F Really%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AHow is this our problem%3F  Besides%2C I kind of like it.  It%27s%2C I%27unno%2C exotic.  And fun to say.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C that thing is unspeakably ancient. I mean%2C geez. If what Mikage %0D%0A%3Eis saying is true%2C it%27s older than Thor%27s hammer or Odin%27s spear. It%27s %0D%0A%3Eolder than Boba Fett%27s genuine Mandalorian battle-armor. It was old %0D%0A%3Ebefore Cybertron%27s sun went out%2C before Primus came to this universe. %0D%0A%3EIt%27s older than GALLIFREY. It was probably old before the Milky Way %0D%0A%3Econdensed from a cloud of gas and dust. %0D%0A%0D%0AMight not be older than Gallifrey%2C since Gallifrey exists outside the normal multiverse%27s timestream.  The rest is probably true%2C though.  If Mikage%27s right.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3E%22I... I had heard that you were... alive again%2C%22 said Anthy%0D%0A%3E%3Ehesitantly.  %22Corwin said he%27d seen you at Christmas.%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI don%27t know that alive is the proper term for what Nanami is now. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s a hair that would be too awkward to split in such a conversation.  Biologically speaking%2C she%27s not dead and she%27s not %5Bi%5Dun%5B%2Fi%5Ddead %28there are very specific and observable criteria for that%29.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3E%22He hates you and all you love with a passion that moved the Great Fire %0D%0A%3E%3Ehimself.%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI%27m sure a million other people have pointed similar things out%2C %0D%0A%3Ebut... one the things %22great%22 can mean is %22immense.%22 Or %22large.%22 Or %0D%0A%3Eother words connoting... bigness. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s true%2C that is.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs an aside%2C you stopped short of what is my personal favorite phrase in Nanami%27s speech%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Think of that.  A hatred so pure that the Enemy of All perceives it as %5Bi%5Dbeauty%5B%2Fi%5D.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThey say even the Daleks %28well%2C you know%2C the %5Bi%5Dbad%5B%2Fi%5D Daleks%29 have a concept of beauty.  It%27s probably a bit like Surtur%27s.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EProbably because unless I miss my guess%2C Kaname has some mild but %0D%0A%3Edefinitely present PTSD. Counseling would probably be indicated. %0D%0A%0D%0AOr at least a hug and a trip to the beach.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EBasically%2C the Federation seems like it%27s basically the European %0D%0A%3EUnion%2C but with it%27s own military.%0D%0A%0D%0ASort of more a combination of the UN and NATO%2C but yes.  It%27s not supposed to be a strong polity.  The United Galactica was a strong polity%2C and - once the Old WDF was out of the picture - that didn%27t end well.  The Federation was an attempt to avoid making that mistake again.  Its framers may well have made other%2C equally critical ones in the process%2C but then that%27s usually the way sapient affairs go.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIt certainly doesn%27t have a %0D%0A%3Euniversal guarantee of sentient rights or to representative %0D%0A%3Egovernment%2C for example. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s supposed to%2C but it rather lacks the teeth to enforce them.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ECorwin%2C Utena%2C and Anthy aren%27t what you%27d call vengeful people. %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C Anthy kind of is.  She prefers it on a time scale that would make Klingon thought admirals start looking ostentatiously at their watches%2C is all.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI think maybe Akio wants them to come for Nanami in some way. Which %0D%0A%3Eprobably means doing so is bad%2C bad news. %0D%0A%0D%0AAny comment I could make regarding this point would be giving %5Bi%5Dsomething%5B%2Fi%5D away one way or the other%2C so I believe I won%27t. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
31|3|23|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Bushido||03:30:19|06/17/2013|I think where he%27s drawing the idea of Quarians on Rannoch from is from one of my favorite sequences in Mass Effect 3 during which they reveal some of the Geth%27s perspective on history%2C most of which has been lost or sanitized by the Quarians including the fact that there were Geth sympathizers during the Morning War who fought to protect their Geth friends%2Fservants.  I assume the ME fan fiction sub-genre he%27s referring to relies on the premise that some of them survived.
35|4|31|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||05:27:51|06/17/2013|%3EI think where he%27s drawing the idea of Quarians on Rannoch from is %0D%0A%3Efrom one of my favorite sequences in Mass Effect 3 during which they %0D%0A%3Ereveal some of the Geth%27s perspective on history%2C most of which has %0D%0A%3Ebeen lost or sanitized by the Quarians including the fact that there %0D%0A%3Ewere Geth sympathizers during the Morning War who fought to protect %0D%0A%3Etheir Geth friends%2Fservants.  I assume the ME fan fiction sub-genre %0D%0A%3Ehe%27s referring to relies on the premise that some of them survived. %0D%0A%0D%0AKinda-sorta.%0D%0A%0D%0ABasically%2C once it turned out that the geth were misunderstood%2C as opposed to a collection of hive mind Reaper-worshipping sumbitches%2C a number of people started thinking%3A %22Huh. Assuming the geth were at least trying to conduct their war in as moral a way possible without allowing themselves to be genocided%2C it would actually have been very%2C very hard for them to kill EVERY quarian on Rannoch%2C assuming that they also took steps to preserve Rannoch%27s biosphere. Therefore%2C it is entirely possible there%27s been a remnant of the quarian people there%2C quietly rebuilding for the past three centuries.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThis isn%27t true%2C of course%2C in ME canon. But it%27s an interesting enough idea that a lot has been done with it. In particular%2C Gregg Landsman%27s %22Glorious Shotgun Princess%22 has used it to good effect%3B that story features a small %28three million or so%29 quarian nation still living on Rannoch as of the time of ME2%2C and those quarians are less than enthused about repatriating the flotilla%2C who 1%29 outnumber them six to one%2C and 2%29 are the descendants of people they view as idiotic war criminals. The flotilla in turn regards them with a mix of suspicion %28verging on %27all y%27all are race traitors%27%29 and jealousy %28the %27indigenous%27 quarians have perfectly functioning immune systems and can walk around without encounter suits just fine.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
33|3|23|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|BeardedFerret||04:28:11|06/17/2013|%3E%3EIt might be beneficial to weave some of the mini-stories into the %0D%0A%3E%3Eofficial chronology at this point%3B someone trying to jump into this %0D%0A%3E%3Eone directly S5M2 might be a little bit lost without reading some %0D%0A%3E%3EDSMP. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThat bears thinking about.  The %22mini-story%22 tool has rather exceeded %0D%0A%3Eits original spec - they were supposed to be specifically %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dnon%5B%2Fi%5D-vital pieces of work%2C so that people not using the Forum %0D%0A%3Efor whatever reason wouldn%27t miss out on anything important%2C but %0D%0A%3Ekeeping that kind of thing separate on the creative side proved to be %0D%0A%3Ea hassle and would%27ve made for lost opportunities on both sides of the %0D%0A%3Eline.  A tighter integration of presentation may well be called for %0D%0A%3Enow that such an integration has started occurring creatively... %0D%0A%0D%0AFor what it%27s worth%2C DSM Panic seems like it could easily fit into an interlude or some similar device%2C as seen with Azalynn%27s Winter Holiday. A sort of %27Meanwhile%2C on Jerrado%27 for new readers.
37|3|23|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Senji||05:50:54|06/17/2013|%3EIn Captain Davidson%27s case%2C I suspect she%27d have done considerably %0D%0A%3Ebetter if she%27d been allowed to manage the affair the way she wanted%2C %0D%0A%3Ebut - as Jim Kirk has noted with chagrin many times during his career %0D%0A%3E- in the 25th century%2C with instantaneous galactic telecommunications%2C %0D%0A%3Ea captain is virtually never really the final authority in these %0D%0A%3Ematters. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A I expect Jim Kirk has learned the method of The Final Report%3B and probably the WDF and the IPO are comparatively tolerant of Captains who Solve Things even if they don%27t let their shoulders be jogged.%0D%0A%0D%0A Earthforce%2C OTOH%2C even in the original canon before the takeover weren%27t known for such enlightenment %3A-%29%0D%0A%0D%0AS.
38|3|23|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||07:01:00|06/17/2013|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-17-13 AT 07:06 AM (EDT)]%3EThat bears thinking about.  The %22mini-story%22 tool has rather exceeded %0D%0A%3Eits original spec - they were supposed to be specifically %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dnon%5B%2Fi%5D-vital pieces of work%2C so that people not using the Forum %0D%0A%3Efor whatever reason wouldn%27t miss out on anything important%2C %0D%0A%0D%0AI actually only started using the forums %28in that I%27d come here and read them%29 a couple-three years ago%2C and it was because I%27d ask Phil %22Have I missed something%3F Who the hell ARE these people%22 and he%27d say %22Oh%2C they%27re from the mini-stories. There%27s a bunch of them that AREN%27T in the omnibuses.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AMore generally%2C a number of the %22Mini%22 stories are in fact at this point LONGER than stand-alone stuff in the Golden Age and Exile sections.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EOn Rannoch%2C almost certainly not.  However%2C the Rannoch Hegemony was a %0D%0A%3Efairly big space nation.  Among Tali%27s people%2C there are persistent %0D%0A%3Elegends - more like articulated dreams%2C really - %0D%0A%3E %0D%0A%3E %28snip%29%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s a fascinating look into the sort of stories the quarians tell themselves ABOUT themselves during their long exile.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ENo%2C that isn%27t the custom among quarians%2C at least in UF %28no data %0D%0A%3Eexisted about such conventions in the games that were out when %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DStar-Crossed%5B%2Fi%5D was written%2C and I haven%27t played the third one%29.  %0D%0A%0D%0AThe third one has some fascinating tidbits about quarian%2Fgeth history %28for example%2C in ME%2C it turns out that the geth LET the flotilla go%3B they%27d won and saw no reason to pursue the quarians through the relay%29 but nothing specifically about their naming conventions.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C wait%2C no%3B there was one thing. They don%27t have a separate signifier for %22lives on a planet%22 or %22lives on a ship%22 like you do in UF. In ME%2C if you%27re a quarian who resettles on a planet%2C you%27re just %22vas Planetname.%22%0D%0A%0D%0ARe%3A not the playing the third one%2C lord knows I have my own giant stack of unplayed games%2C but if you haven%27t actually BOUGHT it yet %28as opposed to having it lying around unplayed%29 I would submit that now is probably the most opportune time%3B it%27s down to twenty bucks or so used %28a used copy of ME1 actually sells for MORE than a used ME3 copy%29 and if I recall the price curves that ME1 and ME2 took on both the direct and the secondhand market%2C ME3 is going to bottom out somewhere between sixteen and twenty months after initial retail release and then actually tick UPWARDS slightly before settling down into it%27s long-term %22Greatest Hits%22 level of pricing.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I used to sell video games. I keep track of how the market works at retail.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EBig risk to run just for some healthy organs.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThere%27s a fine thread of extremely dark comedy running through Dr. %0D%0A%3ESaleon%27s intentions%2C actually%3A He thinks she%27s human.  If he%27d %0D%0A%3Esucceeded in his acquisition%2C he%27d have discovered to his dismay that %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dnothing he just acquired is of any use to anyone but its original %0D%0A%3Eowner%5B%2Fi%5D.  So he%27d have incurred the complete shutdown of Brown %0D%0A%3ESector and the kind of search-and-destroy mission you only read about %0D%0A%3Ein Mark Bowden books for %5Bi%5Dnothing%5B%2Fi%5D. %0D%0A%0D%0AI find that hilarious in two ways.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe first is just because it%27s hilarious on it%27s own right. The second is that%2C it occurs to me that due to her unique physiology%2C Lyneh probably makes sure Kaname donates blood twice a year a year in case she %28Kaname%29 ever needs a transfusion%2C as Kaname is unlikely to be able to absorb any old random bag of O positive.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich means somewhere in the Voronda Elendil%27s medbay%2C there%27s a medical cooling unit with a sticky note on it that says %22Kana-chan%27s Blood. DO NOT USE FOR OTHER PURPOSES.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A... well%2C I think it%27s funny. %0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Eparticularly into it %28ISTR reading once about an Army study in which %0D%0A%3Eit was found that only about 10%25 of soldiers in combat even attempt to %0D%0A%3Eactually shoot anyone%2C which the Army%2C being the Army%2C found shocking %0D%0A%3Eand disgraceful%29%2C %0D%0A%0D%0AYou recall correctly%2C although it was closer to 20%25.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s also a very old statistic%3B it dates to the Second World War%2C I believe%2C or at least that rough time period. The army%2C as you said%2C found it shocking and disgraceful%2C and there was a massive overhaul of their training methods%3B prior to that%2C the focus was almost exclusively on what we%27d think of bread-and-butter soldiering %28how to maintain and use your gear%2C how to follow orders%2C basic strategy and tactics%2C the proper way to entrench a position%2C etc etc%29 and almost nothing else.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter discovering lots of their soldiers were reluctant to kill%2C the armed forces decided that there needed to be a deliberate and concerted attempt to instill killer instinct into people. It%27s worked pretty well%3B the proportion of soldiers who will use their weapons with killing intent%2C unprompted%2C is MUCH higher than one-in-five today.%0D%0A %0D%0A%3EIn most %0D%0A%3Eplaces%2C for instance%2C the majority age for a human or near-humanoid %0D%0A%3E%28based on various abstruse biological metrics%29 is 16 Standard years.  %0D%0A%3E%28Which means that%2C in the Republic of Zeta Cygni where her passport %0D%0A%3Ecomes from%2C in any case%2C Kaname%27s not in fact underage.  She can vote%2C %0D%0A%3Eundertake legal contracts%2C join the Defense Force if she wanted%2C etc.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThat seems rather early to me%2C as I%27m still young enough %28although that time is fast ending%29 to recall what it was like being 16%2C and entrusting me with a motor vehicle was a shockingly foolhardy decision on the part of the state%2C to say nothing of weapons or the power of contract. %3A%29%0D%0A %0D%0AOn the other hand%2C it%27s been a shitty century and a half or so for the civilized galaxy%2C barring a handful of stable places %28like Salusia%29. And I seem to recall reading somewhere that%2C while 25th century humans live longer than we do now in the real world%2C both average AND median age at death for humans peaked in 2200s and than CRASHED during the 2300s when everything went to shit. %28That almost certainly comes from a very ancient Redneck story%2C though%2C one of his pieces dealing with the old Olympus megastate.%29 So I can see %22childhood%22 ending up shortened.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAs for the WDF%2C they had no dog in the fight.  Their contract is with %0D%0A%3Ethe Federation%2C not the Earth Alliance%2C and they mainly guard against %0D%0A%3Eexternal threats anyway.  The WDF%27s charter does have the deeply %0D%0A%3Eburied %22good of the galaxy%22 clause - the one invoked to justify%2C for %0D%0A%3Einstance%2C the Force%27s interference in the matter of the Salusian %0D%0A%3Esuccession in 2015 - but Daver is very cautious about when he pulls %0D%0A%3Ethat trigger%2C and at the risk of seeming a bit Darwinian about it%2C %0D%0A%3EProxima just wasn%27t big enough. %0D%0A%0D%0AFair enough. I don%27t typically associate the WDF with realpolitik%2C but rather gung-ho idealism. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIn Captain Davidson%27s case%2C I suspect she%27d have done considerably %0D%0A%3Ebetter if she%27d been allowed to manage the affair the way she wanted%2C %0D%0A%0D%0AHmm%21 You know%2C after you put this down%2C I went back through both the Operation TRIDENT docs and the story itself.%0D%0A%0D%0AI don%27t know what the culture of the EA Marines is like%2C but if it%27s anything like actual Marines Westford Drake likely inspired a fair amount of disbelief-slash-contempt from his men and fellow officers by choosing to remain in orbit%2C rather than going down with the rest of his men. %28Try and imagine Alexander Vandegrift choosing to remain with the Navy rather than going ashore to Guadalcanal.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0ADespite being in overall command%2C the battle for mastery of orbit was going to be largely out of his control %28conducted as it was by the navy and being something he probably has limited expertise in%29 and staying up there has the very real possibility of leaving him cut off from the troops he is responsible for and unable to meaningfully contribute to the defense of the planet he has been charged to hold.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat remaining in orbit DOES do%2C though%2C is vastly increase the likelihood that if things go bad%2C Drake personally will be able to escape with his hide intact instead of being trapped in a bunker with the rest of the marines.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis makes me wonder if Drake was promoted more from politics than for his soldierly qualities. Or if he considered Davidson to be sufficiently unreliable he had to keep an eye on her%2C I suppose.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EThat actually sounds kind of silly. If a Blue Suns squad shows up B6 %0D%0A%3E%3Eis going to let them just walk into the station in full kit so long as %0D%0A%3E%3Etheir IDs check out%3F%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ESure%2C if they could demonstrate a genuine necessity for it.  %0D%0A%0D%0AHuh. Well%2C shows what I know%2C then.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EI know that %22Teletha%22 is her proper%2C canonical%2C creator-confirmed %0D%0A%3E%3Eactual name from Full Metal Panic. But lord%2C that is an UGLY %0D%0A%3E%3Eromanization. Would %22Theresa%22 have been so hard for them%3F Really%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EHow is this our problem%3F  Besides%2C I kind of like it.  It%27s%2C I%27unno%2C %0D%0A%3Eexotic.  And fun to say. %0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C it%27s not your problem at all. I%27m just saying%2C I love Tessa%2C but I hate what they did with her name. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAs an aside%2C you stopped short of what is my personal favorite phrase %0D%0A%3Ein Nanami%27s speech%3A %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22Think of that.  A hatred so pure that the Enemy of All perceives it %0D%0A%3Eas %5Bi%5Dbeauty%5B%2Fi%5D.%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThey say even the Daleks %28well%2C you know%2C the %5Bi%5Dbad%5B%2Fi%5D Daleks%29 have %0D%0A%3Ea concept of beauty.  It%27s probably a bit like Surtur%27s. %0D%0A%0D%0AI think that line stands well enough on it%27s own without any encouragement from me. As I said%2C Nanami%27s scene%3F Far and away the best one in the story.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlthough%2C now that you%27ve brought it up... Nanami%27s whole line about how Akio is now %22more%22 than he used to be got me thinking.%0D%0A%0D%0AAkio v1.0 was... well%2C he was fundamentally crippled by the whole %22died and my body kept going without me%22 thing that happened to Dios. But part of being broken in that specific way meant that Akio was still nominally at least TRYING to be the Prince of Cephiro. He was doing a completely shit job of it%2C because he was a soulless monster%2C but he still fundamentally thought of himself as the hero and that everything he was doing was justified because of that. %28You%27ll note that in the TV series itself%2C Akio more than once confronted what was left of Dios in vain attempts to convince Dios that Akio was right%2C dammit%2C he was just doing what he had to do%2C can%27t you SEE that%2C you stupid child%3F%29%0D%0A%0D%0ABut anyway%2C my point is that Akio used to be... well%2C broken and insecure%2C really. There was always a sense %28and I don%27t know if you meant to convey this deliberately or not%2C but it%27s what I got from the Symphony%29 that despite the whole puppet master thing he had going on%2C he wasn%27t QUITE sure about what he was doing%2C and the conflicting imperatives of trying to maintain at least the trappings of the Prince while simultaneously being incapable of actually BEING the Prince left him flailing around a bit.%0D%0A%0D%0AHe doesn%27t have that problem anymore%2C does he%3F Akio the Duke of Hell %28Trigon%29 is completely at peace with himself%2C his nature%2C and his place in the universe. He%27s absolutely and completely sure of what he%27s doing and why he is doing it. Which%2C as Nanami says%2C kind of makes him far more terrifying%2C as Akio was dangerous enough when he was a lesser creature. His scenes in Oriphos have a much different vibe to them than%2C say%2C his scenes in Ohtori Academy back when he was trying to draw in Wakaba.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut as I often do%2C I could just be reading things in that aren%27t there.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EIt certainly doesn%27t have a %0D%0A%3E%3Euniversal guarantee of sentient rights or to representative %0D%0A%3E%3Egovernment%2C for example. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIt%27s supposed to%2C but it rather lacks the teeth to enforce them. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m curious then%3B assuming it has a judicial branch%2C has the Federation made a ruling on the compatibility of the Psi Act with the Federation%27s ostensible commitment to sentient rights%3F The EA isn%27t going to give a shit%2C of course%2C they%27d simply go all Andrew Jackson on it%2C but it would at least make it difficult for them to legally extend their insane slavery regime for psions to other sovereign states within the Federation.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3ECorwin%2C Utena%2C and Anthy aren%27t what you%27d call vengeful people. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWell%2C Anthy kind of is.  She prefers it on a time scale that would %0D%0A%3Emake Klingon thought admirals start looking ostentatiously at their %0D%0A%3Ewatches%2C is all. %0D%0A%0D%0AHm. I%27m curious%3B did the %22Anthy torments Nanami%22 episodes of SkU happen in the context of UF%3F You know%2C when Nanami had to trek all over the world %28or Cephiro%2C I guess%29 to gather the ingredients to undo Anthy%27s little body-swap spell on Utena%2C or when Nanami was utterly and completely convinced she%27d laid an egg in her sleep%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Nanami was sort of Anthy%27s chew-toy throughout a lot of SkU%2C really%3B Anthy messed with her mind a LOT and I don%27t think it was because Akio was making her.%29%0D%0A%0D%0ABecause if so%2C I bet Anthy kind of feels just AWFUL about those acts of petty vengeance now.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EI think maybe Akio wants them to come for Nanami in some way. Which %0D%0A%3E%3Eprobably means doing so is bad%2C bad news. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EAny comment I could make regarding this point would be giving %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dsomething%5B%2Fi%5D away one way or the other%2C so I believe I won%27t. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C naturally.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5D Drove two hours today to see a movie about a magical pony princess who becomes a magical high school princess.%0D%0AHas no regrets. %5B%2Fsmall%5D%0D%0AKeep Rat%0D%0A
57|4|38|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||19:58:19|06/17/2013|%3EMore generally%2C a number of the %22Mini%22 stories are in fact at this %0D%0A%3Epoint LONGER than stand-alone stuff in the Golden Age and Exile %0D%0A%3Esections. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat part%27s not as important%2C as I%27ve never really tried to work to a particular length%3B stuff is as long as it is.  The part about indexing and integration%2C though%2C is cause for reflection.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ERe%3A not the playing the third one%2C lord knows I have my own giant %0D%0A%3Estack of unplayed games%2C but if you haven%27t actually BOUGHT it yet %28as %0D%0A%3Eopposed to having it lying around unplayed%29%0D%0A%0D%0ANo%2C I have one%2C I just haven%27t played it much.  Partly because I know it will eventually fail me%2C mostly because I didn%27t get my principal ME2 game quite right and I haven%27t been arsed to replay it the right way up.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EWhich means somewhere in the Voronda Elendil%27s medbay%2C there%27s a %0D%0A%3Emedical cooling unit with a sticky note on it that says %22Kana-chan%27s %0D%0A%3EBlood. DO NOT USE FOR OTHER PURPOSES.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0ANOT FOR CLONE SOURCING%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAfter discovering lots of their soldiers were reluctant to kill%2C the %0D%0A%3Earmed forces decided that there needed to be a deliberate and %0D%0A%3Econcerted attempt to instill killer instinct into people.%0D%0A%0D%0A... because %5Bi%5Dthat%5B%2Fi%5D could never go horribly wrong later.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThat seems rather early to me%2C as I%27m still young enough %28although %0D%0A%3Ethat time is fast ending%29 to recall what it was like being 16%2C and %0D%0A%3Eentrusting me with a motor vehicle was a shockingly foolhardy decision %0D%0A%3Eon the part of the state%0D%0A%0D%0AHeck%2C I was part of the last group of people to be licensed at %5Bi%5D15%5B%2Fi%5D in Maine %28the Legislature had changed the law while I was in driver%27s ed that spring%2C but it didn%27t take effect until summer%29.  Never did me any harm.  Ironically%2C I %5Bi%5Dwas%5B%2Fi%5D involved in a crash on the first full day I had my driver%27s license%2C but it was actually%2C genuinely%2C the-cops-said-so not my fault. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESo I can see %22childhood%22 ending up shortened. %0D%0A%0D%0ANah%2C it%27s not an austerity measure%2C just a combination of more advanced educational outcomes and trusting people to have their shit together.  There are safety mechanisms built into the system%2C I%27m just not arsed enough about the topic to design them.  That aspect of worldbuilding doesn%27t interest me much %28see below%29.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI don%27t know what the culture of the EA Marines is like%2C but if it%27s %0D%0A%3Eanything like actual Marines Westford Drake likely inspired a fair %0D%0A%3Eamount of disbelief-slash-contempt from his men and fellow officers by %0D%0A%3Echoosing to remain in orbit%2C rather than going down with the rest of %0D%0A%3Ehis men. %28Try and imagine Alexander Vandegrift choosing to remain with %0D%0A%3Ethe Navy rather than going ashore to Guadalcanal.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AWeren%27t you just saying a bit ago that a general who finds herself in actual combat has done something wrong%3F  MUYFM. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThis makes me wonder if Drake was promoted more from politics than for %0D%0A%3Ehis soldierly qualities. Or if he considered Davidson to be %0D%0A%3Esufficiently unreliable he had to keep an eye on her%2C I suppose. %0D%0A%0D%0AI tend to suspect he was %5Bi%5Dinstructed%5B%2Fi%5D not to put himself in a position from which he could not quickly and efficiently get back to base on short notice.  You know... just in case anything %5Bi%5Delse%5B%2Fi%5D might happen to go wrong someplace.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHis scenes in Oriphos have a much different %0D%0A%3Evibe to them than%2C say%2C his scenes in Ohtori Academy back when he was %0D%0A%3Etrying to draw in Wakaba. %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C as you note%2C at that point - in the gap between the end of the Lost Tournament and his death in %5Bi%5DKnights 3%5B%2Fi%5D - he wasn%27t really %5Bi%5Doperating%5B%2Fi%5D to a plan%3B he was improvising %5Bi%5Dfrantically%5B%2Fi%5D%2C trying to salvage whatever he could out of a situation he had failed %28or refused%29 to recognize as essentially unsalvageable.  This desperation did make him dangerous - what he was trying to accomplish by hijacking the replacement-Pillar process would have been seriously bad news%2C even if it would probably %5Bi%5Dnot%5B%2Fi%5D have worked out the way he was expecting it to - but it meant that however urbane he tried to be%2C there was always that sense that he was juggling three or four of those old-timey cartoon-anarchist bombs with the gaily burning %5Bi%5DMission Impossible%5B%2Fi%5D fuses.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow%2C on the other hand... %0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI%27m curious then%3B assuming it has a judicial branch%2C has the %0D%0A%3EFederation made a ruling on the compatibility of the Psi Act with the %0D%0A%3EFederation%27s ostensible commitment to sentient rights%3F%0D%0A%0D%0ASort of%3B that%27s what the 2407 Psi Corps%2FIPO d%26eacute%3Btente was about.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis has been touched on a couple of times%2C but only gently%2C because - as noted above - I have limited interest in depicting legal wrangling.  Early in %5Bi%5DRequiem for a Lensman%5B%2Fi%5D%2C for instance%2C Gryphon and Utena have a short conversation in a turbolift in which Utena asks him%2C essentially%2C %22Why are we letting them get away with this%3F%22%2C the answer to which boiled down to%2C %22I%27m not entirely convinced we actually have to burn the galaxy down to save it yet%2C but I think I can see the place where I will be from here.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHm. I%27m curious%3B did the %22Anthy torments Nanami%22 episodes of SkU %0D%0A%3Ehappen in the context of UF%3F You know%2C when Nanami had to trek all %0D%0A%3Eover the world %28or Cephiro%2C I guess%29 to gather the ingredients to undo %0D%0A%3EAnthy%27s little body-swap spell on Utena%2C or when Nanami was utterly %0D%0A%3Eand completely convinced she%27d laid an egg in her sleep%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AYes.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EBecause if so%2C I bet Anthy kind of feels just AWFUL about those acts %0D%0A%3Eof petty vengeance now. %0D%0A%0D%0AYes.  Well%2C some of it.  She earned the egg thing fair and square.  %28And the curry thing really was kind of an accident.  Or at least it went on a bit longer than was originally intended.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
59|5|57|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|zwol||21:42:52|06/17/2013|%3E%3EAfter discovering lots of their soldiers were reluctant to kill%2C the %0D%0A%3E%3Earmed forces decided that there needed to be a deliberate and %0D%0A%3E%3Econcerted attempt to instill killer instinct into people.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E... because %5Bi%5Dthat%5B%2Fi%5D could never go horribly wrong later. %0D%0A%0D%0AI recall reading a news report about this%3B on top of all the more obvious %28but less demonstrable%2C at least from unclassified sources%29 ways it could go horribly wrong%2C it%27s thought to be at least partially responsible for the massive increase in PTSD in veterans of more recent wars.
62|5|57|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||02:10:21|06/18/2013|%0D%0A%3ENo%2C I have one%2C I just haven%27t played it much.  Partly because I know %0D%0A%3Eit will eventually fail me%2C mostly because I didn%27t get my principal %0D%0A%3EME2 game quite right and I haven%27t been arsed to replay it the right %0D%0A%3Eway up. %0D%0A%0D%0AI have a %22bad end%22 ME2 save somewhere that I need to import into ME3 at some point just to see how much of a clusterfuck it ends up being and how amusing it makes some of the DLC.%0D%0A%0D%0AShort version%3A I blew Wrex away on Virmire%2C and arranged things so that the only three people to walk away from the Collector base were Shepard%2C Zaeed%2C and Morinth%3B everyone else is a corpse%2C I sold Legion to Cerberus%2C AND I handed the base over to the Illusive Man. %0D%0A%0D%0A%28This is actually SUBSTANTIALLY harder to engineer than the good ending. Damn tough bastards wanted to keep living.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AMorinth%2C of course%2C ends up thoroughly Reaperized in the third game%2C and Zaeed gets shot off-camera by a bunch of thugs.%0D%0A%0D%0AShould be interesting times when I finally get around to dumping THAT pile into ME3.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3Ehis men. %28Try and imagine Alexander Vandegrift choosing to remain with %0D%0A%3E%3Ethe Navy rather than going ashore to Guadalcanal.%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWeren%27t you just saying a bit ago that a general who finds herself in %0D%0A%3Eactual combat has done something wrong%3F  MUYFM. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AI know you%27re funning with me%2C but to respond semi-seriously%2C Vandegrift never actually went into combat himself%2C although he had to keep his head to keep it from getting blown up a number of times. %28I should hunt down a biography of the man at some point%3B I%27ve read%2C like%2C eight books on Guadalcanal and TWO bios of Chesty Puller%2C but not one of Vandegrift.%29 But the point is%2C he wasn%27t manning a machine gun along the Matinakau%3B he was back at his command post.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut he WAS enduring the same privation his men were%2C because the corporate culture of the Marines is all %22every Marine is a fighting Marine%2C every Marine is a rifleman%2C etc.%22 He ate the same shitty food%2C got the same awful diseases%2C wore the same clothes until they were rotting off his back. If their position had been overrun%2C it would have been his ass in the last bunker.%0D%0A%0D%0AOf course%2C the culture of the EAM may not bear much resemblance at all to the USMC.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EI%27m curious then%3B assuming it has a judicial branch%2C has the %0D%0A%3E%3EFederation made a ruling on the compatibility of the Psi Act with the %0D%0A%3E%3EFederation%27s ostensible commitment to sentient rights%3F%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ESort of%3B that%27s what the 2407 Psi Corps%2FIPO d%E9tente was about. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThis has been touched on a couple of times%2C but only gently%2C because - %0D%0A%3Eas noted above - I have limited interest in depicting legal wrangling. %0D%0A%0D%0AFair enough. I%2C personally%2C can%27t get enough of it. If the Psi Act actually existed%2C I%27d likely read the whole damn thing. And then read the lengthy body of jurisprudence surrounding it. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E Early in %5Bi%5DRequiem for a Lensman%5B%2Fi%5D%2C for instance%2C Gryphon and %0D%0A%3EUtena have a short conversation in a turbolift in which Utena asks %0D%0A%3Ehim%2C essentially%2C %22Why are we letting them get away with this%3F%22%2C the %0D%0A%3Eanswer to which boiled down to%2C %22I%27m not entirely convinced we %0D%0A%3Eactually have to burn the galaxy down to save it yet%2C but I think I %0D%0A%3Ecan see the place where I will be from here.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AHmm. Question%3A I dug through the entire Annotated Documents section%2C and couldn%27t find a summary or precis about what exactly is in the International Police Accords... does Clark being the President of the Federation give him any influence over the IPO%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AHere in the real world%2C the actual Interpol is run by consensus of its participating nations%2C in order to maintain political accountability. The IPO is substantially more muscular than Interpol is %28Interpol is notoriously gunshy when it comes to crimes that have any kind of political dimension%29 but...%0D%0A%0D%0AWell. As you said%2C the WDF are stateless mercenaries with independent funding. Gryphon and Zoner didn%27t have to answer to ANYONE back in the day%2C except possibly Lord F. If you had a problem with what they were doing%2C you had better have had the raw firepower to back it up.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut the IPO are technically law enforcement%2C right%3F Doesn%27t that mean there%27s political accountability somewhere baked into the Accords%3F Zoner is%2C I%27m sure%2C a gifted diplomat%2C but most sovereign powers are not%2C I think going to respond with a hearty %22Yes%2C please%21%22 if he sits down and asks them %22Hey%2C want to give Ben Hutchins carte blanche to operate his elite team of peacekeepers within your borders%3F%22 Asriel would probably react well to that sales pitch%3B I%27d be amazed if most other powers or%2C indeed%2C the Federation Assembly%2C were quite so enthusiastic. They%27d want some sort of oversight or advisory body put into place%2C yes%3F If the IPO is going to be the face of Federation-backed transtellar law enforcement%2C one imagines the Federation would want a say in how it%27s run.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I could be wrong about this. It%27s your universe%2C after all. And I apologize if there IS a copy of the International Police Accords somewhere and I just missed them.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThe point I%27m trying to edge around to is I%27m wondering if Bill Clark has the power to come at the IPO sideways now that he%27s in the big chair. Do shit like reduce the Federation share of their funding%2C hold hearing after hearing after hearing %28forcing valuable Lensmen to be tied up endlessly in Paris%29 other stuff like that. The EA already withdrew from the Accords%3B engineering a complete Federation withdrawal from them as well would doubtless be quite satisfying to him. %0D%0A%0D%0AComing at Gryphon sideways has a hell of a track record%3B worked great for Genom back in the day.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
39|3|23|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|BobSchroeck||08:57:05|06/17/2013|%3E%3EI know that %22Teletha%22 is her proper%2C canonical%2C creator-confirmed %0D%0A%3E%3Eactual name from Full Metal Panic. But lord%2C that is an UGLY %0D%0A%3E%3Eromanization. Would %22Theresa%22 have been so hard for them%3F Really%3F %0D%0A%3EHow is this our problem%3F Besides%2C I kind of like it. It%27s%2C I%27unno%2C exotic. %3EAnd fun to say.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt is%2C but then again%2C explaining where the hell %22Tessa%22 comes from is good%2C too.  I always assumed %22Teletha%22 was Greek or something until this thread...%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Bob%0D%0A-------------------%0D%0AMy race is pacifist and does not believe in war.  We kill only out of personal spite.
54|4|39|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|JeanneHedge||18:36:41|06/17/2013|%3E%3E%3EI know that %22Teletha%22 is her proper%2C canonical%2C creator-confirmed %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Eactual name from Full Metal Panic. But lord%2C that is an UGLY %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Eromanization. Would %22Theresa%22 have been so hard for them%3F Really%3F %0D%0A%3E%3EHow is this our problem%3F Besides%2C I kind of like it. It%27s%2C I%27unno%2C exotic. %3EAnd fun to say.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIt is%2C but then again%2C explaining where the hell %22Tessa%22 comes from is %0D%0A%3Egood%2C too.  I always assumed %22Teletha%22 was Greek or something until %0D%0A%3Ethis thread... %0D%0A%0D%0AWell hey Bob%2C where %2Adoes%2A Tessa %28the name%2C not the person%29 come from%3F I just figured it was a Japanese pronunciation thing in FMP.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AJeanne%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22 width%3D%2280%25%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd align%3D%22center%22 width%3D%2210%25%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%2Fmisc%2Foldowl.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd%5D%5Bfont size%3D2%5D%5Bb%5DJeanne Hedge%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.jhedge.com%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%5D%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bi%5D%5Bfont size%3D1%5D%22Never give up%2C never surrender%21%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
56|5|54|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|pjmoyer||19:35:52|06/17/2013|%3E%3E%3E%3EI know that %22Teletha%22 is her proper%2C canonical%2C creator-confirmed %0D%0A%3E%3E%3E%3Eactual name from Full Metal Panic. But lord%2C that is an UGLY %0D%0A%3E%3E%3E%3Eromanization. Would %22Theresa%22 have been so hard for them%3F Really%3F %0D%0A%3E%3E%3EHow is this our problem%3F Besides%2C I kind of like it. It%27s%2C I%27unno%2C exotic. %3EAnd fun to say.%0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EIt is%2C but then again%2C explaining where the hell %22Tessa%22 comes from is %0D%0A%3E%3Egood%2C too.  I always assumed %22Teletha%22 was Greek or something until %0D%0A%3E%3Ethis thread... %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWell hey Bob%2C where %2Adoes%2A Tessa %28the name%2C not the person%29 come from%3F %0D%0A%3EI just figured it was a Japanese pronunciation thing in FMP. %0D%0A%0D%0AAccording to that Wikipedia thing%3A%0D%0A%0D%0ATeletha Testarossa is an American by birth%2C as she was born in the USA%27s northeast %28it is intimated that her cultural background is akin to Boston Brahmin%29%2C to a family of Swiss and Austrian descent. It can be inferred that she is of Italian descent judging by her last name Testarossa. She traveled the world extensively as a child%3B however%2C she has spent a great part of her life living on submarines and military bases.%0D%0A%0D%0ANot all of that applies to UF%2C but the cultural ties are there in her background.%0D%0A%0D%0A--- Philip%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%223%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D2 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%0D%0A%5Btr%5D%5Btd width%3D%2265%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie.org%2F%7Eaerianne%2Ffoth.img%2Fgaia_ser_philip_saber.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%0D%0A%5Btd%5D%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000dd%22%5DPhilip J. Moyer%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000aa%22 size%3D-2%5DContributing Writer%2C Editor and Artist %28and Moderator%29 -- Eyrie Productions%2C Unlimited%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000aa%22 size%3D-2%5DCEO of MTS%2C High Poobah Of Artwork%2C and High Priest Of the Church Of Aerianne -- Magnetic Terrapin Studios%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230044aa%22 size%3D-1%5D%5Bi%5D%22Insert Pithy Comment Here%22%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd width%3D%2265%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie.org%2F%7Eaerianne%2Ffoth.img%2Fgaia_aeri_coat_sword.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%0D%0A%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%223%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D1 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
63|5|54|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|BobSchroeck||09:16:16|06/18/2013|%3EWell hey Bob%2C where %2Adoes%2A Tessa %28the name%2C not the person%29 come from%3F %0D%0A%3EI just figured it was a Japanese pronunciation thing in FMP. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt seems to be a fairly obvious -- and not unprecedented -- diminutive of %22Theresa%22.  If indeed %22Teletha%22 is the %5Bi%5DFMP%5B%2Fi%5D equivalent of %22Anshii%22%2C it would make sense.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Bob%0D%0A-------------------%0D%0AMy race is pacifist and does not believe in war.  We kill only out of personal spite.
14|1|0|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Matrix Dragon||05:53:11|06/16/2013|As a side note%2C thanks for putting out an audiobook version too. I%27m flying over to America this week%2C and I get the feeling that%27ll help fill in the time.%0D%0A%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%2C J. Random Nutter
25|2|14|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||15:35:02|06/16/2013|%3EAs a side note%2C thanks for putting out an audiobook version too. I%27m %0D%0A%3Eflying over to America this week%2C and I get the feeling that%27ll help %0D%0A%3Efill in the time. %0D%0A%0D%0AYou%27re welcome%2C hope it helps %28no pressure there %3A%29.  I%27m trying to do concurrent audio for new non-minis%2C time and voice condition permitting.  %28In the end it was just as well that S5M3 had to be delayed for a little while to finish the DSMP5 cycle - I had a cold a couple weeks ago and couldn%27t have gotten it done in time.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
27|3|25|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|trigger||17:00:13|06/16/2013|I%27m clearly turning into a grumpy old woman...but I found this one very heard to read and digest.  I%27m going to give it two weeks%2C try the audio books.  %0D%0A%0D%0Athat said%2C very glad it%27s here and that Danzig has gone down%2C as I%27ve been looking forward to the infamy build-up for quite sometime....%0D%0A%0D%0Ayours%2C%0D%0At.%0D%0A%0D%0ATrigger Argee%0D%0AManon%2C Maccadon%2C Orado%2C etc.%0D%0ADenton%2C never leave home without it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22This isn%27t exactly the Olympic Games.%22 - Corwin of Amber
32|4|27|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|BeardedFerret||04:23:17|06/17/2013|%3EI%27m clearly turning into a grumpy old woman...but I found this one %0D%0A%3Every heard to read and digest.  I%27m going to give it two weeks%2C try %0D%0A%3Ethe audio books. %0D%0A%0D%0AI had a pretty chaotic time of it%2C reading bits of it over the course of what turned into a simultaneously painful and hilarious evening on the mean streets of Melbourne %28and then finishing it%2C hours later%2C in bed%29. Listening to the audio the day after really helped cement it for me%2C so I suspect you%27ll do OK.
29|1|0|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Verbena||01:24:48|06/17/2013|I could not make myself stop reading this from beginning to end. Thoroughly enjoyed it%21%0D%0A%0D%0AI do have one question%2C though%2C about Mars Division%2C though I have a feeling some of this may be shown in later installments. Just what is the culture like over there%3F I seem to recall it being said at one point that%2C in terms of culture%2C Mars Division is to the WDF as the WDF is to an ordinary military. But I%27m not entirely sure what that means%2C and I%27m rather curious.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bblockquote%5D%22There%27s not very many of us in the galaxy right now%2C no matter how long and hard Ariel has been working to correct that.%22%5B%2Fblockquote%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0Ao_O%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat%27s going -on- over there%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A--------%0D%0A%0D%0Athis world created by the %0D%0Ahands of the gods%0D%0Aeverything is false%0D%0Aeverything is a LIE%0D%0Athe final days have come%0D%0Anow%0D%0Alet everything be destroyed%0D%0A%0D%0A--mu
41|2|29|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Nathan||11:45:55|06/17/2013|%3EWhat%27s going -on- over there%3F %0D%0A%0D%0ANothing as bad as it sounds. In original canon%2C even all the way back to MOSPEADA%2C the Invid are basically these slug-things%2C individually subsapient but linked by a hive mind. The original %27Queen Invid%27%2C the Regis%2C was concerned with %27evolving%27 them into a better format %28via psychic woo-woo%29%2C and eventually settled on imitation humans%2C complete with sapience.%0D%0A%0D%0AA passing reference in UF whose address I can%27t currently recall indicates that Ariel has replaced the Regis%2C so Kana-chan%27s dad was presumably speaking specifically about humanoid%2C sapient Invid and the upgrade process that creates them from subsapient types like gurab %28which are%2C BTW%2C one of the lower Invid castes%2C for those that had that reference slip by%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhile I%27m on the subject%2C though%2C am I right to conjecture that Korgu -%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E         %22Korgu is much the same%2C regrettably%2C%22 Lyneh added.  %22He%27s been%0D%0A%3E all but clawing the walls%2C ever since the first aftershocks got%0D%0A%3E through the mindlink.  Lieutenant Mao has him currently confined to the%0D%0A%3E gymnasium%2C so he doesn%27t do -too- much property damage.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A- is a gurab or other nonsapient Invid with a particular affinity for %27big sister Kaname%27%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A-----%0D%0A%0D%0A%22V%2C did you do something foolish%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Yes%2C and it was %5Bi%5Dglorious%5B%2Fi%5D.%22
42|3|41|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Verbena||13:49:09|06/17/2013|%3ENothing as bad as it sounds. In original canon%2C even all the way back %0D%0A%3Eto MOSPEADA%2C the Invid are basically these slug-things%2C individually %0D%0A%3Esubsapient but linked by a hive mind. The original %27Queen Invid%27%2C the %0D%0A%3ERegis%2C was concerned with %27evolving%27 them into a better format %28via %0D%0A%3Epsychic woo-woo%29%2C and eventually settled on imitation humans%2C complete %0D%0A%3Ewith sapience. %0D%0A%0D%0AAaaaah%2C I begin to understand. I know very little about the Invid %28basically what%27s in the old Palladium book on them%2C which ain%27t much%2C and even that was years ago%29 but between the hivemind and the naturally biologically morphable nature of their race%2C I begin to understand. %0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EA passing reference in UF whose address I can%27t currently recall %0D%0A%3Eindicates that Ariel has replaced the Regis%2C so Kana-chan%27s dad was %0D%0A%3Epresumably speaking specifically about humanoid%2C sapient Invid and the %0D%0A%3Eupgrade process that creates them from subsapient types like gurab %0D%0A%3E%28which are%2C BTW%2C one of the lower Invid castes%2C for those that had %0D%0A%3Ethat reference slip by%29. %0D%0A%0D%0AThe quote I put in my last post may be the one to which you were referring. Kaname herself specifically refers to %27uplifting%27 in that scene and I have a feeling she%27s talking about Ariel taking earlier stage 1-4 Invid and %27uplifting%27 them to stage 5 and sentience. Basically I think she was saying it makes sense she%27s not as in tune with the hivemind because full Invid are comfortable with it before they are even sentient%2C let alone adult.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A--------%0D%0A%0D%0Athis world created by the %0D%0Ahands of the gods%0D%0Aeverything is false%0D%0Aeverything is a LIE%0D%0Athe final days have come%0D%0Anow%0D%0Alet everything be destroyed%0D%0A%0D%0A--mu
43|3|41|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||13:54:52|06/17/2013|%3EWhile I%27m on the subject%2C though%2C am I right to conjecture that Korgu %0D%0A%3Eis a gurab or other nonsapient Invid with a particular affinity for %0D%0A%3E%27big sister Kaname%27%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C no%2C he%27s quite sapient.  It%27s just that he has... anger management problems.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
49|3|41|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Croaker||14:47:13|06/17/2013|%3EWhile I%27m on the subject%2C though%2C am I right to conjecture that Korgu %0D%0A%3E- %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E         %22Korgu is much the same%2C regrettably%2C%22 Lyneh added.  %22He%27s been%0D%0A%3E%3E all but clawing the walls%2C ever since the first aftershocks got%0D%0A%3E%3E through the mindlink.  Lieutenant Mao has him currently confined to the%0D%0A%3E%3E gymnasium%2C so he doesn%27t do -too- much property damage.%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E- is a gurab or other nonsapient Invid with a particular affinity for %0D%0A%3E%27big sister Kaname%27%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E----- %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22V%2C did you do something foolish%3F%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22Yes%2C and it was %5Bi%5Dglorious%5B%2Fi%5D.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0ACorg%2C as I recall from the %27original%27 series %28Robotech%2C that is%2C I%27ve never seen Genesis Climber Mospeada%29%2C was one of the first Invid to be uplifted by the Regis%2C along with Ariel%2FMarlene and Sera. %0D%0A%0D%0ASera and Ariel managed to fall in with humans%2C of course.%0D%0A%0D%0ACorg... was the psychotically insane one who was jealous over Sera paying attention to Lancer rather than him.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m assuming he%27s gotten over this by the time of this story.
55|4|49|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Nathan||18:48:01|06/17/2013|Oh%21 That guy%21%0D%0A%0D%0AJeeze%2C now my face is a bit red.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I still think Kaname having her own Ai-chan would be awesome%2C though%2C if only for Sousuke%27s face the first time he sees its %27Encounter Suit%27.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-----%0D%0A%0D%0A%22V%2C did you do something foolish%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Yes%2C and it was %5Bi%5Dglorious%5B%2Fi%5D.%22
60|5|55|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Verbena||23:56:48|06/17/2013|%3EOh%21 That guy%21 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EJeeze%2C now my face is a bit red. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%28I still think Kaname having her own Ai-chan would be awesome%2C though%2C %0D%0A%3Eif only for Sousuke%27s face the first time he sees its %27Encounter %0D%0A%3ESuit%27.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AActually%2C this brings another question to mind. Does Mars Division field Invid mecha%2C or are they pretty much vanished from the galaxy at this point%3F Heck%2C they might be hopelessly outclassed at this point.%0D%0A%0D%0A--------%0D%0A%0D%0Athis world created by the %0D%0Ahands of the gods%0D%0Aeverything is false%0D%0Aeverything is a LIE%0D%0Athe final days have come%0D%0Anow%0D%0Alet everything be destroyed%0D%0A%0D%0A--mu
61|6|60|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mephron||01:51:02|06/18/2013|Precisely what happened%2C including answering that question exactly%2C is being worked on.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28No really. We have explanations for these things incoming%21%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--%0D%0AGeoff Depew - Darth Mephron%0D%0AHaberdasher to Androids%2C Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.%0D%0A%22And Remember%21  Google is your Friend%21%21%22
45|2|29|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||13:58:07|06/17/2013|%3EJust what is %0D%0A%3Ethe culture like over there%3F I seem to recall it being said at one %0D%0A%3Epoint that%2C in terms of culture%2C Mars Division is to the WDF as the %0D%0A%3EWDF is to an ordinary military. But I%27m not entirely sure what that %0D%0A%3Emeans%2C and I%27m rather curious. %0D%0A%0D%0APhil can speak to this more directly than I can%2C but basically%2C Mars Division is as much family business as paramilitary organization.  %28This is particularly true in the case of its Invid personnel%2C as they%27re all still within a handful of generations of a point in time when all living members of the species were siblings.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
47|3|45|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|pjmoyer||14:20:01|06/17/2013|%3E%3EJust what is %0D%0A%3E%3Ethe culture like over there%3F I seem to recall it being said at one %0D%0A%3E%3Epoint that%2C in terms of culture%2C Mars Division is to the WDF as the %0D%0A%3E%3EWDF is to an ordinary military. But I%27m not entirely sure what that %0D%0A%3E%3Emeans%2C and I%27m rather curious. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EPhil can speak to this more directly than I can%2C but basically%2C Mars %0D%0A%3EDivision is as much family business as paramilitary organization.  %0D%0A%3E%28This is particularly true in the case of its Invid personnel%2C as %0D%0A%3Ethey%27re all still within a handful of generations of a point in time %0D%0A%3Ewhen all living members of the species were siblings.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AMars Division formed in the wake of the fall of the WDF%2C about a decade or two after the initial furor died down.  Drawing from an eclectic mix of ex-WDF personnel who managed to escape the purges who found out that they existed%2C and right-minded people who wanted to make a difference who weren%27t able to in their current circumstances%2C the organization built itself up into quite the little covert-ops force.  You either figured out that Mars Division existed and tried to find a place with them%2C or Mars Division scouted you for your unique talents and invited you in.  Not an easy life by far%2C but for a certain subset of person it gave direction and a light in the darkness for a galaxy that had fallen into shadow.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe fact that they had their own secret base and battlecarrier thanks to a GENOM black ops program going down the tubes didn%27t hurt matters any.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs for the Invid personnel%2C genetic relations are tricky because there%27s no true %27generations%27 per-se so far%3B most living Invid today effectively owe their lives to Ariel as their Queen-Mother. It%27s only been in the past few decades that individual Invid have even %5Bi%5Dconsidered%5B%2Fi%5D marrying one another due to the general disinclination for them to intermarry %28more socially than any genetic requirement against inbreeding%29%2C and it%27s come to the point that%27s there%27s enough Invid%2FHuman couples that Kaname no longer can list the number of Human-Invid Hybrid %27cousins%27 she has by name anymore.%0D%0A%0D%0AFamily reunions for Invid tend to get... strange%2C after a while.%0D%0A%0D%0A--- Philip%0D%0A%28but really%2C with the mindlink%2C who needs reunions%3F%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%223%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D2 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%0D%0A%5Btr%5D%5Btd width%3D%2265%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie.org%2F%7Eaerianne%2Ffoth.img%2Fgaia_ser_philip_saber.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%0D%0A%5Btd%5D%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000dd%22%5DPhilip J. Moyer%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000aa%22 size%3D-2%5DContributing Writer%2C Editor and Artist %28and Moderator%29 -- Eyrie Productions%2C Unlimited%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000aa%22 size%3D-2%5DCEO of MTS%2C High Poobah Of Artwork%2C and High Priest Of the Church Of Aerianne -- Magnetic Terrapin Studios%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230044aa%22 size%3D-1%5D%5Bi%5D%22Insert Pithy Comment Here%22%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd width%3D%2265%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie.org%2F%7Eaerianne%2Ffoth.img%2Fgaia_aeri_coat_sword.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%0D%0A%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%223%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D1 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
48|4|47|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||14:24:23|06/17/2013|%3E%28but really%2C with the mindlink%2C who needs reunions%3F%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AI suspect watching your two favorite uncles get into a tipsy fistfight over the outcome of a Pokeno game isn%27t really the same on a telepathic weblink. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
30|1|0|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Polychrome||02:22:25|06/17/2013|Okay%2C having read this and the comments in this thread I%27m going to hazard a theory as to what%27s going on with Kanama and Sosuke and his employers.%0D%0AIt%27s possible that someone with unpleasant intentions %28like the Psi Corps%29 could grab Kaname and use her as a telepathic back door into the Invid %22hive mind%22 and disrupt%2C control or otherwise engage in shenanigans with it. Somebody realized this and put Sosuke on the case. It%27s possible that he was hired by somebody with those unpleasant intentions to keep an eye on her and possibly even make the grab when the time came. Whether he actually would remains to be seen.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C I agree with Mercutio%27s assessment that Akio is using Nanami as bait for the Trinity.%0D%0A%0D%0APolychrome%0D%0A%0D%0ARampant speculation ENGAGE%21
52|2|30|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Croaker||17:02:24|06/17/2013|%3EOkay%2C having read this and the comments in this thread I%27m going to %0D%0A%3Ehazard a theory as to what%27s going on with Kanama and Sosuke and his %0D%0A%3Eemployers. %0D%0A%3EIt%27s possible that someone with unpleasant intentions %28like the Psi %0D%0A%3ECorps%29 could grab Kaname and use her as a telepathic back door into %0D%0A%3Ethe Invid %22hive mind%22 and disrupt%2C control or otherwise engage in %0D%0A%3Eshenanigans with it. Somebody realized this and put Sosuke on the %0D%0A%3Ecase. It%27s possible that he was hired by somebody with those %0D%0A%3Eunpleasant intentions to keep an eye on her and possibly even make the %0D%0A%3Egrab when the time came. Whether he actually would remains to be seen. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C I agree with Mercutio%27s assessment that Akio is using Nanami as %0D%0A%3Ebait for the Trinity. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EPolychrome %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ERampant speculation ENGAGE%21 %0D%0A%0D%0ATo extend this speculation%3A%0D%0A%0D%0ATechCom is a %5Bi%5Dlegitimate%5B%2Fi%5D PMC %28Private Military Contractor%29. They have a good enough corporate rep that the Sterlings did not immediately go %22Get rid of the snake%22 when they found out what Sousuke was up to. %28Well%2C they probably did%2C but they calmed down soon enough that no precipitous action was taken.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AMy speculation%3A%0D%0AAs far as %5Bi%5DTechCom%5B%2Fi%5D knows%2C it%27s a legit op. They%27re supposed to be protecting Kaname and neither Sousuke nor his superiors have any idea that their contractor has anything but the best of intentions for her.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat is%2C of course%2C all about to change.%0D%0A%0D%0AHere%27s my thought.%0D%0A%0D%0ASouskue goes back for his briefing%2C and the contractor has spun some sort of story intending to get TechCom to bring Kaname to a secure facility %28perhaps an imminent abduction attempt%2C heh%29. They want her brought to a safe house they%27ve provided...%0D%0A%0D%0ABut now Sousuke knows that they aren%27t operating at the Sterlings%27 direction. That they are not%2C in fact%2C representatives of Kaname%27s %22real family%22. He manages to alert his superiors to this just in time to rescue her... %0D%0A%0D%0AHmm. Makes me wonder just who -is- Sousuke%27s boss over there. Kalinin%3F Mardukas%3F %0D%0A%0D%0A
34|1|0|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Senji||05:13:18|06/17/2013|I%27m sure I%27m not supposed to get teary eyed about Sagura and Kaname but %0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btt%5D        %22You.  Back here.  -Now%2C-%22 Kaname said.%5B%2Ftt%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AHad me.%0D%0A%0D%0AS.%0D%0A
44|1|0|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|zwol||13:57:51|06/17/2013|I%27m still processing this and may try to find time to do one of those blow-by-blow commentaries later in the week %28after rereading%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor right now%2C though%2C I%27ll say that I liked the less-linear-than-usual narrative and the device of having all the viewpoint characters removed from the A-plot action.  And I was particularly amused by the bit where Garibaldi tells Sosuke that he could%27ve had all the gear he wanted if he had just %5Bi%5Dasked%5B%2Fi%5D.  Perfect compaction of how Sosuke is both excellent at his job and still seriously green behind the ears at the same time.%0D%0A%0D%0AOne trivia question%3A you %28G%29 said %28in some other thread that I am failing to dig up right now%29 that one of the reasons this took so long was that in a previous movement one of your collaborators introduced characters you weren%27t familiar with%2C and then dropped out of touch.  Now it%27s not a spoiler%2C can I ask which characters those were%3F
46|2|44|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||14:00:02|06/17/2013|%3EOne trivia question%3A you %28G%29 said %28in some other thread that I am %0D%0A%3Efailing to dig up right now%29 that one of the reasons this took so long %0D%0A%3Ewas that in a previous movement one of your collaborators introduced %0D%0A%3Echaracters you weren%27t familiar with%2C and then dropped out of touch.  %0D%0A%3ENow it%27s not a spoiler%2C can I ask which characters those were%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27ll be the Mash%C5%8D.  You%27ll notice that I put them all on a bus back to Kaneko in this one. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
51|3|46|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|mdg1||16:16:03|06/17/2013|%0D%0A%3EThat%27ll be the Mash%C5%8D.  You%27ll notice that I put them all on a bus %0D%0A%3Eback to Kaneko in this one. %3A%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AOdd... I%27dve thought RONIN WARRIORS would have come within your orbit at some point..%0D%0A%0D%0AThen again%2C I was so thirsty for anime in those days that I watched friggin MONSTER RANCHER.
58|3|46|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|zwol||21:33:21|06/17/2013|%3EThat%27ll be the Mash%C5%8D.  You%27ll notice that I put them all on a bus %0D%0A%3Eback to Kaneko in this one. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AI did suspect that might have been what was going on there%2C yes. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAt least you got a nice Akio-surrounded-by-idiots moment out of it%2C eh%3F
64|1|0|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|CGWolfgang||01:39:04|06/20/2013|Good Read%2C I%27ll have to reread it again and clarion call just to make sure I didn%27t miss anything.%0D%0A%0D%0AJust one question that%27s been nagging at me.  It seems Earthforce isn%27t taking steps to fight the IPO on equal footing.  Time and again they seem woefully inept%2C underequipped and understaffed than to be anything other than cannon fodder.  %0D%0A%0D%0ADo they field anything that can contend with some of the stuff the IPO can bring to bear%3F  
65|2|64|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Gryphon||01:41:02|06/20/2013|%3EDo they field anything that can contend with some of the stuff the IPO %0D%0A%3Ecan bring to bear%3F %0D%0A%0D%0ASure.  They just didn%27t this time.%0D%0A%0D%0A%27Cause that wasn%27t really the point of the exercise.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5D%5Bi%5Ddramatic musical sting%21%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Fsmall%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
66|2|64|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||05:05:31|06/20/2013|%0D%0A%3EJust one question that%27s been nagging at me.  It seems Earthforce %0D%0A%3Eisn%27t taking steps to fight the IPO on equal footing.  Time and again %0D%0A%3Ethey seem woefully inept%2C underequipped and understaffed than to be %0D%0A%3Eanything other than cannon fodder. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EDo they field anything that can contend with some of the stuff the IPO %0D%0A%3Ecan bring to bear%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AIf I might be permitted to speculate rampantly%2C as is my wont%2C Earthforce is%2C to a large extent%2C trying to fight new wars using the old rules.%0D%0A%0D%0ADo they have hardware that can come close to matching that fielded by the WDF%2FIPO%3F Sure. Starfleet has the Galaxy-class%2C which is about to par with the Iowa-class %28see %22Reflections and Transitions%22 in Symphony No.1%29%2C and the EA has it%27s own equivalents.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut the galaxy has moved beyond that. During the United Galactica era and Federation era right up to the War of Corporate Occupation%2C conflict was largely hardware-dependent. The WDF had the Wayward Son and all manner of interesting Zetan overtechnology%2C so Genom built a bigger%2C nastier ship. Then when the WDF came roaring back they built their own massive hi-tech fleet to smash against Genom%27s enormous hi-tech fleet. Part of what kept the CFMF operating was Washuu building them ultimate cool shit.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut even though the War of Corporate Occupation wasn%27t very long ago%2C those days are gone.%0D%0A%0D%0AGryphon and Zoner and people like them used to be a LOT rarer than they are now. Oh%2C sure%2C the WDF had a ton of Detians in it%2C but all Omega-2 can do is make you immortal%3B it can%27t make you EXCEPTIONAL. The exceptional people were a rarity.%0D%0A%0D%0AThey%27re still pretty rare... except Gryphon has made a point of seeking them out%2C cultivating them%2C training them%2C implanting magic lenses into them%2C and honing them into an elite squad of intergalactic peacekeepers.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe IPO%2FWDF would likely have won Tau Ceti even if both sides had been crewed by thoroughly unremarkable career military types%3B they had the EA outnumbered and outgunned. But part of the reason they not only won%2C but won embarrassingly easily %28seriously%2C the casualty ratio is so lopsided that it%27s something that gets people court-martialed if they%27re on the bad end of it%29 is because they threw Utena Tenjou%2C Nikola Tesla%2C John Spartan%2C Cortana%2C Tuncer%2C the Repo Men%2C Virginia Shepard%2C and assorted Duelists and Gods at the EA. The old WDF couldn%27t have down that%3B they didn%27t have that kind of staff. On a very%2C very good day you might have been able to get maybe ten people with that kind of utterly superlative mastery together in one place%2C and that would involve doing things like pulling in Martin Rose AND Redneck from their other responsibilities.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28This isn%27t to denigrate the crew of the old Wayward Son in any way.%29%0D%0A%0D%0ATHAT%27S how the new wars are fought. The era of %22giant fleet that blots out the stars%22 has largely passed%2C I think%2C although such fleets may continue to exist%3B quantity has a quality all it%27s own. Organizations like Big Fire understand this%3B you will note that Big Fire is itself organized on the %22elite team of superlative individuals%22 model%2C what with the Magnificent Ten and all. Geoff Depew himself seems like an outgrowth of that philosophy%3B for the cost of making one of HIM%2C Big Fire probably could have bought a whole %27nother fleet. Which would you rather have%2C that fleet or one%281%29 Geoff Depew%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd I don%27t mean to complete denigrate hardware%2C of course. The IPO has Skuld Ravenhair on tap%2C they%27re gonna have GOOD stuff. And even Utena Tenjou couldn%27t take on the whole Earth Alliance with just her array of swords of many adjectives.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway%2C that%27s kind of how I view the EA. The parts of Earthforce that view this conflict purely in military terms %28it%27s not%2C but the Joint Chiefs probably are not privy to other plans%29 probably think if they can just build enough Nova-class battleships and put them in the hands of reliable people they can do just about anything%2C because hell%2C isn%27t that how it works%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AThey are%2C I submit%2C dead wrong.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Or maybe I am wrong. I%27m wrong a lot.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
67|3|66|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mephron||06:44:38|06/20/2013|%3EOrganizations %0D%0A%3Elike Big Fire understand this%3B you will note that Big Fire is itself %0D%0A%3Eorganized on the %22elite team of superlative individuals%22 model%2C what %0D%0A%3Ewith the Magnificent Ten and all. Geoff Depew himself seems like an %0D%0A%3Eoutgrowth of that philosophy%3B for the cost of making one of HIM%2C Big %0D%0A%3EFire probably could have bought a whole %27nother fleet. Which would you %0D%0A%3Erather have%2C that fleet or one%281%29 Geoff Depew%3F %0D%0A%0D%0ABig Fire also has as its core philosophy the idea that paranormals%2Fnonstandard psi talents are inherently superior and%2C therefore%2C deserve to rule%3B the galaxy just doesn%27t accept it rule.  %28Note one of their mottos%3A %5Blink%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FForum-docs%2FDCForumID25%2F259.html%7C%22Utopia through Tyranny%22%5D.%29  They also have the funding to toss thirty or so cyber-ninjas at a million credits a piece at people if they feel the need %28as seen in Blades%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s a branch of Big Fire whose entire %5Bi%5Draison d%27etre%5B%2Fi%5D is to find a way to make their own paranormals - my avatar is a%2C er%2C graduate not quite the word but close%2C of that division%27s experiments.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut if you can take over a planet - either through conquest%2C or infiltration%2C or election - and be the legitimate government in the eyes of the galaxy%2C be you the Federation or Earthdome or even Big Fire or the Nazis - it%27s a lot harder to get you out once you have that legitimacy.%0D%0A%0D%0ABig fleet actions are and still will be important.  The political game will be extremely important.  But the covert actions can be game-changers without anyone really knowing until it%27s too late.  I give you the fact that there was a cloaked ship in-system that presented an excellent precis of what was actually in-system%2C giving the relief fleet information on ships%2C commanders%2C and their location within the system%2C which meant that Task Force TRIDENT could drop out of hyperspace with a full assault plan already underway - hell%2C with the Interdictors%2C they just plan for THOSE to pull them out.  %0D%0A%0D%0AThe Earthforce group failed at intelligence - really%2C they should have a covert station on B6 just to keep an eye on things%2C and transmit the information... and if they did%2C you might want to think about why that task force %5Bi%5Dlacked that information%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis has gotten far afield from my original point%2C but still%2C the great game is still running - fleets%2C politics%2C covert operations and operatives%2C all of them have their place%2C and no one of them automatically trumps any other one of them.  Don%27t rule anything out.%0D%0A%0D%0A--%0D%0AGeoff Depew - Darth Mephron%0D%0AHaberdasher to Androids%2C Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.%0D%0A%22And Remember%21  Google is your Friend%21%21%22
68|4|67|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Mercutio||15:45:45|06/20/2013|%0D%0A%3EBig fleet actions are and still will be important.  The political game %0D%0A%3Ewill be extremely important.  %0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C yes. Of course. I didn%27t mean to imply otherwise. It%27s... hmm.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s more like%2C having a giant awesome fleet is no longer quite as important as it once was. What%27s going to make or break you %28it seems to me%29 is having an Utena Tenjou or Jim Kirk to put in command. That%27s going to be your primary force multiplier right there%3B look at the Battle of Titan.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs was discussed upthread%2C Captain Davidson is probably pretty good at her job. PRETTY good. But even if she%27d been completely unshackled by circumstances and politics%2C Utena would probably still have absolutely destroyed her.%0D%0A%0D%0AIdeally%2C of course%2C you probably want both a giant awesome fleet AND crazy good people to be put in command. But it kind of seems like the crazy good people are getting to be more and more important.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EBut the covert actions can be %0D%0A%3Egame-changers without anyone really knowing until it%27s too late.  I %0D%0A%3Egive you the fact that there was a cloaked ship in-system that %0D%0A%3Epresented an excellent precis of what was actually in-system%2C giving %0D%0A%3Ethe relief fleet information on ships%2C commanders%2C and their location %0D%0A%3Ewithin the system%2C which meant that Task Force TRIDENT could drop out %0D%0A%3Eof hyperspace with a full assault plan already underway - hell%2C with %0D%0A%3Ethe Interdictors%2C they just plan for THOSE to pull them out. %0D%0A%0D%0AOne of Grand Admiral Thrawn%27s best tactical innovations. %28In Star Wars%2C not UF.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI find it quite hilarious that the Earth Alliance respects Genom%27s trademark of the name %22Interdictor%22 enough to come up with their own name for the same kind of ship. It%27s a bit like if the UK had been able to trademark %22battlecruiser%22 and other nations had to come up with their own term.%0D%0A%0D%0ACaptain Davidson really WAS kind of hanging out their with her ass in the breeze%2C wasn%27t she%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThe Earthforce group failed at intelligence - really%2C they should have %0D%0A%3Ea covert station on B6 just to keep an eye on things%2C and transmit the %0D%0A%3Einformation... and if they did%2C you might want to think about why that %0D%0A%3Etask force %5Bi%5Dlacked that information%5B%2Fi%5D. %0D%0A%0D%0ATo be fair%2C %28above and beyond the fact that there%27s a ton more going on with Tau Ceti than just the battle%29 much like the now-sacked Admiral Kimball%2C the Earth Alliance probably figures that a quick force response force is something you put together in hours%2C rather than minutes.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow I%27m imagining that the intelligence officer in charge of that %28still-hypothetical%29 covert station is probably perennially frustrated. %22Your reports are constantly too late to do any good%21%22 Well%2C no shit%2C buddy. These people make decisions fast%2C and when we know about them at all it%27s because we see the fuckin%27 metagate opens right before they cram half the IPSF through it. We can%27t collect comms traffic to do sigint on because the Psi Corps still hasn%27t figured out a way to intercept lens traffic%2C now have they%3F And that%27s on top of the fact that both Hutchins%27 bastard and his little... gloom cookie teenaged sidekick have parapsychic talents that apparently involve matter transportation across interstellar distances%21%0D%0A%0D%0A%28And then the drinking starts.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s probably not the easiest job in Earthforce Intelligence. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThis has gotten far afield from my original point%2C but still%2C the %0D%0A%3Egreat game is still running - fleets%2C politics%2C covert operations and %0D%0A%3Eoperatives%2C all of them have their place%2C and no one of them %0D%0A%3Eautomatically trumps any other one of them.  Don%27t rule anything out. %0D%0A%0D%0ATrue%2C but some of them are weighted heavier than others%2C one imagines.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
69|5|68|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|The Traitor||19:07:26|06/20/2013|%3ENow I%27m imagining that the intelligence officer in charge of that %0D%0A%3E%28still-hypothetical%29 covert station is probably perennially %0D%0A%3Efrustrated. %22Your reports are constantly too late to do any good%21%22 %0D%0A%3EWell%2C no shit%2C buddy. These people make decisions fast%2C and when we %0D%0A%3Eknow about them at all it%27s because we see the fuckin%27 metagate opens %0D%0A%3Eright before they cram half the IPSF through it. We can%27t collect %0D%0A%3Ecomms traffic to do sigint on because the Psi Corps still hasn%27t %0D%0A%3Efigured out a way to intercept lens traffic%2C now have they%3F And that%27s %0D%0A%3Eon top of the fact that both Hutchins%27 bastard and his little... gloom %0D%0A%3Ecookie teenaged sidekick have parapsychic talents that apparently %0D%0A%3Einvolve matter transportation across interstellar distances%21 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%28And then the drinking starts.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AI just think that Earthforce thinks prolonged exposure to Babylon station sends the spooks they put there crazy%2C so they put the crazy spooks there anyway. Thus%2C you get a lot of really top-notch intelligence%2C but since all of it concerns teenagers in school uniforms%2C wild-psi creatures of varying stripe%2C and the occasional heavily-armed rock band%2C it immediately gets trashed along with news that the IPO is currently deep in diplomatic negotiations with the king of the potato people.%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0A%22Yeah%2C I%27m definitely going to hell%2FBut I%27ll have all the best stories to tell%22 -- Frank Turner%2C The Ballad of Me and My Friends
70|5|68|||||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|Senji||19:10:30|06/20/2013|%3ENow I%27m imagining that the intelligence officer in charge of that %0D%0A%3E%28still-hypothetical%29 covert station is probably perennially %0D%0A%3Efrustrated. %22Your reports are constantly too late to do any good%21%22 %0D%0A%3EWell%2C no shit%2C buddy. These people make decisions fast%2C and when we %0D%0A%3Eknow about them at all it%27s because we see the fuckin%27 metagate opens %0D%0A%3Eright before they cram half the IPSF through it. We can%27t collect %0D%0A%3Ecomms traffic to do sigint on because the Psi Corps still hasn%27t %0D%0A%3Efigured out a way to intercept lens traffic%2C now have they%3F And that%27s %0D%0A%3Eon top of the fact that both Hutchins%27 bastard and his little... gloom %0D%0A%3Ecookie teenaged sidekick have parapsychic talents that apparently %0D%0A%3Einvolve matter transportation across interstellar distances%21 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A And %5Bi%5Dwhose%5B%2Fi%5D side is that Ivanova supposed to be on%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AS.
71|6|70|||1||RE%3A First Dates and Firefights|SpottedKitty||00:41:05|06/21/2013|%3E And %5Bi%5Dwhose%5B%2Fi%5D side is that Ivanova supposed to be on%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AThe one least likely to make her want to personally rip their lungs out.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- %0D%0AUnable to save the day%3A File is read-only.